Thunder Rider - W'adrhŭn Guide (english)

In the lore, the cavalry consists of young beasts, as the older ones are too stubborn for battle. This is why the models almost fit onto their stands.

Cost:

At 220 points for the regiment and 70 points per stand, we get a heavy impact cavalry unit that is quite expensive but becomes affordable with two key synergies.

Strengths:

• High Offensive Power: With Trample 2, Attack 5, Impact 4, and a Clash value of 3, they can deal significant melee damage against almost any opponent.
• Linebreaker: The regiment ignores the enemy’s Bastion and Shield special rules when attacking with Clash and Impact (but not against attached characters).
• Trample 2: At the end of their activation, an enemy in the front takes 2 automatic hits per Thunder Rider stand, though without special rules or Resolve tests.
• Brutal Impact (2): Enemy defense is reduced by 2 against Impact attacks.
• Devastating Charge: When the Thunder Riders perform a Move Charge, they gain Brutal Impact +1, reaching a total of 3. Combined with Linebreaker, this means that most opponents will not get a defense roll against their attacks unless they have Evasion.
• Juggernaut: Thunder Riders have a fixed Charge Distance of Movement +5", which is not affected by other rules. This makes their battlefield movement predictable and renders Famine Tier 2 useless against them (though Conquest Tier 2 still works).
• Chants: Generates a Chant Marker, supporting the W’adrhŭn mechanics and granting access to various useful abilities.
• Battlefield Role - The Speakers: Offers small but effective synergies with the Thunder Chieftain Warlord, perfect for impact cavalry.

Weaknesses:

• Moderate Defense: With Defense 3 and Resolve 3, Thunder Riders are not exceptionally durable. However, their 6 wounds per stand and the potential to gain Hardened 1 from the Thunder Chieftain help mitigate this.
• Limited Mobility: With Movement 6, they are slow for heavy cavalry. This becomes even more noticeable compared to other W’adrhŭn units. When they enter play, they often struggle to hold zones immediately and may lag behind the rest of the army.

General Tactics:

Anyone who knows me is aware that since version 2.0, I’ve been highly skeptical of impact cavalry that relies on Impact Hits as their main source of damage. Para Bellum has seemingly done everything to make impact cavalry less attractive, reducing both their movement and damage, which made cavalry, already counterable by Move, Charge, and Hindering Terrain, even harder to use effectively. By increasing their melee stats while weakening Impact, they attempted to shift the focus towards Charge-Clash combat, but this often failed. With only Movement 6 or 7, almost any Movement 5 regiment in the game could simply Move Charge into them first, locking them down and rendering them ineffective.

This is not the case with Thunder Riders. For the first time, Para Bellum has truly embraced the Move Charge mechanic, rewarding it with a substantial bonus. If we also consider the buffs from the Thunder Chieftain, Thunder Riders suddenly become affordable and highly effective.

The Thunder Chieftain grants Flank to all Thunder Rider regiments in his warband, allowing them to safely enter the battlefield in Round 3. If the Thunder Chieftain Warlord is present, they also gain Shock, increasing their Clash value by +1 on the charge. This means they now have Clash 4, and with their 12 Impact hits, they can deliver 8 wounds against most opponents (plus additional Resolve damage).

On top of this, they still have Trample, meaning even the heaviest armored units, such as Talos, do not want to be on the receiving end of a Move Charge from Thunder Riders. Importantly, the Chieftain does not need to be attached to the unit, but his Cleave 2 also allows him to free himself from melee engagements.

One of the most popular options is to field a Thunder Chieftain alongside two regiments of Thunder Riders and give him the Resilience mastery. This grants all Thunder Rider regiments Hardened 1, making them more resistant to Armor Piercing and Cleave attacks.

Even without the Chieftain's buffs (who costs 150 points without upgrades), Thunder Riders are still frequently used. This is largely due to Linebreaker and potentially Brutal Impact 3, which are particularly useful against City States and Old Dominion.

A single 4-stand regiment is often used as support or for tying up enemies. Thanks to their high wound pool, other W’adrhŭn units can assist them in combat. However, this forces a slower playstyle, which W’adrhŭn armies do not always prefer. Their 12" deployment move can feel restrictive, and their predictable movement (due to Juggernaut) can be both a blessing and a curse. For this reason, it is highly recommended to have a second regiment supporting the Thunder Riders—either to free them from combat or to "catch" potential targets with a Move Charge.