Post by littlemac on Jun 22, 2009 16:17:19 GMT -5
Mjolnir XXII (Airmobile)
“The Hammer from the Sky”
-Overview-
Mjolnir is a planet of mixed forests and salt water oceans, with many lakes, fjords, peninsulas and islands. It is located in the Eastern fringe of the Ultima Segmentum, close to Tau Empire space. It is roughly 14,000 km around the equator (slightly larger than real-life earth). It’s year is about 330 days long, and its climate and seasons are comparable to earth. It was discovered in M.38 by the Imperium and colonized for its rich mineral content, namely cordite. Mining quickly became the planet’s biggest industry. The population is around 35 million and due to its stronger-than-average gravitational pull, the people of Mjolnir tend to be shorter but more muscular in stature. Although the encompassing forests and jungles have enough dangerous creatures and flora to make life difficult, it’s not enough to classify Mjolnir as a death world. With a little effort, the planet’s natural ecosystem can be tamed. Due to the rough terrain, all regiments of Mjolnir have been permanently issued Valkyries to deal with mobility.
-Culture-
A citizen of Mjolnir usually winds up being either a miner or a soldier. The people of Mjolnir pride themselves on producing quality Guardsmen through rough, dedicated training and a militaristic warrior culture. Children are expected to show extreme ruggedness and survival techniques early on. Physical endurance, extreme perseverance to the elements, mobility in any conditions and bare-bones survival are the primary attributes of the culture. These qualities are key, for mining is hardly less dangerous than soldiering, as accidents happen and the conditions are just as rough. Dedication to the Imperium is high, and both mining and soldiering are glorified as the ultimate duty citizens can achieve.
-Tithe-
Due to Mjolnir having a subsistent tithe every three years consisting of raw minerals, the Adeptus Munitorium allows their tithe of soldiers to be more prolonged. Every 12 years 2 regiments of 25,000 are raised from the populace. This 12 year cycle allows Mjolnir to train extensively and produce top-notch troops.
-Tactics-
The regiments of Mjolnir are all airmobile, using permanently attached Valkyries and Vendettas to strike anywhere in a short period of time. Common tactics include infiltration from small “pathfinder” teams that set up LZs and scout the battlefield, then rapid insertions of heavier infantry from transport aircraft. Once inserted onto the field, infantry teams will spread out and skirmish while a dedicated firebase is constructed next to the LZ and transport aircraft make repeated re-supply runs. Vendettas are used as mobile gunships while mortar teams provide light artillery support. Outflanking, ambushes, baiting, and trap setting are all common infantry tactics. Companies and platoons are expected to be able to survive on their own for prolonged combat with little support.
At the platoon level grenade launchers are used in every squad, and heavy weapons are organized into separate squads. The NCOs provide the backbone of platoon strategy and leadership and are given a degree of individual tactical freedom unknown in most Guard regiments. Lower level officers tend to build trust with the enlisted men by allowing casualty rates to factor into overall strategic plans. Officers are generally regarded with mixed awe and respect, and will be followed “to hell and back”. Company level officers will almost always be accompanied by a master-voxcaster operator (Astropath) to assist in airmobile operations, and occasionally a Master of Ordinance for artillery strikes once a firebase has been established.
For heavy support an airmobile regiment will take an assortment of heavy weapons, mainly heavy bolters and mortars, with autocannons, missile launchers and lascannons for dedicated heavy fire. Bolters are fitted with drum magazines for portability, while missile launchers are cut down to be man-portable. The larger pieces will come in later re-supply runs to the LZs.
Vehicles come in the last stage of the air assault, and are quite limited. They are usually only brought in until the firebase has been well established. The Leman Russ is occasionally used for firebase defense, but the most common vehicles include Sentinels for roving patrols, Hydras for air defense and Griffons for mobile artillery support.
For elite units Mjolnir regiments will use small teams of Hunter-Killer snipers, usually in groups of 3-6. These teams will infiltrate into forests or other areas of cover and will camp out for days or even weeks. Their missions usually consist of intelligence, assassination, small ambushes, disruption, or scouting for new LZs. To become a Hunter-Killer, a soldier must serve 2 years active duty in a regiment and take an additional 2 year training course involving advanced survival, camouflage, marksmanship and reconnaissance.
