History of the Imperial Guard (Warhammer 40,000)

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The Imperial Guard is a fictional military organisation in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The Imperial Guard have been actively defending and expanding the Imperium for ten thousand years, and their predecessors, the Imperial Army, fought on many fronts during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.

1 Origin
2 The Imperial Army
3 The Horus Heresy
4 The Imperial Guard
5 Notable Imperial Guard Forces
6 See also
7 References
- 7.1 Footnotes

[edit] Origin

During the early years of the Great Crusade, the Emperor of Man and his Space Marine troops were the only forces necessary for the conquest of worlds and the construction of the Imperium. Many of the Primarchs, superhuman leaders of the Space Marine Legions, tried to win the fealty of human populations isolated during the Age of Strife through non-military tactics if possible, and often incorporated soldiers that had initially been arrayed against them into the fight to liberate and unite even more worlds.

Human military forces were initially used to assist the Space Marines in the liberation of their own homeworld from aliens, daemons, or tyrants, and would remain after the campaign as a garrison force. Later, as the scope of the war escalated beyond the sole control of the Space Marines, these forces would be brought in to mop up any remaining resistance from Space Marine assaults, and take control of the freshly conquered world, freeing up the Space Marines to move onto other campaigns. Eventually, the expansion of the Imperium of Man reached the point where to have the Space Marines fighting on every front would spread them too thinly. It was at this time the Imperial Army was truly born, deploying on the forefront of the Crusade.

[edit] The Imperial Army

The original Imperial Army boasted great variety amongst its forces; some utilising mutant troops while others had access to anti-grav vehicles. Each unit drew on the strengths and technology of its homeworld, and variations were dependent on a world's religious beliefs, level of technological advancement, social customs, and specialist industries. This led to the development of regiments recruited from a single homeworld, as men from different worlds would have trouble understanding each other's dialects, social customs, tactics or specialist equipment.

Because of the sheer variety of worlds and subsequent Imperial Army regiments, a measure of standardisation was deemed necessary to allow the Army to function as a whole, although the sheer size of the expanding Imperium by this time prevented any true standardisation. The treatise that came to be known as the Tactica Imperium was penned and distributed, and a cadre of political officers, the Commissars, were developed to ensure proper and effective integration and co-operation between regiments. The role of the Commissars later expanded to include maintaining the quality and morale of the regiments they were assigned to, and they became almost compulsory after the Horus Heresy - the first action of many traitors would be to kill any Commissars.

[edit] The Horus Heresy

During the Horus Heresy, many Imperial Army regiments turned to the side of Horus and Chaos. Regiments seconded to Space Marine Legions that turned traitor followed their superhuman masters into rebellion, sometimes out of fear or blind faith. Regiments were raised on worlds controlled by both sides, and were thrown into the bloodbath of combat. The control over both fleet and army elements held by a relatively limited number of people meant that the faith or corruption of a few determined on which side a force would fight. Thousands of small empires were carved out by ambitious generals with no loyalty to either side, and many regiments did little more than stay out of the way, waiting for a clear victor in the galactic civil war before they committed to a side.

The Horus Heresy changed the galaxy forever, both during its wars, and after, when the Imperium made all efforts to remain in control of its vast territories. Regiments of the Imperial Army still loyal to the Emperor assisted the Space Marines in their efforts to maintain control and suppress secondary rebellions.

[edit] The Imperial Guard

At some point between the final stages of the Horus Heresy and the end of the 31st millennium, the Imperial Army underwent mass reformation. The Army was split into two separate entities, the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Navy. What aspects of the Army that could be standardised were, and practical traditions from the days of the Army, such as the size of regiments designed to fit inside cruiser-size starships and the recruiting of a regiment's members from a single homeworld, were retained.

As part of the reformation, many of the units used by a regiment were cut down, and specialist regiments, such as those made up of Rough Rider cavalry or Ratling snipers, were split into detachments and divided amongst the standard regiments, to provide support in special skills and tactics. Commissars became centrally trained by the Ecclesiarchy and Schola Progenium. These measures almost completely limited the ability for Imperial Guard regiments to be led astray by a few corrupted officers, and further measures limiting the direct power of the Ecclesiarchy that came into effect after the Age of Apostasy have shaped the Imperial Guard into what it is during the 41st Millennium; a byword for loyalty and honour.

Although similar to the regiments of the post-Heresy years, the Imperial Guard has not remained completely stagnant. The universal lasgun was only introduced in the late 32nd millennium. Prior to this, the Imperial Guard relied on solid ammunition autoguns (and still do in some parts of the Imperium), and some elite soldiers still prefer to use them in combat. Armoured vehicles are often modified for a single campaign or operation, when the situation calls for it, but the usefulness of some modifications results in their full-scale production by certain Forge Worlds.

[edit] Notable Imperial Guard Forces

[edit] The 13th Penal Legion (Colonel Schaeffer's Last Chancers)

The Last Chancers are an elite force of Imperial Guard criminals, rebels and misfits who are rescued from the firing squad and given a final chance to win the Emperor's forgiveness by engaging in suicidal missions. They draw heavy inspiration from the classic film The Dirty Dozen, which in turn drew upon the Penal military units of the Second World War. On the battlefield, Last Chancers are fielded in contingents of 6 to 20 men, with the possibility of arming and equipping every trooper individually, which provides excellent modeling and conversion options. On the tabletop, they function as effective specialists that deal a relatively large amount of damage, but they are no more durable than a normal guardsman, and are easily over-equipped.

