vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Imperial Guard Commander - Tactics: The role of an exemplar to the regiment is prescribed in no Departmento Munitorum field manual nor taught by any Drill Abbot of a Schola Progenium. Rather, a commander forges their own role, often whether they like it or not. Sometimes their superiors expect them to perform certain duties by dint of the ribbons and medals they bear upon their chest; other times it is simply the expressions of trust in their comrades' eyes that causes them to behave the way they do.Simply put, commanders tend to be those individuals who, when placed under extreme pressure, rise to the occasion and exceed their own, and often everyone else's, expectations. There is rarely any forward planning involved, and so no specific roles can easily be ascribed to one labelled as such a paragon. Having been honoured however, certain expectations are often placed upon one's shoulders, most of which are entirely unwelcome.Those regarded as commanders in the Astra Militarum are often expected to volunteer for the most arduous of duties. Many superior officers simply assume that this vanguard leader wishes to undertake the duty and so do not even ask them if they do. In other cases, the commander knows that they have no right, either moral or practical, to turn down any duty they are put forward for and that it is their Emperor-given lot in life to suffer in such a way. Most who earn the status of an Imperial hero are possessed of a genuine sense of self-sacrifice and would therefore far rather they risk their own lives than allow their less skilled or fortunate comrades-in-arms to perish in their stead.When "volunteered" by a superior officer, a natural leader such as this might be expected to perform duties that would be the death of lesser men and women and somehow win through. They are called upon to lead seemingly suicidal infiltration missions, patrol through areas seeded with mines or overrun by predatory fauna, undertake "snatch missions" to take specific highly-ranked enemy commanders prisoner and a whole raft of equally onerous duties.Most superior officers genuinely believe the individual willing and capable of such missions, but on occasion a bitter or jealous officer has sent such a natural leader and their comrades on a mission fully intended to do away with them. Perhaps the superior officer is resentful of the hero's accomplishments, which make them appear ineffectual and unwilling to take risks.The unofficial, unwritten histories of many Imperial Guard regiments are replete with instances where such a mission has returned, battered and bruised but victorious, and the officer responsible for despatching it has disappeared soon after or been struck down in a subsequent battle, the enemy that did so never identified.For every Imperial hero identified as such by a chest full of gold, however, there must surely be ten, a hundred or a thousand who are never granted a single decoration. These earn the ultimate reward -- the abiding respect of their comrades and a place at the Emperor's side when finally called to take it up.
Imperial Guard Commander - Regimental Variations: The definition of what constitutes a commander of the Astra Militarum depends very much on the culture from which their regiment is drawn, though some transcend this and become known far and wide. The greatest of these might even be granted the status of Imperial Saint, but rarely within their own lifetime and invariably standard centuries later once generations of Adeptus Ministorum hierarchs have researched and debated the matter in great detail.In the Cadian Shock Troops regiments, individuals granted heroic status are notable by the medals they wear, for Cadia is a supremely militaristic culture and maintains decorations for countless deeds. By way of contrast, the Catachan Jungle Fighters both value and reward those who exhibit archetypical heroic qualities, but at the same time they rarely accept any official honours that might be bestowed upon them. Thus, a mighty and charismatic leader who has won many victories, slaughtered many foes, or rescued many of their comrades might decline every promotion offered to them, remaining with their unit where they believe they can best serve the Emperor.The guardsmen of the Death Korps of Krieg are notorious for their lack of individual identity, and this carries forward the regard they show to those that in any other regiment would be regarded as born leaders of their fellow soldiers. It is left to the ranks to recognise and reward their own. Even if the officers refuse to recognise their deeds, the troopers themselves certainly do, honouring with stoic dignity those in their midst who have performed great service to the regiment and to the Emperor.
Imperial Guard Commander - Attilan Rough Riders: Mogul Kamir - Mogul Kamir is the fiercest mounted warrior of the Attilan Rough Riders. Kamir's body is a testament to pain and a lifetime of battle, riddled with scar-tissue and other signs of uncounted notable endeavours in the heat of battle. Many a warlord's skull adorns his massive hunting-lance, both a testament to his courage and a proclamation of his skills as Attila's greatest warrior.
