"Reiksguard knights, your emperor is calling! Death or glory awaits us, but if we die, we will die as warriors, with swords in hand, and there is no better death than that!"
- —Kurt Helborg, Grand Master of the Reiksguard[1b]
An Empire Grand Master in all his glory.
An Empire Grand Master, also spelled Grandmaster, is the highest-ranking knight within a Knightly Order of the Empire, commanding the complete allegiance of all its members.[1a]
Role[]
"To lead admirable knights into honourable combat against the Chaos is a credit to their commander. And to stand and lead such a band as you is an honoured blessing as if from the gods themselves."
- —Anonymous Grand Master[2a]
A mighty Empire Grand Master leading his knightly order to war.
An Empire Grand Master is a knight, warrior and leader of unparalleled valour, having fought in dozens of battles, and whose military prowess is beyond question. An Elector Count of the Empire can request that a Knightly Order of the Empire fight alongside his state army, but the decision to ride out lies solely with the grand master himself. This makes the grand master a very powerful ally, and great care is taken not to offend them.[1a]
The standard hierarchy of Knightly Orders of the Empire[3a]
Each grand master is a paragon of knightly virtue, and is not only one of the most fearsome warriors in the Old World, but also a legendary commander and leader of men. They are rare in number, for even amongst those dedicated individuals who have the skill and strength of mind to become a Knight of the Inner Circle, few have what it takes to reach the pinnacle of knighthood.[2a]
Concept art for a Grand Master of the Knights of the Blazing Sun.
A grand master is always at the forefront of an army when it marches to war, and is usually among the most trusted of Imperial military advisors and generals, and when not engaged in warfare is often charged with planning for it. A grand master of a templar order is often a leading personality within a religious cult as well, commanding total loyalty from its warriors.[2a]
When an Elector Count petitions a knightly order for aid, it is sometimes a condition that the order's grand master himself take command of the army. Most Elector Counts are only too happy for a general of such superlative ability to lead their soldiers, though this has not always been the case, and ego, ambition or sheer lunacy has sometimes brought unfortunate consequences.[1a]
Notable Grand Masters[]
- Kurt Helborg - Grand Master of the Reiksguard and Reiksmarshal of the Empire.
- Wilhelm Hague - Grand Master of the Reiksguard during the Battle of Stuttburg.
- Wolfgang Trenkenhoff - Grand Master of the Reiksguard during the Great War Against Chaos.
- Rein Volkhard - Grand Master of the Knights of the White Wolf.
- Axel Weissberg - Grand Master of the Knights of the White Wolf.
- Hans Leitdorf - Grand Master of the Knights of Sigmar's Blood.
- Leopold von Raukov - Grand Master of the Knights of the Bull.
- Werner von Kriegstadt - Grand Master of the Knights Panther.
- Lord Voss - Grand Master of the Knights of the Raven.
- Dieter von Nachttorin - Grand Master of the Knights of the Black Lynx.
- Frederici Tolscano - Grand Master and founder of the Knights Encarmine.
- Myrmathsson Jaeke von Hendorf - Grand Master of the Knights of the Blazing Sun during the Great War Against Chaos.
- Maximillian von Klaus - A former Grand Master of the Knights of the Blazing Sun.
- Otto Berengar - A former Grand Master of the Knights of the Blazing Sun.
- Siegfried Trappenfeld - Grand Master of the Knights of the Blazing Sun.