Greetings from the Liber

[Olis]

Hello, Guardsmen! I come from a land far from here - what? No, I was being metaphorical. Yes, I know it's basically the basement of B&C. Go away. - Ahem. I come from a land far from here to inspire creativity, the watch-word of the Liberalia Martiale. Also known as Liber Day.

From time to time I stop by this slice of B&C and drink in the imagination on display, seeing where influences come from and generally perusing the varied regiments on display.

As part of Liberalia Martiale, I am going to start up a thought exercise to help get people's juices flowing and get some inventive units on display. So here's what I want to do: Using the painter tool (found here), I would like to challenge the members here to create a regiment and provide two paragraphs of history. Nothing too strenuous, of course, but the ideas need to be out there, from the left field. I want them to be weird and wonderful. Variety is what I'm calling for.

Let's put my money where my mouth is. I will begin.

The 3^rd Mardenheit Lagooners

Born and raised on an agri-world dominated by rice paddies, fishing harbours and coastal farms, the Mardenheit Lagooners specialise in amphibious warfare and are classed as light infantry. Used during the Grethelholt Rebellion as first wave troops, the Lagooners excelled at the planned peninsula landing before fighting inland. However, faced with more conventional means of warfare, the Lagooners floundered in the wheat fields of Grethelholt, cut down by heavy stubbers and cannon shell alike. Here the Lagooners squandered their advantage and earned the ire of Marshal Shuan, barely holding onto their gains before second wave troops overtook them.

Although brought from a world largely considered idyllic by many in the Imperium, the Lagooners have not had an easy life in the Guard. Severely depleted after Grethelholt, the regiment went on to garrison three troubled worlds before the gradual erosion of manpower was deemed unacceptable. In the waning years of the 41^st millennium, the Lagooners were seconded to the Rogue Trader Adelbert Arnuvian, used as little more than fodder for the conquests Arnuvian attempted in the name of the Imperium. They were listed as destroyed in 994.M41.

[WarriorFish]

This would be a good opportunity to flesh out your regimental backgrounds that you've crafted for the Regiments challenge comrades! Or perhaps just create a new regiment for fun, I will see what I can rustle up later today :)

[WarriorFish]

Here we go:

501st Rogardian Fusiliers - "The Rodents of Roga"

The huge desert expanses of the equator of Roga Secundus are home to a hardy and stubborn people, their nomadic ways initially making Imperial compliance difficult as the tribes melted into the desert at any sign of outsiders. Imperial estimates of the population were found to be drastically conservative and it didn't take long for the governor to see the great potential of the tribes in service to the God-Emperor. Formed into infantry regiments and added to Roga's tithe to the Imperial Guard the various tribal regiments, always known as "Fusiliers", have served admirably and loyally since - all taking the feather colour from their origin tribe's favoured riding mount to wear on their left shoulder.

Most famous of all is the 501st, wearing a white feather and known as "the Rodents of Roga" due to their ability to survive against all the odds. Countless times the regiment has nearly been destroyed - sent against heavy armour, or alone against far superior forces due to mistakes and incompetence the calamities are almost too numerous to mention. Despite this the 501st will cling on stubbornly against all hope of victory, using their experiences of the desert to constantly disappear much to the consternation of their foes. This has created a highly veteran regiment that can be relied upon to hold on no matter what, but unlike their more cheerful peers their history has given them an extremely fatalistic outlook as the men and women of the 501st have little hope of being one of the lucky survivors that passes on the ways of the regiment to the new recruits.

[Conn Eremon]

I actually just posted the first tidbit of lore on a DIY Militarum Tempestus regiment, the Alephic Vulpines, in this thread of the Liber. Later on today, when I get off work, I'll certainly post up some of the other DIY regiments I got bouncing around in my head here. 

 

There is nothing I wouldn't love to see more than a stronger presence in the Liber Astartes of the fighting men and women of the Emperor's armies, the Imperial Guard.

[WarriorFish]

There's a lot that can be done with the Guard as the scope is the entire Imperium but without as many limitations as with Marines, and then you add the Stormie regiments on top! I liked the idea of having a regiment that is more famous for the battles they didn't really win Plus a good excuse to scribble up and draft some nice desert themed stuff Perhaps I might even create the 501st should GW ever produce a new Tallarn range?

