History of the Imperial Guard

The Imperial Guard is a fictional military organisation in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The Imperial Guard have been actively defending and expanding the Imperium for ten thousand years, and their predecessors, the Imperial Army, fought on many fronts during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.

Origin
During the early years of the Great Crusade, the Emperor of Man and his Space Marine Legions were the only forces necessary for the conquest of worlds and the construction of the Imperium. Many of the Primarchs, superhuman leaders of the Space Marine Legions, tried to win the fealty of human populations isolated during the Age of Strife through non-military tactics if possible, and often incorporated soldiers that had initially been arrayed against them into the fight to liberate and unite even more worlds.

Human military forces were initially used to assist the Space Marines in the liberation of their own homeworld from aliens, daemons, or tyrants, and would remain after the campaign as a garrison force. Later, as the scope of the war escalated beyond the sole control of the Space Marines, these forces would be brought in to mop up any remaining resistance from Space Marine assaults, and take control of the freshly conquered world, freeing up the Space Marines to move onto other campaigns. Eventually, the expansion of the Imperium of Man reached the point where to have the Space Marines fighting on every front would spread them too thinly. It was at this time the Imperial Army was truly born, deploying on the forefront of the Crusade.

The Imperial Army
The original Imperial Army boasted great variety amongst its forces; some utilising mutant troops while others had access to anti-grav vehicles. Each unit drew on the strengths and technology of its homeworld, and variations were dependant on a world's religious beliefs, level of technological advancement, social customs, and specialist industries. This led to the development of regiments recruited from a single homeworld, as men from different worlds would have trouble understanding each other's dialects, social customs, tactics or specialist equipment.

The Imperial Army was also in nominal control of many starships, and each regiment of the Army would be assigned to a single cruiser-size vessel, or spread amongst a squadron of escort-size vessels and armed transports. In this way, the deployment of a starship to a location would automatically bring with it a substantial armed force, who could be used for boarding actions, planetside campaigns or garrison duty.

Because of the sheer variety of worlds and subsequent Imperial Army regiments, a measure of standardisation was deemed necessary to allow the Army to function as a whole, although the sheer size of the expanding Imperium by this time prevented any true standardisation. The treatise that came to be known as the Tactica Imperium was penned and distributed, and a cadre of political officers, the Commissars, were developed to ensure proper and effective integration and co-operation between regiments. The role of the Commissars later expanded to include maintaining the quality and morale of the regiments they were assigned to.

The Horus Heresy
During the Horus Heresy, many Imperial Army regiments turned to the side of Horus and Chaos. Regiments seconded to Space Marine Legions that turned traitor followed their superhuman masters into rebellion, sometimes out of fear or blind faith. Regiments were raised on worlds controlled by both sides, and were thrown into the bloodbath of combat. The control over both fleet and army elements held by a relatively limited number of people meant that the faith or corruption of a few determined on which side a force would fight. Thousands of small empires were carved out by ambitious generals with no loyalty to either side, and many regiments did little more than stay out of the way, waiting for a clear victor in the galactic civil war before they committed to a side.

The Horus Heresy changed the galaxy forever, both during its wars, and after, when the Imperium made all efforts to remain in control of its vast territories. Regiments of the Imperial Army still loyal to the Emperor assisted the Space Marines in their efforts to maintain control and suppress secondary rebellions.

The Imperial Guard
At some point between the final stages of the Horus Heresy and the end of the 31st millennium, the Imperial Army underwent mass reformation. The Army was split into two separate entities, the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Navy. What aspects of the Army that could be standardised were, and practical traditions from the days of the Army, such as the size of regiments designed to fit inside cruiser-size starships and the recruiting of a regiment's members from a single homeworld, were retained.

As part of the reformation, many of the units used by a regiment were cut down, and specialist regiments, such as those made up of Rough Rider cavalry or Ratling snipers, were split into detachments and divided amongst the standard regiments, to provide support in special skills and tactics. Commissars became centrally trained by the Ecclesiarchy and Schola Progenium. These measures almost completely limited the ability for Imperial Guard regiments to be led astray by a few corrupted officers, and further measures limiting the direct power of the Ecclesiarchy that came into effect after the Age of Apostasy have shaped the Imperial Guard into what it is during the 41st Millennium; a byword for loyalty and honour.

