The Grand Order of the Reiksguard
(Possibly a Sigmarite templar order. The fluff and referances are contradictory. However I have been told GW admitted it was a mistake in thier fluff to discribe this order as templars of Sigmar)
The most famous and leathal order in the Empire, the knights of this order swear to protect the Emperor at all costs. “Founded during the reign of Wilhelm, the first Emperor in the line of the princes of Altdorf, the Reiksguard is recruited from the oldest sons of the Empire's nobility. Unlike other Knightly Orders, the Reiksguard is divided into warriors who fight on foot and on horseback. Regardless of how they fight, the Knights' weapons are of the highest quality, and their armour is polished to a mirror-like finish and topped with crests that carry the colours of reigning Emperor Karl Franz.
The Reiksguard Knights are the Emperor's best troops and, as such, form the core of his household guard. In this way, many masters of the Order have served as Imperial bodyguards, both on the field of battle as well as at other, more stately, functions. It is traditional also for the Grand Master of the Reiksguard to serve as the Reiksmarshal, second only in authority to the Emperor himself in matters of war.
In battle, the Reiksguard favour fighting in large regiments, the better to cow the enemy with the full splendor of their mirrored armour and crimson plumes. Imperial history is full of references to great battles won by a decisive charge by the Reiksguard Knights or a stalwart defense by the Reiksguard foot. Despite the potential power and influence that such a reputation offers, the Reiksguard has always stayed apolitical and loyal first, last, and always to the reigning Emperor — a stance that has in the past set them at odds with other, more transient Orders”.
http://oz.games-workshop.com/games/warhammer/empire/painting/knights/gallery/default.htm
WHFB The Empire army book 6th edition, pg 11, 12
Wharhammer Chronicles pg 30
Darkness Rising, Black Library Publishing, pg 72
WHFB Empire army book 7th edition, pg 41
Pictures
WHFB The Empire army book 6th edition, pg 11, 38, 39, 73
Darkness Rising, Black Library Publishing, pg 72
WHFB Empire army book 7th edition, pg 15, 32-33, (40 ?) 86
The Order of the Black Bear
“Easily the most boisterous of all the Knightly Orders within the Empire, the Knights of the Black Bear maintain a fortress on the borders of Averland as well as a Chapterhouse in Averheim itself. Close as they are to the haunted land of Sylvania and the Orc-infested Worlds Edge Mountains, the Bears of Averland do not lack for opportunities to prove their martial valor. Even so, the Knights have often found themselves without a foe and have thus fashioned a series of martial tournaments to provide an outlet for their energies (they had previously engaged in the practice of Halfling coursing — outlawed in 2402). These tourneys test all facets of what the Black Bear perceive to be Knightly skills and include such feats as swordplay, horsemanship, and of course, quaffing.
Where the name of the Order originates is a source of much debate. The official story, as put forward by the Bears themselves, speaks of a noble-yet-impoverished Knight having to wrestle a great bear to save a lady of noble birth who had become lost in the wilderness. Recognizing the nobility of his deed and being possessed of great wealth, she presented her savior with a gift of monies, which he used to found a Order house in Averheim. It is in this memory that each of the Order's tournaments is opened by the Grand Master wrestling a bear — a practice that can lead to a great many Grand Masters coming and going in the space of a year. Other, violently suppressed rumors indicate that there was no such incident and that the Order takes its name from a tavern of the same name in Averheim”.
http://oz.games-workshop.com/games/warhammer/empire/painting/knights/gallery/default.htm
Empire knightly orders article, WD 310
The Knights of the Golden Lion
“A secular Order, the Knights of the Gold Lion are unusual in that they were founded in Araby during the Crusades. A group of disenchanted Knights had fled to a backwater Arabian village after their army had suffered a crushing defeat. There, these Knights began to despair of ever returning home. One Knight, Erich von Strommer, took it upon himself to restore their resolve. To prove the truth of their cause, he set out into the savanna to take the head of a man-eating lion. He claimed that should he succeed in this impossible task, it would be a sure sign of Sigmar's favor. Days passed, but return he did, near delirious, bearing the head of a massive lion. The Knights were filled with courage, renamed themselves in honor of the feat, forged out into the desert, and eventually met up with allies. Since then, the Order of the Gold Lion has served the Empire as one of its most loyal Knightly Orders”.
http://oz.games-workshop.com/games/warhammer/empire/painting/knights/gallery/default.htm
Empire knightly orders article, WD 310
WHFB Empire army book 6th edition, pg 39
Religion in the Old World, WD 279
Warhammer Chronicles, Pg 30
Empire Collectors Guide
Pictures
WHFB Empire army book 6th edition, pg 39
Knights Panther
The Knights Panther were established after the wars against Araby when returning crusaders brought back magnificent leopards, tigers, and panthers, as well as furs that adorned their clothing. The Knights still trim their clothes and crests with whatever exotic spotted or striped fur they can obtain. Their shields carry the emblem of their Order, the fabled spotted panther of Araby.
