The Empire at War: A study of the great battles of the Empire

I posed the question a while ago in this thread about The Empire at War: was it worth reading and potentially acquiring. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a copy and have given it a good once through and offer my view for those of curious mind.

Overview This book is written from the perspective of a retired Imperial general. In a sense, this is the Empire’s Art of War. The grizzled veteran takes us through five different battles to emphasize varying tactical and strategical elements. The battles contained within the tome vary in scale from the insignificant to epic, and covers a wide range of Imperial history: each battle has a different aspect that allowed the winning general to achieve victory. To understand if this work is worthy of your time and money, I will briefly outline the five battles (hopefully without giving away great detail).

Talabec (Civil War) Chapter 1 brings us to the beginning of the Imperial civil war where the rivalry between Talebecland and Stirland commences. It highlights an obscure, but often talked about aspect of Imperial history. It was very much a clean slate chapter, with nothing ever having been done in that aspect before (to my knowledge).

There are a couple of missed opportunities here, in my opinion. The Elector of Stirland has no name, which is very disappointing. Also, there is mention of allies to both sides, but little is mentioned outside of a few passing references. Averland’s colors were even misrepresented.

Still, I actually found this to be the most interesting chapter.

Hel Fenn One of the most famous battles in the annals of Imperial history, Chapter 2 retells the story of the end of the Vampire Wars. This one comes under a little more scrutiny, only because there is some information already available. Army books touch upon it, and there is a series about the Vampire Wars done by Black Library (these books I have not read so cannot say how good or accurate they are, but be aware that some information may be conflicting).

The strategy used by Martin of Stirland was one borrowed from another great battle in history (the real sort of history). I won’t ruin that surprise, but I found it quite obvious that there was some outside inspiration in that regard. No fault to Count Martin, for this is how great generals learn.

My one complaint with this chapter is that some of the more well known facts of the battle were left out. Perhaps it was a given that these events occurred and the reader can plug them in as they see fit, but it is another instance of frustratingly inconsistent writing.

Blood Hollow This battle focuses on a lesser Hochland noble’s campaign against marauding orcs in the Middle Mountains. As far as significant timeline alteration, this campaign is very far down the list, but is rather recent in Imperial history.

It is significant in the fact that it is a completely new piece of fluff, but is of little interest to anyone but Hochlanders or general fluff enthusiasts.

Kislev’s Gate (The Great War against Chaos) This chapter comes under greater scrutiny than does the Battle of Hel Fenn, for this is one aspect of Imperial history that is (decently) well covered. However, unlike Hel Fenn, I found this chapter not wanting.

I believe this is a great expansion point for those interested in the reunification of the Empire. And I must say the artist’s interpretation of what Magnus the Pious looks like is not what I had in mind. But everyone is entitled their opinion.

Black Fire Pass The final chapter harkens back to the birth of the Empire, when the mighty Sigmar lead an alliance of tribes and dwarfs against the masses of greenskins. I know there is a book published by Black Library that tells the tale of Sigmar, and one would hope that there is some consistency between the two texts.

But in this piece, the author gives great detail about the formation of the alliance and the battle itself. A very interesting portrayal of tactics used millennia ago in our burgeoning Empire.

Conclusion As with many Black Library publications, there are some drawbacks. There are a few spelling errors, but not as many as I had expected. Some inconsistencies present themselves, which leaves the reader baffled and in the position to try and piece together varying sources to allow for a fuller picture. But possibly the greatest issue with the book is the narrowness in which it covers. The only provinces of importance are Talebecland/Talabheim, Stirland and Hochland. Battles involving coalitions do little to mention the allies. Unless you have any interest in one of these provinces or a thirst for fluff in general, you may find the book to be a disappointment.

Overall, I enjoyed this book greatly. It was a quick read (almost too quick) and the art work was well done. There were many pictures that were retreads, which I had seen in 4th – 7th edition army books, but I do believe some of the artwork was original. Where this book comes into its own is in the aspect of the unique and original maps. There are also added inlets, highlighting various formations, regiments, weapons, allies, etc. With the heavy imagery involved, it is no wonder this book is going for a higher price now a days, though.

Stealing Karl Voss’ rating system, I would give this a 4 out of 5 great cannons for the mere fact that it gives greater detail to some of the more important struggles our Empire has encountered. As with anything, the detail could be greater, but I am of the opinion that anything that expands our little fantasy world and doesn’t destroy its integrity is worth reading.