Astra Militarum - Recruitment: Every Imperial Commander in the Imperium, also known as a Planetary Lord or Imperial Governor, is responsible for the defence of their world. This is crucial, as a planet may need to defend itself against the predations of myriad nefarious enemies for many solar months, or even standard years, before reinforcements arrive. To this end, they are duty bound to recruit, equip, train and maintain a fighting force. On some planets this may take the form of an official military or a garrison force like a standard Planetary Defence Force. On other worlds the duty to defend their world may fall to dozens of separate armies, tribes and hive city gangs, some of which may even be warring factions who unite to oppose an invading foe. In any case, these forces are unlikely to ever leave the confines of their homeworld.Each of these forces is an individual body within the wider Astra Militarum -- a separate Militarum Regimentum. They are free to defend their own world and enforce their own laws as long as these do not conflict with those of the Imperium, and so long as they pay their tithes. A part of the annual tithe that Imperial Governors must fulfil is to send one tenth of their overall fighting force, or more if the Departmento Munitorum deems it necessary, to fight the Emperor's wars throughout the galaxy. The exact number of regiments that are to be raised for the Astra Militarum will depend upon the individual world's Tithe Grade and its proximity to hostile war zones. For a Hive World such as Armageddon, caught in the throes of an all-consuming war, a draft of at least a hundred million men at arms and several million armoured vehicles is typical -- a tiny fraction of the total populace which numbers in the hundreds of billions. A far-flung Agri-World may have a significantly lower military tribute -- perhaps as few as five million men and cavalry -- but this may be a significant proportion of that world's population. In any case, should a tithe be of an unacceptable quality, the Imperial Governor's life is forfeit. For this reason, those soldiers selected for the Astra Militarum tend to be drawn from the elite of a planet's troops.Methods of recruiting vary from world to world. On the Death World of Catachan, every man, woman and child is expected to serve in the regiments of the Catachan Jungle Fighters and, by extension, the Astra Militarum. On seething Hive Worlds such as Alcatran, it is common for entire generations to be drafted and sent to fight on distant worlds, the indentured gangs given the choice between volunteering or summary execution. On many planets service in the Imperial Guard is seen as noble and brings much honour to the ruling houses. Many young hopefuls, especially on Industrial Worlds and factory planets, flock to the world's military forces in the hope of being found worthy of the Imperial Guard -- often the only chance of escape from their claustrophobic existence and endless work shifts. It is not unusual for the elite warriors of a planet to compete for promotion to the Astra Militarum. On some of the more savage Frontier Worlds, these competitions can escalate into affairs that claim as many lives as a small war.Upon their initial founding, regiments are identified by the name of their homeworld and a number -- for example, the Cadian 144th is the one hundred and forty-fourth regiment to have been raised on the lost Fortress World of Cadia. It is not uncommon for a regiment's number to be recycled following its destruction, a new raising taking the designation of their predecessor. In this way the regiment is re-founded, the new recruits tasked with upholding its honour and traditions. Indeed, the Vintor 823rd serve the Emperor to this day, despite having been wiped out on more than nine different occasions in the span of a single solar decade. In addition, regiments are often given unofficial names, either inherited and therefore part of tradition, or else earned on the field of battle. For example, the Catachan VII "Catachan Devils" Regiment take the name of the apex predator from the lethal jungles of their foetid Death World, whereas the 8th Cadian, "The Lord Castellan's Own," honour the exploits of their former commanding officer, Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed.The uniforms and specific armaments of the different Militarum Regimentos change dramatically from world to world. Upon their raising, each regiment is equipped in the manner of their homeworld, each newly inducted Imperial Guardsmen issued with the same style of uniform and weapons as those of their fellow soldiers. Troopers may go to war in full battle-dress or little more than primitive armour and tribal tattoos. The only universal piece of equipment common throughout the entirety of the Astra Militarum is the Lasgun. This weapon is cheap and easy to manufacture, extremely reliable and simple to maintain. The Lasgun is therefore ideally suited to arm the massed armies of the Astra Militarum.