18th Krieg Urban Warfare Regiment

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TBA

### **Colours**

The regimental standard is blue and red with translucent grey overtop, signifying the bloodshed in the cities below to reach the clear blue skies.Uniform and vehicle colours vary depending on who it is assigned to. Generally features grey.

## Commanders

### **Notable Commanders**

Lord Commissar Ashton Passchendaele
Commissar Patty Quentin

Commissar Maurice Verdun

The **18th Krieg Urban Warfare Regiment** (KUWR) is an Imperial Guard regiment belonging to the Death Korps of Krieg. Specialising in urban warfare, the regiment excels in urban environments and is able to secure victory in the streets of nearly any city they are thrown into.

## History

The 18th Krieg Urban Warfare Regiment was formed sometime in M42, with an exact date of formation being unclear. The regiment was formed with the explicit goal of fighting in urban environments following the events of the Siege of Vraks, among others. Several military officers and Administratum officials on Krieg had deemed the creation of a dedicated urban warfare regiment necessary due to the limitations of the typical attrition warfare doctrine that Krieg regiments were accustomed to.

## Regimental Organisation

### Regimental Recruitment & Training

The 18th KUWR recruits all of its troops from Krieg, the homeworld of the Death Korps of Krieg. There are multiple ways a Krieger can be recruited into the ranks of the 18th. Krieg Guardsmen who display heightened capabilities in urban warfare training will be noted by observers from the 18th, who will pass a list of candidates to their superiors. These superiors will select which Kriegers get pulled into the regiment for further training and evaluation. Should these Kriegers meet all of the requirements asked of them, they will officially be recruited into the regiment.

The 18th KUWR also uses older Guardsmen who can no longer serve as headhunters, going around to other Krieg regiments (often the ones that have been all but destroyed) to seek out particularly skilled Kriegers.

### Combat Doctrine

The 18th KKUWR wages war in a very different manner from most regiments that hail from Krieg. While Krieg regiments often fall on the tried and true methods of static warfare, mass infantry and armoured assaults, and winning through sheer attrition, the 18th KUWR focuses more on the training of elite troops and smaller vehicle concentrations to be capable of taking cities without levelling them entirely. Infantry teams provide support for the Chimera transports and Leman Russ tanks

### Specialist Infantry

Veterans, Engineers, and Grenadiers of the 18th KUWR make up a disproportionate number of the regiment's fighting strength. Roughly 67% of all 18th KUWR infantry fall under one of these titles.

Veterans are often nicknamed "Termites," which is a reference to their ability to chew through structures and enemy troops alike. Equipped with a wide array of special and heavy weapons, the 18th's Veterans are tasked with a variety of roles, including most of the frontline combat roles for the regiment. Each 18th KUWR Veteran is the product of years of combat experience, and has been further improved upon with advanced close-quarters combat training. For any unaugmented human, fighting hand-to-hand with an 18th KUWR Veteran is virtually a death sentence.

Veterans typically fight alongside the standard infantry, working alongside the younger, greener Guardsmen to clear the buildings and alleys. This tactic has proved to be extremely successful; the older Veterans can pass on their wisdom and protect the younger Guardsmen, while the Guardsmen can provide help with clearing buildings, scouting, and providing heavy weapons fire for the Veterans. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in the lifespan of 18th KUWR members and has also allowed for more Veterans to exist within the regiment. Veterans are also tasked with providing support for Grenadier teams when assaulting a stronghold, using their special weapons and lasguns to provide cover for the Grenadiers as they advance. Sometimes, the Veterans themselves will be called upon to assault a particularly strong fortification. This is a challenge most Veterans would refuse to turn down in most cases.

When the regiment needs smaller teams to conduct operations, they once again turn to the Veterans, who are more than capable of covert operations, infiltration, assassination, harassment operations, and sabotage operations. Many traitor commanders have had their heads vaporised by a bolt from a Veteran's sniper rifle, moments after their motor pool had exploded in a fiery blast caused by a Veteran demolitions expert who managed to slip in undetected. As of late, several of these Veterans have also served as bodyguards for Inquisitor Laelia Cimber as well, protecting her as she carries out her investigations.

