Imperial Guard Regiments and the Imperial Navy

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Hazardous Harry**

There was a bit of discussion at my FLGS where a fairly new player was describing the fluff behind his army. He was young and pretty new to the game and this was reflected a bit in his backstory, for example that they amazed Marneus Calgar during a co-operative boarding action against a Tyranid ship, but I was impressed with the amount of thought he had put into it. One of the regulars asked where they were going, since they were onboard an Imperial Cruiser, and he replied that they were actually assigned to the cruiser on a permanent basis. They provided the manpower in boarding actions, either launching them or repelling them and, though they had thier own chain of command, they ultimately deffered to the captain of the vessel. The regular pointed out that this didn't make sense, since the boarding parties and armsmen were made up entirely of Navy personal, as this was how things were organized after the Horus Heresy. A GW staffer disputed this, and even brought out his old IG codex to show a Cadian regiment that had been assigned to Orbital fortresses above Cadia.

Personally, I think the idea of a regiment assigned to an Imperial Navy cruiser is a great idea as it gives a lot of ground for why that regiment might be facing so many foes and on such wildly different terrain. I'm thinking of having my Airborne regiment that I've just started have this as their fluff as well, as my inspiration for them was the Harakoni Warhawks. What I've come to ask Dakka is whether I'm right in thinking that an Imperial Guard regiment might be assigned to an Imperial Navy cruiser on a permanent or semi-permanent basis, or whether Imperial Guard regiments are only ever on Imperial Navy ships for the sole purpose of being transported to another warzone?

**Brother Coa**

As far as I know Imperial ships have their own security force in case of boarding action. But I support this idea, it is nothing strange if captain of the vessel and commanding officer of the Guard Regiment came to agreement and use the ship as permanent base. I also think that it is the course of action to take Airborne Regiments as they always require access to transport ships, and having a ship as a command center is not bad idea at all.

**SpankHammer III**

As far I know ships security is all internal, Naval Armsmen, if a ship was caarrying troops at the time of boarding I can imagine them being drafted in to help, but 40k fluff being what it is there is probably a dozen differnt answers (all contradicting).

I'm sure I've read one book when the guard had to relinquish their weapons while on ship, while in others they've been locked away in their own part of the ship.

I think the fortress is probably the exception rather than the rule as I imagine that the Navy doesn't have the security personel to operate as well as secure a fortress by theselves. I can see a regiment that was being transported being drafted in for extra security during a crusade if the ship was a flag ship/base of operations and the space around it was less than secure but not a permanent secondment.

Saying that I think you could come up with some good fluff for something similar to the RAF regiments or marines (the non space variety) who secure landing zones and airfields.

**Unit1126PLL**

I'm sure that somewhere there have been Guard regiments seconded to Naval command for some reason.

Failing that, you could just run Veterans + Shotguns + Meltaguns and have it be fluffy (for once) as well-trained naval armsmen.

But you would be hard-pressed to justify any tanks / transports other than Valkyries / Vendettas and (perhaps) Sentinels.

**htj**

I think it would be in contradiction of the edict that keeps the Navy and Guard separate, but there's always loopholes to this kind of thing (I'm looking at you, Sisters of Battle). Perhaps the regiment was a PDF force, and therefore not technically a Guard regiment, thus allowing it to be permanently seconded to a battlefleet. Or they could just be a large naval force, like marines but in space. Some kind of space-- oh, wait.

**Hazardous Harry**

SpankHammer III wrote:
Saying that I think you could come up with some good fluff for something similar to the RAF regiments or marines (the non space variety) who secure landing zones and airfields.

Unit1126PLL wrote:
Failing that, you could just run Veterans + Shotguns + Meltaguns and have it be fluffy (for once) as well-trained naval armsmen.

htj wrote:Or they could just be a large naval force, like marines but in space. Some kind of space-- oh, wait.

