The Empire at War

Rough Draft completed

2010-06-08T17:18:00.001-07:00

Here is a rough draft of the city of Grenzstadt.

Mapping Grenzstadt

2010-06-08T17:17:00.001-07:00

So, after much searching, I have found the best way to get the maps I am looking for, is to come up with some of my own.
The first one I am doing is of the city of Grenzstadt in the Province of Averland, as this is what city I am basing my army around. Below are my notes of what I need to do said map. I am going to use a variety of tools to complete this project, including a photo editor, any background information, and my own brain.

Here is what I have for notes so far.

Grenzstadt Map project

Rough Draft of Walls/Gatehouses
Rough Draft of layout of districts individual and together as a whole
Rough Draft of layout of streets/blocks

Several small shapes that can be turned a variety of ways and used to "fill in" the city. (Houses etc...)
Slightly Larger shapes to represent larger buildings
Trees/Forest
River
Wall/ Gatehouse
Mountain texture

A list of places to see
Districts
Banking district
Market District
Dwarven District
Animal pub names
Guild list
Inns
Types of Shops
Tailors
Book
Meats
Produce
Curiosities
Tobacco
Jewelry
Elven Goods
Messenger
Casino – Near theatres
Clothiers
Fine Linens
Blacksmith
Weapon shop
Agricultural Equipment
Cattle Yards
Stables
Temple District
Temples – major Averland Gods
Sigmar
Myrmidia
Shrines – minor gods
Taal
Shallya
Morr
Garden of Morr cemetery
Imperial Shrines to Heroes Past
“Government”/ Military District
Chapterhouse for Blazing Suns Knights – ties in with Temple of Myrmidia
Courts
Tax Office
Assay Office
“Official” Dispatch Office (“post” office)
City Guard barracks
Stables
Museums – tie into marketing and temple districts.
Palace District
Influential family dwellings
Theatre district
Slums
Prison
Docks
Ferry to Hochsleben and points Westward.
Signal House – signal tower to receive from Black Fire pass
Gatehouses/Wall

Outside City limits
Signal Tower in Black Fire pass
Dwarven mine/underway entrances
Imperial Mine entrances
Military Training Grounds
Tollhouse

I will keep you guys updated on this project, as it is something I have never attempted before. I look forward to hearing from you along the way as well with c/c.

The forces of Grenzstadt

2010-06-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

I finally decided on which city my Averland army will be based in. I am doing the army of Grenzstadt. I will also include some units from Averheim for support, and since the town of Grenzstadt has a large dwarven community, I will include some units of Dwarves in my force, using them as "counts as" models. I will be posting again soon giving the history of Grenzstadt, and some more background. Including characters, and units.

Knightly Orders part 4

2010-05-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

I bet you were wondering when I would post the next Knightly Orders article. I am guessing you have had sleepless nights for over a year now, waiting in constant anticipation of when the next Knightly Order article would be posted. Wait no longer fellow imperials! The time is now…

Black Knights of Morr

“Encased within black armour and deathly silent when on the battlefield, the Knights of Morr are the dark guardians of the Empire. When parents wish to get their children to sleep at night, they tell them that the Knights of Morr will come for them unless they rest.
The Knights of Morr are widely feared for their devotion to the god of the dead, and dark tales abound regarding their initiation rites. Even so, their martial prowess is more than welcome to those they fight alongside, for their silent efficiency is among the best in the Empire”.

Sister Orders

The Black Guard of Morr

Seen less frequently on the open battlefield then knights of other orders, the sinister Black Guard are more often encountered traveling alone or in small groups, seeking out corrupt sorcerers who would interfere with the realm of the dead and take resting souls form their place at Morr’s side. In this capacity they frequently work alongside the Witch Hunters of Sigmar, combining arms to deal with an undead threat.

Order of the Black Rose
(possibly the same as the Knights of the Black Rose but the huge differences in fluff lead me to believe they are different orders with very similar names.)

