We’re here for round four of the Grand Alliance Throwdown! Today’s battle: four loyal steeds that help their riders bring the pain.
Welcome in, Generals of the Realms! We’re back again with another Grand Alliance battle royale. As exciting as it probably is to charge on foot, sometimes a general needs to cross the field faster. That’s where a loyal mount comes in. From lizards to horses to bouncing fungal mouths, there are many great options for an enterprising (and brave) general.
While every faction has monsters that serve as mounts, this post is an homage to their smaller compatriots. As always, there won’t be any repeats on this post, so if you don’t see one of your favorite mounts, I may have covered it in a previous post.
Order: Gryph-Charger
The Sigmarite-clad defenders of Order have a menagerie of beasts as war mounts. However, none are as iconic as the noble Gryph-Charger. These avian beasts are wingless variants of their larger Griffin cousins, and evoke the image of Demigryphs from the World that Was. Of all the creatures the Stormcast Eternals ride into battle, these regal beasts are my favorite by far.
While Gryph-Chargers are powerful creatures in their own right, their main draw is their ability to Ride the Winds Aetheric. When they activate this ability, they and up to two additional Vanguard units can redeploy anywhere on the battlefield. They must end up more than 9″ from an enemy, but that’s not a huge ask. Getting these deadly creatures in your opponent’s backline is a powerful ability and helps them escape from rough combats.
Chaos: Juggernaut of Khorne
The Chaos gods have many beasts at their disposal to gift to their most devoted followers. From the swift Seeker Beasts of Slaanesh to the strange Discs of Tzeentch, there’s no shortage of awesome and terrifying monsters for a Chaos Champion. However, none match the pure destructive force of Khorne‘s Juggernauts. These engines of rage and living brass thunder across the battlefield with destructive intent. When they hit the battle lines, it’s hard to determine if they or their rider is more dangerous.
Like their patron god, Juggernauts are monsters in combat. Aside from having one of the best armor saves in the game with 2+, they can deal an obscene amount of damage in combat. On the charge, they can deal impact damage on a D3 roll of 2+, and dish out up to 6 wounds on their own. With a statline like that, it’s a wonder anyone ever puts on of these down.
Death: Nightshrieker
Admittedly, Death doesn’t have many cavalry heroes. These necromantic generals are usually either riding giant monsters into battle or are monsters themselves. However, there are several non-hero units that ride skeletal steeds or Nightmares to close with their living foes. Perhaps the coolest of these mounts are the chiropteran Nightshriekers ridden by the knight of the Flesh-eater Courts.
Though they have lost the power of true flight, they can still leap onto their prey, giving Death a surprisingly speedy threat. This also allows them to escape combat to re-engage elsewhere, avoiding the standard retaliation attacks. In addition, much like their Terrorgheist cousins, they can unleash a deadly screech. While it isn’t nearly as deadly as the larger variant, it allows them to deal mortal wounds on the charge to soften up difficult targets. In an army full of crazed cannibals, these deadly bats fit right in.
Destruction: Squigs
Destruction doesn’t have much in the way of cavalry for an army that despises civilization. It makes sense how many monsters they have, but you’d think there would also be a few more horse-like critters. However, the creatures they do have make up for the disparity. Bouncing above the competition as my favorite is the little fungus that could, the humble Squig from the Gloomspite Gitz. These hideous little creatures are a lot like Kirby: round, bouncy, and able to consume anything in front of them. The fact that the Gloomspite have harnessed them as mounts speaks to their ingenuity and lack of self-preservation.
Squigs are deadly in their own right. The medium variety ridden by Loonbosses can deal a whopping 12 damage. Because of their unique locomotion, they also have the Fly keyword, since they can just leap over anything in their path. The smaller variants can bounce on enemy heads like Mario, propelling themselves forward and dealing damage in the process. They are the perfect combination of hilarious and deadly: exactly what the Gloomspite thrive on.
Did your favorite mount make the cut?
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From North Carolina to Texas and back to North Carolina again, Clint lives the life of a traveling artist. An avid gamer, writer, actor, pyrotechnician, and general nerd, he has finally turned his love of EDH into a career. When not busy being a clueless cowboy, Winterfell Bannermen, or whatever else acting life throws at him, he enjoys reading folklore from around the world, writing narratives for his Wargaming armies, or running D&D 5e games as a professional DM. Look for his storytelling podcast, By the Dancing Fire, or find him on Twitch at FeybornPhyrexian, where he produces MTG content.
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