The Empire

Introduction

Ahh, the Empire. My first true Warhammer army. While I dabbled with greenskins in my youth (haven't we all), it was the brightly coloured puffy sleeves of the Empire that really drew me into the Fantasy world. I was young, so I started with Talabheim, because red and white units were everywhere back then. If I had my time again I'd have gone a different route, Nordland, perhaps Ostermark or Ostland. 

I really enjoyed the Empire, they were/are the 'everyone' list. Jack of all trades, master of none. Plenty of bodies, a smattering of magic, war machines, some cavalry, and the odd griffon or two. There was so much opportunity to grow stories, and even better, so many stories out there to read. I vividly remember reading the story of Balthasar Gelt's duel with Thyrus Gorrman for the Supreme Patriarchy in the 6th ed army book. Speaking of which, the army books peaked around then, so many great little vignettes and stories that were replaced in later books by bigger descriptions of each unit, generic stuff. 

Empire Captains were always my favourite generic character type in the whole of the fantasy world. They can just be so diverse, from the fancy noble duelist, to the grizzled career soldier, Knightly captains guiding the common soldiery or anything in between. Feathers, gilded armour, scratched and worn shields, haughty looks or scarred faces. There's just so much room the play. Plus it helps that there's plenty of modelling bits to use as well.

I also really like banners.

The height of my Empire-y-ness was 6th and 7th edition, and Storm of Chaos. My force was based on Elector Count of Talabecland, Helmut Feurbach's attack on chaos just prior to the Storm of Chaos. That's the attack that ended up with Grand Theogonist Volkmar strapped to Be'Lakor's personal battle standard. Then in End Times I gravitated back to Empire, they were a big part of a lot of the story and I really enjoyed the by-play in the novels of Balthasar Gelt and Vlad, and Kurt Helborg and the rest of the Empire. 

Since the release of Warhammer Total War, I've played a lot of Empire campaigns. I should start by saying I spent way too many hours as a teen playing Medieval Total War. It was probably my favourite game. Then Total War Warhammer came along. While it doesn't quite have all the fun diplomacy options it does have warhammer. This is the game I always wanted while playing Medieval Total War.

Unfortunately, my PC gaming time is significantly reduced compared to the freedom of simpler times, so I haven't put the hours into Total War as I would have, however I have still spend a lot of time on the new Total War.

I play as the Empire more than any other faction and really enjoy the politics between the Electors, and being able to promote captains to various offices. I often leave the Legendary lords at home and run around with generic lords that I've renamed to match into my existing characters. I wish you could start in different places/states though.

At the moment my Empire is a bit all over the place. I've still got my original Talabheimers that make up the bulk of the army. Since then I've added about 1500pts of Middenheimers - after I got excited with my Mordheim warband and wanted to expand. I've recently been on a shopping spree picking up old 4th, 5th and 6th ed models, mostly characters. As part of this I found some more of the older style plastic state troops, and plan to add an ally in to my Talabheimers. I guess best choice would be Ostland or Hochland so I can join them up to one of the Electors I've got. I really love that era of Empire characters, the old Elector Counts etc. Not sure what I plan to do with them at the moment other than paint them, but they just hit me right in the nostalgia.

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General Mueller's Dilemma

“Never before has a greenskin army crossed the Haunted Hills!” Exclaimed the General. Though Manfred Mueller did not doubt the validity of the report, however it had caught him completely by surprise. The Purge, an edict from Elector Todbringer to cleanse the forest of the foul beasts of Chaos, had taken General Mueller and his Middenheimers through three provinces in the last four months, and currently found him taking shelter within Siegfriedhof in Northern Stirland.

“How many?” Manfred asked, not taking his eyes from the maps and reports spread on the table before him.

“I counted at least twenty score, though I...”

“twenty score!”

“Yes sir, but I expect there to be many more.” Replied Hugh, captain of General Mueller’s personal huntsmen. The grizzled veteran had been Manfred’s scout for many campaigns and Manfred knew better than to question his eye or his reports. Biting back a curse, General Mueller pulled out an aging map of Sylvania and Northern Stirland.

“We might have to fight this one alone, there isn’t another force within a week’s march of us. How long until they are upon us?”

“I spotted them marching down out of the Haunted Hills just ... here” replied Hugh, pointing at the map, just north of Leicheberg.”

“I wouldn’t have noticed them at all were the wind blowing the other way. They had just sacked Leicheberg and I noticed the smoke. They don’t seem to be moving with any intent, having temporarily sated themselves. Leicheberg is in a bad way. At this rate, maybe three, four days at the most. Though I expect their pace to pick up in a day or two.”

Mueller was silent for a while as he ruffled intently through his array of maps. Eventually he found the chart he was looking for and motioned for Hugh to study it with him.

“And their scouts? Were you seen?” Mueller asked

“None that I saw, there were small bands of goblins mounted on spiders  and wolves  keeping pace with them but I don’t think they saw us”

“If we meet them here we can at least protect our flanks.”

“I agree Sir, if we can avoid being encircled, we have a chance of stalling them long enough to break their morale.”

“Walter!” Barked Mueller.

A diminutive, older man came rushing up to the general’s side.

“Go tell Von Bock I need to speak to him right away” ordered General Mueller.

“Yes my Lord” Walter replied mid bow before proceeding to scuttle out of the room and retrieve Captain Klaus Von Bock.

After a pause General Mueller returned his attention to his scout.

“Hugh, I want you to take several of your best men and find out exactly what we’re up against. It seems we’ll need every advantage we can get”

“Yes sir, right away.” Came Hugh’s reply as he made his way to the door.

As Hugh opened the door the General stopped him.

“It’ll be a nice change from hunting the beasts through the forest clearings.” Said Mueller with a chuckle. Hugh smiled and closed the door behind him, leaving the General to his thoughts.

As Klaus walked the dark streets of Siegfriedhof towards the town house General Mueller was using as his personal residence, he couldn’t help but reflect on the course of events that had brought him to this place so far from his home. While Klaus was, and had always been, a military man the constant wars with the beastmen and Norse invasions along the Northern coasts had meant he hadn’t been more than 400 miles from Middenheim since his first campaign as a young halberdier in the City Guard. That first campaign had taken his innocence away. For two years he had trained with his twin brother in Middenheim until they reached adulthood and were allowed to enlist. They were naive and full of bravado. It wasn’t more than a month or so until his unit was sent out to confront  a small band of Orcs that were terrorising a neighbouring village. The unit was ill prepared for what they were to face. More than half were like Klaus and his brother Frederick, fresh faced boys who’d never tasted battle before. The quarry they were sent to defeat were the remnants of a much larger force that had been destroyed months earlier, and were thus battle hardened and eager to redeem themselves in the eyes of their gods. Barely a quarter of the regiment returned to Middenheim in defeat. Klaus watched as his brother was cut down by an enormous Orc wielding two massive cleaver like weapons. That day hardened Klaus, he turned to Ulric and promised he would devote his life to smiting the enemies of the God of battle. While he didn’t join the priesthood, he spent the next twenty years fighting for his town and his god, rising through the ranks to become Captain of Mueller’s Halberdiers. The ‘Berds as the regiment became known  were renowned for their resolute stand at the Battle of Salzenmund, keeping the frenzied marauders at bay long enough for help to arrive and the heavily wounded General Mueller to be carried back to camp and his wounds dressed.

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