Skaði's Thralls: Difference between revisions

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|Founding = late 39th 40th millenium
|Founding = late 39th 40th millenium
|Homeworld = "Skaði VI", Sometimes labled "The Former Domain of the Champions of Skaði" in Imperial Documents
|Homeworld = "Skaði VI", Sometimes labled "The Former Domain of the Champions of Skaði" in Imperial Documents
|Specialty = Guerilla Warefare, Ambushes, Sniping, Winter Warfare.
|Specialty = Guerilla Warfare, Ambushes, Sniping, Winter Warfare.
|Strength = 2-3 regiments of around 300-330k pennitents every Tithe
|Strength = 2-3 regiments of around 300-330k pennitents every Tithe
|Allegiance = [[Imperium of Man]]
|Allegiance = [[Imperium of Man]]
|Colours = White with Brown Leather, Red and Blue feature on Insignia.
|Colours = White with Brown Leather, Red and Blue feature on Insignia.
}}
}}
[[File:Hua Yuan 1st Flash and Clear.png|270px|thumb|right|Standard uniform of a Thrall.]]
[[File:Skaði's Thralls.png|270px|thumb|right|Standard uniform of a Thrall.]]
Finnish Feral Penal Legionarries, What could go Wrong?  
Finnish Feral Penal Legionarries, What could go Wrong?  


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==The Thralls==
==The Thralls==
[[File:Hua Yuan.png|270px|thumb|left|The Regimental Insignia: Yuan, The Garden.]]
[[File:Thrall Chaagrut Badge.png|270px|thumb|left|The Regimental Insignia]]
In the grimdark ruins of The Former Domain of the Champions of Skaði there is only Snow, Trees ("Trees"), Death and the Endless Steam of Thirsting Saunas. Or, at least, that is the world’s reputation. Skaði's Thralls are experts in in Hit and Run Foret combat, reaching the same level of Proficency as the famed [[Tanith First (And Only)|Gaunt's Ghosts]] and quite possibly outperforming them in frigid enviroments similar to their Homeworlds. The Thralls Often Wield Long-Lasguns and Laslocks as oftern as they bring regular Lasguns as they bring regular lasguns and Bottles filled with Promethium funtion as their preferred form of grenade. Skaði's Thralls are able to fight Trench Warfare effectively enough but will often send squads ahead to slow the enemy's advance with their signiture use of Snipers, Booby-Traps and Ambushes which will often be used in conjunction, an xeno tank may stop short of a pit trap intended to destroy it only to be abushed, with the foiled trap now serving as a road block Pintle gunners on the tank will be shot dead by Snipers allowing the ambushers to drop Promethium Coctails inside the vehicle killing the crew and possibly exploding its ammunition before beheading the dead with astonding speed and vanishing back into the forest as quickly as they came under cover of Sniper-fire, Additional Booby Traps and a few brave indivuals who will keep fighting to buy their squadmates time, often charging the enemy with a grenade belt once they think the Ambushers will have had enough time to cover their tracks. Leaving a shaken enemy and alot of decapitated corpses.
In the grimdark ruins of The Former Domain of the Champions of Skaði there is only Snow, Trees ("Trees"), Death and the Endless Steam of Thirsting Saunas. Or, at least, that is the world’s reputation. Skaði's Thralls are experts in in Hit and Run Foret combat, reaching the same level of Proficency as the famed [[Tanith First (And Only)|Gaunt's Ghosts]] and quite possibly outperforming them in frigid enviroments similar to their Homeworlds. The Thralls Often Wield Long-Lasguns and Laslocks as oftern as they bring regular Lasguns as they bring regular lasguns and Bottles filled with Promethium funtion as their preferred form of grenade. Skaði's Thralls are able to fight Trench Warfare effectively enough but will often send squads ahead to slow the enemy's advance with their signiture use of Snipers, Booby-Traps and Ambushes that will often be used in conjunction with one another. An Xeno tank may stop short of a pit trap intended to destroy it only to be abushed, with the foiled trap now serving as a road block, pintle gunners on the tank will be shot dead by Snipers allowing the ambushers to drop Promethium Coctails inside the vehicle killing the crew and possibly exploding its ammunition before beheading the dead with astonding speed and vanishing back into the forest as quickly as they came under cover of Sniper-fire, Additional Booby Traps and a few brave indivuals who will keep fighting to buy their squadmates time, often charging the enemy with a grenade belt once they think the Ambushers will have had enough time to cover their tracks. Leaving behind a shaken enemy and alot of decapitated corpses.


==Feral Cannibles==
==Feral Cannibles==
Skaði VI is a dangerous place, not is its climate incondusve to human life but the evil that wiped out the Chapter of Space Marines who used to call the planet home stil lingers on in their Ruined Fortress Monastery, now referred to as "The Angels Graveyard". As the PDF is mainly tied up both fighting and prepearing for this evil the Planets Tithe of Guardsmen is instead filled by criminals, individuals who have commited what are viewed as crimes by the planets savage inhabitants, though some of the Raised Legionarries are your usual theives or murderers the vast Majority of Skaði's Thralls are actually cannibles, most of whom are self-confessed. Food is difficult to come by even in the best of times on Skaði VI and in the brutal Winter entire villages have been found dead in summer from insufiicent foodstores, as such it is extremely common for starving individuals to resort to eating to body of another human who has already died in order to survive, when spring comes these cannibles often feel extreme guilt and wish to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Golden Flame ([[The Emperor]]) and offer themselves up to the justice of their peers, which is almost always service in the Thralls.
Skaði VI is a dangerous place, not only is its climate ill-suited to human life but the evil that wiped out the Chapter of Space Marines who used to call the planet home still lingers on in their Ruined Fortress Monastery, now referred to as "The Angels Graveyard". As the PDF is mainly tied up both fighting and preparing for this evil the Planets Tithe of Guardsmen is instead filled by criminals, individuals who have committed what are viewed as crimes by the planets savage inhabitants, though some of the raised Legionaries are your usual thieves or murderers the vast Majority of Skaði's Thralls are actually cannibals, most of whom are self-confessed. Food is difficult to come by even in the best of times on Skaði VI and in the brutal Winter entire villages have been found dead in summer from insufficient food stores, as such it is extremely common for starving individuals to resort to eating the body of another human who has already died in order to survive, when spring comes these cannibals often feel extreme guilt and wish to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Golden Flame ([[The Emperor]]) and offer themselves up to the justice of their peers, which is almost always service in the Thralls.


The Zealous need for redemtion experessed by most of the regiment soon rubs off on guardsmen recruited for other crimes (Theft, Murder) resulting in a regiment that is all to happy to sacrifice themselves for the Emperor, snipers who are located wil often stay put and keep shooting, dropping their Rifles only when they enemy is in effective range of their other weapons, Ambushes will often be baited with a sacrifical squad of guardsmen who are all too willing to die in order grant the enemy false confidence and many a Booby Trap has been intentially triggered by a Thrall in order to kill catch out any pursuing enemies as well. This is so extreme that Lord Commisar -- will command his troops to return from missions with "more heads then they left with" not only does this encourage the Thralls to sacrifice themelves only when absolutely, by making ambushers decapitate dead enemies before taking off or forcing Snipers to close in on their kills for proof (The Commisar will exept bags full of head mush in the case of Headshots) the Thrall's need for Martydom is somewhat alleviated. This comes together to make a terrifylingly efficient Hit and Run force, able to drag the enemy across an apparant sea of traps and Ambushes all the while wittling them down for sniper perches whilst still willing to stand their ground and get killed in order to hold the enemy in place and allow other parts of the regiment to operate as efficently as they do however when forced to fight defencively with no ground to rake their foe along they have been noted as performing "admirably but without distiction" as the Thrall's stubborness crossed with little to no real artilary, armour or seige equipment and few gun emplacements often results in Trenches held solely by the Thralls being difficult to break but easy to take once the admittibly lethal No-mans land has been dealt with whilst Thralls in conjunction with regiments more suited to Trench warefare can result in lethal combinations, the Penal Legionarries happy to go on suicidal missions to set up traps in No-Mans land or attempt to range behind enemy lines to disrupt enemy supply lines.
The Zealous need for redemption expressed by most of the regiment soon rubs off on guardsmen recruited for other crimes (theft, murder) resulting in a regiment that is all too happy to sacrifice themselves for the Emperor, snipers who are located will often stay put and keep shooting, dropping their Rifles only when the enemy is in effective range of their other weapons, ambushes will often be baited with a sacrificial squad of guardsmen who are all too willing to die in order grant the enemy false confidence and many a Booby Trap has been intentionally triggered by a Thrall in order to kill catch out any pursuing enemies as well. This is so extreme that Lord Commissar -- will command his troops to return from missions with "more heads than they left with" not only does this encourage the Thralls to sacrifice themselves only when absolutely, by making ambushes decapitate dead enemies before taking off or forcing Snipers to close in on their kills for proof (The Commissar will accept bags full of head mush in the case of Headshots) the Thrall's need for Martyrdom is somewhat alleviated. This comes together to make a terrifyingly efficient Hit and Run force, able to drag the enemy across an apparent sea of traps and ambushes all the while whittling them down for sniper perches whilst still willing to stand their ground and get killed in order to hold the enemy in place and allow other parts of the regiment to operate as efficiently as they do however when forced to fight defensively with no ground to rake their foe along they have been noted as performing "admirably but without distinction" as the Thrall's stubbornness crossed with little to no real artillery, armor or siege equipment and few gun emplacements often results in Trenches held solely by the Thralls being difficult to break but easy to take once the admittedly lethal No-mans land has been dealt with whilst Thralls in conjunction with regiments more suited to trench warfare can result in lethal combinations, the Penal Legionaries happy to go on suicidal missions to set up traps in No-Mans land or attempt to range behind enemy lines to disrupt enemy supply lines.


