752nd Ishtar Pioneer Regiment

## 752nd Ishtar Pioneer Infantry Regiment

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The **752nd Ishtar Pioneer Infantry Regiment**, known unofficially as the '***Spectres***' , is an Astra Militarum Infantry Regiment hailing from a little known sector of space close to the borders of the Tau Empire. The soldiers of the frontier worlds, and of this sub-sector of space form the Ishtar Pioneer regiments of the Astra Militarum.Stationed on the dangerous edges of the galaxy, The Ishtar Pioneers are harden veterans of shattered regiments of the Heimdall Sector. Ishtar Pioneer have faced everything from xenos to Chaos in their sector but have always stood strong in the light of the Emperor.  They provide a core of veterans to draw from when needed but otherwise are stationed garrisons to train various fringe and wilderness zone planets Planetary Defense Forces.

Among these Regiments is the 752nd. The 752nd is an Infantry Regiment of the Ishtar Pioneer Astra Militarum forces deployed to multiple war-zones since its inception long ago, the most recent of which being a Hive infiltration ahead of a siege, aiding the Inquisition in suppressing several Chaos war-bands. They are known among the Ishtar Pioneer as a kind of specialized infantry regiment whose way of warfare is stealthy assaults and sniping. The 752nd specialize in atypical warfare like insurgency and counter insurgency. These wild lads and ladies appear and disappear like a ghost.

The '*Spectres*' is comprised of approximately 2700 Guardsmen, and over 500 support personnel divided into roughly 3 Battalions, each Battalion further broken into 5 Companies apiece. Part of the uniqueness of this Regiment is how the Battalions are divided and their mission sets.

## History

A tradition of retiring destroyed or nearly so Regiments of the sector to various frontier and wilderness zone worlds to act as a garrison and training cadre for the PDF to be raised has been going on for millennia. The *Spectres* was one such regiment that had been combined over and over with other nearly destroyed regiments in the wild areas around the Ishtar Sub-Sector. Those that become a Spectre are those that have been defending the edges of space for such a time to seem indefinite.

What remained of the **152nd Lunar Venatorii Light Cavalry Regiment** after being misused on a campaign as part of a siege force in the desert were formed into the new core of 752nd Ishtar Pioneer Light Infantry Regiment's 1st Battalion. Retaining only their Sentinels and operational combat bikes, and at less than battalion strength, They provide a rapid reconnaissance for the foot slogging portions of the regiment. The Lunar Venatorii Cavalry Regiments are known for their cavalry tactics and reconnaissance abilities, and those of the now Ishtar Pioneers have further specialized as advanced scouts for the regiment.

3rd Battalion of the Ishtar Pioneers, formerly of a Company of the **43rd Laconian Riverine Raiders**. This former company would be 1200 men and women when at full strength, divided into six ordinarily numbered Platoons (1st, 2nd, etc.). But are now considered a Battalion in the *Spectres* for their service. These River Raiders are known for their ability to infiltrate across any body of water with their light boats.

The 43rd was not used optimally in their first deployment. Instead of being used as skirmishers in swamps and along rivers, they were deployed to a desert, first as light infantry, then as makeshift heavy infantry. The 1100 men and women reassigned to the 752nd Ishtar Pioneer Regiment represent less than 10% of the 43rd's initial strength, but 100% of its known survivors.

Formerly **557th Ishtar Ranger Light Infantry Regiment** makes up the majority of 2nd Battalion. The Ishtar Rangers are known throughout the subsector as sharpshooters and scouts for wooded areas. Able to make use of their innate talents as woodsmen and scouts, the ones that have become Pioneers form the core of the Sniper Cadres and support for the Regiment.

Due to conflicts with methods of this disputant regiments Colonel Tanya Regila and her command team decided it would be better to divide them by their former regiments and intermingle them slowly. Her Command team is made up of elements from these groups as well as well as most of the women from the mixed groups like the Former Lunar Venatorii. Before being promoted to Colonel she was only a command aide Major for rear operations.

Officially, the 43rd and the 557th had been reorganized along Lunar Venatorii lines. In reality, amongst themselves, the Laconian Riverine Raiders still use the old terms and keep to their old organization. On Laconia, during **The War**, they used literally thousands of kinds of boats, ranging from wooden kayaks to multi-deck transports capable of carrying a company.

