Ripperdactyl Riders

"In the middle of this expanse the sharp-eyed Tzu-Kwo spotted a creature flying high above. It swooped down lower to take a closer look at us and to our amazement it was a flying lizard, carrying two of the lizard warriors on its back. The flying creature let out a mournful cry when it saw us, which filled the men with dread and foreboding. I ordered them to shoot at it with their crossbows to bring it down before the riders could fly off and warn their leaders of our whereabouts. Unfortunately we did not hit it, but it immediately flew away. I knew this was only the start of further troubles. The enemy was certain to come for us now...."

—Description of Ripperdactyl Riders during the voyage of Yin-Tuan to Lustria, ca. 1690 IC^[2a]

Warhammer Lizardmen Ripperdactyl Rider — A mighty host of fearsome Ripperdactyl Riders on the hunt.

Ripperdactyl Riders are amongst the greatest and most fearsome aerial warriors to ever soar across the skies of tropical Lustria.

Role[]

Though Skinks found training Terradons relatively easy, turning Ripperdactyls into sky mounts proved far more difficult. While sustaining many losses, Skinks learned that hatched Ripperdactyls could be trained. Even stolen eggs were problematic, as upon cracking its shell, the claw-winged creature inside attacked the first thing it saw. If the Skink survived, there was a chance the beast might bond to him, although such things took much time and many scars. After about a year, if the Ripperdactyl had not yet eaten the Skink, it accepted him as its master.^[1a]

Ripperdactyl riders by tiagos2003 dh2uivp — A squadron of Ripperdactyl Riders takes flight outside of a Lizardmen temple-city as depicted in *Total War: Warhammer III*.

The Skinks who survive bonding with their Ripperdactyls are bold warriors, the most elite of their small kind. Once mounted atop a Ripperdactyl, they forgo javelins and blowpipes, for the blood-hungry beasts they ride cannot be stopped from plunging down upon foes. Instead, they arm for close combat, donning ceremonial helmets and carrying shields and long spears. Led by their Brave, each Ripperdactyl Rider fights with aggressive skill, but they pale in comparison to their mount. The razor-sharp talons of a Ripperdactyl can decapitate foes — their furious attacks often leaving a ring of strewn innards and lopped-off limbs behind them.^[1a]

Although Ripperdactyls are merciless killers, eager to devour anything that moves, there is one foe that they target above all others. The Lustrian blot toad, the largest member of the barking toad family, is a noxious beast, known to invade the cliff-side lairs of Ripperdactyls. Even a single such toad produces an odour almost unendurable to cold-blooded creatures. When gathered in numbers, they release enough foul swamp gas to drive off a hungry Carnosaur. For reasons unknown, the favourite food of blot toads is Ripperdactyl eggs. Naturally, Ripperdactyls seek out such beasts, destroying any they find with extreme prejudice. Skinks have learned that by covertly planting a single such toad upon an enemy unit, the diminutive riders can target who is most likely to bear the brunt of the Ripperdactyls’ screeching fury.^[1a]