Two levels of Drill Sergeant fighter archetype will pick up three feats.
Assuming you're going with a strength-based attack then Power Attack is the obvious next feat. After that you might get the weapon focus and weapon trick feats to be able to skip the blade/blunt weapons - keeping one or two weapons up to scratch with enchantments is easier than four.
Order of the Beast might help for taking your mount into difficult places and having it fight there.
I linked the one I meant - ACG, the one that gets wild shape for their mount at level 8+. At that level a human is fine due to the wild shaping mount (2/day, up to 10 hours a time), and might spend the remaining feat if I'm counting them correctly on indomitable mount. Or on versatile weapon to deal with some DR.
|
The Halfling on a Wolf is common, for people who want to take their mounts indoors. Note that you can reach around a party member to stab the enemy if you use a lance, but it's -4 to hit for soft cover. That -4 is eliminated by the Phalanx Formation feat. That's how my halfling/wolf stay in the fight when not charging.
Misc notes:
1. Wheeling Charge lets you charge through spaces occupied by allies, just like you can move through them. It also allows you to make a turn during your charge of up to 90 degrees. This feat really enables a Cavlier's ability to get charges in.
2. Mount archtypes are available in the Animal Companion supplement. The Charger lets your mount carry heavier loads and reduces/eliminates movement penalties for wearing heavier armor. The Racer allows your mount to pick up Nimble Moves and Acrobatic Steps right off, so that the mount can treat up to 4 squares of Difficult Terrain as if it were normal. This too, can help enable more charging.
3. My halfling Cavalier carries a Halfling Sling to handle ranged combat. In ten PFS episodes, he has used it once.
Gendarme is popular for getting your feats going faster without the need to multiclass.
He'll need to do that anyway in order to rage.
|
Small with wheeling charge is the best way to maintain charge lines.
Escape route is the best way to avoid aoo so if you can't ride by you can pinball back and forth.
Two hand power attack and mount attack is a good secondry tactic.
Cavaliers have a few solid items that affect challenge and tactician they are reasonable priced so plan for them.
If you're small (especially if halfling), being a TWF is just as viable as being a charge-monkey.
TWF is viable at 1st level with a modicum of smarts in character-design. For example, I had a TWF samurai (he wasn't even a halfling) who'd make two trip attempts with an elevation bonus while mounted; the horse was then at +4 on its attacks, and we'd both get more attacks if the enemy tried to stand up. --He was a murder long before he had a pair of Agile/Keen wakizashis.
I didn't even have any trip feats -- not even Improved.
If you go Halfling, consider Risky Striker and Improved Critical: Lance feats. At lvl 10+, you will face many Large and Huge foes. The bonus damage is multiplied on a critical strike as well, and with a Lance your crit would be 19-20/x3.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/racial-feats/risky-striker-combat-halfling/
Your lvl 8 ability for Order of the Beast can change into anything with the animal type, so wild shape your mount into a flying mount if you want, and consider getting the Death from Above feat for an extra +5 to the attack.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/death-from-above-combat/
If you are medium 5x5 but riding a large mount 10x10, which of the four squares does your character occupy?
|
|
That bit about threatening means you have to be 10' away from the enemy means when using a lance. Thus you can't use it on a charge. When charging, you have to start at a point at least 10' away from the point of attack (which is where you threaten from).
Genoin, you can be in any one of the four squares that you chose.
So, if you choose to be in the back half, your mount can attack the same target you are attacking, because you have 10ft reach but are 10ft away, the mount has 5ft reach and is 5ft away?
|
|
That bit about threatening means you have to be 10' away from the enemy means when using a lance. Thus you can't use it on a charge. When charging, you have to start at a point at least 10' away from the point of attack (which is where you threaten from).
Genoin, you can be in any one of the four squares that you chose.
It does not say at the start of your turn, the moment you charge into a range of 10ft you are threatening and you animal companion is not you fulfil the requirements of the feat as long as no other allies are threatening.