This is another good idea, one that is well grounded. How would such (not) Space Marines be recruited? Would they be recruited from a single world (much like an IG regiment) or would the ship recruit as they went from port-to-port. I can already imagine press-gangs running around orbital fortresses as it is. The problem with that is anyone brought in by a press-gang would likely end up as a rating rather than a marine.

**htj**

Schola Progenium? Maybe those that don't quite make the cut as Stormtroopers get drafted into the Navy.

**Hazardous Harry**

htj wrote:Schola Progenium? Maybe those that don't quite make the cut as Stormtroopers get drafted into the Navy.

I'd imagine the Schola Progenium would have to have a ridiculously high cut-off point (as well as an amazingly high level of inductees) for the failed applicants to even cover a fraction of the armsmen numbers.

**Yori**

htj wrote:Schola Progenium? Maybe those that don't quite make the cut as Stormtroopers get drafted into the Navy.

The ones that don't make it are the ones that become the storm troopers, it's the ones that make it that become Inquisitorial storm troopers instead of being forwarded to the Imperial Guard. They have something of a final where they work as a squad, and that squad gets evaluated with a certain score, if it's high enough they are now with the Inquisition, if not they go to an IG regiment.

**htj**

Hazardous Harry wrote:
htj wrote:Schola Progenium? Maybe those that don't quite make the cut as Stormtroopers get drafted into the Navy.

I'd imagine the Schola Progenium would have to have a ridiculously high cut-off point (as well as an amazingly high level of inductees) for the failed applicants to even cover a fraction of the armsmen numbers.

Hmm, yeah. I hadn't thought of it like that.

Maybe they just recruit in the same fashion as the rest of naval crews?

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Yori wrote:
htj wrote:Schola Progenium? Maybe those that don't quite make the cut as Stormtroopers get drafted into the Navy.

The ones that don't make it are the ones that become the storm troopers, it's the ones that make it that become Inquisitorial storm troopers instead of being forwarded to the Imperial Guard. They have something of a final where they work as a squad, and that squad gets evaluated with a certain score, if it's high enough they are now with the Inquisition, if not they go to an IG regiment.

Is that so? I had not heard that. Have you got a source for that, that I could check out?

**SpankHammer III**

Well ratings are press ganged, but I don't see that being the same for armsmen. The navy has to recruit from somewhere they can't all be void born, there has to be planets dedicated to ship maintenance and production.

However I see the force being diverse, because of the nature of the navy, have to take on replacements from wherever possible. While some officers are out press ganging scum, there could always be other officers running legit recruiting drives, mercs, retired IG, private guards and pdf.

There has to be naval academies out there as well.

Isn't Saturn a naval yard, got imagine part of any planet with a strong naval heritage will be paying the tithe partly in personel.

Does Battle Fleet gothic shead any light on this?

List wise, i think if you use normal IG Air Cav lists with shotgun vets makes the most sense or possibly IA Elysians.

**Yori**

htj wrote:Is that so? I had not heard that. Have you got a source for that, that I could check out?

That was a footnote in one of the Cain novels (though BL fiction differs, so unless you see it in another source its only mostly true), also they wouldn't send storm trooper trainees to the Navy as they train navy special forces as well, as commissars and sororitas.

**htj**

Yori wrote:
htj wrote:Is that so? I had not heard that. Have you got a source for that, that I could check out?
That was a footnote in one of the Cain novels (though BL fiction differs, so unless you see it in another source its only mostly true), also they wouldn't send storm trooper trainees to the Navy as they train navy special forces as well, as commissars and sororitas.

But they wouldn't be sending Stormtroopers to the Navy, they'd be reassinging trainees to a different division. But I see what you're saying, nonetheless.

**Hazardous Harry**

htj wrote:

Maybe they just recruit in the same fashion as the rest of naval crews?

That's just the thing, I can't find any information on how naval crews are recruited, not even press-gangs, or from where.