In Third Edition, there was a set force of twelve Last Chancers, including Schaeffer. These twelve conformed to common criminal stereotypes, and models were released for each individual in a 'Last Chancers' box set. Rules were published in Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Imperial Guard (Priestley, 1995), and elaborated on in White Dwarf.^[1] All the models, excluding Colonel Schaeffer, are no longer sold in stores, and must be mail-ordered.

The rules for the eleven 'set' Last Chancers have been replaced by more general rules in the most recent Codex: Imperial Guard (Chambers, Haines and Hoare, 2003). The redesign was to make the unit conform to Gav Thorpe’s depiction of the Last Chancers in his three novels.

[edit] The 252nd Conservator Regiment

The 252nd Conservator Regiment of Kaurava is a relatively new regiment, based on Kaurava I, it has factories capable to fielding 2nd generation baneblades, while inferior to the Baneblades from Mars, is still a formidable threat to the enemies of the Regiment, let it be from within or outside forces. Before the heresy and later the conflict, Kaurava I has the resources capable of turning the entire system into a productive system for almost any race who wishes to control the area. Their General Vance Stubbs eventually gains various artifacts from respected commanders of the Imperial Guard. However, the fate of the 252nd is ambigious as some report it was defeated by the enemies of the Imperium, other sources say they were disbanded for attacking the Sisters of Battle and the Blood Ravens. Some say however they will become prosperous and producing troops from Kaurava.

[edit] Armageddon Steel Legion

Armageddon is a Hive World, a planet covered in vast wastelands broken up by huge arcology-like structures called hive cities, each stretching miles into the sky. True to its name, Armageddon has been the site of three massive wars in the history of the Imperium, most recently a pair of invasions by the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka. As a result, the armies of Armageddon are practiced in fighting against Orks.

The factories of Armageddon produce many armoured fighting vehicles for use in the Imperium's armies, such as Chimera APCs. As a result of this, combined with the uninhabitable nature of Armageddon outside of the hive cities, the Armageddon Steel Legions are primarily Mechanized infantry. These regiments use a large amount of armoured vehicles, and often use Chimeras on the battlefield to maintain a fluid, mobile fighting style.

The Steel Legion regiments are easily recognised by the fact that every Guardsman must wear a face mask and rebreather unit, because of Armageddon's toxic atmosphere. This, combined with the heavy trench coats they wear to further protect themselves against the Ash Wastes mean the Steel Legion visually resemble German Army panzergrenadiers or Fallschirmjägers during World War II.

[edit] Attilan Rough Riders

Attila is a lush agricultural world, covered in large plains. Before rediscovery by the Imperium, culture on Attila was at a nomadic tribal level, with most warfare performed from horseback.

Attilan horsemen are considered amongst the finest in the Imperium. They are said to have no respect for anyone who cannot ride a horse, and are said to be poorly disciplined and difficult to command. However, they make up for this by possessing great physical stamina and strength. Units of Attilan cavalry are often attached to other Imperial Guard regiments to provide a reconnaissance and rapid-response force. Regiments consisting solely of Attilan Rough Riders do exist, although they are rare amongst the Imperium’s armed forces.

The Attilan Rough Rider miniatures were the standard depiction of Imperial Guard Rough Rider units during the third edition of the Warhammer 40,000 rules. Although no longer available in stores, Attilan miniatures can still be purchased online. The Attilan miniatures bear a strong resemblance to the Mongols of Genghis Khan’s era.^[2] It also bears noticing that the planet is named Attila, which was the name of the leader of the Huns, who also have a strong resemblance to the models.

[edit] The Blood Pact

Frequent enemies featured in the Gaunt's Ghosts series of novels, the Blood Pact are not a Guard army in the Imperium, having actually been recruited from Chaos-conquered worlds in the Sabbat Worlds sometime around the year 700.M41. The Blood Pact are known to wear vicious face masks, called grotesques and modelled after daemons. All soldiers of the Blood Pact leave their hands ungloved to display the ritual scars of their pact, made personally with Urlock Gaur himself upon initiation. They were originally the guard for Chaos Lord Urlok Gaur but had swelled to more than 100,000 after the Imperial victory at Balhaut and the death of Nadzybar. One of the most organized of all the non-marine chaos legions, they are dedicated to the Chaos god Khorne, and are known for brutality and merciless behavior in battle. Unlike most other Chaos hosts, which consist mainly of poorly trained fanatics, the Blood Pact are highly trained with Imperial Guard tactics and discipline, and employ traitorous Guardsmen to learn more training methods. Drawn from the dregs of society from across the captured worlds, the Blood Pact employs some of the most violent and unsavoury warriors in the galaxy, training them to a point where they know no fear or hesitation to kill. While they are often lacking some of the more powerful equipment and resources of their Imperial counterparts, they compensate by forging their own armor out of steel plates and managed to amass a large amount of tanks produced on the captured Forge-World of Urdesh before it was re-taken by the Sabbat Worlds Crusade under Warmaster Macaroth. The Blood Pact armour and artillery is naturally inferior to the Imperial Guard's but they still use powerful tanks such as the AT70 Reaver-pattern and AT83 Brigand-pattern tanks, as well as the Stalk-tank: a lighter version of the Defiler, equipped with double pulse-lasers in mini turrets. The Blood Pact have also been known to use stolen Leman Russ battle tanks and Chimera APCs and on rare occasions even Baneblades. Due to their tactical skills, organization, and cruel cunning, they have proved to be a thorn in the side of the Imperium on more than one occasion.

