Cadian Shock Troops

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Cadian Shock Troops are the highly discipline Imperial Guard regimental troops of the Civilised World of Cadia, which stands sentinel as the preeminent Fortress World of the Imperium of Man. Due to their close proximity to the dangerous Warp rift known as the Eye of Terror has made it necessary for the people of Cadia to heavily fortify their world against the constant threat presented by the Forces of Chaos which periodically assail the Imperial world through the best known stable passage through the Immaterium, known as the Cadian Gate.

Humanity's Sentinel
"Any Cadian who can't field-strip his own lasgun by age ten was born on the wrong planet."

- Anon

The entire population of Cadia is destined for military life, the birth rate and recruitment rate being synonymous. Possessing a well-deserved reputation for being excellent shots, Cadian Shock Troop regiments are known for being highly disciplined and well-organised Imperial Guard troops. Cadian children are taught from a very young age how to field-strip, reassemble and shoot a Lasgun before they can even read or write. Cadians are also known for the manufacture of excellent military equipment for their regiments which are equipped with only the finest weapons. Cadian regiments march to war in uniforms with camouflage patterns in a manner most suited to the mixed terrain of the Cadian wilderness. The Cadian Shock Troop Regiments have a special and honoured place in the history of Mankind, standing upon the edge of the Eye of Terror, standing sentinel against the encroachment of the forces of the Ruinous Powers.

Recruitment & Training
Upon numerous occasions the Forces of Chaos have moved against Cadia, for no battlefleet of any size can rely upon other stable passages through the Cadian System, but must pass through the Cadian Gate. Therefore, Cadia is considered one of the most strategically important planets in the galaxy. Within the depths of space, raging battles have been fought. But the merciless forces of Chaos do not limit their intrusions to space lanes. Often, raids and landing upon populated worlds within the Cadian System are commonplace. Therefore, all Cadians are expected to train in the defence forces, and many are drafted into the Imperial Guard. Even before their induction, all Cadians must have first served in the Youth Army, joining one of the Conscript Platoons, better known as the "Whiteshields," who show no regimental, company or platoon markings until they have earned the right to do so after facing their first combat test on the battlefield. These Conscript Platoons are distinguished by a white stripe running from the front to back on their helmets. Serving in one of the Whiteshield platoons is considered a rite of passage on Cadia and the troopers are eager to show their worth and prove themselves in the crucible of war.

Cadian officers are well versed in the doctrines of the Tactica Imperium and are highly lauded for their implementation of both strategy and tactics. These officers exemplify the Cadian code of discipline and self-sacrifice that all Cadians aspire to. Cadian Shock Troop regiments have a higher proportion of Veteran Squads. Formed from the survivors of the harshest warzones, these proven warriors may receive additional training and special armaments. Only the toughest survive the punishing training regimes, but to serve in the Cadian elite is considered a great honour. Each Cadian Shock Trooper is expected to act above and beyond the call of duty, representing the some of the finest troops in the Imperial Guard.

Regimental Organisation
Operational command of a Cadian Shock Troops Regiment is held by a senior ranking officer, usually a Colonel, most often a noble-born son of Cadia whose family has held command in the regiments of the Imperial Guard for many generations. In most war zones, there is no need to employ ranks above this level, though sometimes the Departmento Munitorum judges it necessary due to the scale of the war. For example, in the Chondarax Campaign of 342.M34, Imperial records speak of no less than eighteen officers of more senior rank than Colonel, ranging from Lord General Militant, to Master of the Imperial Purse and Regulator of the Militant Ordos. Other titles, such as Scourge Imperialis and Reductor Mineralis remain a mystery as to what role or purpose they served.

In any active war zone there are hundreds of senior commanders with thousands of personnel staff. In addition, there are tens of thousands of scribes, observer and organisational officers of the Departmento Munitorum. Indeed, for every fighting man there stands behind him a virtual army of bureaucrats and support personnel whose heroic efforts keep the armies going. However, within the Imperial Guard itself there is a complex system of ranking officers responsible for the grand strategic and tactical military operations. The Regimental Commander leads from his Command Platoon and is accompanied by support squads equipped with specialised weapons, such as Missile Launchers and Mortars. They provide the Command Platoon with concentrated fire support and security for the commander himself. The Regimental Battle Standard is carried in the Command Platoon and depicting their regimental insignia. In addition to the Cadian command element, the Regimental Commander may be accompanied by other officers of the Departmento Munitorum, such as Commissars. It is a sad fact of war that some despicable cowards renege on their debt to the Master of Mankind and flee the field of battle when the bullets begin to fly. Though such occurrences are, thankfully, rare, it is the duty of the Commissars to ensure that the disease of cowardice does not pollute the command echelons or rank and file of the regiment. Commissars are some of the finest officers in the galaxy and dispel the myth that the Departmento Munitorum is made up of clerks and notaries. Most will have been recruited from the Schola Progenium of the Adeptus Ministorum and will have served as Storm Troopers before their selection for duties as Commissars, so they are no strangers to war.

