GW News: LAS VEGAS OPEN 2025

https://www.warhammer-community.com...with-assault-terminators-and-chaos-marauders/

 

Ooh, classic-vintage Empire troops from the pre-pyjama days. Might have to grab one or two... Cripes, but they look so much nicer than the 8th Edition Empire State Troops. Much more professional and soldierly.

 

Me too

Grrr, !mrahil

 

We should have been the judges!

 

Grrr, !mrahil

 

We'd probably be a little bit biased in favor of any Lizardmen or Seraphon pieces.

 

Empire's more 16th Century to be honest... Italian Wars Landsknechts and the like.

But historically-inspired human factions can be from any period up to around the 17th Century, so there's loads of inspiration from Ancient and Dark Age civilisations to choose from. Indeed, I've been cooking up my own superior version of Tilea based on the one and only Roman Empire with a what-if slant on it. It's just that GW specifically think that the Old World has to be Medieval/Renaissance which places horribly-limited constraints on what design aesthetics to choose from.

The current plastic Empire State Trooper models were first released in 7th Edition, but I know what you mean. They're horrible models, with deformed, barely-human faces, a militia-like appearance (which admittedly is more appropriate for the TOW era of the Empire being in a fully-fledged civil war) and hunched poses resulting from GW focusing on giving the kit a halberdier option without checking to see if the poses would look all right with the spear or sword options instead (which they really don't, especially in the case of the latter). To be honest I'd actually be pleased if GW released an updated set of sculpts for them down the line that bring them back in line with these old metal ones, or the 6th Edition plastics that looked so much more fitting for what GW want the Empire to be:

 

I think I said 18th century because the 1700s are the limit on your far forward the historical influences should go, in my mind. The moment you go 1800s I feel you've just crossed into the realm of too modern (not that I haven't cherry picked a couple of things from the earlier part of the century).

But you are right, 16th century is more in line for the Empire specifically. I just couldn't remember the exact century so I defaulted.

I keep forgetting that there was a plastic set before the set you have now.

 

I think it's cuz pike & shot works well for a low-magic "regular" human faction in fantasy.
It's a nice mix of modern & classical. You get your absurd gunpowder contraptions and da vanci style wonderweapons next to some knights in plate and peasants with bows. The knights & peasants root your fantasy empire as "regular" humans; the gunpowder contraptions explain how they can put up a fight against dragons and other monsters despite being mostly just "regular" guys. Sure, the empire has demi-gryphs and wizards, but they're exceedingly rare (lore wise at least...). Most of their faction is just regular dudes.

Other era's/cultures tend to become more magical to compete with all the monsters (e.g. Aztec lizards, monstrous viking blessed by their dark gods, egyptian mummies, slavs and their witches, blessed french knights, Wallachian vampires, mongolian ogres, ...)

I would be surprised if you could turn the romans into something that works without needing to throw in a ton of magical nonsense. For example; the hell are legionaires supposed to do against an ogres. Throw their pila to kill a few and then immeadiatly get overwhelmed by the remaining ogres cuz all they have left is a tiny gladius?

 

If I were doing the Romans (or if I ever actually do my Byzantine idea - oh wait, they've made an appearance in my fic now *toot toot* ), I'd go a similar rough to our evil Vikings, they are divinely blessed, just by the Gods of Law rather than Chaos. That's right, I'mma bring back that old idea. Important to note is that the Gods of Law aren't a GOOD force, they are far too rigid to be a true force for good. So, it gives a reason for them to be opposed to our typically heroic factions. Especially if they pull the smug "WE are the true civilised peoples, who follow the true laws as defined by the true gods. You are barbarians" attitude.

Though with the Byzantines, their "ordinary" humans would be mercenaries hired on to bolster their numbers.

 

Which is an elvish archetype. Especially the whole "we are the only civilised ones" thing

 

The prototypical elf!

 

Who says that Elves can't be victims to people throwing their own attitudes back at them?