Heavy Weapons Squad

A Heavy Weapons Squad is a small unit of the Astra Militarum that is outfitted with heavy weapons intended to provide close or heavy fire support to standard Imperial Guard infantry. Though much of an infantry regiment is made up of rank-and-file Guardsmen, those soldiers with an affinity for bulky and more complicated weaponry are often gathered together within a dedicated Heavy Weapons Company. This allows an Astra Militarum infantry regiment to bring devastating weaponry to bear without relying on the armoured fighting vehicles from other divisions of their Militarum Regimentum. Those who serve in a Heavy Weapons Company have but one, straightforward role -- to obliterate any enemies who cannot be overwhelmed by massed las-fire.

Role
It is rare that the entirety of a Heavy Weapons Company will be fielded together. Instead, individual Heavy Weapons Squads are assigned to other companies as platoon-support units, where they bolster the battle line and provide close fire support. Placed under the command of an officer, a Heavy Weapons Squad boosts the firepower of the Infantry Platoon to which it is attached, allowing the gunners to engage enemy armoured units or hold off alien hordes that outnumber them many times over. Typically comprising three Heavy Weapons Teams, these squads use concentrated fire to create deadly kill-zones. Entire columns of enemy battle tanks can be targeted and exterminated in short order, as can massed waves of oncoming infantry.

Though Heavy Weapons Teams are usually formed up into dedicated squads, they can also be individually attached to Infantry Squads. Due to their size and bulk, each heavy weapon is crewed by a team of two troopers. Generally speaking, one crewman carries and fires the weapon whilst the other hauls and loads the ammunition. Even a single Heavy Weapons Team can unleash a torrent of devastating heavy firepower, reducing the packed ranks of the enemy to nothing but a pile of bleeding corpses in the time it takes to pull a trigger.

Some squads use Mortars to rain high-explosive shells upon enemy positions that would otherwise be out of reach, pinning down the enemy whilst fast-moving units move in for the kill. Other Heavy Weapons Squads act as fire support teams -- armed with Heavy Bolters or Autocannons, they lay down a curtain of fire that can mow down packed ranks of infantry in a welter of gore whilst tearing apart light vehicles. When equipped with the largest man-portable weapons in the regiment, Heavy Weapons Squads are excellent anti-tank units. Such teams use Lascannons and Missile Launchers to pick out heavy vehicles, large alien creatures and other armoured targets.

Special Weapons Squad
Most Imperial Guard regiments maintain a separate support company dedicated to providing infantry platoons with troops armed and trained to fulfil a number of specialist roles. These six-man squads may be equipped with Sniper Rifles, Flamers, Grenade Launchers, Meltaguns, or a combination of such weapons, each suited to a different style of warfare. Regardless of their configuration, each Special Weapons Squad is deadly on the battlefield. Typically, three Lasgun-armed Guardsmen will provide covering fire, allowing three armed with special weapons to unload upon the enemy.

Heavy Weapons Squad

 * 3 Heavy Weapons Teams comprised of 2 Guardsmen each

Special Weapons Squad

 * 6 Guardsmen

Heavy Weapons Squad

 * Flak Armour
 * Lasgun
 * Frag Grenades
 * Mortar, Autocannon, Heavy Bolter, Missile Launcher, Lascannon (Every 2 Guardsman share one of these heavy weapons)

Special Weapons Squad

 * Flak Armour
 * Lasgun
 * Frag Grenades
 * Sniper Rifle, Flamer, Grenade Launcher, Meltagun, or Plasma Gun (3 Guardsmen of the squad replace their Lasgun with one of these special weapons)