Winged Hussars

**Key Features** | »ADK-47 assault rifle»Wz. 36 grenade launcher»Warhorse (Andalusian breed)»Strong horseshoes»Heavy body armor (both rider and horse)

## Tactical Analysis

* **A cry for help in time of need:** The best of the best when it comes to cavalry regiments, the Winged Hussars rain punishment upon infantry and vehicles alike with their semi-auto assault rifles and grenade launchers respectively.

* **Coming down, they turned the tide:** The Winged Hussars can even pull off charges, shooting and trampling any infantry unlucky enough to be on their path.

* **Outnumbered 15 to one:** Should they be targeted by anti-infantry fire, the Winged Hussars have their lives snuffed out from them as easy as how they snuff the lives of Soviet infantry and vehicles. And repeat after me, "they can't target aircraft."

* **Death from above, make their enemy kneel:** The truly elite of the Winged Hussars have their mounts strapped with honorary 'wings' - emboldening their allies and demoralizing their enemies as they make the Hussars themselves appear as the forces of heaven sent down to smite the enemies of freedom.

## Background

From the journal of one Count Wolfgang von Oertzen, 1966:

*"History tells us of the Polish Winged Hussars, the strongest cavalry unit of their time. Earning their soubriquet* "The Angels of Death"*, the Hussars repelled everyone from their lands, from the Ottomans to the Russians and the Khanates. No matter how much the odds and numbers stacked against them, they always ferociously struck back, slaying everyone in their way and leaving no survivors.*

*History also reminds us of how foolish we are to underestimate the Poles.*

*It was supposed to be a simple affair: to purge the communist idolaters from Poland, and reconquer the lost lands. Beating back the Poles from Waldenburg, my tubemen and vehicles besieged the city for the Hohenzollerns to continue their rightful rule. Though we sustained significant losses from the communist counter-attack, we easily replenished our numbers for the siege. The opposing Poles, ever choosing death over humble submission, fought to their last only for our electric weapons to disintegrate them.*

*I was in my command airship, ordering my men to finish off the idolatrous loyalists until I saw a band of soldiers on horseback on the horizon. They could not be communists, as they were smart enough to wallow in their tanks and four-legged walkers instead. The six cavalrymen gave way to an entire warband arriving from behind, then our left and right flank.*

*The Polish hussars and their mounts were armed to teeth, some of them having the red-and-white standard in their backs. I heard one of them yell something in Polish, something about Jesus Christ and Mary, before his fellows started shooting at my men. Their machineguns cut down tubeman after tubeman, and trampled the poor serfs unlucky enough to be near their charges. I commanded my bikes to fire back back, only for some to blow them up with grenade launchers. Anyone wearing black and yellow on the ground was a threat, so I had a few of my aircraft to dispose of the defenders.*

*Another rebel band caught up with my rotorcraft, and promptly shot many of them down before firing at my airship. I and my servants still hear the dreadful gunshots as some of them pierced through the armor. Since a few nearly shot the controls, I ordered a full retreat to my surviving units, leaving the tubemen to their fate.*

*I shudder at the thought of fighting the Poles a second time. Even with more archaic methods of war than us, their fighting spirit puts our own bravest soldiers to shame. In another life they would've been our finest knights, but now we have to deal with these unruly brigands who will face down airships to keep their 'freedom'."*