As Guardsmen are well aware, the prime duty of the Commissar is to preserve the fighting spirit and loyalty to the Regiment. If discipline is lax, the Commissar will step in to reinforce it. If the Regiment's officers are incompetent or lack courage the Commissar will remove them by the sternest measures. There is no-one in the regiment beyond the unflinching gaze and lethal pistol of a Commissar, not even the officers, so every soldier can be sure that the morale and fighting spirit of the Regiment is safe in a Commissar's hands. Commissar Yarrick, while the most famous of Imperial Commissars, almost never had to resort to employing the ultimate sanction during the Second War for Armageddon, for his reputation was enough to stiffen the backs of even the most recalcitrant coward. However, Commissar Eyurban, while serving in the Yndolac Redbacks during the Assault on Hyrus Hive was known to have killed more of his regiment than the enemy. Below the Colonel of the regiment are his company commanders, usually Captains with many years of experience in leading men into battle. A Guardsmen is expected to follow the orders of these soldiers with alacrity and vigour at all times. Each Captain has his own Command Unit from where he leads his Company, a formation that will generally range between one and four hundred men. Most of these companies will comprise two to six platoons of infantry, the backbone and workhorse of the Imperial Guard. Each Platoon is also led by a Command Squad made up of a Lieutenant and his retinue of Veteran Guardsmen. The Lieutenant's Platoon will comprise of between two and six squads of Guardsmen. These sizes are not fixed and in times of war can change drastically, but they serve as examples of the flexibility inherent in the command structure of the Guard.

Each infantry squad will number ten men and these soldiers will have a variety of weapons available to them, ranging from heavy weapons such as Missile Launchers, Lascannons and Heavy Bolters, to more specialised and rare weaponry such as Plasma Guns or Meltaguns. An infantry regiment is often supplied with Chimera Armoured Fighting Vehicles, with many of these doughty, ever-reliable tanks at its disposal. These tanks allow the Regimental Commander the option of mounting a number of his squads to provide Armoured Fist units for greater tactical flexibility. In addition, they are used to transport his command squads that can make good use of the long-range vox-casters they carry.

Basic Structure of a Cadian Shock Troops Regiment
Each Imperial Guard regiment is split into roughly equal sized companies, usually of at least a hundred Guardsmen each. The number of companies in a regiment varies from two or three to twenty to thirty, depending on a variety of factors, such as when it was raised, the planetary population, casualties it has suffered on active duty and so on. For example, when the 91st Cadian Regiment was raised on the Feast of St. Capilene in 994.M41, it was comprised of ten companies, each of 350 men, making a total regimental size (including command units, ancillary units of support staff and one non-combatant) of 5,037 souls, making the 91st one of the smaller Cadian units. This number does not include the drivers, gunners and crews of the various tanks and artillery pieces that accompany the regiment, for such units are despatched and deployed on an 'as needed' basis and to include such numbers would unnecessarily complicate collation of regimental data and can lead to what are known as "flakboard" regiments. Such a term denotes a regiment that is insubstantial and does not match what the Departmento Munitorum's books mighty otherwise suggest. During the Kulifor Offensive, the 32nd Hurlach appeared to be at full strength and were ordered to the weakest portion of the front lines when, in reality, the regiment had been wiped out six weeks earlier. Only when enemy forces flanked the Imperial position was the error realised.