===History and Background===
===History and Background===
Skaði VI was an unremarkable Ice Ball with 0 inhabitants when the what would become the Skaði System was first brought into the fold during the glory days of the great crusade by the Word Bearers (often known simply as "One of the Emporers Space Marine Legions by other planets in the sector for obvious reasons") however some time afterwards a Chapter of Space Marines now known as the Champions of Skaði eventually came across the Skaði VI and found it covered in Feral Human Tribes, Finding truly Ancient Transport ships on the Planets surface further investigation into the ancient Data logs found that at some point in the very distant past several regiments of Imperial Guard (or Army, details are hazy) were stationed here while the local arm of the Administratum "Figured out what to do with them" what ecxactly this meany was unspecifie. Whatever happened it appears that the Guardsmen were forgotten about completely leaving the troops on their own for thousands of years.
Skaði VI was an unremarkable Ice Ball with 0 inhabitants when what would become the Skaði System was first brought into the fold during the glory days of the great crusade by the Word Bearers (often known simply as "One of the Emperors Space Marine Legions by other planets in the sector for obvious reasons") however some time afterwards a Chapter of Space Marines now known as the Champions of Skaði eventually came across the Skaði VI and found it covered in Feral Human Tribes, Finding truly Ancient Transport ships on the Planets surface further investigation into the ancient Data logs found that at some point in the very distant past several regiments of Imperial Guard (or Army, details are hazy) were stationed here while the local arm of the Administratum "Figured out what to do with them" what exactly this meany was unspecific. Whatever happened it appears that the Guardsmen were forgotten about completely leaving the troops on their own for thousands of years.
During this investigation the local Tribes were appalled at the "interlopers" for stepping foot on what the Tribesmen revered as "the Mountains of the Flame" and preceeded to wage what was apparantly a brutal Guerilla War against the Space Marines killing not one but three Astartes over the course of 5 Terran Years and diabling a Razorback. Finding this effort impressive the Champions Chapter Master declared the Tribesmen to be worthy Recruitment Stock and used the favour granted by recovering the ancient troop transports to claim Skaði VI for his Chapter constructing their Fortress Monestery on the grounds in which the ancient ships once stood (note that exactly when this happened has been lost to the Administratum as has whether or not the Champions of Skaði named themselves after the system they called home or if the Skaði system was renamed by the Space Marines once they arrived.)
During this investigation the local Tribes were appalled at the "interlopers" for stepping foot on what the Tribesmen revered as "the Mountains of the Flame" and proceeded to wage what was apparently a brutal Guerilla War against the Space Marines killing not one but three Astartes over the course of 5 Terran Years and disabling a Razorback. Finding this effort impressive the Champions Chapter Master declared the Tribesmen to be worthy Recruitment Stock and used the favor granted by recovering the ancient troop transports to claim Skaði VI for his Chapter constructing their Fortress Monastery on the grounds in which the ancient ships once stood (note that exactly when this happened has been lost to the Administratum as has whether the Champions of Skaði named themselves after the system they called home or if the Skaði system was renamed by the Space Marines once they arrived.)


For many years the Champions of Skaði reigned of Skaði VI and it's thought that this is where many of the planets traditions come from. The practice of giving children extremely basic lasguns so that they could shoot the small songbirds which live in Skaði's forests and are the only reliable source of Omega 3 and Vitimins D and C on the planet was almost certainly started by the Marines to raise the quality of their recruits (were else would the Tribesmen gotten their guns from) and the willingness of Skaði VI's modern day inhabitants to hand over their guilty to the Penal Legion probably comes from how the old Champions of Skaði would take convicted Theives, Murderers and Cannibles and turn them into Servitors. This however was not to last.
For many years the Champions of Skaði reigned of Skaði VI, and it's thought that this is where many of the planets traditions come from. The practice of giving children extremely basic lasguns so that they could shoot the small songbirds which live in Skaði's forests and are the only reliable source of Omega 3 and Vitamins D and C on the planet was almost certainly started by the Marines to raise the quality of their recruits (where else would the Tribesmen gotten their guns from) and the willingness of Skaði VI's modern day inhabitants to hand over their guilty to the Penal Legion probably comes from how the old Champions of Skaði would take convicted Thieves, Murderers and Cannibals and turn them into Servitors. This however was not to last.


In Mid to Late M39 the Chapter would come into contact with an unknown chaos warband. over the course of many-many brutal Skirmishes the Chapter of Space Marines would be wittled down to just over half strength until, in early M40 the full force of the Warband decended on the System. Split between The Hive World Skaði XVIII and The Domain of the Champions most of the Warband, led by a horrfying Deamon Prince assulted the Marines in their Fortress Monastery. The details are unkown but when the Imperal Counter-Attack finally arrived the Chapter had been wiped out with all hands lost and though many corpses had been left behind the Warband and their Deamon Prince had seemingly vanished into Thin-Air. However they were not gone.  
In Mid to Late M39 the Chapter would come into contact with an unknown chaos warband. Over the course of many-many brutal Skirmishes the Chapter of Space Marines would be whittled down to just over half strength until, in early M40 the full force of the warband descended on the System. Split between The Hive World Skaði XVIII and The Domain of the Champions most of the warband, led by a horrifying Daemon Prince assaulted the Marines in their Fortress Monastery. The details are unknown but when the Imperial Counter-Attack finally arrived the Chapter had been wiped out with all hands lost and though many corpses had been left behind the Warband and their Daemon Prince had seemingly vanished into thin air. However, they were not gone.  


Roughly every 70 years or so the Warband, now known as The Tide reappears, spilling out of the Angels Graveyard they ravage the countryside slaying as they go and piling high mountains of skulls before vanishing again as quickly as they came. First suprised by these attacks, the remains of the PDF that had been set up by the Astartes were able to rebuild and prepare for attacks developing many of the tactics used by the Thralls today in direct responce to the Warband profficency in head-on comabat and it was seeing the effects of what the Skaði's named "the Death by Inches" that covinced Imperial Officals that the Servitor Stock that the planet was currently offering up as Tithe woud be better served as a Penal Regiment and so, Skaði's Thralls were formed
Roughly every 70 years or so the Warband, now known as The Tide reappears, spilling out of the Angels Graveyard they ravage the countryside slaying as they go and piling high mountains of skulls before vanishing again as quickly as they came. First surprised by these attacks, the remains of the PDF that had been set up by the Astartes were able to rebuild and prepare for attacks developing many of the tactics used by the Thralls today in direct response to the Warband proficiency in head-on combat, and it was seeing the effects of what the Skaði's named "the Death by Inches" that convinced Imperial Officials that the Servitor Stock that the planet was currently offering up as Tithe would be better served as a Penal Regiment and so, Skaði's Thralls were formed


===Exterminator Company Structure===
Skaði's Thralls was originally the name given to the Chapter Serfs who served the now extinct Chapter of Space Marines who used to occupy Skaði VI and for a while after the death of the Astartes the world  would pay its Tithes not with Guardsmen but by offering up their criminals as Servitors parts in much the same way they had offered their criminals up to the Space Marines, however after the 1st Skaði's Thralls proved a decent, if short-lived success it was decided that would be officially labeled a feral-guard world and later have proven so effective that the local arm of the Administratum has granted them many medical necessities such as Calipers, Penicillin and Medicae kits in order to boost Birth Rates as well as Vitamin Supplements to boost the Health and physical abilities of the Planets Population. Crucially, while the increased population has increased the amount of mouths to feed beyond the feral worlders abilities to provide enough sustenance the people of Skaði VI are repeatedly denied Food Aid outside the Vitamin Tablets in a deliberate effort to increase rates of Cannibalism in the populace and thus boost the amount of souls joining the guard even further than the boosted population would suggest. This worked fantastically, especially once hoarding and eating a Years supply of Vitamin Supplements in an attempt to stave of starvation was also made a crime as it "Took advantage of the Emperors Generosity" and now the Planet can reliably provide 2 to 3 and sometimes even 4 large Penal legions, which is more than enough for Guerilla Warfare specialists such as the Thralls.
The Hua Yuan Exterminator regiments operate in a tight structure, with companies having very specific roles both on the battlefield and off.


