Arali Siege Sappers

## Arali Siege

The Insignia of the Arali Siege Sappers

The Uniform of the Arali Siege Sappers

The **Arali Siege Sappers** are the Astra Militarum regiments that hail from the industrial trade world of Arali. Primarily recruited from the planet's Trade Guild Families who operate as the Regiment's officers while various gangs and travelers are rounded up to make up the foot troops.

## Arali Siege

### Homeworld

A lifeless planet with an economy centered around gambling. Aside from a few uranium mines, gambling is the only industry on the planet, and with few resources and a poisonous atmosphere, loose gaming laws are the only reason this backwater colony exists. A small rocky planet with a toxic atmosphere of 83% carbon dioxide, 10% oxygen, and 6% nitrogen. The planet is famed for the many terraces that look as though they have been 'carved' into rock faces. An extensive network of caves also exists. While many people insist that these structures are not natural and must have been made by intelligent lifeforms, there is no actual evidence of this. In fact there is no evidence of life ever having existed on the planet besides these strange rock formations. When a nearby inhabited planet suffered a catastrophe, the caves were sealed off from the atmosphere and converted to serve as an emergency refugee camp. Many of the survivors still live there today, having converted the caves and tunnels into a vast underground city.

## Regimental Organisation

### Officer Ranks

* **Colonel**
* **Major**
* **Captain**

### Non-Commissioned Officers

* Regimental Sergeant Major
* Sergeant
* Corporal

### Typical Arali Siege Sapper Regiment

**Major (Executive Officer)**
**Regimental Sergeant Major**
**Command Staff**
**Munitorum Clerks**
**2nd Infantry Company**
**3rd Infantry Company**
**4th Infantry Company (Sapper)**
**5th Infantry Company (Mechanized)** | **6th Infantry Company**
**7th Infantry Company**
**8th Infantry Company**
**9th Infantry Company (Sapper)**
**10th Infantry Company (Mechanized)** | **11th Infantry Company**
**12th Infantry Company**
**13th Infantry Company**
**14th Infantry Company (Sapper)**
**15th Infantry Company (Mechanized)** | **16th Infantry Company**
**17th Infantry Company**
**18th Infantry Company**
**19th Infantry Company (Sapper)**

## Regimental Recruitment & Training

The harsh Arali Siege homeworld conditioned the Arali psychology for toughness just as it did the body. Arali have always had a tendency to be selfish, unsympathetic, and blunt. They respect strength and self-reliance and are neither surprised nor offended by treachery. Their worst insult is to call someone "not worth killing". Most Arali trust and serve no one but themselves. This solitary attitude stems in part from a deep sense of fatalism and futility. The Arali live with a generally violent and short-sighted attitude of personal gain. Their version of cooperation is reflected in one of their sayings: "Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you will find a friend."

## Regimental Combat Doctrine

Traditional Arali tactics are built on attritional mass-unit warfare. Equipped with cheap, rugged gear, troop formations were powerful but inflexible. Command and control was very centralized; soldiers in the field who saw a target contacted their commanders behind the lines to arrange fire support. To a Arali Commanders, killing is a science. They focus on developing clean, brute-force economy of motion that exploits their brutal strength to incapacitate enemies with a swift single blow of overwhelming power. They are callous and brutal, but methodical and disciplined. They use any means at their disposal to achieve their goals, no matter how reprehensible. Hostage-taking and genocide are acceptable means to ensure a quiet occupation with few Arali casualties.

Arali military doctrine has a different take on what "scouting and reconnaissance" means. While other Regiments scouts prefer stealth and discretion in carrying out their tasks, Arali Seige scouts instead opt to deal psychological warfare when they find the enemy by way of occasional harassment or intentionally exaggerating their numbers. The reasoning is that it is a lot easier to count enemy numbers when some of them get blown up.

Arali are known as siege sapper specialists. Methodical planning for finding a stronghold's weakness is premier for Arali Siege success for when found all sorts of further weakening such a point is applied before directing a brutal but swift taking of a point, breaking sieges.

