180th Hornet Airborne Regiment

(To be added)

A Sergeant of the 180th 'Hornet' Airborne Regiment.

The **180th Hornet Airborne** is an elite Astra Militarum Regiment of Veteran Troopers who specialize in Hive City engagements, be it recapture, defense, or destruction.

Typically, when the Hornets are deployed, it is to either help recapture a Hive-city's key areas so that a normal regiment need not waste men slogging their way, taking weeks if not months to do so, or to destroy key parts of a Hive-City so that the enemy may not use it to their advantage.

A deployment of Hornets is preceded by heavy airstrikes from Lightning, Marauders, and Vultures, followed by Valkyries dropping off 3-10 squads of Hornets. After deployment, the ground units will be closely supported by CAS, usually Vultures or Vendettas, depending on the situation. If need be, they can request for vehicular support- ranging from Tauros for quick manoeuvres, Sentinels for helping support pushes, Chimeras for transport through heavy fighting, Hellhounds for burning out entrenched enemies, and Hydras for use in helping clear streets or buildings that tower higher than a normal Hellhound can aim at.

Being such a small regiment in terms of numbers, more of an Operations group, the Hornets tend to be deployed alongside other Regiments as support rather than sent in on their own.

Pilots of the Hornet regiment tend to be highly skilled as well thanks to the many Academies on Elleshan V, and often are decorated for their actions in combat, providing much needed close air support for the men on the ground. The pilots of the Valkyrie Transports are often some of the favorite members of the regiment, as without them, it would not be possible to even get to the battlefield.

## History

Elleshan V is a mountainous planet, with few valleys and one large ocean surrounding the main continent of Elleshan. Hive cities, albeit smaller than normal, dot around the valleys and some even sit on the sides of mountains. Presently, the main valley, known as the Viride Agris, is dotted with the stains of war long past- craters, old wreckages of many an aircraft, and fields of bones from a war that was fought on the planet centuries ago.

During the 39th millenium, a warp storm engulfed the system, leading to a massive rebellion of guard regiments that had begun to worship Chaos due to the taint and panic of the Warp Storm leaving them isolated. Half of the world was lost to them, including about half of the hive cities on the planet.

This led to many a battle taking place in the valleys between hive cities, and near the end, the Loyalist Elleshans found themselves with a problem- taking a Hive City was much more costly than a battle in the plains. That is where the Hornets were born, to retake or destroy a city to minimize casualties.

### Regimental History

Born out of a necessity to have troops able to move quickly around a Hive City's labyrinthine layout and retake key areas, the Hornet leadership was formed from, at first, those who were well versed with Hive City architecture. Troops were mainly volunteers and veteran pilots.

When a large enough force was created, they were sent on their first mission to retake Hive City Septum, the outer-most Hive City controlled by the Rebels. Armed with Lasguns only (at this time, the STC for Hotshot Lasguns was not on the planet), they were deployed after a massive amount of coordinated airstrikes on the city to open up as much as they could.

## Notable Campaigns

**Retaking of Elleshan V (Unknown Date.M38)**

* Hive City Septum
	+ With a company of about 10,000 trained men and the transports needed to move them, the First Company, Alpha Hive, was deployed on the first true mission of the Regiment's history. Casualties were lower than expected, thanks to the overwhelming firepower of the Elleshan Loyalist's in support. With a window open metaphorically speaking, First Company took their opportunity and sent all they had through the gap in the city's main defensive guns. Swiftly, the First Company deployed into the main spire of the Hive world and set about disabling the defenses they could reach from Central Command. Taken off guard, Alpha Hive was able to gain control of the main spire within a day, and the majority of the defense guns fell silent, allowing for more close air support. Within a week, the Hive City more or less fell, with only a few pockets of resistance holding out in the Underhive, but within months they were purged or convinced to rejoin.

* Hive City Octum
	+ After the resounding success of retaking the Central Spire of Hive City Septum, and the subsequent surrender by the rebel leaders stationed there, the Hornets were given respite to prepare for another assault. Some of the captured leaders had given them valuable intel on their next target: Hive City Octum. Hive City Octum was a decrepit and rundown Hive City, and had been slated to possibly collapse soon due to a rotting central support. With such an opportunity, 2nd Company was formed, and demolition experts along with the majority of First Company were deployed through a massive hole in the lower support wall of the city. Fighting through the underhive was messy- casualties were high and the men were without vital air support. However, they managed to get to the central support within a few hours of arrival, and planted the charges needed to bring the entire city crumbling down. Escape was easier than getting in, as a path had been cleared and a few Valkyrie pilots were able to successfully navigate inside to pick up the survivors. Casualties were devastating for the group, only 60% remaining made it out, and half of those were going to be in bed for days if not weeks.

