The Ghourran 3rd Dragoons by Aristocrap
Author Information
I'm a fan of the Blood Pact in that they operate like a professional army, rather than a rabble of cultists and fanatics. As they are normal humans, they feel the same emotions we do, rather than just bloodlust as the lobotomized World Eaters do. I want to play with this aspect of humanity in 40k, particularly among these mortal followers of Khorne and what it means to be a renegade. I also wanted to shed some light to the way I think the Pact operates at different levels - in the case of my regiment, it operates like the dragoons of the 17th-18th centuries - dismounting to fight, but riding horses (transports) to particular locations.
Background/Doctrine
This is a write-up of background and doctrine of my Blood Pact regiment. Enjoy!
The 3rd Dragoons are a native regiment of Ghourra – the Blood Pact’s world of origin. The Blood Pact maintains a trio of Dragoon regiments. These act as light infantry, disembarking from their transports when delivered to the battlefield and engaging the enemy on foot. Dragoons are expert skirmishers and sometimes operate behind enemy lines as reconnaissance or guerrilla troops. When needed, they are capable of forming battle lines and reinforcing regular infantry.
The Royal Reds have a long and proud history of service to Urlock Gaur, going back nearly 3,000 years to the Pact’s creation. When the Imperium seized the Sabbat Worlds during the first offense of Saint Sabbat, the Royal Reds and their sister regiments were among the first to deploy, gathering intelligence and sabotaging their enemies before the main force landed to retake the planets. They served dutifully in the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, defending these worlds under the Gaur’s control. During the Crusade, the Royal Reds saw much action behind-the-scenes – outflanking Imperial forces and disrupting the flow of munitions. It also took part in the battle for the Akkorite Peninsula, working closely with soldiers of the Death Brigade to form an ambush to trap the Imperial forces.
Ambushes are a specialty of the 3rd Dragoons, mortars and autocannons being popular weapons to deploy when awaiting the enemy. It is not uncommon for the 3rd Dragoons to wear captured fatigues or camouflage patterns instead of the common red garb of regular infantry. When setting up an ambush, troops will set up overlapping fields of fire, forming an encirclement of their enemy. Once an opposing force is caught in the trap, artillery and tanks lob shells into its ranks from hidden positions. Because of their specialized style, many soldiers in the 3rd Dragoons are nominated for the prestigious Death Brigade. Many Death Brigade units are comprised of soldiers from the same formations, and members originally in the Royal Reds pay tribute to their former regiment’s history.
Due to the nature of the regiment’s operations, the 3rd Dragoons frequently come into contact with civilian populations. As Khorne embodies aspects of honor and martial nobility, it is not in the nature of the regiment to act offensively against them. Rather, they will recruit and arm individuals to fight as guerrillas and insurgents to assist the downfall of local Imperial rule. Once the Imperial authority has been removed in a particular area, the 3rd Dragoons will call in specialized organizations within the Blood Pact to reeducate the population and provide relief effort. This helps to ensure loyalty and complete control over a sector. Reeducation includes the deconstruction of Imperial dogma, faith in the Emperor as a god and establishment in Chaos worship, usually of Khorne. It is the desire of many within the Blood Pact to establish a New Imperium – one based on unity through Khorne, rather than current Imperial rule. The Blood Pact resents mindless devotion of Khorne as a blood-demanding tyrant; instead, it turns to Khorne’s honorable and martial characteristics to fight for freedom and a better life within the galaxy. After all, most Blood Pact soldiers are only human in a universe of demigods and incomprehensible entities. This mindset puts the Pact on dubious terms with forces like the World Eaters and other genocidal cults who exist only to please their god in the form of slaughter.