77th Arkanen Panzer Regiment “Shieldbreakers”

[Just_Me]

The second background piece I have finished, this one is for my Guard army. I am working on a history for my Inquisitor as well as a "dramatis personae" of sorts for all of my characters, but its slow going as I always edit and rewrite these thing many times over before I'm satisfied with them.

77th Arkanen Panzer Regiment “Shieldbreakers”

History & Organization: The 77th Arkanen Panzer Regiment “Shieldbreakers” are a unit with a respectable history. The Shieldbreakers are drawn from the planet Arkan, a Hive World in the Segmentum Tempestus known for raising formidable reinforced regiments.

Arkan itself is generally cool with abundant small seas interconnected by channels and rivers (both natural and artificial). Outside the cities and dedicated food production zones the terrain harsh and barren, with very little native life beyond mosses and lichens. Arkan was settled in early M37 during the Imperium’s explosive re-expansion after the Age of Apostasy to take advantage abundant mineral wealth found throughout the system. It soon became known for exporting high grade refined metals and alloys to Forge Worlds in the Tempestus and Ultima Segmentums, but also for the production of quality electronics such as vox systems, auspexs, and scanners. Arkan also became home to a large Schola Progenium faculty, the Schola Triarius, which finds abundant progenii candidates among both the children of the wealthy and the orphans of the poor.

With the large population base of a hive world, Arkan is a prime candidate for raising guard regiments, and has developed a strong martial tradition. This tradition is reinforced by the practice of veteran troops being returned to Arkan once they have been discharged (a fate tragically few active guardsmen live to see) or dropped so far below acceptable levels of combat effectiveness that complete replacement of the unit is deemed more expedient than reinforcement. These veterans often form a training cadre for both the guard recruitment centers and for the Schola Triarius, thus ensuring that new recruits are trained by experienced troopers, providing a solid veteran’s perspective for new regiments and reinforcement companies sent to regiments in the field.

Unusually, the recruitment centers on Arkan operate continuously, ensuring a steady trickle of reinforcements for existing regiments. While the logistics of this process are nightmarish, the benefits are telling in the discipline, expertise, and survivability of Arkanen regiments in the field, and Arkanen regiments can serve for centuries, slowly cycling troops. The best example of this is the 5th which has served continuously for 2,000 years. Most have long histories and posses considerable esprit de corps. Arkanen regiments are mixed gender, Arkanen society making little distinction between the roles of the sexes, at ratios varying from regiment to regiment.

The presence of the Schola Triarius on Arkan greatly impacts the structure of Arkanen regiments, with most officers receiving training under the auspices of the Schola and storm trooper grenadier companies serving as integrated components of Arkanen regiments. Commissars are also commonly interspersed throughout the command structure of these regiments, further bolstering the professionalism and discipline of Arkanen units.

The 77th numbers roughly 8,000 troops at full strength (although on combat tour the regiment is almost never at this level), divided into 2 battalions; one infantry battalion composed of 10 regular infantry and 5 Stormtrooper companies (roughly 5,000 troops), and one armored battalion composed of 10 armored companies and 2 companies of self-propelled artillery and numerous APCs attached to infantry units (roughly 400 armoured vehicles and 1,500 crew), in addition there are 2 recon companies and the recovery company (between them roughly 100 vehicles and 750 soldiers), as well as the regimental staff, signals detachment, and medical staff (all together roughly 750 officers and technicians). These numbers refer only to combat and direct support personnel, extended logistics is handled by the Munitorium office for a given campaign and includes many additional personnel attached to the unit for that campaign, while extraneous personnel such as cooks and camp followers fluctuate too much for any accurate counts.