* Warp Storm Lifted, Rebel surrender.
	+ After such a devastating attack, the Rebels began to splinter, some surrendering wholesale due to fear of the Loyalists being able to strike that deep and that precisely - however, the war ended swiftly after contact with the rest of the Imperium came in the form of a Rogue Trader arriving in orbit, the warp storm having cleared as suddenly as it arrived. With their ability to contact Segmentum Command, the Rebels soon after surrendered, and the Lockdown was lifted. Segmentum Command was shocked to find a world with such quality pilots and aircraft, and soon, the Elleshan Regiments and the Hornets were being shipped out across the Imperium, though the Hornets tend to be deployed as a whole minus trainees due to the overwhelmingly small number of them in comparison to a normal regiment.

**The Zypher Campaign (204.M41)**

* During the Zypher Campaign, the Raven Guard's combined forces included a good number of Hornet Pilots and the entire Hornet Regiment for assistance in taking Hive Cities.

**Battles against Hive Fleet Leviathan (997.M41)**

* During Hive Fleet Leviathan's incursion into Segmentum Tempestus, the Hornets were deployed all over the Segmentum to help ill-fated and ultimately fruitless efforts to help bring down Hive Cities and also evacuate Imperial Citizens ordered to flee by Inquisitor Kryptman. After the horrors witnessed, Lord General Thyme XCI personally requested that Segmentum Command provide any and all knowledge on fighting the Tyranids as possible.

## Regimental Organization

### Regimental Ranks

#### Officer Ranks

* **Lord General**
* **General**
* **Lieutenant General**
* **Major General**
* **Brigadier General**
* **Lieutenant Colonel**
* **Commander**
* **Lieutenant**

#### Non-Commissioned Officers

* **Sergeant Major**
* **First Sergeant**
* **Staff Sergeant**
* **Sergeant**
* **Corporal**

### Regimental Organization

The Hornets area a small group of men and women in comparison to the average Guard Regiment, totaling at most 20,000, though the numbers have at times been up to 30,000.

There are 5 Companies, each totaling 4,000 to 6,000 depending on the Company. For example, First Company on average has the most men as they are the front-line combat troops, whereas 2nd Company may have around half that number, and 4th Company tends to have the fewest. Fifth Company averages in the middle, normally around 2,500.

A squad of First or Second Company will average at about 10 men, and is lead by a Sergeant or higher ranking member (Sergeant is the aggregate term, their rank can be up to Captain at times). Fifth Company is often much smaller, numbering at most 6 men plus their Sergeant.

First Company, Alpha Hive, is the first ones in and the first ones out of any combat situation. Often, these are a mixed bag of new Hornets led by more veteran Hornet Sergeants and squads of men who are not yet high enough to join the Reserves. First Company is usually given some of the best wargear, or any new wargear that is cooked up to be tried with the Hornets and their unique style of combat.

Second Company is the Demolition team, the Home Wreckers, skilled engineers brought in to either build up temporary defenses or inserted to tear down key parts of a Hive City to bring it crumbling down, allowing no tools of the Imperium to fall to any those who oppose the God Emperor himself. Second Company is distinguished by being an inverse of the standard company colors, and on their shoulder sits a logo of an ancient Terran tool called the Sledgehammer. A man of second Company oft is given a mark of distinction depending on how many Hive Cities they have brought down- a tally mark on their trademark hammer.

Third Company, The Drones, is made up of the trainees and their trainers, the men seeking to become a Hornet. If they are deployed, it is usually the very last resort as they would be only comparable to a veteran squad of regular Guardsmen and do not tend to have the same equipment as the First Company. The Drone Trainees are distinguished from their brethren by the green stripe down the middle of their helmets, and their teachers by the black stripe down the middle of their helmets and their armor.

Fourth Company, Buzz Boys, is the vehicular experts and the company that Pilots of the 180th are assigned to. Vehicular experts will include gunners, drivers, and the mechanics of said vehicles as well as any Mechanicus assigned to the company. Fourth Company's pilots tends to not wear the standard uniform of the rest of the 180th, instead wearing standard flight suits with the 180th's logo. Mechanics and vehicle crews adhere to the same uniform as First Company, bar the fact they all wear sealed helmets with the visor green instead of yellow.

