Black Guard of Naggarond

are a melee infantry unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer II.
== Recruitment ==
* Unlocked with: Dread Manse, Dread Manse (Black Ark) or Towers of the Black Guard
== Description ==
The Black Guard are Malekith's personal army, answerable to no other save he. They are recruited from the offspring of families high in the Witch King's favour, taken at birth from mothers who are soon thereafter put to the sword. With no family ties to distract them, these children are raised within the barracks of the Black Guard and taught the myriad skills of death and destruction that are required of Malekith's foremost elite. The barracks of the Black Guard are divided into twenty towers which compete against each other in contests of war and torture. The Witch King grimly encourages competition between the towers and each year, at the beginning of the Season of Blood, a tournament is held to determine which tower will hold dominance over the others for the coming year. The leaders of these factions are the Tower Masters, veterans of the Black Guard so inculcated with death and battle that they choose to continue in Malekith's service after their two centuries of duty have been completed. These hardened warriors rule their underlings with a will of iron, determined that their tower shall not be shamed by lack of discipline - or worse, a glimmer of mercy - on the part of their charges.
== Attributes ==
== Unit Abilities ==
=== Passive Abilities ===
* Murderous Mastery
== Strategy ==
Black Guards, along with Har Ganeth Executioners, are the elite melee infantry of the Dark Elves. As opposed to the infantry-killing Executioners, Black Guards are strongest against large units, particularly armored ones such as heavy cavalry or Lizardmen monsters. Although they boast impressive stats, they have a critical weakness; they lack shields, making them extremely vulnerable to missile fire. This makes them a poor choice for frontline infantry, as they will be cut to pieces by artillery and missile fire before the engagement has even begun. Given their astronomical cost to recruit and pay upkeep for, they do not typically offer much value for their cost. The only scenario in which Black Guards should be recruited en masse is when going up against Lizardmen, who have a large number of heavily armored monstrous units that Black Guards are effective against. Other than that, most players are typically better off recruiting cheaper units that offer greater value.