Just a quick question. Do characters which mount elven steeds, count as fast calvary? Due to the fact that under the wood elf elven steed description they are listed as being fast calvary.

If so does that then mean, that when they join a unit of wildriders (with the wildrider kindred of the glamourweave for mages) or Glade riders, the whole unit still counts as fast calvary?

AFAIK, a character in a unit of fast cavalry doesn't rob them of it in the same way that a character without skirmish can't force a skirmished unit to rank up.

So his movement rules are as if he were fast cavalry but he cannot shoot in all directions.

Thats how it is, providing that the character isnt better armoured than the rest of the unit. Like with Hiigh Elves, if you put a character with heavy armour and a barded steed with some reavers, they would no longer be able to act as fast cavalry.

Why, exactly, not?

well they can actually, funky :) you are forgetting that HE characters enjoy the luxury of having ithilmar barding. that means that they both have the same M value. other than that I dont see why they wouldnt be fast cavalry just because a character is in that unit. skrimishers are still skrimisher whether or not a character joins them as an example ;)

The rulebook states on page 117 paragraph "Characters and Fast Cavalry": Mounted Character models may join fast cavalry units and move with the unit, but do not benefit from any of the special shooting.

This means that a character that joins a unit can benefit from the Fast Cavalry movement rules and only movement.

Furthermore Chronicles 2004 "Questions and Answers" states:
1. Unless otherwise forbidden by the rules, a character can always join a unit regardless of their mount.
(An example mounted characters cannot join skirmishers as states Rulebook page 116 but may join rank-and-file infantry)

2. A unit always move at the speed of its slowest model, so if a character on foot joins a cavalry unit, they would move at the character's movement rate.

Chronicles 2004 also corrects the rulebook to a character models may join fast cavalry and it states nothing about mount now.


I cannot find anything in the Wood Elves army book that states that Elven Steeds are fast cavalry.

They aren't- wild riders and glade riders are however.

If a character wants to join these units, as JinUlrik says, they can use the FC movement rules but not its 360 LOS for shooting rules.

Armour save has NOTHING to do with it. Indeed, an empire bloke with a -1 up save could join pistolliers and still have the agility of an olympic equastrian.

Here is why a character will never be able to remove fast cavalry:
it is designed to have both positive and negative aspects, it gives you more flexibility but prevents you from ranking up. I don't know about you but if I could put a character in a unit of wild riders to lose their fast cavalry, I would.

Imagine, 20 wild riders and a hero with a rank bonus of +3, probably have outnumber, and a few spells to give them regeneration or +1 attack. The raw power makes me giddy just thinking about it :D

you realise the cost this unit would have and they have like what? 5+? 6+ save? wouldnt be worth it in the end ;) it more like "looks good on paper unit", or would be.

I would be good only against armies that aren't too shooty. Under missile fire and spells, fast cavalry gets slaughtered in a matter of seconds. That's why fast cav works better in small support units.

They are pretty handy even though they only have a 5+ armour save, but then they also have the forest spirit ward save, which has saved me in alot of combats, from even loosing a single model.. ^_^