Back in early 8th edition, which feels shrouded in the mists of time but was in fact only 3 years ago, the Astra Militarum codex was released to great wailing and gnashing of teeth. Guard, you see, had broken the game. They shot too much and their models were too cheap and they were, undoubtedly, a book so broken that it had already ruined 8th edition. There was nothing to be done – game over, man.
Here in 2020, as we live under the menacing oppression of our Iron Hands masters, this all looks quite quaint. Guard have been firmly relegated to also-rans, with only a very few brave souls running pure Guard lists to any success and most of the rest of their appearances coming in the form of Loyal 32s with maybe a sprinkling of Tank Commanders. Ironically, the two armies which they share The Greater Good with did a lot to rein in the supposedly all-powerful Astra Militarum – T’au Empire have been consistent performers in the tournament scene and are perfectly willing to slug it out in a shooting war with the Guard, and Genestealer Cults had a lengthy run on top in part because their deep striking trickery helps to neuter the kind of static, shooting-based parking lot that many Guard players favour.
4250 points of Blood Angels goodness, sweet and silky W12-L6-D4 1000 points of Teil-Shan (my own scheme) Eldar Craftworld in progress 800 points of unassembled Urban themed Imperial Guard. The Leman Russ Battle Tank is the most commonly found tank in Imperial Guard regiments. It is a simple design and one that has stood the test of time better than most; its versatility and relative ease of construction make it the tank most often requested by Imperial officers to be attached to their infantry formations. More Information.
The Consular Guard changed its name to the Imperial Guard on May 18, 1804. Its headquarters were located at the Pentemont Abbey in Paris. Napoleon took great care of his Guard, particularly the Old Guard. The Grenadiers of the Old Guard were known to complain in the presence of the Emperor, giving them the nickname Les Grognards, the Grumblers.
A regiment is the primary organisational unit of the Imperial Guard. The size and composition of Imperial Guard regiments is not standardised across the Imperium; though the average strength at founding is about a thousand soldiers, that number can vary enormously between regiments, with some only a few hundred strong at founding-strength, whilst others possess tens of thousands of fighting.
With that in mind, then, this is an army which if not bad, at least could use a bit of help. Judging by the previews you could be forgiven for thinking they weren’t getting it, since they were rather overshadowed by Genestealer Cults and Tau Empire in the run-up. That said, the final book is in our hands in the form of a review copy kindly provided by Games Workshop, let’s take a look and see how things have turned out for the Guard.
What They Get
Well, first and foremost, there’s a name generator. Roll a d66 and generate your very own Pompilius Magnificus, or possibly Petyr “Rathead” Buttery if your regiment is more informal.
You probably wanted to read about rules content though. In that case, there’s a selection of custom regimental doctrines for your regular-flavour Guard, rules for Tank Aces which are similar to the type of unit upgrades that Tyranids got in Blood of Baal, and a package of new stratagems. Additionally to this, there’s a whole extra supplement for the Ordo Tempestus, giving regimental doctrines for 6 Tempestor regiments from the fluff, and 14 new Militarum Tempestus-specific stratagems. There’s also Warlord Traits and relics, which rounds it out into a full mini-supplement for the Stormtroopers. Neat!
Regimental Doctrines
Let’s take this in order, and start by talking about Regimental Doctrines. There’s 12 in total, and you can pick 2. They range from good to, uh, confusing. Standout picks are Spotter Details, which adds 6″ range to any Heavy weapons with 24″ range or better – great for getting your Demolisher-cannon toting Leman Russes to be effective from that little bit further away, and Jury-Rigged Repairs, which allows each damaged VEHICLE in your army to roll 1d6 at the top of your turn; on a 2-4 it repairs 1 wound and on a 5+ it repairs d3 wounds. Self-regenerating Tank Commanders with 30″ Demolisher cannons certainly have some upside. There’s also Gunnery Experts, which is ripped straight out of the Catachan trait – re-roll one dice when determining the number of shots of a VEHICLE model’s weapon. If you really wanted this but didn’t want to be running Catachan, congratulations, now you can have it.
At the other end of the scale, there’s some choices which are kind of baffling. Kawasaki kl 250 service manual. Slum Fighters gets you an extra hit for each unmodified 6 to hit by an INFANTRY unit in melee, and Lords’ Approval improves the AP of melee attacks by 1 for INFANTRY units within 9″ of one of their OFFICER models. Ironically, given the fluff behind them, these probably work best if paired together, and also that combo is still not really that good. If you want Guard melee, then Straken, a Priest, and a block of Catachans is still the way to do it.
