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This is one of the regiments that has made appearances in my Meridian War stories, set between Dawn of War: Chaos Rising and Dawn of War: Retribution, on war torn Meridian.

Army Bio
The 31st Artemian Regiment hails from the agri-world of Artemis, a planet covered by savanas and large fields. While the planet is primarily recognized for its role in feeding over a dozen planets, the planet maintains a long history of Foundings, providing it's Imperial Tithe willingly and without question. The abundance of food and game hunting gave the planet a higher than average population for a non hive world, allowing the Artemians to maintain both food production and troop deployment simultaneously.

Artemians range from tanned to dark skinned individuals, with exceptions. Their uniform colors are dark blue plates and grey fatigues, with the regimental number emblazoned across the shoulders. They make use of modified variants of the Cadian standard flak uniform, using heavier plating that covers more parts of the body. This reflects the Artemians' nature as assault troops. Despite their agricultural roots, Imperial Guard Commanders noticed their adept skills at city fighting, making them prime units to attack and defend Hive Worlds.

Enter the 31st Regiment. also known as the 6th Urban Brigade, was deployed to Meridian approximately seven months following the defeat of Ulkair The Great Unclean One in the bowels of the Blood Ravens chapter house on planet Aurelia. With the fallout from the Black Legion invasion and the sustained combat against the House Vandis insurgency, Segmentum Command prepared to deploy the Imperial Guard en masse to Subsector Aurelia. The 31st would be the first wave of the occupation fleet sent to pacify Subsector Aurelia. This would be their first deployment, and a trial by fire. They were to deploy to Meridian, and reinforce the remaining elements of the 85th Vendoland Regiment.

By the time the 31st arrived, the Vendoland had been severely diminished following a failed attempt to retake Urizen Hive from the House Vandis forces. Fully two thirds of the 3600 strong regiment had been killed, leaving a handful of survivors, lead by Captain Uther, Commissar Connor and Sergeant Major Gerard Merrick, to defend Capital Spire. Upon landing at Capital Spire, the 31st was immediately thrust into combat mere hours after debarkment. A House Vandis infiltration team attacked Capital Spire's administratum complex from lakeside tunnels leading under the building, while a smokescreen of cultist waves kept the Artemian and Vendoland forces occupied outside. The attack was eventually rebuffed by a combined effort of Arbites teams and Vendoland grenadiers. It was time for a counterattack.

Finding evidence of a chaos sorcerer, it became apparent that the Black Legion had not retreated from Meridian as originally thought, but rather had gone into hiding. Sorcerer Crowley was slain in a vicious close quarters engagement below Capital Spire, cementing the Artemian and Vendoland presence on the planet once again. The Artemians would continue to hold the line as the Imperial reinforcements continued to arrive in Subsector Aurelia, often working alongside their comrades in the 85th Vendoland.

Composition
The 31st Artemian Regiment operates brigade style, hence it's moniker as the 6th Urban Brigade. Artemian Regiments are composed of 4000 soldiers, divided into four 1000 soldier battalions. Five 200 soldier companies divided into 40 man platoons and 10 man squads break down the remaining elements. Each Battalion is mechanized, maintaining one Chimera per platoon, and various Leman Russ squadrons.

Brigadier General Tullassar Derim commands the 31st, leading them boldly into combat, but it is his first officer, Colonel Orias Nolt, that keeps the regiment running like a well oiled machine. Whereas Tullassar is bombastic and brash, Nolt is a quietly harsh man, much more the taskmaster and coordinator. The two clashing personalities work together to maintain professionalism and inspiring leadership, with the strength of both and weaknesses of neither.