Bartok

## Military

Flavour: Sardonic Soviet military with a slightly Mad Max twist

The men and women of the Bartok regiments are capable of stripping down a locally manufactured Chimera and rebuilding it in less time than many soldiers take to get the vehicle’s engine started. Most of them are rugged, jaded survivors of the crumbling urban decay that blights Bartok and, as such, are skilled at operating in challenging environments, and at “acquiring” goods that they need to function effectively. This latter quality is particularly useful as Bartok is not noted for its skilled commanders.

Bartok is not a pleasant world for any of its inhabitants, but it is effective at producing large quantities of basic materiel and producing the soldiers to operate it. Much of the mechanised infantry regiments, which make up the majority of Bartok’s forces, is drawn from the Driver Guilds - the trade organisations that transport cargo around the treacherous world.

The planet does not have a strong independent military heritage compared with most of the other Hive- and Fortress Worlds in the sector and, as such, their command staff is severely lacking. When left to their own devices, the majors and colonels of Bartok - many of whom are imported from Primus - favour rolling artillery barrages and predictable frontal charges in most circumstances, often necessitating micro-management to avoid squandering their resources.

**Planet-wide favoured weapons**

Standard: K-38 lasgun, locally made autoguns for PDF

Special: Flamer, grenade launcher

Heavy: Mortars, autocannon

Officers: Autopistols, combat knives

Vehicle: Extensively mechanised with many Chimeras. Heavy flamers, heavy stubbers, autocannon

#### Typical regiment setup

* Home world: Mining colony (3pts) (tunnel rat is overground)
* Combat doctrine: Survivalists (urban ruins) (4pts), Iron discipline (3pts)
* Equipment doctrine:
* Drawbacks: Incompetent leadership (-5pts), Poorly provisioned (-4pts)
* Equipment (41 pts)

### 701st Wardrivers

Drawn primarily from the great Driver Guilds of Bartok, the 701st are a prime example of the planet’s military strengths and limitations. Solemn, dependable, and able to keep their machine spirits appeased under tough conditions; yet their training is less than perfect and their commanding officer could use several years back at the Schola Progenium.

Like most on Bartok, the Wardrivers know hardship. From their childhood spent playing in the crumbling skyscrapers and rusting vehicles, through their adolescence dedicated to working long shifts as junior crew on goods convoys travelling across the ash city wastes, and on past their early adulthood being abused in basic training; these soldiers gave up on giving a fuck a long time ago. Though not disciplined in the traditional sense - getting a respectable drill line out of them is challenging at best - they are stoic in the face of danger and perfectly willing to drive headlong into the jaws of death as long as they’re furnished with an adequate supply of lho sticks and homemade ploin juice schnapps.

The 701st are a little over 20,000 strong, give or take depending on recent casualties to vehicle fires, alcohol poisoning, and venereal disease. Each squad consists of 12 soldiers - sergeant, vox operator, two special weapon users (typically flamer + grenade launcher), and two four-person fire teams, all mounted in a Chimera. Three Chimeras, one with a Lieutenant leading the squad, make up a platoon. Three standard platoons with a command platoon make up a company. Command platoon consists of Captain in Salamander command vehicle (with mortar team, vox operator, and junior commissar), one Chimera carrying six heavy weapon teams with mortars and autocannon, one Chimera carrying two special weapons teams with heavy flamers and demo charges. Each company, including vehicle crews, is around 160 soldiers strong.

Their angry bastard of a Colonel does almost as much shouting as the senior commissar who rides along in his personalised Chimera.

* Home world: Mining colony (3pts) (tunnel rat is overground)
* Commander: Choleric (2pts)
* Regiment type: Mech infantry (3pts)
* Combat doctrine: Survivalists (urban ruins) (4pts), Iron discipline (3pts), Die hards (3pts)
* Equipment doctrine: Scavengers (3pts)
* Drawbacks: Incompetent leadership (-5pts), Poorly provisioned (-4pts)
* Equipment (30 pts)

	+ Good quality standard item (K-38 lasgun, 5pts)
	+ Filtration plugs (5pts)
	+ Survival suit (8pts)
	+ Favoured special weapon (flamer - 10pts)
	+ Poor quality lho sticks in standard kit (2pts)
* Chimera weapons: Autocannon turret; hvy flamer hull; hvy stubber pintle
* Chimera mods: Searchlight, ablative armour, track guards

### 396th Tank Rats

The Bartok manufactured Leman Russ Battle Tank is not an advanced machine of war but, to the members of the 396th Tank Rats, it is home. These brave soldiers live and die in their tanks, and come to love them despite their sputtering engines, frequently dud ammunition, foggy sights, and static-laden vox links. Most of the crews of the 396th are drawn from veteran crew and technicians of the mechanised infantry regiments - seasoned warriors and machine operators who have proven themselves worthy of the honour of operating a costly piece of materiel. Unfortunately, their command staff is still chronically under-skilled, making hull losses an all too frequent, and avoidable, occurrence.

The Bartok LRBT features sponsons as crew are in more plentiful supply than vehicles, so having two extra bodies on board helps cover losses due to mediocre ceramite armour. Heavy flamers are preferred thanks to their simplicity and utility in urban combat. Most vehicles do mount a heavy bolter as a hull weapon, although the scarcity of bolt ammunition means that standing orders are to not fire unless certain of hitting a worthy target. The general lack of ammunition leads Bartok crews to prioritise careful, precise first shots.

The majority of ranks in the regiment are cookie-cutter LRBTs assembled in the vast manufactory halls of Bartok. Basic electronics packages, optics, and unfinished barrels are shipped en masse from Lithex Dominus; the hulls, armour plating, and drive-trains are all produced locally. Bartok also produces a modest supply of Leman Russ Exterminators, used for an armoured recon company in the 396th. The well-connected regiment’s drunk of a commander leads from a Leman Russ Demolisher constructed on Lithex Dominus, with two multi meltas, heavy bolter, superior armour, and enhanced comms.

* Home world: Mining colony (3pts) (tunnel rat is overground)
* Commander: Fixed (1pt)
* Regiment type: Armoured (4pts)
* Combat doctrine: Survivalists (urban ruins) (4pts), Iron discipline (3pts), Sharpshooters (4pts)
* Equipment doctrine: Combat drugs (2pts)
* Drawbacks: Incompetent leadership (-5pts), Poorly provisioned (-4pts)
* Equipment (30pts)

	+ Filtration plugs (5pts)
	+ Survival suit (8pts)
	+ Magnoculars in standard kit (8pts)
	+ Autopistol + 2clips as sidearm (8pts)
	+ Poor quality lho sticks in standard kit (2pts)
	+ [1 pt over]
* LRBT weapons: Hvy flamer sponsons, hull hvy bolter, pintle hvy stubber
* LRBT mods: Searchlight, smoke launcher, track guards