The Huntsmarshal's Expedition


 *  requires The Hunter and the Beast paid DLC to play as.

The Huntsmarshal's Expedition is a playable faction of The Empire introduced in Total War: Warhammer II. It is led by Markus Wulfhart and can be found on the northern coast of Lustria, surrounded by Savage Orc Tribes, Lizardmen, Skaven and the Vampire Coast.

Character General Ability.pngmarshal of the Empire
"Civisilation shall triumph over the wilderness. Man shall triumph over beast."

For two and a half millennia, the Empire has formed a bulwark against the encroaching forces of Destruction. Lying at the heart of the Old World, it is the greatest and most powerful of all the nations forged by men. Yet across its lands, evil always lurks in its shadiest corners and darkest depths. Mutant monsters prowl its dark forests, malevolent ratmen plot beneath its cities, and the living dead rise from its graveyards. Monstrous enemies gaze belligerently across its borders, with the threat of invasion from any number of murderous abominations an ever-present danger.

Yet it endures, for mankind has a steely determination not merely to live, but to thrive. Ever since the legendary warrior Sigmar first united the primitive man-tribes against their common enemies, the longevity of the Empire has been assured by great men hailing across its provinces.

Out of the forests of Middenland emerged Markus Wulfhart, who rose to prominence to become the finest scout in all the Empire. Once a lowly huntsman, his life was irrevocably shattered when a one-eyed Bonegrinder Giant razed his hometown of Drakenburg to the ground, slaughtering its inhabitants. Burning with the desire for revenge, the young hunter tracked the monster to its lair and skillfully blinded it with a single shot from his bow, before severing its rope-like hamstrings with his blade. Closing in on the crippled giant, he hacked at its neck repeatedly with manic determination and decapitated it.

Markus had slain the beast that had murdered his kin, but in suffering the tragedy of losing his entire village he had been set on a new, death-strewn path. He swore that as long as he still lived, no other settlement would suffer the fate of Drakenburg, and he set out to hunt the various monsters that preyed on the Empire. Only when every last one of them was slain would he rest. In recognition of his deeds, Markus was offered a knighthood and a nobleman's estate by Karl Franz himself. Wulfhart declined, wishing only to be allowed to continue with his self-imposed quest. Impressed with his grim fortitude, the Emperor bestowed unto Markus the title of Huntsmarshal - the Emperor's Captain of Scouts.

Answering only to the Emperor himself, Markus leads an elite, hand-picked regiment of scouts and hunters from across the land - a disparate group in which city-born men rub shoulders with those raised in rural backwaters. One thing is certain, however - Wulfhart's hunters are the most accomplished group of monster slayers in the Empire.

Playstyle
The Huntsmarshal's Expedition has some unique campaign mechanics, unavailable to any other Empire faction.


 * Bullet icon empire magic colleges.pngColleges of Magic: Harness multiple Lores of Magic to bolster the Empire's strength and destroy its enemies.
 * [[File:Bullet The Empire Emperor's Mandate.png]]Emperor's Mandate: Receive the Emperor's acclaim by advancing the Empire's cause in Lustria, leading to the provision of better-quality units to reinforce the expedition.
 * [[File:Bullet The Empire Wulfhart's Hunters.png]]Wulfhart's Hunters: Attain the services of some of the finest hunters to have ever lived.
 * Bullet icon empire units.png-rounded unit roster with a wide range of magical Lores and war machines.

Campaign
 Eye of the Vortex Introduction 

Markus Wulfhart has dutifully answered the Emperor's call. The Empire's Lustrian settlements have recently fallen victim to a series of savage raids from an elusive attacker. The men of the colonies have long known about the strange, upright-walking reptiles that dominate the continent, but the monstrous 'spirit' they claim is now tormenting them and threatens to bring about an end to Imperial expansion in the New World. Fortunately, the Huntsmarshal specializes in tracking the untrackable - the hunt is on!

 Mortal Empires Introduction 

Far from the heart of civilisation, the Empire are in a race; the prize? The untold riches of Lustria. After a spate of recent attacks against the colonists in the New World, Karl Franz has called upon his Captain of Scouts, Markus Wulfhart, to defend the Empire's holdings and reaffirm their foothold on this beast-infested continent. From his newly-established base camp on the Scorpion Coast, the hunstmarshal readies his expedition for their imminent incursion into the jungle.