## Regimental Home-worlds and Sub-sector

The 752nd specifically are station on Frontier Worlds at the very edge of the Ishtar Sub-sector on the Eastern Fringe of the Galaxy. Ishtar Sub-Sector is the last bastion before going past the edge of the light of the Emperor. Here the depredations of the xenos is constant. The Ishtar Pioneer Regiments are raised from all the worlds here as depleted regiments are combined and recombined to provided more fodder for the meat grinder of war. Due the high amount of conflict and deep investments of the Cult Mechanicus in the sub-sector most worlds here have pledged some sort of agreement with their benefactors originally hailing from a Explorator Fleet from Incendius Lux.

The Forge World Mjorn of the Ishtar sub-sector origins are of a sect of Incendius Lux Tech-priests who established the Imperial presence long ago. In time, the sub-sector has been raised as a bastion of Imperial might before the dark beyond. With a Chapter of the mighty Adeptus Astartes, establishing a home-world among these planets the security of the sector should be ensured in time. Further a Knight Household has claimed responsibility for pushing the bounds on the Frontier Worlds. Unfortunately, not all as well in this corner as humanity is ever frail in their belief, several have fallen to chaos.

For a sub-sector with so many warriors, it is under constant conflict. Few planets if any are untouched by hands of Xenos or traitors. Under the constant attacks more and more resources are being raised to push all others out. The fully Imperial worlds of sub-sector Ishtar are generally exempt from manpower tithes, yet manpower is desperately needed. Between the constant depletion from pushing the front on many Frontier Worlds which are not technically Imperial and the needs of Fleets passing through the area, keeping strength in Regiments is a constant battle.

Lunar Venatorii are disciplined, elite soldiers who fight without hesitation until their orders are fulfilled. Commanders of the Lunar Venatorii are harsh yet inspiring leaders who ensure that every military objective is achieved -- no matter the cost. Without the iron-willed resolution of both, the Imperium would be severely weakened in its darkest hour. As well as being the elite wing of the Astra Militarum in Ishtar, the Lunar Venatorii is the training ground for the Imperium's finest martial operatives in Cavalry and Armor outside of the legendary Adeptus Astartes. It works alongside the Schola Progenium, whose facilities are governed by the Ecclesiarchy, to provide key Imperial institutions with the best recruits the galaxy can provide.

On the training moon of Verliaus, the academies of war train the best and brightest of the Fringe if not the sector. No finer Cavalry are found within the sector. Heavily fortified with every terrain available for training, the programs of Verliaus know no bounds. Veralius to be a renowned academic world, where scholars, specialists, and soldiers from across the sub-sector go to study, and is home to numerous Schola Progenium facilities. It is here among the populace of the training moon that the elite regiments of the Lunar Venatorii are raised, equipped with the finest of gear and trained at the finest of academies, whose officers even travel downwards to Tarakon and engage in the sacred ritual of wyrm-bonding.

The Laconian Riverine Raider Regiments are raised on Laconia Tertius, following the conclusion of their civil war. They have their roots in the first assault forces which would cross the toxic tidal-swamps, hoping to survive long enough to breach a rebel Hive and open a new front in the war. They are excellent brown water combatants, ready to bring the God Emperor's wrath anywhere there is 75 millimeters of water, and enough gravity to hold it in place.

The Laconia System is on what becomes their Sector's border with the Sautekh Dynasty. For the 1,200 years leading up to 942.M41, the Hive World of Laconia Tertius underwent a Civil War against Secessionists forces, with the inhabitants of Laconia Secundus intervening on the Loyalist side. In 942.M41, it was revealed that Laconia Secundus had once been home to a small outpost of the ancient Necron Empire. At that time, the Sautekh Dynasty dispatched a force to reclaim the world, as part of their broader onslaught against the Imperium. Two Companies of the Steel Harbingers Space Marines Chapter were deployed to repel the assualt, but feared they would arrive to late. What the Steel Harbingers Chapter found when they arrived was that the Secundai, who had become heavily militarized during the Laconian Civil War, had managed to resist the Sautekh assault, all but crushing the small Necron force while suffering only reasonable casualties. The Astartes' Breathren Lord, thinking to the future, launched his full force against the secessionists on Laconia Tertius. In weeks, his forces managed to break a stalemate which had held for over a millennia. With the World now back under Imperial control, the Steel Harbingers ordered the people of Laconia Tertius to aid the Secondai in turning Laconia Secundus into an impenetrable Fortress World. In the decades which would follow, the Secundai would fight off several more Necron assaults, leaving the system as one of the few bastions between the Sautekh Dynasty and the vulnerable interior of the Heimdall Sector. As M42 opens, the Secundai fight an ongoing battle to keep their World and their Sector secure, and to hold back the night, in the Emperor's name.