Games Workshop has released a set of doctrines and conversions that could be applied to Imperial Guard units to create a Blood Pact force. They are considered to be an unorthodox army by Games Workshop and in all likelihood will never see themselves made into a miniature line.

[edit] Harakoni Warhawks

Harakon is a low gravity world with towering hives that reach into the upper atmosphere. The Harakoni use grav gliders to hunt vapourwyrms in the mountain passes below, making them fearless of altitude and experts at judging air currents. These skills are put to good use in the Imperial Guard and many warmasters owe their laurels to the bravery of the Harakoni Warhawks.

The Harakoni wear bulky carapace armour mostly, but some wear vapourwyrm hide fatigues which are more resistant to wear than most standard issue fatigues.

[edit] Cadian Shock Troopers

Further information: Cadia (Warhammer 40,000)

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The Cadian Shock Troopers are famous throughout the galaxy for constantly proving themselves in the arena of battle. Their leader is the Lord Castellan, the position currently held by Ursarkar E. Creed, hero of the Battle for Cadia. The model for Cadians are the standard model for all Imperial Guard troopers, consequently making them the Imperial Guard's equivalent of the Ultramarines.

Cadia has always been a fortress world, charged with guarding the 'Eye of Terror'. Its population all are destined for military life; the birth rate and recruitment rate are synonymous. Cadian regiments are highly disciplined, make excellent shots and use elite shock troops to lead their attacks. Such is their reputation of the shock troops that many other regiments mimic their appearance, although their doctrines may differ.

The Cadians fighting in the 13th Black Crusade were developed to be a generic force representing any modern or science fiction armed forcebased on Modern Russian, British and American soldiers. In previous (Second and Third) editions, the Cadian Shock Troopers were heavily styled on the United States Army as well as the Mobile Infantry from the 1997 movie Starship Troopers and the United States Colonial Marines from the 1986 movie Aliens.

[edit] Ursarkar E. Creed

Ursarkar E. Creed is the 50 year old Lord Castellan currently in command of the Cadian military. Creed was found as a young boy in the burning ruins of Kasr Gallan by Soldiers of the 8th Cadian regiment after the horrors of Abaddon's eighth crusade. He refused to speak of the atrocities he had witnessed at the time, and even now almost never speaks of it. However the horrors he had witnessed had not dimmed his faith in the Emperor and had also honed him into a vicious and determined fighter. The Cadian 8th was impressed by this child and he was then raised by members of the regiment. He quickly became an excellent soldier and was drafted into the Cadian Whiteshield corps, a dedicated and often suicidal youth force. This is where he met Jarran Kell, and the two quickly formed a life long bond of friendship.

By the end of the five year long Drussite Crusade, Creed was captain of the Shock Troopers and Kell was his colour sergeant. Soon reaching the rank of Lord General, in action after action he proved himself a nearly flawless tactitian and strategist. After not only resisting but utterly destroying an Eldar attack on Aurent in M41.992, Creed became the most successful living Cadian commander of his time, the only thing holding his rank from further progression being his humble (or rather, unknown) birth.

In 999.M41, Creed was raised to the rank of Lord Castellan after a successful plot to assassinate the Cadian Governor Primus, Marus Porelska, and much of his High Command was carried out by traitorous Volscani regiments. Creed rallied the survivors and gathered together a force strong enough to utterly defeat the traitors and rescue the body of the governor from desecration. As the victorious survivors sang their praise to the Emperor, they shouted for Creed to take up the title of Lord Castellan. Three times he refused them, (Very much inspired by Caesar refusing the crown.) but with no others to step forth and claim the responsibility, at last he accepted, putting him in full control of the Cadian military either until his death, or the time of crisis passes. Creed is now almost never seen without his Colour Sergeant, and perhaps only true friend, Jarran Kell, a devout man who wears the Medallion Crimson, which is awarded to Guardsmen who suffer horrific injuries yet have lost neither their faith in the Emperor nor the will to fight on.

Creed was named in the Eye of Terror campaign codex as the "newly-instated Governor Primus", meaning that he was the official ruler of Cadia.

[edit] Inspiration

The appearance and attitude of Ursarkar E. Creed is based loosely on the famous British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov and American general George S. Patton.

[edit] In Game Terms

The rules for Ursarkar E. Creed and Jarran Kell can be found in the 4th edition Imperial Guard Codex, and in the Eye of Terror Campaign Codex. Creed and Kell must be fielded together, and Kell doubles as a regimental standard bearer. The rules for Creed portray him at a point between the battle against the Volscani regiments and the full outbreak of hostilities during the 13th Black Crusade.

[edit] History of Cadia

Cadia has a special and honoured place in the history of Mankind. Cadia stands upon the edge of the Eye of Terror within a narrow corridor of stable space called the Cadian Gate. This forms the one and only predictable passage between the Chaos infested daemon worlds of the Eye of Terror and Terra. No battle fleet of any size can rely upon other unstable passages but must pass through the Cadian Gate. Cadia is therefore one of the most strategically important planets of the galaxy.

On several occasions the forces of Chaos have moved against Cadia and raging battles have been fought in the depths of space. Such huge battles are rare, but the constant intrusion of Chaos raiding craft is commonplace. Chaos Space Marines make frequent forays onto the surface of Cadia and must be hunted down. The bulk of the Cadian army is made up of the Shocktroops, with the remainder made up of the Whiteshield corp (soldiers recruited at the age of 14 and trained to take place in Shocktroop regiments) and the Elite Kasrkin soldiers.

