In the heat of battle, Night Elf Archers can call upon the mighty Hippogryphs to carry them into the air. The Archers mount the flying beasts and are capable of firing their arrows from the Hippogryphs' backs. The brave creatures respond to the female riders as if they shared an empathic bond.

Level: 4 Cost: 4 Unit Type: Normal Attack Type: Pierce Weapon Type: Missile Armor Type: Light Armor: 1 (7*) Ground Attack: 17 avg (26 avg*) *(#) = Stats when fully upgraded

Air Attack: 17 avg (26 avg*) Cooldown: 1.1 Hit Points: 765 Health Regeneration: Night Mana: None Mana Regeneration: N/A Range: 40 (60*) Day Sight: 160

Night Sight: 80 (160*) Speed: Fast (350) Build Time: N/A Trained At: N/A Requirements: Mount Hippogryph Production Hot Key: N/A

Archers transition well into Hippogryph Riders. Get an expansion then build 2-3 Ancients of Winds. Research the Mount Hippogryph upgrade. Hot key these buildings and set the rally point on your Hero. Continue to make Hippogryphs by queuing them up. As they are created they will move to your Hero and Archers where you can match them up to create Hippogryph Riders. Eventually you can convert all of your Archers to Hippogryph Riders. This may not be wise to do if the enemy is prepared with Crypt Fiends with Web, Raiders with Ensnare, or other things that can easily kill air units. Keep in mind that by turning your Archers into Hippogryph Riders you can do attacks on enemy towns from the backside (away from towers). You are also creating Archers with the same damage but that cannot be hit by melee units, have greater sight, are faster, and that have more hit points. The only downsides of Hippogryph Riders vs Archers is 10 less range and a new weakness to anti-air abilities.

Since your Hero does not fly it can be challenging to use a Hero and Hippogryph Riders. One way to do it is to control the Hippogryph Riders and have the Hero set to follow them. You can also use Control Groups.

Use the standard ranged unit techniques as you do with Archers, Dryads, and Huntresses. It can be even easier for Hippogryph Riders since they don't have to worry about melee units.

Whenever possible attack enemy towns from over trees or other areas that ground units cannot reach. You can sometimes sneak into the back sides of towns that are not protected by towers and kill off enemy workers, Town Halls, Entangled Gold Mines, or Haunted Gold Mines, then run.

Research all of the upgrades for the Hippogryph Riders. If you are going to spend that much money creating them they should be the best they can be.

Archers can dismount from the Hippogryphs. This allows both units to attack on their own. You may find this useful in certain situations, such as when facing other air units.

Decouple Archer & Hippogryph Dismounts the Archer from the Hippogryph.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 75 75 Ancient of Wind Hippogryph Taming 30 sec.

Improved Bows Increases the Archer's and Hippogryph Rider's attack range by 20.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 50 100 Ancient of War Tree of Ages 35 sec.

Marksmanship Increases damage of Archers and Hippogryph Riders by 3.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 100 175 Ancient of War Hunter's Hall, Tree of Eternity 40 sec.

Strength of the Moon Increases the damage of Archers, Huntresses, Glaive Throwers, and Hippogryph Riders.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 125 75 Hunter's Hall None 60 sec.

Improved Strength of the Moon Further increases the damage of Archers, Huntresses, Glaive Throwers, and Hippogryph Riders. Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 175 175 Hunter's Hall Tree of Ages 75 sec.

Advanced Strength of the Moon Further increases the damage of Archers, Huntresses, Glaive Throwers, and Hippogryph Riders. Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 225 275 Hunter's Hall Tree of Eternity 90 sec.

Moon Armor Increases the armor of Archers, Huntresses, and Hippogryph Riders.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 150 75 Hunter's Hall None 60 sec.

Improved Moon Armor Further increases the armor of Archers, Huntresses, and Hippogryph Riders. Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 200 150 Hunter's Hall Tree of Ages 75 sec.

Advanced Moon Armor Further increases the armor of Archers, Huntresses, and Hippogryph Riders. Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 250 225 Hunter's Hall Tree of Eternity 90 sec.