This design is fairly typical Arkanen panzer regiments, and is intended to ensure flexibility and effectiveness as mobile frontline assault and breakthrough units, capable of responding to any situation they are faced with. This is designed in keeping with Arkanen military thought, perhaps informed by the openness of the barren terrain of Arkan, which calls for high mobility and the use of mutually supporting infantry and armor. These regiments represent something of a departure from standard Munitorium regulations, as they have a fairly balanced proportion of armor and infantry. For this reason Arkanen reinforced regiments have sometimes been divided up by the Munitorium into their constitute parts to form more conventional Imperial regiments, one such example is the 56th Panzer Regiment which was divided into the 16th Arkanen Infantry, 9th Arkanen Armored, and 22nd Arkanen Stormtrooper Battalion.

Arkan’s strong ties to two nearby Forgeworlds, whom they supply with alloys and basic technical components, provides them with an abundance of armoured vehicles, and by ancient tradition the founding of a new Arkanen regiment is accompanied by the dedication of a super heavy squadron for the new regiment from one of these forges. Experience has proved that the unified combined arms structure is, if used properly, remarkably effective in battle. On the other hand, the composite nature of such panzer regiments further compounds the logistical challenges that already exist from the reinforcements they receive. As a result, Arkanen regiments often face supply problems.

The 77th was founded in 823.M41 to answer the increasing unrest across the Ultima and Tempestus Segmentums in the wake of the First Tyrannic war. As such, the 77th is “young” by the standards many Arkanen regiments. The regiment has served in many conflicts across these two Segmentums, ranging from small “brushfires” to larger campaign actions, including helping to take up some of the “slack” during the Badab War while over a dozen Astartes Chapters were drawn from other duties into that conflict. The regiment acquitted itself ablely, though unremarkably. It has only been in recent years that the regiment has earned true notoriety for its capabilities and exploits.

Currently, the regiment is commanded by the redoubtable Colonel Maximilian Rhiane. Rhaine is a very skilled commander with considerable experience, and is known as an extremely capable tactician. His tactics are generally typified by cautious probing attacks followed instantly with vicious simultaneous attacks against perceived weak points by armored elements heavily supported by infantry. His career has been marred by censures for repeatedly overextending his unit with regard to overall strategic plans, often driving his regiment miles ahead of the general advance. Considered the “heart and soul” of the regiment, it was under his command that the 77th breached the resolute defense line of the traitorous defenders of Sarpidon XII at the Battle of the Majov Breakthrough, cracking in under 3 weeks a defensive position that had held back the 56th Imperial Army Division for a year and a half, and earning the 77th their renowned sobriquet of “Shieldbreakers.”

Colors: green fatigues, black flak armor, white embellishments on troopers, gold on officers.

(Oh, and if anyone was reading very closely and caught it, the answer is yes, I do actually have female guard models scattered throughout the army, though hardly at a one-for-one ratio).

[gorepants]

OK JM, I've had a look at this one. The review style is a bit more terse but it's meant in the same spirit (call it conference review style :)).


History & Organization: The Shieldbreakers are a regiment with a respectable history. The Shieldbreakers are drawn from the planet Arkan, a Hive World in the Segmentum Tempestus known for raising formidable reinforced regiments.

Introducing concept use full form first, then to short form. 'The 77th Arkanen Panzer Regiment, the Shieldbreakers, are a regiment with a respectable history.'


Arkan itself is generally cool with abundant small seas interconnected by channels and rivers (both natural and artificial); outside the cities and dedicated food production zones the terrain harsh and barren, with very little native life beyond mosses and lichens. Arkan was settled in early M37 during the Imperium’s explosive re-expansion after the Age of Apostasy to take advantage abundant mineral wealth found throughout the system. It soon became known for exporting high grade refined alloys to Forge Worlds in the Tempestus and Ultima Segmentums, but also for the production of quality electronics such as vox systems, auspexs, and scanners. Arkan also became home to a large Schola Progenium faculty, the Schola Triarius, which finds abundant progenii candidates among both the children of the wealthy and the orphans of the poor.