Units that will never be found in a Mjolnir regiment:
Commissars- Much like Catachans, the men of Mjolnir typically despise Commissars
Priests and Techpriests
Ogryns and Ratlings- Hunter-Killer teams use ratling stats, but aren’t the actual rotund abhumans
Psykers- Anyone with psychic ability is typically sent to Holy Terra.
Storm Troopers- These may be attached in rare special missions, but never permanently
Conscripts
Penal Troops
Rough Riders
Most artillery pieces and heavy tanks
-Training-
Being from a spartan-esque warrior culture, training is an important part of everyday life. Youths receive valuable experience from hunting and militaristic games. Military service is highly glorified but entirely voluntary, and the military receives many recruits and almost always gets its quota. Once accepted into the PDF or Imperial Guard, they are forced through an extensive 2 year training period where they receive basic infantry skills and intense physical training intended to weed out the weakest. After those 2 years they receive another year of job-specific training and more advanced techniques. If their job is to be airmobile riflemen, they get training in advanced navigation, survival skills, marksmanship, trap setting, ambushes, reconnaissance, hand-to-hand combat, advanced vox operation, Valkyrie insertion, and company size to squad level field tactics. During these 3 years drop out rates are high, and these men are then recycled back into the civilian populace, where they will likely become miners. After all the dropouts have been trimmed away only the hardiest, most durable soldiers remain. These are then formed into an official regiment, be them PDF or Imperial Guard.
After an active service period of 4 years and with an officer’s recommendation and enlisted man can receive NCO training (which lasts 18 months) or be sent to Hunter-Killer school (a 2 year course).
Officers are often promoted NCOs who’ve worked their way up, and many are ex-Hunter-Killers themselves.
-Equipment-
The standard loadout for an individual troop will consist of:
An Mk4 Lascarbine or shotgun, officers will carry boltguns if they can
Various fragmentation, krak, and smoke grenades
Rucksack with machete, entrenching tool, bedroll, and assorted kit
Survival knife
Personal med-kit
Bandoliers for ammunition
Canteens
Special Weapons
Infantry squads use grenade launchers as their standard special weapon, and Mjolnirian factories produce the eccentric G-16 design assault launcher. A compact ugly looking semi-automatic weapon, it has a short assault barrel and folding stock, combined with a feed rack on the right side of the weapon that holds 6 grenades. However displeasing to the eyes the weapon is, it is favored for its extreme durability, versatility and effectiveness, as well as its high rate of fire and ability to accept different types of grenades, from fragmentation, krak, illumination, tracer, flash-bang and smoke.
Flamers, sniper rifles, and melta guns are all also commonly used and available. Plasma is quite rare, but occasionally is used in special missions that call for it.
-History-
Mjolnir has had a prolonged problem with orks occasionally popping up and attacking settlements, and initially the orks gain ground but have historically been put down as their onslaught is more spread out and cut down in the forests. Fortunately, ork appearances have always been weak and half-hearted, and this has saved Mjolnir a few times. While historically the orks have been Mjolnir’s only real problem in more recent times the Tau Empire has made an appearance, landing on the planet and attempting the establish themselves and spread their doctrine. Contact so far has consisted of many successful small skirmishes, but patiently the Tau forces have remained reserved, waiting for their main cadre to land. The only major battle fought so far was on the outskirts of an abandoned city where the 22nd Mjolnir won a decisive victory to retake part of the city, but the brunt of the fighting is still yet to come. Disturbingly, reports of a Tyranid splinter fleet lurking in nearby space have been coming in, but are largely dismissed as mere rumors.
-Color Scheme-
Catachan models are used.