Imperial Guard Commander - Cadian Shock Troops: Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed – Lord Castellan Creed was the supreme commander of all Imperial military forces assigned to Cadia and also served as the Imperial Commander and Imperial planetary governor of that crucial Fortress World. Creed was known to be a tactical genius who had saved his world from falling to the forces of Chaos time and again. Though he initially came from humble beginnings, Creed eventually rose meteorically through the ranks, eventually becoming the supreme commander of all of Cadia's military forces and the colonel of the famed 8th Cadian, "The Lord Castellan's Own." Creed was believed killed during the Fall of Cadia at the end of the 13th Black Crusade in ca. 999.M41, but in fact he was trapped in temporal stasis within a Tesseract Labyrinth of the Necron Overlord Trazyn the Infinite to be added to the Necron's collection of exhibits depicting key moments in the history of the galaxy on his Tomb World of Solemnace.Colonel "Snake" Stranski - Colonel Stranski was the commander of the 114th Cadian Armoured Regiment and one of Cadia's premier tank aces.Knight Commander Pask - Knight Commander Pask is considered one of the Imperial Guard's most renowned tank aces. A hero of the Imperium and a constant presence within the armoured regiments of the Cadian Shock Troops, Pask is one of the most skilled tank commanders ever to grace a Leman Russ Tank. He has commanded these behemoths through hundreds of campaigns, with his reputation continuing to grow with each victory. Over the solar decades Pask has commanded all variants of the Leman Russ and has mastered them all. He knows the capabilities and limits of each and every weapon systems these mighty war machines can mount and it is a brave fool indeed who strays into his gun-sights.Sergeant Lukas Bastonne - Bastonne was one of the most highly regarded and capable non-commissioned officers within the ranks of the Cadian Shock Troops regiments of the Imperial Guard.
Imperial Guard Commander - Catachan Jungle Fighters: Colonel Tiho Anders - The Catachan XVIII Light Infantry Regiment's commanding officer is a long-serving soldier somewhere north of sixty standard years of age, remarkably old for a Catachan, and bearing a wealth of experience that could only have been gained from over forty standard years at the front lines. Colonel Tiho Anders, referred to as "The Old Man" by his "Drakebats", is a cunning and resourceful leader, still uncomfortable with outside authorities and justifiably proud of his warriors' accomplishments. He is distrustful of his superiors like many Catachans, and has long been vocal of his dislike of what he calls the "witless interference of the Commissariat." This outlook has not endeared him to senior commanders, who only tolerate Anders because of his regiment's skills and record of victories.Colonel "Iron Hand" Straken - Regimental commander of the Catachan II, Straken now possesses even more extensive chest and arm bionics following the events during the Cleansing of Dulma'lin. His original nom de guerre predated the Dulma'lin campaign and is derived from his unique augmetics, which replaced the portions of his body devoured by a Miral Land Shark, which he killed mere moments after the initial attack.
Imperial Guard Commander - Tallarn Desert Raiders: Captain Al'rahem - Al'rahem is a famous captain of the Astra Militarum who serves with the Tallarn 3rd Regiment, the "Desert Tigers." This esteemed regiment has a long and honoured history amongst the annals of the Tallarn Desert Raiders. Captain Al'rahem has a natural affinity for tactical command, never faltering in the heat of combat. His calm demeanor and use of initiative is the envy of many an aspiring general. Stalking his prey from afar before awaiting the most opportune moment to strike, Al'rahem leads his warriors in well-planned attacks.
Imperial Guard Commander - Tanith 1st Regiment ("Tanith First-and-Only"): Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt - Gaunt is the commander of the Tanith 1st Regiment, and one of the few commissars known to have commanded a full Imperial Guard regiment in his own right. Perhaps no single individual has been as responsible for the survival and success of the Tanith 1st as Colonel-Commissar Gaunt. Ibram Gaunt hailed from a family of soldiers, with a General Dercius as an uncle and a father who served as second-in-command to a regiment of the Jantine Patricians. After his father's death, he received schooling at the Schola Progenium on the world of Ignatius Cardinal, where he specialised as a commissar. As a commissar cadet, he served with the Hyrkan 8th Regiment under the tutelage of Commissar-General Delane Oktar and distinguished himself, receiving promotion to full commissar upon Oktar's death. During his attachment to the Hyrkan 8th, he gained the attention of Lord General Slaydo, becoming one of his inner circle. With Slaydo;s promotion to Warmaster and his charge of an Imperial Crusade to retake the Sabbat Worlds, Gaunt was amongst the chosen few with whom Slaydo swore a blood-oath: to see the crusade to its conclusion, no matter what, in order to honour Saint Sabbat from whom the Sabbat Worlds Sector drew its name. In the following years, Gaunt performed incredible feats and received the extremely rare rank of colonel-commissar and his own regimental command over the "Tanith First-and-Only" for his loyalty and achievement. From that point on, Gaunt and his regiment, later nicknamed "Gaunt's Ghosts", made their way from battlefield to battlefield of the crusade, facing terrible foes and incredible challenges that tested them in every way, forging them into a deadly and renowned regiment.
