Phantine Skyborne
"Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die,Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die,He ain't gonna jump no more!"
- – Blood on the Risers
The Phantine Skyborne are some of the rarest sights in the Imperium, and on the table top since they are the third Air born regiment Game workshops made. With less information than the Sable Swords or the Segmentum Pacificus, they are perhaps THE most unknown regiment in the imperium. Heck, even regiments like the Ritterghast or the Janiverden Tunnelrats have some mention in recent codexes.
The Phantine are typically comprised of the local PDF who have volunteered for advanced training. They function much like paratroopers. There is some confusions about if they count as "SAS" commando inspired regiment since there an Airdrop unit, trying to be more distinct from the vaguely french airborn Elysian. Since a 1/4 of the SAS are mountain troops you can't even use the mountains of PHantin to make an argument one way or another. The question as to 'are' or 'are not' not depend on how one models one own Skyborn but if you forced us to give an answer: given the nature of SAS commando units and the missions they take, they would be more analogous to "Militarum Tempestus" rather then guard units so it maybe unlikely. That said information a bit thin on the ground fore these guy so who knows either way.
From what we don't know, we have not seen countless regiments fall in some doomed infantry advance in some desolate corrupted world which means that among the guard, likely due to their pet grav chutes, they are among the more well trained and managed regiments in the Imperium- no small feat but then again no large one either.
Why Play Phantine Skyborne?
Do you like paratroopers? Do you like Elite paratroopers? Do you like them, British SAS? and don't want the added fluff baggage of Elysian when you rebrand your dudes? Then the Phantine Skyborne are for you! Of course, the problem is, why use them? There are at least two more widely known air born Imperial Guard Regiments in the form of Elysian Drop Troops and the Harakoni Warhawks. The skyborne are a fit if you also want to use planes from the Phantine Air Corps and so have a fluffy airborn army with close air support.
Sabbat Worlds Campaign
The Phantine Skyborne first appeared in Dan Abnett's Guns of Tanith novel.