Notable regiments:

Cadian 7th: "The Lucky Sevens"
Cadian 8th: "The Lord Castellan's Own", led personally by Ursarkar E. Creed during the Thirteenth Black Crusade
34th Cadian:
Cadian 39th: "Xenobane"
Cadian 110th: "Shadow Corps"
Cadian 122nd: Distinguished themselves in the Vogen Campaign, and featured in Codex: Cityfight (Chambers, 2001)
Cadian 275th: Cronic Imperium (fan made)
Cadian 412th: Featured in the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War expansion Winter Assault
Cadian 140th: "destroyer of fleets" (fan made)
Cadian 417th: "Hellbringers"
Cadian 512th: Assigned to Cadian Orbital Defence

[edit] Catachan Jungle Fighters

Catachan is a Death World, a planet almost completely covered in dense jungle where it seems the entire ecosystem is hostile to human life. Catachan's only export is its people, who through natural selection are bred tough and strong from living in such a dangerous world.

Catachan Jungle Fighters are among some of the deadliest experts of jungle warfare in the entire galaxy and their reputation precedes them. They make use of many close combat weapons, indeed forging a weapon is considered a manhood rite of passage by the people of Catachan. Such weapons include the 'Catachan Fang', measuring up to 20 inches of gleaming steel, which is the most common weapon. It is also used for settling disputes between Catachans. Another knife is the Night Reaper, which is smaller and blackened, effective in night infiltration and assassinations. They are sometimes poisoned to improve their kill strength, the poisons coming directly from Catachan. The Devil's Claw, named after the great predator on Catachan, is the longest weapon, up to four feet long. It is closer to a sword than a knife and has achieved a measure of respect among the Orks, who call it 'Da Cutta'. The blade is hollow and half filled with mercury in order to improve swing strength and control, and the design of this weapon has been copied by Catachan regimental officers for use as a power weapon. They also make extensive use of traps, mines and other unpleasant surprises. Due to the fact that Catachan Jungle Fighters are raised on a planet that is so inclement to human life, they are very self sufficient and therefore resent outsiders (such as Commissars) giving them orders and lack much of the military decorum of many other Imperial guard regiments. In fact stories are told of imperial commissars "accidentally" stumbling into booby traps after being assigned to Catachan regiments.

Catachan Jungle Fighters may draw historical inspiration from the US Marine Corps Raiders and Australian 'Diggers' of the Pacific Theater of World War II due to their mastery of jungle warfare, their heavy use of combat knives similar to the KA-BAR and kukri, and their antisocial yet cheerful attitude which mirrors the popular stereotypes of Marine Raiders and Australian troops of the period. Visually, however, they resemble popular depictions of the Vietnam War and Rambo, complete with red headbands and a special character named Sly Marbo. The murder of unpopular Commissars is also an allusion to the "fragging" of disliked officers, a practice which was rampant among US troops in Vietnam. They were the first Imperial Guard army to be converted from metal to multi-piece plastic models.^[3]

Notable regiments:

Catachan XXIV 'Waiting Death' - use extensive traps, using 'baiter' squads to lure the enemy onto the traps. Once took out an entire Ork army by turning a canyon into a pit trap.
Catachan XVIII 'Swamprats' - attacked a Tyranid horde, masked themselves in Tyranid ichor and successfully wiped out the Tyranids. They then had to spend two years on a decontamination ship.
Catachan XVII - One company, 'Screaming Devils', which is used for photographic examples in the codex, is led by Captain Thorn and includes the famous Sniper Dell, who won the Silver Bullet seven years in a row.

Notable characters:

Colonel 'Iron Hand' Straken - Colonel Straken is best known for being severely injured by a Miral Land Shark. The shark managed to dismember Straken's arm, but Straken, being tough and resourceful, managed to kill the Shark. Straken is quoted as saying the following about his encounter with the Land Shark at the Battle of Moden's Ridge, "Stop whining, Brook, you have another leg. D'ya think I cried like a damned new-born when I lost my arm? Course I damn well didn't. I upped and ripped that damned land shark's throat out with my damned teeth!" After losing his arm he was fitted with a bionic arm and chest unit that doubles as a powerfist.

Sly Marbo*- He is a one man army. He operates all alone with nobody by his side. He strikes from ambush then disappears into the thick jungle from whence he came.

[edit] Elysian Drop Troopers

The Elysian Drop Troopers are known for the rapid deployment capabilities using Airborne Troop Carriers called Valkyries, and either rappel down ropes or use grav-chutes at high altitudes. These troops have deep strike capability, and can use mortars, rocket launchers, and heavy bolters like any other Guard troopers. Unfortunately, they must sacrifice the heavy vehicle support that most other regiments field. Their lack of heavy armor is made up for by their use of valkyries and Vultures which can provide close air support. They can utilize Sentinels and Cyclops demolitions vehicles modified to survive a combat drop, but that is usually the extent of their armoured capabilities. They also have access to specially modified Tarantula Sentry Turrets which have been fitted with grav chutes for rapid deployment. The Elysian Drop Troopers are known to have fought in the 3rd Armageddon War and the Taros Campaign.

These troops are based on multiple paratrooper inspirations, ranging from modern day parachute troops and air cavalry units to futuristic drop troops such as the Mobile Infantry from Starship Troopers.

Forge World has released a line of resin models for the Elysians for their new Taros Campaign, a conflict between the Imperium and the Tau. The Elysians were a major focus of the Imperial Armour III and Imperial Armour IV rules supplements published by Forge World (Games Workshop, 2005,2006).

