The Shock Rider functions as a lesser version of the Hussar. They are available starting in the Commerce Age, have high speed and damage, but lack melee multipliers. Shock Riders are effective against ranged infantry like the Skirmisher and small groups of artillery, but they can be taken down by heavy infantry and light cavalry units.
Compared with Hussars, Shock Riders have fewer hit points and less attack, slightly less Line of Sight and cost wood instead of coin, but they have higher speed and a reduced food cost. Additionally, Shock Riders resistboth melee and ranged attacks, which makes them slightly more durable against units like the Pikeman or Musketeer in melee combat.
Although the Shock Rider carries a lance, it is not classified as a Lance cavalry. Therefore, it will not increases its hand damage multiplier against infantry if the "Caballeros" Home City Card is sent.
Promotion[]
Shock Riders benefit from the Valor Promotion, which increases their hit points and Rate of Fire for each defeated enemy military unit. These statistiscs can be improved by researching technologies that benefit cavalry hit points or Rate of Fire, such as Cavalry Cuirass or Wind Horses.
Promotion
Bronze Rank
Silver Rank
Gold Rank
Valor Promotion
+15% hit points -10% Rate of Fire
+30% hit points -20% Rate of Fire
+45% hit points -30% Rate of Fire
Special abilities[]
Lance Charge (automatically activated when attacking with a cooldown of 60 seconds): The Shock Rider charges at the enemy with his lance, which deals 37.5 hand damage (×1.5 against infantry, ×1.34 against heavy cavalry, ×1.2 against hand shock infantry, and ×0.67 against heavy infantry), has a range of 2 and an Area of Effect of 3.
Each different allied native tribe sends a shipment of their respective native warriors (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans)
Native Alliance
Native warrior train limit +20% and cost -10% (also +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
Native Warriors
Native warriors cost -25% (also +3 Uhlans for the Germans)
Native Warrior Combat
Native warriors get +15% hit points and damage
TEAM Native Weapon Trade
Native warrior train limit +20%
Blood Brothers
Upgrades native warriors to Elite/Disciplined/Veteran and Champion/Honored/Royal Guard; Native Embassies get +40% hit points and +5 build limit (also +4 Uhlans for the Germans)
Cavalry train time -40%; Cuirassier and Oprichnik train time -35% instead; Gatling Camel train time -20% instead (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
"Cavalry Damage" is available to the British and Lakota.
"Cavalry Hitpoints" is available to the British and Haudenosaunee.
"Cavalry Combat" is available to the British, Dutch, French, Italians, Lakota, Mexicans, Ottomans, Russians, and Spanish.
"Native Treaties" is available to Africans, Europeans (except the Maltese), Federal Americans, and Native Americans, and ships 1 Shock Rider if the player had built a Trading Post on a House of Jagiellon palace.
"Native Alliance" is available to the Aztecs, Inca, Indians, and Japanese.
"Native Warriors" is available to Europeans, the Lakota and Mexicans.
"Native Warrior Combat" is available to the French, Haudenosaunee, and Inca, and also Mexicans upon revolting to the Maya, and British upon revolting to Haiti.
"TEAM Native Weapon Trade" is available to the Dutch and Lakota, and also British and French upon revolting to Canada.
"Blood Brothers" is available to the Aztecs, French, Germans, Haudenosaunee, Lakota, Portuguese, Russians, and Spanish, and also British upon revolting to Canada or Haiti.
"Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
"Riding School" is available to Europeans (except the Maltese and Spanish) and the Indians.
Each different allied native tribe sends a large shipment of their respective native warriors and upgrades them to Elite and Champion; native warriors train time -10%; native warrior shipments and "Native Treaties" arrive time -50%; costs 500 food, 500 wood
"Indian Friendship" is available to the United States and "Chimayo Genizarios" to the Mexicans.
"Indian Friendship"/"Chimayo Genizarios" ships 2 Shock Riders, and upgrades them to Royal Guard(if not already), if the player had built a Trading Post on a House of Jagiellon palace.
The player gains +10% XP from training units and other players receive -10% XP from defeating them; Sansculottes gather resources from Crates 50% faster; food from Berry Bushes and Cherry Orchards 25% faster; wood from trees and Mango Groves and coin from mines 20% faster; food from huntable and Herded animals, Mills, Farms and coin from Estates 15% faster
"Cult of the Supreme Being" is available upon revolting to Revolutionary France.
Temporarily reveals all enemies and treasures; Axe Riders can loot treasures for double the resources or XP; hand cavalry get +2.0 attack bonus damage against treasure guardians
TEAM Mustangs
Cavalry and shock infantry cost -10%
Black Arrow
Native warriors train time -85%
Winter Counts
Training units grants +40% XP and constructing buildings grants +20% XP
Delivers 1 Carbine Cavalry for each shipment sent so far this game including this one; unit train time (except Heavy Cannons), technology research time, and age-up time -10%; costs 250 food, 250 wood
Seminole Ponies
Delivers 9 Hussars; hand cavalry get +15% hit points and damage, and +5% speed; cavalry train time -10%
The Shock Rider receives its name from shock tactics. These consisted of cavalry units, generally armed with lances, galloping at full speed against enemy formations.
The Shock Rider is based on Eastern European hussars. Historically, hussars originated as mercenary units from the Balkan region of Europe, and they were adopted by most of the European armies as light cavalry units based on the Hungarian hussars.
Magyar Huszars and the Corvinian Army are mentioned in the Shock Rider's History section. The Corvinian Army was formed initially by soldiers from the Balkan region, mainly Serbians, along with Czechs, Germans, Poles and, from 1480, Hungarians.
Lithuania and Poland made use of these light cavalry units in the early 16th century, until their adoption in 1570, when they were transformed into heavy shock cavalry units, also known as Winged Hussars.
The unit carries an asymmetrical shield, a specific form of targe of Hungarian-style similar to the one used by the Magyar Huszar. While asymmetrical shields were characteristic for the Hungarian light cavalry, the design became popular across much of eastern Europe during the 16th century. It is the same type of shield used by the Azap and the Deli.
History[]
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The House of Jagiellon ruled Poland and much of the surrounding territories during the 14th-16th centuries. During the 15th century, Central and Eastern European states began to make use of Balkan cavalry auxiliaries in larger quantities following the example of the Hungarian monarch Matthias Corvinus (15th century), whose Huszars were of such repute that they directly influenced the predecessors of the Winged Hussars in Poland. Generally wielding lances and shields, these cavalry were famed for their intrepid bravery, versatility, and efficiency on the battlefield, whether they were used in opening shock charges or in clever tactical maneuvers.