Warhammer: Pegasus Knights

The Bretonnian army sports one of the most flexible cav units in the game: the Pegasus Knights. This article is about what I have learned about the advantages and the disadvantages of this unit and the tactics most suited for them.

There are two advantages of the Pegasus Knight unit. Firstly, they are highly maneuverable. They can go in any direction and in any pattern, they are not limited by wheeling and they do all this at 20”! The second bonus for the Pegasus Knight unit is that they are able to see 360 degrees in all directions.

The disadvantages of Pegasus Knights are that they are typically small units and being considered fast cavalry, do not negate ranks on a flank or rear charge with them. Because of this, I generally think hard about whether or not I want to bring Pegasus Knights into combat with larger units, even to support combat that is already engaged with my other units. They act as skirmishers as well, so they cannot be used to control the direction of enemy charges. Instead, the Pegasus Knights line up at the front of the enemy unit, instead of the other way around. Again, more arguments for using Pegasus Knights outside of the main battle, if possible.

Most Generals use Pegasus Knights to annoy or harass enemy battlefield flanks or to protect their own flank from fast cav or chariots. With a unit strength of 6(assuming 3 Pegasus knights) and a strength of 3, it is unlikely they will survive a combat with a monster like a giant. Instead, they often take on the role of hunters who strike at deadly warmachines or hiding casters. With their 20” movement and their flexible maneuverability, they are particularly suited to getting behind enemy lines quickly and engaging these two potent forces.

If you are considering supporting your lances on the charge, consider this, it is unlikely that the addition of a Pegasus knight unit will provide, in itself, combat resolution for having more troops. If you flank or rear charge you will contribute THAT to combat resolution but not the elimination of ranks. You may even kill some troops. Although, a boost to combat resolution is definitely a bonus, it is outweighed by the fact that they are squandering their mobility and putting them in harms way.

A large unit of Pegasus Knights would be a costly investment, at least 550 points, and could be an interesting unit to field. It would probably be more of a threat psychologically, however. Against, rank and file of similar numbers, it would be at a disadvantage because Pegasus Knights don’t get rank bonuses and the large size of the bases would restrict the number of knights to get into combat.

So, I suggest, keep the unit small and hunt down those war machines and casters. If it seems advantageous, support a lance from the side or rear but never send them in alone, unless against fast cav and chariots.