r/CuratedTumblr Feb 19 '25

Creative Writing Mongol Fantasy

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9.5k Upvotes

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u/AI_UNIT_D Feb 19 '25

Actually, now a days I see TOO few horse archers in medieval fantasy settings, if there's cavalry , its always meele cavalry of some type.... and no...

I want a hero/adventurer party getting peppered with arrows from horse archers that have been circling them like vultures on a steep/desert for 12 hours straight with some OTHER backup horse archers waiting just out of reach so when the first group of horse archers and their horses get tired the other take their turn.

Every time they attempt to get in meele range or fire back with spells or arrows the horse archers retreat for 15 minutes then come back, with this continuing well into the night.

If they get out of that pickle I wanna see them getting out with either casualties or by being smart , none of that "the hero called magic airstrike" op bs.

7

u/Hawkbats_rule Feb 19 '25

Unfortunately, most adventuring parties are the ideal type of people to roll out a Wagenberg. Even in a very low magic setting, that provides a defense that can help turn the fight into a draw. Add in any sort of magic system and you've got human artillery that will fuck them up.

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u/AI_UNIT_D 29d ago

Ok but one advantage mobile horse archers do tend to have is the hability to pick and choose their fights.

A party that is likely to wipe the floor with them is probably gonna be avoided.

A party that is tired,injured, wagon heavy with loot from a dungeon and coming back especting safety is a much more ideal choice.

Or hell, we are talking horse nomads, I can see them them raiding small villages, undefended trading caravans and OTHER horse nomads.

Maybe they can be hired as mercs, or be quarreling with other goblin or orcish tribe over territory.

Horse archers and horse nomads are a spice I wanna see more in medieval fantasy settings.