This is an ancient temple order of knights. At the Battle of the Talabec, the Order of the Black Rose were Ottilia of Talabecland’s cavalry bodyguard. They are “justly famed across the land” and recruited from the best warriors of the state. The number is kept at a hundred men who are paid and equipped by the state. Their armour is stained black in a reference to their name, except for their gauntlets which are red, signifying spilt blood. They carry heavy lances, maces, swords, and kite shaped shields with a rose and thorns entwined around a bleeding heart.
The barding for their horses is unique. The motifs used “all suggest the affiliation of the order with the god Morr: skulls, dreaded Morr himself, and other motifs are all prevalent.” It is the knight’s sworn duty to protect the Countess of Talabecland.Using Knights of Morr in your games of Warhammer.

+10 / +14 inner circle

Knights are considered immune to the effects of psychology.

And Now a brief word from our sponsors...

2010-05-19T07:22:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post to point you over to a new blog I just started.

Here.

Test Fig completed.

2010-05-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

Here is the test fig for my Averland Army rank and file spearmen.

Front

Front again

Back

Close up - wow the camera really brings out the sucky.

Hobby ADD

2010-05-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Holy Posting Batman! I decided to post to my Empire blog a bit more frequently.
I also decided on a province after all this time, as I switched and thought about doing Nordland (this phase lasted all of about 2 weeks.)
Then, because of the large number of militia models I have, I thought I would do Stirland. (That phase lasted a while.) Then I did a test model, and was not crazy about how it looked, but I did like the idea of using yellow, since that is one of the colors I had in my paint supply. So, after much self reflection, soul searching, and consulting my fellow Warhammer-Empire blokes, I decided to go with Averland. What follows is a brief description of Averland, and its history.
Averland is one of the richest provinces in The Empire, though it is neither the largest nor the most influential, and its army is famous for its ostentatious uniforms. Its wide, open plains are extremely fertile - thanks to the regular flooding of the Aver and the Upper Reik rivers. Averland is perfect horse-breeding country - the finest steeds for riding and for battle come from here. The province is also noted for its long-horn cattle, and for its excellent wine.

The most important geographical feature is the Blackfire Pass. The pass, a deep, volcanic cleft in the rock, is the only reliable route across the mountains. Nevertheless, the pass is infamous for its terrible weather. A seemingly fine day can turn into a blinding snowstorm with frightening speed.

An old Dwarf road runs through the pass, connecting the Dwarf holds of the World’s Edge Mountains and the lands of the Border Princes to The Empire; trade goods, especially the valuable metal ores from the dwarfs, flow constantly into Averheim, from where they are transported by river into Nuln. It is this trade that grants Averland its wealth, but it comes with a heavy price. The pass is perpetually attacked, mostly by orc and goblin tribes, and keeping the way safe for trade is a difficult task. Guardianship of the pass falls to the Mountainguard, the elite of Averland’s forces.

The Mountainguard are stubborn, implacable veterans with the highest level of training, favouring the halberd and the handgun as their primary weapons. Many wear a devise consisting of a black flame upon a yellow field: the unofficial motif of the guard. The Bergjaeger are a special detachment of the Mountainguard, formed from trappers, hunters and other such rangers. They are excellent archers and master trap-setters who know the pass like no other. Halflings serve both in the state army and in the Mountainguard, and have done ever since Gorbad Ironclaw’s devastation of The Moot, the Halfling homeland.

The dangers of the pass were made all too clear by a massive Orc invasion that occurred quite recently. The Elector Count Marius Leitdorf was slain by the Orc general (later dispatched by the Emperor himself). Thus far, no successor has been named. The pass has been the gateway to the Empire for many other greenskin invasions, most notably those of Grom the Paunch of Misty Mountain (2410) and Gorbad Ironclaw (1707). The pass was also the site of Sigmar’s legendary defeat of the Orc and Goblin tribes, and remains a place of pilgrimage for the faithful and the fanatical.

Averland has very strong links to Tilea, and the influence of that country can be seen both in the province’s heavy use of the crossbow and the half-pike, and in the worship of Myrmidia, the Tilean goddess of war. Averland makes greater use of mercenaries than any other province, and the state army almost invariably includes a high proportion of Tileans. The Knights of the Blazing Sun are the most important Knightly Order in Averland. Templars of Myrmidia, they were formed in 1457 during the crusades against Araby.

Of special historical interest are the ancient ruins called the Three Towers. These structures were built by the Elves of Ulthuan in the distant past, and were more recently the site of a great battle between the Elves and the men of The Empire. The day was won by The Empire, and the towers have since fallen into ruin. They now serve as a hideout for bandits and warlocks, and should be avoided by travellers.

