Post by zazel on Dec 24, 2022 10:05:23 GMT -5
Started going through some boxes this morning and stumbled upon a few old things from way back. As I mentioned in my intro post I used to collect Praetorians and I found some fluff for that army.
I have no recollection when this was actually written, maybe 4th edition? My regular apponents used to be Eldar, Chaos, Dark Eldar players so it probably came off the back of one of our games or campaigns.
Thought I'd type it out.
Former : The 16th Queensbury Light Infantry Battalion.
Current : The 16th Queensbury. "The Stone Guardians".
The 16th Queensbury Light Infantry Battalion was founded 820.M41 on Einaur Delta in the Helican sector surrounding the eye of terror. The regiment was raised in defence of the planet when Abbadon the Despoilers warfleet attacked the Cadian gate. Many of the planets regiments were sent to aid in the fight against the chaos legion, which started to contravene imperial dictate to the level of troops that should be left in defense of a world which produced such large quantities of fresh vegetation for use in foods. However the planetary ruler, Marquis Reginald Longshanks, would not let dictate stand in the way of honour, commiting more and more troops to the fray.
It was around then that a Class 3 warp storm was sighted near to the planet. Orders from Thracian Primaris, the capital world of the sector, were to monitor the storm closely and to hold in reserve all remaining troops til the storm had passed. After 3 days of scrutiny, a host ominous ships poured out of a the warp storm like a plague of locusts heading towards the world of Einaur Delta. The Marquis sent out a plea for help but there was little any of the planetary lords could do, lest their own planets became undefended. The sleek raiding craft of a large Dark Eldar pirate fleet soon broke through the orbital defenses ready to start enslaving the population below.
The planet was under heavy assault from the fleet, several regiments having already been detroyed in the initial onslaught. As city after city fell before the invaders, the orders from the Marquis were to pull back to the capital city Queensbury Primaris. Indeed it was here that the planetary defences gave their last stand. A strike force was dispatched to hit the flanks of the raiders, a squadron of sentinels and large troop of Mounted Dragoons. When the Eldar pirates attacked, the men of the Imperial Guard were ready to face their foe. Fire roared from heavy weapons, and mortar shells bombarded the invaders as they spewed forth across the land until they made it to the city walls. Atop these walls stood the 16th, resplendant in their red uniforms, with highly polished boots and brilliant white pith helmets they held.
Things didn't start out well for the men of the Imperium however, the outflanking ambush of the Dragoons had failed spectacularly, the alien craft moved too fast and carried them too far before any real damaged could be caused by the charge of hoof and lance many losing their life in the lightning fly-bys piloted by xenos. It was left to those garrisoned within the city to repel the threat.
The raiders fell upon them like ravening beasts, but the men did not falter, taking not one step backwards. Where one man fell another stepped into his place to fill the line, volley after volley of trained fire cut down swathes of the enemy. Strange and alien weapons were used against the troops, thin splinters which tore mighty wounds in men, large lasers rent great holes in the walls of the city.
What seemd like an age passed while the invaders attempted to take the city. It was not to be and like resolute stone guardians the Queensbury Guard held stoic in the face of adversity despite being outnumbered and outgunned significantly at this time.
Just as it seemed the siege would never cease that their saviours befell them. A detachment from the remnants of the 95th armoured arrived without introduction to aid the valiant defenders. Like the metaphorical hammer they landed and unleashed their fury, crushing the Dark Eldar against the anvil like defences of the 16th. With the alien defeated and the city repairs underway the 95th armoured were combined with the 16th and with the war on Cadia at an end, the regiments fighting there returned to their homeworlds.
Many a soldier were lost and many a soldier praised and honoured for exceptional bravery and duty in the face of the vile xenos. As a composite regiment however the 16th/95th had no true basis on Einaur Delta. Re-armed and resupplied to full fighting strength they were drafted into the Imperial crusading armies and sent out to purge worlds from the clutches of the alien, the heretic and the witch in the name of The Emperor.