Flak Jackets: Dark Angels Green
Fatigues: Dark Angels Green w/ Catachan Green camo, undershirts are Olive (Reaper)
Aquila: Skull White
Weapon: Steel Plate w/ Armor Gray details (Reaper Colors)
Bandanas, Headbands, and other headgear: Bright Blue (Reaper)
Author's Note: This is just a rough draft for my unit. I have recently been reading up on galactic fluff but am obviously not an expert. If things don't make much sense or don't add up please feel free to comment so I can fix it. Actually, any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for reading through this! ;D
“The Hammer from the Sky”
-Overview-
Mjolnir is a planet of mixed forests and salt water oceans, with many lakes, fjords, peninsulas and islands. It is located in the Eastern fringe of the Ultima Segmentum, close to Tau Empire space. It is roughly 14,000 km around the equator (slightly larger than real-life earth). It’s year is about 330 days long, and its climate and seasons are comparable to earth. It was discovered in M.38 by the Imperium and colonized for its rich mineral content, namely cordite. Mining quickly became the planet’s biggest industry. The population is around 35 million and due to its stronger-than-average gravitational pull, the people of Mjolnir tend to be shorter but more muscular in stature. Although the encompassing forests and jungles have enough dangerous creatures and flora to make life difficult, it’s not enough to classify Mjolnir as a death world. With a little effort, the planet’s natural ecosystem can be tamed. Due to the rough terrain, all regiments of Mjolnir have been permanently issued Valkyries to deal with mobility.
-Culture-
A citizen of Mjolnir usually winds up being either a miner or a soldier. The people of Mjolnir pride themselves on producing quality Guardsmen through rough, dedicated training and a militaristic warrior culture. Children are expected to show extreme ruggedness and survival techniques early on. Physical endurance, extreme perseverance to the elements, mobility in any conditions and bare-bones survival are the primary attributes of the culture. These qualities are key, for mining is hardly less dangerous than soldiering, as accidents happen and the conditions are just as rough. Dedication to the Imperium is high, and both mining and soldiering are glorified as the ultimate duty citizens can achieve.
-Tithe-
Due to Mjolnir having a subsistent tithe every three years consisting of raw minerals, the Adeptus Munitorium allows their tithe of soldiers to be more prolonged. Every 12 years 2 regiments of 25,000 are raised from the populace. This 12 year cycle allows Mjolnir to train extensively and produce top-notch troops.
-Tactics-
The regiments of Mjolnir are all airmobile, using permanently attached Valkyries and Vendettas to strike anywhere in a short period of time. Common tactics include infiltration from small “pathfinder” teams that set up LZs and scout the battlefield, then rapid insertions of heavier infantry from transport aircraft. Once inserted onto the field, infantry teams will spread out and skirmish while a dedicated firebase is constructed next to the LZ and transport aircraft make repeated re-supply runs. Vendettas are used as mobile gunships while mortar teams provide light artillery support. Outflanking, ambushes, baiting, and trap setting are all common infantry tactics. Companies and platoons are expected to be able to survive on their own for prolonged combat with little support.
At the platoon level grenade launchers are used in every squad, and heavy weapons are organized into separate squads. The NCOs provide the backbone of platoon strategy and leadership and are given a degree of individual tactical freedom unknown in most Guard regiments. Lower level officers tend to build trust with the enlisted men by allowing casualty rates to factor into overall strategic plans. Officers are generally regarded with mixed awe and respect, and will be followed “to hell and back”. Company level officers will almost always be accompanied by a master-voxcaster operator (Astropath) to assist in airmobile operations, and occasionally a Master of Ordinance for artillery strikes once a firebase has been established.
For heavy support an airmobile regiment will take an assortment of heavy weapons, mainly heavy bolters and mortars, with autocannons, missile launchers and lascannons for dedicated heavy fire. Bolters are fitted with drum magazines for portability, while missile launchers are cut down to be man-portable. The larger pieces will come in later re-supply runs to the LZs.
Vehicles come in the last stage of the air assault, and are quite limited. They are usually only brought in until the firebase has been well established. The Leman Russ is occasionally used for firebase defense, but the most common vehicles include Sentinels for roving patrols, Hydras for air defense and Griffons for mobile artillery support.
For elite units Mjolnir regiments will use small teams of Hunter-Killer snipers, usually in groups of 3-6. These teams will infiltrate into forests or other areas of cover and will camp out for days or even weeks. Their missions usually consist of intelligence, assassination, small ambushes, disruption, or scouting for new LZs. To become a Hunter-Killer, a soldier must serve 2 years active duty in a regiment and take an additional 2 year training course involving advanced survival, camouflage, marksmanship and reconnaissance.