18th KUWR Engineers serve an extremely vital role for the regiment; they build stuff, and they blow stuff up. Tasked with constructing and repairing fortifications, assaulting enemy positions, clearing out underground shelters and bunkers, and annihilating hardened enemy positions, the Engineers work alongside both the standard infantry to construct fighting positions, and the Veterans and Grenadiers to deal with the toughest of enemy positions. Engineers also work to create tunnels underneath the city streets to allow for safer and more covert troop movements. These tunnels will often intersect with existing tunnel and sewer systems, which can make traversing these tunnels as dangerous for the 18th KUWR as it is for the enemy. In the most dire of circumstances, the Engineers are responsible for deploying the 18th's chemical weapons, whether they are in the form of grenades or artillery shells.

Grenadiers are tasked with the toughest of the fighting the 18th takes part in. If a building is swarming with enemies and cannot be demolished, or if a pillbox in the middle of a street needs to be removed, the Grenadiers are sent to deal with the problem. Equipped with the infamous "Hellgun," heavy armour, and a variety of special weapons, the Grenadiers charge towards the enemy's strongest defences, knowing fully that many of their numbers will not be coming back alive. Supported by Veterans and Engineers, the Grenadiers move swiftly, mercilessly killing a fortification's defenders before capturing or destroying the position. Due to the nature of their role, Grenadiers suffer the heaviest casualties out of all types of infantry, and are replaced at a staggering rate.

## Regimental Equipment

### Vehicles

The motor pool of the 18th may seem underwhelming compared to other Krieg regiments. While the Death Korps of Krieg typically focuses on massed armour concentrations featuring super heavy tanks, the 18th KUWR's vehicle inventory features vehicles better suited for the tough task of securing cities somewhat intact. The regiment possesses only 3 Baneblade variants and has recently acquired only one Rogal Dorn tank. The regiment does not possess any Macharius or Malcador pattern tanks. Instead, the 18th has a surprisingly large inventory of Chimera and Taurox transports, Armoured Sentinels, Hellhounds, Devil Dogs, Bane Wolves, and Leman Russ battle tanks. The goal is to create an armoured force that can be easily protected and supported by infantry while also not being too cumbersome to move through the often tight confines of a city street (though the regiment still often deals with vehicles trying to pass through somewhere they cannot fit, leading to awkward and embarrassing situations at times).

The general tactic is for infantry and armour to move in concert. The infantry clears out buildings, disarms or remove explosives and obstacles that will block the vehicle's path, and eliminate anti-tank crews that can threaten the vehicles. In return, the vehicles provide a large, moving slab of metal for infantry to hide behind in the otherwise open streets. They also provide fire support with their heavy weapons, engaging the tougher targets and entrenched infantry that the 18th's infantry cannot deal with.

The regiment also possesses a small force of heavy artillery, often modified for the 18th's specific requirements. Basilisks and Medusas are often upgraded in a similar fashion to the Armageddon patterns of these vehicles, with fully enclosed, rotating turrets that allow the vehicle to aim and fire at all targets without having to turn the entire hull. The enclosed nature also protects the crew from enemy fire and chemical attacks. The regiment also possesses towed artillery, although their numbers are small due to the very limited amount of Centaur Artillery Tractors available.

Should the remaining motor pool of vehicles fail to address a specific threat, the 18th will unleash one of its three Baneblade variants to deal with the threat. These vehicles are the Baneblade known as "Fury of Krieg," the Hellhammer known as "The Fist of Ypres," and the Banesword "Despair." Few targets are able to withstand the fury of these vehicles in such tight quarters, although there have been instances of these vehicles being incapacitated by enemy fire, or even just due to their sheer size. As such, their use is severely limited. Only Marshal Ypres can give permission for the vehicles to enter combat.

Due to the often close and brutal nature of urban warfare, a number of modifications and upgrades have been created by the 18th KUWR in order to increase the survivability, mobility, and firepower of their vehicles. One example is the Leman Russ Urban Siege Package (LRUSP). The LRUSP is an upgrade kit that includes additional armour for the front, sides, and roof of Leman Russ tanks. The LRUSP also features a remote-controlled stubber turret on the roof, track guards, and sometimes a dozer blade. Most Leman Russ tanks that receive the LRUSP are tasked with leading vehicle convoys through occupied terrain, or assaulting the most dangerous enemy fortifications. Any type of Leman Russ tank can receive the LRUSP, though these kits are typically installed on Leman Russ tanks featuring the Demolisher, Punisher, or Plasma Cannons.