Notable Regiments:

23rd Elysian Regiment - The 3200-man regiment was totally destroyed during a three day battle behind enemy lines during the latter stages of the Taros Campaign, in a battle which seems inspired by the experience of the British 1st Airborne Division in Operation Market-Garden.

Detachment D-99 of the 99th Elysian Drop Troop Regiment. The veteran detachment assigned to the investigation and cleansing of Beta-Anphelion IV. D-99 consisted of a Company Command section, four drop infantry platoons, four drop Sentinel squadrons and an Imperial Navy attack squadron. All personnel were KIA before they could be evacuated.

[edit] Jantine Patricians

The Patricians hail from Jant Normanidus. The Patricians had an infamous feud with Gaunt's Ghosts because the father of the commander of the Patricians, Aldo Dercius, was killed by Gaunt as revenge for the death of Gaunt's own father (Dercius and his Patricians left Gaunt's father's unit to die in the face of an Ork invasion on the planet of Kentaur). Dercius was killed in dishonour so his son was stripped of all his inheritance and honour. Forced to give up even his family name, Colonel Draker Flense (Dercius's first son) swore revenge on Gaunt and attempted to take it on Menazoid Epsilon, a moon of Menazoid Sigma. Falsely declaring Gaunt's Ghosts to be corrupt, he led his Patricians straight at the rear of Gaunt's men who were fighting inside the caves of Menzoid Epsilson. They broke Gaunt's rear defensive line with heavy losses and were in position to completely isolate and destroy the Ghosts until the Vitrian Dragoons, whose commander was a personal friend of Gaunt, attacked the Patricians. Focusing on a single weak point of their line, the Dragoons tore through the Patricians but Flense and his security detail managed to escape into the caves where they met Gaunt. Not realizing Flense was Dercius's son, Gaunt pleaded with him to stop and fight the true enemy. Flense ignored Gaunt's attempts to make peace and attacked him. Gaunt and Flense fought furiously but in the end Flense went down with most of his Patricians.

The Jantine Patricians sport purple uniforms with many decorative gold markers to denote rank. The Patricians are seemingly inspired by the Praetorian Guard of Ancient Rome because they share many distinctions with the Guard such as their elite status, bodyguard duties, and ferocious fighting abilities.^[4]

[edit] Jopall Indentured Squadrons

Children born on the planet of Jopall incur a massive debt for their own care to the government, that they cannot even begin to pay until their adolescence. One of the most popular ways of paying off that debt is by enlistment into the Indentured Squadrons. The Jopall are unique in that they encourage individuality and ingenuity, which is rewarded with a small financial recompense, which of course helps in paying off their debts.

The Indentured squadrons fight defensively, conserving resources until the last minute. Even so, the underhanded tactics they employ can end up being rather expensive in the end. Squads may take it upon themselves to sabotage enemy units and supplies, and Jopall snipers will strike at targets of opportunity at any given moment. In one infamous incident during the 3rd War for Armageddon, a group of Jopall officers posed as traitors and delivered three Basilisk artillery pieces and a great deal of shells to an Ork Big Mek who had already captured several Imperial troop transports. As the proud Mek was parading the weapons to his Warlord, the Officers detonated explosives hidden on the guns, with just enough force to cook off the artillery shells, which wiped out a sixth of the Orks' artillery. The officers were stripped of their rank for the voluntary destruction of the three Basilisks, but they were very popular among the rest of the company.

[edit] Kanak Skull Takers

Hailing from the volatile volcanic world of Kanak, the Skull Takers are some of the fiercest fighters in the Imperium. Often preferring to go to battle with the axes and swords of their home world, and will on occasion ride into battle on the mounts of Kanak, they will fight to the death rather than be disgraced by defeat. As with other feral regiments, service to the Imperial Guard is intended to teach them Imperial ways so that if they ever return to their home world, they will be a civilizing influence to their kin.

[edit] Death Korps of Krieg

In 433.M40, the Autarch of the planet Krieg in Segmentum Tempestus declared himself independent from the Imperium and renounced the Emperor as his divine master. Krieg was then locked in civil war. Much of Krieg quickly fell to the rebels except for Hive Ferrograd which came under the command of the now infamous Colonel Jurten of the Krieg 83rd Imperial Guard. Under strict orders to not let Krieg fall but with the promise that no fleet on the scale that was needed to invade a planet was available Jurten decided that Krieg would either belong to the Emperor or to no one. On the day of the feast of the Emperors Ascension Jurten unleashed a counter attack of atomic cleansing that was to turn into a great purging. For days Krieg was engulfed in a sea of Nuclear fire. Kriegs ecosystem collapsed and the planet was engulfed in a nuclear winter. But the civil war dragged on. The survivors from Jurten's purging were forced to exist in underground bunkers or deep in the radioactive chem-wastes, as their descendants do to this day. From the self-annihilation of their home world, loyalist troops slowly retook their world inch by inch over 500 years. From this the Death Korps were born. Krieg was finally returned to the Imperial rule in 949.M40

As penance for the Autarch's heresy, the Death Korps regiments each embarked on their own quest for absolution, constantly requesting transfers to the most lethal warzones throughout the galaxy. Every soldier in the Death Korps is proud of the regiment's part in the purification of Krieg and they despise the cowardice of lesser men that would flinch from such acts. The regimental creed is to eradicate heresy and weakness wherever it is found and on numerous occasions Death Korps forces have been reprimanded for their excessive use of force and unsanctioned genocidal campaigns.

