u/Front_Waltz_8582

Middenland is beset by a growing number of Beastmen raids and chaos incursions, as well as rumours of perfidious Cathayans along the western border. As such, Wolf Emperor Sigismund has opened the treasury and dispatched commercial agents to the City State of Nuln, to contract and recruit soldiers skilled in the use of the latest inventions of blackpowder and steel.

Armed with armour piercing arquebuses, rapid firing yet temperamental light cannon and an even more temperamental (why does of always roll double 1 for steam power!?) steam tank - the men of the Worshipful Company of Engineering School Volunteers march forth to Osterlund. They are led by the brothers Luppe - Alke and Joiste. Both of whom remain unconvinced that the hardy yet backwards men of the north will be capable of learning the arts of blackpowder.

First “sleeve” of handgunners from the Free State of Nuln, bought and paid for by the Wolf Emperor of Osterlund to serve alongside his State Troops (hence the blue garters and feathers!).

I faced off against a Slayer Host yesterday, really fun game - particularly as my opponent usually plays Expeditionary force and I had no idea he was bringing Slayers!!

My army list:

85 - Captain of the Empire, Battle Standard Bearer, Great Weapon, Full Plate Armour, Pistol
53 - Engineer, Repeater Handgun
199 - General of the Empire, General, Demigryph, Lance, Light Armour, Scale Of False Promise, Charmed Shield, Daemon-Blooded Steed
139 - Lector of Sigmar, Light Armour, Twice-Blessed Armour, Great Weapon
202 - Wizard Lord, Empire Warhorse, Wizard Level 4, Daemonology, Tome of Midnight
35 - 5 Empire Archers
35 - 5 Empire Archers
212 - 8 Empire Knights, Shield, Preceptor, Standard Bearer, Drilled, Order of the White Wolf
126 - 18 State Missile Troops, Crossbow, Unit Options
60 - 10 State Troops, Halberd, Detachment
297 - 29 Veteran State Troops, Shield, Sergeant, Standard Bearer, Griffon Standard, Musician
281 - 4 Demigryph Knights, Full Plate Armour, Lance, Demigryph Preceptor, Standard Bearer, The Gleaming Pennant
265 - 20 Empire Greatswords, Count's Champion, Standard Bearer, War Banner, Musician, Magic Standard
125 - Great Cannon
265 - Empire Steam Tank, Engineer Commander
120 - Helblaster Volley Gun

Rough opponent Army List:

4x20 slayers all led by various slayer characters, including Ungrim Iron Fist.

1 Goblin Hewer

2 Dwarf Carts

20 hammerers

4 Doom seekers

Moral victory was secured immediately by being painted. So Sigmar blessed our dice for the remainder of the game. It was a glorious day for the men of Osterlund and my opponent conceded by the end of turn 3!

Few highlights:

The engineering detachment from Nuln securing 28(!) shots from the temperamental Helblaster, hitting on 3s - nuked 14 Slayers AND Ungrim in one blast to seal the game in our favour.

There was an amusing moment when a Doomseeker laminated itself against the Steam Tank.

Demis wiffed an annoying amount but my Preceptor killed a Dragonslayer in a challenge.

Halberd detachment bounced a Trollslayer off and my crossbows must have killed 30-35 dwarfs by the end of turn 3. Absolute slaughter house.

Greatswords got hoovered up by a double doomseeker flank charge, that killed 7 blokes just from impact hits alone 😭

My knights flirted with the hammerers but tied them up all game which felt like a good exchange.

Finally finished up all of my State Troops from various provinces within the Grand County of Osterlund. The bulk of the company hailing from Middenheim, with detachments from Nordland and Hochland, brought together to serve in the internecine conflicts of the Empire. I love getting as many interesting uniform variations together as possible.

Next on the block is some Carroburg Greatswords and a couple sleeves of handgunnery experts from Nuln, and maybe working on my photography skills…. 😅

Just finished off a detachment of Nordland Mariners for my Osterlund force. They’ll be supporting State Troops from Middenheim 🙌🏻 if only they worked better in game! 😅

So I’m building my army around the Grand County of Osterlund, as I like the diversity of uniforms it affords. Although I’ve only got test models for a couple, I’ve so far sorted Middenlander archers and State Troops, Greatswords from Carroburg, Hochland crossbowmen, Nordland Mariners and some hired black powder mercenaries (and Engineers) from the City of Nuln. The latter because it feels more in keeping with the time period that Nuln would be the most proficient with black powder weapons.

Can’t wait to finally have the full army together finally. Only about 50 models to go….

Painted up a test model for a unit of Nordland Mariners in my Osterlund Army. Happy with how the lighter blue has come out, and I think they’ll make a nice looking detachment for my Middenland Sword and Board company.

Introducing “Die Rasenmäher”. Duke Sigismund’s latest purchase from the City State of Nuln 😁 so much character in these models, so I’ll definitely be doing another one in slower time.

Bit of a rush job to get this bad boy done before a game against Dwarfs this weekend. I felt I needed a big slab of steel to throw at their gunline, but can’t bring myself to put unpainted minis on the table; so knocked this out in about 7 hours!

Test model for a new unit of Carroburg Greatswords I’m building up, including inspiration picture. I think the dark armour will work nicely across an entire unit. Thought I’d share!

Greetings brothers and sister of Ulric, Taal and Sigmar! My obsession with painting hordes of Empire Infantry continues with another regiment of State Troops on the way. 15 down, 15 to go….

Although my Middenlanders are a stalwart bunch, they lack the education in refined black powder of their cousins to the south. As such, I’m painting up a couple of sleeves of Handgunners for my State Troops, hired from the venerable independent City of Nuln.

First time trying to highlight up on black, so thought I’d run a test model first. Pretty chuffed how he’s come out!

The blue garter is to represent solidarity with his northern paymasters.

My army’s General is a Lector of Sigmar, so I thought it only fitting that his Standard Bearer holds a reliquary, to bestow blessings upon the Army before battle. Hope you like! Some minor touch ups required, and maybe some more work on the face, but happy how he’s come out.

I recently got put onto Kraut Cover basing pots by someone in our gaming group. I previously had a “frosted mud” aesthetic on my bases but army-wide it started to make everything feel too drab. I’ve added some of KCs “meadows of purity” and think it’s given the bases a nice face lift! I’ll maybe finish off with a light white drybrush just to tie it into the “frozen Middenland north” vibe I’m going for on my army. Some Middenlander Demigryph Knights and auxiliary crossbowmen from heighbouring Hochland shown.

Anybody got any recommendations for further improvements or good basing stuff?