Hi Maarten
If I understand your question correctly then:-
1. Cavalry strength is increased by a multiple (typically 3) when charging to attack infantry that are not in square - so 100 light cavalry attack with a strength of 300.
2. If the cavalry do not charge, they do not receive this bonus. So, if the cavalry are disordered and can not charge, they will not recieve the bonus (and will be penalised with something like a -50% strength reduction for being disordered).
3. Heavy cavalry and lancers receive additional strength bonuses of about 25% to their attack.
4. The above bonus for charging cavalry does not apply if the enemy are in square, or are in covered terrain (in village, forest, orchard, marsh, rough terrain, etc).
5. Cavalry that end their charge next to a linear obstacle, (stream, hedge, wall etc) and then melee a unit on the other side of the obstacle do not receive the charge bonus.
5. If cavalry are disordered during their charge, for example they charge across a stream, which disorders them, then they melee attack the enemy, their strength will be reduced by 50% because they are disordered, then increased by a multiple of 3 because they were charging. So, 100 light cavalry would attack with a strength of 150.
6. As with all melee, the cavlry receive the standard bonus for flank or rear attack and, they automatically receive the bonus for not firing the phase before the attack. But the principal bonus is the strength multiplier and that only applies if the cavalry have charged.
But, do not expect miracles from your cavalry and use them wisely, they are a valuable commodity. Use them to threaten the enemy, forcing his infantry into square, then attack the squares with infantry and artillery to disorder them and render them immobile and unable to change formation.
Use them at the end of the day to turn a minor victory to a major one by bagging all those disordered and routed enemy units (the pursuit), or, in defeat, to prevent the enemy securing a major victory by cvering the withdrawal of your artillery and other units from the battlefield.
Many players expect too much of their cavalry. There were not that many successful cavalry charges during the Napoleonic wars because there were not that many charges made, certainly not made in the way that I have seen them made in many of the games that I have played.
Hope this helps answer your question
Regards
Mark
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