Attilan Rough Riders

The 'Rough Riders of Attila are an Imperial Guard Regiment who have been recruited from the Feudal World of Attila. The Imperium recruits some of its most ferocious mounted warriors from this barbaric world. These specialised cavalry regiments have a bloodthirsty reputation, fighting all over the galaxy in the name of the Emperor.

History
On worlds such as Attila, where it is usual for warriors to fight from horseback, the Imperium recruits regiments of Rough Riders. The Rough Riders of Attila are recruited from such a world, where fierce nomadic tribes and warrior horse-lodges have perfected the art of cavalry techniques through years of bloodshed. It is said that the Attilans are born in the saddle, for they are amongst the greatest horsemen in the galaxy. The horses they prefer are thick-set beasts, ill-tempered and likely to bite or kick anyone unwise enough to give them the chance to do so. Such mounts are bred for power and strength, and many are given bio-chem treatments to enhance their combat potential. Trained for a life of battle, these warhorses do not shy away from the enemy or panic easily. The riders depend upon their mounts a great deal, and value them more highly than any treasure. In adverse conditions a warrior will draw off some of the animal's blood and drink it to sustain himself, enabling the Attilans to survive without food or water for many days. This gives them the ability to operate behind enemy lines without supplies.

Culture
The Rough Riders of Attila warrior prowess is founded upon their tradition of never ending battle, especially amongst themselves, for the tribes of Attila respect only power and a king must be prepared to demonstrate his might to doubting rivals. When a lord of the Attilans defeats an enemy he decapitates the beaten man's head and has his artificers turn the skull into a drinking cup as a permanent symbol of his victory. Attilans have little respect for medals awarded after a battle's conclusion and feel that the only symbols of merit worth owning are those won in the heat of battle, whilst their warriors' blood is still hot in their veins. As such the most valued trophies of war are the scars earned from cheating death and the skull of a worthy foe.

Organisation
The world of Attila is primitive, having reverted to a pre-technical way of life. On such a barbaric world, the horse is the most important type of transport, and it is the case that horses are found throughout human space having been brought by early settlers. Even the Imperial Guard, with it legions of machinery and fighting vehicles, has a place for mounted warriors. Regiments of Rough Riders are sometimes deployed wholesale, especially where terrain is unsuitable for tracked vehicles. A squad of skilled cavalry can be used as an effective assault and skirmishing force, able to move rapidly over the broken ground, climb steep slopes and gallop along narrow ravines. However, it is more common to divide mounted regiments and allocate Rough Rider squads to fight alongside conventional infantry regiments, thereby spreading the horsemen over a wide battlefield. They can then act in the roles of scouts, patrols and fast response troops. Rough Riders are also used to operate out on their own beyond the reach of normal lines of communication, deep within enemy territory. Because of their use of living mounts rather than machines, they need neither fuel nor maintenance and, unlike vehicles, they cannot be easily traced with auspex or scanner. This enables them to be used to harass enemy troop movements by using guerrilla tactics.

Appearance and Uniform
Rough Riders uniforms consist of personal armour made of scale or lamellar, leather or hide greatcoats, leather riding gloves, boots and traditional, wide-brimmed fur riding hat. Every squad of Attilan Rough Riders chooses a distinctive Imperial Guard skull motif which is branded onto each of their horses. Apart from this and the Imperial Guard icon on their shoulder armour, they wear little or no insignia. The Attilans present a barbaric appearance, especially with their ritual scarification upon their cheeks -- long knife cuts of white tissue which stand out against his weather beaten skin. These marks are cut into his cheeks as a young man, and ashes from the camp fire are rubbed into the wounds so that they leave deep and prominent scars. They also are known to make extensive use of tribal tattoos as well. Attilans tend to wear their hair in long, unkempt braids, or long and matted. They do not wash themselves or clean their clothes, believing that to do so would affront the spirits of water with which they superstitiously people their land. This tradition has proven hard to break, despite considerable effort on part of the Adeptus Ministorum preachers in the barely tolerated mission in Khanasan. Indeed, it is said that the stench of an Attilan is as powerful a weapon as his hunting lance.

Equipment
Attilans primarily make use of a long hunting lance tipped with a shaped explosive charge that can tear through even the toughest armour. Rough Riders use their hunting lances the first time they charge into combat, after which they cannot be used again. They then change to a lasgun or bolter pistol after the initial onslaught.

Notable Rough Riders

 * Mogul Kamir -

Source

 * Codex: Imperial Guard (2nd Edition), pp. 17, 40-41, 90
 * Codex: Imeprial Guard (5th Edition), pp. 21, 44, 66