Lindon Horse Archers - they're a unit that many old school players don't add into their unit composition at all, yet many newer players tend to spam them and overdo things a bit. This guide explains when to get these units, how many you need, and how to use them. It should be noted that this guide focuses on their use in 1v1 games. Their spammability in 3v3s and 4v4s is another story.
First of all, is there a match-up where you shouldn't get these guys at all?
Yes, forget them vs. Dwarves because they don't have conventional cavalry units (which Lindons counter best), nor are they worth their cost as archers here since Dwarves can counter them very easily with Prince Brand and good forward mine play.
When to get Lindons
Elves in general often force their opponents to make cavalry because it's risky trying to keep up with them using infantry. At the same time, most Elves players get their Green Pasture in almost every match-up because Lancers already make the Elven army so deadly in the early game.
In terms of circumstances, it's really easy to get these guys when you need them. You basically just have to hit that upgrade button for a cost of 200 resources. You should hit that button as soon as you see your opponent going for these structures: Green Pasture, Stables, Warg Pit, Spider Pit, or Haradrim Palace. Everything that comes out of these PBs is very easily countered by Lindons, especially if you combine them with Farsight, which doesn't only help you confirm that your opponent goes for these units but also tells you where he will send them so you can immediately intercept.
Angmar is a little exception in this case. Lindons are not worth getting to counter Wolf Riders or Dire Wolves because Angmar is very good at pushing them back and doing critical damage. You should only get them if Angmar shows a bigger commitment to Snow Trolls.
Another exception is Mordor. Elves CAN play this match-up with Lindons + melee units no matter what unit composition Mordor goes for - it simply works. They effectively trample orcs, counter units from the Haradrim Palace pretty well, and can completely replace Lorien Archers in terms of firepower here.
Number of Lindons to get
In most cases it's never effective to go over three Lindon battalions. At that number they perfectly do their job, which is primarily to keep enemy cavalry away from your economy, and it won't be too painful if you lose them all for whatever reason.
Always look at how the fact that you got Lindons affects your opponent's commitment to cavalry / fast harassment units. If he goes for more, you go for more. If he stops to make them, you have no real reason to build more Lindons BUT if you really just want to max things out and get as many units as possible, Lindons are a good gap filler because they still provide good firepower from the back even if they don't hard-counter anything. The fact that they can simply kite infantry as long as you get a meatshield for them makes them valuable in most situations.
Again though versus Mordor you can get around five battalions without any regrets.
How to use Lindons
"
We will protect the Elven Lands!"
That's pretty much their primary use in the first few minutes they're out. These peacekeepers should intercept and keep out harassing units, especially cavalry.
The A Hotkey
Use the attack-move (A) command to make this unit less micro intensive and to make sure they won't charge into any surprises.
As soon as that job is done though you should immediately send these guys to the front to support your fighting or harassing infantry units. And their support is not to be taken lightly. The additional firepower these guys can provide can turn the tide of many battles in your favor because they also constantly pose the threat of being a cavalry unit as well.
That's why, whenever you plan to receive their support in your battles, you should focus on the pikemen because Lindons can simply run over the rest. Lindons have to be a constant threat. Your opponent shouldn't even dare to use his cavalry to harass anymore and he should always have to watch out for for them trying to trample units. The fact that they can quickly ride to aid any infantry on the map truly makes them a stabilizer unit that can help balance out any pressure on your flanks. This unit stands for control and superiority.
With this knowledge you should be ready to ride to war, to defend, to snipe some Spiderlings, to trample hordes of orcs, or to just scare the hell out of some Warg Riders...Lindons can do it ALL.
