Post by Colonel Scipio on Nov 26, 2007 16:25:19 GMT -5
Presented is a little fluff for your consideration, just to see what the crew thinks. I wanted to do a cheap army with some plastic models (ie Cadians) but to make my own background. The actual background is 10 or so pages so I've just taken a few snippets for you to have a look. In particular if anyone thinks that anything is out of character for the 40k universe comments would be cool.
Equipment and Uniform
The Paladian Military, due to their proximity with the Cadian system, were originally exclusively supplied with standard Cadian M38 fatigues and short pattern lasgun, normally in unfinished metal but sometimes with Imperial Drab coating. The dress uniform, with the same olive and white trim and of Cadian cut, is often worn by staff officers in battle. Combat officers wear the same uniform, usually with a peaked cap although some wear standard helmets or occasionally dispense with all headgear. NCOs can also wear either peaked caps or the helmet in battle. In addition to the standard Cadian field and dress uniforms, a unique Paladian parade dress has been developed.
In the early days of the Paladian system, when the IPAF was beginning to enjoy success and fame after quashing several separatist uprisings, complaints emerged that the troops had no individuality fighting in simple Cadian fatigues. Since the PMHC had neither the inclination, much less the capacity, to begin to produce its own combat uniforms, a compromise was reached in the form of parade dress. M38.912//3.09, the Governor of the Segmentum Paladia issued a directive, stating, “that in order to preserve the élan and morale of the IPAF, a new Parade dress for formal and dress occasions is to be introduced”. To this day, it is used for most non-field duties.
Rank on combat fatigues is denoted by the standard inverse chevrons on the sleeves of cloth fatigues, while the phalanx is shown by means of geometric shapes on the right shoulder pad. On the parade uniform, epaulettes bearing gilded stars (to represent Sol Paladia) denote rank, with coloured piping giving the arm of service. While organised into separate cohorts, each squad is numbered at phalanx level, that is from one to four individually and squads one and two are under the command of I. Cohort, while three and four come under II. Cohort. Phalanx Command squads and their attached units have white shoulder pads. Higher ranked command squads often wear the traditional Paladian Dress Armour, fixed from Cadian fatigues. Parade crests are fitted to the Cadian helmets and Paladian Stun Shields are the standard equipment for the chosen NCOs in command squads, while the ranking Sergeant is also entitled to wear dress robes.
Rank Structure and Appointments
The rank structure for officers is much the same as the standard Cadian system, albeit with several intermediary staff ranks. For commissars, however, a simplified system has been introduced based on the Commissar’s duties. They wear the lowest rank of their command grouping; for example a Commissar attached to a cohort command squad will wear insignia of a Lieutenant, a Cohort officer, and will nominally hold the rank. The official rank titling would, in this case, be Cohort Commissar, although Lieutenant Commissar or simply Lieutenant is much more common.
The de facto highest rank is that of Marshal-Colonel, a rank that can only be obtained by generals who have both served on the front line and commanded an Imperial Army Group. However, in addition to this there exists a special military rank, the War Marshal, who oversees the direction of the IPAF. Unlike the PMHC as a body in itself this position is directly answerable to the Admiral of the Fleet and Extraplanetary Departmento Munitotium officers, acting independently of the Governor and Paladian Government. This is a commander-in-chief and as such has no insignia; a War Marshal is elected annually by his peers of the PMHC. Any bearer of this huge responsibility who is not a Marshal-Colonel is automatically granted the rank of Acting Marshal-Colonel as a peripheral to this position.
Organisation and Structure of the IPAF
The Paladian Military Forces follow an archaic organisational structure laid down in the Supplementum IV Tacticum Imperium, from the forces of Lexus IV; a part of the early Imperial Army. The chief language of the Segmentum Paladia is Paladian Tech (a corruption of High Tech) and so the formation names have remained almost the same as ever they were in the earliest days of the Imperial Army. The largest formation is that of a regiment, but there is no standard strength, as different formation types maintain different numbers of men and tanks. An average infantry regiment’s fighting core will consist of ten legions, each of around 40,000 men, 3,000 officers and around 1,000 tanks. They are generally supported by up to 60,000 reservists and mobilised troops in order to maintain full strength. In addition to this, usually combat legions have about 2,000 guns, ranging in calibre from 20mc to 400mc, armoured assault formations, SPG groups, reconnaissance columns requisitioned from ‘pure’ regiments of the respective troops. These regiments are rarely used on their own (with the exception of armoured formations, regularly used to spearhead attacks) in combat, but serve simply as pools of specialist reserves from which legion command officers draw the necessary troops needed for a battle ad hoc. After combat, these units are usually dissolved, refitted and returned to the reserve pools.
The consequence of this is that only around a third to a half of a regiments combat troops are exposed to combat at any one time. This limits the numerical advantages, but ensures fresh, well-equipped troops are always ready for battle. The enormous logistical and operational planning required to distribute specialist reserves evenly to the regiments which need them entails a huge amount of support, provided by an entirely independent arm of service; The General Staff. Although in protracted campaigning the system can break down somewhat, and individual commanders requisition units and throw them into battle without authority, the General Staff is usually held in high regard and plays a vital part in the conduct of operations.