Although similar to the regiments of the post-Heresy years, the Imperial Guard has not remained completely stagnant. The universal lasgun was only introduced in the late 32nd millennium. Prior to this, the Imperial Guard relied on solid ammunition autoguns (and still do in some parts of the Imperium), and some elite soldiers still prefer to use them in combat. Armoured vehicles are often modified for a single campaign or operation, when the situation calls for it, but the usefulness of some modifications results in their full-scale production by certain Forge Worlds.

Armageddon Steel Legion
Armageddon is a Hive World, a planet covered in vast wastelands broken up by huge arcology-like structures called hive cities, each stretching miles into the sky. True to its name, Armageddon has been the site of three massive wars in the history of the Imperium, most recently a pair of invasions by the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka. As a result, the armies of Armageddon are practiced in fighting against Orks.

The factories of Armageddon produce many armoured fighting vehicles for use in the Imperium's armies, such as Chimera APCs. As a result of this, combined with the uninhabitable nature of Armageddon outside of the hive cities, the Armageddon Steel Legions are primarily Mechanized Infantry. These regiments use a large amount of armoured vehicles, and often use Chimeras on the battlefield to maintain a fluid, mobile fighting style.

The Steel Legion regiments are easily recognised by the fact that every Guardsman must wear a face mask and rebreather unit, because of Armageddon's toxic atmosphere. This, combined with the heavy trench coats they wear to further protect themselves against the Ash Wastes mean the Steel Legion resemble the German army during World War I, and German Army paratroopers and soldiers during World War II.

Attilan Rough Riders
Attila is a lush agricultural world, covered in large plains. Before rediscovery by the Imperium, culture on Attila was at a nomadic tribal level, with most warfare performed from horseback.

Attilan horsemen are considered amongst the finest in the Imperium. They are said to have no respect for anyone who cannot ride a horse, and are considered to be poorly disciplined and difficult to command. However, they make up for this by possessing great physical stamina and strength. Units of Attilan cavalry are often attached to other Imperial Guard regiments to provide a reconnaissance and rapid-response force. Regiments consisting solely of Attilan Rough Riders do exist, although they are rare amongst the Imperium’s armed forces.

The Attilan Rough Rider miniatures were the standard depiction of Imperial Guard Rough Rider units during the third edition of the Warhammer 40,000 rules. Although no longer available in stores, Attilan miniatures can still be purchased online. The Attilan miniatures bear a strong resemblance to the Mongols of Genghis Khan’s era.

Cadian Shock Troopers
The Cadian star system is sitting on the location of a stable area of space leading into the Eye of Terror, as such; the Cadian system is often the focal point of many Chaos attacks, including the Black Crusades.

Consequently, the planet of Cadia and the surrounding planets and systems have become some of the most militarized worlds in the Imperium. Most of the population is under arms and most Cadian youths learn to shoot before they learn to walk, and, as the saying goes: "Any Cadian who can't field-strip his own lasgun by the age of 10 was born on the wrong planet." Despite their dedication to battle, they still conscript fighters to help bolster their ranks when battles begin to get big. They are equipped with standard-issue equipment and fought at the frontlines during Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade to fend off the marauding armies of traitors and heretics.

They are led by the formidable Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed. The troops make use of many elite soldiers, as well as the numerous cadet corps known as the Whiteshields. They have been involved in many wars, campaigns and battles throughout the galaxy, but with the coming of Abbadon's 13th Black Crusade, they were forced to fight on their own soil. They were forced, in the early stages of the Black Crusade, to destroy the Volscani Cataphracts at the Battle of Tyrok Fields, on Cadia itself. They were eventually successful at securing the Cadia system, but took an awful toll from the crusade.

Cadian Shock Troopers source of inspiration could be an amalgamation of ideas drawn from different, present day armies, most notably the armies of nations like the United States (US Army), Russia (Russian Ground Forces) and Germany (Bundeswehr/German Army). Due to their reputation and sheer number of regiments, they are considered the "standard" look for the Imperial Guard. In 2003, the Cadian miniatures were converted from metal to multi-piece plastic, becoming only the second Imperial Guard army to be released with plastic miniatures.

