- "It is its rider what makes a horse appear nobler than it is. Take the noblest, fastest, strongest, sternest, smartest and most durable of horses and mount them with slaves; the difference will be obvious."
- —Adyghan honour code "Khabze".
Adyghan Riders or Adyghan Rough Riders or Adyghe Shywukher are probably the best Rough Riders throughout the Imperium, probably being even superior to the Death Riders of the Death Korps of Krieg, and Attilan Rough Riders, except in the toxic environments. Adygh are highly skilled horsemen, in addition to the complex cavalry tactics they apply on the battlefield.
History[]
When the Adygh departed from Terra, they also took most of their horses with them, which they adored and treated almost equal to humans. Claiming to be the oldest horse breeders, they bred their horses to be even faster, stronger, more durable and smarter. Upon their arrival, due to technical incapabilities, they weren't efficiently able to produce vessels to get around, so their horses were made even more useful than they have thought they would. Even after industrialisation, use of horses did not cease. , nearly half of the population embraced a pastoral way of life, very similar to their ancestors' lifestyle, during M2, and cavalry regiments have been formed in the military, resulting in the birth of Adyghan Riders.
Recruitment and Training[]
Needless to say that they are all males, Adyghan Riders are chosen from only the best riders of the rural Adygh, ones above the age of 20, with no maximum age limit, there are enlisted riders even over the age of 60 among them. As they are riders and warriors from the birth, they do not receive heavy training, rather getting introduced to newer and more complex Mazet'u pattern Adyghan Guard weaponry and organised forms.
Tactics[]
It is based upon crippling and tiring the enemy's forces with guerilla tactics until it faces the main army, thus highly demoralising the enemy and greatly reducing the friendly casualties. They don't get into close combat with the enemy unless they have the element of surprise, as such in forests, where it is hard to see where the enemy is coming from. When in open field, they almost never charge into the enemy lines unless an extreme condition is at hand without disabling all hostile ranged weapons that can potentially break the cavalry charge. They usually appear out of corners, send one or two volleys of lasgun fire, and disappear before the counter-attack. When needed, they would launch EMP mortars upon the enemy lines, disabling their weapon and targeting systems, they simply ride into their lines, hacking and slashing through; or sometimes they do the same with mechanised units, planting Krak grenades and scattering away while sparkles fly.
Adyghan Horse[]
The Adyghan Horse, or Shaghdiy, an animal that is truly sacred for Adygh, almost considered to be equal to a human, as the word for "brother" is the same word for the "horse". Stern, durable, fast, loyal, considerably smart and compatible with both rough and clean terrain; these breed of horses are kind of the ones which any Imperial Guard regiment would want to have in their possession. Though in order to keep the legend of Adyghan horse breed, Khase banned their exportation, and strictly regulates the trade and custom security, to avoid the smuggling of genetic materials of Adyghan horse.
It may seem like the secret only lies within the genes of Adyghan Horse, but this is not entirely true. Adygh has specialised taming methods unique to their culture, which bonds the rider and the horse, establishing a strong communication and allows them to act as one; even when they are separated. They are seen carrying a whip, but it is the words and signals of the rider which commands the horse, they use the whip rarely, and they simply touch the horse with the tip of it when they do, which is enough to do. There are eyewitnesses about a rider letting the bridles go and telling the horse which course to take instead, then using his both hands to perform a complex task while on horseback, during an assault.
Adyghan Rider Gear[]
The connection between the horse and its rider is vital for the completion of their tasks. Thus, the gear of the rider and the horse has been evolved into its most optimised form, to keep both the rider and the horse healthy and comfortable throughout their life and tireless throughout their mission.
Adygh Saddle[]
Adygh Saddle is a kind of saddle unique only to Adyghan Prime. It is obvious even at the first glance that this saddle is not of the ordinary. What makes it special is its structure and usefulness. Differing from other types of saddles, this particular type does not make direct contact to the horse's spine, there is a notable gap in between, it rather transfers the weight of its rider to the sides, thus increasing both healthy life expectancy and performance. It is designed in such a way, that there are no unnecessary or flawed parts that would sacrifice the usefulness to improve good looks, meanwhile, it allows the rider to perform any kind of acrobatic actions that is possible to do on horseback, or while hanging on any spot of the horse.
There is the work of four different craftsmen in the process of production of each Adygh Saddle: The carpenter, the leather master, the jeweller and the pillow maker. First, the carpenter carves out the wooden skeleton of the saddle, then the skeleton is covered with leather by the leather master, the jeweller embellishes the saddle with silver ornaments and symbols, then the pillow sits atop. The pillow's exterior is made out of leather and filled with gazelle fur to prevent it from matting. it resembles the shape of an accordion, allowing it to fold up easily when the rider sits atop. And finally, it is fixed to its place with a leather band. The pillow is for the rider's comfort, it triples the time of the ability of a rider to stay on horseback, reducing the time of coverage of distances in the long term. And in the end, the entire saddle weighs no more than 4 kilograms.
Rider's Gear[]
What follows is a list of the most common items of war gear issued to the members of the Attilan Rough Rider regiments:
- Mazet'u Pattern Cavalry Lasgun - Precise, easy to handle, simple to use, and stable, the Mazet'u Pattern Cavalry Lasgun is the ultimate ranged weapon of the Adyghan Riders. Its overall design is based on the stub carbines of the rural Adygh riders.
- Mazet'u Pattern Laspistol
- 4 Charge Packs
- Sashkho - The Sashkho, is a traditional, 90-centimeter, extremely sharp, single-edged, slightly curved Adygh sword, used by almost all Adyghan Guard troops. Its flexibility and speed of use are superior to many Imperial Guard swords. Its lack of sword guard may seem like it gets the hand into danger but provides relatively high mobility. Its hilt resembles the shape of a joint for the human palm, allowing the wielder to use the sword as it an extension of the body.
- Qama - The Qama, a 45-centimetre, one-handed melee implement, is the ubiquitous backup weapon for warriors of Adyghan solar system. It is shaped very similarly to Roman gladius, but has a rectangular handle, to make the grip more precise.
- 2 Krak Grenades
- 4 Frag Grenades
- 2 Photon Flash Grenades
- 2 Smoke Grenades
- Vox-caster
- Micro-bead
- Chest equipment - The equipment vary on the choice of the troop, can be either medicine, supplement, food, morphine, or additional cartridges, stored inside cylindric pockets.
- Rebreather
- Poor Weather Gear
- Rucksack
- Mess Kit
- Water Canteen
- Blanket and Sleep Bag
- Rechargeable Lamp–Pack
- Grooming Kit
- Dog Tags
- 4 Weeks' Rations
- Adyghan Horse
- Adygh Saddle
- 2 Saddlebags
- 1 Set of Riding Tack
- Horse Rebreather
Notable Adyghan Rider Regiments[]
- 37th Adyghan Riders
- 51st Adyghan Riders
- 63rd Adyghan Riders
- 66th Adyghan Riders
Notable Adyghan Riders[]
- Sawser Sshnakho