## Notable Campaigns

* **The Shadowed Vale Campaign (M40.832)**: The Spectres played a key role in a campaign against a network of renegade psykers who had established a dangerous cult on a remote forested frontier world, engaging in a series of skirmishes and hit-and-run tactics.

* **Operation Obsidian Veil (M42.873)**: In an effort to secure a resource-rich frontier world, the Spectres were deployed to clear a heavily fortified hive city of Chaos cultists and Plague Marines in a prolonged siege known for its fierce close-quarters combat.

* **Operation Shrouded Dawn (Unknown Date)**: The Spectres conducted a covert operation on a frontier agri-world to infiltrate and sabotage an insurrection led by heretical planetary officials attempting to disrupt the Imperial tithes.

## Dramatis Personae

* **Colonel Tanya Regila**: As the commanding officer of the regiment, Colonel Regila leads the Spectres with authority and decisiveness. Her strategic acumen and leadership skills have guided the regiment through numerous campaigns, and her promotion from Major to Colonel signifies her exceptional dedication and capabilities.

* **Lieutenant Colonel Tobek Rockblood**: His experience and leadership skills are vital in coordinating his battalion's cavalry and reconnaissance operations.

* **Major Stephen Herring-Curzon**: His command of his battalion is instrumental in conducting reconnaissance, intelligence-gathering, and stealth missions.

* **Major 'The Captain' Vincent Dao** - The Leader of 3rd Battalion is Captain Vincent Dao who got promoted to Major but still uses his former Captain rank for he sees that his unit's size is only the equivalent of a Company of Laconian Riverine Raiders. Dao's Grandparents fought in **The War**, as did every generation of Daos for as long as anyone can remember. While many families have returned to civilian pursuits in the 60+ years since the war ended, his family has continued answering the call to fight the God Emperor's enemies, now amongst the stars.

* **Major Bridget Whitesmoke**: Her leadership in the support company ensures that the regiment's cavalry elements operate effectively in conjunction with the infantry, adding mobility and reconnaissance capabilities.

* **Senior Lieutenant Kathryn Butte-Wyghtham**: Her responsibilities include ensuring that the regiment's sniper cadres and scouts are integrated into the regiment's overall strategy.

* **Lieutenant Dang**: His role involves facilitating communication and collaboration between different elements of the regiment, fostering cohesion among diverse units.

## Organization and Tactics

The *Spectres* is comprised of approximately 2,000 Guardsmen, and over 500 Engineseers and support personnel divided into roughly 4 Battalions, each Battalion further broken into 5 Companies apiece. Part of the uniqueness of this Regiment is how the Battalions are divided and their mission sets. Each Company get support of a number of Sentinels and Combat Bike Scouts to further increase the versatility of this specialized Reconnaissance and infiltration regiment.

**100 Guardsmen**
**Salamander Command Tank**
**Sentinel Patterns** | **Major Bridget Whitesmoke (F), Lunar Venatorii Light Cavalry Liaison**
**Command Chimera Armored Personnel Carrier**
**Combat Motorcycles**
**50 Guardsmen and women** | **Senior Lieutenant Kathryn Butte-Wyghtham (F), Ishtar Ranger Liaison**
**Command Chimera Armored Personnel Carrier**

**Lieutenant Colonel Tobek Rockblood (M)**
**Command Chimera Armored Personnel Carrier**
**Combat Motorcycles**
**100 Guardsmen and women**
**Salamander Command Tank**
**Combat Motorcycles**
**Sentinel Patterns** | **Captain Eryn Relis (M)**
**100 Guardsmen and women**
**Salamander Command Tank**
**Combat Motorcycles**
**Sentinel Patterns** | **Captain Grivnar Ragemaul(M)**
**100 Guardsmen and women**
**Salamander Command Tank**
**Combat Motorcycles**
**Sentinel Patterns** | **Captain Jared Grimskull (M)**
**100 Guardsmen and women**
**Salamander Command Tank**
**Combat Motorcycles**
**Sentinel Patterns** | **Senior Lieutenant Jake Caustic-Burmaster (M)**
**50 Guardsmen and women**
**Command Chimera Armored Personnel Carrier**

**Major Stephen Herring-Curzon (M)**
**Command Chimera Armored Personnel Carrier**
**200 Guardsmen and women**
**Salamander Command Tank** | **Captain Wade Shiver (M)**
**200 Guardsmen and women**
**Salamander Command Tank** | **Captain Sydney Keys (M)**
**200 Guardsmen and women**
**Salamander Command Tank** | **Captain Captain Erroll Sellick (M)**
**200 Guardsmen and women**
**Salamander Command Tank** | **Senior Lieutenant Jake Caustic-Burmaster (M)**
**100 Guardsmen and women**

**Major 'The Captain' Vincent Dao**
**200 Guardsmen** | **Lieutenant Hoang**
**200 Guardsmen** | **Lieutenant Nguyen**
**200 Guardsmen** | **Lieutenant Tran**
**200 Guardsmen** | **Lieutenant Nguyen**

## Regimental Equipment

### Standardized Equipment

The 752nd make use of standard Astra Militarum equipment.