The sheer amount of personnel required to keep an Imperial Guard Regiment in the field is staggering, and to organise such an effort requires thousands of dedicated Departmento Munitorum scriveners and notaries. Imperial Guard Companies are usually divided into three platoons, each platoon consisting of a command squad and three other squads, which may be either infantry squads or Armoured Fists squads or a combination of both. Each squad (if it does not already have one) may be given its own mechanised transport in the form of a Chimera. In addition, the platoon may include additional units, such as tanks, squads from other regiments - including Abhuman regiments - or extra squads from the original regiment. A platoon may include as many as three of these additional units, one for each of its squads. Each squads consists of ten Guardsman, one of whom will be a sergeant. These noncommissioned officers are the glue that binds the Imperial Guard and every soldier should take special note of his sergeant's words, for he will have seen a great deal of active combat. Where familial connections may secure an individual high office within other regiments, resulting in some officers lacking of combat experience, such does not happen within the Cadian regiments. Trained to fight before they can read and write, Cadian adults have already served the Emperor and their homeworld for many years before being recruited into the Imperial Guard.

Each Guardsmen is armed with a standard issue Cadian short-barreled Lasgun, manufactured to the highest specifications in one of the many manufactorum dotted across the surface of Cadia. Two Guardsmen may form a Heavy Weapons Crew, to allow the squad to engage either multiple targets or enemy armour with a high probability of success. To further specialise, a skilled Guardsmen may be equipped with a weapon more advanced than a lasgun, such as a Flamer, Meltagun or Plasma Gun. These weapons are rare and when Guardsmen trained to utilise them are killed, every effort should is made to retrieve the weapon intact. Even if the bearer is only wounded, the weapon's retrieval takes first priority. Failure to observe such protocols usually result in swift disciplinary action being taken by the regimental Commissars.

Wargear
A Cadian Shock Trooper like all Imperial Guardsmen is issued with a lasgun upon his enlistment in the Guard and it is with this weapon that he is expected to become most proficient. In addition to his weapons, he is also issued with a great many other items of kit and he is expected to look after everything with which he is issued, for such items are considered the property of the Departmento Munitorum from the moment they are handed over to the Guardsman to the moment they are take from his dead body. When an Imperial Citizen joins the Imperial Guard, he makes a solemn commitment to honour the Emperor and his servants. This oath also extends to the kit he is issued with and improper care and maintenance or use of this kit is a punishable offence. A Cadian Shock Trooper understands this better, perhaps, than most of his contemporaries within the Imperial Guard, for they know all too well that not only must a Guardsman be able to kill the enemy, but he must be able to survive long enough to do so. He must be able to sleep, eat, dig trenches, survive gas and chemical attack, administer field first aid, find his way to the battle and fight at the end of it all with weapons and armour that allow him to win it. A Cadian Shock Trooper takes his sacred oath to the honour the Emperor very seriously, for to perish before honouring his debt to the Emperor is s crime and only those who have begun to repay that debt will have their names entered into the regimental roll of honour upon their death.

