Editing The Crusaders (section)

==Legion Command Hierarchy==

Thomas Gaudin was the undisputed lord and master of his Legion. His men adored him, and would gladly follow him into the most hellish warzones at his command. Beneath the Primarch, the foremost member of the Legion was the Hochmeister, who was the First Chapter Master and the Primarch’s chosen champion and representative. At the time of the Heresy, the Hochmeister was Anton Kantner, formerly the Head of the X Legion’s Sacred Band. The Chapter Master equivalent was the Ordensmarschall, each tasked with the command of a single Chapter formation and usually a single Expeditionary Fleet as well. An Ordensmarschall was expected to be an expert in Logistics as well, as they could not expect help from the wider Legion and would have to conquer worlds and keep their forces supplied on their own. Given the diffuse nature of the Legion, it was very rare for multiple Ordensmarschalls to be present in a single campaign, and when they did the overall commander was chosen based on seniority.

Beneath them were the Battalion-Level Commanders known as Komturs, who orchestrated the bulk of the operational tactics and were the main formation commanders. Beneath the Komtur was the Captains of the Mechanized Line Companies and Armoured Companies of the Legion, which operated together and thus were required to exhibit a large degree of co-operation and co-ordination between them. Inter-Company rivalries were almost unheard of in the Crusaders, with smooth bonds of comradeship between the various captains greatly aiding the effectiveness of the combined arms armoured warfare that so characterized the Legion. Merit was the foremost judge of competency in command for the Legion, and all promotions within the Legion were based on the martial record and ability of the prospective commanders.

The Legion also had an unusual method of squad command. Sergeants were not a fixed rank as in other Legions, rather each squad elected their own squad sergeant before each campaign, and that sergeant would step down after the campaign. This ensured that only those fit for it would have that level of command, and those who failed at the task could swiftly be returned to the ranks and a new leader chosen. While this made lower-level politicking unavoidable, it also ensured that those who truly proved themselves and were elected time and time again to the same rank would become eligible for rising to higher ranks, thus reinforcing the meritocracy system of command the Legion had in place.