To all Lords and Knights:
Winter has arrived, and the mire of war between the Red and the White Roses is poised to engulf all England. In this contest of power, old tactics are failing—the pike squares have cut off the cavalry’s glory, and the muddy, frozen ground has slowed the infantry’s advance.
Therefore, the War Council has urgently authorized a special levy: the Yorkist Household Knights.
They are the House of York’s last bastion, and the only blade in your hand capable of breaking the deadlock.
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I. Historical Archive
English knights were renowned for their skill fighting on foot: under the Plantagenets, the combination of dismounted knights and longbowmen shattered French armies again and again in the Hundred Years’ War. In the later Wars of the Roses, these dismounted knights once more became constant figures in battle, forming the core of many bloody clashes.
Around the king of the White Rose house stands a circle of Yorkist Household Knights: hereditary nobles who serve as his personal guard. Equipped with splendid arms and trained to a razor’s edge, they can break enemy lines with a mounted charge or dismount to hew down foes in the press. They often ride with the king at the head of sudden assaults that turn the tide of war; and when the horses fall and the king is encircled, they raise a final bulwark of flesh and steel around him. Even though the code of chivalry lay tattered in the age of the Wars of the Roses, these household knights still kept an unquestioning loyalty, fighting at their king’s side until the very last moment.
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II. Tactical Traits
Unlike mercenaries who fight for bounty, this elite formation holds hereditary privilege. Before you take them under your banner, know their three core doctrines:
- [Hoof and Heel]:
- The Unit begins in a mounted state.
- From mounted, use [Grand Descent] to enter foot-combat (dismounted) state.
- From foot-combat, use [Call to Saddle] to return to mounted.
- Form-switch cooldown: 21 seconds.
- [Household Guard]:
- As the White Rose Household Guard, they will remain close to the Hero while in Formation, Follow, or Free Attack.
- [Noble Discipline]:
- Even when dismounted, the Yorkist Household Knights cannot push siege engines.
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III. Tactical Orders
Lancaster still believes the square can stop everything. They forget that true knights are never bound by their horses. When their pikes brace for the charge, the iron descending at close range will teach them despair.
Lords and knights, relay the following orders to your Household Guard:
- Mounted State
- Order 1: Grand Descent — all knights dismount, ignore block arcs, knock down enemies, and deal heavy damage.
- Order 2: Iron Trample — charge at high speed to the designated point, then immediately charge again toward the Hero’s position.
- Order 3: Knight’s Resolve — enter Guard stance, ready to meet any foe who dares advance.
- Foot-Combat State
- Order 1: Call to Saddle — loyal wardens of House York, remount their steeds.
- Order 2: Bond of Blood — support the Hero and strike nearby enemies; a portion of damage taken by the Hero is evenly redirected to the knights.
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IV. Rally Order
Not every cavalryman dares to abandon the saddle, and not every guard will give their life wholly to the one they serve.
The White Rose has bloomed in the winter at Alnwick Castle. This Unit, combining mobility with resilience, is entrusted to you.
Are you ready to wield the blade that charges through ranks and trades life for victory?
Lords and Knights, take the field!
—The War Council
*War Council Notice: All armaments and descriptions are ultimately governed by front-line battlefield conditions.