Notable regiments:
 * Cadian 7th, "The Lucky Sevens"
 * Cadian 8th, "The Lord Castellan's Own"
 * Cadian 89th, "Xenobane"
 * Cadian 110th, "Shadow Corps"
 * Cadian 122nd - Distinguished themselves in the Vogen Campaign (Featured in the Cityfight Codex)
 * Cadian 152nd
 * Cadian 412th Infantry - (Featured in the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War expansion Winter Assault)

Catachan Jungle Fighters
Catachan is a Death World, a planet almost completely covered in dense jungle where it seems the entire ecosystem is hostile to human life. Catachan's only export is its people, who through natural selection are bred tough and strong from living in such a dangerous world.

Catachan Jungle Fighters are among some of the deadliest experts of jungle warfare in the entire galaxy and their reputation precedes them. They make use of many close combat weapons including the 'Catachan Fang', measuring up to 20 inches of gleaming steel, which is the most common weapon. It is also used for settling disputes between Catachans. Another knife is the Night Reaper, which is smaller and blackened, effective in night infiltration and assassinations. They are sometimes poisoned to improve their kill strength, the poisons coming directly from Catachan. The Devil's Claw, named after the great predator on Catachan, is the longest weapon, up to four feet long. It is closer to a sword than a knife and has achieved a measure of respect among the Orks, who call it 'Da Cutta'. The blade is hollow and half filled with mercury in order to improve swing strength and control, and the design of this weapon has been copied by Catachan regimental officers for use as a power weapon. They also make extensive use of traps, mines and other unpleasant surprises.

Catachan Jungle Fighters seem to draw historical precedent from the legendary Royal Gurkha Rifle Brigade of Nepal who fought in the service of the British Empire, down to their skill with their fabled khukuri knives and mastery of jungle warfare. They also bear similarities to the titular character of the Rambo movie series, complete with red headbands and a special character named Sly Marbo. They were the first Imperial Guard army to be converted from metal to multi-piece plastic models.

Notable regiments:


 * Catachan XXIV 'Waiting Death' - use of extensive traps, using 'baiter' squads to lure the enemy onto the traps. Once took out an entire Ork army by turning a canyon into a pit trap.
 * Catachan XVIII 'Swamprats' - attacked a Tyranid horde, masked themselves in Tyranid ichor and successfully wiped out the Tyranids. They then had to spend two years on a decontamination ship.
 * Catachan XVII 'Screaming Devils' - led by Captain Thorn, including famous sniper, Sniper Dell, who won the Silver Bullet seven years in a row.

Elysian Drop Troopers
The Elysian Drop Troopers are known for the rapid deployment capabilities using Airborne Troop Carriers called Valkyries, and either rappel down ropes or use grav-chutes at high altitudes. These troops have deep strike capability, and can use mortars, rocket launchers, and heavy bolters like any other Imperial Guard regiment. Unfortunately, they must sacrifice the heavy vehicle support that most other regiments field. They can utilize Sentinels and Cyclops demolitions vehicles modified to survive a combat drop, but that is usually the extent of their armoured capabilities. They also have access to specially modified Tarantula Sentry Turrets which have been fitted with grav chutes for rapid deployment. The Elysian Drop Troopers are known to have fought in the 3rd Armageddon War and the Taros Campaign.

These troops are based on multiple paratrooper inspirations, ranging from modern day parachute troops to futuristic drop troops such as the Hell Jumpers from the Halo 2 game or the Mobile Infantry from Starship Troopers.

Forge World has released a line of resin models for the Elysians for their new Taros Campaign, a conflict between the Imperium and the Tau. The Elysians were a major focus of the Imperial Armour III rules supplement published by Forge World (Games Workshop, 2005).

Notable Regiments:


 * 23rd Elysian Regiment - The 3200 men strong regiment was totally destroyed during a three day battle behind enemy lines during the latter stages of the Taros Campaign.