Equipment and Uniform
The Paladian Military, due to their proximity with the Cadian system, were originally exclusively supplied with standard Cadian M38 fatigues and short pattern lasgun, normally in unfinished metal but sometimes with Imperial Drab coating. The dress uniform, with the same olive and white trim and of Cadian cut, is often worn by staff officers in battle. Combat officers wear the same uniform, usually with a peaked cap although some wear standard helmets or occasionally dispense with all headgear. NCOs can also wear either peaked caps or the helmet in battle. In addition to the standard Cadian field and dress uniforms, a unique Paladian parade dress has been developed.
In the early days of the Paladian system, when the IPAF was beginning to enjoy success and fame after quashing several separatist uprisings, complaints emerged that the troops had no individuality fighting in simple Cadian fatigues. Since the PMHC had neither the inclination, much less the capacity, to begin to produce its own combat uniforms, a compromise was reached in the form of parade dress. M38.912//3.09, the Governor of the Segmentum Paladia issued a directive, stating, “that in order to preserve the élan and morale of the IPAF, a new Parade dress for formal and dress occasions is to be introduced”. To this day, it is used for most non-field duties.
Rank on combat fatigues is denoted by the standard inverse chevrons on the sleeves of cloth fatigues, while the phalanx is shown by means of geometric shapes on the right shoulder pad. On the parade uniform, epaulettes bearing gilded stars (to represent Sol Paladia) denote rank, with coloured piping giving the arm of service. While organised into separate cohorts, each squad is numbered at phalanx level, that is from one to four individually and squads one and two are under the command of I. Cohort, while three and four come under II. Cohort. Phalanx Command squads and their attached units have white shoulder pads. Higher ranked command squads often wear the traditional Paladian Dress Armour, fixed from Cadian fatigues. Parade crests are fitted to the Cadian helmets and Paladian Stun Shields are the standard equipment for the chosen NCOs in command squads, while the ranking Sergeant is also entitled to wear dress robes.
Rank Structure and Appointments
The rank structure for officers is much the same as the standard Cadian system, albeit with several intermediary staff ranks. For commissars, however, a simplified system has been introduced based on the Commissar’s duties. They wear the lowest rank of their command grouping; for example a Commissar attached to a cohort command squad will wear insignia of a Lieutenant, a Cohort officer, and will nominally hold the rank. The official rank titling would, in this case, be Cohort Commissar, although Lieutenant Commissar or simply Lieutenant is much more common.
The de facto highest rank is that of Marshal-Colonel, a rank that can only be obtained by generals who have both served on the front line and commanded an Imperial Army Group. However, in addition to this there exists a special military rank, the War Marshal, who oversees the direction of the IPAF. Unlike the PMHC as a body in itself this position is directly answerable to the Admiral of the Fleet and Extraplanetary Departmento Munitotium officers, acting independently of the Governor and Paladian Government. This is a commander-in-chief and as such has no insignia; a War Marshal is elected annually by his peers of the PMHC. Any bearer of this huge responsibility who is not a Marshal-Colonel is automatically granted the rank of Acting Marshal-Colonel as a peripheral to this position.
Organisation and Structure of the IPAF
The Paladian Military Forces follow an archaic organisational structure laid down in the Supplementum IV Tacticum Imperium, from the forces of Lexus IV; a part of the early Imperial Army. The chief language of the Segmentum Paladia is Paladian Tech (a corruption of High Tech) and so the formation names have remained almost the same as ever they were in the earliest days of the Imperial Army. The largest formation is that of a regiment, but there is no standard strength, as different formation types maintain different numbers of men and tanks. An average infantry regiment’s fighting core will consist of ten legions, each of around 40,000 men, 3,000 officers and around 1,000 tanks. They are generally supported by up to 60,000 reservists and mobilised troops in order to maintain full strength. In addition to this, usually combat legions have about 2,000 guns, ranging in calibre from 20mc to 400mc, armoured assault formations, SPG groups, reconnaissance columns requisitioned from ‘pure’ regiments of the respective troops. These regiments are rarely used on their own (with the exception of armoured formations, regularly used to spearhead attacks) in combat, but serve simply as pools of specialist reserves from which legion command officers draw the necessary troops needed for a battle ad hoc. After combat, these units are usually dissolved, refitted and returned to the reserve pools.
The consequence of this is that only around a third to a half of a regiments combat troops are exposed to combat at any one time. This limits the numerical advantages, but ensures fresh, well-equipped troops are always ready for battle. The enormous logistical and operational planning required to distribute specialist reserves evenly to the regiments which need them entails a huge amount of support, provided by an entirely independent arm of service; The General Staff. Although in protracted campaigning the system can break down somewhat, and individual commanders requisition units and throw them into battle without authority, the General Staff is usually held in high regard and plays a vital part in the conduct of operations.