====Command Company====
==Notable Skaði Regiments==
The Command Company is the beating heart and cunning mind behind any Exterminator force. Composed of a few Vox companies and a dedicated Honor Guard to protect the command team, the Command Company is the spider in the vast web of cell like Companies that the Exterminators employ, aggregating and compiling intel compiled by the FOBs and firebases in secured locations throughout the AO and relaying orders and directing the flow of battle.
[[the Skaði 1st]] - The original Penal Legion, deployed against Necrons with some success before the over-sacrifcal nature of the Thralls ran them so ragged that the Xenos were able to overrun the remaining troops. Their overall performance coupled with confirmation that a Necron Lord had been caught in the blast of a Thrall booby-trap (that, admittedly, had still failed to kill him) resulted in more Regiments to be raised


The Command Company often operates outside the AO or in a central location relative to the AO's of the subordinate units, issuing orders via Vox, and should interference, be it atmospheric or otherwise, prevents standard communication, HQ will utilize couriers and servo skulls to relay critical orders while the companies rely on contingency plans and training to continue the mission self sufficient.
[[The 16th Skaudi Thralls]] Re-named by their commanding general who reportedly couldn't pronounce the old name and didn't care to learn. The Skaudi Thralls still served with extreme distinction against the Tau and what were later confirmed to be Dark Eldar on Boldena XXVI, afterwards were mistakenly deployed to the deserts of Wolsen II alongside 4 regiments of Krieg Death Corps instead of the planets equatorial Jungle where 2 more Krieger Death Corps were mistakenly deployed instead. Despite being completely out of their element the Kriegers reported that Skaudis Thralls adapted well to the change of tactics and were "valiantly" wiped out after 3 and a half weeks of fighting One Squad bringing down =]REDACTED[= before getting overrun.


====Infantry Companies====
[[The 19th and 20th Skaði's Thralls]] - Raised right before a Tide attack these Regiments were attached to the PDF to help fight them off before being redeployed to =]REDACTED[= alongside =]REDACTED[= against =]REDACTED[=, apparently served "well considering the circumstances" for the duration of the campaign after which both regiments were =]REDEPLOYED TO THE SEGMENTUM OBSCURUS[=, never to been seen nor heard from again.
These companies form the backbone of any Exterminator regiment, no matter how specialized. Every infantryman in an Exterminator unit is considered the best of what the Hive has to offer, but even in the Exterminators the infantry are considered the best of the best.  These guardsmen are highly mobile, the physical fitness standards required to remain in an Exterminator regiment after conscription are one of the leading causes of Guardsmen washing out and being transferred to a Line Infantry unit, or in more severe cases Penal units, if not executed outright.


A standard Infantry Company is composed of at least five platoons, with typically no more than ten. These platoons will fall under the supervision of a Chief Sergeant that monitors and coordinates the squads within their platoon. The platoon sergeants then report to the company commander, typically a Captain, the Major Chief Sergeant, and the attached Commissar. The Major Chief Sergeant and the Captain manage their company, coordinate with other supporting companies, and report to the command or HQ element. However the role of the Commissar is to dispense judicial punishment amongst the ranks, and maintain good order and discipline when the platoon sergeants fail to do so, which usually occurs when a Guardsman succumbs to Xenon, or Nid-Dust and is deemed unfit for service.  
[[49th "Greenskinners" 50th "Bartenders" and 51st Skaði's Thralls]] - Raised after Administratum measures to boost Skaði's Tithes, first time 3 Regiments were raised in a single Tithe, deployed against various minor Ork Waaaghs on a String of worlds before being redeployed against the traitor world Threka V alongside 1112th Dellen Rifles and the vaunted Catachan Devils, fought a particularly brutal set of Guerilla Campaigns in on the Planets Campaigns and joined by the recently deployed 64th "Muk-Skip" Catachan Jungle Fighters during the last push to the Planets capital in what would be known as the "Red-Delta Massacres" afterwards the remains of the regiments would be disbanded and their members folded into the Mukskips.


At the squad level a squad, or fireteam in a combat environment, revolves around the squad leader, typically a Staff Sergeant but no lower than a Sergeant (unless they die, in which case the highest ranking member of the squad will assume the position; this is typically the easiest way to receive a promotion). A squad usually has around six or seven Guardsmen, within the squad will be a variety a specialists, who train their battle buddies in their particular skill set should they die in the field so as not to cripple the team upon their death. Standard specialists within the squad consist of the medic, Voxman, designated breacher and point-man (the guardsman that performs the entrance breach in a Flash and Clear, and the first guardsman into the breached area; in more cramped situations a single guardsman can perform both roles), and the Hunter, or Xenon-boy. The hunter performs a crucial role in the squad, simultaneously a great honor and a great mark of shame upon the squad. The hunter is the designated Xenon user. While almost all Exterminators have used the malicious drug at least once, the hunter is the member of the squad that has used the drug the longest, and has thus built up a certain resistance to the most debilitating of its ill effects, but has likewise developed a crippling addiction to the vile substance. Hunters often spiral into insanity with prolonged use, viewing their squad mates with suspicion and eventually with violent fear, battle brothers slowly becoming Genestealer infiltrators in their clouded minds. Nevertheless, these Guardsmen play a vital role in routing out Genestealer infestations and preventing ambushes from stealthier bioforms, Exterminators bounding after their Xenon-boys like hunters after bloodhounds.
[[221st "Quite Violence" Skaði's Thralls]] notably the first regiment to be joined by a Commissar -- also fought against the tide wherein the attacked general was reportedly "Eaten Alive" by the warrior known as the Bleeding One. Taking command Commissar -- would reign in their suicidal tendencies and introduce what are now common practices in the Thralls notably the act of taking the heads of the enemies which originally started as a method of psychological warfare, the heads of dead Tidesmen would be purified and ceremonially burned which would forever deny the soul a place on the Skull Throne. This served well and the warband quickly retreated from whence they came, the 221st would serve with distinction against Waaaghs Smashhamma and Burningit before wiping out a band of Traitor =]STORMTROOPERS[= despite massive losses after which they -- were officially granted the title of Lord Commissar and the 221st was folded into


====Armoured Companies====
[[Winters Soilders]] originally made up of leftover elements of the defunct 221st, 233rd and 234th regiments of Thralls, attached to Lord Commissar and continually replenished with survivors of Thrall Regiments that have been heavily reduced by long campaigns. Winters soldiers have served the Commissar for decades with many Legionaries going on to fill positions of authority in other Regiments of Thralls and and a couple even managing to earn the Emperor's Pardon! Many Generals attached to regiments of Skaði's Thralls are Veterans who have proved themselves to Lord Commissar -- as Sergeants in the 'Soldiers and any Thrall who has earned a degree of renown in another regiment has probably earned even more here. Currently deployed against the latest Tide incursion a brutal guerilla war is taking am greater toll on the Khornates then ever before.
The armoured components of Exterminator Regiments serve to both ferry Guardsmen across less dense areas of the battlefield and to provide extra firepower when necessary
 
Armored companies share their footslogging comrade's experience in fighting urban combat, especially in tightly packed environments. Their tactics are therefore typically based upon area control, utilizing their heavy firepower and armor to block off major thoroughfares and working in conjunction with infantry to cut off pathways, allowing friendly units to shape the battle in their own favor.
 
As a result of the more practical tactical doctrine, Armored units are primarily made up of light armor, such as several Chimera variants, modified Centaur AFVs, Cyclops RDVs, and occasionally Tauros when fighting in more open environments. Additionally, due to the subterranean nature of Hua Yuan and most Hives, Armored units will occasionally utilize Termite Burrowing Vehicles to great effect to break enemy fortifications and (unconventionally,) to destabilize the very earth beneath entrenched enemy positions. Additionally, units will frequently utilize deployment of Sentinel units to supplement infantry movement, deploy dazzle weapons, and move into support positions otherwise inaccessible to other armored units.
 
