BUILDINGS: Attacking into buildings is near impossible for cavalry, although bear in mind that you only fight in buildings when you are either attacking a building tile or storming a city- NOT when you are simply raiding or attacking tiles. Spearmen and swordsmen have advantages here, but bowmen aren’t really affected. They get a slight advantage for defending, however, whereas spearmen and swordsmen once again shine.
MOUNTAINS: This affects troops in the same way, but to a slightly lesser extent, as heavily mountainous areas- see below.
HEAVILY WOODED AREAS: Forget the Lord of the Rings stereotype. Forget the dwarves getting ambushed by elves with bows. Forget any thought you have that archers belong in forests, because in Illyriad they don’t. Neither do cavalry; instead spearmen and swordsmen have advantages. The same happens with the defenders.
PLAINS: The home of cavalry. All foot troops are disadvantaged here, whilst cavalry get large advantages- in particular attacking, but defending also.
VERY MOUNTAINOUS AREAS: Cavalry dream of plains but have nightmares for mountains. There is no worse place for cavalry units, and to a lesser extent, swordsmen. Bowmen attacking here get an advantage, as do spearmen; whilst spearmen and bowmen get an enormous advantage defending here.
SMALL HILLS: This gives virtually no advantage or disadvantage to either side; yet the defenders do, at least, have a slight advantage.
LARGE HILLS: Attacking cavalry have difficulty here, but all the other foot troops have advantages here. Archers and spearmen have advantages defending here, whereas swordsmen and cavalry once again have problems.