The Horsemen of Nehekhara, running across the sands like the ghosts of the past.
The Skeleton Horsemen of the Tomb Kings are the swift and lightning-fast cavalry that has run down the enemies of Nehekhara for millennia. Regiments of Skeleton Horsemen race across the sandy plains of Nehekhara mounted on the fleshless remains of their once-proud steeds, weapons lowered as they gallop towards their foes. These skeletal riders drive their heavy spears into their foes with bone-jarring force, using well-aimed thrusts that punch clean through torsos and rip open throats in a spray of blood. Those not impaled by the cavalry rider's razor-sharp spearheads are trampled into the ground by the thundering hooves of skeletal steeds.[1a]
Skeletal steeds instinctively obey the will of their riders, displaying the same supernatural discipline as the soldiery of the Tomb Kings' army. Only occasionally do these Undead horses twitch their heads as a vestigial memory of life surfaces. Even though their flesh has long since vanished, skeletal steeds are as powerful as they were in life, and they can crush a man's skull with a single kick.[1a]
Role[]
The dead ride forth.
Unencumbered by heavy armour or barding, a Tomb King's skeletal cavalry legions maintain a punishing pace as they traverse the scorching deserts of Nehekhara. Skeleton Horsemen often form the spearhead of a Tomb King's army and, as such, they are amongst the first of the Undead warriors to engage the foe. These vanguard warriors are not heavily armoured knights, but fearless riders who launch devastating attacks where their opponents are weakest, luring the enemy into overextending their reach before withdrawing to strike again. However, Skeleton Horsemen are not completely without protection, for they carry large, sturdy shields in battle to deflect the panicked blows of their foes.[1a]
Cavalry were a relatively late addition to the armies of ancient Nehekhara, for horses needed a great deal of water to survive the desert heat. As such, steeds were expensive - worth considerably more than the soldiers who rode them. Only those warriors who had proven themselves, and slain a dozen foes in mortal combat, were inducted into the ranks of one of their king's valued cavalry legions. These warriors would then spend the rest of their lives fighting from the saddle, drilled under the tutelage of the king's Master of Horse - a grizzled veteran bearing the scars of several bloody campaigns. In life, these champions often formed part of the Tomb King's council of war, for their knowledge and experience of mounted warfare were second to none, and their expertise was highly valued.[1a]
Warfare[]
When the Liche Priests summon the Tomb King's army from their sandy graves, fully formed cavalry columns stride out of the pyramids at the head of the foot legions. When the enemy is sighted, the cavalry regiment's hornblower signals the charge and a deep unsettling discord reverberates about the desert. This otherworldly sound shakes the dust from statues, and a disquieting feeling of dread permeates across the battlefield. As one, the Undead steeds gallop towards their quarry, the skeletal riders on their backs raising their shields and lowering their spears in perfect unison. Paralysed with fear, it is a brave foe indeed that does not flee as these deathless horsemen bear down upon them.[1a]
Notable Regiments[]
- Mahrak Longspears - A legendary unit of cavalry raised from the city-state of Mahrak.
Miniatures[]
