| “ | More stalwart and powerful than even the riders atop them, demigryphs deliver a monstrous charge into enemy battle lines. | „ |
Demigryph Knights (Halberds) are an 
Empire melee cavalry unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer.
Recruitment[ | ]
The Empire
- The Huntsmarshal's Expedition
- Unlocked with: Menagerie (requires Armoury and unlocking the building with the Emperor's Mandate mechanic)
- gained from the Knightly Orders option with the Imperial Supplies mechanic and recruiting them in the Imperial Supplies tab
Description[ | ]
Whilst many of the monstrous creatures ridden by the heroes of the Empire have been raised from birth, such is not always the case with demigryphs. Amongst some Knightly Orders, an aspiring Knight's final trial is to capture a demigryph and break it up to his will. Unsurprisingly, many fail and are torn to bloody ribbons. As a result, there are relatively few Demigryph Knights in the Empire and even the Knights Griffon, who count fully two dozen of these majestic beasts amongst their number, still rely primarily on more conventional steeds. However, those few small Orders, such as the Knights of Taal's Fury and the Knights of the Vengeful Sun, whose entire brotherhoods can take to war upon these monstrous beasts, have a roll of victory honours surpassed only by the most ancient of Knightly Orders. Demigryph Knights do not tend to overwhelm their prey in great sweeping charges. Instead they are more likely to engage the enemy in protracted assaults where the strength and endurance of their fearsome mounts becomes decisive. Demigryphs are well suited to the savage and bloody nature of such fighting, with their claws and razor sharp beaks cutting a bloody swathe through their foes. In such close confines, a Knight's traditional lance loses much of its effectiveness, and many Demigryph Knights have thusly adapted their fighting style to wield heavy cavalry halberds in battle instead. These weapons strike the perfect balance between reach and power, and are far better suited to the Knight's role on the battlefield.
Attributes[ | ]
- Monstrous Shock Cavalry
- ▲ Armoured: Armoured units can block damage from any source apart from Armour-Piercing damage.
- ▲ Armour-Piercing: The damage of armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.
- ▲ Anti-Large: Anti-Large: Anti-large units have an advantage against targets that are at least as large as a horse. This advantage can be a damage bonus against large targets or an attack that focuses on a very small area. However, some units are simply better against large targets because their attacks are slow and easy to dodge by skilled melee combatants.
armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.
Strategy[ | ]
These knights are the Empire's anti-large cavalry unit. They pack a punch and can trade evenly with other heavy cavalry. They can also be supported by a lore of life mage to maintain their combat effectiveness, as they have fewer models. A Warrior Priest can also augment their fighting capability significantly. They do lack shields and have lower melee stats when compared to the standard variant, so keep them away from heavy missile fire and focus on dealing with other large units. You would be better served using the standard Demigryph Knights against infantry as they have higher melee stats and shield.