====Exterminatus Companies====
 
====Stormtrooper Attachments====
 
===Exterminator Combat Doctrine===
All Hua Yuan regiments have developed their own unique doctrines, and the elite Exterminators are no exception. Relying on quick reaction times and swift operational tempos, the Exterminators offer an effective if seemingly frantic and chaotic fighting style, both in combat engagements and at the command level.
====Colour and Mayhem====
{{Topquote|I'll give you some <s>fucking</s> colour to see, bitch!|Unknown Exterminator, during a raid on a [[Slaanesh]]i pleasure-house}}
 
====FOBs and Firebases====
An integral part of Exterminator doctrine is the use of forward operating bases (FOBs) to maintain forward momentum when clearing out a Hive. During the initial penetration of a hive and the ensuing firefights, numerous hab-blocks will be leveled as part of collateral. This freshly created real estate is the perfect environment to set up a firebase, moving light armor and light artillery into position to secure a solid point of entry and exit that the Exterminators can operate out of. Whatever the Exterminator’s preference, however, an FOB can be anything, anywhere: a tunnel system, a rooftop, a corner candy store, just reinforce it a bit, set up patrols, and move in the equipment and you're set. Normally a Hive can't allow for a legitimate firebases in their current state, so it takes some “renovations” in order to have a fully functioning one, leading to numerous complaints from men all along the administrative ladder. The hive would be divided into stratum accordingly, removing citizens and setting up firebases that they can perform quick, surgical strikes from until an area is deemed pacified. Repeat process until the entire hive is cleansed of the Imperium’s enemies. The Exterminators are quick to set up a network of bases, the rear ones concentrated around the points of entry are for command, infirmaries, supply and respite. The forward bases get setup in preparation for the next push or in pacified areas to bring supply lines forward.
 
The kind of operations performed out of the FOBs can be categorized in two: The Scythe and the Scalpel. When they set up a scythe, they are meant to sweep through a particular area, going block to block in the hopes of completely eliminating any enemy presence in their particular stratum. A scalpel is used when intelligence suggests high enemy concentration within a particular area, and perform surgical strikes to either secure points for other units, cut off the enemy forces and isolate them, or outright eliminate an enemy enclave. In either scenario, the operations rely on fast, heavy handed and carefully articulated plans to maximize surprise and confusion in the enemy ranks. They won’t occupy an operating base for too long, as holding a line can cause the theater to stagnate, and when Exterminators stagnate and lose momentum they begin to lose control of the AO. They like an AO to be just as chaotic as they need it to be, in ways they can manipulate. That or they want it nice and calm, or draw the enemy's attentions so they can surprise them, but a violent gridlock or a stagnating line is the last thing they want. The Line Infantry is virtually shit. They try to constantly be on the move in a strategic sense, constantly moving throughout a hive, setting up temporary bases in order to make sure nothing falls through the cracks as they progress.
 
To that end, FOBs will be nothing more than staging areas with a communications company attached, parking spaces for supply transport units, and a lightly fortified command trailer. Everything will be made to be compacted down and moved ahead quickly to remain at pace with the troops advance. Medical units may be attached to these command elements, but are also forced to remain mobile, likely field surgery units set up to operate out Samaritans. Supply units follow immediately behind advancing troops, ready to prepare the next command/operations base as the AO is secured. In prolonged engagements,however, these firebases can be so ingrained and well fortified that they become permanent fixtures for enforcers and pdf’s once the Exterminators pull out and conflict ends.
 
==Hua Yuan Line Infantry Regiments==
Whilst Hua Yuan specializes in training elite hive fighting Exterminator units,  between requirements for more generalized forces, washouts from the Exterminators' intense training, and increased tithe demands, conventional Guard Regiments are also frequently raised and trained on Hua Yuan. Such regiments are generally seen as mediocre forces in comparison to the more specialized Exterminator units, are equipped with relatively poorly made local Lasguns, and are the origin of the phrase "Hua Yuan lightshow."
 
Lacking the discipline of their more well trained brothers, the tactics used by these guardsmen are strikingly similar to what you might see during a turf war of some gangers. Rushed out to meet tithes or kicked out of Exterminator training, there's little discipline to be found anywhere in the ranks, including the officers. The Imperium at large uses them little better than penal legions, cannon fodder to flood a world with until one side stops moving first. They regularly work hand in hand with Exterminators, they act as a moving meat wall for strategic Hive swarming while the exterminators do the cool shit. There's a clear resentment on both sides, often only having their pride in their homeworld and disdain for outsiders act as a unifying force.
 
Because of its unsavory recruits and loose command, the regular regiments have some interesting quirks. The have a nasty tendency to loot the worlds they're deployed to, keeping what they like and selling what they don't back home, in almost a bastardized version of the exterminator's trophy taking. Tagging is another favored pastime amongst the forces, leaving all kind of profane and borderline heretical writings and pictures all over the former battlefield. Fights are common amongst the guards in a regiment, given their pride in their ganger/territorial heritage. Because of this, they essentially act as large gangs on the world's they're stationed on. Given their size, they wipe out local outfits pretty quickly leading to a surprisingly comical situation where planetary governors will sometimes ask for them in order to drop crime rates.
 
During prolonged occupations, where other armies put up tents, the Yuanese dig in.
Less long pits in the ground, more compact network of tunnels, they feel more at home in these cramped quarters than they do above ground in the open air. These encampments tend to be several levels deep and relatively hard to detect.
 
They house all the necessary facilities of an army, from infirmaries to sleeping quarters, training pits, mess and operations burrow, as well as the non-essential drug dens, bars, brothels and gambling house. When there's no blown-out buildings they can all cram into, Yuanese guards often dig these series of foxholes and tunnels that they live in, called a "Hua Yuanese Trench". While it can provide some protection from enemy volleys, it is mostly a way to recapture the cramped feelings of home. Most guardsmen feel extremely uncomfortable in open spaces, even forests and jungles are quite unnerving for these men and women.
 
Soldiers will often keep dogs or other similar beasts that they find on the battle field for morale or to use as an extra set of eyes, and during particularly trying times, as food. After a deployment these beasts are usually left to fend for themselves in the abandoned FOBs or are eaten. Often, however, guardsmen will pay handsomely to secure the passage of animals they've grown attached to back to their garrison or their families. These beasts rarely survive the journey back to Hua Yuan. Sometimes a particularly exotic or faithful Beast will be presented to a unit commander as a meal or a trophy gift. Commanders, especially at the Regiment and Division level enjoy displaying their animal companions, as it reinforces their image as leaders worth respect in Gardeners of all levels. Xenos Beasts, such as Squigz or Kroot Hounds are never eaten, and even rarer still is it for them to be kept as pets. Those that do attempt to keep such things are either executed by a Commissar or reported to the Arbites and then the Inquisition. However commanders that would acquire such a beast usually seek approval from the Commissariat and the Inquisition, which are the same channels one must go to through to keep Xenos flesh or Xeno-tech as a trophy. Such requests are usually denied and the item in question is confiscated for Inquisitorial study, but their are cases in which a battlefield commander can display a creature such as a Kroothawk. These beasts typically don't last long in the toxic air of Hua Yuan, and those that do are often neglected in favour of less heretical companions.
 
Because of their lack of proper supplies most of the time, members of the guard have become experts at cooking cobbled up grub. Made from whatever they can get their hands on, their butchered taste-of-home has lead to other regiments thinking Hua Yuanese food is inedible garbage. Most known dishes are pretty modular as a result of the improvised culinary they often have to make due with. Imitation Fish Soup (鱼缸仔, Yúgāng zǐ) has three main components, imitation fish (boiled or fried), noodles, and a thick, chicken/mushroom/egg substitute stock for broth. Dried Beef and Noodles (牛肉和麵條, Niúròu miàn) is a common Yuanese dish, made from stir-fried "beef", he fen (broad "rice" noodles), dark "soya" sauce, and "bean" sprouts. Hua Yuan styled buns are pretty popular, including fruit buns (with or without a slab of butter substitute inside), cocktail buns, Satay beef buns, barbecued pork buns, etc. Youtiao (油條), is a fried dough lightly salted and made so they can be torn lengthwise in two.
 
==Hua Yuan Armored Siege Regiments==
The birth of the Hua Yuan Armored Division was entirely by accident. A less-than-competent member of the Administratum assigned all of Hua Yuan's heavy armor to them, and as result they take being a tank regiment very seriously and are very professional in the greater imperium sense. No flashy colours, no gang behaviour, and exude professionalism. They feel like the Imperium had set out to give them this task, despite it being entirely an accident. They are considered uppity for this but also they tend to survive due to it.
 
The 1st Hua Yuan Armoured and their successor regiments consists almost entirely of Leman Russ battle tank variants due to their origins, but since proving themselves and their adopted doctrine have implemented Basilisks and their variants into service as well as Bombards, Colossi, Ragnarok and Thunderer Siege Tanks. However in more recent engagements the Armoured Regiments have utilized Deathstrike Launchers and Manticores as well as Hades Breaching Drills to great effect during Hivecracking engagements.
 
