I think cavalier is a great class.
In PeL on Dwilight, we had a noble RP seeking acceptance into the society of Cavaliers of our realm, as those who are cavaliers are "highly honorable" and thus could be seen as a select group. Of course, Game Mechanics wise and IR wise we couldn't and wouldn't deny them, but RP wise it made great sense and worked extremely well to provide positive RP for the realm and our characters. Not to mention it is really fun to be able to lead a unit of 80+ Cavalry or Special Forces into battle. And yes, funding can be found for these especially when a Duke or otherwise. And you don't have to be a greedy duke to do it if you've been a cavalier forever and slowly build up the size of your unit. IT tends not to get destroyed very much outright on Dwilight anyway if your military is smart.
If I didn't already have such a nice unit, I'd probably be pushing for an 85 SF man unit right now
