Black Riders

* Portrait
* On Foot
* Mounted

* On Foot
* Mounted

"Three of the servants of Sauron were upon the Bridge, but they withdrew and I pursued them westward. I came also upon two others, but they turned away southward. ... But come! There is no time for further news. Since you are here we must risk the peril of the Road and go. There are five behind us, and when they find your trail upon the road they will ride after us like the wind."
—Glorfindel

The **Black Riders** are the remaining 5 unnamed Nazgûl. The Edain Team decided to create them as a heroic battalion as seen when the Nazgûl ride out of Minas Morgul , since designing every Nazgûl as a hero would have given Mordor too many heroes and would have been too much work. They can mount and dismount instantly, giving the player a speed advantage depending on whether they are against swordsmen or pikemen, also meaning that they can quickly chase fleeing heroes. Like all the Nazgûl (and the Mouth of Sauron), their power is tied to Sauron's level and abilities are unlocked as he levels up.

## Abilities

**Level 1: Mount/Dismount:** The Black Riders can mount and dismount their black steeds, which allow them to trample enemies.

**Level 1: Dread Visage:** This ability lowers nearby enemy units' damage and armor by 10% and cancels all their leadership bonuses. For every Nazgûl nearby the effect is amplified by an additional 5%. *(Passive ability)*

**Level 4: Morgul Blade:** The Nazgûl stab the targeted enemy with Morgul blades, poisoning them over time. If the unit dies while the effect is active, they will become a Lesser Wraith, which is invisible to enemies but has no attack. This will also cripple the target

**Level 7: Screech:** The Nazgûl screech and send their enemies fleeing in fear.

**Level 10: Touch of Blackness:** The Black Breath is a terrible poison which the Nazgul exhale. Upon activation all nearby foes will be continuously poisoned.

## Trivia

It is to be noted that this hero-battalion is likely supposed to represent the five Nazgûl who hunted Frodo, Samwise, Merry, and Pippin, throughout the Shire, cornered them at Amon-Sul, and then pursued Arwen through the rivers of Rivendell, in the Peter Jackson films.

## Strategy

Black Riders are deadly units which can be used very effectively since they can switch instantly from mounted to dismounted. Along with that their number allows them to regenerate even during combat and their various powers render them especially strong against small amounts of elite troops. Dread Visage can be used to weaken enemy troops allowing the weak orcs to hold their ground for a bit longer. It would be very helpful to group the Nazgûl together to maximize this effect and, if the Nazgûl are all on horses, this would definitely help to take out lone enemy forces as quickly as possible. Morgul blade should mainly be used on stronger units as it is a waste if it is used on regular troops (they'd just die anyway from regular attacks). Screech should be used to break down enemy formations. This could allow your army to escape, single out enemy heroes, and make it easier for cavalry to flank the opposition. Touch of Blackness is best utilized on large clumps of units to maximize its effect. Overall, the Black Riders should be used to weaken and disorientate the enemy while using their offensive abilities and trample to deal increased damage. Although, they are powerful heroic units, they still have their weaknesses. Strong heroes (especially those with AOE) can quickly destroy them. Also, pikemen would be large danger to them if they are mounted.