"Hivecracking" is a form of siege warfare utilized by most armoured Hua Yuanese regiments. The optimal Hivecracking tactics are to encircle the hive in question and advance, utilizing fixed gun emplacements, mobile artillery, and armoured elements. Typically fixed artillery, either provided by the host planet, another Regiment, or by the sparse few artillery companies some Siege regiments have, and is used to highlight strategic weak points and draw fire from the advancing mechanized elements.
 
The tanks and other wheeled and tracked assets usually harry defensive positions and attempt to create breaches to be utilized by Exterminators waiting in reserve. Destruction is often extremely precise and thoroughly calculated, so as to not invalidate any maps and layouts of the hive. Typically six breaches will be attempted to be made, six on around the sides and one in the center, either through insertion in the top or through tunneling efforts made by the Exterminators, mimicking the horrific "Seventh Wall Fall" event in Hua Yuan's history. The Exterminators then perform a "Flash and Clear" on a theater wide scale, Companies rushing into the breaches at intervals, so the enemy can't fortify any one position, then rendezvous in predetermined locations or an auxiliary location. When fighting enemies such as Tyranids the Exterminators will usually choose to utilize only two flanking breaches so as not to spread their numbers thin.
 
The Armoured units stand in reserve and provide covering fire and will finish off enemies flushed out from the breach. Once the outer layers of the hive are secured they will usually close in, denying the enemy any escape and providing semi-permanent firebases or fully operational installations for allied force
 
==Hua Yuan Penal Regiments==
Penal regiments, known as 地獄害蟲, or Hell Vermin, are where the captured criminals of Hua Yuan are sent to be punished. Penal regiments' recruits on Hua Yuan are people from all walks of Gardener life, who's new job it is to act as a human bullet-detectors. These men and women lead hard, sad, and extremely short lives during their tours of service. The Penal regiments are used almost exclusively as the initial frontal assault, first ones to saturate the area with bodies in the hopes that they'll sponge up all the bullets for the Regulars and the Exterminators. Tactics involving these units include sending them out into open fire or down potentially dangerous hallways to get a fix on where enemy concentrations are by the body count. They come equipped with shoddily made Lascarbines, an extremely bright hot pink or neon yellow prison uniform (making them an easier target), and explosive collars that detonate when their Commissar dies.
 
The prison system on Hua Yuan is near nonexistent, usually not going any further than house arrests or the dungeons of the local abbey, if they're kept alive. The entirety of the incarcerated not granted such luxuries are sent off to bolster the ever thinning Penal regiments. They receive no training, and are immediately shipped to join up with the rest of the penal forces offworld. Standard practice for long campaigns is to have each prisoner in handcuffs during marches, and having them dig their own 8 foot deep hole, which they are to remain in when they are not slogging along to their deaths. If one were to survive long enough, however, they will be granted a full pardon and incorporated into the regular Gardener Guard forces.
 
The demographics of these regiments are a microcosm of the hive itself, having soldiers from every level of Yuanese society. Predominately, these regiments are filled with members of failed gangs, either from the losing side of gang wars, or impressed by local enforcers to meet a quota. These men have only very rudimentary combat skills, but these prove to be better than none when faced with almost certain death. Bitter even before they were imprisoned, these men have sticks mile-deep in their asses now that they are, often times destroying as much of the Hives they're stationed to as possible, if they live long enough to get the chance. There are also a decent amount of lesser noble-born in the ranks, sold out by their rivals, or turned in by Imperials. These men got on the wrong side of somebody, and now are little better than the scum of the Underhive, fighting and dying alongside those they would have never even seen before. There are also members of religious sects who practically volunteer to entire into Penal service, believing it to be the most pure way of serving the Emperor and atoning for their home's sins. These suicide cults often sabotage operations by tampering with the explosive collars and killing the Commissar in battle, causing mass suicide bombings.
 
==Notable Hua Yuan Regiments==
[[Hua Yuan 1st Exterminators]] - The original Exterminator Regiment, and masters of hive fighting.
 
[[Hua Yuan 43rd Line Infantry]] - The first regiment raised solely from losers of a local gang war, creating a local practice of drafting gangers from the losing side of gang wars to avoid "a slaughter not advancing the cause of man." While the 43rd were a reasonably successful Line infantry regiment, successive ganger regiments would be little better than penal regiments. The creating of such units also lead to founding a of a Minor Schola to train commissars specifically for such units.
 
[[Hua Yuan 13th Penal "Razorgirls"]] - A Penal regiments raised from a group of all female pit fighters with many bionic limbs who nearly escaped and managed to kill several nobles, the regiment was raised on the condition of its surrender.


==Unique Equipment==
==Unique Equipment==
===Lasguns===
===Lasguns===
Although the vast majority of Hua Yuan‘s Guard forces use imported Galaxy or Accatran pattern Lasguns, a large number of local designs have been catalogued by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Collectively known as HY-Grade Las Weapons, these locally manufactured devices are infamous for their ubiquity in the lower levels of the hive as well as their unreliability. Although inexpensive to manufacture (and thus perfect for use by underhive gangs), substandard materials and improper fabrication techniques routinely lead to problems not suffered by equivalent armaments. Among the most commonly reported are a failure to focus photon beams correctly, as well vastly fluctuating power outputs. These two factors often manifest in the weapon appearing to fire differently coloured beams between shots, often with substantially varying levels of killing power .
Regular Lasguns see use in the Thralls, especially in ambushes while Long-Lases are extremely popular for both the Sniper Squads and regular Thralls who benefit greatly from the weapons range making it the second most common standard-issue weapon. Las-locks of a variety of Patterns float also around the Regiments and are appreciated but by far the most popular and common rank and file weapon is...
 
Hua Yuan soldiers issued with locally sourced weaponry often seek out replacements as soon as it is possible to do so, to the dismay of quartermasters from allied regiments. Nevertheless, enough have been observed in combat by other regiments for the phrase “a Hua Yuan lightshow” (a barrage that looks impressive but fails to do any real damage) has entered Guard cant in several theatres.
 
===Las-Uzi===
Certain members of the guard found that more traditional las-weapons weren't quite suited to the task at hand, and resorted to a more homebrewed recipe. The las-compact submachine pistol was a signature of the gangs and Mechanicus of Hua Yuan, its compact nature and high rate of fire are well suited to the cramped and narrow home it was born in. Its shot-count seems to vary per chargepack, but it is usually around thirty shots with overcharge capabilities. It is otherwise reliable for something so niche.
 
Las-Uzi Pistol 30m S/–/6 1d10+2 E Pen 0 Mag 30 Rld: Full (Reliable, Overheats, Variant Lasgun settings) 1.5kg Average
 
===Blinkers===
Another tool in the arsenal of the Hua Yuan Exterminators is the diverse set of 'blinkers'. These small devices consist of high intensity lights hooked to self contained power sources and rudimentary alternating systems. These tools play an important role in the Exterminator's 'Colors and Mayhem' doctrine, serving to add yet another layer of disorientation and misdirection to the already cacophonous displays utilized.
 
These devices are all flash and no bang, simply projecting their blindingly bright light at random intervals to distract and disorient foes. Blinkers can be thrown or set as traps and are primarily used on cultists, rebels and humanoid enemies.
 
To maintain stores, Enginseers and sharper Guardsmen manufacturer these devices in the field with locally sourced [Read: looted] materials. As they are hive specialists, there is rarely a lack of material. The complexity of the devices vary from division to division, with the more elite ones, such as the Fifth Division, using specific wavelengths and colors that their optics are polarized against. This allows them to use the devices more freely and tactically against their foes. The less experienced or less Specialized Divisions are content with making rudimentary devices, making up for the danger of blinding themselves with rigorous drilling in communication and usage.
 
===Tyranid Dust Stimulants===
A special Combat Stim made from powdered Hormagaunt nervous tissue, Tyranid Dust is a commonly utilized drug among members of Exterminator Regiments. Inducing in those who snort large quantities of it the ability to "see" Tyranid warp signatures, at the cost of their ability to see color. Those who consume such quantities of "'nid Dust" are also prone to losing their self control, entering a hyperfocused trance, in which they will obsessively seek out and attempt to kill any Tyranids they can find. Killing Tyranids in this state tends to induce a strange trance-like state that allows users to better resist Tyranid Psyker attacks, an invaluable trait when facing down Broodlords.


