Email2020-12-04 18:53

Francis' thoughts on Centaur tactics 
No evidence for Maratasen riders, but any light infantry, especially archers. Centaurs excel at shock tactics and open warfare. They are unlikely to be good at sieges, though useful for raiding in support, and can be fended off by a good pike phalanx, unless they have massed archers available to break the pike line, or force the phalanx to move. While it is conceivable that centaurs might consent to carry troops to battle, it is less likely that they would carry cavalry troopers in battle, who might well impede their close order tactics. Light infantry might usefully be carried into battle, to dismount and disrupt massed pikes, or spears, opening a path for centaurs to charge home. They might also be useful scouting terrain the centaurs suspect has been "prepared". Armoured (barding and heavy armour, plus shield) centaurs would charge home like Sarmatian cataphracts or Crecy knights. The second weapon of the heavy centaur is more likely to be a battle-axe than a sword, even a poleaxe might be feasible.
I am not aware of any stories of centaurs carrying riders, but they are intelligent and adaptable. I have read a theory which suggests light infantry could run beside cavalry, holding a stirrup to keep up. This would only work with relatively slow cavalry - any trip and the infantry is dead weight, though it might just work for some of the quicker races. A cavalry sabre might be a good weapon for the disengaged hand. Such a tactic would tend to disrupt a close order charge, but might work for second chevron troops. All highly theoretical however.
The heavy cavalry needs light cavalry support, to run down troops who have been forced out of position. These would normally be provided by the younger or smaller centaurs, armed with breastplate and lance and sword, though any light cavalry could serve.
Any centaur, heavy or light, could carry a bow. Often depicted in art using a composite or recurved bow to fire Parthian-style back over the flank, there is no reason that heavy centaurs- might not carry longbows to be used conventionally, except that it would put at risk valuable heavy cavalry. Archers are usually cheaper. It has even been suggested that the females might serve as archers, but I could only see this happening in a 'life or death' struggle for the tribe, as females are usually much too valuable.
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So we are left only with evidence that the centaurs are buying, and have been buying, weapons likely to be used by a third party who may be unable to trade directly owing to geography or politics.More worrying is the displacement of Wyldwood by Shanah, especially as it affects a Speaker candidate. Who has been proselytizing? When? Is it a result of the sacking of the library? And does it also account for the relative lack of interest of other centaurs? Perhaps the numenistic features of current centaur religion is more recent than we might think,Sorry about the length of that. As you can see, Francis is very taken with centaurs.