Units that will never be found in a Mjolnir regiment:
Commissars- Much like Catachans, the men of Mjolnir typically despise Commissars
Priests and Techpriests
Ogryns and Ratlings- Hunter-Killer teams use ratling stats, but aren’t the actual rotund abhumans
Psykers- Anyone with psychic ability is typically sent to Holy Terra.
Storm Troopers- These may be attached in rare special missions, but never permanently
Conscripts
Penal Troops
Rough Riders
Most artillery pieces and heavy tanks
-Training-
Being from a spartan-esque warrior culture, training is an important part of everyday life. Youths receive valuable experience from hunting and militaristic games. Military service is highly glorified but entirely voluntary, and the military receives many recruits and almost always gets its quota. Once accepted into the PDF or Imperial Guard, they are forced through an extensive 2 year training period where they receive basic infantry skills and intense physical training intended to weed out the weakest. After those 2 years they receive another year of job-specific training and more advanced techniques. If their job is to be airmobile riflemen, they get training in advanced navigation, survival skills, marksmanship, trap setting, ambushes, reconnaissance, hand-to-hand combat, advanced vox operation, Valkyrie insertion, and company size to squad level field tactics. During these 3 years drop out rates are high, and these men are then recycled back into the civilian populace, where they will likely become miners. After all the dropouts have been trimmed away only the hardiest, most durable soldiers remain. These are then formed into an official regiment, be them PDF or Imperial Guard.
After an active service period of 4 years and with an officer’s recommendation and enlisted man can receive NCO training (which lasts 18 months) or be sent to Hunter-Killer school (a 2 year course).
Officers are often promoted NCOs who’ve worked their way up, and many are ex-Hunter-Killers themselves.
-Equipment-
The standard loadout for an individual troop will consist of:
An Mk4 Lascarbine or shotgun, officers will carry boltguns if they can
Various fragmentation, krak, and smoke grenades
Rucksack with machete, entrenching tool, bedroll, and assorted kit
Survival knife
Personal med-kit
Bandoliers for ammunition
Canteens
Special Weapons
Infantry squads use grenade launchers as their standard special weapon, and Mjolnirian factories produce the eccentric G-16 design assault launcher. A compact ugly looking semi-automatic weapon, it has a short assault barrel and folding stock, combined with a feed rack on the right side of the weapon that holds 6 grenades. However displeasing to the eyes the weapon is, it is favored for its extreme durability, versatility and effectiveness, as well as its high rate of fire and ability to accept different types of grenades, from fragmentation, krak, illumination, tracer, flash-bang and smoke.
Flamers, sniper rifles, and melta guns are all also commonly used and available. Plasma is quite rare, but occasionally is used in special missions that call for it.
-History-
Mjolnir has had a prolonged problem with orks occasionally popping up and attacking settlements, and initially the orks gain ground but have historically been put down as their onslaught is more spread out and cut down in the forests. Fortunately, ork appearances have always been weak and half-hearted, and this has saved Mjolnir a few times. While historically the orks have been Mjolnir’s only real problem in more recent times the Tau Empire has made an appearance, landing on the planet and attempting the establish themselves and spread their doctrine. Contact so far has consisted of many successful small skirmishes, but patiently the Tau forces have remained reserved, waiting for their main cadre to land. The only major battle fought so far was on the outskirts of an abandoned city where the 22nd Mjolnir won a decisive victory to retake part of the city, but the brunt of the fighting is still yet to come. Disturbingly, reports of a Tyranid splinter fleet lurking in nearby space have been coming in, but are largely dismissed as mere rumors.
-Color Scheme-
Catachan models are used.
Flak Jackets: Dark Angels Green
Fatigues: Dark Angels Green w/ Catachan Green camo, undershirts are Olive (Reaper)
Aquila: Skull White
Weapon: Steel Plate w/ Armor Gray details (Reaper Colors)
Bandanas, Headbands, and other headgear: Bright Blue (Reaper)
Author's Note: This is just a rough draft for my unit. I have recently been reading up on galactic fluff but am obviously not an expert. If things don't make much sense or don't add up please feel free to comment so I can fix it. Actually, any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for reading through this! ;D