The real weakness here though is that these new doctrines are just that – much like the other custom sub-faction offerings, they’re for entirely new regiments created out of whole cloth. One of the hidden strengths of the Marine Successor Chapters is that they trade the Chapter trait away, but they get to keep the faction-specific stratagems and Doctrine, and even access the relics. It’s a shame that GW have never revisited that formula.
Credit: Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
Tank Aces
That’s the doctrines, then; what about the other generic-Guard option, the Tank Aces? These are a bit more promising. There’s 12 options available in total – 6 for “Main Battle Tank Aces”, i.e. LEMAN RUSS models, then 3 each for “Support Aces” (BASILISK, HYDRA, WYVERN, MANTICORE, or DEATHSTRIKE) and “Super-heavy Aces” (TITANIC models).
Much like Tyranids, you can give up the Warlord trait on your Warlord and instead take a Tank Ace ability. Additionally, you can spend 1CP to make another model a Tank Ace (or get one without giving up your Warlord trait – you don’t even need to have an ASTRA MILITARUM Warlord to do this, just an ASTRA MILITARUM CHARACTER, so you can use it in soup too). Note that named characters cannot be Tank Aces, no model can have more than one ability, and BROOD BROTHERS can never have them – sorry, traitors, maybe you should have stayed loyal and praised the Emperor.
The Main Battle Tank traits are surprisingly diverse. The only real miss is Armoured Rush, which allows you to Advance and still fire your turret weapon – given this is an ability you can already get from the Vigilus detachment, it’s kind of a waste of time to take it here. The rest range from “usable” to “great.” Master Mechanic lets your Tank Commander reduce the Damage of ranged weapons by 1, to minimum 1, giving your Tank Commander much improved survivability. Weapons Expert improves the AP of a weapon by 1, and notably is not restricted when it comes to Relics – feel free to windmill slam this onto a Commander with the Hammer of Sunderance, especially once we get to the Stratagems section.
For Support, there’s one which stands head and shoulders above the others – Full Payload.Do not roll to determine the Damage characteristic of weapons that model is equipped with; they have their maximum values. Ever gone through all the sound and fury of a Manticore barrage only to roll a fistful of 1s for damage? Suffer no more. 2d6 damage 3 shots, coming up.
Super-heavies are a bit more low-key and they suffer for it – none of the three traits is essential, but Steadfast Leviathan is handy for still getting a Regimental Doctrine in a Super-heavy Auxiliary detachment (though you could always just take the tank in a Supreme Command if that mattered to you). I feel like they could have been a bit more daring with these – Shadowswords aren’t the meta menace they once were, and having something to make Guard super-heavies hit the board again would have been nice, especially the ones that aren’t mounting volcano cannons.
Overall, I’d expect to see at least one Tank Ace in every Guard army from now on, and potentially two – especially since (as we will see in the Militarum Tempestus section) you don’t actually have to totally give up a Warlord trait to get one.
Astra Militarum Stratagems
14 new stratagems is 14 new things to remember, a heavy burden. Luckily, Furious Charge allows a unit of Ogryn to spend 1CP to do a mortal wound on a 4+ for each model in the unit that finishes a charge within 1″, so you can reduce that to 13 things you need to remember.
Instead, save your brain power for Hail of Fire. Spend 2CP when you select a LEMAN RUSS unit to fire; until the end of the phase, when resolving an attack with that model against a VEHICLE unit, do not roll for the number of shots. It automatically fires its maximum value. That’s certainly one way to fix variance. Anyone fancy an AP-3 Hammer of Sunderance which auto-fires its maximum shots? Yes, me too.
Wings Note: Or alternatively, on a Vostroyan Demolisher Commander also using Firstborn Pride. Very few things in this came want to have 12 demo cannon shots hitting on 2s coming at them. Trust me.
In a similar vein, Focused Bombardment is a mere 1CP and allows a Master of Ordnance to fire their artillery barrage at Heavy 6 instead of Heavy D6. The barrage is already fine and being able to ensure that you get off the maximum possible output from it is great, especially for a single command point.
There’s also the already-previewed Shield of Flesh, which for 1CP allows a unit of Bullgryn to body-block for one of your INFANTRY units – note that this is not, at least at present, faction-locked, so you can use the Bullgryn in a soup army to protect something vital like, say, a big block of Kataphrons. Direct Onslaught is also a generous 1CP, allowing you to add 1 to hit rolls for a MANTICORE or WYVERN for the Shooting phase. What if that max-damage Manticore now hit on a 3+? asks someone who really, really wants things to be flattened by an artillery barrage.