Aside from the capital of Averheim, Averland has many prosperous trading towns. These include Hochsleben, the last town before the Blackfire Pass; Wuppertal, famous for its wood-carvers; and Loningbruck, a centre for wine-making.

You mean you can actually game with these things?

2010-05-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

So I played a game of Warhammer for the first time in 3 years. I went to a friend's house, and he just got a gaming table top for his dining room table. I happened to have the grass mat, and some scenery. And we commenced with a 2500pt game of Skaven vs. Empire. Turn 1 was pretty eventful for both sides. Skaven forgot to use their Screaming Bell, and the rest of the magic phase was pretty uneventful. During the shooting phase for the Skaven, they blew up their own plague mortar. (Typical Skaven) Turn 1 for Empire saw no movement, and no magic (since I forgot the entire magic phase!) shooting saw a mortar miss, another one blow up, and I forgot to shoot with my Helblaster. (Perhaps the crew were too busy laughing at the misfortune of the rats, or were distracted by the flying shards of Empire mortar raining down a few yards to their right.) So, the rest of the game was good, I will report here as I see fit. (Sorry, I am at work, and can not give a full report due to time/memory.) I will say that I can not wait to play again! I just need to tweak my list a bit.

You can see my goals for May here. I also started working on getting 30 Swordsmen done, I think they will do a bit better than the Spearmen.

Lack of updates

2009-07-06T23:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates on my Empire. They have been moved to the back burner ever since we lost my grandpa about 2 weeks after my last post. Since then, I have been working more on my orks, but will soon come back to the empire.

Cheers,
Mark

Knightly Orders - Part 3 The Reiksguard

2008-11-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

The Grand Order of the Reiksguard (Possibly a Sigmarite templar order. The fluff and referances are contradictory. However I have been told GW admitted it was a mistake in thier fluff to discribe this order as templars of Sigmar) The most famous and leathal order in the Empire, the knights of this order swear to protect the Emperor at all costs. “Founded during the reign of Wilhelm, the first Emperor in the line of the princes of Altdorf, the Reiksguard is recruited from the oldest sons of the Empire's nobility. Unlike other Knightly Orders, the Reiksguard is divided into warriors who fight on foot and on horseback. Regardless of how they fight, the Knights' weapons are of the highest quality, and their armour is polished to a mirror-like finish and topped with crests that carry the colours of reigning Emperor Karl Franz. The Reiksguard Knights are the Emperor's best troops and, as such, form the core of his household guard. In this way, many masters of the Order have served as Imperial bodyguards, both on the field of battle as well as at other, more stately, functions. It is traditional also for the Grand Master of the Reiksguard to serve as the Reiksmarshal, second only in authority to the Emperor himself in matters of war. In battle, the Reiksguard favour fighting in large regiments, the better to cow the enemy with the full splendor of their mirrored armour and crimson plumes. Imperial history is full of references to great battles won by a decisive charge by the Reiksguard Knights or a stalwart defense by the Reiksguard foot. Despite the potential power and influence that such a reputation offers, the Reiksguard has always stayed apolitical and loyal first, last, and always to the reigning Emperor — a stance that has in the past set them at odds with other, more transient Orders”.

Using the Reiksguard in Warhammer
+ 5 points/ +10points for Inner Circle
Reiksguard are considered stubborn

Complete Inventory Army List

2008-11-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

After using almost every model in my Empire collection (and them some), I figured out that I have nearly 9000 points.

For an investment of about $150.00 (after the standard retail discount and tax) I will have an awesome 10,000 points!

Will I ever be able to use all of these points in a game?

Will I ever post the complete Nuln list here?

Will I ever stop asking these stupid questions and finish this post?

Ok, sorry about the bad tv flashback, it's late. I will probably never be able to field all 10K unless I clear like 4 days from my schedule. I wouldn't necessarily want to post the complete list here as it would take up a lot of page space. (In MSWord, it is 4 pages, and about 400 words.)

All I will say for now, is that the Countess Emmanuelle doesn't make an appearance on the battlefield for less than 9500.

If I can figure out a way to attach a pdf on the blog, I would just post a pdf of the army list.

