Assault Rider

• Assault Rider
• TCG

Assault Rider
Japanese	アサルトライダー
Rōmaji	Asaruto Raidā
Type	Emblem Heartless
Games	Kingdom Hearts II Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory

Assault Rider
Kingdom Hearts II
Avoid getting hit with its spear by using the well-guarded Jump attack to defeat it. When HP gets low, its attacks begin to get bold. Use big attacks to defeat it before it uses its explosive attack.

Location		HP	Strength		Defense	EXP
The Land of Dragons Episode 1		85	12		6	40
The Land of Dragons Episode 2		190	34		19	425
Physical	Fire			Blizzard
×1.0	×1.0			×1.0
Thunder	Dark			Neutral
×1.0	×1.0			×1.0
Rewards
HP prize (5) ×2, Drive prize (3%) ×4 Dark Stone (12%), Hi-Potion (10%), Serenity Shard (4%)
World(s)
The Land of Dragons

Location		HP	Strength		Defense	EXP
The Land of Dragons Episode 1		85	12		6	32
The Land of Dragons Episode 2		190	34		19	340
Physical	Fire			Blizzard
×1.0	×1.0			×1.0
Thunder	Dark			Neutral
×1.0	×1.0			×1.0
Rewards
HP prize (5) ×2, Drive prize (3%) ×2 Dark Stone (12%), Hi-Potion (10%), Serenity Shard (4%)
World(s)
The Land of Dragons

Cup		HP	Strength		Defense
Pain and Panic Cup		• Match 7: 2 Assault Rider
		128	21		11
Goddess of Fate Cup		• Match 7: 2 Assault Rider
		263	48		28
Pain and Panic Paradox Cup		• Match 7: 2 Assault Rider
		293	54		31
Hades Paradox Cup		• Match 47: 2 Assault Rider
		453	87		51
Physical	Fire			Blizzard
×1.0	×1.0			×1.0
Thunder	Dark			Neutral
×1.0	×1.0			×1.0

Cup		HP	Strength		Defense
Pain and Panic Cup		• Match 7: 2 Assault Rider
		148	25		14
Goddess of Fate Cup		• Match 7: 2 Assault Rider
		273	50		29
Pain and Panic Paradox Cup		• Match 7: 2 Assault Rider
		293	54		31
Hades Paradox Cup		• Match 47: 2 Assault Rider
		453	86		51
Physical	Fire			Blizzard
×1.0	×1.0			×1.0
Thunder	Dark			Neutral
×1.0	×1.0			×1.0

Attack	Strong
Type
Ground	Multi-Attack
Music Stages
The Home of Dragons, Fields of Honor, Vim and Vigor

The Assault Rider is an Emblem Heartless that appears in Kingdom Hearts II.

Design

The Assault Rider is a centaur-like creature with a black, equine lower body with red hooves. Its upper body is muscular, vaguely humanoid, and has black skin. It wears grey Chinese armor over most of its body, as well as a small, conical, silver helmet with two curved, golden feathers and a red cape. Its pitch-black face is almost entirely obscured by its helmet, though its glowing, yellow eyes are visible. It carries a long guan dao with an angular, gold blade, a silver handle, and a red horsehair tassel at the base of the blade.

In Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, the Assault Rider's body becomes predominantly lilac-colored, and its hooves become gold, and its hands and tail become violet. Its armor becomes red-violet and orange with gold lining. Its helmet, though still silver, is a bit brighter, its cape turns yellow, and its face becomes violet. The Assault Rider's guan dao now has a silver blade and an orange and purple handle, though the tassel remains red.

The Assault Rider's name refers to its battle prowess, as "assault" means "to attack," and its equine lower body, hence "rider."

Strategy

Getting close to this Heartless can really take a chunk out of the party's HP, and it can also take a large chunk out of the morale gauge during missions, so long-range magic is less dangerous. Although Assault Riders have powerful attacks, they will not attack unless they are in range at the beginning of a battle or are provoked. These Heartless get especially fast when their HP gets low.

When fighting an Assault Rider during the first visit to the Land of Dragons, keep a distance and pelt it with magic, preferably Thunder or Blizzard. An alternative is to simply go to town with Valor Form, hammering the Assault Rider with as many combos as you can before the Form Gauge runs out. Guarding when it rears back is advised, and counterattacking afterwards is also a good decision. Be warned, when it stops flinching from Sora's attacks, stop attacking and guard or retreat before it attacks.

During the second visit, use Master Form along with Wishing Lamp and Follow the Wind. Attack with combos and powerful magic, such as Thundara/Thundaga and Blizzara/Blizzaga. When the Assault Rider starts getting more aggressive with its attacks, do not hesitate to use Reflect magic.

When reduced to 60% HP, the Assault Rider will exclusively use its Assault and Explosion attacks.

Technique		Element	Power	Guard?
Slash Out (斬りつけ, Kiri Tsuke)		Physical	x1.0	O
		Deflects attacks directed at its upper body, then sweeps with spear.
Thrust (突き, Tsuki)		Physical	x1.0	O
		Deflects attacks directed at its upper body, then lunges with spear.
Flourish (振りまわし, Furimawashi)		Physical	x0.25	△
		Spins spear in front of itself like a windmill.
Assault (突撃, Totsugeki)		Physical	x1.5 Hit 2+: x0.5	△
		Charges while surrounded by a red aura.
Explosion (爆発攻撃, Bakuhatsu Kōgeki, lit. "Explosion Attack")		Fire	x2.0	X
		Envelops itself in a fiery aura and generates an explosion in front of itself.
Guard/Block: △ = Can be blocked; O = Can be blocked and interrupted (melee) or deflected back (projectile); X = Cannot be blocked.

Gallery

• 

  Assault Rider's journal portrait in Kingdom Hearts II.

• 

  Assault Rider's journal portrait in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix.

• 

  Assault Rider's journal portrait in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX.