Catachan Jungle Fighters

The Catachan Jungle Fighters are Imperial Guard regiments who have been recruited from the Death World of Catachan. They have the well-deserved reputation of being the deadliest practicioners of jungle warfare in the galaxy. Their homeworld of Catachan is a jungle Death World, where natural selection ensures only the most deadly flora and fauna survive. Extremely resourceful and uncompromising warriors, the natives of Catachan recruited into the Imperial Guard are deadly up close with their specialised close combat blades or from ambush with their Lasguns. In jungle terrain they are unsurpassed, with each Catachan Fighter being worth ten of any other regiment.

History
Catachan was colonised by humans millennia ago during the Dark Age of Technology, long before the Imperium of Man was established. When the first exploratory probes arrived in its star system, the planet was a deceptive, calm green orb when scutinized from orbit, but when the first colony ships crash-landed on the jungle planet and the colonists had no way to escape, they discovered themselves to have arrived on one of the harshest and most dangerous planetary ecosystems in the galaxy. The colonists only barely survived, holed up in their spacecraft against a living, besieging jungle, a battle for survival in which undoubtedly many of them died before they finally managed to learn enough about their new homeworld to survive, if not thrive, beneath its jungle canopies. In time, their skill at surviving on Catachan came to the notice of the Departmento Munitorum, which realised that the Catachans would make exceelent Imperial Guard troops dedicated to service in some of the galaxy's most hostile planetary environments, and the first regiments of the Catachan Jungle Fighters were raised.