Less good is Deft Manouevring, a half-damage stratagem which mysteriously only applies to Armoured Sentinels; people certainly have been using Sentinels but I can’t say they’d be my first choice for a half-damage strat if I had the option to write one. The rest of what’s on offer is at least interesting and possibly opens up some new choices, like Psychic Barrage, a kind of quasi-Seer Council stratagem which might see Wyrdvane Psykers make it onto the board for the first time this edition. Overall a mixed bag, but what’s good here is really good, and I look forward to sighing every time I hear the words “Hail of Fire” shortly before one of my tanks is obliterated.
Wings Note: Sentinels get another bit of love in Strike First, Strike Hard, allowing a squad to add 2 to their hit rolls in the first battle round. Bizarrely, in combination with Deft Manoeuvering that almost makes me want to think about them.
The Ordo Tempestus
I think the inclusion of a full Ordo Tempestus supplement was a surprise to many – it certainly wasn’t what I was expecting from Guard in a Psychic Awakening book. It’s here, though, and there’s some very tasty options available from it.
Credit: Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
Regimental Doctrines
There’s Doctrines available for the 54th Psian Jackals, the 32nd Thetoid Eagles, the 133rd Lambdan Lions, the 43rd Iotan Dragons, the 55th Kappic Eagles, and the 9th Iotan Gorgonnes. Good, solid, regimental names right there. You can also still use the default Storm Troopers doctrine from the codex, should you wish.
The 54th Psian Jackals and their trait, Death from the Dark, deserve recognition purely for doing something new with Morale. Each model destroyed by an attack from a model with this doctrine in the Shooting phase counts as 2 destroyed models in the following Morale phase. I’m not sure the doctrine is actually good – although it does do interesting things to 5-model units, which often don’t care about Morale right now but very much might do if they’re suddenly at +4 to their roll after losing a mere 2 models, and definitely will if it’s +6 for 3 – but it’s nice to see new design space opening up. The Lambdan Lions’ Prized Weaponry is more straightforward, improving the AP of their weapons by an additional -1 (AP-3 hotshot lasguns, anyone?) and the 43rd Iotan Dragons’ Crack Shots extends your Rapid Fire weapons’ range by 6″, which suddenly means that deep striking Scions can actually be in Rapid Fire range with their hotshot lasguns when they arrive. This is a straight doubling of the weapon’s output for no real cost, which is great.
Wings Note: There’s a tonne of nice stuff here, especially since Scions got cheaper in CA, but the +6″ range of the Iotan Dragons is a huge deal, as double tapping out of deep strike makes Scions spectacularly better.
Stratagems
If you have a full Militarum Tempestus detachment you also gain access to another 14 new stratagems, of which 8 are general and 6 are specific to individual regiments, and there’s some top stuff in here. Point-Blank Efficacy follows the Ronseal rule by making your models immediately more efficient – for 1CP, you gain +1 Strength on hotshot lasguns, laspistols, or volley guns that are firing at half range. This combines nicely with Crack Shots to let you deep strike in a unit of Scions in Rapid Fire range at S4, or even utilise some hot-shot volley guns at S5.
Hammer Blow brings in an interesting pinning effect. If an AERONAUTICA IMPERIALIS model with the Flyer battlefield role (i.e. Valkyries) kills a model, you can spend 2CP to pin that model’s unit until the start of your next turn. It halves Advance and charge rolls, and shoots at -1 to hit. Status effects like this are becoming more common, and this is a fun one that opens up a new dimension for Guard play and neatly fits in with a Tempestus Drop Force. You can also make the plane harder to hit with Advanced Counter-measures, which for 1CP lets you drop into hover mode without giving up the Hard to Hit ability (i.e. the -1 to be hit in shooting).
Another highlight is the 1CP Progeny of Conflict, which allows you to give a non-Warlord MILITARUM TEMPESTUS CHARACTER a Warlord trait – great for throwing Grand Strategist on a guy while still having two Tank Aces on the table. Killing Zone also stands out – after firing with a <TEMPESTUS REGIMENT> INFANTRY unit, pick a unit which had a model destroyed by that unit’s attacks – any other <TEMPESTUS REGIMENT> INFANTRY units firing at it are at +1 to wound.
In terms of the regiment-specific stratagems, one really interesting one is Daring Descent for the 9th Iotan Gorgonnes, which allows them to drop 5″ away instead of 9″ away for 1CP. They can’t charge that turn (so no dropping in and touching tanks with a 5″ charge) but like other stratagems that reduce deep strike distance, this can be a great way to sneakily assassinate a character or blow up a backfield artillery piece which isn’t screened as carefully as it should have been.
Wings Note: Being able to drop four melta guns in melta range sure is A Thing.
