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I just started collecting catachan guard and I love the fluff behind them, I also love the fluff of commissars. However, it seems that commissars don't lead the catachans due to their lack of respect for them. Does this mean that running some commissars in my platoon with look ridiculous fluff wise? I have Daemons for my competitive tourney army. Catachans will be my fun fluffy army.

Catachans still use Commissars. It's just the ones who are too tyrannical that tend to end badly. The more hands-off ones would last longer.

In the old Catachan Codex, there was nothing to stop you taking Commissars in a list from it, but you had to roll before the game to see if they would fall victim to "friendly fire."

Catachans don't respect outsiders and as commissars are always from a different planet to their charges this leads to initial problems. They also respect military nouse and prowess in battle so if the commissar is brave and skilled and can avoid a knife in the back long enough to prove himself he'd probably be ok.

Needless to say they don't just send any old commissars to the Catachans regiments.

So the commissars who are with the catachans are really badass?

Dalymiddleboro wrote:
So the commissars who are with the catachans are really badass?

Either that or they're diplomatic enough to stay as advisors instead of trying to tell "real men" what to do at gunpoint. IIRC that's what made the Catachans upset - some sissy outsider shoving a laspistol in the sarge's face and screaming at him when any Catachan who made it to serving age is tougher than anything out of some sissy orphanage.

Interesting. Man the more fluff I Read on these guys the more I love them!!!!

Cain and Gaunt style commissars would last.

Your average commissar ends up dying in "an accidental weapons discharge."

Or an "ork sniper"

 Melissia wrote:
Or an "ork sniper"

Or "Lictor ambush"

Any Commissar who lasts with the Catachans is going to be an ultimate badass. Definitely unorthodox among his counterparts.

Every regiment needs to be disciplined differently. Commissars who understand that, and work with their regiment's culture to promote discipline without making their soldiers outright hate them, tend to last longer no matter which regiment it is.

 Melissia wrote:
Every regiment needs to be disciplined differently. Commissars who understand that, and work with their regiment's culture to promote discipline without making their soldiers outright hate them, tend to last longer no matter which regiment it is.

Except the Mordians, who often find the *Commissars* lacking in discipline.

Or the Death Korps, who need Commissars not because of Morale, but to keep them from throwing away their lives needlessly.

The Mordian thing sounds stupid. But that aside, the Krieg soldier thing is still a discipline issue.

It's not so much that Mordians object to the Commissars' discipline. They just don't like taking orders from anyone who looks less fabulous than they do. All that black is so drab. *wrist flail*

Catachans have a very strong connection (thematically) to Vietnam-style military fiction. (Marbo, anyone?) It's very little surprise that they also practice 'fragging,' or the assassination of unpopular friendly officers, a term coined during the Vietnam war due to the ease with which a fragmentation grenade could be used as a tool of assassination while limiting the culpability of the assassin.

 Melissia wrote:
But that aside, the Krieg soldier thing is still a discipline issue.

A Krieg soldier will of course obey an order to fall back without hesitation or question. The problem is that no Krieg officer would ever give that order, so they need commissars to remind them that occasionally it's ok to retreat.

I feel bad for Commisars assigned to Elysian Regiments, like some of the butter bars assigned to my Airborne unit...many hated the idea of jumping outta perfectly fine planes, take that to 40k where the jump is only the start to a likely suicidal and bloody fight...yup Elysian jump Commisars would be a breed apart

Also pretty sure if Yarrick walked in front of a Catachan regiment, they would all snap to their best attention......

 Soo'Vah'Cha wrote:
Also pretty sure if Yarrick walked in front of a Catachan regiment, they would all snap to their best attention......

Well duh... He's the best known Ork fighter in the IoM, ofc they would love him! Any guy who fights Ghazgkull and lives is a hero - the Catachans would ask old Yarrick if he wants to marry their widowed sisters or daughters because he's one of the very few off-worlders who could actually bring new strong genetic material into the community.

Generally, the best way for a Commissar to win a Catachan unit's respect is to drink them all under the table, or throw the commanding officer out of a bar-room window.

In fact, that's probably in the Commissar manual...

Spetulhu wrote:

 Soo'Vah'Cha wrote:
Also pretty sure if Yarrick walked in front of a Catachan regiment, they would all snap to their best attention......

Well duh... He's the best known Ork fighter in the IoM, ofc they would love him! Any guy who fights Ghazgkull and lives is a hero - the Catachans would ask old Yarrick if he wants to marry their widowed sisters or daughters because he's one of the very few off-worlders who could actually bring new strong genetic material into the community.

Nah, the Catachans would say "Geeze, if it had been me Ghaz wouldn't have gotten away"

 Dark Apostle 666 wrote:
Generally, the best way for a Commissar to win a Catachan unit's respect is to drink them all under the table, or throw the commanding officer out of a bar-room window.

In fact, that's probably in the Commissar manual...

that sounds almost exactly like what ciaphas cain would do

but then he's not exactly your run of the mill commisar

I always got that the catachans main problem is their lack of respect for the chain of command and the commissars trying to enforce said chain of command. Catachans do not need a chain of command as each catachan already knows what he needs to do, this level of individuality is the strength of catachans as they can act independently.

I therefore have always thought a catachan attached commissar that lasts long is much more relaxed and unorthodox. Perhaps some non regulation flare on his uniform would fit well with the theme. Such as a damaged uniform with a bare arm or a cigar and some trophies.

DKoK also need commissars to baby other IoM allied forces. DKoK freak out their allies so much they need a commissar to reinforce moral...yes fighting alongside DKoK is approximately as disturbing as 25% of your friends dying in front of you.

the DkoK freak other regiments out because they will shoot their comrades if they perceive a lack of discipline or morale. Its like a regiment of Commissars next to you, even your own Commissars are watching their backs.

 ansacs wrote:
DKoK also need commissars to baby other IoM allied forces. DKoK freak out their allies so much they need a commissar to reinforce moral...yes fighting alongside DKoK is approximately as disturbing as 25% of your friends dying in front of you.

That line made my day and it is probably true.

Spetulhu wrote:

Dalymiddleboro wrote:
So the commissars who are with the catachans are really badass?

Either that or they're diplomatic enough to stay as advisors instead of trying to tell "real men" what to do at gunpoint. IIRC that's what made the Catachans upset - some sissy outsider shoving a laspistol in the sarge's face and screaming at him when any Catachan who made it to serving age is tougher than anything out of some sissy orphanage.

Right. Catachans may have very little patience from "lead from behind" commanders that send men to their deaths with little risk to themselves.

I'd think "lead from the front" commissars would be able to do just fine. Of course, on occasion, it's possible that the commissar may be just running forward with nobody following him...

... but a few shouts of "do I have to do everything myself?" would probably set them straight.

Not quite a fluff thing, but modelling a Catachan Commisar from the DV cultist champion Tetchvar shouldn't be hard. Just file the chaostar off his chest, do a simple headwap, replace his rusty sword for a power weapon/powerfist (maybe even a salvaged Ork klaw for extra bad*ss points) and greenstuff the rough edges away...

 Soo'Vah'Cha wrote:

Also pretty sure if Yarrick walked in front of a Catachan regiment, they would all snap to their best attention......

Hah, space marines of lesser chapters would snap to attention in Yarrick's presence, much less Catachans.