Jantine Patricians
Considered the most elite of the Imperial Guard's infantry regiments, the Patricians hail from Jant Normanidus. The Patricians had an infamous feud with Gaunt's Ghosts because the father of the commander of the Patricians, Aldo Dericus, was killed by Gaunt as revenge for Gaunt's own father (Dericus and his Patricians left Gaunt's father's unit to die in the face of an Ork invasion on the planet of Kentaur). Dericus was killed in dishonour so his son was stripped of all his inheritance and honour. Forced to give up even his family name, Colonel Draker Flense (Dericus's first son) swore revenge on Gaunt and attempted to take it on Menzoid Epsilon, a moon of Menzoid Sigma. Falsely declaring Gaunt's Ghosts to be corrupt, he led his Patricians straight at the rear of Gaunt's men who were fighting inside the caves of Menzoid Epsilson. They broke Gaunt's rear defensive line with heavy losses  and were in position to completely isolate and destroy the Ghosts until the Vitrian Dragoons, whose commander was a personal friend of Gaunt, attacked the Patricians. Focusing on a single weak point of their line, the Dragoons tore through the Patricians but Flense and his security detail managed to escape into the caves where they met Gaunt. Not realizing Flense was Dericus's son, Gaunt pleaded with him to stop and fight the true enemy. Flense ignored Gaunt's attempts to make peace and attacked him. Gaunt and Flense fought furiously but in the end Flense went down with most of his Patricians.

After the massive losses on Menzoid Epsilon, the Jantine Patricians were withdrawn from the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, which they had been very active in, and given garrison duties on Jant Normanidus for six years to rebuild, though special units were used as bodyguards for Lords-Militant and Lords-General. The Patricians returned to duty in the Sabbat Worlds under the direct command of Lord High Militant General Hechtor Dravere to ensure that no more human blood would be shed in the name of Jantine honour.

The Jantine Patricians sport purple uniforms with many decorative gold markers to denote rank. The Patricians are seemingly inspired by the Praetorian Guard of Ancient Rome because they share many distinctions with the Guard such as their elite status, bodyguard duties, and ferocious fighting abilities.

Jopall Indentured Squadrons
Children born on the planet of Jopall incur a massive debt for their own care to the government, that they cannot even begin to pay until their adolescence. One of the most popular ways of paying off that debt is by enlistment into the Indentured Squadrons. The Jopall are unique in that they encourage individuality and ingenuity, which is rewarded with a small financial recompense, which of course helps in paying off their debts.

The Indentured squadrons fight defensively, conserving resources until the last minute. Even so, the underhanded tactics they employ can end up being rather expensive in the end. Squads may take it upon themselves to sabotage enemy units and supplies, and Jopall snipers will strike at targets of opportunity at any given moment. In one infamous incident during the 3rd War for Armageddon, a group of Jopall officers posed as traitors and delivered three Basilisk artillery pieces and a great deal of shells to an Ork Big Mek who had already captured several Imperial troop transports. As the proud Mek was parading the weapons to his Warlord, the Officers detonated explosives hidden on the guns, with just enough force to cook off the artillery shells, which wiped out a sixth of the Orks' artillery. The officers were stripped of their rank for the voluntary destruction of the three Basilisks, but they were very popular among the rest of the company.

Krourk Ogryn Auxilia
On the high-gravity planet of Krourk, the human settlers there have devolved in the massive, savage, and rather stupid abhuman sub-breed known as Ogryns. Rather than expect any form of tithe from their population, the Imperium mostly leaves them alone, coming occasionally to capture a few of the warring tribes to fight for them on other worlds. Few officers will even bother teaching them how to use a ripper gun. Krourk Ogryn are typically simply deployed close to the enemy and allowed to do what they do best. The only problem with such a strategy is having to round them up afterwards. The rare cases in which an entire Auxilia (Thousands of angry Ogryns usually armed with nothing more than very large clubs, axes, and/or polearms) are unleashed against an enemy are a terrifying sight.

Death Korps of Krieg
The Planet Krieg was once the site of a rebellion against the Imperium. In retaliation, the people of Krieg subjected their world to 500 years of atomic cleansing to root out the rebellious factions.

The Death Korps are fearless warriors, never flinching even in the face of sudden death, which they see as atonement for the rebellion. They see their deaths fighting in war as penance for the heresy of their ancestors. They are a dedicated trench and siege warfare force and perform best in wars of attrition.

Appearance-wise, the Death Korps are similar to the Steel Legion, but wear greatcoats instead of trench coats, much darker colours, use lasrifles and their masks usually have a skull motif. Of all the regiments of the Guard, they are the most gloomy and dark, both in appearance and in spirit. They bear a strong resemblance to the German army in World War I, in tactics (trench warfare) and appearance, also it should be noted that the regiment uses German words such as Panzer frequently. Krieg translated is German for War.