Each Battalion get assigned weapons and armor based on their mission set. All Guardsmen where standard issue Flak Armor though Sergeants and above get to wear the few Carapace Armor. Troopers are assigned the Merovech Pattern Assault Lasgun, Merovech Model 481 "Persuader" Lasgun, or Locke Pattern Lascarbine and a Locke Pattern Laspistol. Sergeants and above have the option of carrying Ceres Pattern Bolt Carbine. Every Trooper is also issued a Cameoline Cloak.

**Venatorii Carapace Battle Dress**

* Anti-Wicking Body Suit that extends up to jawline
* Flak-Weave Combat Pants
* Armored Gloves and traditional Cavalry Boots
* Over these clothes are Carapace chest, back, and shin plates
* Over the Carapace is a Flak-Weave Duster Coat w/ rank epaulets
* Covering the head is a enclosed Rebreather Mask and traditional Cavalry Hat w/ rank braids
* Over the Duster Coat is a Gear Bandolier w/ power packs, combat knife, frag grenades, uplifting primer, combat rations, and medical supplies
* Standard-issue weapon is a Mjorn Pattern M24 Hellpistol in thigh holster

### Specialist Equipment

The 752nd posses a variety of specialized equipment.

* **Combat Bikes** are fast-moving ground vehicles capable of carrying up to one rider and usually mounting a light weapon. Bikes are used by several forces of the Imperium, Chaos Space Marines, Eldar, Orks and Squats, among others, often for reconnaissance and rapid support roles. Certain Rough Rider units of the Imperial Guard use mechanical bikes as mounts; although much less robust and heavily armed than their Space Marine counterparts, these bikes are used in very similar roles.

* The basic **Chimera** is equipped with a Multi-Laser but can also be outfitted with a variety of other heavy weapons, such as Twin-linked Heavy Bolters, an Autocannon or a Heavy Flamer.

* The Vanaheim Pattern of the **Command Salamander** is fitted with a multi-spectral surveyor as part of its overhead hatch. This advanced piece of equipment provides the vehicle with magnification, night vision, and tracking capabilities. The Salamander Command is armed with a Heavy Flamer in place of the Autocannon usually mounted on a Salamander.

* The **Catachan Pattern Sentinel** is armed with a Heavy Flamer and Chainsword for use in the dense jungles. This pattern is both highly effective at clearing a path through heavy jungle terrain as well as decimating lightly armoured troops. The canopy of the Catachan Sentinel is only partially armoured, but it is covered in camouflaged netting in order to better blend in with its surroundings.

* The **Tallarn Pattern Sentinel** is armed with a Multi-Laser. It has larger feet than the other Sentinel patterns to provide better balance on the loose sand of the battle zones it is used in. It normally is manufactured with only a partially armoured canopy.

### Non-Standard Equipment

The 752nd posses a variety of non-standard equipment.

The *Spectres* are known to carry extra arms and armament into the field as per their personalities. The specialist and standard equipment are provided to them. But many carry an array of Auto-weapons and blades as extra weaponry to help in a pinch. Most have an extra pistol or two, and almost everyone has a boot blade of some sort.

The Former Lunar Venatorii troopers make use of standard Astra Militarum equipment. All Lunar Venatorii were issued Venatorii Carapace Battle Dress and Mjorn Pattern M24 Hellpistol. These troopers maintained their equipment from their previous regiment and get a small supply of this equipment now they are combined into a new regiment.

The Former Laconian Riverine Raiders wear light Flakweave fatigues after refusing to wear the heavier Flak plate Armor. Their gas masks, on the other hand, are high quality, by necessity. They always have them with them, and they can put them on very, very fast. Their standard issue gloves are also up to Hazmat standards, which strikes outsiders as odd, given their preference for short sleeves. Their weapons are generally shotguns and autoguns, las weapons being more expensive and vulnerable to water damage. They all carry either knives or machetes, and are adept in their use. They also use a lot of explosives, with satchel charges and claymores being common. Also Each Company has multiple Flat-bottom boats with a baffled engine for quiet river or maritime operations.