Fifth Company, the Killer Bees, are the Reserves group, and usually will be the last sent in. However, much like the Roman Legions, these men are far from the weakest or least experienced. To be a member of Fifth Company is to be the cream of the crop, veterans of multiple deployments as a Hornet and as such are usually the ones sent in to support a First Company deployment that is struggling. They are differentiated by the pure black uniform they wear and the polished gold of their guns- to see them on the battlefield means that Command is pulling out all the stops.

### Regimental Recruitment & Training

Hornets are guardsmen from other companies and regiments of the Elleshan Guard- to be chosen for the Regiment is a massive honor, for not just any Veteran is chosen- a Veteran must show excellent marksmanship, bravery and daring to be one of the Hornets.

Training involves Jump-Pack usage, extended marksmanship, and endurance training. Another area is knowledge of the basic structure of Hive Cities and, for the Second Company recruits, it will involve where and what it takes to make one come crumbling down.

Training usually is a grueling 4-5 month period (5 months if they are Second Company) period in which they train to be able to do their mission with as few casualties as possible- a Hornet is trained to pull back and call for support rather than attempt to crawl over the dead to achieve victory. Afterwards, the men and women are made full members of the Hornets, and assigned to a company and squad.

During training, a test is given to see if the Hornet Cadet has aptitude for marksmanship, demolition, or leadership. If a testee scores average, they are not moved, and placed into the normal Hornet role. Marksmen tend to be given training with a Long-Las and other longer range weaponry, and demolition skilled soldiers are made part of Second Company. The Home Wreckers tend to be deployed only in scenarios involving the complete destruction of a hive city, usually if the main Hornets cannot hold or retake the city with the numbers they have or if they lose vital air superiority/ support. However, to be an engineer means to be able to build as well as destroy, at least in the Hornets. If the Hornets are having to dig in for extended periods, the Homewreckers go against their namesake and are deployed in smaller numbers to help fortify positions for their 1st Company comrades.

Those with the aptitude to be a leader are placed in 3rd Company and given more training to make sure they aren't acting green on the battlefield. When they have proved themselves, Sergeants are placed in charge of squads who have lost their sergeant and given command of a 10 strong unit of men.

## Wargear

### Standard Regimental Kit

The standard regimental kit for a Hornet Drop Trooper:

* **Hotshot Lasgun (Lucius Pattern)** - The Hornets prize rapid fire over armor penetration, so they primarily use a Hellgun, or Hotshot Lasgun, as their primary weaponry.
* **4 Charge Packs for Hotshot Lasgun** - Each Hornet carries 4 charge packs, but there will be one member of the Squad (usually 6 men, but at times it can be 12 if the need arises) who will carry a backpack with extra ammo that is used when the 4 packs on an individual Hornet are emptied.
* **Combat Knife** - Elleshan Combat Knives given to the Hornets tend to have a gut hook style blade, allowing for prying open metal to sneak into hard to reach places.
* **3 Frag Grenades** - For when the enemy is in an entrenched position, a Frag will do the trick.
* **3 Krak Grenades** - Kraks are used when Frags simply don't do enough or when there is a vehicle in the way.
* **Cadian Imperial Guard Fatigues** - Borrowed from Cadian regiments, the Hornets have their armor painted Yellow and Black, though the exact hue varies depending on where they fight. Due to their usual AO being in a hiveworld, this helps to blend them into the smog clouds that tend to blot the sky dark.
* **Environmentally-sealed Storm Trooper Carapace Armour with Helmet** - Carapace Armor is the standard loadout, but on occasion they will use standard armor with added padding and armor plates to help increase survivability if weight is an issue. The suit is sealed to help keep out the toxic air that usually plagues the areas of a Hive City they land in. Second Company is always given sealed armor, as their job involves being in the worst areas in terms of toxicity.
* **Backpack Power Generator-** Heavy Weapons men of the squad use these backpacks to allow for sustained firepower on a point, and often are paired with Volley Guns if they are available.
* **Rucksack**
* **Basic Toolkit**
* **Poor Weather Gear**
* **Mess Kit and Water Canteen**
* **3 Days Rations-** A Hornet is never expected to be out in the field in combat for more than a few days at the most- Their job is similar to the Astartes in being a directed blow to an enemy versus the blunt hammer strike of the Astra Militarum at large.
* **Grooming Kit -** Rarely used, but if the engagement is expected to be a few days, this may be given out.
* **Ident-Tags ("Dog Tags")**
* **Micro-Bead-** The standard Micro-Bead is used primarily, though more often one of the squad will have a Radio backpack to allow for communication with Command and nearby air support.
* **Respirator** - As they operate primarily on Hive Worlds, the air can at times be extremely toxic- the ability to operate without dying from breathing the air is key.

