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Hey all.

I know that the Imperial Guard are the Emperor's Hammer, but what if that simply isn't enough, or is too much, and they need to get onto the ground to do some stealthy missions. Something that a Space Marine simply wouldn't be able to do. Not that they'd be incapable of doing, just that, to an observer, it'd be like, "Oh, there is a 9 foot giant with insanely huge muscles wearing bright blue armour breaking into the Planetary Governor's Palace with a chainsword..." Would the Guard place Storm Troopers or similar in the midst of a rebellion, with the intention to infiltrate it? So, they can lie about being dedicated to the God or the Leader, and gain ranks? Another scenario is, if a rebellion took most of a PDF, except say, a single high-ranking officer, could the Guard leave him there to infiltrate the rebellion?

Another question I have is, what is the general knowledge of the Gods of Chaos, their daemons and their servants amongst the Guard? Would the average Storm Trooper know more then the average Guardsman, and would regimental leaders have a fair idea of what it is? Or is what we read in the Codices known only to the Inquisition and Space Marines?

My final question, what is a aircraft utilised by the Imperial Navy used to transport single squads to other ships? Is there such a ship? I have head that Valkyries can be used for low-orbit insertions, but are there any other craft?

Thanks in advance

Doopo

'What if that simply isn't enough?' Just send in more guard!

As for knowledge of chaos, and others will probably answer this in more detail...

There is no knowledge of chaos, knowledge leads to temptation, and that leads to HERESEY!

The codex books are written for someone not in the world, most people, even the regimental commanders and generals have only a tiny awareness of chaos, other than it is something to be avoided at all costs.

The Inquisition usually kills people after they've fought against chaos for any length of time if they've been exposed to Daemons and the like!

Okay, take it away, everyone else!

In regards to your first, question, I suggest you do some research on the Officio Assassinorium. If there is any Imperial asset that specializes in infiltration of the enemy, it would be an agent of one of the Assassin Temples.

Before the Horus Heresy, the Alpha Legion were probably the Astartes most proficient in actual subterfuge. They often utilized normal humans to infiltrate cults and rebellions so that intelligence could be gathered, or enemy forces misdirected, to the Legion's advantage.

There are those that say the Alpha Legion never truly fell, and is simply on a 'deep cover' mission.

In all honesty it depends on the specialization of the regiments in question, The hammer of the emperor seems almost too generalized for the imperial guard, its more like the multi tool of the emperor. You have regiments like the Tanith First and Only, who specialize in recon and stealth work. Or the valhallans, who specialize in cold weather warfare, or the Vostroyan Firstborn, urban combat experts.

Really the guard is an incredibly diverse military organization, they can do a little bit of everything pretty well(death charges, trench warfare, grav-chuting, sneaking about).

your average guardsmen knows of chaos in the sense that they hate that gak and want to kill it, but they do not know the specifics of chaos. like if they were fighting a mob of bloodletters they would more than likely just call them warp filth as opposed to servants of the blood god or bloodletters.

I think this falls more under the assassin cults than your average footslogger. I mean they have shape changing assassins for this kind of work.

I think it can be argued that your average imperial citizens knowledge of chaos is sketchy at best. All most know is that chaos = evil for the good folk of the Imperium to smite. With likely only those with actual combat experience having a more reliable idea of it. With only the upper echelons having a real grasp of chaoses ways. The ones that really know what chaos is are likely the inquisition, cultists, space marines. Imperial authorities like to limit knowledge of chaos. An ignorant mind is a safe mind in most views.

The main workhorse your looking for is the landing craft. Described in novels as huge beetle like drop ships. Able to deliver troops, supplies and armour quickly to an from a planets surface. Theres also smaller crafts like the Aquila lander. Used for important personnel. As well as fast clippers used for even faster insertion of small forces into hostile territory. Theres also the minotaur class tug. I think they're used for deploying super heavies and titans.

If I was the emporer all my stealth and subterfuge would be accomplished by a Emperator titan hiding behind a bush. Sneaky Sneaky.

Catyrpelius wrote:If I was the emporer all my stealth and subterfuge would be accomplished by a Emperator titan hiding behind a bush. Sneaky Sneaky.

