The Sisterhood spares no expense to get their hands (fingers or no fingers) on the best battalions Riftforge has to offer.

The harsh reality is that on Manirak, even the most formidable Sisters live and die by the sword. It always pays off to have the best swords by one's side.

Reavers

The Reavers are a female-only battalion of elite raiders recruited directly from the Sisterhood’s acolytes. They are often credited with the initial introduction and subsequent perfection of hit-and-run tactics.

The flip side is that the Sisterhood is flooded with complaints from regular troops claiming that when the battle heats up, the Reavers focus on the running part a lot more than they do on hitting the enemy. Read more »

These elite Grenadiers form the last and oftentimes the only defense for key strategic objectives. Their ability to cause carnage on a massive scale serves as an effective deterrent against even the most dogged and determined of enemies. None of the elite grenadiers complains, when every so often an especially bold (and stupid) enemy commander sends his troops in a full frontal assault. The “fireworks” can be seen for miles, so the message remains painfully clear.

Elite Chargers form the vanguard of Riftforge invading force. Their shock tactics break the defensive formations of even the most determined of enemies.

Commanders like to mass their heavy cavalry in tight squadrons. Riding hard, boot to boot, against the enemy spear wall time and again has created quite a bond between the veteran chargers.

When looking for a new mount, the elite chargers spare no expense to get the biggest, ugliest brutes. Rather surprisingly, breeders now demand a premium for all ugly mounts. This fact amuses Raider quartermasters to no end. It also helps them drive down the price of beautiful snow lions and tigers quite significantly. Read more »

The elite Assassins form a rigid order where secrecy, deception, and stealth are taken to the extreme and beyond.

The adverse weather conditions on Manirak allow these assassins to remain concealed until they are ready to strike. Often, the mark is “terminated with extreme prejudice” in mere seconds.

Not all elite assassins take pride in this deadly efficiency. Some are more image-conscious than others, so they insist on being referred to as “operatives”. As long as military planners make sure each operation contains plenty of blood and gore, the difference between assassins and operatives remains very, very subtle. Read more »

The taming of the agile and ferocious rock lions has given rise to a new force within Riftforge – elite cavalry.

The lion mounts are bred for speed and speed alone and the elite Raiders get first pick from the best animals.

The Raiders sacrifice armor for speed. Even their precious mounts have no barding. The Raiders rely on common sense: “The best protection is not to be where the enemy wants you to be.” Read more »

Recruits new to the Rangers have tremendous respect for these veterans because all drill sergeants come from the elite battalions. It is no surprise that the Ranger indoctrination program has a higher mortality rate than most combat missions.

Another testament to the Rangers' survival skills, the elite Ranger battalions are the only Riftforge formations with troopers over the age of forty.

Captain Galheen often jokes that he is sending them to certain death, in order to make sure he is the oldest Ranger on record. Read more »