Blessed by the Emperor with a multitude of different weapons with which to smit the enemies of the Imperium it is every Guardsman's duty to become familiar with each and every one of them. Though certain troopers are singled out for particular duties on special weapons or as part of a heavy weapons team, it behoves each Guardsman to familiarise himself with their duties, for combat attrition is certain to take its toll on squad members. Each Cadian Shock Trooper learns the duties and responsibilities of the man senior to him and teach his own duties to the man below him in the chain-of-command. In this way, Cadian Shock Trooper Infantry squads need never fear that the death of its squad members is reducing its combat effectiveness. What follows is a list of the most common items issued to the Cadian Shock Troops Regiments:
 * Helmet - The standard Cadian Pattern (Acquila) helmet provides excellent protection to the vulnerable cranial area. Injuries to this region of the body are invariably fatal and thus maximum effort is made to avoid such injuries. Where such injuries are unavoidable, the use of the Cadian Pattern helmet offers the best protection from exploding shrapnel and fragmentation. Older helmets (utilising technology still sought for by the Adeptus Mechanicus) are blessed with good non-ballistic protective qualities that may be caused by concussive shockwaves from explosions. Each helmet has an integrated outer-shell and suspension system to provide a stable, snug fit and has an adjustable standard two-point suspension system and a headband. The Cadian tri-dome helmet is a variant pattern helmet used when Cadian Shock Troops must fight on a world whose atmosphere or regions are inimical to the human respiratory tract. When fitted with a fully compatible MKIX rebreather they provide an excellent defence against most commonly-encountered gasses and pollutants as well as allowing the soldier to operate in airless environments for limited periods. It has also proven useful against plague weapons.
 * Uniform & Personal Armour - As a heavily militarised world, Cadia's manfufactorum are able to mass produce and equip its Guardsmen quickly and efficiently. Typically, Cadian Shock Troops uniforms are made from hard-wearing fabrics designed to resist hostile environments and prove hardy in the field, the result of centuries of tradition. The Cadian uniform consists of a thickly woven pair of trousers, sometimes fitted with pockets for power packs or personal rations. Over this, a sturdy tunic shirt and uniform jacket is worn in their regimental colours. Cadian regiments march to war in uniform patterns camouflaged in a manner most suited to the mixed terrain of the Cadian wilderness. Most regimental supply officers attempt to match the uniforms to the battlefield being fought upon, whites for Ice Worlds, khaki for Desert Worlds and so on. The demands of the battlefield means most uniforms follow this pattern, though many regiments retain such traditional uniforms for ceremonial functions, dress or officers attending formal occasions. A peaked cap is an optional uniform item for ranks above sergeant to wear but is generally replaced with a helmet when facing opponents known to utilise snipers. Other ranks in veteran regiments sometimes affect caps instead of helmets but this is frowned upon by both Officers and Commissars. The most common personal protection worn by Cadian regiments is Flak Armour. Cheap and easy to produce, flak armour comprises several layers of ablative thermoplast materials and impact absorbent carbifibres. In Cadian Shock Trooper uniforms, flak armour is woven directly into the layers of material that make up the overall uniform. For additional protection Carapace Armour is often worn. Made up of large rigid plates of armaplas or ceramite moulded to fit the bearer. This provides better protection than standard flak armour, but is bulky and heavy and really only suited to units certain to be under the heaviest fire, such as assault units or those involved in urban operations. Karskin Grenadiers, the Cadian elite, are known to incorporate Carapace Armour. Imperial Guard officers often sport carapace breastplates of gold or silver, but Cadian Officers disdain such ostentation, preferring to have their armour painted in the appropriate camouflage scheme. In addition to such commonly available items, high-ranking officers may also be protected by energy fields, such as a refractor field or conversion field. Such advanced technology is never available to the ordinary Guardsman, but works by deflecting the energy of an incoming shot or converting its kinetic energy into some other form of energy. Cadian regimental officers are known to wear a distinctive gorget used to protect refractor field circuitry which is incorporated directly into their carapace breastplate.
 * Lasgun - The lasgun (or lasrifle) is the standard weapon of the Imperial Guard and the most popular weapon amongst a great many human forces throughout the galaxy. It fires an explosive energy blast with a similar effect to a bullet or small shell. Though not the most effective weapon in the galaxy, it is easy to manufacture and maintain, and very reliable even under the toughest battlefield conditions. Though the universal small arm of the Imperial Guard, there are many models, marks and patterns in service. Though lasguns are manufactured throughout the Imperium, most Cadian Shock Troops regiments prefer the Kantrael short-barrel M36 lasrifle, a weapon known for its robustness, able to survive even the most violent mistreatment. With the attachment of a bayonet, a lasgun becomes a formidable close-combat weapon and every Shock Trooper is expected to train regularly in bayonet drill. As Cadia forms the first line of defence against potential Chaos incursions, the entire population of Cadia is destined for a military life. Every child of Cadia is taught to field strip, reassemble and shoot a lasgun before they can read or write. Indeed, by the time a Cadian citizen is grown and inducted as full Guardsmen into the Cadian Shock Troops regiments, they are already known to be excellent shots.
 * Grenade Launcher - A common squad support weapon used amongst Cadian Shock Troops infantry squads is the Grenade Launcher, a weapon that launches a grenade a greater distance and with more accuracy than a Guardsman could throw it. Capable of a relatively high rate of fire, these grenade launchers are primarily designed for suppressive fire and to destroy light vehicles and buildings. The standard Cadian pattern grenade launchers are man-portable, drum-fed weapons that fire 40mm grenades that more resemble smaller versions of ammunition fired by missile launchers. A grenade launcher is capable of firing both krak and frag grenades. The firer simply selects which he wishes to fire via a selection switch by the pistol grip handle. The Cadian pattern grenade launcher can carry a load of 20 grenades and pivots forward to allow reloading. To aim the weapon the Trooper flips up a rear sight, which is notched for different ranges, and matches this up with the weapon's front quadrant sight. When preparing to pull the trigger, a Trooper must first brace himself with a wide-legged stance, as the recoil from the grenade launcher is significant, comparable to that of a boltgun and recoil injuries are a common occurrence amongst Troopers unfamiliar with the weapon's power.
 * Autocannons - A commonly favoured special weapon used by Cadian Shock Troops heavy support squads is the Autocannon. These automatic, self-loading cannons fire high velocity hails of solid shells a great distance. They are used to lay down a burst of fire to cover advancing troops, or strafe enemy held positions. These weapons are considered ideally suited for attacking enemy vehicles and fortifications from long ranges. They lack the heavy punch of a Lascannon, but can fire more shots and are less prone to overheating, though the need to carry large amounts of ammunition is a distinct disadvantage. This heavy weapon is capable of eliminating heavily armoured infantry or light vehicles, and are employed by the Cadian Shock Troops fire support teams due to their versatility. Though autocannons are designed to be fired from a standard pattern bipod configuration, in extreme situations, it is not unknown for some of the stronger Troopers to carry them into battle slung from suspensor harnesses - though this "gung-ho" method of firing is unusual and is generally not encouraged.