Colonated subclauses should directly relate to the initial clause (so the first sentence can be split). Refined alloys is a tautology - you either have refine metals, or alloys. I'd prefer refined metals as it also allows them to export pure metal. Maybe introduce why this has become a hive world, not just a mining colony (eg by reinforcing the importance of their jobbing work for the nearbly forge worlds).


With the large population base of a hive world, Arkan is a prime candidate for raising guard regiments, and has developed a strong martial tradition. This tradition is reinforced by the practice of veteran troops being returned to Arkan once they have been discharged (a fate tragically few active guardsmen live to see) or dropped so far below acceptable levels of combat effectiveness that complete replacement of the unit is deemed more expedient than reinforcement. These veterans often form a training cadre for both the guard recruitment centers and for the Schola Triarius, thus ensuring that new recruits are trained by experienced troopers, providing a solid veteran’s perspective for new regiments and reinforcement companies sent to regiments in the field.

The reference to 'acceptable levels of combat effectiveness' refers to a squad due to attrition, but the sentence starts talking about discharge (which occurs on a per soldier basis due to time in service or health). Maybe change to "discharged when their term of service is over, or in still rarer cases when a unit? has performed with exceptional valor but suffered such losses as to make it more politically expedient to return them as 'heroes'." Or something like that.
Another 'thus'.


Unusually, the recruitment centers on Arkan operate continuously, ensuring a steady trickle of reinforcements for existing regiments. While the logistics of this process are nightmarish, the benefits are telling in the discipline, expertise, and survivability of Arkanen regiments in the field, and Arkanen regiments can serve for centuries, slowly cycling troops, the 5th for instance has served continuously for 2,000 years. Most have long histories and posses considerable esprit de corps. Arkanen regiments are mixed gender, Arkanen society making little distinction between the roles of the sexes, at ratios varying from regiment to regiment.

'slowly cycling troops, the 5th for instance' should be split. Maybe rephrase as 'slowly cycling troops. The longest serving regiment is the 5th, serving for over 2,000 years.' This is more concrete.


The presence of the Schola Triarius on Arkan greatly impacts the structure of Arkanen regiments, with most officers receiving training under the auspices of the Schola and storm trooper grenadier companies serving as integrated components of Arkanen regiments. Commissars are also commonly interspersed throughout the command structure of these regiments, further bolstering the professionalism and discipline of Arkanen units.

Ditch the professionalism reference - commissar are probably worse for this since they are politicals, and make the men uneasy. Also, are they assigning Arkanen commissars to Arkanen regiments? This would be an unusual proceedure.


The 77th numbers roughly 8,000 troops at full strength (although on combat tour the regiment is almost never at this level), divided into 2 brigades; one infantry brigade composed of 10 regular infantry and 5 Stormtrooper companies (roughly 5,000 troops), and one armored brigade composed of 10 armored companies and 2 companies of self-propelled artillery and numerous APCs attached to infantry units (roughly 400 armoured vehicles and 1,500 crew), in addition there are 2 recon companies and the recovery company (between them roughly 100 vehicles and 750 soldiers), as well as the regimental staff, signals detachment, and medical staff (all together roughly 750 officers and technicians). These numbers refer only to combat and direct support personnel, extended logistics is handled by the Munitorium office for a given campaign and includes many additional personnel attached to the unit for that campaign, while extraneous personnel such as cooks and camp followers fluctuate too much for any accurate counts.

The 77th numbers roughly 8,000 troops at full strength (although on combat tour the regiment is almost never at this level), divided into 2 brigades; one infantry... -> At full strength, the 77th numbers roughly 8,000 troops, divided into 2 brigades. The first is an infantry...

and numerous APCs attached to infantry units. need to explain what infantry units they are attached to.