The use of Xenon is closely guarded secret outside of the Exterminators, and an open secret within, innuendo and doublespeak composing entire conversations when referencing the dangerous Combat Stim. Commissars entering a Tyranid Hunting Exterminator unit (which is the large majority) quickly discover the origin of this sickly drug, and its pervasiveness. Used as a moist snuff or chaw to produce a consistent hyperactive state, rolled like a lo stick and smoked to ward away exhaustion and allegedly prolong life or mixed with Hua Yuanese sewer herbs to induce a heavy stupor (often used whilst on leave), mixed in tea to combat aging and relieve soreness of the muscles, and most dangerously as a glowing white snorted snuff.
===Violet Pattern Laslocks===
Noticing that the practice of hunting songbirds as children greatly improved the Thrall's accuracy the Administratum decided to continue this practice issuing Violet pattern Las-Locks and old Las-pacs that are at the end of their lifespan to the populace. The Violet pattern is notable in that a trained tech-priest can purposefully reduce its power so that the weapon fires an extremely weak violet colored beam which at pointblank range will cause serious burns in an unprotected human before loudly venting all the power remaining in the gun requiring it to be reloaded. When in the hands of Skaði children the guns will just about scorch a song bird to death with a direct hit before needing to be reloaded, this means that children will not only be taught to hit extremely small targets on the first try but will also get a lot of practice in reloading Las-guns.
In the Field Thralls are often Issued non-depowered variants of these guns which acts much like other Las-locks with a slightly longer effective range and a higher rate of las-pack consumption and are extremely potent in the hands of the Thralls who will have been shooting these weapons for as long as they can remember and reload them as easy as breathing


Snorting the drug produces the most potent effects, sending those who are heavily addicted to the drug into homicidal rages against the drug's progenitor xenos.  
===Cocktails===
When the Champions of Skaði  first came into conflict with the planets tribesmen they noticed that they would fill pots with flammable Tree-Sap to use as Incendiary weapons for a variety of purposes, both to attack Marines and to block of passages and avenues of escape. Millennia later this practice continues except instead of Pots filled with Sap which wouldn't so much as scorch Power-Armour Skaði's Thralls often carry Bottles of Military Grade Promethium, lighting a jury-rigged fuse these Fire-Bombs are the Thralls favored grenade and many regiments do not use Flamers simply because all the fuel will be bottled up and stoppered with Alcohol doused cloth which burns slow enough to allow the bomb to be thrown before exploding, unlike Promethium doused cloth, and carried on the Thralls person. These are used not only to flush foes out of cover and light static targets but also to block of avenues of escape with fire, destroy vehicles from the inside, execute devastating suicide attacks and generally sow terror


====Directions to produce Tyranid Dust====
===Pik-axes===
Required Materials:
a Common Melee weapon among the Thralls these are a mix of an Ice Pick and an Axe, extremely useful out of battle for preparing food traps and supplies Thralls are often trained to fight with them in Close Quarters, often with a Standard issue Combat Knife or Bayonet and sometimes with just a Pik-Axe alone. These are surprisingly capable at piercing armor and extremely efficient at severing heads in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing.
 
*Four ounces of Hua Yuanese Mind-Mold
*Tyranid Subject
 
For safety one should don a Void Suit or similar protection, and for best results one must capture a LIVE gaunt, although the results can be produced as long as the subject's brain is intact and the creature has been dead for no longer than 12 hours. Termagaunt adrenal glands can be used as well but will create a much tamer product. If the subject is deceased only the head is necessary.
 
1. Expose the cranial cavity of the Tyranid subject by removing the cranial plated carapace
 
2. Sprinkle the mind mold on the immobilized or dead Tyranid organism's exposed brain, ensuring proper coverage of the exposed area.
 
3. Wait until the Tyranid's immune system starts showing signs of repelling the infection, or if using a deceased subject wait for about 20 minutes.
 
4. Using a flamer or similarly intense source of heat, exterminate the Tyranid. When using a decease Tyranid just sear the brain without melting it
 
5. Extract any swollen nodules from the burnt husk.
 
6. Dry them, then crush them into a fine powder within 14 minutes of extraction.
 
If done correctly the final product should be a fine, glowing white substance. The color and brightness of the glow indicates purity.
 
After taking a dose, which lasts 1d10+2 hours, a character does the following:
Make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test. If the character fails by three degrees or more, they are considered infected by Mind Mold (see Dark Heresy 2nd Edition Core Rulebook). Upon success, the character gains the Forbidden Lore (Tyranids) skill at rank 1 and they must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test. Success grants the character immunity to Fear effects originating from Tyranids, plus the ability to automatically detect all Tyranids and Genestealers within a number of meters equal to their Perception Characteristic.


==Standard kit==
==Standard kit==
*One Field Uniform
*One Field Uniform, Leather and Cloth
*One set of Poor Weather Gear
*One Violet-Pattern Laslock(Main Weapon), Lasgun or Long-Las. with 5 Charge packs and Baynonet
*One Lascarbine (Main Weapon) with four Charge Packs and the Compact modification
*Two Promethium Coctails
*Two Frag Grenades
*One Standard Issue Combat Knife
*Two Smoke Grenades
*One Set of Flak Armour
*Two Krak Grenades
*One Utility Belt (Leather)
*One suit of Light Carapace Armor
*One Set of basic tools
*One Microbead
*One Respirator/Gas Mask
*One Rucksack or Sling bag
*One set of basic tools
*One Mess Kit and one Water Canteen
*One Mess Kit and one Water Canteen
*One blanket and one Sleeping Bag
*One blanket and one Sleeping Bag
*One Rechargeable Lamp Pack
*One Rechargeable Lamp Pack
*One Grooming Kit
*One Grooming Kit
*One set of Cognomen Tags or equivalent identification
*One Pic-axe
*One Primer or Instructional Handbook
*One Primer or Instructional Handbook (Pictographal)
*Combat Sustenance Rations; Two weeks’ supply
*Combat Sustenance Rations; Two weeks’ supply
*Tyranid Dust stims x 14


;Enlisted Ranks: One Mono Knife
 
;Officer Ranks: One Ceremonial Blade.
;Officer Ranks: One Chainsword or Mono-Pick axe.


==The Crunch==
==The Crunch==
;Regiment Classification: Standard Guard Regiment
;Regiment Classification: Penal Legion
;Regiment Demographic: Firstborn
;Regiment Demographic: Convicts
;Nature of Recruitment: Standard Conscription
;Nature of Recruitment: Punishment/Redemption/Recycling
;Homeworld Designation: Hive World
;Homeworld Designation: Feral World
;Homeworld Terrain: Dead World
;Homeworld Terrain: Ice World
;Regiment Core Units: Infantry  
;Regiment Core Units: Light Infantry  
;Specialization: Hive Warfare  
;Specialization: Guerilla Warfare  
;Loyalty Rating: Adherent (standard)
;Loyalty Rating: Adherent
;Special Equipment: War Trophies
;Special Equipment: Preffered Fighting Style
;Regiment Creed: For The Homeworld
;Regiment Creed: Esoteric Beliefs / For the Emperor
;Regiment Friends: Imperial Guard ("Occupying" Praetorians)
;Regiment Friends: Ecclesiarchy (Soriatas Order Based on Hive-Shrine World in same system)
;Regiment Enemies: Tyranids
;Regiment Enemies: Chaos Warband (The Tide)


==Only War Statblock==
==Only War Statblock==
'''''Hua Yuan 1st Exterminator Regiment'''''
'''''Skaði's Thralls'''''
 


;Hive world: +3 to any two of Agility, Fellowship, and Perception
;Skills: Common Lore (Imperium), Deceive, and Linguistics (Low Gothic)
;Accustomed to Crowds: Crowds do not count as difficult terrain, When running or charging Hive worlders take no penalty to Agility tests to keep their feet.
;Hivebound: -10 Survival checks outside of artificial environments.
;Urban Violence: Start with one of the following talents; Heightened Senses (Hearing), Paranoia, or Unremarkable.
;Starting Wounds: Start with -1 wound.
;Commander Type: Maverick (2 points)
;Starting talents: Resistance (Fear)
;Regiment Type: Line Infantry (2)
;Characteristics: +3 Strength, –3 Intelligence
;Starting Skills: Athletics
;Starting Talents: Rapid Reload
;Standard Kit: One M36 Lasgun and four charge packs per
;Training Doctrine: Close Quarters Battle (5)
;Starting Talent: Double Team or Combat Master
;Special: Members of regiments that specialize in Close Quarters Battle gain an additional +10 bonus to all Ballistic Skill Tests made at Point-Blank Range.
'''Favored Rare Weapons'''
'''Favored Rare Weapons'''
;Basic: Meltagun
;Basic: Meltagun
;Heavy: Plasma Cannon
;Heavy: Heavy Bolter
 
'''Special Rules'''
;Tyranid Dust Stims: When taken in near overdose levels (5 doses) drains color from the user's vision and reveals Tyranid and Genestealer warp signatures. Gives the user an overwhelming desire to kill any seen Tyranids, and must pass a -30 (Very Hard) Willpower to retreat from combat with Tyranids. Each Tyranid killed in melee by the user while affected grants +5 permanently for Willpower tests to defend from psychic powers and effects from Tyranids to a max of +30.


