Knight Scáthach of Fimm

Spitewood are neutral with Bal'lahast, as they trade materials like wood, but not soldiers. It's less willing, and more that Bal'lahast is extremely powerful militarily in their corner of the realm and the Sylvaneth want none of it. Spitewood Fens is another story, and the Fimir kick them out every time they get close. I was thinking Living City as Bal'lahast are very mobile and on the move, and hit and run is a common tactic due to their inferior equipment, meaning drawn-out engagements eat their resources much quicker than other cities. At least when fighting in Shyish; Ghur is easier, naturally.

The Free City of Bal’lahast and the Bal’lahast 1st Shyish Campaign Force The City The Free City of Bal’lahast is situated in the far north of Ghur, neighbored by the Spitewood and Spitewood Fens, home to Sylvaneth and Fimir respectively. The city stands on an open grassy plane, surrounded by five concentric rings of moats. There are no walls in Bal’lahast, only the stake laden pits of water that keep the great beasts of Ghur at bay. Only a single bridge crosses each section of the moat, and one would have to circle around having just crossed the first in order to reach the second and so on. This makes Bal’lahast a nightmare to siege without the use of flying beasts, and so the city has never fallen. The people of Bal’lahast are of both human and duardin descent, and so are of stern demeanor, but also stand slightly shorter and are burlier than the average man. They worship the gods Grungni and Sigmar in that order, and venerate Ludwig Schwarzhelm as their patron saint, as well as Karl Franz to a lesser degree. The leader of the Bal’lahastines is called The Schwarzhelm, of which Hector Wallace is the current bearer of the mantel. He is the 21st Schwarzhelm, and like his predecessors, he strives to don the ancient saint’s supposed persona and instill his stalwart nature in all his subjects. The icon of Bal’lahast is a simple letter R in Khazalid, in honor of the city’s founder, Robert Bal’lahast, who lived at the end of the Age of Chaos. The Bal’lahastines prefer functionality over aesthetics, and so their heraldry is often bare-bones and dull in color. The image of the Schwarzhelm upon his horse is more than enough to stir up the courage of any man. The many craftsmen and artificers of the city are duty-bound to ensure the maintenance of The Schwarzhelm’s panoply; a near perfect replica of the original worn in the World that Was, based on a single surviving manuscript found in the depths of Azyr, by a lone priest of the Devoted of Sigmar many centuries ago. This tattered ink sketch is the most prized object of the city. The armies of Bal’lahast go to war dressed in copper-alloy armor and burgundy cloth. The region of Ghur in which the city resides is poor in metals bar copper, and so they craft most of their armor from a synthesized alloy of the metal, produced by the city’s Collegiate Arcane. Weapons of war are still crafted in steel, as the aforementioned alloy is, for the most part, inferior. Steel is otherwise reserved for the most important of tools and armor, and so only the leaders and most well paid soldiers can afford such luxury; namely the generals and Handgunners, as well as the knights who often have shields of steel. The Handgunners in particular are highly valued as they are instrumental in bringing down the rampaging beasts of Ghur, and so every kill is extra coin in their pocket. The uniform of a Bal’lahastine soldier begins a deep green, and it is expected by the end of their first year of duty that it be stained burgundy with the blood of monsters. Some circumvent this by using artificial dyes, but this is frowned upon. What a Bal’lahastine lacks in equipment, they make up for with physical prowess and bravery. Thanks to their ancestry, the average man is thickly built with a penchant for saying ‘no’, be it accepting a day off or fleeing the enemy. The Bal’lahast 1st Shyish Campaign Force The soldiers of the Bal’lahast 1st Shyish Campaign Force are a grim foe to behold. Formed during the aftermath of the Necroquake, these bedraggled yet stalwart men are a force to be reckoned with. Their steel is rusted and their armor stained with verdigris, for there are no supply lines in the land they find themselves in, and the next friend is few and far between. Shyish would suffocate most outsiders, but not them. They fight to bring an end to the death god through the sheer grit of mortal men. Led by Hector Wallace, the Campaign Force has gained a firm foothold in the realm and intends to push ever onwards into the heart of Shyish. The only man who will return is The Schwarzhelm himself, but each and every soldier knows this. Their uniforms are already stained red on the planes of Ghur, and even though the eager recruits will never know this fighting the dead, they fight regardless. Every soldier is a willing soul. Upon death, the soul of the fallen soldier will not be drawn to the Great Necromancer, instead it is immediately obliterated by the power of the Bal’lahastine Luminark’s scorching aura; a well-kept secret by the city’s Collegiate Arcane. This way, they feed no souls to the enemy, and let soldiers die in peace, knowing they will never return. This does however mean that Luminarks are the most prized weapon of war utilized by Bal’lahast, and they are defended as if they were The Schwarzhelm himself. The Campaign Force is the first army of Bal’lahast to fight alongside the Stormcast Eternals. While many mortals would quiver in their shadow, the men of Bal’lahast are most vocal in their distaste for Sigmar’s chosen, seeing them as cowards in the face of true annihilation; something they willingly choose. Regardless, Wallace ensures that their alliance holds firm; after all, they need every new sword they can find, and Sigmarite doesn’t rust.