Mordian Iron Guard
The Mordian day is the same length as their year, and as such half of the planet is bathed in perpetual darkness and the other half burnt to a cinder by the glaring sun. This makes it quite a miserable place. The planet's lack of rotation prevents any strong winds and as such the atmosphere is thick and dark. The millions of inhabitants live in vast hive cities where all resources are controlled and distributed by the state. There is much discontent amongst the people, and the Mordian Iron Guard spend much of their time keeping the populace under control.

In a massive Chaos conspiracy, a group of Chaos cultists met under the busy streets of the Mordian capital called Vanandra City. There they cast a spell, taking the blood of many, most likely innocent, Mordians. The spell brought ships full of Chaos Space Marines and summoned Daemons to Mordia, which rampaged across the planet, eventually forcing the Iron Guard back to the capital. Here the Guard put up one last defence, gradually falling back and back until they had to take shelter in the capital building. They had used dangerous tactics that most armies would have refused to use, mainly because their men would not stand their ground. The Iron Guard, living up their name, stood against all manner of daemons, in what was considered a hopeless position. In orbit above Mordia, the planet's psykers had at last succeeded in breaking the Chaos spell, and gradually the Daemons faded from the planet. This disappearance scared the remnants of the Chaos attackers and the Iron Guard took the opportunity to rout the enemy and dispel them from the planet. Through their discipline the Iron Guard had held back the forces of Chaos long enough for Imperial psykers to break the spell, and ensure that Mordia would remain in the hands of the Imperium.

Due to the condition of their planet, the troops raised here tend to be a dour, no-nonsense lot. Mordians believe in perfect precision and constant drill to overcome their foes, and they will rarely be seen routed, instead making a controlled, fighting retreat to a better and more defensible position.

Mordians normally wear bright dress uniforms, even into combat, to present a look of amateurism, perhaps to catch their enemies off guard. They bear a slight resemblance to the Prussian army under Bismarck, or U.S. Marines in full parade uniform. Many other Guard regiments refer to Mordian Guardsmen as 'Toy Soldiers' in reference to their garb.

Phantine Air Corps
An unusual style of regiment that is almost unique within the Imperial Guard, the Phantine Air Corps form Wings, from which specific 'Flights' are formed. Because Phantine itself is mostly covered in corrosive smog and the only habitable areas on the planet are on mountain tops, the only viable military force on Phantine is an Air Force. They are believed to be the only Imperial Guard regiment allowed to possess fightercraft, as both atmosphere- and star-fightercraft are normally limited to the Imperial Navy.

Featured in the spin-off book Double Eagle (Abnett, 2005), the Phantine first appeared within the Gaunt's Ghosts novel Guns of Tanith (Abnett, 2002). It is very likely the Battle of Britain inspired the Phantine Air Corps.

Notable Flights:


 * XXI Wing Halo Flight - Fought for the liberation of their home-world before going on to fight in other theatres such as Enothis. Halo Flight flew Marauder bombers. Halo Flight was virtually wiped out during the Battle of Enothis, with the surviving members integrating into the Phantine XX.


 * XX Wing Umbra Flight - Led by Bree Jagdea (Milan Blansher commanded the Phantine XX during Jagdea's absence), Umbra Flight also fought for Phantine and Enothis, flying both Lightnings and Thunderbolts. The Phantine XX included many famous pilots among their ranks: Vander Marquall; who shot down the infamous Chaos fighter pilot Khrel Kas Obarkon, and Larice Asche; who became the first female to serve with the elite 101st Apostles.

Praetorian XXIV
The Praetorians resemble colonial-era British soldiers (as in the film Zulu), complete with brightly-coloured dress uniforms and pith helmets; as a further homage to that film, the Praetorians are usually depicted as fighting in desperate last stands against overwhelming numbers of Orks.

Originally Mordians with different sculpted heads, Games Workshop were quick to make a range of them, seeing them as an interesting deviation from the usually dark Warhammer 40,000. Like many older models, they have been removed from production, but are widely available online, and through the manufacturer's own archive service.

Savlar Chem Dogs
The Chem Dogs are typical of many Penal Legions in the Imperial Guard. Recruits are drawn from the prisons on the planet Savlar by the promise to allow them to keep anything they take from the battlefield, as well as the chance to get away from Savlar's highly toxic environment. They were created to fight in the Third War for Armageddon and excel in fighting in Hive Cities and close quarters. They get their courage mainly from the use of nitro-chem inhalers, and are just as likely to steal from among themselves and from other regiments as they are from the enemy.

