History Main / AntiCavalry

** Most Lord/main characters usually have a personal weapion that is both Anti-Cavalry and Anti-Armor. The [[RoyalRapier Rapier/Regal Blade]] is the most common, but some others are [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Ephraim's]] [[BladeOnAStick Reginleif]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade Lyn's]] [[EveryJapaneseSwordIsAKatana Mani Katti]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Hector's]] [[AnAxeToGrind Wolf Beil]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAkaneia Caeda's]] [[BladeOnAStick Wing Spear]] and [[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Micaiah's]] [[LightEmUp Thani]].

** Most Lord/main characters usually have a personal weapion that is both Anti-Cavalry and Anti-Armor. The [[RoyalRapier Rapier/Regal Blade]] is the most common, but some others are [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Ephraim's]] [[BladeOnAStick Reginleif]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Lyn's]] [[EveryJapaneseSwordIsAKatana Mani Katti]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Hector's]] [[AnAxeToGrind Wolf Beil]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAkaneia Caeda's]] [[BladeOnAStick Wing Spear]] and [[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Micaiah's]] [[LightEmUp Thani]].

* This trope made Hela's battle against the Valykries in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' the CurbStompBattle that it was. In a battle between a goddess who is able to summon knives, blades, and spears larger than busses versus a battalion of winged-horse-riding Asgardians, it's a miracle that even one was able to survive, and it suddenly makes sense why we never saw a single Valykrie previously in the series.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'': [[CoolSword Longswords/Zanbatos]], [[BladeOnAStick Horse Slayers]], and [[AnAxeToGrind Halberds]] are effective against horseback units.

* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Clegane brothers are both fond of wielding swords big enough to be used in an anti-cavalry fashion.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'': [[CoolSword Long Swords, Zanbatos]], [[BladeOnAStick Horse Slayers]], and [[AnAxeToGrind Halberds]] are effective against horseback units.

** ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammer'' generally gives spear units bonus which improves their effectiveness against "large" units such as cavalry, but that's just the tip of the iceberg for the potential weapons armies will employ to counteract large units, from javelins, cannons [[{{Dracolich}} undead dragons]], or just the {{Giant Mook}}s of the Greenskins.

* This trope made Hela's battle against the Valykries in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' the CurbStompBattle that it was. In a battle between a god who is able to summon knives, blades, and spears larger than busses versus a battalion of winged-horse-riding Asgardians, it's a miracle that even one was able to survive, and it suddenly makes sense why we never saw a single Valykrie previously in the series.

* Averted, or just simply ignored, in the film adaptation of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. When the Rohirrim cavalry appear, umnexpectedly, in the rear of Mordor's army assailing Minas Tirith, the Orc commander orders his troops to turn, face, and present a wall of pikes. Military theory and practice says this should have worked and the Rohirrim part in the battle ends there: but the Rohirrim simply sweep the pike wall away. On horseback.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infantry_square Infantry Squares,]] Although this formation dates back to the Roman era, it was successfully employed on 18th and 19th-century battlefields as a defensive formation to ward off cavalry. To compensate for the slow reload of flintlock muskets, infantry could form into hollow-centered squares roughly two or more ranks deep, possibly with the front rank kneeling and bracing their weapon on the ground. This formation not only presented attacking enemy cavalry with a bristle of bayonets that would be difficult to overcome but also prevented cavalry from outflanking them, while additionally allowing the infantry to safely fire and reload their weapons. Infrequently, infantry squares could break, especially if the troops involved were poorly trained or lacking in morale, which would often result in a massive rout.

* Behold, the {{Caltrops}}, a passive anti-cavalry weapon designed so that no matter how it is dropped, [[BoringButPractical it always lands with at least one sharp point pointing upwards.]] Unwary calvary and infantry risk [[AgonyOfTheFeet severe injury]] if they step on one. What's better, they can still be effective against modern vehicle using air-filled tires.

* Pikes, English bill hooks, halberds, and voulges/pole cleavers were designed from earlier spears to form a wall of sharp pointy shit for calavry to not run into and therefore protect the muskets behind the wall. Halberds and billhooks were also designed to rip the rider from his horse and be chopped to bits when on the ground.

** Most Lord/main characters usually have a personal weapion that is both Anti-Cavalry and Anti-Armor. The [[RoyalRapier Rapier/Regal Blade]] is the most common, but some others are [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Ephraim's]] [[BladeOnAStick Reginleif]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Lyn's]] [[EveryJapaneseSwordIsAKatana Mani Katti]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Hector's]] [[AnAxeToGrind Wolf Beil]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAkaneia Caeda's]] [[BladeOnAStick Wing Spear]] and [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Micaiah's]] [[LightEmUp Thani]].

** Polearms in general have the reach to at least attempt ''something'' on a charging horseman. But the Billhook, while not having quite as much range, excels at it by way of directly separating rider and mount when making impact. When you need to remove enemy ass from a saddle and send them [[RagdollPhysics ragdolling into the ground]] so your angry team can get some payback on them, accept no substitutes.