**htj**

I'll have to dig out my copy of BFG, see if there's any light on the subject there.

**Bouregard**

htj wrote:I think it would be in contradiction of the edict that keeps the Navy and Guard separate, but there's always loopholes to this kind of thing (I'm looking at you, Sisters of Battle). Perhaps the regiment was a PDF force, and therefore not technically a Guard regiment, thus allowing it to be permanently seconded to a battlefleet. Or they could just be a large naval force, like marines but in space. Some kind of space-- oh, wait.

Why go the extra mile when GRIMDARK can help?

The regiment in question was supposed to be transported to support a world/warzone. As they approach the provided coordinates they figure out that there is nothing out there. Either the planet went missing (Chaos/Nids happend) or a clerk somewhere mixed up some papers.

The papers asking for clarification or redeployment where sent to the munitorium but noone received an answer for 2 years. So the captain and the commander reached an understanding: As long as nobody says otherwise the regiment will guard the ship and the captain will provide food and beds.

**Yori**

Bouregard wrote:
htj wrote:I think it would be in contradiction of the edict that keeps the Navy and Guard separate, but there's always loopholes to this kind of thing (I'm looking at you, Sisters of Battle). Perhaps the regiment was a PDF force, and therefore not technically a Guard regiment, thus allowing it to be permanently seconded to a battlefleet. Or they could just be a large naval force, like marines but in space. Some kind of space-- oh, wait.

Why go the extra mile when GRIMDARK can help?

The regiment in question was supposed to be transported to support a world/warzone. As they approach the provided coordinates they figure out that there is nothing out there. Either the planet went missing (Chaos/Nids happend) or a clerk somewhere mixed up some papers.

The papers asking for clarification or redeployment where sent to the munitorium but noone received an answer for 2 years. So the captain and the commander reached an understanding: As long as nobody says otherwise the regiment will guard the ship and the captain will provide food and beds.

Little do they know that the ship is cursed, sometimes people go missing and no one ever hears of them, the lower levels are starting to get infested by mutation and there is talk of sorcery amongst the men and women on the ship, the message might not have arrived but the ship's astropaths still get strange visions and words whispered in their minds, and sometimes are found dead bleeding from their eye sockets. The Lord General is getting increasingly irritated and suspicious of all around him. The few priests that traveled with the ship have died from strange sicknesses that have left the rest of the crew untouched. Sometimes people report seeing shadowy figures in the corner of their vision, but such individuals are swiftly executed by the commissar's order on the charges of heresy and working to harm imperial authority.

Edit: Also new born children are killed in order to preserve supplies.
There now its GRIMDARK!

**SpankHammer III**

Bouregard wrote:
htj wrote:
I think it would be in contradiction of the edict that keeps the Navy and Guard separate, but there's always loopholes to this kind of thing (I'm looking at you, Sisters of Battle). Perhaps the regiment was a PDF force, and therefore not technically a Guard regiment, thus allowing it to be permanently seconded to a battlefleet. Or they could just be a large naval force, like marines but in space. Some kind of space-- oh, wait.

Why go the extra mile when GRIMDARK can help?

The regiment in question was supposed to be transported to support a world/warzone. As they approach the provided coordinates they figure out that there is nothing out there. Either the planet went missing (Chaos/Nids happend) or a clerk somewhere mixed up some papers.

The papers asking for clarification or redeployment where sent to the munitorium but noone received an answer for 2 years. So the captain and the commander reached an understanding: As long as nobody says otherwise the regiment will guard the ship and the captain will provide food and beds.

Little do they know that the ship is cursed, sometimes people go missing and no one ever hears of them, the lower levels are starting to get infested by mutation and there is talk of sorcery amongst the men and women on the ship, the message might not have arrived but the ship's astropaths still get strange visions and words whispered in their minds, and sometimes are found dead bleeding from their eye sockets. The Lord General is getting increasingly irritated and suspicious of all around him. The few priests that traveled with the ship have died from strange sicknesses that have left the rest of the crew untouched. Sometimes people report seeing shadowy figures in the corner of their vision, but such individuals are swiftly executed by the commissar's order on the charges of heresy and working to harm imperial authority.