Warlord Traits
Tempestus also get Warlord traits. There’s one trait per regiment with no generics, which is a little limited, but at least they exist now. Standout highs are Keys to the Armoury for the 133rd Lambdan Lions – it’s just a 6″ re-roll hit rolls of 1 for ranged weapons, but that frees up your order to do something else – and Precision Targeting, the 43rd Iotan Dragons trait which allows you to pick a unit within 18″ and ignore cover for friendly Iotan Dragons units within 6″ which are shooting at it. Sanctity of Spirit for the 9th Iotan Gorgonnes sees the appearance of an effect which is being slowly spread around different factions, causing psykers within 24″ to Perils on any double rather than just double 1s or double 6s – better here than in many places because the model with it can deep strike threateningly close to a psyker and limit its options to run away out of range. Honestly, the worst I can say here is that the Master Vox trait on the 55th Kappic Eagles trait seems to be trying to make mech Tempestus happen when that really isn’t a thing right now, but at least it expands the viability of doing that.
Heirlooms of the Regiments
Finally we have the relics, again one per regiment with no generics. There are, uh, 3 different relic guns here, plus a relic chainsword. The chainsword at least looks fun, letting your 54th Psian Jackals character swing at S+1, AP-2, D2, with +3 attacks and re-rolls to wound against AELDARI. Wings Note: I’m being attacked. The 9th Iotan Gorgonnes’ Blessed Boltgun could also be a surprise pick against something like an Eldar army that’s heavy on the Warlocks, replacing a boltgun with a weapon which has a mere 12″ range but is also Rapid Fire 1, S5, AP-2, D2, can target characters without restriction, and is damage 3 against PSYKERS.
Putting aside the weaopns, there’s two utility relics for the 133rd Lambdan Lions and the 55th Kappic Eagles. The 133rd get the Refractor Field Generator, a 6″ bubble of 5+ invulnerable save – not nothing when your guys are usually toting 4+ saves in the AP-2 Marine meta – while the most interesting effect is Distraction Charges. When a 55th Kappic Eagles unit within 3″ is charged, any of their Overwatch attacks hitting means that the charge rolls is halved. This could potentially save the bacon of a unit of Scions.
Wrap Up
It’s hard to know immediately how this book will change things for the Imperial Guard. There is an element here of the rich getting richer – stratagems like Hail of Fire make all the stuff that was already good better, as do Tank Aces in general, while the new Regimental Doctrines probably don’t do that much to displace Tallarn as the “don’t let your Tank Commanders die” doctrine of choice. That said, there’s certainly some stuff worth picking over, and where options have considerably expanded are on the Scion side of things, with some genuine new options which might at least increase list diversity. Is this the book which sees Guard leapfrog Marines back to being king of the meta and the army which all should fear? Probably not. Is it a solid 7/10 release which breathes some life into one of the older books in 8th ed, and at least opens up new choices? Yes, absolutely.
Wings Note: My take here is that I think viable Scion detachments, probably as Iotan Dragons, are going to be a real thing. The rules are good enough that I think they’ve got serious play.
Stay tuned for part 3 of our reviews of the gaming side of The Greater Good, with Genestealer Cults coming in hot shortly, and as ever, if you want to get at us then please feel free to do so in the comments here, on our Facebook page, or by e-mail at [email protected].
