Editing Warhammer Fantasy Battle (section)

====The Empire====
[[File:Empire-Halberdiers.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Human troops with Strength 4. Halberdiers motherfucker.]]
{{Main|The Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)}}

The '''Empire''' is usually the center of attention in the Warhammer world. It's basically a fantasy version of the Holy Roman Empire, meaning its warriors are very angry Germans wielding swords, muskets, and bibles, as well as having [[METAL BOXES|steam tanks]] and magic. It is ruled by a mortal Emperor (who is succeeded upon death, meaning there's no need for a corrupt council to do anything more than annoy him). He is elected from amongst the ranks of the Elector Counts, who govern the different provinces of the Empire in their own special way and wield badass swords called Runefangs which represent their office (when a Runefang is lost, there's one less member of the council). They are the closest WHFB has to a "main character" faction. All good-aligned races usually converge around the Empire when shit hits the fan, and all Chaos-aligned races make a beeline praying for Slaanesh to guide their cocks into an un-lubed Imperial's cannonhole.

The first Emperor was a guy named [[Sigmar]]. He was fucking hardcore (think a combination of Thor, Charlemagne, and [[Conan the Barbarian]]). After becoming the head of his tribe, he made friends with the Dwarfs by saving their king by killing [[Orcs & Goblins|greenskins]] (all before he became an adult even). After that, the Dwarfs and Germans hung out a lot which resulted in ze Germans getting all the same tech Dwarfs make but they push it even further because Dwarfs are reserved about new things. Sigmar then brought the Polish and some Russians into his clan, and founded The Empire. Sigmar got involved in a war down in Egypt's analogue in the setting, Nehekhara, against the Undead which resulted in Sigmar making the decision that if he were ever being kept alive artificially he wanted the plug pulled. Eventually, Sigmar got bored with politics and pulled a walkout, heading eastwards to fight some new beasties and was promptly never heard from again. For some reason, people began worshiping him as a god and now he is the main god in the Empire. However, the more reasonable conclusion is that he's long dead and Ulric, the number two god of the Empire and the god that Sigmar worshiped in life, handles the prayers of the Sigmarite priests, that or probably made Sigmar into a God after he died or when he reached the World's Edge Mountains in the east. Turns out he became a god through sheer force of will but got stuck in the wind of Azyr because of Tzeentch being a dick.
Although the Empire was, in large part, the inspiration for the [[Imperium]] in 40k, there are some major differences. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, [[xenos|the other races]] (like Dwarfs and High Elves) are not only accepted but considered trusted allies (despite being arrogant douches). Additionally, though kept on a tight leash, magic is largely accepted (thanks to the Colleges of Magic the Elves set up, so wizards don't accidentally summon daemons every five seconds), and the Empire is fully polytheistic (although worshiping gods that own property in the [[Warp|Realm of Chaos]] is still a big no-no, despite Witch Hunters doing it (he's a Chaos God of Order though, so it's alright), although Sigmar is the patron deity of the Empire and generally given the most respect. Second is [[Morr]], who provides the mortal races of the world with a legit Chaos-free afterlife. 
Also, all forms of [[Undead|Undeath]] are heretical in the Imperium. The Empire isn't totally shit and if you can get a good job you can live a pretty good life, just keep a gun under your pillow every night. 
They're even advancing pretty fast and if it weren't for the constant Chaos and undead invasions they'd probably be advancing into an Industrial Revolution right about now.

The Empire also counts the allied nation of [[Kislev]] among its forces as they supply it with cannons, and it supplies them with more men but especially lancer calvary. Kislev is mostly Russia during the era of Catherine the Great with a pinch of Poland mixed in, and consists of vodka swilling peasants armed with spears, lance cavalry, and bear cavalry all led by their ice-wizard queen to defend the frost-covered land that never smiles. They are more prone to mutation due to living where the winds from the Warp Gates blows. The primary Kislevite battle tactic is to assemble against Khornate Daemonhosts or Chaos Viking hordes that outnumber them 100-1 all while standing barefoot in the snow armed only with rocks AND FUCKING WIN THE BATTLE. Kislevite women consist of the hottest girls in the setting and hardcore bitches who will crack open a chaos warrior's skull and use its mashed brain as baby food.

[[Halfling|Halflings]] from the Moot are considered members of the Empire, although they contribute little other than food (particularly since the newer editions removed all Halfling fieldable models from the game). 

The current Emprah is a guy named Karl Franz. He's pretty awesome too, he actually has a political and militaristic stance and he [[gets shit done]]. He rides a giant fucking griffon that eats people and owns the one fucking dragon in the entire damn Empire that doesn't act like a taxi for some batshit insane wizard or elf. It eats people too. He's got a fancy suit of ornate gilded armor, cool bling, and a hammer (again, THE Warhammer). Not a fool to be messed with.

Generally speaking, the forces of the Empire consist of cannons, Landsknechts with halberds, cannons, Landsknechts with claymores, cannons, musketmen, cannons, wizards, cannons, crossbowmen, cannons, pikemen, cannons, Russians, cannons, [[Steam Tank|steamtanks]], cannons, knights, cannons, [[inquisitors]], cannons, and mortars. Plus [[Sisters of Sigmar|nuns with guns]] and rioting peasants. 

The Emperor has to put up with a lot of bullshit: Vampires, Daemons, Orcs, Skaven, Mummies, Beastmen, Elves, and other Humans. If you can think of it, the Empire has gone to war with it at least once. It's even gone to war with itself <strike>a couple of times</strike> almost every time that the Emprah's seat becomes vacant, which at one point, resulted in a [[Fail|thousand year long civil war.]] Its continued success in managing to keep from falling apart is as much of a mystery as Dwarfs finding the Humans of The Empire to be worthy of respect (maybe because Games Workshop has a hard-on for [[Imperium of Man|Imperialism]]).