Though the crusades against Araby have long been over, the Knights Panther still carry their lances against the despotic lords of the south. Such fanaticism is not unusual in Knightly Orders, though most choose to battle a foe somewhat closer to home. In the past century, two separate Imperial Decrees commanding the Knights Panther to desist have been issued, but both times, these commands were rescinded. The Imperial Court preferred to offend a distant foreign nation rather than a powerful martial force.
Unlike many Knightly Orders, the Knights Panther owe their first loyalty to the Empire itself and are sworn to the protection of its people and lands. The Knights Panther are based predominantly in the cities of Middenheim and Talabheim. These cities are traditionally major centers of Ulric worship, and as a result, the Knights Panther have a fierce rivalry with the Knights of the White Wolf, each Order trying to outdo the other in battle.
http://oz.games-workshop.com/games/warhammer/empire/painting/knights/gallery/default.htm
WHFB Empire army book 7th edition, pg 41
Pictures
The Empire at War, pg 75, 76
WHFB Empire army book 6th edition, pg 30, 39
Warhammer Chronicles, Pg 30 (same picture as WHFB 6th ed. Pg 30)
WHFB Empire army book 7th edition, pg 87
WHFB Rule Book 6th edition, pg 94
WHFB Rule Book 7th edition pg 142, 145
Knights Jaguar
A sister order of Knights Panther. Nothing else is known about this order.
Crusade Empire army list, Citadel journal, issue 43
The Order of the Broken Sword
(Knights of the Broken Sword)
“The Order of the Broken Sword formed after a band of local freelance knights led by Dott Barthos gathered together to go after a marauding band of Chaos Beastmen. In recent months, these Beastmen terrorized and pillaged several local farms. Their last raid left three entire families slaughtered, a missing farmer's daughter, and three mutilated cows. Something had to be done.
The Knights tracked the Beastmen through the twisted forest to their camp and then readied themselves for battle. During the attack, Dott Barthos squared off against the leader of the foul beasts, Sizlak Grimhoof. In the ensuing battle with the vile Beastman, Dott Barthos was grievously wounded. With the last of his remaining strength, Barthos launched a ferocious attack. His sword swung in a wide arc, smashing against the head of Sizlak Grimhoof. The blow sheared the Beastman'’s skull clean in half, though breaking Barthos' sword in the process. With the Grimhoof defeated, Dott Barthos was filled with righteous fury. Pressing the advantage, Dott and his men pursued the fleeing Beastmen through the woods, eventually dispatched them all. In the aftermath of the skirmish, with his broken sword clutched to his chest, Dott Barthos finally succumbed to his terrible wounds.
On that day, the surviving Knights formed the Order of the Broken Sword, dedicated to stomping out evil and protecting the citizens of the Empire. Dott Barthos's Broken Sword and Grimhoof's cloven skull remain in the main hall of their Chapterhouse to this very day”.
The order is small and recruits from local nobility.
http://oz.games-workshop.com/games/warhammer/empire/painting/knights/gallery/default.htm
WHFB Empire army book 6th edition, pg 12.
The Order of the Sacred Scythe
(May be linked to Morr)
“The Order of the Sacred Scythe have made it their duty to patrol the shadowy roads and paths of Eastern Stirland. Long and mysterious is their history, with most of the Chapterhouse records kept under lock and key. Rumors abound that the Order has tainted bloodlines of ill-repute — but no one knows for sure. What is known about the Scythes is that they are well-versed hunters of the Vampire. They tirelessly root out possible Vampiric threats, cults, and any who would serve such a dark master.
As the Scythes deal mainly with creatures of the night and dark magiks, their methods are widely considered unorthodox and often downright improper. Most of the neighboring provinces openly despise the Sacred Scythes and do not welcome them in their taverns or towns. This distrust is not entirely unfounded. Such is their fervor to destroy the living dead, that more than one town has been left burnt to the ground and smoldering in the wake of a Sacred Scythe "Tribunal."
