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I'm coming up with some background for my SL regiment and am unsure how to proceed. Would SL regiments just be cleaning up the orks on Armageddon, or would some be sent off world to do normal guard-y stuff? I thought that would give me an excuse to model some of them without gasmasks and use non-enclosed vehicles.

Cleaning up Orks and Ork-spores after a Waaagh is normal Guardy stuff. Armageddon may never be free from the taint of the Ork at this point.

The Steel Legion is in the same position as the Cadians. They're primarily occupied with facing local threats, with fewer regiments being shipped out to foreign campaigns. The supplement for Armageddon mentioned that the planet's tithe grade was lowered in order to facilitate a larger home defense force.

Well, the Third War for Armageddon is supposed to last for decades, meaning well beyond the cutoff date of 999.M41 which GW is unwilling to surpass. Once the Season of Fire is over, warfare on Armageddon is bound to become more mobile again, with each side once more incurring terrible losses. Even if the Imperium may triumph in the end, it will be incredibly difficult to dislodge the Orcs completely simply because so many spores have been seeded that they repopulate almost as fast as you could kill them. The Guard didn't even manage to completely exterminate the survivors from the Second War of Armageddon, and they had about 40 years to try!

But, in the hypothetical event that Armageddon would indeed be secured some day ... sure, the Steel Legion would very likely be sent somewhere else to fight, just like the Valhallans were after they managed to cleanse their world of all Orcs. Maybe they'd be sent towards Cadia, assuming that the 13th Black Crusade will be even more difficult to put down than Ghazgkull's "Muvva of all Battles". And if that doesn't cut it, I'm sure the Imperium would find them a nice and cozy warzone somewhere else.

That being said: If you don't like Armageddon, why not run the army as a regiment from a different world that just uses comparable tactics and equipment? Would also be an opportunity to come up with some cool homemade fluff. Though, if you also don't like the gas masks or enclosed vehicles, what is it that you see in the army? You could always consider another regiment entirely, including modelwise. Valhallans, maybe?

There is nothing stopping the Steel Legion from shipping troops out. They have a lower tithe grade but they still need to supply troopers offworld. The Imperium needs Ork specialists.

Well, the Third War for Armageddon is supposed to last for decades, meaning well beyond the cutoff date of 999.M41 which GW is unwilling to surpass. Once the Season of Fire is over, warfare on Armageddon is bound to become more mobile again, with each side once more incurring terrible losses. Even if the Imperium may triumph in the end, it will be incredibly difficult to dislodge the Orcs completely simply because so many spores have been seeded that they repopulate almost as fast as you could kill them. The Guard didn't even manage to completely exterminate the survivors from the Second War of Armageddon, and they had about 40 years to try!

I thought the Third War was finished, but battles were still being fought frequently on Armageddon, the Orks saw the planet as an orky Valhalla and Yarrick went off chasing Ghazskull?

That being said: If you don't like Armageddon, why not run the army as a regiment from a different world that just uses comparable tactics and equipment? Would also be an opportunity to come up with some cool homemade fluff. Though, if you also don't like the gas masks or enclosed vehicles, what is it that you see in the army? You could always consider another regiment entirely, including modelwise. Valhallans, maybe?

No, no I LOVE Armageddon and the Steel Legion's gasmasks. It's just some variety is cool and would make my army more than a faceless mass.

Maybe the best way to do this is to set my regiment's background between the 2nd and 3rd Wars so that I can have them go off world and fight other stuff besides Orks?

 Far Seer wrote:
Maybe the best way to do this is to set my regiment's background between the 2nd and 3rd Wars so that I can have them go off world and fight other stuff besides Orks?

That's what I'd recommend. GW have focused quite heavily on the 999.M41 end of their millennium, with most of their major/noteworthy fluff pieces culminating in a galactic-wide "end times" scenario. The Third War for Armageddon is one of those major fluff events. Most of the room for fan-made fluff/exploration, therefore, sits in early-mid M41. There's plenty of gaps and spaces to fill, so go nuts with your Steel Legion.

Arcsquad12 wrote:There is nothing stopping the Steel Legion from shipping troops out. They have a lower tithe grade but they still need to supply troopers offworld. The Imperium needs Ork specialists.

Ah ... no Guard regiments will leave Armageddon whilst the war against the Orcs is still in full swing. The Navy almost shot down Space Marine ships leaving the planet, and those actually had a reason to go (robbed of their primary advantage).

The reduced tithe was for the phase of rebuilding following the Second War of Armageddon when the planet was still at peace.

What would be possible, though, is to play a Steel Legion regiment that was raised on Armageddon and still on a campaign elsewhere in the Imperium when Ghazghkull returned. Because a regiment already in a warzone won't get pulled back to fight elsewhere. The "missing" Steel Legion rgt will be compensated for by a freshly raised or otherwise "free" regiment from another world. This is the same reason for why you can have Cadian Shock Troop regiments remain in combat elsewhere in the Imperium in spite of the 13th Black Crusade.

Far Seer wrote:I thought the Third War was finished, but battles were still being fought frequently on Armageddon, the Orks saw the planet as an orky Valhalla and Yarrick went off chasing Ghazskull?

Ghazgkull didn't run - he got bored with the trench warfare on the main planet and is "currently" wreaking havoc elsewhere in the Armageddon system by raiding other worlds, closely followed by Yarrick and the Templars who have sworn to hunt him down.

Armageddon itself was locked down for months in the so-called "Season of Fire" that rendered huge areas of land impassable due to environmental hazards (fire storms), forcing both Orks and the IG to dig in. This is also why the Space Marines started to leave; their chief advantage is their mobility and that they can strike anywhere, but the Season of Fire heavily restricted traffic and the use of vehicles. Once it's over, the war will kick into the next stage and continue.

