Noble

Noble is a High Elves melee infantry unit in Total War: Warhammer II. High Elf aristocrats are precise and calculating, and they bring this nature to the battlefield.

Description
High Elf Nobles are the leaders of their own respective armies and companies, warriors whose skill at arms and years of experience far surpass those of any other mortal race. The noble families of Ulthuan have led the High Elves through times of peace and conflict for thousands of years. They pride themselves on a deep sense of honour, as well as the mastery of both diplomacy and war as art forms. The High Elves believe an existence lived without precision to be hollow, and scarcely preferable to death. Any Elf Noble is just at home fighting with a sword in bloody melee as he is loosing deathly-accurate arrows from afar, or even dictating the strategy of a campaign from a greater distance still. Though they are loyal to the Phoenix King even unto death, all High Elves of noble blood love intrigue and politics. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that armies are trusted to individuals based on political alignment, rather than on ability. Fortunately these instances are rare -- when the safety of Ulthuan is at stake, few Phoenix Kings have suffered such idiocy for long. There is no shortage of brave and talented commanders among the Asur, and courtly intrigue seldom prevents such individuals from harnessing their skills.

Actions

 * Replenish Troops
 * Increase Trade
 * Secure Influence
 * Assassinate
 * Assault Units

Abilities

 * Deadly Onslaught
 * Foe-Seeker

Items

 * Armour of the Stars
 * Sacred Incense

Mounts

 * Barded Ithilmar Steed
 * Ithilmar Chariot
 * Great Eagle

Strategy
A powerful melee fighter, especially if mounted on a chariot, but his worth lies more on the campaign map, not the battlefield. High Elf Nobles are, apart from Dilemmas and the Court of the Phoenix King in Lothern, the only way for their faction to gain Influence. Influence in turn is the only way to get Lords and Heroes with strong starting traits and some of them can be quite costly. Since the gains from Lothern are minimal (1 per turn) and Dilemmas appear randomly and might force you to choose a solution which does not give you the most Influence, Nobles are the most reliable way of acquiring more. When choosing a good target for them, look for remote settlements without strong walls (which would lower their success chance) where enemy Heroes cannot interrupt you easily and make sure you can afford lowering your diplomatic relations with the targeted faction.