Imperial Guard Medic - Imperial Guard Medic: An Imperial Guard Medic, also called a Combat Medic, is a soldier of the Astra Militarum who has been specially trained in combat medicine and is responsible for providing first response and front line medical care to their fellow guardsmen on the battlefield. They are trained as combat medics, fighting chirurgeons equally at home with a medi-kit as they are with a lasgun. In battle, they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their squad-mates, fighting with equal skill and fervour, and all the while patching, dosing, or administering the Emperor's Peace to their brothers-and-sisters-in-arms.When a regiment of Imperial Guard is first tithed from a world, they have no idea of what to expect. They could travel to any of millions of planets, or face any of millions of enemies, but the one thing that they can all be sure of is that they will see combat, and that many, if not all, of them will die to ensure that the Imperium endures. It is for that reason that many guardsmen are trained in field medicine, not simply just to treat injuries and save wounded members of their squad, but to help alleviate the worries of many new recruits; with a guardsman trained in medicae at their back, they feel safer from the inevitable death that awaits them on the battlefield.The main difference between a combat medic and a Field Chirurgeon in the Astra Militarum is typically the focus of expertise, though the two are hardly mutually exclusive. Most combat medics aim to promote the long-term recovery of their patients, but for a Field Chirurgeon, the proper time and equipment for such operations are frequently unavailable.Going by many different names across the varying regiments of the Imperial Guard, medics are put in charge of all medical gear and supplies sent to their squad by the Departmento Munitorum. Whether they receive simple bandages to wrap around las-wounds, or sophisticated combat-drugs and surgery kits, medics are the ones who are entrusted with using this equipment to keep their squad healthy and prepared for combat. Many combat patrols, operating behind enemy lines for solar months, have stayed alive only due to the medical expertise of one of their squad-mates.
Imperial Guard Medic - Wargear: Standard Imperial Guard Regimental KitFlak ArmourDiagnosticator (Diagnostor) - The Diagnostor is a sophisticated medical cogitator used across the Human-settled galaxy. It can detect and diagnose almost every ailment known to the Imperium, and can be incorporated into medical kits, servo-skulls, and other dedicated medicae servitors. Any individual trained in medical knowledge in the Imperial Guard understands its use.Injector - Most specialised drugs require injectors. These can take many forms, from low-technology, disposable syringes up to sophisticated hypo-sprays. An injector can hold one dose of any drug.Medi-kit - Small, compact, and reliable, medi-kits are essential gear for every Imperial Guard squad. Each comes with a diagnostic cogitator called a Diagnosticator complete with bio-scanner and bioprobes, along with chemicals, drugs, synthetic blood packs, and other means to treat a variety of injuries and ailments.
Imperial Guard Scout - Imperial Guard Scout: A Scout is a specialist of the Imperial Guard dedicated to survival and reconnaissance whose primary role is to lead the way through arduous or hostile terrain, and to advise his or her comrades how best to do so. Blessed as they are with keen eyes and an innate sense for the lie of the land, the Scout is capable of finding a path through terrain others may have written off as impenetrable. Almost every regiment in the Imperial Guard has amongst its ranks men and women blessed with a nigh-preternatural empathy with the environment. Perhaps they were hunters before the regiment was founded and spent much of their lives alone in the wilderness. Perhaps they were rangers, responsible for guarding their master's lands from intruders. Maybe they were something far darker such as bounty hunters or even slavers, and learned to master the land and its ways to their own fell ends.A Scout can direct his comrades as to which flora and fauna might be safe to eat. Most importantly, the Scout can use all of his skills to detect enemy ambushes, taking his cue from anything from an abnormal silence in the environment to an alien scent carried faintly on the breeze. Accomplished Scouts can direct their commanders to counter such tactics, launching a counter-ambush from an entirely unanticipated quarter. Thus, in matters relating to the exploitation of terrain, any commander who does not consider the advice of such individuals is a fool for not taking advantage of the knowledge and the unique insight they can provide about the field. Of course, the role of a Scout goes well beyond taking the point position when the unit is passing through difficult and dense terrain. Having received additional training in waging war in a wide range of environments the Scout must pass on the knowledge of every last threat the environment might pose to his comrades. In a galaxy that is host to an unimaginable number of planets over which humanity might make war, the variety of threats is great indeed.On one world the primary threat to the troopers' well-being might be waterborne bacteria, while on the next they might be assailed by venomous airborne parasites. Some worlds are so inimitable to human life that death could come as a result of simply treading on the wrong patch of ground or touching the wrong type of plant. Even those planets not officially designated by the Administratum as Death Worlds might nonetheless impose as many casualties on an invading army as does the enemy, through extremes of temperature, native life forms, unpredictable weather patterns and a host of other vectors. Lastly, the Scout must be a master of stealth. Even in those regiments specialising in such tactics, the Scout must be an expert in all forms of camouflage and adept at silent movement, and he must pass on his skills to his comrades as much as he can manage. After all, the effective stealth of the group depends on the subtlety of each individual member.
