About this mod

Mounted NPC Combat VR is a comprehensive SKSE plugin for Skyrim VR that overhauls how NPCs behave when they're riding horses during combat. In vanilla Skyrim VR, mounted NPCs are essentially useless - they immediately fall off their horses when attacked or entering combat. This mod fixes that and adds a suite of intelligent mounted behaviours

🐴 CORE FEATURE: NPCs STAY ON THEIR HORSES!

The Problem:
In vanilla Skyrim VR, when you attack a guard, bandit, or anyone on horseback, they immediately dismount and fight on foot. This breaks immersion and makes mounted combat meaningless.

The Solution:
NPCs now stay mounted during combat. When an NPC is attacked while on horseback, the game's dismount command is intercepted and blocked, allowing them to fight from horseback instead.

PLEASE NOTE THIS MOD IS IN EARLY BETA RELEASE. PLEASE REPORT ANY BUGS OR ISSUES WHICH WILL BE ADDRESSED IN FUTURE PATCHES 

⭐ WHY THIS MOD IS DIFFERENT

A FIRST OF ITS KIND - PURE NATIVE NPC MOUNTED SKSE IMPLEMENTATION

This mod takes a new approach to mounted combat for non playable characters:

• NO QUESTS — Zero background quests running or polling for events
• NO ALIASES — No alias slots consumed, no reference tracking overhead
• NO SCRIPTS — No Papyrus scripts that can bloat your save or cause lag
• NO BAKED GAME STATES — Nothing embedded in your save file
  

What This Means For You:

• 100% Clean Uninstall — Remove anytime with zero save game residue
• Maximum Compatibility — Works alongside ANY other mod without conflicts
• Zero Performance Impact — Native code runs at engine level, not script level
• Rock-Solid Stability — No script latency, no stack dumps, no save bloat
• Works With Everything — Combat mods, follower mods, horse mods — all compatible
  

Traditional mounted combat mods rely on quests and scripts that bake into your save, cause compatibility issues, and can't be cleanly removed. This SKSE plugin operates entirely at the native engine level.

⚔️ INTELLIGENT COMBAT BEHAVIORS

The mod classifies NPCs into different combat roles based on their faction:

• Guards — Melee-focused warriors who charge at threats and protect citizens
• Soldiers — Similar to guards, part of military factions
• Bandits — Prefer ranged combat, will rain arrows from horseback (beta)
  (Only compatible with Horses on Patrol Lite)
• Companions — Favour ranged attacks from horseback but will also engage in melee when targets get close
• Mages — Only use ranged attacks during the early beta with a high chance of dismounting.
• Civilians — Will flee from danger (still to be implemented)
  

🎯 COMBAT FEATURES

Mounted Melee Attacks

• NPCs swing weapons from horseback with proper left/right attack animations
• Horses circle around targets, positioning riders for attack passes
• Power attacks have a small chance to trigger
• Hit detection uses line-segment collision for accuracy.

  

  

Mounted Ranged Attacks

• Archers draw their bows with realistic timing (2-3.5 second draw)
• Arrows are aimed at targets with height compensation (accounts for whether target is on foot or mounted)
• NPCs intelligently switch between melee and ranged based on distance.
  

🎖️ DYNAMIC MULTI-COMBAT ROLE SYSTEM

When multiple mounted NPCs engage in combat, they don't just swarm mindlessly - they coordinate!

Intelligent Role Assignment:
When multiple mounted NPCs are fighting simultaneously, the mod dynamically assigns combat roles to create tactical variety:
• Melee Riders — Close-range fighters who charge in for attack passes
• Ranged Riders — Archers who maintain distance and provide covering fire
• Captain Role/Leader — A designated leader who coordinates from range
  
How It Works:
• Up to 4 mounted NPCs can be tracked and coordinated simultaneously
• Roles are assigned based on distance, weapons, and tactical needs
• The furthest melee rider can be automatically promoted to ranged role
• Captains (by name) are pre-assigned to ranged/leadership positions

  

  

Dynamic Role Switching:
Combat roles aren't static - they adapt to the battlefield:
• Distance-Based Switching - If a ranged rider gets too close, they switch to melee; if too far, they close the gap
• Captain Flexibility/Leader/Companion and single mounted riders - can switch between melee and ranged based on combat distance
  


⚔️ DYNAMIC WEAPON EQUIP SYSTEM

NPCs automatically equip the right weapon for their combat role - no pre-configuration needed!