Notable Campaigns

 * Assault on Epsion Octarus (Date Unknown.M41) - The Catachan Jungle Fighters are known to have fought on Epsion Octarus against the Orks of Warlord Grubnak at his Gargant construction site. The Catachans spent 40 days during this camapign amongst the Crotalid-infested swamps making their way towards Grubnak's construction facility. When combat ensued, the Catachans were so ferocious that Grubnuk ordered his Gargants to be painted in the colours of the Catachans, green stripes with red bandanas.
 * Macharian Crusade (392-399.M41) - Large numbers of Catachan Jungle Fighter regiments participated in Lord Solar Macharius' Crusade to expand Imperial rule into vast new territories on the fringe of the galaxy.
 * First Tyrannic War (745.M41) - Catachan Jungle Fighter regiments were deployed across the galaxy during the First Tyrannic War to stop the advance of Hive Fleet Behemoth.
 * Dulma'lin Cleansing (926.M41) - The II Cadian Regiment, under the command of the bombastic Colonel Straken, was the only regiment of the Imperial Guard to survive planetfall on the world of Dulma'lin. Under Straken's orders, the II Catachan fought a year-long guerilla war in the subterranean depths of the planet's caverns, earning a fearsome reputation amongst the Ork tribes. The decisive moment in the campaign came after the Catachan scouts located the centre of the Ork city in a massive underground cavern known as the Mommothian Vault. Straken personally led a hand-picked team of demolitions experts and infiltrated the Greenskin settlement. The humans' presence was detected on the third day of the infiltration by a roving pack of Squig-hounds and in the ensuring firefight Straken accounted for the deaths of at least 30 Orks and a mob of Killa Kans. The colonel was seriously wounded when he dragged the Ork Warlord Killzkar into the path of a stampeding Squiggoth that trampled them both into the cavern's floor. Straken's troops succeeded in destroying the Vault's prim ary support stacks and carried their colonel's injured body to safety before the entire cavern collapsed and destroyed the Ork city. Imperial reinforcements arrived two days later, led by an arrogant Purbech officer, the High Praetor Osh'preen. The remaining Orks, scattered and now leaderless, were exterminated within a week. Osh'preen's report to the Segmentum Command failed to mention the II Catachan's true involvement in the Cleansing of Dulma'lin, and simply cited Straken's regiment as "uncouth soldiers, little more civilised than the Orks themselves." Osh'preen took full credit for the success of the campaign on the world and was rewarded by being made the new Planetary Governor of Dulma'lin. The men of the II Catachan were immediately redeployed to the Ulant System. Colonel "Iron Hand" Straken was tended to by a team of medicae personnel, and barely clung to life during the journey. He awoke after receiving extensive bionic augmentations to find himself surrounded by the enemy and the II Catachan ready to follow him to yet another victory.
 * Second Tyrannic War (990-993.M41) - Catachan Jungle Fighter regiments were deployed across the galaxy during the Second Tyrannic War to stop the advance of Hive Fleet Kraken.
 * Third Tyrannic War (997.M41-Present) - Catachan Jungle Fighter regiments were deployed across the galaxy during the Second Tyrannic War to stop the advance of Hive Fleet Leviathan.
 * Third War for Armageddon (998.M41) - A large number of Catachan Jungle Fighter regiments were deployed by the Segmentum Solar Command to aid the Imperial defenders in throwing back the second planetary assault by the Orks of WAAAGH! Ghazghkull against the strategic Hive World of Armageddon.
 * Cleansing of Kralkal VIII (Date Unknown.M41) - The XVIII Catachan "Swamp Rats" under the command of Colonel Gator fought for seven standard years against a Tyranid infestation on the world of Koralkal VIII. During this campaign, the Swamp Rats were forced to develop a number of unorthodox tactics to combat the Tyranid threat. Teams of highly experienced Tyranid hunters covered their bodies in ichor taken from the xenos they had slain to build up an immunity to the aliens' toxins and also to mask their own secent from the Tyanid bioforms that were hunting them in turn. The Catachans were thus able to lie in ambush, using the pheromone glands cut from the bodies of slain Lictors to lure the bulk of the Tyranid swarms into canrefully constructed and heavily trapped fire-zones. After successfully eliminating the Tyranids, the surviving Swamp Rats were required to spend two standard years aboard a decontamination ship to esnure that any infections or toxins they had picked up from contact with the aliens was not spread to a wider Imperial population.
 * Cytherian Annexation (Date Unknown.M41) - During the Third Sphere Expansion campaign of the Tau Empire, a Tau expeditionary force was assembled and dispatched from the Bork'an Sept and tasked with the annexation and colonisation of the Imperial world of Cytheria. As the Tau expected stiff resistance from the human defenders, the expeditionary forces was well-supplied for what would be a long and difficult campaign. An outlying Imperial world in the Eastern Fringe, Cytheria was a world defined by its dry, rugged plains and dense alien jungle. Although only sparesely populated, the world was home to a valuable research facility of the Adeptus Mechanicus. As such, Cytheria's defences were reinforced by 7 regiments of the Catachan Jungle Fighters, including 3 standard infantry regments, 2 veteran light infantry regiments and 2 armoured regiments. The Tau force's landing sites were cleared by Stealth Teams and sprearheaded by Tau Battlesuits. Despite this initial success, the Tau soon took heavy casualties. Phase two included the eradication of the Imperial armour, which was highlighted by the destuction of the entire XCVII Catachan Armoured Regiment by Tau Hammerhead "Elimination Groups" on the third day of the invasion. As the Tau gained the upper hand, the remaining Catachan units withdrew into the jungles to carry on a protracted guerilla war against the xenos invaders. During this third phase of the campaign, the Tau Fire Warriors found themselves outclassed in such dense terrain. Sensing a loss of monetum in the campaign, the Tau Ethereals redirected the attact on the Herzen Ridge research and communications zone, which ultimately forced the Catachans to enter open battle. The combat on Herzen Ridge broke the last organised Imperial resistance and Cytheria was largely pacified by the Tau. The transport of the needed materials and personnel for Tau colonisation of the world was soon underway and represented another success in the Third Sphere Expansion. Scattered remnants of the Catachan forces still mount sporadic guerilla attacks on vulnerable Tau taregts, in the hope of eventual receiving Imperial reinforcements. However, regular Tau hunter patrols scour the jungles to elimnate these foolish humans who stubbornly refuse to accept the Greater Good.