Imperial Guard Scout - Scout Training: Like most of the advanced roles a Guardsman might assume, the position of Scout is often one that individual troopers are born into. The regiments of the Imperial Guard are drawn from a staggering range of planet types and so every regimental Founding has amongst its number those unusually attuned to a specific environment. Regiments tithed from the natives of dense Hive Worlds are invariably adept at fighting through the cramped environs of any similar type of terrain, while those native to forested planets are often highly skilled at fighting in similar types of environment. Beyond the easily classified planet types are those troops raised from the staggering range of highly exotic environments to be found all over the Imperium. Such environments range from settlements adrift upon endless oceans of caustic sludge to cities slung beneath island-sized airships drifting through the upper reaches of the atmospheres of resource-rich gas giants. When possible, regiments are despatched to fight in warzones suited to their particular speciality, but in practice there are so many different types that this is rarely possible. However, regiments are frequently deployed to worlds beyond their expertise, and in those cases, they must trust such individuals to quickly assimilate the specifics of the terrain they are deployed to and to learn its unique features and dangers as rapidly as possible.When there is the time and resources to do so, some regiments' Scouts are given special instruction on the terrain of a warzone the unit is soon to deploy into. This is only possible when the regiment's commanders have reasonably current intelligence, and otherwise risks backfiring. For example, a regiment despatched to reclaim a verdant Agri-world from the clutches of a marauding Ork invasion might make planetfall only to discover the entire surface blasted to ashes and choked with the poisonous effluvium of the barbarous aliens' ramshackle industries. In such a case, any training they had done to study the tactics and camouflage appropriate for the Agri-world would be wasted. Nevertheless, any reliable information about the terrain of an upcoming battlefront is incredibly valuable to a regiment's Scouts, whose skills rest particularly heavily on turning the terrain from a hazard into an advantage. Generally, this level of preparation is only possible when vast numbers of troops are being mustered and prepared for long-planned campaigns. In many cases, the regiments are pitched into unfamiliar warzones with little or no warning of what to expect, forcing the Scouts to adapt once on the ground.
Imperial Guard Scout - Scout Tactics: Depending on the regiment they are serving in, the scouts may be informally recognised experts or they may be officially designated specialists. Often, a squad or platoon commander simply knows that one of his troopers is especially skilled at stealth work, adept in fieldcraft and blessed of keen sense of his surroundings. In veteran regiments such individuals might serve on the command staff, acting as dedicated officers and advisors in the service of the Colonel. Regardless of how they are organised, Scouts perform a number of battlefield tasks, many of them highly dangerous.When traversing especially arduous terrain, it often falls to the Scout to lead the way. This is a balance however, for the lead man is also the most vulnerable and few commanders willingly expose such skilled and valuable troopers to undue risk. Most Scouts are loath to let another take their place at the head of the column, but if ordered to they maintain a position close behind from where they can keep a watchful eye out for danger and pass on advice to the lead trooper. In this way, units with an accomplished scout in their midst soon learn some of his skills and become adept at operating in a wide a range of environments, from dense jungle to creeping mist. Scouts are often assigned the duty of detecting enemy ambushes, a task they are expected to oversee rather than perform themselves. Some prefer to reconnoitre terrain in which the enemy is likely to be hidden in person, but most commanders insist a decoy is sent ahead under the Scout's orders to flush out hidden enemy troops. While callous in the extreme, the Scout is far more valuable to the regiment than the troopers assigned to the decoy duty.Scouts often play a key role when it comes to patrolling duties. While many operations the Imperial Guard take part in are gruelling meat grinders where hundreds of men are herded towards the foe or placed in his way, others are more subtle. Sometimes a regiment is tasked with patrolling an area where rebels or Heretics are suspected of operating, and doing so requires a whole range of skills, many of which the Scout is very knowledgeable in. Such so-called suppression operations often involve day and night sweeps of potentially hostile regions, the intent being to flush out and engage enemy elements hiding amongst the population. A regiment's Scouts are invariably vital to this role, advising unit leaders on which routes to take, how to avoid likely ambush sites and how to recognise and respond to an imminent enemy action. Of course, while many of these operations take place in densely populated human cities, others are carried out deep in the wilderness and potentially against a xenos foe operating unseen far behind the Imperium’s lines. Such tasks test the mettle of even the most veteran Scout, making him a pivotal weapon in the regimental commander's already formidable arsenal.
Imperial Guard Scout - Regimental Variations: The degree to which individual regiments formalise the designation of individual Scouts amongst their ranks depends very much on a range of factors, from ingrained tradition to necessity. At their Founding, almost all regiments have in their ranks individuals with the background or predisposition to make them ideal in the role of Scout, whether or not such a specialisation is recognised. If these experienced individuals survive past their first few battles they are likely to become key members of their units, their skills propagating throughout the ranks as the regiment fights battle after battle. Plenty of regiments are wiped out during their first operation of course, but those that survive their first exposures to the nightmare drop zones and crater-pocked battlefields of the late 41st Millennium are likely to become the stuff on legends on the worlds of their Founding.Some of the most famous Scouts in the Imperial Guard are those belonging to the renowned Catachan Jungle Fighters. Every single Jungle Fighter is an expert in operating in perilous jungle terrain, for none would have survived past infancy were this not the case. Even amongst the fearsomely accomplished Catachans, however, there are those recognised as experts in surviving and fighting in the most arduous of jungles. Such men and women are looked upon with awe even by the gruff Catachans, who in matters of stealth and fieldcraft acquiesce to their every word. When deployed in this manner these so-called "Catachan Devils" range ahead of the main force, engaging enemy ambushers, launching surprise attacks, setting traps and, when possible, herding the enemy into the most dangerous of terrain so that the jungle itself does the killing, serving as the Catachans' most effective ally.There are plenty of other regiments that make extensive use of troopers skilled in fieldcraft, and not all of them have skills that relate to dense terrain such as jungles and forests. Scouts serving in the Armageddon Steel Legions are experts in operating in the sort of polluted wastes that plague their homeworld, often leading enormous armoured columns through terrain rife with all manner of unseen perils, from mutant cannibals to quick ash. Many Vostroyan Firstborn regiments have amongst their ranks individuals highly adept in the art of city-fighting, having served in the militias that guard the city-sized manufactoria of Vostroya from invasion. Regardless of the terrain in which they were raised, Scouts are primarily experts in adaptation, their core skill being the ability to transpose their expertise from one warzone to the next. In so doing, they not only keep their comrades alive for longer, but ensure the regiment becomes a veteran, even elite formation capable of facing any foe the galaxy can throw at it.