The Death Korps are fearless warriors, never flinching even in the face of sudden death, which they see as atonement for the rebellion. They see their deaths fighting in war as penance for the heresy of their ancestors. Death Korp commanders also possess this mind set and take a highly analytical approach to warfare, seeing the troops they command as a means to 'buy' victory, effectively 'spending' their men in order to grind down their opponents. This is due to their perception that the lives of their men are worth little in the Emperor's sight, so mired in sin are their souls. They are dedicated trench and siege warfare masters, and often use battalions of Death Riders, a local form of Rough Riders, which are used widely in the Imperium for flash attacks. However, the Death Riders do not ride normal steeds (as their battle brothers); rather, the Death Riders use either heavily "re-built" steeds with metal implants to increase their endurance in battle, or a totally robotic steed.

Appearance-wise, the Death Korps are similar to the Steel Legion, but wear greatcoats instead of trench coats, much darker colours, use lasrifles and the masks of their grenadiers bear a skull motif. Of all the regiments of the Guard, they are the most gloomy and dark, both in appearance and in spirit. These troops are based on the German Army of World War I and World War II. It should be noted that the regiment uses German words such as Panzer frequently. Krieg is the German word for war.

It should also be noted that Krieg raises an unusually large number of regiments for so devastated a planet. This is because of the use of cloning technology, which Krieg has been granted special dispensation to use due to the steely and determined nature of its troops and its unswerving loyalty to the Emperor. Use of this technology is generally prohibited throughout the Imperium (reasons unknown) by the Adeptus Mechanicus, the custodians of the Imperium's technological lore. This may be why Death Korp troops are so rarely seen without their characteristic gas masks.

Forge World has designed and released infantry and vehicle models for the Death Korps.

Notable Regiments

The 1st Latvianus regiment has been 'adopted' by the 4th Krieg Panzer. The 1st is the only regiment to have been raised on Latvianus.

[edit] Mordian Iron Guard

It takes a full Mordian year for the planet of Mordian to turn once around its axis, and as such half of the planet is bathed in perpetual darkness and the other half burnt to a cinder by the glaring sun. This makes it quite a miserable place. The planet's lack of rotation prevents any strong winds and as such the atmosphere is thick and dark. The millions of inhabitants live in vast hive cities where all resources are controlled and distributed by the state. There is much discontent amongst the people, and the Mordian Iron Guard spend much of their time keeping the populace under control.

Due to the condition of their planet, the troops raised here tend to be a dour, no-nonsense lot. Mordians believe in perfect precision and constant drill to overcome their foes, and they will rarely be seen routed, instead making a controlled, fighting retreat to a better and more defensible position.

In a massive Chaos conspiracy, a group of Chaos cultists met under the busy streets of the Mordian capital called Vanandra City. There they cast a spell, taking the blood of many, most likely innocent, Mordians. The spell brought ships full of Chaos Space Marines and summoned Daemons to Mordian, which rampaged across the planet, eventually forcing the Iron Guard back to the capital. Here the Guard put up one last defence, gradually falling back and back until they had to take shelter in the capital building. They had used dangerous tactics that most armies would have refused to use, mainly because their men would not stand their ground. The Iron Guard, living up their name, stood against all manner of daemons, in what was considered a hopeless position. In orbit above Mordian, the planet's psykers had at last succeeded in breaking the Chaos spell, and gradually the Daemons faded from the planet. This disappearance scared the remnants of the Chaos attackers and the Iron Guard took the opportunity to rout the enemy and expel them from the planet. Through their discipline the Iron Guard had held back the forces of Chaos long enough for Imperial psykers to break the spell, and ensure that Mordian would remain in the hands of the Imperium.

Mordians normally wear bright dress uniforms, even into combat, to present a look of amateurism, perhaps to catch their enemies off guard. They bear a slight resemblance to the Prussian army under Bismarck, or U.S. Marines in their dress blues uniform (commonly seen in the end of recruiting commercials), they also bear resemblance to the Royal Marine Commandos in their dress uniform.

[edit] Phantine Air Corps

An unusual style of regiment that is unique within the Imperial Guard, the Phantine Air Corps form Wings, which contain specific squadrons, usually all of one type of aircraft. Each individual squadron is made up of 12 aircraft for fighters or eight if its a bomber formation. Fighter squadrons are usually broken down further into three formations of four fighters known as 'flights' for patrols, in the manner of many current air forces. Because Phantine itself is mostly covered in corrosive smog and the only habitable areas on the planet are on mountain tops, the only viable military force on Phantine is an Air Force. They are believed to be the only Imperial Guard regiment allowed to possess fightercraft, as both atmosphere- and star-fightercraft are normally limited to the Imperial Navy.

Featured in the spin-off book Double Eagle (Abnett, 2005), the Phantine first appeared within the Gaunt's Ghosts novel Guns of Tanith (Abnett, 2002). Notable Squadrons:

XXI Wing Halo Squadron - Led by Oskar Viltry (Wassimir Kyrklan commanded the Phantine XXI during Viltry's absence), Halo fought for the liberation of their home-world before going on to fight in other theatres such as Enothis. Halo was a bomber squadron equipped with Marauder bombers.(It is so noted that Oskar Viltry was allegedly reported killed in action over the desert on the 260th day of fighting.)