## Wargear

* **Mjorn Pattern MkVII** - A standard pattern Lasgun used by the regiments of the Astra Militarum in the Ishtar Subsector. A variant of the M35 M-Galaxy Short Pattern lasgun produced by Mjorn
* **4 Mjorn Pattern M1 Power Pack**: Charge packs are the powerful batteries used for all Imperial laser weapons, which varies in both size and output, depending on the classification of the weapon. M1 works by having several firing chambers arranged in a circle in a cylindrical block that are brought into alignment with the firing mechanism and barrel one at a time. As each energy camber is align the others charge giving the firer much longer length of time of usage before replacement. This provides a low power capacity per power cell in the pack and a low shot rate for las designs but ability for continuous precise fire over a long engagement.
* **Mono-Knife** - The Mono-Knife is a one-handed melee implement that is one variant of the ubiquitous back-up melee weapon for warriors all across the Imperium, be they lowly hive scum or the elite soldiers of a Planetary Governor. Some, such as the Catachan Fighting Knife, are designed for a specific purpose, whilst others are more generic in nature.
* **2 Frag Grenades** - Frag Grenades use a combustible charge and special fillers of shrapnel fragments which make them potent anti-personnel weapons. Imperial Frag Grenades are roughly the size of a clenched fist and covered with a heavily notched shell, both to increase the shrapnel produced and provide a more secure grip for throwing.
* **3 Smoke Grenades** - Smoke Grenades release a dense smoke which only obscures basic eyesight and optical based systems. They do not block detection systems that use heat or other spectral bands outside of normal human eyesight, but are much more widely available and easier to construct.
* **Arali Pattern Flak Armor**: A light and relatively simple form of body armour used by the military forces of the Imperium of Man. It is used as standard issue body armour. A few layers of ablative and impact absorbent material go into making each suit, enough to deflect or negate most low-level attacks such as small arms and shrapnel.
* **Respirator** - A simple breathing mask that covers the nose and mouth or entire face, these offer much better protection than filtration plugs and are used by the troops of the Arali Siege Sapper in hive and toxic environments or during attacks by chemical or even biological weapons.
* **Webbing** - A Arali Siege Sapper soldier's webbing and belts are made of whatever material is readily available, while officers are made of leather. This harness is used to hang general equipment, pouches, water canteens, scabbards and holsters.
* **Micro-Bead** - This short-range communication device is worn in the ear and is utilised for short-range communication (usually about one kilometre, depending on weather conditions and terrain). These devices fit securely and discretely in the ear and often cannot be detected by a casual inspection.
* **Magnoculars** - Magnoculars are powerful vision aids that magnify distant objects. More advanced, high-quality magnoculars can also do such things as give range read-outs, detect heat sources, calculate target location positioning, and take pict-captures of a view for later analysis.
* **Poor Weather Gear**
* **Rucksack**
* **Basic Toolkit**
* **Mess Kit**
* **Water Canteen**
* **4 week's Rations**
* **Blanket & Sleeping Bag**
* **Rechargeable Lamp Pack** - Sturdy and reliable, these portable devices are used to help illuminate the darkness of a battlefield during inclement weather or occluded conditions, shining a highly luminescent, yellowish beam of light a dozen or so metres in width. A Lamp-Pack can be utilised for roughly five hours before its portable power pack needs to be recharged or replaced.
* **Grooming Kit**
* **Dog Tags**
* ***Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer*** - This is the standard-issue field manual that covers a myriad of topics as it relates to the upkeep and care of standard-issue equipment and covers a wide variety of topics; from the various Imperial Guard ranks, organization and structure, drill-and-ceremony as well as topics on survival, battlefield medical instructions and combat tactics. Those Imperial Guard troopers found without possession of this vital field manual often face severe punishment at the hands of their supervisors or attached Commissar.

