Astral Griffons

Astral Griffons armorial with Legion iconography.

Astral Griffons Legion colour scheme.

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## Legion Organisation & Structure

### Legion Command Hierarchy

The Astral Griffons' command structure was largely based on the *Principia Bellicosa*; promising aspirants were singled out before implantation and put into reinforced training and indoctrination before becoming officers and specialists. Promotion from sergeant up to officership was rare (though not unheard of).

Within the framework of the *Principia*, the Astral Griffons had several types and sizes of units capable of independent operations:

#### Demi-Chapters (Commander)

The most common of these units were the Demi-Chapters, these were deemed by Childeric to be the most efficient logistically while still being able to successfully operate most compliances during the Great Crusade. Intended to spread out from the main thrust of the Griffons’ fleet, Demi-Chapters made use of Flotillas of fast-moving Cruisers and Strike Cruisers to bring the Imperial Truth to many worlds in a timely manner.
Composed of a Command and Armour Company, a Recon Company, three Battle Companies and a Reserve Company, Demi-Chapters were also the main constituent of Arch-Chapters.

#### Chapters (Chapter Master)

Chapters were rare in the Astral Griffons Legion - remnants of the XIIth’s organisation prior to the finding of the Primarchs, each had its own traditions and tactical doctrines that had developed in the developmental years of the Unification Wars and the opening of the Great Crusade. Through experimentation and whim of their Masters, unusual and exotic compositions had formed. The proliferation of shapes they took upset Childeric’s methodical sensibilities, and so he analysed extensive battle reports and studied compliance actions when given command of the Legion, eventually paring down the concepts that had been put in place to a single standard that could be made to fit most situations; but Alaric, while applauding his twin’s initiative, counselled against reforming the old Chapters into the newly formed “Demi-Chapters”, for he argued, they had already created a defined Esprit de Corps, and dismissing them would only serve to shape resentment between sons and fathers.
Chapters survive to this day, though they are a waning breed, with only eight of the original twenty remaining.

#### Arch-Chapters (Seneschal)

While Demi-Chapters are sufficient to conduct most campaigns asked of them, Childeric recognised that some foes would simply prove to be too tough to crack for such a small unit. As such, he instituted “Arch-Chapters” composed of two Demi-Chapters alongside support elements including armour centuries, flight wings and Destroyer detachments. Designed to be able to defeat any enemy the Griffons could be brought to face on their own, Arch-Chapters were theoretically standardised, but the inclusion of Chapters in lieu of Demi-Chapters in a few cases, and the diversity of mechanised elements offered to different Arch-Chapters meant that in practice each Arch-Chapter formed its own culture and fighting style that no officer or outsider could make them surrender.

#### Escort Squadron (Commodore)

The smallest of the Astral Griffons’ units likely to be encountered in the Imperium, Escort Squadrons were formed at the behest of Childeric in order to safeguard the most vital of shipments, whether on behalf of the Imperium, the Mechanicum, Rogue Traders, or occasionally for Outremon and the Legion itself. Including Escort Ships and an Escort Carrier, a full Breacher Company for repelling boarders and a Flight of Void Fighters, an Escort Squadron was unlikely to save a convoy from the largest capital ships of a galactic-level threat, but were perfect to protect them from raiding wolf-packs and pirates. Despite an assignment to an Escort Squadron being viewed as punishment detail to many in the Legion, Childeric would often exhort at great length the valuable duty they performed, much to his brothers’ chagrin and exasperation.

### Specialist Formations

* **Antrustiers** - Alaric's chosen men and bodyguard. Peerless fighters and gloryhounds, rarely do they go to combat with anything other than a jump pack and some form of sword.
* **Armillary Guard** - Elites of the Legion affected to the defense of Astral Griffons' Navigator Sanctums. In practice, few escort ships were ever granted a unit of this vaunted elite, while battleships sometimes had upwards of a score clad in Tactical Dreadnought Armour.
* **Cuirassier Strike Terminators** - Clad in Tactical Dreadnought Armour, the Cuirassiers are specialised in drop assaults, spear-heading orbital strikes to punch through defences to reach even the most heavily fortified of objectives.
* **Suppressor Fireteams** - Crewed-weapons infiltrators, setting up the likes of Heavy Bolters, Rotor Cannon or Sniper Rifles in concealed cover positions, who emerge to cover the advance of their armour and medium infantry.

## Legion Vehicles

* **Thunder-roc Dropfighter** - Built on the airframe of the Defier Nightfighter, the Thunder-roc is fitted with grav-clamps that allows it to bear into combat either an infantry transport pod, a Sabre-chassis light tank, a Tarantula Sentry-Gun or a bomb cluster.

## Notable Astral Griffons

* **Alaric Legaillant** - Co-Primarch of the Astral Griffons
* **Childeric Legaillant** - Co-Primarch of the Astral Griffons
* **Belegond Grandheaulme** - Fourth Captain, Astral Griffons' 3rd Division
* **Chimeon Biard** - Marksman, Green Division

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