XX Wing Umbra Squadron - Led by Bree Jagdea (Milan Blansher commanded the Phantine XX during Jagdea's absence), Umbra also fought for Phantine and Enothis, flying both Lightnings and Thunderbolts. The Phantine XX included many famous pilots among their ranks:Enric Darrow; a PDF pilot on Enothis, transferred into the Phantine XX Umbra at the Midwinter islands, first was noted when he outflew Krel Kas Obarkon over the machanite mountains in an out classed fighter, and then scored fifteen kills in the battle for the Zophanian Sea, Vander Marquall; who shot down the infamous Chaos fighter pilot Khrel Kas Obarkon, and Larice Asche; who became the first female to serve with the elite 101st Apostles, and Flight Officer Kamanski, who had been deemed not air worthy at the loss of his hand, having been equipt with a prosthetic and inducted by Bree Jagdea, he fought again for Enothis using voice activated guns.

IXX Wing Orbis Squadron - Led by Wilhem Hayyes (Was killed over the Midwinters on the 268th), Orbis also fought in theaters such as Phantine and Enothis in Thunderbolt heavy fighters.

[edit] Praetorian

Praetoria is a heavily populated Hive World that lies in a system close to the Imperial naval base at Bakka. The overpopulated Hive-Cities of Praetoria are renowned for their squalor and degradation, and produce some of the toughest gangsters on any of the hive worlds in the Imperium. This vast population work as little more than slave-labor in the huge factory complexes of Praetoria, producing the goods that have made the planet (and its rulers) one of the richest in the Imperium, with a huge fleet of merchant craft that trade all over the Segmentum and beyond.

Imperial Guard regiments raised on Praetoria are renowned for their iron discipline and bravery, even in the face of the most overwhelming odds. The planetary lords of Praetoria hold it is only through fearsome training and draconian punishments for the most minor infringements that the hive-toughened inhabitants of their planet can be made to follow orders and do as they are told. Whatever one's views on the training methods used, they seem to work, producing troops that are as ferocious on the attack as they are determined in defence.

Originally Mordians with different sculpted heads, the Praetorians were introduced following the Games Day display "Massacre at Big Toof River", where a substantial Imperial Guard force is annihilated by an enormous Ork horde in a recreation of the film Zulu which is in turn based on the battle of Rourke's Drift. The Praetorian's closely resemble red uniformed British colonial troops of the era. Games Workshop were quick to make a range of them, seeing them as an interesting deviation from the usually dark Warhammer 40,000. Like many older models, they have been removed from production, but are widely available online, and through the manufacturer's own archive service.

[edit] Savlar Chem Dogs

The Chem Dogs are typical of many Penal Legions in the Imperial Guard. Recruits are drawn from the prisons on the planet Savlar by the promise to allow them to keep anything they take from the battlefield, as well as the chance to get away from Savlar's highly toxic environment. They were created to fight in the Third War for Armageddon and excel in fighting in Hive Cities and close quarters. They get their courage mainly from the use of nitro-chem inhalers, and are just as likely to steal from among themselves and from other regiments as they are from the enemy. Unlike most Imperial Guard forces, their Rough Rider squadrons do not utilise horses, instead opting for graceless and unpleasant mounts from their nightmarish homeworld that are far more resilient than horses.

[edit] Tallarn Desert Raiders

Tallarn was once a verdant paradise world, until it was attacked and virus bombed during the Horus Heresy by the Iron Warriors. Every living thing on the surface of the planet, even bacteria, was killed off, with only those who managed to seek shelter in special bio-isolation enviro-shelters deep underground surviving. Shortly thereafter, the planet became the site of the largest tank battle in the Horus Heresy, with millions of war machines fighting over the planet's surface. The survivors learned to adapt to their world as it eventually became a desert planet. For what reason the Iron Warriors fought for the planet so hard is unknown, but it may have been due to the Chaos gate buried deep in the planet. It is unlikely it was a meaningless attack as the Iron Warriors are not whimsical unlike many other Traitor Legions.

The planet was now devoid of all plant and animal life and most of the water had evaporated into the atmosphere. A thousand years later, a mysterious gate was discovered, triggering a series of sudden attacks by the enigmatic Eldar, who tried to prevent the gate from being opened. They were unsuccessful, and a tide of Daemons streamed forth from the gate. The Tallarns and the Eldar were quickly forced to work together in order to halt the tide and seal the gate once more. Gradually the combined forces pushed back the Chaos horde, the Tallarn people knowing the desert, leading the Eldar to strike at the most vulnerable Chaos points. Eventually they forced the Chaos forces back into the gate and managed to shut it down. The Eldar left machinery to keep the gate shut, and the Tallarn covered it with plasteel and turned their back on it. The gate is not closed for good, but will remain sleeping until it is called again.

The Tallarn Desert Raiders are exceptional at guerrilla style warfare, having adapted to the harsh conditions of their home planet. They are also known for their weaponry accuracy, as well as having highly capable Sentinel and Tank squads. The irreverent Commissar Ciaphas Cain, whose Vahallan 597th was serving alongside the Tallarn 229th on Adumbria, described them as pious 'Emperor-botherers' who had as many priests as the Vallhalans had Chimera drivers.

Tallarn Desert Raiders have a slightly Arab-like appearance, but influences have also been taken from other sources, such as the African campaigns of WW2 and the Fremen from the Dune series. Metal Tallarn miniatures are no longer sold in shops but can be ordered direct, or ordered from online stores. Forge World has released a line of resin models for the Tallarns, including heavy weapon squads, snipers and rough riders mounted on mukaali.