Regimental Organization
Catachan regiments generally lack Imperial Commissars. Even these tough and uncompromising officers are unable to assert their authority over the Catachan soldiers; in fact, they are resented by these troops, and it is not uncommon for Commissars assigned to Catachan regiments to be "fragged" by their own troops. Ogryns however - who may well have evolved on Catachan themselves - commonly fight in Catachan regiments. Due to their heavily developed physiques, normal human Catachans are sometimes referred to as "baby Ogryns" by other Imperial Guardsmen. They make extensive use of traps, mines and other unpleasant surprises. They use standard jury-rigged traps, Spring Mines, Shredder Mines and Plasma Charges, each of which is intended to kill certain types of troops.

Wargear
The standard weapon employed by Catachan troops is the Mark IV Lascarbine. Catachans make use of many close combat weapons including the "Catachan Fang," a combat knife measuring up to 20 inches of gleaming steel, which is the most common weapon among these regiments. It is also used for settling disputes between Catachans. Another knife is called the "Night Reaper," which is smaller and blackened, effective for night infiltrations and assassinations. Night Reapers are sometimes poisoned to improve their kill strength, the poisons coming directly from the highly toxic native flora of Catachan. The Devil's Claw, named after the great Catachan Devil predator on Catachan, is the longest such weapon, up to four feet long. It is closer to in size to a sword than a knife and has achieved status 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. As specialists in ambush tactics, the Jungle Fighters also make notable use of demolition charges and improvised explosives, as well as possessing their own sniper cadre. Their preferred heavy and special weapons are the Flamer and Heavy Bolter, while they will make use of traps, Spring Mines, Shredder Mines and Plasma Charges to kill different types of troops in carefully prepared ambushes.