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The Death Korps of Krieg are Imperial Guard Regiments raised from the world of Krieg. Jar editor. Notoriously grim and fatalistic warriors, they seek to atone for their planet's past rebellion by dying glorious deaths in service to the Imperium. For this purpose, Death Korps regiments routinely request to fight in the galaxy's deadliest warzones, grinding their enemy down through long battles of attrition and siege warfare.[1]
Uniform
Basic Data
Miniature
- Death Korps of Krieg -
Homeworld:
Krieg
Regiment Name:
Death Korps of Krieg
Specialities:
Trench & Siege Warfare
5Equipment
History
Krieg was previously a prosperous Hive World of billions located in Segmentum Tempestus, specialising in manufacture and trade and led by a council of Autocrats. However, as time passed, the debauched and decadent Autocrats increasingly became paranoid that an outside threat would take their power away from them, and thus began to fortify their world from outside threats. Eventually, the Autocrats also began to resent the influence of the Administratum on a planet which they considered to be their own. Finally, in 433.M40, the High Autocrat declared himself independent from the Imperium and renounced the Emperor as his divine master. Civil war broke out on Krieg and much of the planet quickly fell to the rebels, except for HiveFerrograd, which was under the command of the now-infamous ColonelJurten of the Krieg 83rd Imperial Guard regiment. Under strict orders to not let Krieg fall, but with the knowledge that no fleet on the scale needed to relieve them was available, Jurten decided that Krieg would either belong to the Emperor or to no one. On the day of the Feast of the Emperor's Ascension, Jurten unleashed a counter-attack of atomic cleansing in what became known as 'the Purging.' For days Krieg was engulfed in a sea of nuclear fire, resulting in a total collapse of its ecosystem and subsequent nuclear winter, but the civil war dragged on. The survivors from the Purging would fight on, forced to exist in underground bunkers or deep in the radioactive chem-wastes, as their descendants do to this day. From the self-annihilation of their homeworld, loyalist troops slowly retook their world inch by inch over the course of 500 years until finally returning to Imperial rule in 949.M40. It would be from this cataclysmic event that the Death Korps were born.[2a]
Recruitment & Training
A Krieg Guardsman
By order of the High Lords of Terra, Krieg's sole purpose is to produce new regiments, and its tithes are the maximum possible for the planet's population, supplying over fifty million men per year.[4] This includes the use of unusual methods such as 'Vitae Womb' birthing techniques, a practice seen as dangerous and abhorrent by the Adeptus Mechanicus' Magos Biologis but tolerated by the Departmento Munitorium. The use of a eugenics program to weed out mutants is simply a continuation of policies from the civil war years.[2b]
Recruitment starts almost from birth, and the ability to withstand the hardships of living on an atomic-blasted world is enhanced further with brutal training designed to quickly weed out the weak and unworthy. Mental conditioning is a key part of a Krieg recruit's training, their minds purposefully broken and remade stronger. Absolute faith in the Emperor is installed at an early age, amplifying preexisting cultural norms regarding honour and self-sacrifice to create what the Ecclesiarchy calls a 'cult of sacrifice.' This mental conditioning also emphasises their role as an element in the greater picture, a pebble in the avalanche which will crush the enemies of the Emperor; as individuals they do not matter, which is why medals and other awards are unheard-of in Krieg regiments, especially since bravery and heroism is to be expected. Rates of injury and fatality during training are high, and as a final test all recruits are forced to endure the surface of Krieg itself, performing maneuvers and fighting mock battles amidst the nuclear-blasted battlefields that cover their world. Only those who survive this final phase of training become members of the Death Korps.[2b]
The resulting Guardsman is a highly disciplined and self-sufficient soldier, proficient in all basic Imperial Guard weaponry types, with exemplary hand-to-hand skills and expertise in the construction of trench works. Accuracy is desirable but ultimately secondary to the importance of the fire discipline and the ability to maintain continuous fire en masse as part of a larger formation. Unsurprisingly, the Krieg Guardsman is well-versed in hazardous environment survival and exhibits high levels of endurance both mentally and physically. He is also given a numerical designation, such as 769355-637566-Keled or 566-648-87991-72-Draeta, so that his death can be more easily tallied. His near-fanatical devotion to becoming a martyr for the Emperor does lead to a few issues off the battlefield, with a tendency towards insularity and a high degree of fatalism which expresses itself in ways non-Krieg persons can find unsettling, such as refusing to take off his rebreather even when not in combat.[2b][2c]
Compared to other worlds with an aristocratic military tradition, Krieg officers are drawn from the rank and file, achieving promotion through skill, seniority, and in many cases simple survival.[2c] If selected during basic training, potential officers must complete an additional training course, with most of those being selected having already been chosen for Death Rider duty. In the field new officers are promoted from the ranks, typically having served as Watchmasters or within Death Rider squadrons.[3b] Officers right up to the regimental level typically fight on the front lines and equip themselves as such, an expression of the Krieg mentality that all Guardsmen must fight and die for the Emperor. Also in keeping with this mentality, these officers regard their men in the same way other commanders regard ammunition, a mentality which has caused problems in cases where non-Krieg units are placed under the command of Krieg officers.[2c]
Battle Doctrine
The Krieg Front Line
In the Krieg way of warfare, any battle in which their capacity to wage war and willingness to die exceeds that of the enemy's is considered a battle already won - everything else is a matter of time and attrition. This is best exemplified by their famous Siege Regiments, dedicated trench warfare formations operating on the fundamental principle of advancing forward at any cost until the enemy is eradicated. Sustained artillery barrages precede massive infantry attacks, human waves of Guardsmen led by squads of grenadiers, advancing in dispersed formation before closing ranks to unleash disciplined volleys of las-fire and storm the enemy's defensive emplacements. Heavy Weapons Squads are concentrated in separate detachments so that their deployment will not stagger the advance of infantry units, and are used to support and protect their flanks as well as shore up defenses around important strategic locations.[2b][2c] Specailised combat engineer units also assist in undermining the enemy's defenses and conducting subterranean warfare.