Encased in pitch-black armour and armed with a gleaming scythe, the Sacred Scythes are frightening to encounter on a lonely road after dusk. However, unbeknownst to the common people of the land, the Scythes perform a very real and useful service to the Empire. Their secret doings help keep Stirland from toppling into a land of blight and terror”.
http://oz.games-workshop.com/games/warhammer/empire/painting/knights/gallery/default.htm
The Knights Encarmine
“Founded by the rich dilettante Frederici Tolscano in 2310, the The Knights Encarmine are a flamboyant, foppish band of warriors. This may have something to do with the fact that the Order is comprised entirely of the rich and privileged. Still, wealth alone isn't a guarantee of entry, as there are very strict and rigid guidelines concerning who may actually join the knightly order. Being a collection of rich and generally powerful individuals, the Knights Encarmine hold much political clout. As such, they have the option to choose which campaigns they will take part in — often the ones which require little actual dirty work to attain the most glory.
Each member of the order maintains a brilliant suit of red armour topped by tricolour plumage of green, white, and red. As the paint coating the armour chips away easily, the suit must be constantly repainted in order to maintain appearances. Members of the Knights Encarmine eschew the lowly shield as it is a "commoners defense" to hide behind a metallic barrier in battle. Instead, the Knights Encarmine practice a secretive two sword combat technique. One sword acts as a deflection tool, while the other strikes the deathblow.
Despite their often intolerable nature, the Knights Encarmine are very welcome when battle is finally joined. As the members of the Order incessantly hone their two-sword technique, they are masters of the blade. Foes fall in droves as the red-armored Knights plow through ranks of foot troops and mounted warriors alike. As long as a general can stomach the tales of highly exaggerated bravery afterward, the Knights Encarmine are a valuable asset to any army of the Empire”.
http://oz.games-workshop.com/games/warhammer/empire/painting/knights/gallery/default.htm
Knights of the Black Rose
(See Order of the Black Rose)
Originally founded as the bodyguard for the elector count of Stirland during the Age of Three Emperors, the order has since then changed allegiance a number of times. This is a small order recruiting from local nobility.
6th edition Empire army book, pg 12.
Empire knightly orders article, WD 310
Knights of the Silver Mountian
This Order is based just a few days north of Hergig and have come to the aid of the Count of Hochland on many occasions.
WHFB Empire army Book 6th edition, “lessons on the Empire”, pg 4
Coldfire Knights
A secretive order, the Coldfire Knights are sworn to oppose both Chaos and internal trouble within the Empire. Their allegiance is to the ruling Emperor. Nothing else is known obout this order.
Doomstone 3: Heart of Chaos (hogshead Publishing
High Helms
(Order of the High Helm)
The High Helms are an elite cavalry unit of very tough and extremely tall (minimum height 6 feet 6 inches) knights. Members are selected according to their physique. They are not very highly thought of by the members of Reiksguard, as it is commonly believed that they possess only 1 brain amongst four. They wear tall, straight plumes on their helmets.
The High Helms are a newly constituted order, founded by the Emperor Karl Franz (as per IC 2512). They are currently being drilled in Altdorf.
Enemy within: Shadows over Bogenhafen
Knights of the North Star
The Knights of the North Star are the protectors of Nordland and champions of the Emperor. Nothing else is known about this order.
Warcry Collectible Card Game, Sabertooth games.
Knights of the Stag
These men form a relatively new order from Talabheim. Proud and regal, they consider themselves above the other knightly orders based in the city, and think of themselves as "the true sons of Talabheim".
Terror in Talabheim role play supplement.
The Osterknact
These knights are the premier knightly order of the Ostermark. They are something like the Reiksguard is to the Reik, only for the Ostermark. They are dressed in the same colors (Maroon and Yellow) as the Provincial troops. They were headquartered in the capital of that province during the time of the three emporers. But the capital at that time was Mordheim, which was later destroyed by a comet. It is unknown if The Osterknact survived the disaster because as they have not been refered to in any context in modern times. This may be a lost order. If they do still exist, they most likely reside in Beckafen.
(more can be learned in The Claws of Chaos, A Black Library novel which I have not read.)
Warhammer Quiz Book, Black Library publishing pg 95, 144
The Claws of Chaos, The Black Library.
Order of the Shining Sword
This order was founded by an outcast knight who helped recover the runefang of Solland from a chimera's nest by a party of dwarves and men. The runefang was captured during waarrgh Gorbad when he slew the elector count of Solland. The Runefang was later lost by the retreating O&G horde after the seige of Altdorf. They were founded in 2100ish and are now based in Wissenland.
WFB Empire Army Book, 4th/5th edition.
WFB Orcs & Goblins Army book, 4/5th edition.
Article on the Solland Runefang, WD289