Another vehicle modification is the Leman Russ Long Range Strike Package (LRLRSP). This modification kit is designed to provide Leman Russ tanks with greater autonomy for long-distance missions inside cities. Depending on the mission requirements, the heavy weapon in the front of the hull is removed and replaced with more ammunition storage for the main cannon. The side sponsons also have their weaponry removed and replaced with fuel tanks. Extra fuel tanks can also be installed on the sides of the tanks as well. While the LRLRSP increases the amount of time a Leman Russ can remain in battle before refuelling, the upgrade is not popular with many tank crewmen due to the reduced fighting capabilities and increased risk of explosion due to all of the extra fuel.

Other examples include more ad hoc modifications and upgrades like removing the engine governors to allow for higher speeds, the installation of Malleus rocket launchers on both sides of the turret, makeshift armour on the roof of the vehicle to protect the commander when they have their heads out of the hatch, canvas over the turret to protect from harsh sunlight and heat (as well as preventing explosives from being thrown into open hatches), and extra smoke launchers that provide 360 degree coverage around the vehicle. These smoke launchers are sometimes loaded with incendiary grenades to neutralise or repel enemy infantry that gets too close to the vehicle.

The Chimera's of the 18th KUWR also have a number of upgrade options. One is the Chimera Combat Enhancement Package (CCEP). This upgrade package is designed to increase the fighting capabilities of a Chimera transport by installing a new turret featuring a small field gun onto the Chimera, and replacing the transport space with ammunition racks, This is so the Chimeras of the 18th can be converted into fire support vehicles as needed, either for direct attack or indirect fire. Extra armour is also added onto all sides, although this greatly reduces the vehicle's mobility.

The Chimera Maintenance and Support Package (CMSP) allows for the transformation of a Chimera into a fuel carrier, ammunition vehicle, repair vehicle, or medical transport. The hull weapon of the Chimera is removed in these instances. The turret of the vehicle usually remains, although it can be removed for extra space or to increase mobility should the situation demand it.

Armoured Sentinels also have their own upgrade kits. The Sentinel Urban Combat Package (SUCP) adds extra armour plating to the front and sides of the Sentinel's crew compartment to increase driver survivability during harsh urban combat. The kit also installs air conditioning/heating systems into the cabin for the driver's comfort. The Sentinel Pilot Escape System (SPES) was an upgrade kit that added a small ejection system to the Armoured Sentinels to allow drivers to escape a destroyed Sentinel without having to manually leave in the face of enemy fire. The SPES was later deemed both a failure and redundant due to its usage often being lethal for the driver who tried to use it.

Other vehicles, like Hellhounds, Bane Wolves, and Devil Dogs have upgrade kits as well, although they are not as extensive as the kits for the Leman Russ tanks or Chimeras, generally being small improvements to armour and weapon range.

## Regiment Appearance

A Guardsmen's appearance will vary depending on their role in the regiment. The standard Krieger in the 18th will wear a grey jacket with a grey helmet, tan boots, and a tan gas mask connected to a brown box respirator. Grenadiers will wear a similar uniform, but with black boots instead of tan boots, a white death mask, black body armour, and a black armour panel on their helmets. Grenadiers also feature numbers on the shoulder pads of their armour, and on the power pack of their Hellguns. These numbers range from 1 to 10, and allow for easy identification of which Grenadier is who during a firefight. It also allows for easier identification of the body after an assault has taken place. Each Grenadier squad will use a different colour for the numbers painted on their equipment as well, so Grenadiers know which squad another Grenadier belongs to.

Veterans bear a rather unique appearance. Rather than sticking with a single grey colour, Veterans wear a three-tone urban camouflage pattern consisting of grey, white, and black patterns. They also wear black boots with tan wrappings. The camo is not only to denote Veterans from the standard infantry but to also conceal themselves better in environments where the terrain is more than just grey. Transport vehicles assigned to carry Veterans around are also painted in the same three-tone camouflage pattern as well.

## Relations

### Enemies

* **Blood Axes** - The 18th KUWR's most hated foe is the Blood Axe Ork clan. While most Orks can usually be outwitted or outplayed somewhat easily, the Blood Axes defy expectations, which has often led to massive casualties for the regiment and has been the cause of several defeats.

* **Biel-Tan** - Another noted foe is the forces of Craftworld Biel-Tan. Noted for their particularly strong military capabilities, Biel-Tan has been able to inflict severe losses and defeats on the 18th on several occasions.

The most concerning enemy for the 18th, however, is not the trickery of the Blood Axes, the martial prowess of Biel-Tan, or the pitiful masses of traitors, cultists, and rebels. Rather, it is the concerning number of traitor Krieg forces that were first encountered on the mining world of Hydellon III, which included a small number of former 18th KUWR personnel.