Ground Forces of the Byzantine Imperium

=History of the Imperial Army=
From the very beginning of the Imperium, the Imperial Army has been an integral part of the defence of the Imperium. Tracing its origins from the Nova Terran Byzantine Empire, the Imperial Army is the oldest institution in the Imperium. When the Imperial-Tau war erupted, it was at the very forefront of the war, battling the Tau in innumerable battles, and beating back the Tau on many occasions. The Battle of Antioch was the bloodiest of the wars, with the Imperial Army fighting doggedly every inch of the way, causing the Tau many causalties which helped slow down the progress of the Tau. The retaking of Antioch saw the first deployment of the Adeptus Astartes who boarded and assaulted Tau warships and seized control of their vessels, and also assaulted key enemy positions on the ground and obliterated the enemy swiftly.
After the First Battle of Antioch, the Imperial Army was reformed into 4 seperate parts: The System Defence Force, the People's Defence Force, the Imperial Guard, the Titan Legions, and the Adeptus Astartes. The main role of the System Defence Force was the guard the realm, while the People's Defence Force and the Imperial Guard were to be the roving fist of the Emperor. The Titan Legions were to be provide critical fire support in places where their fire support was required, while the Adeptus Astartes were employed to launch lightning raids and fast mobile assaults on the enemy. These saw fruit during the Great Crusade, where the Tau were systematically beaten back and destroyed, culminating to the Battle of T'au where the Imperial Army's star was at the zenith. On T'au, the Imperial Guard outmaneuvered and crushed the Tau army, while the Astartes took on the Tau head-on and destroyed even most powerful of the Tau units and obliterated and captured most of the Tau High Command. The Titan Legions systematically tore down the ground defences of Tau, allowing the Imperial Guard and the PDF to break through. Supporting air units also bombed the Tau to submission. When the Great Crusade was over, in honor of the Imperial Army's contribution, a great Triumph was held on Terra where ranks upon ranks of Imperial Army units marched through the Great Arch of Heraclius to the cheers of a millions strong crowd.
Today, the Imperial Army remains an important component of the defence of the Imperium. Ever vigiliant against attack by the enemies of the Imperium, they will always receive excellent equipment and upgrades to ensure they can always fight any enemy and destroy him utterly.
=People's Defence Force=
Total Men: 148,500,000 (4950 points)
75000 per $1, 2.5x kit modifier
The People's Defence Force is generally regarded as the second lowest in the Imperial Army hierachy. The lowest of course is the System Defence Forces. The People's Defence Forces however, consists of professional troops which are generally well-equipped enough to take and hold territory. They use similar equipment to the Imperial Guard, though their personal gear are generally of lower quality. Otherwise, they share a great number of commonality with the Imperial Guard, except that they operate relatively fewer Superheavy Tanks. Nevertheless, many of the best units in the PDF are promoted to the Imperial Guard if the Army High Command judges the units worthy of promotion. Nevertheless, it would be foolish to think that the PDF are complete walkovers when fighting with most enemies.
=Imperial Guard=
Total Men: 50,000,000 (4000 points) 
40,000 per $1, 3.2x kit modifier
The shock infantry and armor of the Imperium, the Imperial Guard is the armored mailed fist of the Emperor. Well equipped with some of the finest infantry personal armor and shield, equipment and weapons, the Imperial Guard is an incredibly mobile force, with plenty of tanks, superheavy tanks and infantry fighting vehicles available. The Imperial Guard varies from highly specialized units such as reconnaissance and special forces, to standard infantry and armored battalions. The Imperial Guard has entire superheavy tank brigades which are among the most feared armor units to be ever fielded. Dedicated breakthrough units, their sheer firepower tear up enemy lines with ease, and they form a strong bulwark of defence against attacks by say, swarming Karlacks.
Most Imperial Guard infantry and tank brigades were PDF brigades that were given Guards status for their excellent combat record. Only the best tank brigades are allowed to command the superheavy tanks. Such is the elite nature of the force that they are often used as part of the rapid response forces to the latest trouble spots.
It should be noted however, that of the 50 million Imperial Guard, some 5 million of the Imperial Guard are often dedicated commandos who serve the Inquisition. Their role and mission profile is highly classified, and there are rumors that they are highly involved in anti-psyker operations.