This design is fairly typical Arkanen panzer regiments, and is intended to ensure flexibility and effectiveness as mobile frontline assault and breakthrough units, capable of responding to any situation they are faced with. This is designed in keeping with Arkanen military thought, perhaps informed by the openness of the barren terrain of Arkan, which calls for high mobility and the use of mutually supporting infantry and armor. These regiments represent something of a departure from standard Munitorium regulations, as they have a fairly balanced proportion of armor and infantry. For this reason Arkanen reinforced regiments have sometimes been divided up by the Munitorium into their constitute parts to form more conventional Imperial regiments, one such example is the 56th Panzer Regiment which was divided into the 16th Arkanen Infantry, 9th Arkanen Armored, and 22nd Arkanen Stormtrooper Battalion. //Arkan’s strong ties to two nearby Forgeworlds, whom they supply with alloys and basic technical components, provides them with an abundance of armoured vehicles, and by ancient tradition the founding of a new Arkanen regiment is accompanied by the dedication of a super heavy squadron for the new regiment from one of these forges. Experience has proved that the unified combined arms structure is, if used properly, remarkably effective in battle. On the other hand, the composite nature of such panzer regiments further compounds the logistical challenges that already exist from the reinforcements they receive. As a result, Arkanen regiments often face supply problems.

'ntional Imperial regiments, one such example is' should be two sentences.
Split the paragraph into two?
again alloys -> metals?
Do superheavies fit with panzer style fighting? Being big and slow makes them less suitable for this.
Why do they not fight using standard doctrines that would have a panzer regiment become an armoured and a mobile infantry regiment? It is the most sensible way, but they are still a very small force (actually, in 40K scall they are somewhere between tiny and very large given the fluff often underestimates the size of armies)
For a short piece this can all be a fait-a-compli, but it does seem a little lacking since you mention the conflict with the Munitorium


The 77th was founded in 823.M41 to answer the increasing unrest across the Ultima and Tempestus Segmentums in the wake of the First Tyrannic war, (including the many unexplained incidents that in hindsight might be attributed to the slowly reawakening Necrons). As such, the 77th is “young” by the standards many Arkanen regiments. The regiment has served in many conflicts across these two Segmentums, ranging from small “brushfires” to larger campaign actions, including helping to take up some of the “slack” during the Badab War while over a dozen Astartes Chapters were drawn from other duties into that conflict. The regiment acquitted itself ablely, though unremarkably. It has only been in recent years that the regiment has earned true notoriety for its capabilities and exploits.

' (including the many unexplained incidents that in hindsight might be attributed to the slowly reawakening Necrons)' this is very much a footnote unless you are going to expand on 77th/necron conflict.
' including helping to take up some of the “slack” during the Badab War while over a dozen Astartes Chapters were drawn from other duties into that conflict.' the clause following the 'while' does not really make sense.


Currently, the regiment is commanded by the redoubtable Colonel Maximilian Rhiane. Rhaine is a very skilled commander with considerable experience, and is known as an extremely capable tactician. His tactics are generally typified by cautious probing attacks followed instantly with vicious simultaneous attacks against perceived weak points by armored elements heavily supported by infantry. His career has only been marred by censures for repeatedly overextending his unit with regard to overall strategic plans, often driving his regiment miles ahead of the general advance. Considered the “heart and soul” of the regiment, it was under his command that the 77th breached the resolute defense line of the traitorous defenders of Sarpidon XII at the Battle of the Majov Breakthrough, cracking in under 3 weeks a defensive position that had held back the 56th Imperial Army Division for a year and a half, and earning the 77th their renowned sobriquet of “Shieldbreakers.”

'His career has only been marred by censures for repeatedly overextending' 'only' is in conflict with 'repeatedly' - for only it would have to be once
Taking liberties by breaking the line could be seen as a very serious offence. Maybe you need to change it so that he was found early on to be tactically briliant but over eager in advancing, but his superiors recognised his talent and called on him specially for the Battle of the Majov Breakthrough. This way he has a flaw, which is seen my his superiors before they ahve to execute him, and turned into an assert

[Just_Me]

Introducing concept use full form first, then to short form. 'The 77th Arkanen Panzer Regiment, the Shieldbreakers, are a regiment with a respectable history.'

