Knights are the lords of the battlefield in MTW. With their ferocious mounted charge, mobility, heavy armour, and good combat ability, they can defeat almost any opponent. Their high morale means they’ll keep fighting to the last. A charge from a fresh knight will drive back any other cavalry and completely sweep away most infantry.

The knights’ Achilles heel is their reckless and arrogant nature, which often leads them to charge without specific orders. Once a knight unit begins an advance towards enemy positions, a wild charge is almost inevitable. Knights can charge right into disaster (As a number of the 100 years war battle show us). But more often than not they carry the day, or at least hold their own, letting attention be focused elsewhere on a battlefield.

The only infantry that can stand against a knightly charge are those armed with spears, pikes or poles. Pole arms in particular can be deadly to any mounted unit, but knights needn’t be too shy of tackling spearmen. The thunder of their charge may cause wavering troops to flee, and if a few mounted knights can make their way around the flanks of the foot formation, they may bring victory.

Even if things go badly, the defensive-oriented nature of spear formations, coupled with the knight’s heavy armour, mean that your knight’s casualties are usually light. If stymied by spears or pikes, the knight unit can withdraw to try its luck elsewhere.

The knight’s heavy armour protects him from ordinary bow-fire, but as the game progresses, longbows and crossbows are capable of piercing armour. Heavy armour can also be a drawback in both the desert heat and the cold weather, causing men to tire quickly and succumb to more lightly armoured troops.

Although the knight is deadly in any combat situation, its most powerful tactic is its charge. One contemporary historian described Frankish knights as ‘able to charge through the walls of Babylon. Try not to let your knight get caught stationary. If they’re immersed in a pitched battle, consider making them gallop away and then return to charge again. The programmers suggest the best knightly tactics are ‘attack, attack and attack.’

Dismounting knights – Most knight units can dismount and fight on foot when faced by enemies with troublesome pikes or poles.

Knight Impetuosity – Knights refer to fight against their social equals, so they may ignore a target you’ve ordered them to attack in favour of opponents they consider more worthy. Their impetuous nature can also lead them to pursue fleeing lighter cavalry for longer than is prudent – exhausting themselves so that they cannot resist a counterattack.

The various military order knights are better-disciplined and wont charge without orders (except for the notoriously reckless Teutonic Knights)