Armageddon Ork Hunters

Armageddon Ork Hunters are specialised unit of Imperial Guard soldiers formed in the wake of the Third War for Armageddon in 998.M41 to conduct xenocidal campaigns throughout the equatorial jungles of the Hive World of Armageddon to rid them of the Ork presences that had taken root there. Specialising in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare, the Ork Hunters fight their feral enemy on their own terms, and have become extremely adapt at their jobs. Their feral appearance and coarse manner has led to the Ork Hunters being regarded as little better than the greenskin scum they hunt and have earned them the enmity of many Imperial Guard regiments stationed on Armageddon.

History
In 998.M41, the Third War for Armageddon began. This was a massive conflict between the Imperium of Man and the largest Ork WAAAGH! ever raised, led by the Greenskin Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka. The war was fought on the Hive World of Armageddon where Ghazghkull Thraka had launched his first attempt to seize the planet exactly 57 standard years before. In the years following the defeat of the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka, the world of Armageddon began the long process of rebuilding its shattered hives and defences. The Ork army had been destroyed, but due to the unique spore-based reproductive system of the Ork race, infestations of Greenskins continued to plague Imperial forces. In response to this, the head of the ruling military council of Armageddon, General Kurov, conducted several xenocidal campaigns to destroy such infestations throughout the equatorial jungles of Armageddon and the Ice World of Chosin. The forces involved in these battles suffered extremely high losses and many units were reduced to below a tenth of their operational strength. Rather than disperse these soldiers to other regiments, General Kurov decided to harness the valuable experience the survivors had gained and formed them into a number of specialised Ork hunting regiments. Soldiers from dozens of different planets and with almost no common culture were now merged into specialised extermination regiments.

The main area of operations for these units would be in the depths of Armageddon's jungles where Orks continued to proliferate despite regular purges. These Hive Cities Armageddon Prime and Armageddon Secundus. In recent times, the Ork Hunter forces were bolstered considerably by three regiments of Catachan Jungle Fighters. Later on, reports indicated intense rivalry between the two factions, but as the feral Orks flooded form the mountains and dense jungle, the Ork Hunters needed all the help the Imperial Guard could give them.

The Ork Hunters have learnt to fight the enemy on his own terms, and have become extremely good at their jobs. Soldiers from the Ork Hunter regiments are savage warriors and in their short history have already earned themselves a fearsome reputation. Many Imperial Guard regiments were posted to Cerbera Base to learn from the Ork Hunter instructor sergeants. It is well recorded that the uncouth and savage nature of the Ork Hunters rankles with many of the more traditional Imperial Guard regiments, and the Battle at Hell Town is well recorded as the start of the enmity between the Ork Hunters and the Pyran Dragoons.

Combat Doctrine
Armageddon Ork Hunters have adapted and trained so extensively that they have become masters of jungle warfare. Although they are not born into the jungle and hence will never be the equal of soldiers such as the infamous Catachans, they have become highly skilled nonetheless. They are the only survivors of apocalyptic combat between their previous regiments and the Orks of the equatorial jungle, and every one of them is as skilled as they are tough. The Ork Hunters training included a broad array of new techniques to learn and master such as demolition, escape and evasion, survival and intelligence work. The trainee soldiers of the Ork Hunters are expected to become experts in all the weapons and tactics used in the hunting of Orks and jungle warfare. Guardsmen who survive the training are rewarded with the badge of the Ork Hunters, a small metal pin with an Ork skull emblem. This became the regimental symbol and the source of their unofficial name, the "Skull-Takers."

When the Ork Hunters were created, the psychological effect such constant contact and close-quarter warfare with the Orks was not calculated by Kurov in his haste to combat the Orks in the jungles of Armageddon. Many of the Ork Hunter squads do not return to their base for weeks on end, surviving purely on the jungle around them, immersing themselves in their war against the Orks. Occasionally, a squad of the Ork Hunters will return to Cerbera Base laden with grisly trophies of the many Orks that they have culled on their forays. These trophies often take the form of Ork tooth necklaces, skulls, scalps as well as more mundane items like glyphs and Stikkbombz.

A worrying trend in the Ork Hunters' combat doctrine has been noted in recent times. It seems the Ork Hunters are not only adopting the Orkoid manner of war, but also many of their superstitions, codes of conduct and icons. At best, these soldiers have found that to destroy their enemy beyond doubt, they must understand them and adopt their combat doctrine. At worst, they are degenerating into the savage beasts they have given their lives to fight, a vile slight upon the honour of the Emperor's warriors.

Ork Hunter Firesweep Teams
The Ork Hunters of Armageddon have developed many different tactics since the Second Armageddon War in an effort to rid the jungles of Armageddon Secundus of the many Feral Orks that infest the region. Lethal toxins have been developed and tested, as well as many traps designed purely to wipe out as many Orks as possible. At the forefront of the Ork Hunters continuing war against their primitive enemy, though, are the elite Firesweep Teams, squads of the regiment's most skilled warriors, those that have been battle-hardened by years of fighting in the jungle. Armed with Flamer weapons, they can clear huge areas of the jungle of all Ork infestation within hours and in pitched battle their bravery gives them a keen advantage over any Ork hoping to hide within the dense undergrowth. A Firesweep Team consists of an Ork Hunter Sergeant and two to four Ork Hunter Veterans.

