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AoS: Forth Eorlingas! – Best Cavalry Units From Every Grand Alliance

4 Minute Read
Feb 25 2025
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We’re here for round nine of the Grand Alliance Throwdown! Today’s battle: four mounted units ready to bury their enemies under hoof and claw.

Welcome in, Generals of the Realms! We’re back again with another Grand Alliance battle royale. Like the epic battle of Pelennor Fields, a well-timed cavalry charge can snatch victory from the jaws of inevitable defeat. While the Grand Alliances have different styles of warfare, they all agree that mounted troops are a worthwhile investment. Wise generals know that if you need the perfect combination of speed, power, and mobility, you can’t go wrong with a mounted charge.

Order: Akhelian Ishlaen Guard

There are tons of options for the top spot in the Forces of Order. From mighty Gryph Knights to Dracoth Riders, there’s no shortage of incredible mounted units. However, the top spot in my book has to go to the eel-riding Akhelian Guard. These Idoneth warriors have two variants: one focused on offense and one focused on defense. As powerful as the attack variant is, the biovoltaic warriors of the Ishlaen Guard slightly edge them out, thanks to their overall utility.

These undersea aelves are the bane of enemy infantry with their Helsabres, which get an additional +1 Rend when fighting footsloggers. That’s certainly not all the Fangmora-riders can do, though. In addition to their high speed and ability to fly, they get a 5+ ward save on the turn they charge and can lower the incoming attacks of enemy units. They’re deadly on the attack and impenetrable on the defense, the perfect undersea predator.

Chaos: Varanguard

While the Forces of Order could have put forward anything, there’s no contest in Chaos. The Varanguard are the deadliest knights in the Slaves to Darkness arsenal, perhaps in all the Realms. These are Archaon’s chosen knights, the finest warriors in his army. Their approach is the sound of the coming apocalypse. Where they tread, only devastation follows.

The Varanguard have a nasty suite of attacks and abilities. They can unload a hurricane of attacks, dealing Mortal wounds on crits, and they’re almost impossible to repel. Thankfully, like the Akhelian Guard, they come in small units. However, the Varanguard are MUCH more resilient than the Aelves. If you want to bring the full force of the Chaos gods on your opponents, this is the unit for you.

Death: Blood Knights

Even before the world broke, the Blood Knights of Abhorash were a force to be feared. With centuries of practice and a black heart filled with hate, the undead vampiric knights of the Blood Keep were the fiercest warriors in the Old World. They were fast, strong, and almost impossible to kill. In Soulblight Gravelords, they aren’t the immediate executioners they once were, but they’re still a threat. Under the right heroes, they can be unliving blenders of battle.

The Blood Knights are still nasty customers, even in their slightly diminished state. They have three attacks that deal extra damage on the charge and are a special nightmare for infantry. Not only do they get extra Rend against infantry, but they can trample over them to deal even more damage. Against an onfoot army, this is a death sentence. I’m excited to see how they look in the upcoming book.

Destruction: Mournfang Pack

What’s scary than an angry Ogor? How about an angry Ogor hunter on the back of a giant tusked mountain predator charging you down? That’s exactly what you get with the Ogor Mawtribes Mournfang Pack. These deadly hunters are the mobile arm of the Beastclaw Raiders, bringing their prey to ground with record speed. While they might not be the fastest or the deadliest mounted warriors in the Forces of Destruction, they’re one of the more interesting.

The Mournfangs are everything the Ogors love: big, loud, and strong. They are the perfect cavalry killers, shutting down “Charge” effects leveled against them. Even better, they can easily absorb shooting attacks thanks to their ability to reduce the wound roll of incoming attacks. When they inevitably retaliate, they strike back like an avalanche with Damage 2 attacks and a pistol they can shoot while engaged. They might not be as deadly as a Gore-grunta, but they’ll get the job done.

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Author: Clint Lienau
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