Kelian Heavy Rifles

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(To be added)

## Other information

### **Specialty**

Siege Warfare, Long-range fire fights, defence against berserker charges, fire support for other infantry formations, urban combat

## Commanders

### **Notable Commanders**

Captain ZidykColonel Figh Rym

The **Kelian Heavy Rilfes** are the elite heavy infantry and siege infantry regiments of the Astra Militarum that hails from the world of Kelian Prime. Regiments of the Kelian Heavy Rifles are called in when the Imperium need heavy infantry based fire support and to besieging something. Squads from the Kelian Heavy Rifles have a relativly high number of members equipped with Bolters albeit those are more lighter than the ones of the Space Marines and use more explosives in them and come in a varity of specialists bolts. When not parttaking in sieges deliver their soldiers fire support for other infantry formations who lack Hellguns and Bolters.

## History

The Human population of Kelian Prime was one of the few worlds in the Leman Sector to survive the Age of Strife but fell back into semi-tribalism. Large groups of survivors formed so-called bands who had relativly strict structures. Unlike the tribes formed on other planets had the Kelian Prime tribes keept the knowledge about most civilised concepts with only small "damages". Even a noteworthy industry producing proto-Hellguns and Boltguns were keept running. Reintroduction to modern civilisation needed only 2 to 3 generations.

Finding out which formation they were took long for the Kelian Heavy Rifles and maybe it is still not concluded. Kelian Regiments changed from normal Infantry Regiments over to Light Infantry to Mechanised Infantry. The reformation as Heavy Infantry and Siege Infantry Regiments was done in M40 but the Bolter Boys feel more confortable with being a Heavy Infantry Regiment than being a Siege Infantry Regiment meaning that another reformation may come one day.

## Notable Campaigns

* **Siege of Yonnas II (unknown.M33):** First recorded battle of the Kelian Heavy Rifles, although earlier engagements were recorded without a date or place. A well recorded siege of the Hive World of Yonnas II only the exact date is unknown. The seven Regiments took part in suppressing a mercenary revolt on the planet.
* **Defiance of Thaat (222.M37):** A Kelian Heavy Rifles Regiment the 111th Downhunters forcefully converted the feral population on Thaat. Imperial hand weapons were enough to obliterate the native super-fortress.
* **Siege of Hive Locosio (534.M41):** Tzzench cultist had in the year of 534.M41 the Hive City Locosi on Lataran conquered and used guerillia tactic against the advancing Imperial forces. Kelian Heavy Rifles fought them for an year conventional in the Hive City and dealr for a time with their guerillia warfare until the Inquisition partly flooded Locosio with poison gas and lava.
* **Siege of Myss (090.M42):** As an part of the Indomitus Crusade fought 12 Regiments of Kelian Heavy Rifles on an Ork Fortress World. An Ork Warband has constructed on Myss large settlements capable of producing mass numbers of Orks who were protected by large anti-vessel weapons rarely seen to be built by Orks. The siege was started by Death Watch Teams and Storm Trooper Companies sabotaging most of the guns. All Ork settlements were so strong that orbital support had to bombard them before the ground units were able to clear them.

## Homeworld

Kelian Prime is a semi-desert/arid world with many oasis and green areas with enough water to supply 350.000 people. Most cities have a few hundred thousands of inhabitants with the few Hives having a population of ten millions of people. Local farms and hydrocultures can produce adequate ammounts of rice to feed the population while the industry produces mainly civilian goods like soap or pottery. A famouse product is the Kelian Steel a sort of steel with adamantium and alloys used for cerimonial weapons, objects or for the equippment of veterans. Kelian Steel is also used for trimming the weapons of their Regiments.

## Regimental Structure

### Ranks

* **Major General**
* **General**
* **Colonel**
* **Major**
* **Captain**
* **Lieutenant**
* **Second Lieutenant**
* **Warrant Officer**
* **Seargent**
* **Corporal**
* **Trooper**

### Structure

* HQ - 3.300 men
* Artillery Company - 300 men
* Scout Company - 300 men
* Engineer Company - 500 men
* 2x Veteran Companies - 1.200 men (600 per Company)
* 12x Infantry Companies - 10.800 men (1.200 per Company)

Each Company is divided in 5 Platoons who are themself divided into 5 Squads: 3 combat Squads, 1 heavy weapons Squad and 1 command Squad. For operational cohersion are the Companies sorted into combat groups when needed lead by a Major. An Artillery Company has 30 heavy artillery pieces and 10 light ones with 100 Servitors as support. Commissars can use onw Chimeras or even tanks. Per Regiment are 3.540 vehicles added.

## Wargear

* **Hellgun**
* **portable energy generator**
* **Laspistol**
* **2 Laspistol Charge Packs**
* **Bayonnet**
* **Sword** - officers or veterans
* **Combat Knive**
* **Weather Gear**
* **Rucksack**
* **Entrenching Tool**
* **Basic Toolkit**
* **Mess Kit & Water Canteen**
* **2 weeks' Rations**
* **Blanket & Sleep Bag**
* **Rechargeable Lamp-Pack**
* **Grooming Kit**
* **Dog Tags**
* ***Infantryman's Uplifting Primer***
* **Micro-Bead**
* **Grenades**
* **Cathapract Combat Armour**

## Training and Recruitment

Kelians are recruited via different ways into the Kelian Heavy Rifles. A common way is to draw from a pool of willing and fit volunteers who can report themself at the next recruitment station. Or through rounding up potential recruits from groups like mercenaries, hunters or private militias. When in training have the recruits to survive three hell-weeks in a two year training program. Basic and advanced training modules rotate giving the recruits a variety. Specialists and officers have a longer training and are quite often taken from combat units who have already seen combat to find the best candidates for their jobs.

## Culture

Kelian Guardsmen have internalised their combat doctrine of massive fire power with a high rate of fire and with a good accuracy. Each soldier specialise themself in either categories: fire power, fire rate or accuracy. Meaning they spent their personal training time to increase their skill in the chosen category. Melee combat and ranged fire are rare categories to be chosen by the Kelians. Guardsmen and officers have a rater good relation with each other, although the reality of the Astra Militarum prevents understanding between officers and soldiers to reach deep levels

## Combat Doctrine

Kelian Regiments use the superior firepower doctrine to win battles. Heavy artillery destroyes enemy positions and walls and the infantry uses breaches and weakpoints to crash through. Enemy resistance and counter-attacks are drowned by heavy lasfire and bolter rounds. Tanks and armoured vehicles transport them to a battlefield and fortify a base positions. The Kelian Heavy Rifles cooperate often with other Regiments like Artillery Regiments, Jumpback Infantry or mechanized Infantry for enlarging the power of an attack. If pushed in the defensive relay they on firing lines in trenches delivering massive firepower and on localised fire superiority.

## Notable Regiments

* **11th Kelian Heavy Rifles Regiment "Downhunters":** Known for their subjugation of the natives on Thaat in 222.M37 when the natives rebelled against attempts to convered them. Also known for their combat mission against the Hruds hidden in the sewearge of Hive Detrach on Denebe VI giving them their nick name.