## Notable Regiments

* **789th Arali Ironbreakers**: The Arali Ironbreakers earned their reputation as experts in breaching enemy fortifications during the legendary Battle of Ebon Bastion. Their relentless assault broke through the seemingly impenetrable defenses, securing a vital victory for the Imperium. A stylized shield and sledgehammer to symbolize their role as fortification breakers.

* **482nd Arali Tunnel Rats**: These sappers are known for their expertise in tunnel warfare. They played a critical role in reclaiming the Hive of Vaskoria, a massive underground city overrun by hostile forces. Their tenacity and knowledge of underground combat made them key contributors to the victory. A stylized tunnel entrance with a sapper's pickaxe.

* **893rd Arali Blazing Dragoons**: The Blazing Dragoons are a specialized Arali Siege Sapper regiment with expertise in using flame-based weaponry for breaching and cleansing enemy positions. They played a vital role in purging the xenos infestation on the volcanic world of Pyroxia. A stylized dragon breathing flames.

* **382nd Arali Barricade Breakers**: The Barricade Breakers are known for their role in dismantling and neutralizing enemy barricades and fortifications during urban warfare. They played a key role in liberating the Hive City of Vanthor from a mutant uprising. A stylized wrecking ball smashing through a wall.

* **164th Arali Breachwardens**: The Breachwardens are guardians of the Imperium's vital strongpoints and fortifications. They are responsible for repairing and reinforcing key positions, ensuring they can withstand prolonged sieges. A stylized gate being protected by a sentinel.

## Notable Arali Siege

* **Colonel Zara Typhos**: Known as The Iron Commander, She earned her moniker during the Siege of Hive Castrax when she orchestrated a series of devastating assaults, earning her regiment its reputation as expert siege specialists.

* **Lt. Inoke Arterius**: An extremely short-tempered and proud young man who always likes to think he is the strongest fighter in a situation, constantly challenging most people he comes across and wanting others to respect and praise him for his skill.

* **Sergeant Eden Williams**: Following her family's tradition, Eden enlisted in the Imperial Guard after high school and was assigned to the Recruit Training Depot. During training, then Private Williams was certified proficient with the standard-issue lasgun and light to heavy-weight combat suits. She also completed certification in zero-gravity combat aboard the Orbital Platform in geosynchronous orbit. For Hostile Environment Assault Training, she was awarded a commendation for her bold assault technique in a field exercise simulating an attack on defense emplacements.

* **Private Elyra "Pyroclasm" Thorne**: Private Thorne is a member of the Arali Blazing Dragoons, specializing in incendiary warfare. She became known as "Pyroclasm" after her valiant actions during the Cleansing of Pyroxia, where her flame-based weaponry turned the tide against a horde of rampaging daemons.

## Regimental Appearance

Arali Siege Sappers wear practical and durable uniforms suitable for siege warfare and mass combat. Their standard attire includes camouflaged fatigues designed for rugged terrain. Many Arali Siege Sappers bear scars or signs of battle experience, reflecting their gritty and often perilous service. Battle-worn appearances are a common sight among them.

### Regimental Insiginia

The background of the insignia is a stylized fortress shape to symbolize defense and fortification. At the center of the fortress, a depiction of a stylized tunnel, partially obscured by rubble, symbolizing their expertise in underground warfare and sieges. On either side of the tunnel, there are crossed sledgehammers to signify the regiment's role in breaching enemy fortifications. The primary colors of the insignia include earthy tones like dark brown and gray to represent the rugged terrain and caves of Arali.

## Notable Quotes

### By the Arali Siege

*Feel free to add your own*

"*We are the architects of ruin, the demolishers of strongholds. To us, no fortress is impregnable.*"
—Anonymous
### About the Arali Siege

*Feel free to add your own*

"*In the realm of attrition, the Arali Siege Sappers are the undisputed masters. Their unwavering determination turns the tide of battles that seem unwinnable.*"
—Lord Commissar Galen Starn, 32nd Cogger Hive Guard Infantry