Infantry Regiments

 * 3rd Cadian - Took part in the defence of the Cadian Gate during the 13th Black Crusade.
 * 7th Cadian, "The Lucky Sevens" - Involved in the Battle of Tyrok Fields where were they were caught unawares by the renegade Volscani Cataphracts during the 13th Black Crusade. The main body of the Cadian 7th were mercilessly cut down before they could properly form a proper defence in response to the sudden assault. The regiment was rescued by the actions of the Cadian 8th, under the command of Lord Castellan Ursarkar Creed. The 7th Cadians' flag was carried forward by no fewer then 12 separate troopers during the course of the engagement.
 * 8th Cadian, "The Lord Castellan's Own" - This vaunted regiment is personally by Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed during the 13th Black Crusade.
 * 9th Cadian - Known for taking part in the notable engagement known as the Battle of Fortress Carcasson, in which it devastated Hive Fleet Scarabus.
 * 15th Cadian "Kalliagh's Heroes" - When the Alpha Legion Traitor Legion invaded the Mihok System in 361.M37, three worlds fell in quick succession to the renegades' surprise assaults, but when the Chaos Space Marines, led by Orik the Vile, reached the moon of Mihok Secundus, two regiments of Cadians were waiting for them, the 15th Cadian "Kalliagh's Heroes" and the 23rd Cadian "Emperor's Hounds".
 * 23rd Cadian, "Emperor's Hounds" - When the Alpha Legion Traitor Legion invaded the Mihok System in 361.M37, three worlds fell in quick succession to the renegades' surprise assaults, but when the Chaos Space Marines, led by Orik the Vile, reached the moon of Mihok Secundus, two regiments of Cadians were waiting for them, the 23rd Cadian "Emperor's Hounds" and the 15th Cadian "Kalliagh's Heroes". The 23rd Cadian was stationed in the Cobalt Valley where an extremely important stretch of road stretched for several hundred leagues in each direction. This was the sight of a major battle between the 23rd Cadian and the Alpha Legion, which though outmanned and outgunned, the "Emperor's Hounds" used their superior knowledge of the terrain and brilliantly used their limited armour elements to their advantage. After three weeks of valiant struggle, additional Imperial Guard regiments from Cadia, Gorin V and Linnerberg arrived in the Cobalt Valley and found a blasted wasteland. Nearly the entirety of the "Emperor's Hounds" had been killed, and over three quarters of those were badly wounded. Their regimental commander, Colonel Lean was awarded the Terran Laurel for his part in the battle and the 23rd Cadian were relieved from active service, allowed to accompany the Explorator fleets and colonize a new world. Such an honour is only usually bestowed on a regiment after ten years of fighting, whilst this was Lean's first command.
 * 24th Cadian - Took part in the notable campaign against Orks on Jaegersweld where their headquarters was overrun. The 24th Cadian eventually redeemed their honour when they retook their headquarter's position.
 * 39th Cadian, "Xenobane"
 * 110th Cadian, "Shadow Corps"
 * 122nd Cadian - Distinguished themselves in the Vogen Campaign
 * 412th Cadian - Featured in the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War expansion Winter Assault
 * 417th Cadian, "Hellbringers"

Armoured Regiments

 * 89th Armoured Cadian - Possess the famous Baneblade "Steel Lord"