Exkubitor ~ Border Prince Tank

“One does not expect such professionalism among the ranks of a Border Prince army. With shields held high and spears at the ready, the line of Exkubitores is an impressive sight, as impressive as one could find from the realms of men in such an inhospitable landscape. Their armor is somewhat curious, not like that of the Empire or Bretonnia. Though I’m sure if they cross a dwarf our axe will have no trouble cutting through it.” ~ Gundrin Thoreksson, Karak Azgal Ranger

Exkubitor

Archetype – Tank

Armor – Heavy

Weapon – Spear/Sword and Shield; Greataxe

Mechanic – Princep’s Aegis

• You have mastered the art of defense and build up on your defenses for powerful executions. You have a pool of 10 points of Princep’s Aegis. You gain 1 point for every parry and 2 points for every block. The longer you defend, the more powerful your executions become.

Mastery Trees

• Winter’s Teeth – You have travelled down the harshest of passes and faced all manners of foes. An offensive tree focused on damage.
• Khyperian – You have escorted valuable convoys down the length of the Borderlands. A defensive tree focused on survivability.
• Black Fire – You root yourself in ancient traditions of brotherhood between races. A support tree focused on weakening foes and bolstering allies.

Coins to Crowns ~ Border Princes

Today I would like to write a little bit about this rather unorthodox new army for the Warhammer world. The clever minds at Games Workshop have never really provided us with any solid army for the Borderlands region, or any rich set of lore that would form the story of this region. As someone who loves to delve into the lore and unique nature of all the armies, sometimes I encounter gaps in content which I am tempted to fill, albeit in an entirely unofficial capacity so please don’t take my vision of my Border Prince army as something that is canon.

Most people know the Warhammer fantasy universe through the medium of the table-top game and the associated army books. Granted that this medium offers the players with very visually striking elements that come in the form of the table-top models and vast armies, there is another corner of the Warhammer fantasy universe which I find more suitable for my creative side. The Border Princes are not officially represented with an army book (though you could theoretically make any array of armies you wanted to by using units from any other kingdom), however they are redeemed somewhat with the roleplaying books. The Warhammer Fantasy roleplaying books offer a rich in-depth view of the Warhammer world, which the army books are lacking, and it is from these books that I have drawn some inspiration for my Border Prince army.

Coins to Crowns ~ Cohorts

What was once a land of petty outlaws and vagrants unworthy of the attention of mighty monarchs and great powers, has in these trying times found a role in the tides of war. While the Borderlands are too politically fragmented to act as a power in the Old World, one principality has risen in the shadow of the war and proven its military prowess against the goblin hordes and towns of men. Though there may be some who view the hiring of ill-reputed Border Princes as distasteful, the current struggle between the forces of Order and Destruction is unforgiving and at times it seems that either faction may be on the brink of defeat. If a sack of gold is enough to tip the scales to one side so that it may prevail, is not the cost worth it?

Coins to Crowns

v 1.9.3b

While the World’s Edge Mountains bear a lofty name and carry much fame as the eastern frontier of the civilized lands of the Old World, another lesser chain shelters the Empire from the lawlessness and savagery of the south. The Black Mountains, where the famed Black Fire Pass is located, branch off of the World’s Edge Mountains and form the southern border of the Empire and of Bretonnia. South of the Empire are the Borderlands ruled by petty self-made nobles collectively called the Border Princes. In the grand scheme of Old World politics, the Border Princes are a squabbling lot fighting for crumbs among the dirt. Fractured, plagued by in-fighting, and weak to external threats, the Border Princes long had little value to the great powers who command armies of tens of thousands. However, recent events have shifted the scales of war and the Borderlands has found a moment to rise from its squalor. For the Border Princes there is nothing more tempting than a bit of gold, silver, or even bronze.

Coins to Crowns Intro

“Count it three times if you have to, but make sure every last coin is in that chest. The soldiers won’t march on promises of glory alone,” Enzo Digenes called out to the paymaster.

“Yes yes, even four times if I must. This I know. You nag me like the wife I never had,” the paymaster replied.

“You never had her because you let her slip through your fingers. Do the same with my coin and it’ll cost you your head,” the young Digenes replied.

Enzo Digenes kept a watchful eye on his paymaster Vittore Maziani. One did not rise to power in these lands without keeping a tight fist around his coin purse, and for Enzo Digenes every coin was earned the hard way. The bards of the Empire sing of the richly dressed Tileans, with their taste for all the fine things of life, but Enzo Digenes did not enjoy the wealth and status of his people, or rather his mother’s people.

The Price of Loyalty Guide

v1.9.3a consists of the Price of Loyalty live event. Some merchants are devastated by war and its effects on trade, others revel in it. Where one door closes, another opens. With Kislev aflame and the Empire in turmoil, other markets have to be found for the goods of the Empire. The lands south of the Empire have always been somewhat shunned by traders due to the difficulty of traversing the Black Mountains, and the perils beyond in the Borderlands and Badlands. The lone remaining dwarfen hold in the south, Karak Azul, is hard pressed and the merchants of the Empire know that there is good coin to be had if they can deliver any supplies to the beleaguered hold. Such a merchant has approached you and offered you great reward if you can escort his caravan through Black Fire Pass to a mining settlement of Karak Azul at the edge of the Badlands. Will you succeed in braving the treacherous lands, or will your caravans draw the attention of less reputable forces?

The Price of Loyalty

While war wages in the north of the Old World, trade carries on as usual in the south. Tilean merchants are known for their scrupulous nature, taking care of every detail to see that their wares make it to their destination at the lowest cost possible so that the highest profit possible can be achieved. Caravans from the Empire must cross the Black Mountains, and now in the time of the Age of Reckoning, there are many perils to avoid. Seasoned veterans of bloody campaigns are highly sought-after commodities, for their martial skill makes them excellent guards against all manner of threats the Black Mountains and beyond may have in store. Be careful though, those of lesser civilizations will slit your throat at the thought of a quick coin.

The Price of Loyalty Intro

Tipping over his tobacco pipe to empty the contents, the dwarf eyed the man across the table with suspicion. “Where did ye say ye served?” the dwarf asked.

“I didn’t. You said you needed seasoned fighters to escort you and your goods south across the greenskin infested lands. I told you I’ve fought ’em before. For the right coin I know a few lads that’ll join the enterprise,” the man responded rubbing his knuckles across the black stubble on his jawline.

“So ye ain’t a soldier then? Not a man of discipline?” the dwarf asked cocking an eyebrow.