Iron Guard

The Iron Guard
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Battle Cry	WIP
Number	XII
Founding	First Founding
Successors of	N/A
Successor Chapters	WIP
Chapter Master	WIP
Primarch	Zelbezis Dyestes
Homeworld	Darzalas IX
Strength	WIP
Specialty	Urban warfare, mobile infantry tactics, disciplined butchery
Allegiance	Separatist
Colours	Drab with black right arm and helm with red trim

This page is part of the Warmasters Triumvirate, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the Warmasters Triumvirate page for more information on the Alternate Universe.

The Iron Guard are the XIIth Legiones Astartes led by Primarch Zelbezis Dyestes

History

Pre-Primarch history and reunion

Before locating their primarch Zelbesis Dystes the Iron Guard was known as the Warmongers. The Warmongers initially recruited people from earth to join in their legion. During these days officers would constantly compete against one another for supramacy during which their was no clear leader when it came to the chain of command. It was a very anarchic time as one could imagine when it came to the structure of the Iron Guard at the time.

Legion Doctrine

Legion Organization

When the Twelfth Legion, then named the Warmongers, was reunited with its Gene-Sire, its command structure had become a mess of informal designations and personal concurrence between glory-seeking officers. Thus the first major change to the legion was the rebirth of the Opsequarion, a disciplinary corps present at the birth of the Legiones Astartes but dissolved as the Primarchs were discovered, their presence sufficient to ensure compliance in most cases.

Gone would be the flexible structure of the Warmongers, and their champion-culture. In its place, the Principia Bellicosa would be enforced and expanded upon, with the creation of two additional levels, one tactical, the other strategic.

The first would be the Platoons, elements of one hundred Astartes, more suited to enclosed quarters fighting than isolated squads or vast companies. A Platoon would possess a sufficient variety in squad designations to cover every aspect of warfare, should the conditions of battle change over the course of a single operation.

The second would be the Brigade, a grouping of two companies, with a theoretical nominal strength of two thousand legionnaires. Adapted to wider campaigns, a myriad-strong Division could strike in better coordination and higher strength when divided in five parts than ten, without two Captains vying for power when a single Brigadier could command the entire operation.

Notable Members

Rheus Astavic, 2nd Brigadier, 1st Division

Initially assigned to recon duties, Legionary Astavic displayed a surprisingly accurate ability to estimate enemy locations when out of sight. Common sense would have decreed that he become a Vigilator, yet it would not be. During the compliance of Hanesva, his squad would fall prey to an ambush, leaving him stranded alone in the mazelike corridors of the underhive, his bolter destroyed. For days on end, he roamed the hive with but his combat blade, always one step ahead of the hive-millitia. When extraction came and victory was decreed, he demanded re-assignment to purgation cadres, and took the moniker of "Bloodied Hand in Darkness"