Good Farmers Journal PreHarvest Issue

2008-10-31T16:51:00.000-07:00

Bumper Crop Expected This Year

A representative of the Agriculture Department announced that a huge harvest is expected this year. Fair weather and a new type of fertilizer obtained from Altdorf alchemists have our fields bursting with bounty. It is estimated that granaries all across Ostermark will be filled to capacity with the excess grain, currently thought to be 30% of the total harvest, available for export.

This is fabulous news for the Trade Ministry whose existing contracts with Altdorf will easily be filled this year. New contracts with the Dwarves of the Southern Grey Mountains will send Ostermark barley to them in return for iron forging technology and equipment. These dwarven imports will revolutionize our metalworking industry greatly aiding our farming and defense in the future.

The general harvest across Ostermark begins in a few weeks. Sages are projecting favorable conditions for the harvest. River barges have begun arriving in the ports at Bissendorf and Bechafen. Teamsters have started rolling wagons toward Bissendorf to form the Harvest caravans.

Our immortal Count, his name be blessed, is hosting representatives from Altdorf and numerous Grey Mountain Dwarven Holds. A huge Harvest festival is currently being planned.

Emissaries Sent to Nuln, Altdorf

Our Count, his name be blessed, has reportedly sent emissaries to the Imperial Capital and to the City State of Nuln. Reports have been received in the Bechafen Palace that trade along the River Reik has come to a virtual standstill north of Nuln. Leadership in Ostermark is growing concerned that this interruption could have a negative effect on the fledgling Grey Mountain contracts.

An attempt to move goods overland to the Southern Grey Mountain area has met with heavier than normal tariffs along the Imperial roads in the vicinity of Nuln. The right of the Countess of Nuln to increase taxes on Imperial roads is being questioned. This is highly irregular and our Count, his name be blessed, is going to get to the bottom of it. Ostermark is sending a formal inquiry to Emperor Karl Franz.

In addition, our overland caravans have come under increasingly more raids by bandits and greenskins. One such caravan, after suffering heavy loss of goods and personnel to bandits, was turned back to Ostermark by Nuln officials after the merchants were unable to pay the new high taxes required of all travellers in the vicinity of the City State. Said caravan then had to brave a return trip to Ostermark through the same dangerous lands suffering even more losses. Our Count, his name be blessed, is registering a formal complaint with the Countess of Nuln. General Schulze has been asked to look into this issue.

Strong Men Called

General Schulze is requesting 400 men to aid with protection of river barges and caravans after the harvest season. Recent events on the Rivers Stir, and Reik, as well as along the overland routes has forced him to supplement the normal trade guards with State Halberdiers and Handgunners. The Count, his name be blessed, is expected to approve the additional muster of troops.

Gunnery Gazzette Vol. I issue 1

2008-10-14T19:07:00.001-07:00

Countess Announces Secret Government Project!

After much deliberation with the Engineers of our fine city, the Countess has put forth the following announcement.

A government project shall be taking place on the river Reik, north of Nuln, under no circumstances will boat traffic be allowed until project completion. Traders are encourages to seek alternate routes for goods. The countess has also stated that once complete, the benefit to our fine city, will make Nuln a famous city and pilgrimage once again. When asked what benefit could possibly secure the financial situation of the city thusly, she only said that once again the engineers have designed an apparatus destined to change life in the Empire as we know it. Keep purchasing your copy of this newspaper for further updates.

Tax increase imminent!

In related news, the Countess has decreed that taxes shall be raised on all municipal roads with the districts of the following cities; Dunkelberg, Grissenwald, and Nuln. Also, that a new tax will be put into effect immediately. All persons dining, or staying 3 or more nights at an Inn with city limits of the cities listed above, shall be subject to a 5% convenience tax. Also, her majesty wish to remind citizens and travellers alike that anyone who is caught by the municipal road warrens to be sleeping upon the walkways or streets within city limits will be imprisonated for no less than 3 weeks within the Iron Keep.

Orcs Spotted Southeast of Kemperbad!

A small band of Orcs were spotted near Kemperbad recently. According to witnesses, the greenskins seemed to be travelling aimlessly. The captain of the watch has dispatched a small band of gunnery school students to deal with the greenskin menance. Although caution should be given to travellers, there is no need to panic.

