The following article is from 'Black Grimoire', a sister site to fantasard podcast. It supports upcoming podcast episodes (4 in total throughout July) that look at The Empire:
[url]http://black-grimoire.blogspot.com/[/url]
[url]http://fantasard.blogspot.com/[/url]
As any Empire player in Warhammer Fantasy knows, the forces of the Empire are based around a core of State Troops. Working class men (and no doubt some women too, Reg) who strain every sinew fighting for the survival of the Empire and the future of the human race itself offer a very impressive sight, and seeing a large force of Empire troops on the battlefield is truly magnificent. But are there any historical parallels between the Empire and the Real World?
A brief look at the forces of Emperor Karl Franz (the Warhammer Emperor) tells us that the basic design of the army is based firmly in the early to middle part of 17th Century Europe. In many ways they reflect the period of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648). This War raged across Europe and pulled in forces from Sweden, Spain, France, Bohemia and many others. There is also a nod in the direction of the English Civil War, with the fancy design of the Empire horse in particular.
The core of troops fighting during the real 17th Century was the Pikeman, with detailed instructions surviving to this day regarding how to get the best out of a unit of them. The Spanish ‘Tercio’ formation of the 15th and 16th Century had altered the way of battlefield tactics, with a mix of swords and later Musketeers, but it was the Pike that dominated many a battlefield, and some Kingdoms were lost over the ‘Push of Pike”. The more interesting Halberd, or ‘Swiss Voulge’, was the next escalation in weapon design. This weapon had an axe head as well as a sharp point, and was used two handed. It was a cheap weapon to produce but like a Swiss knife it had a variety of uses. It could be used to push, as the Pikes had done, or hook cavalry off of their mounts, or be used as a slashing weapon, and if reinforced with a metal sheath (as many were) it was great at blocking sword attacks. These heavy weapons get a first round bonus in Warhammer to reflect this advantage!
It was the coming of ‘black powder’ weapons that eventually wore down the usefulness of the Pike and the Halberd, a facet reflected in Warhammer, where the Empire Pikeman or Halberdier is a cheap option, but not necessarily the best one, for a budding Empire General. The musket of the 17th Century was an unwieldy beast at best, often requiring a support for the heavy barrel. The time taken to load and fire was long, and in the heat of battle miss fires were a constant worry, and of course the barrel was not yet rifled so their range and accuracy was limited. Nevertheless, the Musket had a profound impact on the way warfare was carried out and a volley of lead ball could decimate the most courageous foe, so greater care was needed when maneuvering troops around the field, something that Warhammer recreates very well.
While on the subject of black powder, the appearance of Cannon and Mortar on the battlefield in the late middle ages had changed the face of warfare, and in the Warhammer World, this is reflected in the strength of the artillery train. Historically cannon were used to soften up the enemy, and the noise and smoke could be as frightening as the exploding cannister or shot! The cannons used in the 17th century were more reliable than their Warhammer counterparts, which are very prone to catastrophic explosion at the most inopportune moment. During the sieges of the Thirty Years War, cannon and small mortars were used to bombard forts and stockades with great success. No Empire commander should ignore the black powder weapons produced by the great forges of the City State of Nuln, including the more fantastical weaponry that is available.
No Warhammer Empire army would be complete without the heroic Imperial Knights, thundering along in close formation ready to crash into the enemy in a mess of hooves, blood, and sharp steel. The use of Cavalry in the Thirty Years War was just as important. Apart from the role of Cavalry as a lightly armed, fast reconnaissance unit, (recreated in Warhammer with the ‘Outriders’), cavalry were the aristocracy of the battlefield, They could run down a retreating unit, use the sheer shock of their horses to break stubborn foes, and out maneuver the enemy on the flanks. This multi-tasking element is well covered in the range of horsemen available in Warhammer Fantasy, and providing you do not charge a line of cannon (yes I mean you, Lord Cardigan) the Empire Knights are great fun on the tabletop.
The Warhammer World is not meant to be an exact replica of central Europe circa 1650, but many of the uniforms are very close in design to those of Gustavus Adolphus, the great Swedish leader and his Catholic foes. Feathers feature highly, and some of these feathers can reach epic proportions. The bright multi coloured uniforms and banners also conjure up the battlefields of Breitenfeld and Nordligen. The range of Archers, Crossbows, Handgunners, and Swordsmen is vast, and when readied for battle they make a breathtaking site on the tabletop. I would guess it would only take a little ‘modding’ to produce a set of rules that would enable the recreation of many historical battles, or simply use the existing historical rules from Games Workshop . In any case, simply playing Warhammer Fantasy battles gives a great historical feel. To see an Empire Elector Count go into battle is to see Adolphus, Tilly or Waldstein take the field once more!