Tallarn Desert Raiders
Tallarn was once a verdant Paradise world, until it was attacked and Virus bombed during the Horus Heresy by the Iron Warriors. Every living thing on the surface of the planet, even bacteria, was killed off, with only those who managed to seek shelter in special bio-isolation enviro-shelters deep underground surviving. Shortly thereafter, the planet became the site of the largest tank battle in the Horus Heresy, with millions of war machines fighting over the planet's surface. The survivors learned to adapt to their world as it eventually became a desert planet. For what reason the Iron Warriors fought for the planet so hard is unknown, but it may have been to do with the Chaos gate buried deep in the planet, or perhaps it was just a demonstration of the randomness of Chaos.

The planet was now devoid of all plant and animal life and most of the water had evaporated into the atmosphere. A thousand years later, a mysterious gate was discovered, triggering a series of sudden attacks by the enigmatic Eldar, who tried to prevent the gate from being opened. They were unsuccessful, and a tide of Daemons streamed forth from the gate. The Tallarns and the Eldar were quickly forced to work together in order to halt the tide and seal the gate once more. Gradually the combined forces pushed back the Chaos horde, the Tallarn people knowing the desert, leading the Eldar to strike at the most vulnerable Chaos points. Eventually they forced the Chaos forces back into the gate and managed to shut it down. The Eldar left machinery to keep the gate shut, and the Tallarn covered it with plasteel and turned their back on it. The gate is not closed for good, but will remain sleeping until it is called again.

The Tallarn Desert Raiders are exceptional at guerrilla style warfare, having adapted to the harsh conditions of their home planet. They are also known for their weaponry accuracy, as well as having highly capable Sentinel and Tank squads.

Tallarn Desert Raiders have a slightly Arab-like appearance, but influences have also been taken from other sources, such as the African campaigns of WW2. Metal Tallarn miniatures are no longer sold as of 2006. Forge World has released a line of resin models for the Tallarns, including heavy weapon squads, snipers and rough riders mounted on mukaali.

Tanith First-and-Only (Gaunt's Ghosts)
The world of Tanith came under attack by Chaos forces while it was mustering soldiers for the Sabbat Crusade. Of the three regiments originally slated for the Crusade, less than four thousand men escaped the planet; the combined officer corps of the three regiments dying on planet. Ibram Gaunt, the assigned commander of the three Tanith regiments, reorganised the survivors into a single regiment, the Tanith First (Tanith First-and-Only is considered to be their full title). More colloquially, they are called Gaunt's Ghosts, a name devised by Chief Sniper "Mad" Hlaine Larkin, prior to their first combat engagement.

The Tanith are unparalleled scouts, marksmen, masters of stealth tactics, and excellent light infantry, and are said to possess an unerring sense of direction, traits necessary for survival on a planet where the forests actually move to conceal the path taken.

Since the beginning of the series the Ghosts have been reinforced with recruitment on Verghast and have amalgamated with the 81st Belladon Recon to create the "Eighty-first First" during the time Colonel-Commissar Gaunt spent on the Chaos held world of Gereon.

The Tanith First-and-Only are the primary focus of the Gaunt’s Ghosts series of novels, written by Dan Abnett. Rules for the use of the Tanith as an army were published in White Dwarf, and a limited number of metal miniatures were produced (a box set of six special characters, and four ‘standard’ Tanith). With the release of most recent Codex: Imperial Guard (Chambers, Haines and Hoare, 2003), these rules have been superseded by a specific series of ‘Doctrines’ special rules used to recreate the Tanith. Of the miniatures, only Colonel-Commissar Gaunt is still on shelves, as he is now an individual special character.

The 13th Penal Legion (Colonel Schaeffer's Last Chancers)
The Last Chancers are an elite force of criminals, rebels and misfits who are rescued from the firing squad and given a final chance to win the Emperor's forgiveness by engaging in suicidal missions. They draw heavy inspiration from the classic film The Dirty Dozen, which in turn drew upon the Penal military units of the Second World War. On the battlefield, Last Chancers are fielded in contingents of 5 to 20 men, with the possibility of arming and equipping every trooper individually, which opens excellent modelling and conversion options.