COME VISIT THE TWISTED GOAT!

Now serving Chili daily!

Serving Wench needed

Apply in person at the Twisted goat

Must like animals and be comfortable in saucy attire.

Wagon for sale

Slighty Used wagon for sale

Going cheep! As is, price negotiable.

Note: missing wheels.

WANTED!

Hans "Sticky" Werner

for assaulting a Sister of Sigmar.

Any details on Hans Werner's

whereabouts, should be reported

to the Inquistion immediately.

500 Strong Men needed.

Must be able to work under

a silent contract for governent.

Criminal background check required.

Must enjoy heights, and working on water.

Mining Equipment

See Reinhardt Kempler

at the Red Cannon Inn.

Gold rumored in the Reik?

Stay tuned for our next issue.

Empire Artillery - part 2

2008-10-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Part 2 for the Empire artillery series. First we will take a look at the Rocket Battery. New for 7th edition, the Rocket Battery uses the 5" template, and scatters much like the Mortar.

Advantages - Great against horde armies, as it uses the 5" template. It boasts a mighty S5 hit with -2 to the armor save against targets. It has a range of 12"-48", so can pretty much reach the entire board. It only costs 15 more points than a cannon, with a possiblity of doing a LOT more damage. Great for defensive "gun line" armies.

Disadvantages - Inaccurate as it scatters the distance rolled on the artillery dice. It uses a rare slot.

Overall, like the mortar, aim for the center of your enemies deployment zone, this will maximize the effectiveness of the Helstorm. It is great against heavily armored opponents as well, but it very inaccurate. So, the bottom line is, it depends what army you are playing against, and your play style.

Hellblaster Volleygun - A true classic of the Empire army. One of my personal favorites, though somewhat unreliable.

Advatages - Only 10 points more than a cannon, with the capability of taking out an entire unit! Great against heavily armored opponents. (That means you, chaos warriors!) No guessing involved. No scatter. Great for horde armies as well, providing they are not too fast.

Disadvatages - only a 24" range. Major possiblity of failure. Uses up a rare slot.

I like the Hellblaster just for the fun of its unpredictability. (<--- is that even a word? ed.)
With its range, it still has a descent chance of wiping out an entire unit! Keep in mind though, that if your opponent has a rather large unit, and you don't wipe them out within 24", they will bring swift retribution to your poor volleygun crew. It is great for a gun line army. I plan on putting some militia close to my volleygun to act as guards, if they charge the volleygun, I could possibly hit them on the flank with my militia. I would also consider having about 5 pistoliers near it, to harass any would be destroyers of my volleygun.

So, there you have it, although there is a lot more you can do with artillery tactically, this will help with some basics.

Test Model for Nuln Spearman WIP pics

2008-10-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

So this is a test model for my Nuln army, I plan on doing black as the main color, with complimenting colors varying throughout different units. (one handgunners unit black and red, while another would be black and purple for example.) You can't tell in the pics, but I highlighted the black cloth with a new technique using dark browns instead of greys or blue-grey for a more natural cloth look, as greys or blue-greys tend to make the cloth look like stone.

This is how he came in a bitz trade from a friend. (Yes, I do have friends.)

Re-primed and ready to have paint slapped on him.

Finished Spearman test model. (It took more time to publish this post than to paint this mini, can't ya tell?!)

Empire Tactica - Artillery part 1

2008-10-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

Why do an article on Empire tactics? You may ask. Well, after much deliberation on my part, I decided that although there is a wealth of information online regarding Empire Tactics, there is not any articles on the most effective way to use the Empire units. So, this is a first in a series on the different units in an Empire army and the drawbacks and advantages to each one. Once those are established, it will be easier to determine the best way to use them in your army.

Artillery

Lets take a look at some of the artillery available to the Empire.

First up we have the Mortar. For 75 points, it can be absolutely devastating to large, weakly armored, horde armies. Skaven, and Goblins in paticular.

Advantages - Only 75 Points, uses a large blast template (One of 2 weapons in the game that use the 5" template.), moldels under the hole are hit by a S6 hit, great against horde armies, or tightly packed weaker troops. Can be used at longer ranges. (up to 48")

Disadvantages - Wildly innacurate, it is a guess weapon that is 12"-48", unpredictable, takes up a special choice. Only S3 (which is the toughness of most standard troops, but there is more artillery available that packs a bigger punch.)