[edit] Tanith First-And-Only (Gaunt's Ghosts)

Further information: Tanith (Warhammer 40,000)

The Tanith First-and-Only regiment hail from the planet Tanith. The planet was ordered to raise 3 Tanith regiments, which were placed under the command of Colonel-Commisar Ibram Gaunt, an officer of some repute. However, just as the unit was preparing to depart, a splinter Chaos fleet fleeing from defeat slipped past the local picket fleet and attacked. Rather than making a valiant last stand, Gaunt ordered as many fighting men to evacuate as possible, narrowly escaping himself, leaving the world to be destroyed. After the evacuation, the Tanith were only able to raise a single regiment, the majority or their officers and equipment having been left on the planet. Their nickname of ghosts comes from their reputation for scouting tacics. They are also more formaly called Gaunt's Ghosts.

The Tanith First & Only wear black uniforms and webbing and their signature camo-cloaks which blend in with their surroundings, making them nearly invisible. Due to Taniths unique topography, in particular the shifting trees known as Nalwood, which constantly shift and migrate obscuring any path, the Tanith have developed an unerring sense of direction and woodcraft. These skills are most potently distilled in units scout cadre, often referred to as the best of the best. As such Gaunts Ghosts are depicted as one of the Imperial Guards most highly regarded unit in terms of deceit and stealth.

Gaunt has been promised settlement rights to the first world he is responsible for liberating/conquering and has promised this to the Tanith. Unfortunately, with the regiments numbers never exceeding three thousand, and lessening with every conflict they enter, they are usually attached to larger units which claim the glory in the end.

[edit] Valhallan Ice Warriors

Valhalla was originally a verdant paradise world. No records survive of its colonisation, but legends recall a world ripe for conquest. Unfortunately, Valhalla was struck around the early-mid 31st millennium by a comet which proved to be almost solid iron, easily shrugging off laser fire from planetary defenses. Most of the comet impacted in the vast equatorial ocean but a mile-wide fragment impacted the northern continent, creating vast plumes of dust which proceeded to cover the planet in a blanket of dirt. Also, the planet's orbit was shifted, moving it several million miles further away from its sun. Within a short period, Valhalla had become an ice world.

The people struggled to make a living, fearing famine due to a lack of viable farmland. Nonetheless, artificially cultivated algae prevented starvation, only for fate to deal the planet a crueler blow. A damaged Ork warfleet crash-landed on Valhalla and proceeded to fight the human inhabitants for the food they had stored. The Valhallans held out bravely for a long time in their vast hive cities beneath the ice but were pushed right back to the food vats. Eventually they destroyed the Orks by using ice boring machines to strategically strike at the heart of the mob, burning and melting most of the Orks and scattering the rest.

Regiments of Valhallans have been assigned to planets infested with Orks due to their intimate knowledge of Ork tactics and their dogged determination in the face of defeat, where other armies might run.

Valhalla is an extremely cold, ice covered planet, similar to Hoth from the Star Wars universe. Valhallan Ice Warriors resemble the Red Army of the former Soviet Union during World War II.^[5]

Notable regiments:

Valhallan 597th - Led by the very heroic Commissar Ciaphas Cain, the 597th is an amalgamated regiment from remnants of the 301st and the 296th, one a regiment of men, the other women. The only Lady General (as opposed to a Lord General) ever to exist within the Imperium, Jenit Sulla, started as a Quartermaster Sergeant within the 296th.

Valhallan 12th Field Artillery - One of Commissar Ciaphas Cain's postings prior to his career with the 597th. The 12th is known to have participated in actions on Desolatia IV and Gravalax.

Valhallan 425th Armored - Participated in actions on Adumbria alongside the 597th.

[edit] Vostroyan Firstborn

The world of Vostroya was originally a mere forge world on the outskirts of the Imperium. It is ruled by a committee called the Techtriarchs, a blend of Adeptus Mechanicus administrators and traditional Imperial government. The people of Vostroya pledged their loyalty to the Adeptus Mechanicus and strived to meet its production quotas.

This devotion to their factory production, however, would be their downfall. During the Horus Heresy the Imperium requested that Vostroya shift its efforts from production to putting its full military weight into the path of Horus's forces. The Techtriarchs, believing that such an action would harm their production of materials for the war effort, refused the request. After the Heresy, the Imperium dispatched Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines, to bring the Vostroyans to judgment for their refusal to follow Imperial orders.

The Techtriarchs, empowered by the people of Vostroya to negotiate penance for their disloyalty, agreed to the atonement set down by Guilliman. They were to enter the first born son of every Vostroyan family into Vostroya's regiments of Imperial Guard.

While Imperial Guard regiments are usually raised en masse, the Vostroyan Firstborn regiments are steadily reinforced by new recruits, ensuring a high concentration of veteran soldiers who assist in the recruits' training. The Vostroyans pride themselves on the fact that the Firstborn regiments have existed unbroken since their first creation 10,000 years prior.

Each Vostroyan worker is required to set aside one hour for every ten working hours to the creation of weaponry for their kin's military efforts. As the Vostroyans see their soldiers as their redemption in the eyes of the Emperor, each weapon is hand-crafted to the highest standard of quality. The resulting weapons, with hand-crafted wooden stocks and inlaid detail, are distinct from the bulk-manufactured weapons of other Imperial regiments.

The Vostroyan miniature range was released in May and June of 2006, as the Vostroyans were to play a prominent role in the 2006 Games Workshop Worldwide Campaign, "The Fall of Medusa V". The design of the army is heavily influenced by 18th century soldiers, in particular the Cossacks of Russia.^[6]