Wargear
Armageddon Ork Hunters very rarely have a chance to return to Cerbera base and replenish their ammunition, their patrols often lasting weeks on end. As a result, the Armageddon Ork Hunters commonly use captured Ork weaponry. Some of the strongest Ork Hunters have even been known to wield the crude axes of the Orks in close combat. Various Imperial reports have postulated that the Armageddon Ork Hunters actually prefer Ork weapons for the sheer noise and chaos they can cause when an ambush is sprung.
 * Shoota - A Shoota is ballistic weapon utilised by the Orks that is chosen not for its efficiency but for the amount of noise it makes and the amount of damage it can do. The best Shootas are deafening and deadly in equal measure. Like the Slugga, Shootas are not very accurate. Like their Ork counterparts, this suits the Ork Hunters just fine since they seem less interested in accuracy than in causing damage and raising a ruckus. The noise of a Shoota gives the Ork Hunters a morale boast and can cause their Greenskin enemies to lose their morale and retreat from the overpowering noise of dozens of Shootas.
 * Slugga - Sluggas are large calibre sidearms that are the equivalent of a Space Marine Bolt Pistol. Like the Shoota, Sluggas are not very accurate. As far as the Ork Hunter wielding it is concerned, the effectiveness of a Slugga is of little importance, as long as it is big and makes a loud noise when it fires.
 * Choppa - Choppas are a general term given to any ork close combat weapon, typically heavy swords and axes. There is little finesse to a Choppa, as most are little more than sharpened pieces of scrap metal which have been roughly shaped into something resembling a sword or axe.
 * Scalper - In addition to their normal equipment every Ork Hunter also carries his "scalper," a huge machete-like weapon that can be used to decapitate an Ork with one blow.
 * Flak Vest - The most common type of armour in the galaxy is Flak Armour, as it is standard issue to the countless millions of Imperial Guardsmen. Many layers of ablative and impact absorbent material go into making each suit, enough to deflect or negate most low-level attacks such as small arms, shrapnel, and proximity blasts. Solid hits from high impact weapons can generally negate it, but given that it is relatively lightweight, cheap to produce, and dependable in most combat situations, many veterans keep using it even when offered better. Deployed in the steaming hot tropical Equatorial Jungle, most Ork Hunter warriors eschew the use of standard Imperial Guard Flak Armour, preferring to rely on their own mobility and instincts for protection in such dense, hostile terrain. The use of armour would also leave them at greater risk of dehydration, which in an alien jungle can be as deadly a killer as any living enemy.
 * 3 Frag Grenades - Frag Grenade explosives use a combustible charge and special fillers of shrapnel fragments. Imperial frag grenades are roughly the size of a clenched fist and covered with a heavily notched shell, both to increase the shrapnel produced and provide a more secure grip for throwing.
 * 2 Smoke Grenades - Smoke Grenade explosives release a dense smoke which only obscures basic eyesight and optical based systems. They do not block detection systems that use heat or other spectral bands outside of normal human eyesight, but are much more widely available and easier to construct.
 * Imperial Guard Jungle Fighter Uniform
 * Camouflage Paint
 * Poor Weather Gear
 * Rucksack
 * Basic Toolkit
 * Mess Kit & Water Canteen
 * 2 weeks' Rations
 * Stummer - The reverse of a Screamer, stummers generate sound waves to cancel out ambient sounds and noises made by moving personnel in a small area.
 * Grapnel - Grapnels use a small launcher or gas-gun to fire a hooked or magnetic grapnel, connected to the launcher with a coiled 100m length of thin but strong line. Once the grapnel attaches to the desired spot such as a rooftop, a Guardsman can manually climb the line or activate a powered winch. Common sets can hold 150 kg, while the best can support 200 kg.
 * Blanket & Sleep Bag
 * Rechargeable Lamp-Pack - Sturdy and reliable, glow-globes illuminate many an Imperial paveway and cathedral. Most portable ones are roughly the size of a clenched fist and can shine strong, yellowish light a dozen or so metres in width, lasting roughly five hours before their power pack needs recharging or replacing.
 * Dog Tags
 * Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer - A staple piece of gear that Guardsmen are required to have on them at all times—this piece of kit is never to fall into the hands of the enemies of the Imperium. It details everything a Guardsman needs to know: principles and regulations of the Imperial Guard, issued arms, attire, apparatus, and equipment, basic battlefield policy and Imperial Guard organisation and structure, elementary battlefield medical instructions, and a detailed guide on the foes of the Imperium. No Guardsman should ever be found without possession of a copy of the Uplifting Primer -- the punishment is severe. Though they are issued it, it is very doubtful whether any Ork Hunter actually maintains a copy on his person.

Notable Armageddon Ork Hunters

 * Colonel Pertinax - Pertinax was the commanding officer of Hell Town when the Pyran Dragoons arrived to receive training in the hunting of Feral Orks still inhabiting the planet. The two regiments could not be more diametrically opposed in their approach to warfare and arguments between officers of the two opposing regiments were quite common. The situation further eroded, when Colonel Pertinax ordered the Dragoons to maintain perimeter positions that the Pyran's viewed as suicidally weak. It was said after the Battle of Hell Town that the argument between Pertinax and Dragoon Colonel Tannley-Drake could be clearly heard over the whole fortified camp until, finally, the Pyran challenged his counterpart to a duel. Accounts differ as to the outcome of the duel, but the Pyran Dragoons have always maintained that their Colonel nobly scored first blood against the Ork Hunter, allowing the entire regiment to honourably retire to Infernus Hive for further orders.