Wolf-riders

Wolf-riders, or wolfriders, were groups of "Orcs or Orclike beings" that were specially trained to ride wolves and Wargs.Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, Index (entry Wolfriders)
==History==
Wolves were first ridden by Orcs during the First Age.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Ch. 19: "Of Beren and Lúthien" Beren slew many Wolf-riders during his adventures prior to entering Doriath.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. II: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, I: The Tale of Tinúviel, pgs. 44, 67,
Wolf-riders partook in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears alongside Wolves and Dragons.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XI: The War of the Jewels, Part One: The Grey Annals, §230 After the battle, Wolf-riders roamed freely throughout West Beleriand alongside wandering Orcs.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. III: The Lays of Beleriand, I: The Lay of the Children of Húrin, "Second Version of the Lay", II: Túrin's Fostering, pgs. 10, 110,
After the fall of Dor-Cúarthol, Wolf-riders were among the Orcs and Wolves that took Túrin captive.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. III: The Lays of Beleriand, I: The Lay of the Children of Húrin, II: Beleg, pg. 40
In the Battle of Tumhalad in YS 495, Wolf-riders were among the forces of Glaurung.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. II: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, II: Turambar and the Foalókë, pg. 84
Just after the Fall of Gondolin, Eärendil and six of the Exiles of Gondolin were chased by a score of Wolf-riders in the Vale of Tumladen before being rescued by Tuor and the folk of the Wing. Two of the Wolf-riders escaped. After going through the Echoriad, the Exiles of Gondolin became fearful of encountering any Wolf-riders.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. II: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, III: The Fall of Gondolin, pgs. 190, 195
During the Third Age, there were alliances that were made between the Wargs in the Vales of Anduin and the Orcs of the Misty Mountains against the Woodmen. These Wargs sometimes allowed the Orcs to ride them.The Hobbit, Ch. V: "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire" During the Battle of Five Armies, the swiftest Wolf-riders were used by the Orcs and Wargs as a vanguard to attack Dale, where they killed many Dwarves and Lake-men before being defeated on the eastern slopes of the Lonely Mountain.The Hobbit, Ch. XVII: "The Clouds Burst"
By the time Saruman took Gandalf captive in Isengard, some "Orclike beings" were produced among the Isengarders.The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I: The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Ch. II: "The Council of Elrond" Saruman used these beings as Wolf-riders alongside Orcs and Men in raiding Rohan.The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers, Book Three, Ch. II: "The Riders of Rohan" They were mostly used in tracking fugitives or destroying isolated groups.Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, Part Three: The Third Age, V: "The Battles of the Fords of Isen"
In the year 3019 at the start of the War of the Ring, "a great pack of the dreaded Orcish wolfriders" were part of the vanguard of the eastern force Saruman sent to slay Théodred in the First Battle of the Fords of Isen. These Wolf-riders were "feared by horses" as "they were very swift and skilled in avoiding" tightly packed groups. After Théodred's death, two Wolf-riders were reported by Elfhelm's outriders, causing him to ride to the Fords of Isen instead of to Helm's Deep.
On March 2, "several troops of the dreaded wolfriders" were sent along the eastern bank of the Isen as forerunners to the main division of Saruman's forces. These Wolf-riders tried to attack Elfhelm's companies and prevent him from reinforcing Grimbold.
After the Second Battle of the Fords of Isen, it was reported by a swift scout that Wolf-riders "were abroad in the valley" around Helm's Deep.The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers, Book Three, Ch. VII: "Helm's Deep"
==In other versions==
In a very early draft of The Lord of the Rings, Treebeard takes Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took across Rohan to Minas Tirith, but after smelling some war, they all witness "a battle of Wolfriders (Saruman) and the Horsemasters" on the way.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. VII: The Treason of Isengard, chapter XXII: "Treebeard", pg. 412 It is very likely that this battle was the earliest version of the battles of the Fords of Isen since those are the only battles in The Lord of the Rings in which Wolf-riders fight against the Rohirrim.
In an early draft of "Flotsam and Jetsam", Merry reports that Saruman emptied Isengard of his remaining forces, including Wolf-riders and Dunlendings. He also saw the Ents deal with a pack of Wolf-riders escorting Gríma into Isengard.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. VIII: The War of the Ring, Part One: The Fall of Saruman, chapter IV: "Flotsam and Jetsam", pgs. 51, 54
==In adaptations==
===Middle-earth Collectible Card Game===
In the Middle-earth Collectible Card Game, there is a card labeled "Wolf-riders" that can act as a creature card or a short-event, which increases the power of a Wolf attack.
===The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers===
In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the Wolf-riders that serve Saruman are referred to as Warg-riders under the command of the invented character Sharku to attack the people of Edoras, as they travel to Helm's Deep.
===The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King===
In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King film, the Orc lieutenant Gothmog rides a Warg, but only for transportation. Two Warg-riders are seen riding alongside the Easterlings after the Olog-hai breach the Great Gate of Minas Tirith.
===The Hobbit film trilogy===
In The Hobbit film trilogy, Azog and Bolg, as well as many orcs under their command, are shown to ride Wargs as they pursue Thorin and Company, and later take part in the Battle of the Five Armies.
====Armor====
Warg-riders' armor in the films are distinct from that of other Orcs. Some, such as their leader (allegedly named Sharku) wore little beyond bone and fur, whereas others preferred to be more heavily protected, wearing multiple layers of rotting hide, fur and hair or mail, but nearly all included something from the remains of the Warg's kill, such as bone and tooth, and from parts of the Warg itself. Keeping their weight down was a factor with most in order not to tire the Warg.
Their cuirass was often made from the bones of a horse's rib cage, to which was stitched pieces of hide and fur; during centuries of wear — if the Orc survived his close contact with the Wargs, living with and feeding them as they did — the Warg-rider's armor would go from foul-smelling to rotten, and so would need to be constantly repaired and replaced.
Fresh hide would be stitched on top of old, and bones would be replaced as they disintegrated. Other parts of the Orc's body would be wrapped in hide that had been reinforced with bone, and adorned with Warg fangs and spikes made from sharpened bone, to protect it from both enemy and ally.
Their armor may have been further strengthened by bonding pieces together with glue made by boiling down horse bones and hooves. Some orcs wore helmets made from the skulls and scalps of their kills, both beasts and men, and these often featured grisly crests of bone. A rough cloak of Warg fur would have completed the outfit.
==Translations==
Foreign Language	Translated name
Danish 	Vargeryttere
Polish 	Jeźdźcy wargów
==References==
Category:Orcs
Category:Servants of Morgoth
Category:Servants of Sauron
Category:Agents of Saruman
Category:Military units
Category:Minions of Angmar
Category:Adar's army
Category:Azog's army
pl:Jeźdźcy wargów