"Now I'm not saying that horses are without their uses. They can get a move on and if worse comes to worse one can feed a platoon for a week. Thing is though, once the slugs and lasbolts start flashing about being on a horse ain't that much use. On Kashann though we have hunting lizards. They have a hide thick as a flak vest and a bite that'll take your arm off. Now you tell me, if you were going to ride into a battle, what would you rather be on?"
- —Troop Sergeant Uriens Quist of the 3rd Kashann Xeno Riders
A Kashann Xenos Rider
Kashann Xeno Riders, also spelled Kashann Xeno-riders, are Rough Rider regiments of the Astra Militarum raised from the primordial world of Kashann, famed for riding massive xenos reptiles known as hunting lizards into battle.
History[]
Astra Militarum armies often contain squadrons or even regiments of Rough Riders. The most famous of these are the Attilan Rough Riders, fierce nomads born in the saddle who have served the Imperium since its earliest days. The majesty, speed and ruthlessness of these warriors has led to many other regiments of horsemen being incorporated into Imperial armies.
Ultimately though their weakness lies in the vulnerability of their mounts. There is a strong affection amongst Mankind for horses, based on their long association that encourages their weaknesses to be overlooked. In the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium, however, the demands of constant war have led some to consider whether there are xenos species that could do the job better. One of several species that have been experimented with is the hunting lizard of Kashann.
Kashann is a young world, mountainous and volcanic with thick, fast-growing jungles and oceans of primordial swamp. The hunting lizards were one of the most successful local predators, functioning in packs they posed a very real threat to the early Human colonists until they were successfully domesticated and bred in captivity. Over time the hunting lizards became a much-valued means of patrolling the wild expanses of Kashann and when the world was populous enough to be tithed it was inevitable that the regiments raised there would be cavalry mounted on hunting lizards.
Notable Actions[]
- Battle of Tavalar (ca. 592-602.M41) - During the Imperial Crusade to cleanse the Faseene System in 592-602.M41 from the Hrud, an entire regiment of Kashann Xeno Riders served with the Astra Militarum's 60th Army. Faseene had three worlds in its biosphere, each of which was urbanised but in a state of ruined decay. One of the worlds, Talavar, was home to an enslaved Human population and was the first targeted. Attempts to clear the ruins with infantry regiments were wholly unsuccessful. The Hrud, emerging from their warrens, conducted highly effective hit-and-run attacks, focused on destroying ammunition and fuel stockpiles. The preternatural speed of the Hrud defeated all attempts at pursuit until the Kashann were deployed. Using feral hunting techniques the bulk of the regiment closely pursued the Hrud while detached squadrons raced forward on the flanks to herd them together and finally encircle them. The raids were swiftly contained allowing the 60th Army's infantry to concentrate on launching set-piece assaults on the Hrud warrens themselves.