In Third Edition, there was a set force of twelve Last Chancers, including Schaeffer. These twelve conformed to common criminal stereotypes, and models were released for each individual in a 'Last Chancers' box set. Rules were published in Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Imperial Guard (Priestley, 1995), and elaborated on in White Dwarf. All the models, excluding Colonel Schaeffer, are no longer sold in stores, and must be mail-ordered.

The rules for the eleven 'set' Last Chancers have been replaced by more general rules in the most recent Codex: Imperial Guard (Chambers, Haines and Hoare, 2003). The redesign was to make the unit conform to Gav Thorpe’s depiction of the Last Chancers in his three novels.

Ice Warriors of Valhalla
Valhalla was originally a verdant paradise world. No records survive of its colonisation, but legends recall a world ripe for conquest. Unfortunately, Valhalla was destined for something else. It was hit by a gigantic comet. The defence lasers surrounding the planet blasted the comet, but only succeeded in breaking it up. Later, it was found that the comet was made of almost pure iron, explaining why the lasers were so ineffective. The comet impacted in the vast ocean but a mile-wide fragment impacted the northern continent, creating vast plumes of dust which proceeded to cover the planet in a blanket of dirt. Also, the planet's orbit was changed, moving it a long way from its sun. This change in the amount of warmth and light altered the planets ecosystem, changing the planet to an icy wasteland.

The people struggled to make a living, fearing famine due to a lack of viable farmland. The comet was bad, but not to be the end of their suffering. A damaged Ork warfleet descended on the planet and proceeded to fight the Valhallans for the food they had stored. They held out bravely for a long time in their vast hive cities beneath the ice but were pushed right back to the food vats. Eventually they destroyed the Orks by using ice boring machines to strategically strike at the heart of the mob, burning and melting most of the Orks and scattering the rest.

Regiments of Valhallans have been assigned to planets infested with Orks due to their intimate knowledge of Ork tactics and their dogged determination in the face of defeat, where other armies might run.

Valhalla is an extremely cold, ice covered planet, similar to Hoth from the Star Wars universe. Valhallan Ice Warriors resemble the Red Army of the former Soviet Union during World War II. {ref|valhallan1}}

Notable regiments:


 * Valhallan 597th - Led by the supposedly heroic Commissar Ciaphas Cain, the 597th is an amalgamated regiment from remnants of the 301st and the 296th, one a regiment of men, the other women. The only Lady General (as opposed to a Lord General) ever to exist within the Imperium, Jenit Sulla, started as a Lieutenant within the 296th.

Vostroyan Firstborn
The world of Vostroya was originally a mere forge world on the outskirts of the Imperium. It is ruled by a committee called the Techtriarchs, a blend of Adeptus Mechanicus administrators and traditional Imperial government. The people of Vostroya pledged their loyalty to the Adeptus Mechanicus and strived to meet its production quotas.

This devotion to their factory production, however, would be their downfall. During the Horus Heresy the Imperium requested that Vostroya shift its efforts from production to putting its full military weight into the path of Horus's forces. The Techtriarchs, believing that such an action would harm their production of materials for the war effort, refused the request. After the Heresy, the Imperium dispatched Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines, to bring the Vostroyans to bear for their refusal to follow Imperial orders.

The Techtriarchs, empowered by the people of Vostroya to negotiate penance for their disloyalty, agreed to the atonement set down by Guilliman. They were to enter the first born of every Vostroyan family into Vostroya's regiment of Imperial Guard.

While Imperial Guard regiments are usually raised en masse, the Vostroyan Firstborn regiments are steadily reinforced by new recruits, ensuring a high concentration of veteran soldiers who assist in the recruits' training. The Vostroyans pride themselves on the fact that the Firstborn regiments have existed unbroken since their first creation 10,000 years prior.

Each Vostroyan worker is required to set aside one hour for every ten working hours to the creation of weaponry for their kin's military efforts. As the Vostroyans see their soldiers as their salvation in the eyes of the Emperor, each weapon is hand-crafted to the highest standard of quality. The resulting weapons, with hand-crafted wooden stocks and inlaid detail, are distinct from the bulk-manufactured weapons of other Imperial regiments.

The Vostroyan miniature range was released in May and June of 2006, as the Vostroyans are to play a prominent role in the 2006 Games Workshop Worldwide Campaign, "The Fall of Medusa V". The design of the army is heavily influenced by 18th century soldiers, in particular the Cossacks of Russia.