@Double Misfire Here we go, just finished the write-up and pictures. Edit: published it in the wrong place, now fixed. There's pics at the bottom of the first entry.

That makes it seem like I've submitted to the notion when I merely suggested it

Until next GHB, when I imagine it'll go

I'm just prepping some info for my city of Bal'lahast. Will post it sometime today. Currently I'm a Freeguild player, and will use the most suitable city to represent my city.

Tom gave a very good explanation as to what the rumor engine is, and at this point it's solid evidence for Tomb Kings. I think it's passed wishful thinking. It's at the start of the video.

Sorry for double post but if we gain certain effects based on our advisor, the Witchhunter would become awesome. Models affected by the General's command ability gain +1 damage against wizards and daemons (and death?)? That would be some spicy synergy that we haven't seen before.

I think it's important to split the factions into different roles; mainly being the factions that provide the fighting force and factions that provide support, so Freeguild and Collegiate Arcane. I highly highly doubt we will have synergies between fighting forces, as the cross faction synergy will come from the support forces. Otherwise, we will have a soup problem. I think Beasts of Chaos is our best point of reference on how things will play out. As for different units fulfilling similar roles; that wouldn't be so much an issue if there is no overlapping faction rules; so Rousing Battlecry on Hammerers or something, unless that unit is 100% self-sufficient. I still expect there to be a clear divide, like Greatsword Kurnoth and Scythe Kurnoth. So let's say Executioners remain similar and are the elite infantry that deal mortal wounds, while Greatswords gain say +1 damage against single wound models (or are just able to go 2+ 2+ still) or something like that, while Wildwood rangers remain the monster busters they are. All have clear uses and won't outdo each other (hopefully). If we had cross fighting force buffs, that's where the elite infantry will blur and we will have problems, like in Nighthaunt. Who cares if Greatswords can go 2+ 2+? My Wildwood rangers can now do that with d3 damage against monsters!

I intend to run my army just the same as it is now; that being Freeguild and Collegiate Arcane. Although if the Witchhunter gains a legit role then he can join the party too. I'd run the city closest to my own city in Ghur. Saying that, Hammerhal was suggested to have something to do with Demigryphs of which I have 6.

You can already do this with Freeguild. They're deceptively strong.

I think the simple answer is they don't have to so they won't.

He's not a general, he's part of the old Empire command retinue, but he's just sold with the general.

Of course I'd agree, although to offset the lack of currently available models, I hunt for old empire stuff. My general on horse is Ludwig Schwarzhelm.

If the retinue rules are significant, I can see myself buying them to accompany my general

Tbh, I could see Forgeworld releasing some upgrade kits like they did with Stormcast. Still bit of a stretch, but less than asking for a new kit.

Often I mix and match the guard kit with greatswords bits, like heads etc. Same with my gunners, they have some outrider heads because why not? The greatsword kit is excellent.

I'm too much of a perfectionist not to have all the same models, but not so much that I won't batch-paint the hell out of them!

There's almost 0% chance for new models. However, the aesthetics can change to a degree, but not in the way people would expect. When Firestorm released there were a number of 'official' Freeguild soldiers that had been kitbashed to represent different cities. Much like how the imperial guard have in their codex.

I have 20 greatswords but my current list with the points reductions allows for 30; not because 30 will all attack, but to absorb casualties.

I've always wanted to run a unit of Flagellants, but allies and the fact Greatswords outperformed them stopped me painting another 40 models. Considering how easy it is for us to field 100+ infantry painting more is a bit of an ask.

I accept your apology, Sete.

Are you joking, or have you just not seen this?

The point of the mortal realms is that anything and everything is possible. Freeguild from the main cities will look like old Empire, likely because that's how Sigmar remembers them to be. Anyway, it's established that the aesthetic is staying and nothing is going to change that. I think this discussion is over.

We probably won't get any new models; by the looks of it, Ogors will be getting that treatment and fair enough, they have way less to work with. The paragraph that mentioned advisors to generals was interesting, as I have no idea how that would be implemented without new models. Furthermore, I hope that this concept will take the spot of a free terrain feature as A: what terrain would befit all these different factions? And B: I intensely dislike the captive audience method of including free auto include terrain; Khorne is a good exampe of integral terrain you, for all intents and purposes, must buy.