Imperial Guard Scout - Wargear: Standard Imperial Guard Regimental KitCameleoline Cloak - Cameleoline material is made up of mimic fibres that blend the coloration of the wearer into their surroundings and are the garb of choice for Scouts and Snipers.Mono Knife - Mono weapons have specially fashioned blades with superfine edge a single molecule thick that can easily cut through armour and never lose their edge.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.4 Smoke Grenades - These explosives release a dense smoke which 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.
Imperial Guard Sharpshooter - Imperial Guard Sharpshooter: An Imperial Guard sharpshooter, also referred to as a "marksman," "sniper," "hawkeye," "scope," "reaper," and dozens of other terms both official and informal, are specialist troopers of the Astra Militarum who possess deadly skills that enable them to kill the enemies of the God-Emperor from afar.These men and women are experts with single shot weapons. Such troopers are generally identified during basic training, but just as often are singled out during operations as their natural talents become obvious. Having been identified as an exceptional shot, the trooper is labelled as his unit's best shot and while he continues to perform the same combat duties he did before, he takes on an additional and highly specialised responsibility.In battle, the sharpshooter operates as part of their squad or platoon, serving as a line trooper according to the specific combat doctrines of their regiment. In many cases the presence of a sharpshooter in a unit is not at all obvious, especially where the designation is an informal one. In other cases the sharpshooter might wear some form of badge or other insignia, though generally in such a manner that enemy snipers cannot pick them out from their peers.The only other outward clue that the trooper has these skills is likely to be the weapon they carry. The troopers who possess these particular and deadly skills often carry specialised targeting equipment. Usually, this includes a powerful scope mounted on a main weapon, but sometimes takes the form of helmet-mounted sighting devices or even permanently grafted-on cybernetic augmentations. In those regiments with close ties to the Adeptus Mechanicus, a sharpshooter might have received extensive augmetics and tactical neural implants, all wrought to maximise the native talent they already possess for precise fire.The expertise that sharpshooters hold is hardly limited to their conventional weapons, however. While their talents frequently manifest themselves through the use of the lasgun to engage targets too far distant for most troopers to hit, they usually extend to other weapon systems as well. While every sharpshooter has their favourite weapon, all are well able to use a wide range of different systems, from Missile Launchers to Sniper Rifles.Regardless of the weapon being used, the sharpshooter displays a keen ability to locate an enemy, draw a bead on him, and to unleash the killing round at the most opportune moment. The sharpshooter is a master of the doctrine of "one shot, one kill" and can be relied upon to send a single bullet, bolt or blast towards the heart of an enemy where hundreds, even thousands of rapid fire weapons have missed their mark.When confronted with such a foe, any unit commander worth their commission knows which of their troopers is best suited to fire the shot that might very well turn the battle that wins the war that defeats the enemy once and for all.
Imperial Guard Sharpshooter - Sharpshooter Tactics: The sharpshooter's task is a relatively simple one, but one on which the tide of battle itself may turn. Individual guardsmen with these skills are called upon when a single, long-range, pinpoint attack is required. Given the varied conditions of the battlefields of the 41st Millennium and the countless foes, creatures, and war machines ripe for the Emperor's justice, the skills of sharpshooters are ever in demand.There are vast beasts and machines all but immune to explosions, hails of fire, sheets of flame, gouts of plasma, and nearly all the other weapons wielded by the warriors of the Imperium. Sometimes, it is not overwhelming fire that defeats an enemy, but a single, well-placed shot aimed at some miniscule gap in armour that only the sharpshooter notices. Perhaps the target is the exposed commander of a super-heavy tank, or a vulnerable mechanism on a towering Daemon Engine. Perhaps it is an enemy general ensconced in their command bunker, directing their troops from imagined safety and the sharpshooter has worked themself into a position to unleash the one shot not defended against. When facing ravening xenos monstrosities, the sharpshooter is capable of aiming a single, high velocity shot at an eye or similarly vital organ that brings the beast to its knees.When an Astra Militarum unit faces such a foe that only the sharpshooter's immediate action can save the day, the members of that unit often switch from line troopers, each with their own tasks to perform in battle, to a dedicated support unit for the specialist. Some units practise this drill relentlessly so that each trooper knows exactly what they must do to allow the sharpshooter the time and opportunity to take that one, vital, battle-winning shot. In other units, especially those drawn from a Human culture where such martial values are honed from birth, the process is instinctive and its execution flawless.Whatever the case, the entire squad bends its every effort to aid the sharpshooter, covering them against enemy fire, distracting the foe and ensuring they have ample ammunition. Countless times in the war-torn history of the Imperium, such men and women have fired shots that resound throughout the ages, but only because their comrades have sacrificed themselves to allow them to do so.
