The Imperial Guard
is the primary fighting force of the Imperium. They can be represented by
the vast armies of crusades to small planetary garrisons called Planetary
Defence Forces. Their power is their huge numbers. While they don’t utilise
thick armour or high-tech weaponry like that of the Space Marines or Tau,
they can still bring down almost any foe with their weight of fire. They
also make use of a wide variety of light and heavy vehicles, ranging from
the ubiquitous Chimera personnel transport to the mighty Leman Russ Battle
Tank. These vehicles supplement the ranks of infantry by providing heavy
fire support to take down those enemies that the guardsmen would have
difficulty dealing with, such as Greater Daemons and Avatars.
There is such a wide variety of Imperial Guardsmen that standardisation is
not always possible. It is a feat of genius that the Administratum managed
to standardise the weapon all guardsman use. The handy Lasgun, or flashlight
as it is sometimes known, may be weak, but due to the overwhelming number of
them in use, it can become a deadly foe.
A single Imperial Guardsman is far weaker in both physical and mental
strength than a Space Marine. They cannot survive in some of the more
hostile locations that a Space Marine can but when given the correct
incentive, be it money, faith or fear, none can stand in the way of a large
group of determined guardsmen. Where the Space Marines are the scalpel of
the Imperium, quickly and precisely eliminating threats, the Imperial Guard
is the hammer and anvil, crushing their foes with brute force.
The Imperial Guard, although noted for their poor performance in close
combat, make up for this by employing specialist troops such as Storm
Troopers. These hardened members of the Schola Progenium are better armed
and armoured than the average guardsman and are used for scouting and
attacking objectives as they are more likely to be able to hold off an enemy
counter-attack.
Also they may take close combat specialists such as Ogryns (huge ogre-like
creatures). These mutants are close-combat monsters, and can chew their way
through the enemy far more easily than any guardsmen could. They can also
shrug off a lot more damage before falling. Some armies have developed
traditions such as ambushes and traps, such as the Catachan Jungle Fighters.
This gives them an advantage over other armies. Doctrines can help
specialise your army, but also makes the list very flexible.
Origins
of the Imperial Guard
The organisation of the Imperial Guard can trace their origins back to the
days of the Great Crusade, several millennia ago. It was originally known as
the Imperial Army and is thought to have fought side by side with the Space
Marine legions. It is likely that it became known as the Imperial Guard
before, or during, the Horus Heresy. Unfortunately little survives from this
period to tell us how the army was originally organised.
The
Great Crusade
When the Emperor left Terra in his silver ships and set course for the
nearest human worlds, it is said that he would often try to win over the
support of the humans of the planet and bring them into the Imperium to
fight for him. This would be the first instance of an Imperial Guard of
sorts. At first they were used as defence forces, similar to the Planetary
Defence Forces used now. They would be given the blessing of the Emperor and
would defend their home worlds against rebellion and corruption.
Later, it is clearly seen that there are humans fighting alongside the Luna
Wolves legion, wearing ancient mesh armour and using unidentified rifles.
Eventually, these loyalists began to be moved off world and were used to
garrison other worlds which had just been conquered and at the end of the
conquests, they would have been at the forefront of the action.
The size and design of an Imperial Guard army is speculated to be related to
the size of the available transport craft, typically three thousand men.
During the crusade, the army and navy were linked with the army commanders
having overall control, the fleet at his command. Men were linked to a
single ship and the arrival of a ship would invariably bring fresh men to a
fighting zone. This idea, though brutal, meant that remnants of forces were
not created when a ship was destroyed in the warp or in combat. This was
useful for keeping regiments together, as they could not be merged with
those of another world as they would have no common language, let alone
knowing any of the subtle social nuances. This is still in use today, the
idea of keeping regiments together featuring strongly in Imperial doctrine.
Inevitably however, forces are whittled down and merged with others. This
was only done in the direst of circumstances. Also, specialist forces such
as Ogryns and Ratling Snipers have always been broken down and put in
different armies. It is very rare for entire armies to be made of these
units. These two ideas are still debated as to their usefulness to this day.
The
Horus Heresy
The first Commissars emerged to make sure regiments merged together properly,
but by M31, their roles expanded to encompass the quality and morale of the
armies. During the Horus Heresy, the first objective for traitor armies was
to kill their Commissars while loyalist armies had to endure brutal
treatment from their Commissars.
Sometimes, it has been seen that Imperial forces were put under the control
of a Space Marine army. At other times they were both under the command of
the planetary governor. It was soon seen that putting Imperial Guard armies
under the control of the Space Marine legions was a mistake, as many
millions of guardsmen fell under the sway of Chaos. Also, those loyal men
could not keep up with the demands of their Space Marine leaders.
In the aftermath of the Horus Heresy, major changes occurred. They were
definitely known as the Imperial Guard by then and the link between Army and
Navy was severed. Never again would the army be able to move themselves from
planet to planet without the permission of the Navy. Centrally trained
Commissars from the Schola Progenium were introduced and soon gained their
reputation for high discipline and the use of terror.
After
the Horus Heresy
Only during the Age of Apostasy was the Imperial Guard able to rebel again.
After the Ecclesiarcy were restrained and had their power reduced the
Imperial Guard generally stayed loyal; only a few exceptions exist.
Army structures are all the same throughout the Imperium. The differences
are the numbers of different types of troops as each commander is given a
wide variety to choose from. It is common to all armies to have a regimental
structure, purely to manage the vast numbers of individuals within the army.
Also there are several extra units who go with the army including Commissars
and Priests. They can be found in the Imperial Guard Structure.
The armoury of the Imperial Guard is vast and covers many aspects of the
equipment necessary for the survival of the Imperial Guard in many differnt
environments. It ranges from portable vox-casters, communications units, to
medals denoting promotion and excellence in battle. They are found in the
Imperial Guard Armoury. Also there is an analysis of many of the Weapons and
Equipment of the Imperium and Vehicles of the Imperium.
Though there are Imperial Guard regiments raised on many thousands of worlds,
some of them have gained special notoriety for their victories or methods of
attack. Many of them spawn excellent men who are giants among ther fellows.
These are both commanders and lowest rank troopers. They are found within
the Notable Regiments and Characters.
The galaxy is so expansive and has so many planets that inevitably there is
a vast variety of different environments that the Imperial Guard have to
fight in. It is therefore imperative that camoflage be appropriate for the
planet and conditions, especially for tanks.