Vehicles used by Krieg siege regiments are either purpose-built or heavily modified for use on difficult terrain and prolonged exposure to environmental damage, with relatively light vehicles such as the Chimera replaced in favour of more robust transport. Special cadres of Rough Rider formations known as the Death Riders of Krieg provide the siege regiment with a reconnaissance capability in place of Sentinels and act as quick-response units, useful for exploiting breakthroughs in the enemy's lines and counter-attacking their assaults.[2c] Field artillery and heavy artillery companies feature heavily in siege regiments, the former providing direct support to the infantry while the latter concentrate on tasks such as box barrages, counter-battery, harassing and destructive firing. When operating as part of a larger siege army the regiment's artillery can be further supported by the bombardment korps, large concentrations of artillery to back up the attacking regiment during major offensives.[2d] Tanks in siege regiments are not fielded en masse but partitioned out to support the infantry assault, with individual companies and squadrons attached to infantry platoons to provide physical cover and supporting fire as they cross no man's land. While others regard this as backwards and unsophisticated use of armour, Krieg commanders regard the high loss rate of these vehicles with the same callousness they show toward human casualties.[2e]
Besides these formations, Krieg produces many different types of regiments, including infantry, mechanised infantry and tank regiments, though all types exhibit the Krieg traits of discipline, expertise in trench warfare, and tolerance of both hazardous environments and high attrition rates.[2b] These traits can manifest themselves in unhelpful fashions, though: for example, unless explicitly ordered to do so, a Krieg unit will continue to fight against an overwhelming foe until destroyed, even when retreat would be more tactically sound. The typical Krieg 'zeal' for engaging and destroying the enemy at any cost can sometimes earn short-term victories at the expense of long-term strategic goals, and their unique outlook on life has been known to cause friction between themselves and other non-Krieg units. For this reason Commissars, the only non-Krieg members of a Death Korps regiment, are present less to enforce the law and improve morale than to reign in the excesses of their unit and act as a tactical adviser to its officers, reminding them of the larger strategic picture, as well as providing liaison duties between regimental commands when needed.[2c]
Imperial Guard Regiment Ideas
Organization
Death Korps siege regiments follow the same recognizable hierarchical pattern found throughout the Imperial Guard, being composed of companies, platoons and squads, but are skewed towards having larger numbers of soldiers in each unit.[2c] The typical infantry squad consists of ten Guardsmen, including a Watchmaster who leads them. He is assisted by the senior-most Guardsman, who is entrusted with the squad's Vox-caster, while another soldier is armed with the squad's special weapon. Heavy weapons squads consist of six Guardsmen in three two-man teams, a gunner and loader for each heavy weapon, and are led by a senior Guardsmen appointed by their platoon's commander.[2f] Grenadier squads are also ten-man units, veterans hand-picked by their Watchmasters to serve as heavy infantry. Although technically the same rank as other Guardsmen they are regarded as above them in seniority, and should they survive their stint as shock troops Grenadiers will be returned to the regular infantry as Watchmasters themselves.[2h]
Infantry platoons consist of six infantry squads led by Lieutenant and his Platoon Command Squad, which in many cases will also contain a single heavy weapon crewed by two of the command squad's members. Separate heavy weapons platoons are also led by a similarly-armed command squad but composed instead of nine heavy weapons squads; these platoons are rarely fielded as a single unit but instead parceled out as needed, often at the direction of their company's commander. At full strength an infantry company will consist of ten infantry platoons and one heavy weapons platoons, led by a company HQ and include a varying number of Grenadier squads mounted on mechanized transports, for a total of over seven hundred Guardsmen.[2g] The company command squad includes a staff of aides and messengers to advise the Captain along with an Ensign, a junior officer tasked with carrying the company's standard in battle. The position of Ensign is typically short-lived before eventual transfer to a front-line platoon or Death Rider unit.[3a]
Another unique position at the company level is that of the Quartermaster, a role whose origins lay in the atomic wastelands of Krieg's civil war. Waging a war where the recovery of materiel was of the utmost importance, where battlefield triage a luxury reserved for the more seriously wounded, and a tear in one's environmental seal guaranteeed a slow lingering death, any soldier who could not be readily brought back into the fight, was incapable of returning to a medical station under their own power or otherwise became a 'liability' would be given an honourable field execution known as the 'blessings of the Emperor's Peace.' The job of performing these mercy killings and retrieving the fallen's arms and equipment fell to that of the Quartermaster cadre and has remained so ever since. Chosen during training for their mental aptitude and faith, or having at least survived against the odds on the battlefield, potential Quartermasters are then given additional training in tech-lore, field medicine and indoctrination into the Imperial Cult. They perform emergency battlefield medical services and the deliverance of last rites to injured Guardsmen, as well as the salvaging and redistribution of weapons and equipment, where they are assisted by Servitors. They also assist in evaluating the progress of ongoing battles by monitoring ammunition expenditures, attrition rates, and other information which is then relayed to their superior officers.[2c]