So, the best way to use a Mortar is to make sure to take it against horde type armies, and I would aim for the middle of the opponents deployment zone, that way unless, it scatters off the board, it will increase your odds of hitting one of his units.

Cannon - Only 100 points, great for sniping characters, and taking care of war machines.

Advantages - Anything hit by it is hit by a mighty S10! It is great for sniping characters, long range (up to 60") Versitile as it can use it grapeshot, no armor saves allowed on most shots, it can take out multiple wounds out of a single unit. Good against heavily armored units as well as weaker ones.

Hills are the best place to deploy your cannons, try to get your oppenent to expose their flanks on target units, as this will bounce through the unit diagonally taking out more wounds. Most oppenents will try to stay out of range of the cannon, use your units to chase them back into range.

More will be covered in part 2 when we look at the Helstorm Rocket Battery, and the Helblaster Volley Gun.

Knightly Orders part 2 - Knights Panther

2008-10-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

The second in the Knights of the Empire series brings us to The Knights Panther. Although, I personally do not plan on using them in my empire army, (as they do not match my color scheme), I will include them here on the blog, for reference.

The Knights Panther trace their origins to the wars against Araby, when returning crusaders
brought back outlandish animals from the east. Some of these Knights adopted the
panther as their emblem creating the Order of the Knights Panther. The Knights of this order
wear armour of dark blue and silver.

Arabian War-Horses: +8 points per model.
(+13 Inner Circle)

The Knights Panther ride horses with a bloodlineage from the great
steeds of Araby. When charging you may add an extra D6 inches onto
the Charge range. (Cannot be used with the Steel Standard).

Note: The Knights Panther’s sister order the Knights Jaguar may also have the same ability.

You can also find out more on the history of the Knights Panther here.

Empire Inventory

2008-10-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

I took inventory of what I own for Empire...

General on Griffon
General on Foot
General Mounted
Death Wizard (Reaper)
Shadow Wizard (Mordheim)
Light Wizard (kit)
Fire Wizard (flag)
Life Wizard (flag)
Beast Wizard (flag.)
Metal Wizard (kit)
Heavens Wizard (Mounted)
Mounted engineer
Engineer with repeater pistol
Warrior Priest
Grand Master of the Blazing Sun
Dwarven Engineer
25 Spearmen w/ command
25 Spearmen w/ Command
10 Handgunners w/ Command
H. Long Rifle
15 Spearmen
32 Knights
100 Militia
20 outriders/ Pistoleers
50 Handgunners
16 Archers
30 Swordmen
16 Bret. Knights
10 Greatswords (incl. Command)
4 Cannon
3 Mortar
2 Rocket Batteries
2 Helblasters Volley Gun
70 Flagellants
30 dwarf Miners
Giant
Steam Tank
Dwarf Gyrocopter

I know, I have some units in there from other armies, but they are going to "count as" Empire units. (More on this later.)

Update

2008-10-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it has been a while since I updated for those of you who are keeping a wether eye on the blog. So, I am finally sitting down to due a quick update.

I have the following units built...

15 Militia

2x 25 Spearmen w/ FC (Most of them are primed even!)

10 Handgunners w/ FC

2 Cannon

1 Helstorm

If I wasn't working on Orks so much, I might actually get some more Empire together and painted. I WILL have an army painted someday!

Spearmen, Cannon, and others

2008-09-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

So far I have built for my Empire army.

2 Units of 25 Spearmen w/ Command
1 Unit of 10 Handgunners w/ Command
1 Cannon / crew

I am going to be building the following and hope to have them built by the end of September

8 Knights of the Blazing Sun (incl. Grand Master and conversions)
20 Militia
20 Militia
20 Handgunners
2 Mortars
2 Cannon

I hope to have the following additional units built by mid-to late October

1 General Mtd
1 Army Standard
1 General on Griffon (Medium-light Conversion work)
20 Militia
10 Handgunners
1 Hellblaster
1 Helstorm
1 Steam Tank

Warhammer Empire

2008-09-03T20:00:00.001-07:00

It turns out I am getting a War Wagon (Finally!) from steveb over at Warhammer-empire they have great forums over there, a ton of info, which I will be putting some here as a compilation and overall resource for the Empire. I love the Warhammer-Empire site, so check it out!