After elmo whetted some appetites with his compilation of the 711th's fluff this has proven most timely so I'm expecting some good write ups to appear here

[SW1]

I'm at the point where I'm trying to decide what direction my guard are going to go in so this should help give me some good idea to snaffle up and then come up with my own stuff. :D

[WarriorFish]

Sounds like excuses to me! Why wait? Tomorrow you could be dead - write up a regiment today! :P

[Chefzilla]

95th Rifles- Sharpe's Rifles

Pattern adopted for the Iberian 6 campaign. The 95th, for lack of a better term, is a set as a special operations unit. Tasked with missions ranging from Insurgency/counter insurgency, flanking, scouting, demolitions and high value target destruction. Each rifleman has gone through extensive sniper training. Which makes them all particularly good shots. Fiercely independent and by normal Imperium standards undisciplined. They are perfectly suited for the missions given them.

In particular, the 95th was dropped 1 month prior to the main force on Iberia 6. Their mission was to locate and detail with a group of guerrillas operating in a mountainous region of the central continent. Tasked with disrupting the occupying force in any way possible. Col. Sharpe and 2 squads of rifleman assaulted, what they thought, was just a local garrison in an ancient fort. Turns out they were attacking a group of CSM sorcerers and the planetary governor with his retinue. Badly wounded and nearly killed Sharpe and his team killed the sorcerers and the governor before destroying the fort.

A month later Colonel Sharpe was busted down to captain for punching an officer that had insulted the 95th by calling them, 'dirty scum that have more in common with the Arch Enemy than they do any respected regiment in the Imperium.

[Father Mehman]

‘Drag the priest out for this. He’ll love all that bookish talk!’ they said. Bah! No respect from these Guardsmen. Now, I’m stuck with these mouldering-

Well, greetings, fine folk from the esteemed Liber! Isn’t it a blessed day when we all get together and talk of the Emperor’s many gifts?

A new, inventive regiment, you say? Well alright. Let’s see what this addled noggin can create!

7th Cnaeus IV Skirmishers- “The Forest Shades”

Long known as a haunted world in the Triedes Sector, Cnaeus IV, and its peoples, have had much to overcome. Early during the days Imperial census, an Imperial Governor told the Administratum that the people of his world, colonists and indigenous alike, would rather die than have their world become a Forest world and have their mighty trees taken from them. What waste would the Imperium make of their planet’s most precious resource? After his public hanging for insolence, the adepts of the Administratum issued a demand that all foliage on the world be used to fire great industrial machines; the world of Cnaeus IV would become a Manufactorum World.

To say the population reacted unfavourably to this decree would be putting matters lightly. Adeptus Arbites had to be called from another planet to quell uprisings. After they had all been hunted from the forests in a matter of weeks, a planet-wide militia was called together to purge the lands of the “eco-terrorists”. It was a back-handed deal. The militia leaders on each continent issued exacting orders: drive the Administratum into their buildings and set them ablaze with their stores of paper. The last vox-transmission of the uprising was an almost inaudible screaming from the main port-city, Hagia.

Cnaeus IV was not to be turned into a Manufactorum World. Instead, the world pays a heavy tithe of equipment and recruits to the Departmento Munitorum. The Guardsmen and women that come from this haunted world of old are some of the best stealth light infantry in the Pacificus Segmentum, not to mention the Sector. They excel in jumping from the limbs of trees, appearing from behind enemy patrols using undergrowth concealment, and stringing natural booby-traps to kill whoever they face. The skills of the regiments, named “Skirmishers” all, also translate to Hive Worlds very well. Whether slinking through the detritus of centuries to quell revolt or jumping and swinging between hab-blocks, they almost always remain hidden.

[WarriorFish]

Oh Chef you cheeky ragamuffin! ;):P Good stuff so far, let's see what else we can conjure up :tu:

[Olis]

Looking good so far guys. Chef - I think your references are coming through a bit strong there... :P

[WarriorFish]

References perhaps more fitting than you think Oli - it's our official B&C Guard theme after all ;)

[Olis]

Aye, the Guard aren't known for their subtlety! :lol:

 

 

(The irony is; marines are even further from subtle. People in glass houses...)