Edit: Also new born children are killed in order to preserve supplies.
There now its GRIMDARK!

got to love GrimDark, if you want to with total bureaucratic fail just say the munitorium thought the ship was a planet becasue it was filed in the wrong place.

**Kanluwen**

Harry...you might want to check in your copy of IA11. Specifically the parts about the Elysians.

There's some useful information in there for you.

**htj**

SpankHammer III wrote:got to love GrimDark, if you want to with total bureaucratic fail just say the munitorium thought the ship was a planet becasue it was filed in the wrong place.

I love that. That is hilarious.

**Lone Cat**

I've read Lexicanum before. there is an article there saying that the Imperial Navy has its own "Marine Corps" too!... Marine Corps in sense of classics swashbuckling movies. (pump action) shotguns are their standard issue weapons instead of laser rifle. those 'marines' stationed both in each ships (acting as security and boarding crews), and in each ports (sentry). they also fight in land warfare too! and pretty much like what real life marines do! landing action and those units belong to Imperial Navy rather than I.G.!

They are REAL marines! not those overpowering GMO supersoldiers called Astartes.

but i'm not sure if there's any 40k fans doing an Imperial Navy security forces using IG codex as reference.. meow.

**Harriticus**

Naval Armsmen exist on every ship. They're typically equipped with black carapace armor and shotguns.

As for their recruitment, I highly doubt they're from the Schola Progenium. These guys are extremely common for that. They're probably even below standard Guardsmen.

**Yori**

Harriticus wrote:Naval Armsmen exist on every ship. They're typically equipped with black carapace armor and shotguns.

As for their recruitment, I highly doubt they're from the Schola Progenium. These guys are extremely common for that. They're probably even below standard Guardsmen.

The ones from the Schola become Storm Pilots and officers, also i knew about the shottys but they get carapace armor, I guess every faction haves better personal equipment than IG, the arbities (police) do so I shouldn't be surprised that so does the IN.

**Hazardous Harry**

Kanluwen wrote:Harry...you might want to check in your copy of IA11. Specifically the parts about the Elysians.

There's some useful information in there for you.

All I can find is that they're well trained for ship-to-ship boarding actions due to the high number of pirates that plauge their system. Does this mean that they have been assigned permanently to that ship?

**Kanluwen**

Hazardous Harry wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:Harry...you might want to check in your copy of IA11. Specifically the parts about the Elysians.

There's some useful information in there for you.

All I can find is that they're well trained for ship-to-ship boarding actions due to the high number of pirates that plauge their system. Does this mean that they have been assigned permanently to that ship?

Not permanently assigned, but it's one of their first postings yeah.

Remember that the "pirates" in question aren't just underfed and ill-equipped humans. Orks and traitor Guardsmen are among their numbers.

It's not beyond the scope of belief that there might be other regiments with similar circumstances.

**Lone Cat**

^ or maybe a rogue trader crossing path with any corrupting Imperial servant and fights for their very own rights.

**Kanluwen**

Then it's not a "rogue trader".

"Rogue Traders" are not "rogues" from the Imperium by definition. They have charters allowing them to operate, which by definition means they are sworn to the Imperium.

**Lone Cat**

well sometimes a number of Imperial goons in some sectors don't recognize that a 'pirate' they came upon is infact a privateer. nor those imperial goons recognize the Letter of Marque.
could this scenario happens?

**Kanluwen**

No.

Rogue traders operating on the up and up do not get "targeted by Imperial goons" as pirates.

Pirates get targeted as pirates.

**Randomonioum**

Besides, any rogue trader worth his salt is going to be piloting a ship that wouldnt be worth attacking unless you had to.