==Imperial Guard Equipment==
===Assault Rifles===
The Imperial Guard has access to a wide variety of rifles or pistols, deployed as according to the combat situation. From higher powered las-rifles, to plasma rifles, to even bolt guns built for Imperial Guardsmen use. Bolt guns are really rail guns and are lighter than the tripod mounted variants or the Astartes versions. Assault rifles can also come equipped with rocket propelled grenade launchers. There are of course specialist weapons such as sniper variants of las-rifles and plasma rifles, as well as heavy sniper weapons which are used to kill high profile targets. Such heavy sniper weapons, be they energy based or projectile based, or even warp based, are designed to penetrate hard armor and shielding.
Imperial infantry weapons are designed in mind to be durable, reliable and easily maintained on the field. They generally lack complexity compared to other weapons used in certain nations, but that is the design goal. Imperial weapons are designed in mind that any infantry man can be easily trained to use and maintain the weapon and to master the weapon. Simplicity also ensures that the weapons are easily mass produced. Infantry weapons are continually refined and improved across the centuries. A weapon produced now, would offer greater efficiency and efficacy compared to a weapon used in the Great Crusade. Nevertheless, because of the durability and reliability of Imperial weapons, it is not unheard of that rifles used in the Great Crusade are still functioning centuries later.
===Guard Personal Armor/Shield===
Employing armor that is resistant to a variety of weapons, the Imperial Guard armor is a full body suit seals the user within and ensure he's well cooled and insulated from the elements. It also thus provides protection against nuclear and biological and chemical attacks. A small personal shield may be installed to provide added protection. It is to some extent a powered armor, but it isn't of the same level as the Astartes armor. Every suit of armor also comes with a Battlefield Immersion system that gives soldiers an excellent overview of the terrain and environment and allows them to communicate with their fellows or receive instructions from their commander.
===Melee Weapons===
Melee weapons are generally power weapons not too dissimilar to the Astartes power weapons. Sheathed in a space-time warp field, these weapons shatter inter-molecular bonds when they strike enemy materials, and can damage the hardest of armors, and energy shields as well.
===Grenades===
Standard fragmentation grenades, along with HE grenades for harder targets. It is possible that an Imperial Guard soldier might bring along a kiloton nuclear weapon if so required.
==Imperial Guard Armor==
The Imperial Guard is well equipped with armor. Each vehicle is equipped with C4ISR equipment, to allow for maximum awareness of the battlefield, and for excellent communications.
===Varangian Rus Tank===
Named after the Strategos Primus himself, the Varangian Rus tank was the original main battle tank of the Imperium, before further improvements were made into the design and that improved tank is the Exarch tank. Conceived as a tank which was fast, rugged and easily maintained and repaired, the tank served well through the Great Crusade. The tank still finds service in many System Defence Forces, and perhaps the PDF, and remains a formidable tank in its own right. It has access to the same armaments the Exarch tank can use, but has less armor and speed than the newer tank.
===Exarch Tank===
The Exarch Tank is the premier main battle tank of the Imperium. Well armored, fast, and versatile, these ships are excellent anti-armor vehicles, and versatile enough to be infantry support vehicles. The tank is equipped with a battlefield replaceable turret and power pack, thus allowing it to be armed with a variety of weapons, from rail guns, las-guns, plasma guns, to even heavy Gatling Bolters or Assault cannons for infantry support. The tank can also be outfitted with side sponsoons which afford additional firepower. These sponsoons can be either plasma guns, bolters, or las-guns. Missile racks can be mounted behind the turret if so desired, though not recommended. A hover tank variant does exist, but it sacrifices some armor for speed. As expected, the tank uses anti-gravity suspensors to lighten the tank, or it would otherwise be immobilised.
===Testudo IFV===
The Testudo IFV is the standard bread and butter IFV for the Imperial Guard. Using the Exarch Tank chassis, it affords excellent protection against most enemy fire, and carries one Imperial Guard squad. A command variant exists to give Infantry commanders additional command and control equipment to coordinate their troops. All equipment is held internally of course.
===Sonnar Artillery vehicle===
The Sonnar Artillery vehicle is the bog standard rocket artillery vehicle in the Imperial Guard. It uses the same chassis as the Baneblade superheavy tank or the Exarch main battle tank. Capable of carrying a variety of rockets, from high precision anti-tank rockets, nuclear armed rockets, to even warp missiles, the artillery vehicle is ubiquitous through out the Imperial Guard, raining fire from above to vanquish its enemies.