[[File:Bullet The Empire Emperor's Mandate.png]]Emperor's Mandate
Sent to the shores of Lustria by Imperial Mandate, Markus Wulfhart intends to protect the New World Colonies from their Lustrian predators with only limited supplies and troop numbers, as further reinforcements will not arrive from the Old World for quite some time.

However, increasing the expedition's Acclaim by raiding the jungles and expanding your territory into them will lead to better-quality troops dispatched in your Imperial Supplies to further aid expedition.

Acclaim levels

 * Level 1
 * Level 2
 * Level 3 - Huntsmarshal's Elites (40) - The Expedition has the support of the Elector Counts, who will ensure you will receive superior troops from home.
 * Advanced Imperial Supplies received
 * Recruit rank: +3 for all Imperial Supplies units
 * Diplomatic relations: -30 with Lizardmen
 * Level 4
 * Level 5 - Scourge of the Emperor's Foes (80) - The expedition's exploits are spoken of in every household across the Empire - its members will be known as legendary folk-heroes!
 * Elite Imperial Supplies received
 * Recruit rank: +3 for all Imperial Supplies units
 * Unlocks construction of Engineer's Workshop buildings
 * Diplomatic relations: -50 with Lizardmen

Event Death Neutral.pnglity
The lands beyond the Empire are are a hostile place - your actions there will not go unnoticed by the natives. Winning offensive battles and harassing local inhabitants will increase their Hostility towards you, but also improve your standing with the Emperor and increase the rate at which Imperial Supplies reach the expedition. Cross the locals too much, though, and face their wrath!

Imperial Supplies
Every several turns, you will receive some reinforcements to aid your conquest of Lustria. This is shown in the Imperial Supplies Ready dilemma, where you will decide whether to gain infantry, cavalry, artillery, or war machines as your new units. Your chosen units can then be recruited into a Lord's army through the "Recruit from Imperial Supplies" button for free, similar to Regiments of Renown or Blessed Spawnings.

Hostility Levels
Hostility is raised by attacking enemy settlements and armies, events, and raiding and sacking. It is lowered by losing your Lords in battle and inactivity. Once you reach Level 5, the Hostility Level resets to 0.


 * Level 1 - Hostile (10) - You are more than a little unwelcome - the enemy are starting to take notice of you.
 * Imperial Supplies will arrive at a low frequency
 * Public order: -1 (all provinces)
 * Level 2 - Very Hostile (20) - You have agitated the enemy further - they now take heed of your aggression.
 * Imperial Supplies will arrive at normal frequency
 * Public order: -2 (all provinces)
 * Level 3 - ? (30)
 * Imperial Supplies will arrive at faster frequency
 * Public order: -2 (all provinces)
 * Level 4 - Severely Hostile (40) - Be on your guard - best be on your guard!
 * Imperial Supplies will arrive at very high frequency
 * Enemy leadership: +8
 * Enemy weapon strength: +15%
 * Public order: -2 (all provinces)
 * Level 5 - Condemned! (50) - Your warmongering ways have put you right at the top of the enemy's hitlist!
 * Imperial Supplies are dispatched immediately
 * Hostility level resets to 0 after 5 turns
 * Enemy leadership: +10
 * Enemy weapon strength: +25%
 * Public order: -5 (all provinces)

[[File:Bullet The Empire Wulfhart's Hunters.png]]Wulfhart's Hunters
Scattered across the world are some of the finest hunters to ever have lived; track them down and secure their services to complete the expedition's goals whilst developing each hunter's unique attributes and learning of their past glories and tragedies.

"Wulfhart's Hunters", as they call themselves, are an elite rag-tag group of trappers, hunters, archers and scouts drawn from all over the Empire. Nowhere else in the Emperor's armies can a more diverse group of warriors be found in one unit.

Such grim men come from as far south as Wissenland, or as far north as Middenland. City-born men of metropolises like Nuln or Altdorf rub shoulders with their comrades of more rural birth from the agricultural lands of Averland or Stirland.

These brave men fight side-by-side under the charismatic leadership of Markus Wulfhart, and any regional differences are snuffed out instantly under his command. An eternal bond of brotherhood is forged as they fight against a common foe.

Under the masterful leadership of Markus, Wulfhart's Hunters have earned the respect of their countrymen by being the most accomplished group of monster slayers in the Empire, and some say the entire Old World. Such hunts include the killing of the Talonbeast of Stirland, the Ostermark Ice Dragon, and even the Chimera of Flamespire Peak, to name just a few.

