My Kingdom for a Zorse
The Bloody Mummers, one of Westeros’ many mercenary companies, are well-known for being loud and flamboyant in their attire when going into battle. Much like a poisoned frog or caterpillar might display bright colors to show off how nobody should mess with them, so are the Mummers bedecked in garish clothing. So, it’s only natural that the company’s cavalry units would also be riding animals that share their touch of style. Zorses come from Essos, bred to be able to go long durations without food or water, yet still be as fast as a regular horse. These hardy creatures usher the Bloody Mummer Zorse Riders into combat. Soon, players in the A Song of Ice and Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game will be able to add this unit to their forces. Let’s take a look at what this new Neutral unit brings to the table.
The Zorse Riders give players a unit that excels in flanking enemy forces. They cost 7 points to field, owing to the generally more expensive nature of cavalry units. They have the standard cavalry abilities of having 3 wounds apiece as well as being able to make a free Maneuver action at the start of their activation. This makes the unit very fast on the battlefield, especially considering their Speed of 6. Much like the rest of the Bloody Mummers, the Zorse Riders eschew heavy armor, having only a 5+ Defense Save. They also don’t always deeply believe in the causes they might be fighting for, instead only caring about being paid. You can’t spend money when you’re dead, so their Morale value is 7+.
But while the Zorse Riders might not be a defensive powerhouse, they are adept at offense. They roll 7 dice in melee when at full ranks, hitting on a 3+ with their Motley Armaments (just as the company doesn’t have a standardized dress code, they also don’t worry about standardizing weapons). Those offensive capabilities are further enhanced when a savvy player can get the Zorse Riders into flanking or rear positions on enemy units. The unit has two special abilities tied directly to this. First, their attacks impose Weakened when used on a flank or rear. They also keep the enemy unit from issuing Orders or being the target of Tactics cards while they are engaging them in the flank or rear. This can truly devastate an enemy who relies on these to keep their units in fighting order. The bright colors of their clothes and the striped Zorses really cause a major distraction for anyone they’re fighting.
The Zorse Riders are best utilized as a flanking unit. While attacking from the Flank or Rear already has its benefits, the Zorse Riders add even more to that, turning a disadvantage into a possibly devastating situation for the enemy. However, due to their somewhat fragile nature, a wary commander will make sure that they don’t face too much retaliation for their attacks.
You can read more about the Zorse Riders here.