Artillery plays a large role in Death Korps siege regiments as well, which use several different types of artillery companies. Field artillery companies consist of three batteries of four light towable artillery pieces such as Heavy Mortars or Heavy Quad-Launchers and a command squad, each with their own Centaur vehicle. The company headquarters is also mounted on Centaurs, one of which functions as a communications vehicle, and includes an Atlas recovery vehicle. Organic to the company is a supply column of Trojan ammunition carriers.[2i] Artillery companies contain the same command and support elements, but consist of three batteries of three heavier pieces such as Earthshakers or Medusa Siege Guns towed by Trojans,[3c] while heavy artillery companies will use massive self-propelled artillery such as Bombards[3d] Tank companies consist of three squadrons of three tanks each, with the company headquarters consisting of a command tank and Centaur, along with a supply column of Trojans and maintenance and recovery section of Atlas vehicles.[3e] Heavy tank companies consist of only three vehicles, including the command tank.[3f]
Above the regiment is the line korps, a grouping of several siege regiments operating on the same front, while several line korps will form a siege army. Some regiments will be formed into assault korps, which have larger numbers of tanks and armoured transports,[2c] while siege armies will have dedicated bombardment korps, concentrations of artillery designed to back up attacking regiments and maintain sustained bombardments over long periods of time.[2d] It is also at this level that staff and other high-ranking officers are seconded from other regiments or the noble classes that provide much of the Imperial Guard's upper echelons; Krieg officers are not generally considered suitable for the more political and diplomatic nature of serving on an army's staff.[3b]
Equipment
Uniform
A Death Korps tank commander
The heavy greatcoat is the most distinctive part of the Death Korps uniform, a warm and waterproof coat made locally on Krieg of thick cloth in a variety of colours. Double-breasted with brass buttons, the greatcoat itself can provide limited protection, but is further reinforced against biological and chemical agents through a chemical impregnating process which gives it a pungent smell. The soldier's regimental tag is a distinctive colour and shape, such as a red square, which is assigned by high command prior to a campaign and stitched to his greatcoat's collar. Matching trousers are held close to the legs through leg-bindings, while the standard-issue low marching boots use hob-nailed soles for grip and include an anti-vesicant dubbing kit which can be rubbed in to seal against chemical attacks. The standard-issue Mark IX helmet is made of plasteel and constructed to ensure a good fit around the gasmask; ventilation is provided through a top spine, which has its own internal filter to keep out biological and chemical agents. Plasteel shoulder pads are buckled to the greatcoat and embossed with rank insignia in the case of Watchmasters and higher ranks. When worn together with his respirator a Death Korps soldier in full uniform is completely sealed against any contaminated environment.[2a]
In contrast to the typical Death Korps mindset of conformity over individuality, as per Departmento Munitorum regulations officer uniforms must be distinguishable from the rank and file so that they may provide inspiration and authority on the battlefield. They are therefore often tailor-made for the individual and produced from superior-quality material; as many officers will come from Death Rider units they will also incorporate elements of their previous uniform, such as the tall riding boots and breastplate. Officers wear a variation of the Mark IX helmet with distinctive decoration and a red sash for additional battlefield identification purposes.[3b]
Personal Gear
The three-piece respirator unit issued to every Death Korps guardsman is what gives them the ability to operate in any toxic environment. The first piece, a regulator unit, is carried inside a leather satchel buckled to his webbing and is the most complex part of the system. A battery-powered fan draws in air, which is passed through particle filters and air-quality samplers, before being pumped up through an air pipe into the guardsman's gasmask. An exterior display panel provides information on the regulator's functionality and the toxicity of the surrounding air, while the use of a 'positive pressure' breathing method means the constant flow of air will prevent toxic particles from entering through any compromised sections. The regulator also includes antidote chemicals which can be introduced into the incoming air and a water supply, supplemented by soluble stimulants and nutrient tablets, connected to the gasmask by a separate pipe. Both air and water pipes are protected by an exterior hose that screws into the gasmask through a brass breather valve, which contains an additional filter and non-return valve. The gasmask itself consists of a bag, a screw attachment for the breather valve and eye-pieces made of a double layer of toughened glass treated with an anti-fogging compound.[2a] Staff officers, who will spend most of their time inside sealed command bunkers, are issued lightweight respirators which lack the large regulator unit and so are useful for only short exposure times.[3b]
