Knightly Orders part 4

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...

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

Here.

Test Fig completed.

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

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?

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

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

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