An excellent point, can’t believe I didn’t catch that one myself…


Colonated subclauses should directly relate to the initial clause (so the first sentence can be split). Refined alloys is a tautology - you either have refine metals, or alloys. I'd prefer refined metals as it also allows them to export pure metal. Maybe introduce why this has become a hive world, not just a mining colony (eg by reinforcing the importance of their jobbing work for the nearbly forge worlds).

Good grammar catch.

The note about “alloys” vs. “metals” is an artifact of rewriting, it was supposed to read "refined metals and alloys." Refined metals being purified ores, alloys being, well, alloyed metals (combinations of two or more ores to create a new metal, e.g. steel).

Precedent for hive worlds seems to indicate that they are refinery and heavy industrial facilities of one form or another (Verghast, Armageddon, etc.).


The reference to 'acceptable levels of combat effectiveness' refers to a squad due to attrition, but the sentence starts talking about discharge (which occurs on a per soldier basis due to time in service or health). Maybe change to "discharged when their term of service is over, or in still rarer cases when a unit? has performed with exceptional valor but suffered such losses as to make it more politically expedient to return them as 'heroes'." Or something like that.
Another 'thus'.

The thing is Imperial Guardsmen do not usually have individual terms of service, if they are retired they are retired as units, only very rarely as individuals. I wanted to reflect the idea that when an Arkanen unit has been worn down it is retired rather than rolled into another unit to meet arbitrary number requirements as is most commonly the case in the guard.


'slowly cycling troops, the 5th for instance' should be split. Maybe rephrase as 'slowly cycling troops. The longest serving regiment is the 5th, serving for over 2,000 years.' This is more concrete.

Much better wording, thanks.


Ditch the professionalism reference - commissar are probably worse for this since they are politicals, and make the men uneasy. Also, are they assigning Arkanen commissars to Arkanen regiments? This would be an unusual proceedure.

Yes and no, an already well disciplined unit would likely benefit from a Commissar’s presence. We most often see Commissars as being political stooges, but they come from the same traditions and facilities that creates Storm Troopers, and are trained to motivate troops by serving as examples of courage and discipline.

The second part is more complex and revolves around my understanding of how the Schola Progenium actually works. First note that there are similar regiments, such as the Terrax Guard, that train both their troops and Commissars in the same facilities. There are clearly not enough orphans of high ranking imperial officials to form a whole military branch (the Storm Troopers) so they must also be drawing from elsewhere. On the other hand the fact that they actually be orphans is important because it means that they can be trained to have the Imperium itself as their first loyalty. In my opinion a major Schola facility presupposes that they are drawing their Progenii from across the entirety of the sector. So the Commissars in an Arkanen regiment would be drawn not only from Arkan, but from across the entire sector.


The 77th numbers roughly 8,000 troops at full strength (although on combat tour the regiment is almost never at this level), divided into 2 brigades; one infantry... -> At full strength, the 77th numbers roughly 8,000 troops, divided into 2 brigades. The first is an infantry...

and numerous APCs attached to infantry units. need to explain what infantry units they are attached to.

This goes to your next question, but I envisioned most if not all infantry in this regiment being mechanized, much as with a real life Panzer Division.


'ntional Imperial regiments, one such example is' should be two sentences.
Split the paragraph into two?
again alloys -> metals?
Do superheavies fit with panzer style fighting? Being big and slow makes them less suitable for this.
Why do they not fight using standard doctrines that would have a panzer regiment become an armoured and a mobile infantry regiment? It is the most sensible way, but they are still a very small force (actually, in 40K scall they are somewhere between tiny and very large given the fluff often underestimates the size of armies)
For a short piece this can all be a fait-a-compli, but it does seem a little lacking since you mention the conflict with the Munitorium

Good call, that paragraph is quite large and should be divided.

