Battlefield 1: Master The Underrated Cavalry Class With These 10 Tips

Battlefield 1 is an easy contender for one of the best FPS releases in 2016, and the community is going strong. Among the new additions included in this WW1 shooter are horses — armed with a big sword, extra armor, and a bonus load of anti-tank firepower. The Cavalry class is a hit-and-run expert, and the horse’s high mobility means you’ll always be deep in the action. You’re a sniper’s worst enemy, and a Tanker’s nightmare.

But, the Cavalry class doesn’t get a whole lot of love. They’re big targets that don’t have the protection of a tank, and their support heavy loadout doesn’t make much sense to players that just want to flay opponents alive with that awesome sword. If you’re (still) on the fence when it comes to the Cavalry class, here are 10 tips to help you master this pretty special class.

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10 Tips — How To Play As The Cavalry Class

The Cavalry Class is a unique kit available when a player selects to spawn on a horse. This class is similar to the Pilot / Tanker, but features more on-foot action. You’ll need to take good care of your horse (and yourself) to survive, but mobility and a killer saber make this class worth picking.

#1: Saber Those Scouts

The Cavalry class, while mounted, is an unstoppable sniper hunter. On large maps, snipers tend to camp in the periphery of the fight where they can use scopes and pick off competition. They tend to be laser-focused, but even a good scout will have a hard time dealing with your mounted charge.

A scout will always hear your horse before it arrives, but they won’t know which direction you’re coming from. Stay on low hills and use your amazing 3rd person viewpoint to spot Scouts or other solitary players in the open. When they don’t have much cover, that’s when you’ll want to charge. One saber swipe and these guys are toast.

#2: You Have Armor, So Go Nuts

The Cavalry class isn’t just fast — they’re tough too. When mounted, Cavalry gain bonus armor to protect from small arms fire. That means you’ll be able to charge straight into combat and start swiping or shooting. Explosives tend to be too slow, and you’re too small a target anyway. Powerful penetrating weapons aren’t so bad, so long as you keep moving.

The bonus armor gives Cavalry the chance to go nuts. Throw your reservations away and charge into combat. You’ll outlast any basic ground-pounder in a one-vs-one fight.

#3: …But Not TOO Nuts

As Cavalry, you’re especially exposed. Horses are easier to kill since the original 10/21/16 release date. Nerfs have sapped the horse’s durability, so avoiding prolonged confrontations is a must.

Dive into combat, then weave out. Don’t stand around — always keep running. You want to sneak up on opponents, and in a bad scenario — always dismount and take cover.

#4: Flanking, Flanking, And More Flanking

Flanking is the bread and butter of the Cavalry class. Like the previous tips, there’s no reason to charge directly into combat. Instead, circle around combat and attack from the side, or behind — whatever it takes to confuse, disorient, and kill the enemy.

If your teammates are attacking, use their firefights to establish sight-lines. Tanks are an especially good focal point; when a giant tank is rolling in, everyone focuses on that.

#5: Use Your Perspective

Didn’t we mention this earlier? While mounted on your horse, Cavalry get a great view of the world from above. The camera switches from 1st to 3rd person — now you can see enemies around corners, over hills, on top of buildings or behind structures. You’ve got mobility and a Tanker’s eyes.

While Tankers need to stick to their Tanks, Cavalry are all about dismounting. There are a couple reasons why you’ll want to dismount, but dealing with vehicles might be one of the best.

#6: Vehicles Can’t Deal With You

Cavalry have, in total, three Light Anti-Tank Grenades in their inventory. While mounted, you’ll have two grenades ready to chuck. When dismounted, you’ll have one extra, separate grenade stored in the kit. To refill, you’ll actually need to collect an ammo pouch while dismounted and mounted — both kits have separate ammo / grenade supplies.

Why is this important? When you charge toward a tank, look for cover. Craters, hills, or small walls will do. Charge toward a tank, throw both grenades, then ditch the horse and hide in a hole, tossing your third grenade from cover, or a blind spot. This is a killer technique, just don’t forget to…

#7: Drop Bandages / Ammo Pouches For Friends

The Cavalry class is equipped with extra bandages and ammo pouches, turning them into a very mobile support unit. To make life easier, drop bandages for friends in the middle of combat. If your allies are alive, they’ll be able to draw attention off you, and you can fly out of combat to other teammates that might need the extra bandages and ammo.

But the Cavalry class doesn’t really excel at support. Even more important, you’ll want to save these awesome drops.

#8: … And For Yourself

When fighting a tank or escaping an ugly exchange, dive into a crater and drop bandages. Keep your horse healed, and fix yourself up — always drop both to refill your grenades. The bandages don’t just fix you, you’ll also heal any damage you sustained while diving for cover.

Instead of sitting and waiting, once you’ve begun regenerating, hop back onto your horse and charge toward the enemy. If you follow that simple rotation, you’ll be diving from one combat situation into the next — fight, dismount for bandages/ammo, remount and charge.

#9: Dismount To Stay In The Fight

Sometimes you’ll actually want to dismount for a fight. If you’re being chased by enemy Cavalry, it’s a good strategy to dismount in an area with cover. Clusters of buildings are especially good, because you can hide and toss grenades to shred you enemy.

Leaving your horse behind helps if you need to hang back and help clear an urban area. Horses are the masters of flanking, and sitting still is never a good idea. If you absolutely have to hold a point, dismount and leave your horse somewhere you can return later — it’s best to just focus on destroying, though.

#10: Or Hide In A Ruined Building

One trick most people won’t think to try is… hiding your horse inside a building! Using grenades, you can blow the corner of a structure and ride your horse inside. While the horse can’t ride all the way inside most interiors, they can hide with you in a corner, or an alley, or even behind a windmill — anything that keeps them out of line-of-sight.

Got your own killer Battlefield 1 pro-strategies? Let us know in the comments!