Dominions 6: Mounted Units

by Fernando / Articles, Dominions 6 Guides / 04 Jan 2023

In Dominions 6, there are these combat units, like cavalry & chariots, which are basically a combo of two units – the rider & their mount. These are called mounted units. Each part, the rider & the mount, can be hit & injured separately. If one goes down, the other still hangs in there. A horse without its rider will usually run away from battle, but some tougher creatures, like gryphons, will stay & fight even without their rider.

When it comes to attacking mounted units, it’s kinda like a toss-up between hitting the rider or the mount. The odds depend on their size difference & the reach of the attacker. If there’s more than one rider the size of the biggest one counts… The reach is the size of the unit plus the weapon length.

First up, if the mount’s way bigger than its rider, it’s got a higher chance of getting hit. Check out this:

Size difference – Chance of targeting mount

3 – 25%

4 – 50%

5+ – 75%

If the mount isn’t that big, or the attack wasn’t aimed at it, other rules kick in:

For missile attacks, there’s a 50% chance they’ll hit the mount.

If the mount’s size is 2 or more greater than the reach, it’ll be the target.

Otherwise the chance of hitting the mount is 30% + 10% * mount’s size – 10% * reach. (But it won’t go lower than 10%).

Some attacks are more specific, targeting either one unit or both:

AoE attacks hit both rider & mount.

Lightning strikes both.

Trample attacks always go for the mount.

Mounted units & magic items

You can equip a commander’s mount with a single magic saddle or barding. In rare cases, if the mount is also a commander, it can have its own misc items. Often, the rider’s magic items can benefit the mount too, & this will be mentioned in the item’s details.

Using two-handed weapons while mounted is tricky & comes with a -3 attack penalty.

Rider skill

Some riders have a special Skilled Rider ability, which improves the Morale & Defence Skill of their mount. This is especially effective on lightly armored horses.

Mounted units & morale

Scary stuff like Fear auras or Terror spells usually affect both the rider & the mount. If the rider gets scared, he leaves the battle with his mount. If only the mount is scared, the rider falls off & continues fighting. If both get scared, they both retreat separately.

Falling off a mount deals damage based on the size difference. But falling off a chariot doesn’t hurt.

If the whole squad or army gets scared, only the rider is affected, & he flees with his mount.

Rerecruiting mounted units

If a rider loses his mount, he’ll need a new one. If there are suitable riderless mounts left, he’ll take one & stay with the army. If not, he heads back home, which can take a few turns. He doesn’t care about province ownership but has to pass morale checks every turn. If he fails, he might desert or get lost. If he gets home, you can recruit a new mounted unit at half cost. Available returned riders are indicated by a small blue number next to the unit icon. These riders keep their experience & battle afflictions.

Regular mounts don’t return home, but ‘Smart Mounts’ do, contributing to half-cost recruits & keeping their experience & afflictions.

Mounted commanders don’t return home if they lose their mount. If there’s a suitable mount in the army, they’ll take it, forcing the original rider to go home. If not, they stay unmounted but can use the ‘Reclaim Mount’ order to get a new one in a month.

Some riders have the ability to automatically regain their mounts.

Fernando

Fernando is doing what he always did, sharing his honest opinions about games whenever he can. The difference is now he is writing and not talking about it.

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