** Additionally, FlamingArrows in ''VideoGame/AttilaTotalWar'' are very effective against cavalry - even an army's most basic archers can expect to pull off a very good showing against the {{Horse Archer}}s that the titular man is ''definitely'' going to be using.

* ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' - [[BladeOnAStick Spearmen]] perform this function. The square formation in ''VideoGame/EmpireTotalWar'' is also used for this purpose - some skirmisher units can also put down sharpened sticks.
** ''VideoGame/TotalWarRomeII'' and ''VideoGame/TotalWarAttila'' added pikes that, when in formation, will stop cavalry (and lots of other units, really) dead on a charge, but [[CripplingOverspecialization they are pretty helpless when flanked and usually can't hope to catch ranged infantry before getting shot to pieces]]. Additionally, FlamingArrows in ''Attila'' are very effective against cavalry - even an army's most basic archers can expect to pull off a very good showing against the {{Horse Archer}}s that the titular man is ''definitely'' going to be using.
*** ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammer'' generally has spear units have a bonus which improves their effectiveness against "large" units which include cavalry, but that's just the tip of the iceberg for the potential weapons armies will employ to counteract large units, from javelins, cannons [[{{Dracolich}} undead dragons]], or just the {{Giant Mook}}s of the Greenskins.

Historically accurate: Most such weapons are based either on polearms (spears, pikes, etc.) or camels. Horses are scared silly of anything resembling a [[BladeOnAStick pointy stick]], and the longer the pointy stick the scarier it becomes. The fact that spears and pikes are really cheap and relatively easy to train with has historically made them excellent anti-cavalry weapons; indeed, the rediscovery of pike tactics by the Swiss and Dutch in the late Middle Ages is generally considered to be the real death knell for the age of knights (rather than gunpowder as generally assumed). Horses are also reputed to be scared or disoriented by the scent of camels; while this may not be true, reports of horse cavalry collapsing before camel cavalry are fairly consistent across time and place (from the time of UsefulNote/CyrusTheGreat through to the Arab empires, and in Central Asia as well).

* The [[{{BFS}} Zanbato's]] intended purpose was to kill both horse and its rider, as well as the ''Zhanmadao'', which the former is based on. It's ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Zan (斬) = Slash,[[note]]Or strike[[/note]] Ba[[note]]Normally "Uma"[[/note]] (馬) = Horse, To (刀) = Sword.
* The Japanese Nodachi
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infantry_square Infantry Squares,]] Although this formation dates back to the Roman era, it was successfully employed on 18th and 19th century battlefields as a defensive formation to ward off cavalry. To compensate for the slow reload of flintlock muskets, infantry could form into hollow-centred squares roughly two or more ranks deep, possibly with the front rank kneeling and bracing their weapon on the ground. This formation not only presented attacking enemy cavalry with a bristle of bayonets that would be difficult to overcome, but also prevented cavalry from outflanking them, while additionally allowing the infantry to safely fire and reload their weapons. Infrequently, infantry squares could break, especially if the troops involved were poorly trained or lacking in morale, which would often result in a massive rout.

* In regards to modern cavalry (aircraft, armored vehicles, and the like), specialized missiles and guns are often necessary. Attack aircraft are often very fast and agile, and use the terrain for cover, meaning AntiAir personnel have a narrow window to engage them, [[WildWeasel especially if the Anti-Air units are the aircraft's target.]] Armored vehicles are often designed to be mobile bunkers, and require specialized weapons with either enough firepower to penetrate the heavy armor, or enough precision to [[AttackItsWeakPoint Attack Its Weak Spot]].

* Bretonnian archers in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' can set up stakes in front of them to prevent cavalry charges. If they panic and run, the stakes go with them.

* ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' - [[BladeOnAStick Spearmen]] perform this function. The square formation in ''VideoGame/EmpireTotalWar'' is also used for this purpose.
** Some units can also put down sharpened sticks.

SubTrope of WeaponOfXSlaying. See also AntiAir, AntiInfantry, AntiVehicle, and AntiArmor. Can lead to InertialImpalement.

* ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'': The Ewoks employ, [[BewareTheSillyOnes among their arsenal of creatively improvised weapons and booby traps]], lassos and [[LowClearance clotheslines]] to snag Imperial speeder bikes and their riders.

** However, while Anti-Cavalry weapons has consistently been effective against Cavalier and Paladins, some classes are not effective from it in some games like Nomad and Troubadour, despite being on horseback.

** Most Lord/main characters usually have a personal weapion that is both Anti-Calvary and Anti-Armor. The [[RoyalRapier Rapier/Regal Blade]] is the most common, but some others are [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Ephraim's]] [[BladeOnAStick Reginleif]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Lyn's]] [[EveryJapaneseSwordIsAKatana Mani Katti]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Hector's]] [[AnAxeToGrind Wolf Beil]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAkaneia Caeda's]] [[BladeOnAStick Wing Spear]] and [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Micaiah's]] [[LightEmUp Thani]].