Karl Franz Holswig-Schliestein

Warhammer Fantasy is what got me into this hobby, and ultimately remains my first love to this day. This strange, vibrant, deep, murky world of dark pine forests and soaring mountains, of great palaces and candlelit taverns. My friends and I do not recognise Age of Sigmar as canonical, preferring our alternate universe continuity where the world survived. Nothing against AoS fans, it just wasn't a setting I could enjoy. A world where instead of needing overblown super warriors, the world survived Archaon because of the ingenuity and bravery of mankind. Our version of the Warhammer World survived for many reasons. But the man who brought it all together, who fought and killed Archaon, was the great hero at the centre of the Old World: the Emperor Karl Franz.

Karl Franz is a paragon hero, there's no about it: a great warrior, a master tactician, a man of the arts and sciences, of an ancient line but understanding the common man. He is a beacon of hope, and an endorsement of what ordinary human beings can achieve when they rise to the occasion.

If I had to get rid of all my models except one, Karl Franz riding Deathclaw is the one I would keep, because he's a character with such emotional connection. The best of us, but still one of us: not a God-king or a lightning-forged hero, but a man of flesh and blood. The model captures that. But it also captures the magical side of the Warhammer World, with Ghal Maraz and Deathclaw. The striking, recognisable look of the Empire is captured in Deathclaw's armour and the Emperor's plumed helm and armour. To me, at its core, Karl Franz is Warhammer. If I could only keep one model, it would be this one because it symbolises the hobby I love.

It was years ago that I painted this model, but I still remember how much I enjoyed it. There could be no shortcuts: Karl Franz has a colour scheme and look established for decades. Deathclaw has always had aspects of a tiger and a bald eagle, so I had to d things I wouldn't usually. Painting Deathclaw was a particular joy: his fur isn't orange, it's brown with an orange wash. His stripes are Rhinox Hide rather than black, because black looked too stark.

I also wanted to create a version of Karl Franz on foot. This wasn't really a gaming thing - I've only used Karl Franz a couple of times, in massive games. It was just because I... wanted to have one!

It was quite easy tom do: the legs are from an Empire General. The body, head and Ghal Maraz were all spare from a second griffon kit. His left arm and cloak came from the Empire Captain model.

So there we have it. The man, the legend. Karl Franz, the hero we needed, not the one we deserved. And as long as I'm around, he'll still be the one, true, undisputed Emperor.