Automatic Weapon Detection & Assignment:
• Inventory Scanning — The mod scans each NPC's inventory to detect available weapons
• Best Weapon Selection — Automatically equips the best melee weapon or bow available
• Fallback Weapons — If an NPC lacks appropriate weapons, they receive default gear:
  
  • Melee: Iron Mace (if unarmed)
  • Ranged: Hunting Bow (if no bow in inventory)
    
• Automatic Arrow Equip — Archers automatically have arrows equipped when switching to ranged
  
Role-Based Weapon Switching:
Weapons change dynamically based on combat role and distance:
• Melee Role Activated → Best melee weapon drawn
• Ranged Role Activated → Best bow equipped + arrows added
• Temporary Ranged Mode → Bow given if needed, removed when mode ends
• Charge Manoeuvre → Melee weapon equipped for the charge attack
  
Weapon Reach Detection:
The mod calculates actual weapon reach for accurate hit detection:
• Accounts for weapon length when determining attack range
• Different weapons = different effective melee distances
• Ensures hits connect at realistic distances from horseback
  

Ranged Positioning AI:
Ranged riders don't just stand still — they actively manage their position:
• Ideal Distance — Ranged riders try to maintain ~800 units from target
• Minimum Distance — If closer than 500 units, they'll switch to melee or reposition
• Maximum Distance — If further than 1400 units, they'll move closer
• Stationary Firing — Horse stops moving while archer aims and fires
  

🏇 HORSE MOVEMENT & AI

Smart Horse Navigation

• Horses actively navigate toward combat targets
• Stuck detection: If a horse hasn't moved in 5 seconds but should be moving, it automatically resets
• Horses turn to face targets smoothly during combat

  

  

Horse Animations

• Sprint — Horses sprint toward distant targets
• Rear Up — Horses dramatically rear up when approaching targets or taking damage
• Jump — Horses jump to escape obstructions
• Turn Animations — Smooth left/right turns for positioning
  

💥 SPECIAL COMBAT MANEUVERS

Mounted NPCs don't just swing weapons — they execute tactical maneuvers!

🏇 Charge Attack

• When a target is at medium range (700-1500 units by default), there's a chance for the mounted NPC to perform a cavalry charge
• The horse rears up dramatically, the rider equips a melee weapon, then sprints toward the target
• After reaching melee range, the rider attacks before disengaging
  

🏹 Rapid Fire (Archers)

• Ranged NPCs can enter a "rapid fire" mode
• The horse stops moving while the archer fires a burst of arrows (5 by default)
• After the barrage, normal combat resumes
  

🔄 Tactical Retreat (Companions)

• Your mounted companions can strategically disengage from melee combat
• Creates distance to allow special moves like charges to trigger again
• Prevents combat from becoming stale
  

🛡️ Stand Ground

• When engaging on-foot targets, mounted NPCs can hold position
• Horse stops and rider focuses on attacking from a fixed location
• Ideal for defending choke points or overwhelming a single target
  

⚔️ Assault Mode

• Triggered against close-range on-foot targets
• Aggressive close-quarters melee assault from horseback
• Rider stays in tight, delivering repeated attacks without disengaging
• Devastating against enemies who can't escape
  

🏃 Tactical Flee

• Riders below a health threshold will briefly disengage
• Horse retreats to create distance and allow recovery
• Rider regroups before re-engaging combat
• Prevents mounted NPCs from fighting to the death recklessly
  

👥 COMPANION SYSTEM

Your Followers Fight From Horseback Too!