===Kondensator Artillery vehicle===
This may be the 35th century, but there are still provisions for indirect gun fire vehicles. Essentially a 1 meter diameter and a 20m long rail gun, the Kondensator Artillery vehicle hurls guided projectiles at incredible velocities and strikes the ground hundreds of kilometers away. When the Imperial Guard or PDF want to lay down fire fast and quick, this is the weapon of choice. It uses a Baneblade chassis to move this monstrous gun around on the battlefield.
===Baneblade SuperHeavy Tank===
The Giant of the Battlefield, second only to the monstrous Astartes Nihilus Superheavy tank, the Baneblade is the primary superheavy tank of the Imperial Guard. It comes in two variants: one variant that can mount a railgun turret or plasma lannce turret, and another that mounts the mighty warp lance. These tanks are equipped to take on any lesser tank and simply blast it to pieces. They carry an immerse amount of secondary firepower, from fast tracking lascannons to Gatling bolters, and a small mortar rail gun on the front. Warp lance equipped models are typiccally used in siege action, where their immerse firepower can be used to batter down enemy defences. More recent models are now powered by a micro-rift generator that supplies power to the tank. They are an asset to any Imperial Guard army, and each division typically has a battalion of these behemoths. The tank also carries a small battery of general purpose missiles that grant the tank the ability to fire over the horizon. Armor comes in the form of Void shielding, and neutronium armor and heat dissipative armor. Active defences in the form of point defence weapons also grant the tank the ability to handle saturation attacks. Like all tanks, it carries its own anti-gravity generator, of which otherwise, the tank would be unable to move.
These tanks tend to carry a wide range of command, control and communication facilities and serve as command vehicles for brigade and division commanders, allowing them communicate to anyone in the division, and access intelligence resources.
===Hellstorm SuperHeavy Tank===
The IFV variant of the Baneblade, it can carry as many as 4 Infantry squads, and carry the feared Hellstorm bolter cannons, which essentially is a naval bolter point defence turret fitted onto the Baneblade chassis. This particular variant was extremely useful when dealing with the Karlacks and the Bragulans, who favour swarm tactics. It shares the same armor and defensive systems as well as missile launchers as the Baneblade Superheavy Tank.
===Ordinatus Superheavy Artillery===
The King of Artillery, Mistress of the Battlefield, this massive artillery piece is a siege artillery piece used to level entire cities, bringing the Wrath of the God Emperor to all who defy his Will. Ordinatus Superheavy Artillery pieces can either be armed with a Warp lance, a plasma lance or a massive rail gun firing a variety of munitions. Either way, they would rain death on the enemies of the Imperium.
===Mobile Air Defence===
These vehicles are a collection of vehicles that mount either anti-air guns or anti-air missiles and would provide theater level defence against enemy air units.
===Mobile Void Shield===
A mobile Void shield is essentially a collection of vehicles that provide theater level void shield protection against threats from superheavy artillery or light orbital bombardment.
===Mobile Fortress===
Designed to be a command center for local Imperial Guard operations, the Mobile Fortress serves as a nerve center for the Imperial Guard, and the Imperial Guard Strategos directs his armies from a heavily armored Mobile Fortress, ringed with defensive turrets and missile launchers.
==Imperial Guard Air Support==
===Sputnik Suborbital Drone===
A small drone that is suborbital in nature, these are deployed for a variety of uses, including intelligence, ECM/ECCM, beyond visual range targeting, or even to assassinate enemy commanders.
=Titan Legions=
Total: 10 Legions (2000 points)
Cost: 200 points each
==Overview==
The Titan Legions consists of giant sized mechanized armored bipedal vehicles. By using inertial dampners, powerful machinery and power generators and the most advanced armor technologies, the Titans are powerful fire-support platforms that could break down the strongest defences, or the strongest oppostion. The Titans are walking giants whose size inspire such fear on the battlefield, that most enemies would simply flee from them. They typically carry large cannons in two arms, and a host of other weapons in various hardpoints. Some Titans may even carry melee weapons which can be used to smash down the strongest fortifications. The largest Titans carry firepower equal to a small corvette. Their armor and Void shields allow them to soak up considerable punishment as well. Newer generation of Titans incorporate the latest technologies, such as rift power generators, and they will likely continue to be in Imperial service for centuries to come.
