"An outrider came by yesterday, checking to see if we were safe. Gosh, he was so handsome and dashing, who wouldn't want to go outriding with him? he grabbed my buns and was off like the wind. Never paid for them, mind."
- —Lena Fluffe, Walfenburg baker[1a]
An Empire pistolier, an example of a cavalryman
Cavalrymen are soldiers in the armies of the Warhammer World, deployed lightly armoured on horseback. On campaign, they act as scouts or raid and harass enemies. In battle, they often strike enemy lines forcefully, only to quickly ride away again. From Chaos Cults to Asrai, every significant army in the Old World uses light cavalry.[1a]
In armies of the Empire, light cavalry include Pistoliers, Outriders, Demilancers, and Horse Archers. Although the Bretonnians are famed for their heavily-armoured knights, their armies are also known to include mounted men-at-arms. Meanwhile, the Glade Riders of Athel Loren are some of the most feared cavalrymen in the Old World.[1a]
With fewer heavily armed and armoured knights than the Empire, Tilean mercenary armies rely on fast, lightly armed horsemen to provide mobile striking power. Rather than charge headlong into the teeth — and pikes — of the foe, Tilean light cavalrymen, called Stradioti in their language, prefer to strike from the flanks or, best of all, the rear, where the enemy’s baggage train presents a tempting target.[2a]