Knightly Orders part 1 - Knights of the Blazing Sun

2008-08-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

This is the first of many articles on the Knightly Orders of the Empire. The information I have gathered here has come from many, many sources on the web. (Special thanks to all the original posters. I will try to give credit where I found them.)

I will begin with the Knights who have a presence in Nuln. The first one being Knights of the Blazing Sun. (Because that's the order I am doing for my army.)

The Knights of the Blazing Sun

A relatively small order, the Knights of the Blazing Sun are also known as the Templars of Myrmidia because of their devotion to the Estalian warrior deity Myrmidia. Largely unknown in the lands of the Empire, it was only through the strangest of chances that the Order’s worship of her began at all.
During the wars against Araby, threescore Knights from the Empire lent their aid toward the recapturing of the temple of Myrmidia in Margritta, the southern seaport of Estalia. During the fierce fighting around the temple, a violent earth tremor shook the building and dislodged the vast bronze statue of Myrmidia that was fixed on its topmost steeple. The statue fell to the ground, smashed into a thousand fragments, and flattened Emir Wazir the Cruel and his Black Scimitar Guard. With their leader slain, the Arabian hordes abandoned the temple and left it in the hands of the Knights. Whether this incident was actually divine intervention has been widely disputed, but to those Knights who fought in the temple, it was unquestionably Myrmidia herself who intervened. Upon returning to the Empire, the veterans of that battle founded the Order of the Blazing Sun and built a shrine to Myrmidia in the heart of Talabheim. Though many folk mistrust them for courting strange foreign deities, the Knights of the Blazing Sun have unceasingly fought with distinction against the enemies of the Empire and are held as a prized ally by many Elector Counts. - Games Workshop website

Templars of the war-goddess Myrmidia, the Knights of the Blazing Sun were founded during the Crusades in 1457. In a street battle against the Arabians in Estalia, a group of knights were saved from certain defeat when a freak earth-tremor dislodged a huge statue of Myrmidia from a temple roof. It crashed to the ground and landed on the enemy general and his bodyguard, killing them instantly. After the battle, the survivors banded together and formed the Order of the Blazing Sun in Myrmidias honour”. –Warhammer Chronicles.

The Knights of this order are located deep in the South of Middenland.
They are a small but much respected order with a distinguished history. They were the
first of the Knightly Orders from the west to travel to Nuln and join with Magnus. The
knights take great pride in their weapons and abilities. They can often be seen charging on
the battlefield in their highly polished and resplendent armour of black and gold.
The Order has developed a technique using their polished mirrored shields to focus
sunlight onto the enemy’s face as they charge. This disorientates and dazzles the poor fools
just before they are charged down.

Using the Knights of the Blazing Sun in your games of Warhammer

Blinding Light: +3 points per model. (+8
Inner Circle)
Before you charge with the Knights roll a d6.
A roll of one means there is no sun (it’s
raining or overcast) and so the Blinding Light
cannot be used this charge. Any other result
means there is enough sun light for the
Knights to dazzle their enemies as they
charge. The enemy unit being charged which
opts to stand and fire is at an additional –1 to
hit due to the light being directed into their
face.

(Source Games Workshop)

A note on Myrmidia

Myrmidia Myrmidia is the goddess of strategy: of the science and art of war. She is popular throughout the southern Empire, but is most widely worshiped in Tilea and Estalia. In The Empire, her largest temple stands in the city-state of Nuln. There is much mutual dislike between the cults of Myrmidia and Ulric – both deal in conflict, but their methods are wildly different. This rivalry manifests itself as a desire for followers of the two cults to try to outdo each other on the field of battle. Myrmidia’s priests wear white robes with red trim, and blue cowls. Her symbols are a spear behind a shield, and the Pegasus.

(Source Warhammer-empire.com)

NOTE:

Although Myrmidia's preists normally wear white robes w/ red trim and blue cowls, the preists in Nuln have adopted red robes w/ black cowls and trim, as there is a movement among the heirarchy of the cult to make Nuln the "official" city of Myrmidia, and to dedicate all of the people of Nuln to her, after all, this city is the home to the largest Temple to the godess in the Old World. So the wearing of the different color robes allows the priests to be more acessible to the people (most of whom are either covered w/ black soot, or wearing black.)