Imperial Guard Sharpshooter - Regimental Variations: No two Astra Militarum regiments utilise sharpshooters in exactly the same manner, and indeed some rarely if ever use such specialists at all. Even when a particular planet's regiments employ Departmento Munitorum-approved doctrine, individual regiments often implement such drills according to their own, sometimes idiosyncratic traditions.Some regiments that have a particular predilection for fostering the specialised expertise of individual soldiers employ sharpshooters in a highly formalised manner. Several such regiments even maintain regimental marksmanship schools through which the specialists must pass before being awarded the highly-prised insignia that marks out their role. In such regiments it is a matter of pride for a trooper to represent their platoon or company in the regular regimental competitions and those that perform consistently well often earn the patronage and favour of the regiment's ranking officer and their command staff.More rugged regiments, by contrast, often do things entirely differently. These regiments rarely maintain standing marksmanship schools, their individualistic troopers much more interested in grand actions and violent achievements than fancy badges and fussy titles. Instead, the role of sharpshooter is simply applied to whichever member of the squad is the best shot, and shifts based on who can get the job done best at a given time. In such closely-knit units every member knows their comrades so well that the appointment may be entirely unspoken and instinctive and is often made by silent consensus in the heat of battle.Sharpshooters provide critical support in regiments of all sorts. Some are issued specialist equipment, while others are merely better with the precision weapons that the regiment already fields. If the regiment specialises in close-quarters combat, then its particularly gifted snipers might often be assigned to operate in the rear of the formation.In contrast, if the regiment is designed around long-range bombardments, its sharpshoooters are often assigned to its forward elements, cutting down enemy soldiers from unexpected angles before they can reach the artillery or mortars that the regiment uses to do the Emperor's violent work.Regiments particularly dedicated to reconnaissance and stealth tend to rely particularly heavily on sharpshooters. Such soldiers can silence a sentry at the exact opportune moment for an infiltration team or slay a patrolling guard and his comrades before they can raise the alarm, and so the success of a mission often rests on the skill of sharpshooters.
Imperial Guard Sharpshooter - Ratling Snipers: Ratlings are members of a small, loud, hungry and lecherous Abhuman species. Ratlings are granted full Imperial citizenship despite their mutant status and in the past have often served in the regiments of the Astra Militarum. Though unsuited for many battlefield roles, Ratlings make excellent snipers, even without the telescopic laser-sights of the needle-rifles.With careful, methodical aim, the Ratlings place their crosshairs, targeting the vulnerable eyes of alien beasts or the exposed joints of armoured foes. They snipe enemy commanders and tank crews with contemptuous ease, amused at the panic and confusion they wreak.In battle, Ratlings excel at infiltrating the warzone unseen, secreting themselves wherever there is cover, whether it be amongst the undergrowth of a Forest World, the craters of bomb-scarred tundra or within the twisted remnants of a ruined building. Any position that has a commanding field of fire will do, and one which reduces the possibility of any actual combat is even better.Many Ratlings serve as sharpshooters in Astra Militarum regiments, a role in which they excel due to their superior marksmanship. While they are often the butt of soldier's jokes, more than one Imperial Guard unit has had cause to be grateful for the covering fire of a unit of Ratling Snipers.
Imperial Guard Sharpshooter - Veteran Sharpshooter: A Veteran Sharpshooter is a Veteran of the Astra Militarum who epitomises the service's combat doctrine: overwhelming firepower honed through training and delivered unflinchingly in the heat of battle.The sharpshooter specialises in ranged combat drills, keeping the foe at a distance while bringing firepower to bear against high-priority targets. Though they can spray and pray with the best of them, the Veteran Sharpshooter is at their most dangerous when they take the time to place their shots where the enemy is vulnerable. Breathe in. Breathe out. Blow them away.Veteran Sharpshooters are generally skilled with almost any type of ranged weapon, including a vast pattern of laspistols, autopistols, autoguns, lasguns, Human-sized boltguns, and even the rare plasma gun which might come into their possession.As no battle in the 41st Millennium can be sure to be decided only at range, Veteran Sharpshooters are often highly skilled with whatever melee weapon they choose to keep as back-up protection, often including a sword, axe, combat knife, chainaxe or chainsword.