Leather webbing with carrying straps and pouches allows the Death Korps infantryman to carry additional gear including maintenance kits, replacement filters, and antidote vials. A leather backpack buckles to the webbing shoulder straps and provides additional carrying capacity, including a bedroll/waterproof shelter-half and dry-tin canister for storing perishables against the environment. A small entrenching tool is also issued to all Krieg guardsmen and worn on the belt, with larger mattocks and shovels provided as needed.[2a] Death Korps officers are issued a small refractor field generator, typically disguised as jewelery or decoration such as a gorget, for their own personal protection.[3b]
Personal & Support Weapons
Imperial Guard Regiment Name Generator
Every Death Korps infantryman is given the standard-issue Lucius pattern no. 98 Lasgun as their primary weapon. Operating at a higher charger range than other lasguns gives the weapon more punch but drains the powerpack after only twenty-five shots and results in a slower recharge rate. In addition he is also issued as standard one no. 38 Frag Grenade, although more will be provided prior to an attack, as well as Krak Grenades. Finally his Close Combat Weapon is a heavy bladed 45 cm long sword-bayonet, which can be attached to his lasgun's bayonet lug. Bayonet drills are practiced at an early age, and such is their proficiency with the weapon that the bayonet charge remains a preferred tactic among Krieg commanders.[2a] Krieg officers also arm themselves, although for those serving at the regimental level it is more of a matter of protocol and ritual rather than practicality. Often these will be a Laspistol and sabre, holdovers from their time as a Death Rider, while many will choose to carry other weapons as a personal preference.[3b]
Meltaguns are the preferred special weapon used to support Death Korps infantry squads, however they also make use of Flamers, Plasma Guns and Grenade Launchers. Among heavy weapons squads the Heavy Bolter is the preferred weapon but they will also make use of Autocannons, twin-linkedHeavy Stubbers, Lascannons and Mortars.[2f][5]
Vehicles
A Krieg Leman Russ Battle Tank in action
During the rebellion on Krieg the increasingly under-equipped militia began to create their own combat vehicles, often variants of civilian vehicles which were heavily modified. This led to the creation of many unique vehicles such the Götterdämmerung, the Blitzen, the Bruennhilde, the Siegfried and the Ragnarok. Since the war's conclusion these vehicles have continued to serve in limited fashion in other conflicts, such as the Baran War.[6]
For the most part Death Korps siege and armoured regiments make use of the Leman Russ Battle Tank and its variants, including the Vanquisher, Exterminator, Executioner, Conqueror, Eradicator, Punisher and Annihilator, with preference towards siege tanks such as the Demolisher and Thunderer. Even the Destroyer is used by Krieg units. These tanks are often heavily modified so as to better survive the toxic, trench-crossed battlefield, typically with Dozer Blades, trench rails, and additional filters to prevent the poisonous atmosphere from affecting the crew or engine[2e]
Siege regiments do not normally use the ubiquitous Chimera for transport, instead preferring the Gorgon to transport infantry across no-man's land when necessary, while command and grenadier squads often use the Centaur.[2c]Hades Breaching Drills are also used to circumvent trench lines. However, other formations such as armoured regiments will employ the Chimera and its variants the Salamander Command and Salamander Scout, along with the Sentinel.[7b] Other vehicles used by Death Korps regiments of all types include the Hydra, Hellhound and Cyclops, while the Atlas and Trojan provide noncombat support. Super-heavy support includes the Malcador and Macharius and their variants, plus the Baneblade, Shadowsword, Stormsword, and Stormblade and the rare Minotaur.[8]
Notable Death Korps Regiments
Main article: Notable Death Korps Regiments
Notable Death Korps Guardsmen
Notable Campaigns
Atria Wilderness Campaign - In this campaign fought Baneblades of the 1st Panzer Division 'Emperor's Loyal Shield' [10]
Battle of Hespher II[15]
Radnar campaign[7a][14a]
expedition to Denkari Prime[14b]
Barbarus Campaign[7c][14c]
Miniatures Range
Krieg Guardsman[9]
Krieg Guardsmen with Lascannon[11]
Krieg Commissar[12]
Krieg Officer[13]
Related Articles
Sources
1: Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pg. 21
2: Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One
2a: pg. 16
2b: pgs. 86-88
2c: pgs. 90-91
2d: pg. 116
2e: pg. 120
2f: pgs. 94-97
2g: pgs. 100-101
2h: pg. 88
2i: pg. 98
3: Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two