• The mod automatically detects when your followers/teammates are on horses
• Companions engage hostiles that are attacking you
• Supports up to 5 mounted companions simultaneously

  

  

Companion-Specific Features

• Spell Rapid Fire for mage companions
• Tactical retreat to prevent bunching up
• Custom name list support for mod-added followers (Inigo, Lucien, etc.)
  

🤚 HIGGS VR INTEGRATION

Special Dismount — Pull Riders Off Horses!
If you have the HIGGS VR mod installed, you get an incredible VR-exclusive feature:

• Grab a mounted enemy with HIGGS
• Pull your controller downward
• The rider ragdolls off their horse and falls to the ground
• After 1.75 seconds, they recover and become aggressive
  

  

This creates an incredibly immersive VR interaction where you can physically yank enemies off their mounts!

🔄 REMOUNTING SYSTEM

If an NPC is dismounted (by pulling them off, knockback, etc.), they can remount:

• The mod tracks dismounted NPCs and nearby riderless horses
• When conditions are safe, NPCs move to horses and mount them
• After remounting, combat behavior resumes automatically
  

🛡️ NPC PROTECTION SYSTEM

While mounted, NPCs receive special protection:

• Stagger Immunity — Prevents constant staggering that would make combat impossible.
• Bleedout Prevention — Keeps mounted combat flowing smoothly.
• Protection is automatically removed when NPCs dismount
  

📋 REQUIREMENTS

• Skyrim VR (1.4.15)
• Mods that add mounted NPCS (horses on patrol, hold riders, more mounted npcs's etc)
• HIGGS VR (optional — for pull-off feature)
  

⚙️ CONFIGURATION

All features can be customized via the INI file located at:
Data\SKSE\Plugins\Mounted_NPC_Combat_VR.ini
Configurable Options Include:

• Enable/disable dismount prevention and remounting
• Combat ranges for melee/ranged switching
• Charge attack chance, cooldown, and distances
• Rapid fire chance, duration, and shot count
• Rear up chances and cooldowns
• Companion combat settings
• Horse rotation speeds
• Custom companion name list for mod-added followers
  

🔧 COMPATIBILITY

• TO MAKE THIS COMPATIBLE WITH STEEDS OF ULTIMA, PLEASE DOWNLOAD  AND REPLACE THE STEEDS OF ULTIMA FILE WITH THE NEW OPTIONAL FILE ON THE SOU NEXUS PAGE. NEW OPTIONAL FILE. (DELETE NEMESIS PANDORA CACHE AND RE-RUN).
• Combat Mods - Not compatible with outdated papyrus mounted combat mods.
• Follower Mods - Custom followers can be added to the companion name list in the INI

  
  📦 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MODS

  These mods add mounted NPCs to Skyrim — combine them with Mounted NPC Combat VR for the ultimate cavalry experience!

  🏇 Mods That Add Mounted NPCs
  • Hold Riders — HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
    Adds single mounted patrol riders to each major Hold. Perfect for encountering mounted guards on the roads. This mod seems to have better navmesh settings than Horses on Patrol.
  • Horses on Patrol — RECOMMENDED
    Adds multiple mounted guard factions patrolling the roads. Lite version recommended for best performance.
  ⚔️ Weapons & Combat
  • Glaive Danger — HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
    Adds glaives (polearm weapons) to mounted riders and the game. Perfect for authentic cavalry combat — nothing says "mounted warrior" like a rider with a glaive!
  🐴 VR & Quality of Life
  • Steeds of Ultima VR — ESSENTIAL FOR VR MOUNTED COMBAT
    Enables full mounted capabilities for the player in VR. Combined with this mod, you get complete mounted combat for both player AND NPCs!⚠️ IMPORTANT: Use the OPTIONAL FILE, not the main file!
    
  • Mounted Torch Wield Fix — HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
    Fixes the weird hand positions when riders have torches equipped. Small fix, big visual improvement.