There must have been some confusion in my communication on this point. My intention was exactly that they would behave as a real life panzer unit, with almost all troops mounted in APCs. In actuality 8,000 is in a grey area between modern day regiments and divisions (closer to division size), and appears to be about average size for Imperial Guard regiments (though I am cautions to say this as Guard regiments have so much variation).

As for superheavies… while they may be slow in comparison to other vehicles they are still very mobile as compared to infantry or heavy artillery


' (including the many unexplained incidents that in hindsight might be attributed to the slowly reawakening Necrons)' this is very much a footnote unless you are going to expand on 77th/necron conflict.

' including helping to take up some of the “slack” during the Badab War while over a dozen Astartes Chapters were drawn from other duties into that conflict.' the clause following the 'while' does not really make sense.

Yeah, the Necrons cameo was more my showing off my 40k knowledge then really something important :p. It can be safely removed.

Changed “while” to “when,” it makes more sense that way.


'His career has only been marred by censures for repeatedly overextending' 'only' is in conflict with 'repeatedly' - for only it would have to be once
Taking liberties by breaking the line could be seen as a very serious offence. Maybe you need to change it so that he was found early on to be tactically briliant but over eager in advancing, but his superiors recognised his talent and called on him specially for the Battle of the Majov Breakthrough. This way he has a flaw, which is seen my his superiors before they ahve to execute him, and turned into an assert
This is a result of the fact that the commander (and the entire regiment for that matter) is a combination/reflection of both George Patton and Erwin Rommel. Both of them were noted for their use of armor and infantry in combination and their aggressive command strategies, and both were notorious for overreaching themselves. In fact in a number of cases the only things that saved their careers was that it is kind of hard to argue with spectacular success. Though it is hard to make subjective calls like this, both Patton and Rommel were probably better suited to battalion or regimental level tactical command rather than the overall strategic commands they were given, each of them tended to command their army groups as if they were regiments or battalions.

As for “only,” you are quite correct, poor word use on my part.

[the one]

Thats it, you made me go and write all history i've made for my regiment...

No it seems to work well but what you should do is what 40k seems to be doing now. In half the things you write add something so their can be a deep dark seceat or a twist.

[gorepants]

The second part is more complex and revolves around my understanding of how the Schola Progenium actually works. First note that there are similar regiments, such as the Terrax Guard, that train both their troops and Commissars in the same facilities. There are clearly not enough orphans of high ranking imperial officials to form a whole military branch (the Storm Troopers) so they must also be drawing from elsewhere. On the other hand the fact that they actually be orphans is important because it means that they can be trained to have the Imperium itself as their first loyalty. In my opinion a major Schola facility presupposes that they are drawing their Progenii from across the entirety of the sector. So the Commissars in an Arkanen regiment would be drawn not only from Arkan, but from across the entire sector.

I think my point came out of some fluff I read that commisars were not usually attached to regiments from their own homeworld, so as to reduce the likelyhood they would soft-out on their own people (maybe from a Cain novel).


There must have been some confusion in my communication on this point. My intention was exactly that they would behave as a real life panzer unit, with almost all troops mounted in APCs. In actuality 8,000 is in a grey area between modern day regiments and divisions (closer to division size), and appears to be about average size for Imperial Guard regiments (though I am cautions to say this as Guard regiments have so much variation).

I think some confusion in my communication - I took this to be your meaning, it was just not entirely clear where and how the APCs and troops were allocated, that is were 2 Brigade supplying APCs to 1 Brigade (in which case why aren't they just in 1 Brigade?), or are they for 2 Brigades own troops (in which case, why aren't the troop numbers specified here as for 1 Brigade?)?


