Gondor Knights

* Portrait
* Line Formation
* Battle Formation

* Normal

"Soon there will be a battle on the fields. A sortie must be made ready. Let it be of mounted men. In them lies our hope, for in one thing only is the enemy still poorly provided: he has few horsemen."
——Gandalf, *The Return of the King*

Gondor Knights, along with the Knights of the Swan, compose the cavalry of Gondor, a small force not often put to use. Most often all cavalry aid would be provided by Rohan  but during the War of the Ring a small Cavalry force of Gondor Knights and Knights of the Swan lead by Gandalf and Imrahil managed to push back a horde of orcs and a Nazgul who had been pursuing the troops fleeing Osgiliath. They can be recruited from the Stable and come out shining in their armor on their proud steeds in groups of 10 units. With a level 3 Stable, Gondor Knights can receive the Knight Shields upgrade that shields them from incoming arrows... sometimes.

## Abilities

 **Battle Formation -** The Knights group together, forming a tight structure offering less area for their enemy to strike but making it harder to move at great speeds.. They gain +35% armor against swords and arrows but lose -50% speed.

## Upgrades

Gondor Knights have access to the following upgrades:

 **Banner Carrier -** This upgrade can only be given to a level 1 battalion and will promote it to level 2. At level 2 the battalion can regenerate units when out of combat. **Cost**: 200.

 **Heavy Armor -** Increases the armor, hit points and damage resistance of the unit to ranged damage. Changes the unit's armor set to **EdainCavalryHeavyArmor**, if Horse Shields has been purchased changes the armor set to **EdainCavalryHeavyShieldArmor**. **Cost**: 300

 **Forged Blades -** Increases the damage of this battalion and provides a damage bonus against **buildings**. **Cost**: 300

 **Knight Shield -** Increases armor of the battalion against Pikemen by 25% and armor against Swordsmen by 50%. Changes the armorset to **EdainCavalryShieldArmor**, if heavy armor has already been purchased changes the armorset to **EdainCavalryHeavyShieldArmor**. **Cost**: 200

## Strategy

Gondor Knights come in battalions of 10. They can be used for enemy infantry harassment thanks to their trample ability. They should be kept away from pikemen but are really useful to destroy enemy swordsmen and archers. They can also be used to destroy enemy settlements. When engaged in melee combat, **Battle Formation** can be used to improve their chances of victory, since they will not need the speed for trampling if they trapped. However, they should be switched back to regular formations if escaping from a fight or harassing the enemy. They can be supported by Imrahil and Faramir who can both mount and provide leadership. A mounted Aragorn can be useful as well to deal with enemy heroes and provide fear resistance, while a mounted Gandalf can use his abilities to heavily damage the enemy forces, making the knights' job a lot easier. Gondor Knights are often underused because of their high cost; moreover, Gondor as a faction has more of a focus on infantry more than cavalry. They are used sparingly but can deal a lot of damage like any other cavalry if used strategically.