| “ | Fast and nimble, dodging enemy fire to deliver incisive hit-and-run charges to enemy lines. | „ |
Dark Riders are a 
Dark Elves melee cavalry unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer II.
Recruitment[]
Unlocked with: Plateau of Dark Steeds or Reaver Stables
Description[]
In the grim days when armies of Daemons besieged Ulthuan, keen-eyed messengers from Nagarythe kept guard for any signs of a daemonic intrusion. These Dark Riders wore cloaks of black feathers, invoking the raven-headed god Nethu to keep them hidden from the eyes of the enemy. During the civil war, the Dark Riders earned a more sinister reputation. They travelled ahead of Nagarythe's hosts, sowing terror and confusion wherever they rode, burning villages and driving their people into the wilds. In battle, Dark Riders take delight in skirting the enemy flanks to attack war machines and cut lines of supply. They revel in the prospect of running down terror-stricken victims, dragging out every moment of wild panic as long as possible before delivering the final heart-seeking strike.
Attributes[]
- Shock Cavalry
- ▲ Very Fast: This unit can run circles around most other units, taunting and harrassing the enemy or evading its missile fire.
- ▲ Vanguard Deployment: This unit can deploy in an expanded deployment area, allowing it to start the battle within striking distance of the enemy - or somewhere unexpected.
Unit Abilities[]
Passive Abilities[]
Strategy[]
A bit cheaper than Ellyrian Reavers and significantly poorer than them, Dark Riders are one of the worst light cavalry units in the game. A charge bonus of 40 does allow them to a decent amount of damage on the charge, but they should be quickly pulled out afterwards and they should use their speed to avoid basically any engagement except versus artillery and the lightest of ranged troops. They will die extremely quickly to anything that manages to concentrate on them for more than a few seconds. Their real value is in running down troops once they've broken, since Dark Elves do struggle a bit in the early game preventing enemies getting away from them.
Overall though it's seriously worth considering ignoring the Reaver Stables building entirely, such is the lack of value it brings.
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