The 54th Psian Jakals are an elite Tempestus Scions regiment of the Ordo Tempestus that possess a fell and foreboding reputation. They are known throughout the Militarum Tempestus for decorating their Flak Armour with images designed to inspire fear in the enemy and adds to their menacing presence on the battlefield.
Their verdant homeworld of Mayloc often suffers from incursions by the insidious Aeldari, and as a result, the Jakals have learned to adapt and anticipate the xenos' movements. They are the preeminent Scions regiment when it comes to defending against the Aeldari threat.
Regimental History
Colour Scheme of the 54th Psian Jakals
After their ancient training world was destroyed by the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Leviathan, the 54th Psian Jakals now possess a temporary garrison upon the Maiden World of Malyoc. Since adjusting to the planet's environment, they have developed more sophisticated methods of tracking and surveillance. Because of the numerous warhosts that frequently make planetfall upon Mayloc, the 54th Psian Jakals are now specialist hunters of Eldar. Indeed, very few in the Militarum Tempestus are as adept at tracking their warriors and wraithbone constructs or at evading their reality-bending firepower. Much of the Scions' equipment has been reprogrammed accordingly and their theoretical tactics dispatched in monoslate briefing files to other Militarum Tempestus regiments. In order to test the robustness of these tactics, the Ordo Tempestus has sent the Jakals on missions to combat Eldar from numerous Craftworlds. On each occasion the Scions have proven increasingly proficient at dealing with these ancient and elusive aliens.
Notable Campaigns
- Defence of Rax V (Unknown Date.M41) - One of the Scions' most glorious missions was on the death world of Rax V, where the Scions were forced to march through miles of toxic jungle to deal with the numerous attacks of an Ulthwé strike force. For days the Eldar had been assaulting the Imperium's fortifications in revenge for an Astra Militarum raid against one of their support craft. The Scions of the 54th Psian Jakals were ordered simply to purge the Eldar from the planet. Thanks to the skills they had developed upon Mayloc, the Tempestus troopers correctly anticipated 67 percent of the Ulthwé Eldar's movements and flight patterns. The Jakals were even able to ambush and destroy a squad of Aspect Warriors as they emerged from a wraithgate.
- Strike on Bhuran (Unknown Date.M41) - When the Eldar of Craftworld Iyanden launched a sudden strike upon the shrine moon of Bhuran in search of an ancient staff, which had been stolen by the Imperium centuries ago, it was the 54th Psian Jakals who answered their cries for help. Battle-hardened from the constant incursions launched against their base of operations upon Mayloc by the Eldar, there is no other regiment within the Militarum Tempestus who is better-suited to counter this xenos threat than the 54th Psian Jakals. Under the superlative leadership of Tempestor Prime Valderack, the tried and tested battle-tactics of this Tempestus Scions regiment were instrumental in predicting the Eldar's movements before they even knew they were there. Making their way towards an underground shrine within the heart of the Buric Mountain where the relic was supposedly stored, the Jakals were positioned in staggering formations around the entrance to the underground shrine-compound. The Tempestor Prime then directed further squads of Scions to locations deep inside the labyrinthine chamber. In a ferocious battle, the Scions seared through the ranks of Eldar constructs, and drove spear-like into the ranks of unliving warriors. They feigned retreats, luring the constructs into thick formations of other Scions, who proceeded to cut them down with their superior firepower. Even when the Eldar adapted to the Scions tactics, Valderack would ingeniously adapt his tactics to the fluid situation. After sacrificing whole squads of Scions to the Eldar's vengeful counter-attack, the Jakals' Valkyries assault arrived and made short work of the Eldar forces. Finally, a Lunar-class Cruiser's swift attack drove away the Iyanden's wraithship before the mountain could disintegrate entirely, and the sacred compound remained safe. Tempestor Prime Valderack lost forty-six percent of the 54th Psian Jakals in the action upon the moon of Buhran. Disappointed with this loss, he forced the remaining Scions into more disciplined training regimens upon their return to Mayloc.
Regimental Organisation
Specialist Squads
As well as being famed for their skills against the Eldar, the 54th Psian Jakals are also known for their powerful and effective formations. These squads may be rapidly assembled in the heat of battle, their organisation having been committed to memory, or be deployed together, depending upon the requirements of the mission.
- Savage Claws - Though only ten men strong, the Savage Claws bear the 54th Psian Jakals' most formidable firepower. Whereas the regiment most often relies upon hot-shot las weapons, the Savage Claws bring extra potency to battle in the form of Flamers, hot-shot volley guns and Meltaguns. Each member is trained in the use of each of these specialist weapons, and they are deployed according to the pre-planned tactics of Tempestor Prime Valderack, their objectives ranging from scouring hordes of corrupted Cultists to eliminating alien monsters.
- Strike Pack Alphic - Strike Pack Alphic is the first into the fight and the last to leave. Comprised only of the most hardened warriors, even among the Militamm Tempestus its Scions are known for their tenacity and relentlessness as their foes bombard them. Valderack often calls upon Strike Pack Alphic to hold critical objectives under the most severe firepower.
- Eyes of the Jakal - When inserted deep behind enemy lines, the warriors of the Militarum Tempestus occasionally discover prior intelligence to be radically different to reality. In such circumstance, the Eyes of the Jakal are formed. Made up of ten of the swiftest warriors in the regiment, Tempestor Prime Valderack rilies upon the Eyes to scout ahead of the rest of the regiment and relay essential information back to his unit.
- Jaws of the Jakal - The regiments of the Militarum Tempestus are not as plentiful as those of the Astra Militarum, so they cannot rely upon sheer weight of firepower to fell a target. When Valderack needs enemy squads of or war engines to be taken down immediately, it is the Jaws of the Jakal that he sends in to do the job. Typically only thirty warriors strong and led by Tempestor Zellius, the Jaws of the Jakal are the finest shots in the regiment. It is a rare occasion that they fail to eliminate a target in short order by focussing on its weakest point.
Regimental Appearance
Regimental Colours
The Tempestus Scions of the 54th Psian Jakals primarily wear black-coloured fatigues, Carapace Armour with silver-coloured trim, as well as black-coloured knee guards, Slate Monitron and Omnishield Helms. The Tempestus Scions of this regiment also tend to paint white-coloured skulls on their helms in order to invoke fear and revulsion.
Regimental Badge
The Black Jakal -- the regimental symbol of the 54th Psian Jakals -- is amongst the most menacing used by the Militarum Tempestus. This is in keeping with the iconography of the regiment as a whole, and speaks volumes about the morbid and menacing character of these dispossessed warriors.
Sources
- Codex: Militarum Tempestus (6th Edition), pp. 26, 35, 45-47
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