### Optional Wargear

A squad of Hornets tends to have at least one marksman, support soldier with anti-vehicle weaponry capability (either Krak Nades or a Melta), an ammo carrier, a medic, and a trooper with a long range radio. Weaponry however can vary heavily depending on the situation. Therefore, there is different gear for the type of fighting the Hornets may face during their deployments.

* Shotlas- Illegally modified Lasguns, the Leadership of the Hornets understand the usage of it and it is only used in areas where close quarters is encountered more than ranges that a Hellgun would be best at.
* Lasguns (Multiple variants)- Usually, one of the squad will have a Longlas for long range engagements, or perhaps a standard Galaxy Lasgun with a Scope. Sometimes, they will utilize only standard Lasguns or a Bullpup variant. Again, it is highly dependent on the situation.

### Vehicles

* **Valkyries-** The main transport of the Hornets, the 180th's Valkyries often are much more armored than their standard counterparts. To compensate, the engines usually are equally upgraded to insure rapid movement, but at the cost of limited deployment time- a Hornet squad or company is either going in and getting out soon, or they are waiting on the relief force's transport to get them out.
* **Vultures-** Used to provide CAS for a squad or to soften up a target that is particularly difficult to crack. Not used against reinforced targets, as the Vendetta is better at that task.
* **Vendettas-** Used to break heavy targets like Vehicles or Bunkers, usually armed with Hellfury Missiles.
	+ All of the aircraft used by the Hornets is painted to match the smog-coated skies, and Valkyries have a Heavy Bolter or Autocannon mounted in the back that is used to cover troops as they offload. Vultures usually are armed with missiles and incendiary bombs they can drop on a target position if need be.

## Notable Guardsmen

* **Lord General Xavier Thyme:** The General who started the Hornets, he was made Lord General after the retaking of Hive City Septum and the destruction of Hive by Segmentum Command and awarded the Elleshan Gold Raptor (equivalent to Macharian Cross) for his meritorious leadership and tactical brilliance for his regiment's bold and daring actions. He may be a Lord General, but he has not allowed that to prevent him from deploying with his own men.

## Regiment Appearance

The Hornets standard look is jet black with a muted yellow Karskin camouflage pattern, reminiscent of Ancient Terran bees. The yellow is muted down to help the Soldier be able to blend in better with worlds they operate on - hive worlds coated in smog and grime.

However, they do have an alternative all black battle dress used for night insertions, as well as the usual olive drab outfit standard of most guard regiments.

## Allies

* **Adeptus Mechanicus** -

"*Most new things that the Mechanicus minds on Elleshan can think up is given to us Hornets for testing in combat... with varying levels of success. And for the tech boys, not nearly often enough.*"
—Lord General Xavier Thyme
* **Adeptus Astartes** -

"*What Regiment isn't happy to see a Space Marine on the battlefield? We Hornets tend to call these guys "The best kind of 'meat shield'," because they can take hits and usually tend to be the best distraction. Favorite ones are them Inceptor boys- they fight like we do. Land fast, hit hard, clear the way for the boys.*"
—Sgt Aster, 1st Company 3rd Squad
* **The Hawk Lords:**  -

"*These boys, bless em. After our own hearts, they are. Had the privilege of fighting alongside one of em in my Valkyrie once during a landing to take back a Hive City beset by Orks. Flyers were everywhere, zippin past and yet I didn't feel scared- I knew the best pilots in the Imperium had my back.*"
—Unnamed Hornet Pilot
* **Ardent Guards 1st Regiment ("Hidden" Recon Regiment):** -

"*These boys are great recon units, and give some of the best details on the targets that the we Hornets need when they are trying to help retake a Hive City... or destroy it.*"
—Lord General Xavier Thyme
* **Raven Guards:** -

"*Guerrilla style tactics? Deployment behind enemy lines to cause havoc and prevent casualties of the main forces? What is there to no love about those big boys?*"
—Lord General Xavier Thyme

## Gallery

180th Plasma GunnerGear for non-toxic environments.Melta Gunner180th Sergeant