==See Also==
==See Also==

Latest revision as of 11:15, 22 June 2023

Skaði's Thralls
Battle Cry "something"
Founding late 39th 40th millenium
Homeworld "Skaði VI", Sometimes labled "The Former Domain of the Champions of Skaði" in Imperial Documents
Strength 2-3 regiments of around 300-330k pennitents every Tithe
Specialty Guerilla Warfare, Ambushes, Sniping, Winter Warfare.
Allegiance Imperium of Man
Colours White with Brown Leather, Red and Blue feature on Insignia.
Standard uniform of a Thrall.

Finnish Feral Penal Legionarries, What could go Wrong?

A continued affirmation that /tg/ will stop at nothing until the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium contains every single conceivable thing ever. Or, you know, that there are some pretty robust creation tools that fa/tg/uys are able to use prolifically and to great benefit.

The Thralls[edit]

The Regimental Insignia

In the grimdark ruins of The Former Domain of the Champions of Skaði there is only Snow, Trees ("Trees"), Death and the Endless Steam of Thirsting Saunas. Or, at least, that is the world’s reputation. Skaði's Thralls are experts in in Hit and Run Foret combat, reaching the same level of Proficency as the famed Gaunt's Ghosts and quite possibly outperforming them in frigid enviroments similar to their Homeworlds. The Thralls Often Wield Long-Lasguns and Laslocks as oftern as they bring regular Lasguns as they bring regular lasguns and Bottles filled with Promethium funtion as their preferred form of grenade. Skaði's Thralls are able to fight Trench Warfare effectively enough but will often send squads ahead to slow the enemy's advance with their signiture use of Snipers, Booby-Traps and Ambushes that will often be used in conjunction with one another. An Xeno tank may stop short of a pit trap intended to destroy it only to be abushed, with the foiled trap now serving as a road block, pintle gunners on the tank will be shot dead by Snipers allowing the ambushers to drop Promethium Coctails inside the vehicle killing the crew and possibly exploding its ammunition before beheading the dead with astonding speed and vanishing back into the forest as quickly as they came under cover of Sniper-fire, Additional Booby Traps and a few brave indivuals who will keep fighting to buy their squadmates time, often charging the enemy with a grenade belt once they think the Ambushers will have had enough time to cover their tracks. Leaving behind a shaken enemy and alot of decapitated corpses.

Feral Cannibles[edit]

Skaði VI is a dangerous place, not only is its climate ill-suited to human life but the evil that wiped out the Chapter of Space Marines who used to call the planet home still lingers on in their Ruined Fortress Monastery, now referred to as "The Angels Graveyard". As the PDF is mainly tied up both fighting and preparing for this evil the Planets Tithe of Guardsmen is instead filled by criminals, individuals who have committed what are viewed as crimes by the planets savage inhabitants, though some of the raised Legionaries are your usual thieves or murderers the vast Majority of Skaði's Thralls are actually cannibals, most of whom are self-confessed. Food is difficult to come by even in the best of times on Skaði VI and in the brutal Winter entire villages have been found dead in summer from insufficient food stores, as such it is extremely common for starving individuals to resort to eating the body of another human who has already died in order to survive, when spring comes these cannibals often feel extreme guilt and wish to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Golden Flame (The Emperor) and offer themselves up to the justice of their peers, which is almost always service in the Thralls.

The Zealous need for redemption expressed by most of the regiment soon rubs off on guardsmen recruited for other crimes (theft, murder) resulting in a regiment that is all too happy to sacrifice themselves for the Emperor, snipers who are located will often stay put and keep shooting, dropping their Rifles only when the enemy is in effective range of their other weapons, ambushes will often be baited with a sacrificial squad of guardsmen who are all too willing to die in order grant the enemy false confidence and many a Booby Trap has been intentionally triggered by a Thrall in order to kill catch out any pursuing enemies as well. This is so extreme that Lord Commissar -- will command his troops to return from missions with "more heads than they left with" not only does this encourage the Thralls to sacrifice themselves only when absolutely, by making ambushes decapitate dead enemies before taking off or forcing Snipers to close in on their kills for proof (The Commissar will accept bags full of head mush in the case of Headshots) the Thrall's need for Martyrdom is somewhat alleviated. This comes together to make a terrifyingly efficient Hit and Run force, able to drag the enemy across an apparent sea of traps and ambushes all the while whittling them down for sniper perches whilst still willing to stand their ground and get killed in order to hold the enemy in place and allow other parts of the regiment to operate as efficiently as they do however when forced to fight defensively with no ground to rake their foe along they have been noted as performing "admirably but without distinction" as the Thrall's stubbornness crossed with little to no real artillery, armor or siege equipment and few gun emplacements often results in Trenches held solely by the Thralls being difficult to break but easy to take once the admittedly lethal No-mans land has been dealt with whilst Thralls in conjunction with regiments more suited to trench warfare can result in lethal combinations, the Penal Legionaries happy to go on suicidal missions to set up traps in No-Mans land or attempt to range behind enemy lines to disrupt enemy supply lines.

History and Background[edit]

Skaði VI was an unremarkable Ice Ball with 0 inhabitants when what would become the Skaði System was first brought into the fold during the glory days of the great crusade by the Word Bearers (often known simply as "One of the Emperors Space Marine Legions by other planets in the sector for obvious reasons") however some time afterwards a Chapter of Space Marines now known as the Champions of Skaði eventually came across the Skaði VI and found it covered in Feral Human Tribes, Finding truly Ancient Transport ships on the Planets surface further investigation into the ancient Data logs found that at some point in the very distant past several regiments of Imperial Guard (or Army, details are hazy) were stationed here while the local arm of the Administratum "Figured out what to do with them" what exactly this meany was unspecific. Whatever happened it appears that the Guardsmen were forgotten about completely leaving the troops on their own for thousands of years. During this investigation the local Tribes were appalled at the "interlopers" for stepping foot on what the Tribesmen revered as "the Mountains of the Flame" and proceeded to wage what was apparently a brutal Guerilla War against the Space Marines killing not one but three Astartes over the course of 5 Terran Years and disabling a Razorback. Finding this effort impressive the Champions Chapter Master declared the Tribesmen to be worthy Recruitment Stock and used the favor granted by recovering the ancient troop transports to claim Skaði VI for his Chapter constructing their Fortress Monastery on the grounds in which the ancient ships once stood (note that exactly when this happened has been lost to the Administratum as has whether the Champions of Skaði named themselves after the system they called home or if the Skaði system was renamed by the Space Marines once they arrived.)

For many years the Champions of Skaði reigned of Skaði VI, and it's thought that this is where many of the planets traditions come from. The practice of giving children extremely basic lasguns so that they could shoot the small songbirds which live in Skaði's forests and are the only reliable source of Omega 3 and Vitamins D and C on the planet was almost certainly started by the Marines to raise the quality of their recruits (where else would the Tribesmen gotten their guns from) and the willingness of Skaði VI's modern day inhabitants to hand over their guilty to the Penal Legion probably comes from how the old Champions of Skaði would take convicted Thieves, Murderers and Cannibals and turn them into Servitors. This however was not to last.

In Mid to Late M39 the Chapter would come into contact with an unknown chaos warband. Over the course of many-many brutal Skirmishes the Chapter of Space Marines would be whittled down to just over half strength until, in early M40 the full force of the warband descended on the System. Split between The Hive World Skaði XVIII and The Domain of the Champions most of the warband, led by a horrifying Daemon Prince assaulted the Marines in their Fortress Monastery. The details are unknown but when the Imperial Counter-Attack finally arrived the Chapter had been wiped out with all hands lost and though many corpses had been left behind the Warband and their Daemon Prince had seemingly vanished into thin air. However, they were not gone.

Roughly every 70 years or so the Warband, now known as The Tide reappears, spilling out of the Angels Graveyard they ravage the countryside slaying as they go and piling high mountains of skulls before vanishing again as quickly as they came. First surprised by these attacks, the remains of the PDF that had been set up by the Astartes were able to rebuild and prepare for attacks developing many of the tactics used by the Thralls today in direct response to the Warband proficiency in head-on combat, and it was seeing the effects of what the Skaði's named "the Death by Inches" that convinced Imperial Officials that the Servitor Stock that the planet was currently offering up as Tithe would be better served as a Penal Regiment and so, Skaði's Thralls were formed

Skaði's Thralls was originally the name given to the Chapter Serfs who served the now extinct Chapter of Space Marines who used to occupy Skaði VI and for a while after the death of the Astartes the world would pay its Tithes not with Guardsmen but by offering up their criminals as Servitors parts in much the same way they had offered their criminals up to the Space Marines, however after the 1st Skaði's Thralls proved a decent, if short-lived success it was decided that would be officially labeled a feral-guard world and later have proven so effective that the local arm of the Administratum has granted them many medical necessities such as Calipers, Penicillin and Medicae kits in order to boost Birth Rates as well as Vitamin Supplements to boost the Health and physical abilities of the Planets Population. Crucially, while the increased population has increased the amount of mouths to feed beyond the feral worlders abilities to provide enough sustenance the people of Skaði VI are repeatedly denied Food Aid outside the Vitamin Tablets in a deliberate effort to increase rates of Cannibalism in the populace and thus boost the amount of souls joining the guard even further than the boosted population would suggest. This worked fantastically, especially once hoarding and eating a Years supply of Vitamin Supplements in an attempt to stave of starvation was also made a crime as it "Took advantage of the Emperors Generosity" and now the Planet can reliably provide 2 to 3 and sometimes even 4 large Penal legions, which is more than enough for Guerilla Warfare specialists such as the Thralls.