Imperial Guard Sharpshooter - Wargear: Standard Imperial Guard Regimental KitTriplex Pattern Lasgun - A highly refined variant of the standard lasgun, the Triplex Pattern offers alternative firing modes that make the weapon more versatile on the battlefield.Long-Las (Optional) - Favoured by sharpshooters and snipers, the long-las is a specially modified version of the lasgun constructed for added range and accuracy. As its name implies, a long-las also has a much longer barrel than a standard lasgun, sometimes being up to twice the length, which makes it awkward in close quarters combat.Ballistic Sniper Rifle (Optional) - This variant of the Sniper Rifle fires solid metal bullets. This weapon is rarely issued by the Imperial Guard, but may be acquired by soldiers as a "trophy weapon" on the battlefield. Many of these weapons are much simpler than the Long-Las, using bolt-action systems that are archaic compared to most weapons used by the Imperial Guard. Some sharpshooters prefer them nonetheless, and their trophy rifles become lucky charms for them, especially if they fell a particularly important foe with them.Frag GrenadesMissile Launcher (Optional) - Like the Grenade Launcher, Missile Launchers fire a variety of explosive rounds at long distances. A missile is fitted with guidance systems to aid target acquisition, which is excellent at long ranges. Most launchers, like the Locke-pattern, are shoulder mounted tube-like weapons that fire a single round with great accuracy, while the ancient Retobi design holds a huge vertical clip of 5 rounds but is much more awkward to fire and has less precision.4 Krak Missiles - The shaped warheads of Krak Missiles are designed to penetrate even the toughest of vehicle armour.
Imperial Guard Sharpshooter - Weapon Upgrades: Sharpshooters often give their weapons upgrades to enhance their performance. The upgrade descriptions below list the most commonly used weapon upgrades by Imperial Guard Sharpshooters:Motion Predictor - A complex target-tracking Cogitator in this device is activated once the user has sighted the desired target. The predictor then tracks the target and, when the trigger is pulled, chases the target with all the rounds in a clip in one long burst.Omni-Scope - A vastly expensive and rare device normally found only in the hands of legendary assassins or bounty hunters, the omni-scope is a cluster of finely-tuned sensor wands linked to a precision lens. Some of these scopes plug directly into a bionic cranial port, allowing the user to shoot around corners without exposing himself—the scope becomes a "third eye."Photo Sight - This is a weapon sight that enhances ambient light levels, improving the user's vision and ability to see in the dark.Preysense Sight - This is a weapon sight that shows thermal images and reveals the hiding places of enemies who lurk in the darkness.Red-Dot Laser Sight - A non-magnifying reflector (or reflex) sight for firearms that gives the user an aimpoint in the form of an illuminated red dot.Silencer - Silencers lower the noise from a weapon's discharge, preventing detection of the shot.Targeter - Expensive, heavy, and rarely used except by elite forces, a Targeter uses a variety of guidance Cogitators and omni-sights to improve accuracy. These upgrades are normally hard-wired into a specific weapon for maximum efficiency. Commonly viewed as adding to the weapon's Machine Spirit, they create an even closer bond between gunner and weapon.Telescopic Sight - Telescopic Sights magnify the target's image, making it easy to see. This is especially useful for long-range shots that need to hit a very specific target location.Tripod and Bipod - These attachments are for heavier weapons or those using integral ammunition canisters rather than a backpack-mounted source (such as Plasma Guns or Meltaguns). Resting the weapon on the ground increases accuracy but sacrifices mobility, thus making them more common in static defence lines. Bipods and tripods allow a weapon to be braced anywhere there is a reasonably flat surface. A weapon braced on a bipod has a 90-degree arc of fire, while one on a tripod has a 180-degree arc.
Imperial Guard Sharpshooter - Weapon Customisation: Through training and deployment, an Imperial Guard Sharpshooter spends virtually every moment with their trusted weapons within easy reach. Over time, their primary weapon becomes an extension of their body. As each soldier becomes increasingly familiar with their armaments, they may opt to make minor changes to the weapon.Extensive changes would invariably violate standard doctrine and draw the ire of superior officers. However, most officers choose to turn a blind eye to minor tweaks of the weapon. In this way, a sharpshooter may find solutions to offset bad habits in the way they carry and wield the weapon, but also adjust it so that they may operate at their peak efficiency.
Imperial Guard Vehicles - Imperial Guard Vehicles: This is a list of Imperial Guard Vehicles used by the Imperium of Man's primary ground-based fighting force, the Astra Militarum, better known as the "Imperial Guard."Whilst lacking the more technologically-advanced vehicles available to the elite branches of the Imperium's military like the Inquisition and the Space Marines, the Imperial Guard does possess the largest selection of ordnance and potent armoured fighting vehicles amongst all the factions fighting for dominance in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Imperial Guard Vehicles - Basilisk: The Basilisk is the most common artillery tank used by the Imperial Guard in the 41st Millennium. It is essentially an artillery piece mounted on a stripped-down chassis of a Chimera transport. The Basilisk mounts one of the longest-ranged weapons in the Imperium's arsenal, the Earthshaker Cannon. Basilisks utilise the standard Chimera chassis but replace the passenger compartment and turret with the Earthshaker, leaving it with the hull-mounted Heavy Bolter weapon and driver's compartment.The Basilisk can fire its main weapon directly at an enemy, but this means the Basilisk would have to be close to the enemy which is not good considering it is lightly armoured, instead the Basilisk will stay away from the main fighting and fire its weapon indirectly.The Earthshaker shells are renowned for the powerful shrieking they make during flight, the mere sound of which is often enough to break enemy morale. Additionally, the guns produce a tremendous muzzle report, and it is also mentioned that Earthshaker crews tend to experience hearing loss. Unlike the other artillery units in the Imperial Guard, such as the Bombard, Griffon, and Manticore, the Basilisk is capable of direct as well as indirect fire, giving it a limited ability to defend itself from enemy vehicles and infantry. In the direst of circumstances, Basilisks may be used as secondary battle tanks if given adequate protection. Consequently, Basilisks are often placed at the front of an artillery detachment.