Whilst lesser men would run horrified by the monsters the world harbours in its dark corners, Wulfhart's Hunters stand their ground against such impossible odds, as both Markus and his men calmly steady their bows and aim for the killing strike.

Eye of the Vortex
Campaign Victory


 * At the start of your turn, have at least Bullet The Empire Emperor's Mandate.png Acclaim
 * Destroy the following faction(s):


 * Win the following battle:

Domination Victory


 * Destroy the following faction(s):


 * Maintain control of 50 province(s), either by direct ownership or through Treaty Vassal.pngls and Treaty Military Alliance.pngary allies.

Mortal Empires
Short Campaign Victory


 * Maintain control of the following 11 province(s), either by direct ownership or through Treaty Vassal.pngls and Treaty Military Alliance.pngary allies:


 * Destroy the following faction(s):


 * At the start of your turn, have at least Bullet The Empire Emperor's Mandate.png Acclaim

Long Campaign Victory

Same as the short campaign victory but with the following additions:


 * Destroy the following faction(s):


 * Control any 7 of the following settlements either by direct ownership or through Treaty Vassal.pngls and Treaty Military Alliance.pngary allies:


 * Continue to expand your territory, ready for the arrival of Archaon the Everchosen.
 * Ensure that Archaon the Everchosen is in a wounded state.

Event Diplomacy Neutral.pngmatic Traits
When controlled by the AI, The Huntsmarshal's Expedition will have the following diplomatic traits:


 * Defensive - More concerned with maintaining borders than expanding them. Conquest is not their business.
 * Hates Lizardmen - This leader hates Lizardmen; nothing can happen that will change that view.
 * Underdog - Instead of trying to get to the top of the food chain, this one prefers joining a worthy faction in confederation.

Event General News Neutral.pnging Treaties
The Huntsmarshal's Expedition will start with the following treaties already in effect:

Eye of the Vortex


 * Treaty Non Aggression Pact.pngNon-Aggression Pact:
 * Wh2 main emp new world colonies crest.png World Colonies


 * Treaty War.pngWar:
 * Spirit of the Jungle.pngt of the Jungle
 * Wh2 main lzd tlaxtlan crest.pnglan

Mortal Empires


 * Treaty Non Aggression Pact.pngNon-Aggression Pact:
 * Wh2 main emp new world colonies crest.png World Colonies


 * Treaty War.pngWar:
 * Wh2 main lzd tlaxtlan crest.pnglan

Strategy

 * The Huntsmarshal's Expedition begins at war with Tlaxtlan and should continue that goal. From there, his campaign can be drawn in multiple directions. The Awakened and Vampire Coast Mutineers are to the East and will continue to destabilize public order with vampiric corruption (this has the benefit of unlocking Hertwig Van Hal and his missions which are predominantly related to the Vampire Coast). To the West are the Savage Orc tribe, Blue Vipers, who can prove a difficult thorn in the side. Their troops will dumpster Empire troops, but with the right Imperial Supply units, they can be beaten. This will also allow you to link up with the New World Colonies who should be your ally for most of the game. Finally, going South leads to Lizardmen and Skaven, notably Itza and Gor-Rok


 * Overall, The Empire is a very strong race in both singleplayer and multiplayer games. Infantry, especially Halberdiers and Greatswords, can hold the line well, but their ace in the hole is their war machine and cavalry catalogue. Imperial commanders can snatch up Demigryph Knights for wiping out enemy beasts and dealing with large armored threats (though fielding them against Bretonnian massed cavalry charges is a good way to get them killed) together with the Reiksguard shock cavalry (excellent against weaker opponents). The Steam Tank shines among other war machines thanks to its versatility (ram and artillery), with Karl Franz being very powerful (though prohibitively expensive in multiplayer games). Other Lord choices are good, especially Balthasar Gelt after the Lore of Metal improvements. Heroes like the Witch Hunter, Jade Wizard, and Warrior Priests round out the roster for single models, though they might be more useful on the campaign map than in battle.
 * No flying units other than high level characters mean the Empire is effectively hamstrung when dealing with factions that love flying units, like Bretonnia, Wood Elves, or Vampire Counts. They have to deal with them defensively, using units such as Handgunners (accurate, high AP), Lore of Light, or the Luminark of Hysh to deal damage to the enemy. Combined with a trapping spell like Net of Amyntok enemy flyers need to be wary of wandering into imperial fields of fire.

Trivia

 * The eye getting pierced by arrows on the faction crest is believed to be the one eyed giant that destroyed Markus' home and family in the lore.