"The Imperium has held Ghazghkull's great Waaagh! at Armageddon - just. Terrible sacrifices have been made, fearsome battles fought and the combined might of the Imperial Guard, Titan Legions and Space Marines committed to a dreadful cauldron of fire and destruction unseen in Segmentum Solaris since the dark days of the Age of Apostasy. Even so, it has barely been enough. Shattered hives remain in Ork hands and Imperial forces are fully committed to staving off the green-skinned hordes threatening others. Beyond the planet itself, across the surrounding sectors of space, more Ork pirates and raiders are on the move against worlds left vulnerable by the Imperial commitment to Armageddon. The most rapacious Ork warlords are being drawn to Armageddon like moths to a flame, seeking fame and glory in the greatest battle known amongst their race. The Muvva of All Battles is becoming a legend amongst the warlike Ork race, with rumours abounding that Ghazgkhull has begun the Ragna-Ork, a final apocalypticb attle in which the Orks can truly prove their prowess in the eyes of their violent, primitive gods.

The High Lords of Terra have a less prosaic view. The unification of so many Ork tribes has long been feared in the Imperium. The Armageddon War must continue - the sector cannot be allowed to collapse, lest a tide of green-skinned warriors comes to threaten even hallowed Terra itself. With over half of its industry in ruins and casualties into the billions, Armageddon needs more troops, armaments and ships if it is to hold back the vast pressure of the Ork menace from the heartland of the Imperium. Forces intended for the Tyrannic Wars on the Eastern Fringe have already been diverted to Armageddon, and a 10.000 light year recruitment zone has been established around the planet. Every Imperial world within this zone has had their tithe of Imperial Guard regiments tripled and their industry turned over to armaments production.

Imperial analysts predict that the Ork Waaagh! on Armageddon cannot be maintained, that over a sustained campaign the Orks' supply lines will fail, that their losses cannot be replaced. Those who have fought Orks before are less certain, knowing as they do that resilience and improvisation are the Orks' greatest strengths. All agree, however, that humanity's resolution cannot be dimmed and that human flesh and blood will be the instruments of decision on Armageddon, not tanks and guns.

Armageddon remains a planet at war, a permanent battle zone which promises to remain for decades to come."
- WD #251 : Armageddon - the Aftermath.

Far Seer wrote:Maybe the best way to do this is to set my regiment's background between the 2nd and 3rd Wars so that I can have them go off world and fight other stuff besides Orks?

Exactly!

And you don't even need to switch to a different time (see above).



As you can see, the number of Steel Legion regiments at the start of the Third War skyrocketed from 24 to 56 after the Season of Fire. This isn't because Armageddon magically managed to shake ~30 regiments of armour and mechanized infantry with many thousands of troops out of its sleeves in a matter of mere months, but because regiments that were offworld are starting to arrive back home. This does not mean, however, that there aren't any Steel Legions still in transit, or stuck in a warzone elsewhere ...

On the other hand...

Maybe you set it afterwards, and it's a Steel Legion regiment that was sent off with Yarrick to chase down Ghazzy and his orks.

They just happen to get distracted occasionally by other concerns.

 Compel wrote:
On the other hand...

Maybe you set it afterwards, and it's a Steel Legion regiment that was sent off with Yarrick to chase down Ghazzy and his orks.

They just happen to get distracted occasionally by other concerns.

An excellent idea, gives my regiment a purpose!

Lynata wrote:
As you can see, the number of Steel Legion regiments at the start of the Third War skyrocketed from 24 to 56 after the Season of Fire. This isn't because Armageddon magically managed to shake ~30 regiments of armour and mechanized infantry with many thousands of troops out of its sleeves in a matter of mere months, but because regiments that were offworld are starting to arrive back home.

You're right about them bringing home Armageddon troops, but I'm not sure that GW actually factored that into the numbers - 24 to 56 is almost two and a half times the original number, but if you look you'll see the Armageddon Ash Waste Militia and Armageddon Hive Militia also increased by a similar ratio - and that is in fact far from magical considering Armageddon is a Hive World known for its military production.

True, but militias are raised at home and never leave it, and it has been mentioned that the Arbites are rounding up civilians to be conscripted into defence units. Armageddon can probably churn out lasguns at a far greater rate than tanks or even uniforms - for a militia, all you need is give them a weapon, any weapon, and they're ready for battle. For the Steel Legion, it takes quite a bit more effort to raise them, likely including months of training.

With Armageddon, Imperial administrators are in the unenviable position to decide what percentage of the populace to leave working in the factories to churn out more weapons and armour, and how many to put into militia units to actually defend those factories. As the war drags on, I think it may well be a natural progression to see more and more workers turned into the soldiers - just like it happened in WW2. There was no good reason to have millions of militia standing around doing nothing prior to the actual arrival of the Orks, though.

At least that's my guess and theory.

 Lynata wrote:
For the Steel Legion, it takes quite a bit more effort to raise them,

Which would be reflected by the increase of a mere 32 regiments vs 160 of militia

 Lynata wrote:
likely including months of training.

The war raged for several months prior to the Season of Fire, which itself lasted for several months.

So what you're saying is that, contrary to the Codex fluff, Armageddon did not contribute regiments to the Imperial Guard in the months prior to Ghazghkull's arrival?

Love the Steel Legion discussion. Lots of interesting information I wasn't aware of. Nice to see other players have interest in the regiment.

I'm still waiting and hoping (in vain) for a Steel Legion update/plastics range.

I'm a little worried that some of the models have gone from the GW site (like the officer with power sword), yet most others remain. Hmm, very inconsistant.

Also, it's like they're teasing us with the Finecast Yarrick model... yet leave us hanging with the rest - just update or drop them already!!!

(p.s. please don't drop them ever GW, kthxluvubai)

Massive piss up.