A Titan Legion would be centered around an Imperator Titan (50 points), followed by 4 Warlord Titans (80 points), and 10 Jackal Titans (50 points), and finally 20 Warhound Titans (20 points).
While some may argue that their size makes them vulnerable to orbital bombardment and some anti-air weapons, proponents point out that low flying warships are even more vulnerable to anti-air fire, and orbital bombardment is a general menace for ground troops. The purpose of the Titan Legions is to provide capital scale firepower for ground forces, and they fulfill that role quite satisfyingly.
==History==
The first Titan Legions were fielded in the retaking of Antioch. They were still under construction during the First Battle of Antioch and were only available when the Emperor Heraclius XX led his fleet to retake Antioch. The Titan Legions simply plowed through the ruined cityscape and tore through Tau defences with efficacy. The Tau's hopes of bogging down Imperial forces were simply dashed as Imperial forces showed no compunction in sending these monstrous war machines smashing through the city to destroy any Tau fortification.
Subsequent battles saw the Titans deployed on Tau fortress worlds and sector capitals where their firepower was sorely needed, especially when the Imperial Navy was heavily engaged fighting Tau naval forces and were thus unable to provide orbital support to Imperial forces. At the Battle of G'sava, the Titans of the Legio Ignii Kontos unleashed a furious bombardment on the Governor's fortress that collapsed the shields and opened the way for the Imperial Guard to storm the fortress and capture valuable intelligence. Ordinary infantry forces would have been otherwise incapable of accomplishing such a feat. At that same battle, the Titans of Legio Ignii Kontos destroyed entire swathes of Tau troops with their massive guns.
The worth of the Titan Legions was proven again and again, especially at the final battle at T'au. As the centuries progressed, the Titan Legions were again at the forefront of the battles against the Bragulans armies and the Karlacks. Their guns made a suitable impression on the Bragulans, who tended to either flee the march of the Titans, or unleash a fury of Titan sized atomic weapons to slow or destroy the Titans.
In more recent times, Titans were involved in the breaking of the palace of the Empress of the Multiverse Empire. The firepower of the Imperator and the Warlord Titans tore apart the shields of the palace, allowing Rus Komnenos to lead his armies to storm the palace.
==Titan classes==
===Imperator class Titan===
Cost: 50 points
The largest of all the Titans, these behemoths are essentially walking fortresses, ringed with many weapons either for defence or offence. Their two arms mount huge weapons comparable to those found on a corvette or frigate. They can be armed with warp guns, plasma guns or lance guns. They even incorporate a bolter/tachyon point defence cannons to protect them from air attack. They are often used to batter down the strongest defences, or to act as a strong point for Imperial troops to rally around. There are of course relatively few Imperator Titans compared to the other classes, but more are under construction and will enter service in the Emperor's name.
===Warlord class Titan===
Cost: 20 points
The second largest Titan, the Warlord class Titan may be smaller than the Imperator Titan, but it is far more agile, and is sometimes more favoured over the Imperator by the more hands-on Titan Princeps. Warlord Titans carry an impressive array of weapons, and they are often seen in close support to the Superheavy Tank formations, because of they are fast enough to keep pace with the tanks. They possess an array of heavy artillery cannons, either plasma or Warp, as well as their two arms which can carry either a melee weapon, or an energy weapon, depending what the Titan Princeps prefers.
===Jackal class Titan===
Cost: 5 points
The Jackal class Titan is a Titan that is generally favoured for urban assault. Smaller than the Warlord, but larger than the Warhound, Jackal Titans are fast and adroit in urban terrain, allowing them to give excellent close support to infantry assaulting cities. Jackal Titans can carry a wide array of weapons, from missiles, to Supernova plasma guns, to melee weapons. They can also be used for reconnaisance in force missions as well.
===Warhound class Titan===
Cost: 1 point
Warhound class Titans are generally used to scout ahead of the Titan Legion. Fast and agile and carrying firepower far exceeding that of a Superheavy Tank, these Titans often provide close support for the faster tank brigades lending their brutal firepower to Imperial troops.
Category:Byzantine Imperium
Category:Ground Forces