Notable Catachan Jungle Fighter Regiments

 * II Catachan Regiment - The II Catachan are made up of many Catachan Devil Squads. They fought valiantly during the Dulma'lin Cleansing, where Colonel "Iron Hands" Straken was seriously injured, and were subsequently redeployed to assist the Ulani defence battalion. They presumably took part in the Battle of Moden's Ridge, during the Yaquit 27 Campaign, fighting the xenos called the L'Huraxi. The Ogryn Nork Deddog is also known to have served under Colonel Greiss within the II Regiment.
 * III Catachan Regiment, "the Green Devils" - The III Catachan was the home regiment of Captain Rock, who commented on the similarities between Varestus Prime and Catachan.
 * IV Catachan Regiment - The Catachan IV took part in the Macharian Crusade with varying success. The IV Catachan was wiped out during the invasion of Jucha.
 * V Catachan Regiment - The Catachan V took part in the Macharian Crusade with varying success. The 5th met fierce resistance during the Invasion of Jucha.
 * VI Catachan Regiment, "the Cobras" - The Catachan VI took part in the Macharian Crusade with varying success. The VI Catachan were notably deployed from the Battlecruiser Opus Dei.
 * IX Catachan Regiment - The IX Catachan's exploits are not recorded in current Imperial records.
 * XII Catahcan Regiment - The Catachan XII took part in the Macharian Crusade and deployed from the Battlecruiser Defiance during the invasion of Jucha. They also fought during the recent 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41.
 * XIV Catachan Regiment - The Catachan XIV participated in the Macharian Crusade and were victorious in their missions.
 * XVII Catachan Regiment, "the Screaming Devils" - The Catachan XVII is led by Captain Thorn and includes the famous sniper Dell, who won the Silver Bullet seven years in a row.
 * XVIII Catachan Regiment, "the Swamp Rats" - The Catachan XVIII fought the Tyranids in a seven-year-long campaign on the world of Koralkal VIII under the command of Colonel Gator, during which they covered themselves with the ichor of Lictors to mask their scent. They subsequently spent two years in decontamination before they were allowed to return to active duty. They also have a rare Thunderer siege tank as part of their forces.
 * XIX Catachan Regiment, "the Scorpion Fangs" - The XIX Catachan is known to include a Mars Pattern Leman Russ Exterminator, the third tank of the third squadron of the only company supporting the rest of the regiment. It was equipped with a bulldozer blade to aid it in the fighting on Armageddon Secundus during the Third War for Armageddon.
 * XXIII Catachan Regiment - The Catachan 23rd were crucial during the conquest of Atria IV, as their elite sapper units were able to breach the Palace of Hate within a week. The Catachan XXIII also fought on an unknown jungle world against the Eldar of an unknown Craftworld.
 * XXIV Catachan Regimwnt, "the Waiting Death" - The "Waiting Death" are known for their extensive use of traps. They destroyed the Warlord Krakskull's entire Ork horde with a single massive pit trap.
 * XXVII Catachan Regiment, "the Flaming Devils" - The XXVII Catachan were stationed on the world of Gerran Prime to fight against the Necrons in 962.M41. The campaign went very badly for them and within a year they were almost wiped out. They fought a desperate last stand in a jungle ruin, led by Commissar Von Blacke, though their commander cowardly fled the battle in the first Valkyrie that arrived, and called off any more Valkyries from entering the drop zone, leaving his men to die. However, a maverick Imperial Navy Valkyrie pilot risked his own life to fly into the ruins and rescue any survivors. Although his Valkyrie was badly damaged (almost destroyed, in fact), he managed to rescue Von Blacke and the remaining handful of Flaming Devils survivors. Von Blacke promptly executed the regiment's commander for cowardice. The remaining Flaming Devils were merged with the understrength Katon Dragoons Regiment and Von Blacke was re-assigned.
 * LI Catachan Regiment, "the Black Vipers" - The Catachan "Black Vipers" fought on the world of Cytheria after it's governor defected to the Tau empire. Snipers from the regiment eliminated a prominent Tau leader, striking a critical blow to the alien's morale.
 * CXLVI Catachan Regiment, "the Red Cobras" - The CXLVI Catachan's exploits are not recorded in current Imperial records.
 * CCCXCI Catachan Regiment, "the Coiling Cobras" - The CCCXCI Catachan's exploits are not recorded in current Imperial records.
 * MXIV Catachan Regiment, "the Unseen Lurkers" - The MXIV Unseen Lurkers, led by Colonel "Steel Eye" Black, battled Orks from the Death Skulls Clan on the Shadow World of Kato. Sentinel teams from the regiment destroyed the Ork's hidden Stompa factory.

Notable Catachan Jungle Fighters

 * Sly Marbo - Sly Marbo is a member of the 14th Catachan Regiment and is considered the best camouflage expert and sniper in the entire regiment. He has also been referred to as the "one man army" by his commanding officers and fellow Catachans. He often works completely alone in the field, shadowing his regiment's squads as they travel through dense jungles, acting as their sniper support. His character is heavily inspired by the famous character of John Rambo as portrayed by Sylvester Stallone in the 1980's films (Marbo is an anagram of Rambo, while "Sly" is a nickname for Sylvester, after Sylvester Stallone, the actor who portrayed John Rambo). Little is known of Marbo's past, but it is hinted that he and his nine brothers joined a Catachan regiment that was wiped out -- only Marbo survived, returning to his post with a severed enemy commander's head with a bullet hole between the eyes. Marbo apparently stares vacantly into space in the time between assignments, and few have heard him speak; both attributes unsettle commanders who encounter him, but none can argue with the results of his solo missions or his combat effectiveness.
 * Colonel 'Iron Hand' Straken - Regimental leader, possesses chest and arm bionics
 * Colonel Greiss
 * Gunnery Sergeant Harker
 * Nork Deddog - Ogryn bodyguard

Trivia
The Catachan Jungle Fighters are based on the real-world United States Marines during the Vietnam War in the 1960's and 1970's.