Notable Skaði Regiments[edit]

the Skaði 1st - The original Penal Legion, deployed against Necrons with some success before the over-sacrifcal nature of the Thralls ran them so ragged that the Xenos were able to overrun the remaining troops. Their overall performance coupled with confirmation that a Necron Lord had been caught in the blast of a Thrall booby-trap (that, admittedly, had still failed to kill him) resulted in more Regiments to be raised

The 16th Skaudi Thralls Re-named by their commanding general who reportedly couldn't pronounce the old name and didn't care to learn. The Skaudi Thralls still served with extreme distinction against the Tau and what were later confirmed to be Dark Eldar on Boldena XXVI, afterwards were mistakenly deployed to the deserts of Wolsen II alongside 4 regiments of Krieg Death Corps instead of the planets equatorial Jungle where 2 more Krieger Death Corps were mistakenly deployed instead. Despite being completely out of their element the Kriegers reported that Skaudis Thralls adapted well to the change of tactics and were "valiantly" wiped out after 3 and a half weeks of fighting One Squad bringing down =]REDACTED[= before getting overrun.

The 19th and 20th Skaði's Thralls - Raised right before a Tide attack these Regiments were attached to the PDF to help fight them off before being redeployed to =]REDACTED[= alongside =]REDACTED[= against =]REDACTED[=, apparently served "well considering the circumstances" for the duration of the campaign after which both regiments were =]REDEPLOYED TO THE SEGMENTUM OBSCURUS[=, never to been seen nor heard from again.

49th "Greenskinners" 50th "Bartenders" and 51st Skaði's Thralls - Raised after Administratum measures to boost Skaði's Tithes, first time 3 Regiments were raised in a single Tithe, deployed against various minor Ork Waaaghs on a String of worlds before being redeployed against the traitor world Threka V alongside 1112th Dellen Rifles and the vaunted Catachan Devils, fought a particularly brutal set of Guerilla Campaigns in on the Planets Campaigns and joined by the recently deployed 64th "Muk-Skip" Catachan Jungle Fighters during the last push to the Planets capital in what would be known as the "Red-Delta Massacres" afterwards the remains of the regiments would be disbanded and their members folded into the Mukskips.

221st "Quite Violence" Skaði's Thralls notably the first regiment to be joined by a Commissar -- also fought against the tide wherein the attacked general was reportedly "Eaten Alive" by the warrior known as the Bleeding One. Taking command Commissar -- would reign in their suicidal tendencies and introduce what are now common practices in the Thralls notably the act of taking the heads of the enemies which originally started as a method of psychological warfare, the heads of dead Tidesmen would be purified and ceremonially burned which would forever deny the soul a place on the Skull Throne. This served well and the warband quickly retreated from whence they came, the 221st would serve with distinction against Waaaghs Smashhamma and Burningit before wiping out a band of Traitor =]STORMTROOPERS[= despite massive losses after which they -- were officially granted the title of Lord Commissar and the 221st was folded into

Winters Soilders originally made up of leftover elements of the defunct 221st, 233rd and 234th regiments of Thralls, attached to Lord Commissar and continually replenished with survivors of Thrall Regiments that have been heavily reduced by long campaigns. Winters soldiers have served the Commissar for decades with many Legionaries going on to fill positions of authority in other Regiments of Thralls and and a couple even managing to earn the Emperor's Pardon! Many Generals attached to regiments of Skaði's Thralls are Veterans who have proved themselves to Lord Commissar -- as Sergeants in the 'Soldiers and any Thrall who has earned a degree of renown in another regiment has probably earned even more here. Currently deployed against the latest Tide incursion a brutal guerilla war is taking am greater toll on the Khornates then ever before.

Unique Equipment[edit]

Lasguns[edit]

Regular Lasguns see use in the Thralls, especially in ambushes while Long-Lases are extremely popular for both the Sniper Squads and regular Thralls who benefit greatly from the weapons range making it the second most common standard-issue weapon. Las-locks of a variety of Patterns float also around the Regiments and are appreciated but by far the most popular and common rank and file weapon is...

Violet Pattern Laslocks[edit]

Noticing that the practice of hunting songbirds as children greatly improved the Thrall's accuracy the Administratum decided to continue this practice issuing Violet pattern Las-Locks and old Las-pacs that are at the end of their lifespan to the populace. The Violet pattern is notable in that a trained tech-priest can purposefully reduce its power so that the weapon fires an extremely weak violet colored beam which at pointblank range will cause serious burns in an unprotected human before loudly venting all the power remaining in the gun requiring it to be reloaded. When in the hands of Skaði children the guns will just about scorch a song bird to death with a direct hit before needing to be reloaded, this means that children will not only be taught to hit extremely small targets on the first try but will also get a lot of practice in reloading Las-guns. In the Field Thralls are often Issued non-depowered variants of these guns which acts much like other Las-locks with a slightly longer effective range and a higher rate of las-pack consumption and are extremely potent in the hands of the Thralls who will have been shooting these weapons for as long as they can remember and reload them as easy as breathing

Cocktails[edit]

When the Champions of Skaði first came into conflict with the planets tribesmen they noticed that they would fill pots with flammable Tree-Sap to use as Incendiary weapons for a variety of purposes, both to attack Marines and to block of passages and avenues of escape. Millennia later this practice continues except instead of Pots filled with Sap which wouldn't so much as scorch Power-Armour Skaði's Thralls often carry Bottles of Military Grade Promethium, lighting a jury-rigged fuse these Fire-Bombs are the Thralls favored grenade and many regiments do not use Flamers simply because all the fuel will be bottled up and stoppered with Alcohol doused cloth which burns slow enough to allow the bomb to be thrown before exploding, unlike Promethium doused cloth, and carried on the Thralls person. These are used not only to flush foes out of cover and light static targets but also to block of avenues of escape with fire, destroy vehicles from the inside, execute devastating suicide attacks and generally sow terror

Pik-axes[edit]

a Common Melee weapon among the Thralls these are a mix of an Ice Pick and an Axe, extremely useful out of battle for preparing food traps and supplies Thralls are often trained to fight with them in Close Quarters, often with a Standard issue Combat Knife or Bayonet and sometimes with just a Pik-Axe alone. These are surprisingly capable at piercing armor and extremely efficient at severing heads in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing.

Standard kit[edit]

  • One Field Uniform, Leather and Cloth
  • One Violet-Pattern Laslock(Main Weapon), Lasgun or Long-Las. with 5 Charge packs and Baynonet
  • Two Promethium Coctails
  • One Standard Issue Combat Knife
  • One Set of Flak Armour
  • One Utility Belt (Leather)
  • One Set of basic tools
  • One Mess Kit and one Water Canteen
  • One blanket and one Sleeping Bag
  • One Rechargeable Lamp Pack
  • One Grooming Kit
  • One Pic-axe
  • One Primer or Instructional Handbook (Pictographal)
  • Combat Sustenance Rations; Two weeks’ supply


Officer Ranks
One Chainsword or Mono-Pick axe.

The Crunch[edit]

Regiment Classification
Penal Legion
Regiment Demographic
Convicts
Nature of Recruitment
Punishment/Redemption/Recycling
Homeworld Designation
Feral World
Homeworld Terrain
Ice World
Regiment Core Units
Light Infantry
Specialization
Guerilla Warfare
Loyalty Rating
Adherent
Special Equipment
Preffered Fighting Style
Regiment Creed
Esoteric Beliefs / For the Emperor
Regiment Friends
Ecclesiarchy (Soriatas Order Based on Hive-Shrine World in same system)
Regiment Enemies
Chaos Warband (The Tide)

Only War Statblock[edit]

Skaði's Thralls


Favored Rare Weapons

Basic
Meltagun
Heavy
Heavy Bolter

See Also[edit]

Gallery[edit]

External Links[edit]

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