An Imperial Commissar leads the troops of the Imperial Guard in defence of Armageddon
An Imperial Guard Commissar in battle, armed with a Plasma Pistol and a Power Sword
The Commissariat is the corps of Imperial Guard officers tasked with keeping the troops of the Imperial Guard on mission and under intense discipline, even in the face of some of the most terrifying threats in the gaalxy. The Imperial Guard is exposed on a regular basis to terrible threats which can shake the resolve of even the most steel-hearted veteran, from bizarre aliens to the terrifying inhabitants of the Warp. To encourage the men to fight the most horrendous of situations, officers called Commissars are attached to Regiments of the Imperial Guard. The role of a Commissar is to fight alongside the Regiment’s regular officers and take control when morale is flagging or the men are not fighting with sufficient zeal. In such situations a Commissar can take over command from a regular officer and summarily execute any man who tries to flee. Even the colonel of a Regiment must be sure to display courage and the proper zeal at all times when a Commissar is watching him.
Commissars are orphans of parents who were killed serving the Imperium who were educated within the Ecclesiarchy’s Schola Progenium and selected from among those who show fearless faith in their Emperor. They are then assigned by the Commissariat to Imperial Guard Regiments whether the Regiment in question likes it or not. Commissars are pious, self-righteous and unswerving in their purpose. They are exceptionally brave and many a seemingly hopeless battle has been turned by a Commissar taking command. However, all Commissars are universally feared and loathed by the men of the Imperial Guard and are always the first officers against the wall when a Regiment mutinies.
Sources
- Dark Heresy Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 260
- Codex: Imperial Guard (4th Edition)