Now thats the kind of attitude that will get you promoted in this man's Guard soldier!

Ok, thank you for the answers

So the average Guardsman doesn't have a firm grasp of Chaos, what about someone like a Colonel or similar Regimental leader? And say a veteran Storm Trooper? By veteran, I mean veteran amongst the Storm Troopers.

Thank you for all the answers so far, though

There is a bit in Emperors mercy about a Stealth Team. Spec Ops, if you will. However, They are compromised and are forced to go from "Stealth and Supressed Weapons" to "Breach and Clear"

veterans might learn names of the gods but not much more than that.

imperial storm troopers are often sent on suicide stealth missions behind enemy lines
to recover marooned officers and assassinate enemy officers when the assassinorum
has no interest in the target.

but as someone has already it depends on the mission, the regiments specialisations and
wether the assassinorum can be bothered to send out any agents.

For tactical insertions, there is a bit of canon about Terra that speaks of a teleporter bank that can teleport a small amount of mass (20 ordinary humans) anywhere in the galaxy, the only downside being that beacons must be layed down previously.

Also, don't forget about the Shark assault boats mentioned in BFG. These seem like they could be used as utility craft as well as assaulters. The BFG rulebook also mentions that all IN ships have a complement of small craft (like the shuttles in Star Trek) for routine administrative purposes. Some of the examples we know of are the Arvus Lighter and the Aquilla Lander, but there are probably dozens (if not hundreds) of other designs out there.

Doop Dude wrote:So the average Guardsman doesn't have a firm grasp of Chaos

Keep in mind, neither does the averagve Chaos Cultist.

Doop Dude wrote:Ok, thank you for the answers

So the average Guardsman doesn't have a firm grasp of Chaos, what about someone like a Colonel or similar Regimental leader? And say a veteran Storm Trooper? By veteran, I mean veteran amongst the Storm Troopers.

Thank you for all the answers so far, though

Depends largely on what you mean by a 'firm grasp of Chaos'.

In some of the books, simply seeing words written in (for lack of a better term) "chaos runes" can hurt the eyes. In some books, simply speaking aloud the name of a daemon can cause someone's gums to bleed.

In general, the Imperium and the Imperial Guard want and need their citizens to be ignorant of Chaos, in all but the most inaccurate and superstitious terms. Think of it like this. If being aware of an infectious disease could possibly allow you to give that disease to others, would we teach much about them in medical school? By being unaware (as much as possible) that daemons exist, that they can be summoned, that they can affect the material world, etc., it makes it that much less likely that someone will try to summon a daemon.

As harsh and backwards as it seems, the enforced ignorance of the Imperium actually has a relatively coherent rationale. A single daemon can be powerful enough to corrupt an entire world, or more, even through the actions of a single person. They've got to keep the information about Chaos as sparse and unreliable as possible.

Klaatu verata necktie

in the Ciaphas Cain novels, it shows Cain briefing a group of officers (including a lord general, who admits that his knowledge is inferior to Cain's) about chaos and how it sometimes works
most of the officers react with surprise and disgust, with one of them basically calling Cain a heretic.
also, the information that Cain presents is still significantly less than we, after reading a codex or two, would know about Chaos

The space marine scouts are often used for stealth and subterfuge, though I doubt they would be able to pass as a local for any extended amount of time.

Extensive knowledge of the workings of Chaos or Xenos will lead to the Inquisition looking in on you. You don't want the Inquisition looking in on you, so you do your best to know as little as possible.

but how would this apply to cadians when it comes to knowledge about chaos, its right on their door step their bound to know more that your average guardsmen

I would assume that for stealth missions inqusitorial assasins would be deployed.

The Imperial Guard do have special forces, like the Elysian D-99,
and I would assume kill teams count as SpecOps.

well remember that there are many other organizations in the imperium besides the ones told about in the codexes or codii or whatever the plural is.

In the last chancers one of the characters is a sabateur for the officio sabateorum i believe it was called. he would kill people and blow up places just like any fancy smanshy super killing machine assasin from the cults. Heck the chanchers themselves in small groups did what the OP said which was kill leaders and blow stuff up like a city for example....sigh i miss them guys