Imperial Guard Vehicles - Bombard: The Bombard mounts a Siege Mortar on a Leman Russ main battle tank chassis. Despite its comparatively short range, it is one of the most powerful artillery pieces in the Imperial Guard. The Bombard is capable of ignoring cover when being used against fortified troops. Its use is rather limited due its short range and lack of direct fire capability; it is primarily used on fortresses after the fortress's occupants are forced inside their walls. The Bombard has no room on board to store its ammunition, and thus it must be loaded from outside the vehicle using its rear-mounted crane.
Imperial Guard Vehicles - Colossus: The Colossus is an open-topped self-propelled artillery piece commonly used by the regiments of the Imperial Guard, and it is one of the oldest and most renowned siege weapons still in use during the 41st Millennium. The vehicle is usually deployed by the Guard during sieges of fortified enemy emplacements and against structures being used as cover by the enemy during urban combat.
Imperial Guard Vehicles - Centaur: The Centaur is a light vehicle used to transport men and ammunition or tow light artillery pieces. It is lightly armed with only a single Heavy Stubber, but tends to carry weapons teams and heavy mortars. Although not suited for heavy combat, it is popular with the Death Korps of Krieg. The Centaur saw heavy use during the Siege of Vraks, where thousands of Centaurs were used to transport men and weaponry behind the lines.
Imperial Guard Vehicles - Chimera: The Chimera is the standard armoured personnel carrier (APC) of the Imperial Guard. It can carry a variety of heavy weapons in its gun turret, such as Heavy Bolters, Heavy Flamers and Multilasers. Other weapons, such as Autocannons can be mounted using special modifications. The Chimera also mounts a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter or Heavy Flamer. The vehicle also has six hull-mounted lasguns on its side sponsons that can be fired from the passenger compartment, allowing the units inside to engage the enemy without first disembarking from the vehicle. As an APC, the vehicle is capable of carrying up to twelve Guardsmen, although some troop types such as Space Marine Terminators and Ogryns take up double the space of a standard human soldier. The Chimera has amphibious capabilities, allowing it to take part in naval assaults. There are three specific close variants of the Chimera; the Chimedon, Chimerax and Chimerro. The Chimedon replaces the gun turret weapon with a Battlecannon, while the Chimerax has four linked Autocannons in the turret. The Chimerro is a standard pattern Chimera with a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher mounted on the turret in addition to the Multilaser. The Chimera chassis is the basis for many other Imperial vehicles, including the Basilisk, the Hydra, and the Hellhound.VariantsSamaritan - The Samaritan is a variant of the Chimera used by the Imperial Guard's medical companies as an ambulance. The Samaritan is a non-combat vehicle and is completely unarmed, lacking even a simple Pintle-mounted weapon for self-defence. The vehicle is crewed by two medical company orderlies, and usually a surgeon accompanies them. The crew of the Samaritan collect the wounded and transport them to either a medical company aid station or to a field-hospice near the very rear of the line. These field-hospices are staffed with the merciful Sisters of the Adepta Sororitas' Orders Hospitaller.
Imperial Guard Vehicles - Cyclops: The Cyclops is a small remote-controlled tracked demolition vehicle that is just small enough to fit within the passenger space of a standard Chimera or Valkyrie aircraft along with its controller. The Cyclops is intended to roll off its parent vehicle and be steered remotely towards its target, at which point it is detonated with devastating force. The Cyclops can also be dropped behind enemy lines by a Valkyrie and sabotage enemy supplies or command stations. The Cyclops is popular among those Imperial Guard regiments that use it to keep their troops from having to perform dangerous jobs that normally lead to heavy casualties.
Imperial Guard Vehicles - Deathstrike Missile Launcher: An Intercontinental-range support weapon, the Deathstrike is no more than a chassis to carry a single ICBM-class Deathstrike Missile mounted on the back of an Imperial Chimera chassis, for which the launcher is named. Deathstrike Missile payloads include Plasma warheads, biological warheads, nuclear warheads, Titan-killer warheads, and the dreaded Vortex Warheads all of which require the authorization of Segmentum Command in order to fire due to the immense amount of destruction they are capable of.