(Not to mention, it allows me to tie the priests in w/ the rest of my army white would stand out too much in a all black army.)

Nuln Map

2008-08-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Kalevala Hammer site for the Nuln Map I found there. They are a great resource for WFRP. (Although, I think it is great for research for my newfound army.)

Edit: I made one change to the map above, giving the Knights of the Blazing Sun a chapterhouse behind the temple of Myrmida. (A19)

The Gunnery School

2008-08-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I seem to have a bit of Hobby ADD and couldn't figure out what Empire province I wanted to do until recently. I was thinking Von Draks, but that idea is a bit "dated" in the fact that it does not fit in with the current timeline for the Empire fluff wise.

After making a list, I decided it would be fun to do Nuln. Not just any Nuln army, but the gunnery school itself. My list comprises of LOTS of Militia who are "applicants" to the school, Spearmen (Freshmen) Handgunners (Undergrads), 2x Cannon (the seniors), 2x Mortars (Student advisors), an engineer (course instructor), a Master Engineer (Headmaster), engineer (course instructor) a Hellblaster (Counselor/interns), and a Steam Tank (I got nothing), a unit of Blazing Sun Knights (because they look good w/ Nuln.)

As far as paint schemes go, I was thinking traditional black uniforms, but each unit has a different contrasting color. (Ie; one unit of Handgunners would be black and red, and another would be black and green, and so on.)

Now, I am off to do some research for Nuln.

Edit:

Facts about the Gunnery School

The school's defenses house 31 Cannon on the walls

3 Mortars in the Courtyard

2 Helblasters in the courtyard

The proving grounds or testing grounds are outside the city just east of the South gate. And south of the Artillery Workshops though there is no gate visible, there is some specualtion that there is a secret passage into the city from the testing grounds contrived by a master engineer in conjunction with a gold wizard that it is completely hidden from view. How else does the Gunnery School artillery get to the testing grounds? It is never seen on the Road to Whanfort. Travellers are advised to seek alternate routes when testing is going on. From the Upper Reik River (Or River Sol as it is called further south), one can witness great white plumes coming from the cliffs to the west. It is a tell tale signs the exams are taking place.

The artillery workshops in Nuln house many secret passages to the engineering college and gunnery school, not to mention secret rooms where the school's artillery is stored when not in use on the proving grounds. (This is so it is safe from prying eyes of the many enemies within and outside the Empire.)

New blog

2008-08-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

Check out the new Scenery Blog!

The Von Draks arrive.

2008-08-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to do a Von Drak Sylvanian army since seeing it about 8 years ago in a publication of White Dwarf. So, I decided just to bite the bullet and dedicate some of the 8000 points I have in Empire to the Noble (yet mad) Von Draks (pre Karl Franz, sorry Caleb.) I like the overall theme and color of the army. For background I was thinking a lost heir to the Von Draks or claimant anyways found fortune in Mordheim, and rallied several to his cause to put Sylvania back in its proper place within the Empire. Simple, yet effective. That way I can bring them into the "now" for Warhammer. Or, I can always play a historic battle.
Keep checking back for updates.

Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, Empire, Sylvania, Von Drak, Karl Franz, White Dwarf and Orks all copyright Games Workshop Ltd. No challenge on their status is intended.

The Imperial Capital

2008-08-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

All artwork © 1986-2003 by Games Workshop Ltd. Used without permission. No challenge on their status is intended.

This goes with the Map above.

Thank you to original posters at www.stike-to-stun.net

Welcome to the Empire!

2008-08-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the my Empire army blog. Under the advise of a friend (Thanks Mike), I decided it was time to blog all my current projects. I also am working on Orks for Warhammer 40K, (See the Ork blog), and Harad for Lord of the Rings battle game. (Not to mention the PILES of scenery that I have to build and paint.) But, that is another post for another blog. This blog is dedicated to all things of the Empire persuasion. Check back from time to time for ideas, background stories, paint schemes, conversion ideas, and best of all...the pix! I will also be posting different resources that I have gathered around the net. (Credit to the original sources will be posted as well as links where I got them from.)