[Conn Eremon]

To be perfectly fair, I think there are more examples of a lack of subtlety in every corner of the setting than anything else. Part of what makes it so entertaining.

[WarriorFish]

Subtly is for the weak; the hammer cares not if you know the blow is coming for all are crushed equally under its righteous might!

Everyone likes to draw from something. If we're honest that's all part of the appeal, both in referencing things you like or think are cool and in recognising them. For example a dash of the Desert Rats never hurt anyone, same with the Fusiliers and their feathers There's nothing that isn't built on something that came before after all

[Duncain]

The 73rd Dundrum are infamous for the events that occurred during the quelling of the Nuran rebellion. The Imperial Governor on Nuran sued the high lords for help from a popular uprising that seemed to come from nowhere. The 73rd Dundrum were en-route to another war zone when they were diverted with 13 other regiments to quell the rebellion for six months of intense fighting the 13 regiments could not seem to pin the rebels down as soon as a large battle seemed to be on the horizon the rebels would disappear. Then a small fleet of Dark Angels appeared in Nuran space. The Dark Angels quickly provided General Bain the overall Imperial commander with intelligence of a large gathering of rebels, a joint operation was developed with the Dark Angels and the 73rd Dundrum being the initial forces committed with 5 other regiments to join the battle once the enemy was fixed into position. As the 73rd Dundrum moved in through the thick conifer trees to engage the rebels the Dark Angels Raven wing engaged the rebels along side the 73rd Dundrum.

Midway through the battle just before General Bain committed the other 5 regiments the Raven wing mysteriously disengaged and the Dark Angel fleet immediately left. The 73rd Dundrum were engaged with a enemy force that now had them out gunned and out manned. General Bain held back his other regiments as he knew without the Dark Angels they would only die. The 73rd Dundrum fought ferociously, they fought as true imperials, they were warrior poets, and they were sacrificed on the bloody alter of imperial justice. The 73rd Dundrum was effectively wiped out that day and the few survivors were either the best or luckiest warriors of the regiment. The 73rd Dundrum may no longer exist but some of the veterans of that fateful battle still fight on to this day cursing the fickle Dark Angels and General Bain. They fight for revenge.

[Chefzilla]

Aye, the Guard aren't known for their subtlety!

(The irony is; marines are even further from subtle. People in glass houses...)

And me even more so. Ain't nothing subtle about a Hellhammer to the face.

[Conn Eremon]

http://i.imgur.com/PU0Nxr5.jpg

 

453rd Gaius 'Kingmen'

 

The Imperial Governor of Gaius keeps the peace and delivers on the demanded tithe for the Emperor's armies with the cast of a single stone. The planet proper, far below the orbiting Governor's manse, has retained a strong feudal society against all reason on a world of relatively advanced civilization. The military-minded royal lines of Gaius muster great armies to test rival bloodlines, with an elaborate, indecipherable network of alliances constantly threatening to throw the whole world into open war. The Imperial Governor orbital palace is equipped for plasma bombardment, which it has used with regularity over critical military encampments or even over the fortified bunker-warrens where commanding nobility can be found far from the front lines, ending the rising tides of conflict with a show of irresistible force.

 

Faced with such a threat, the Gaiuns have no choice but to capitulate to the Governor for the many, many Foundings Gaius has seen. Predetermined locations are cleared and cease-fires enforced, while those families selected by the Governor muster whole armies hundreds of thousands strong. Often, it is the most belligerent, ambitious, or militant who find their vast martial wealth so suddenly depleted. These armies are gathered into a collection of regiments, usually no more than five to ten at a time. These immense regiments are often used as the backbone support of many crusades and campaigns in the Sectors surrounding Gaius, often being all an Imperial Commander requires for conquest of disputed worlds. Due to their mixed nature, these regiments can be utilized against virtually any threat, and are effective in most theaters of war. While many regimental worlds look upon the victories and honors won by their distant sons and daughters with at least some satisfaction, the self-important Gaiuns see it only as a waste.