This is a result of the fact that the commander (and the entire regiment for that matter) is a combination/reflection of both George Patton and Erwin Rommel. Both of them were noted for their use of armor and infantry in combination and their aggressive command strategies, and both were notorious for overreaching themselves. In fact in a number of cases the only things that saved their careers was that it is kind of hard to argue with spectacular success. Though it is hard to make subjective calls like this, both Patton and Rommel were probably better suited to battalion or regimental level tactical command rather than the overall strategic commands they were given, each of them tended to command their army groups as if they were regiments or battalions.

The background for your choice makes this much clearer. I think to write this well you need to either present a 'balanced' historical style (which is fairly dry, recognises faults and give credit to superiors for using him correctly - my preference, but I used to write science papers :)) or in a glowing propaganda style (ignoring the faults, bigging up the positives, a bit more 40k novel style) The second is probably harder to do well since you have to balance out the impact and the irony.

[travinius]

Neat background fluff. I am working along similar lines with an IG force and it is great to read other work. It seems the writing points have been covered but in response;
-i too have read commissars are not posted to regiments from their homeworld, the idea being they bring a fiercely objective observance and application of imperial law to the unit.
-organizationally speaking (at least in modern terms) a brigade is going to be an amalgamation of regiments or other units. so say two regiments would be a brigade, or the better part of one regiment plus assests from other units would form another. my first deployment for example we were part of regimental combat team 2 headed by elements of 2nd marines, though 1/7 is not part of 2nd marines. the army uses the actual term "brigade" in these circumstances.
hope these tidbits maybe helped, again cool background.

[Just_Me]

I think my point came out of some fluff I read that commisars were not usually attached to regiments from their own homeworld, so as to reduce the likelyhood they would soft-out on their own people (maybe from a Cain novel).


-i too have read commissars are not posted to regiments from their homeworld, the idea being they bring a fiercely objective observance and application of imperial law to the unit.

Actually, I am glad you two brought this up, because you have got me thinking about it, and the more I do the more unusual it seems. I still like the idea that a regiment raised on a world housing a major Schola Progenium facility would include many stormtroopers (or their equivalent) and many Commissars, but it deserves some more thought. Long story short, I think something there has to change or be explained better, but I'm not sure what yet, I will have to come back to this...



-organizationally speaking (at least in modern terms) a brigade is going to be an amalgamation of regiments or other units. so say two regiments would be a brigade, or the better part of one regiment plus assests from other units would form another. my first deployment for example we were part of regimental combat team 2 headed by elements of 2nd marines, though 1/7 is not part of 2nd marines. the army uses the actual term "brigade" in these circumstances.

You are of course correct, that was my error, and I should know better I meant to say "battalion" not "brigade" a but got my wires crossed somewhere along the line. Thanks for picking that up for me.

[travinius]

really you could go with brigade. napoleon's armies earlier on included brigades and demi-brigades numbered sometimes exclusively in company strength. so a demi- brigade may be organized into ten or so companies eschewing battalion organization. those companies would of course be unrecognizable by today's standards, but who's to say your boys don't employ a similar organization? perhaps the title or "regiment" is largely cerimonial or even administrative and their functioning structure is something rather less orthodox by imperial standards? either way you go it is a pretty solid bit of background you've concocted. cheers!

[Just_Me]

Well that's true, it's pretty clear that "regiment" is just a catch-all for guard units, it's just what the Munitorium calls any single guard force they raise, regardless of numbers or composition.

[LadasN]

I too remember reading something about commissars not being allocated to units from their own homeworlds (though the source escapes me at this time). However, if you're looking for something that MIGHT help you back your commissars up it could be from a quote in the current codex that goes along the lines of:

"Rigid adherents to the imperial creed, their dedication to the service of the Emperor overrides any feelings of compassion, mercy or common humanity for the men they must lead in battle."

You could say that this drive makes your regiment less worried about their commissars going soft on their troops when from the same world. Just an idea though.

Great background, it makes sense in regards to 40k's time but still has something all its own to distinguish it from the myriad of other guard regiments. Awesome work.