Shioban Racitte

Aged 15 when war broke out, Shioban was immediately drawn to the dashing young Maytion Hakisake, the son of the Minister for Munitions.  He featured prominently in the publicity material designed to get the natives of Devos IV to volunteer for Imperial service.  He joined the Hulin Rifles, whose personnel were largely drawn from the Drookian diaspora.  The publicity campaign was a triumph for the Plenipotentiate for Moral and Propaganda - the Hulin Rifles continues to recruit almost every eligible volunteer from the Drookian population of Devos IV. 

The young 2Lt Hakisake was accepted into Imperial service and commissioned in one smooth career move.  This transformation from school boy to officer may have had more to do with Moral and Propaganda than with military efficacy but he would have been worth just as much to the cause as martyr.  He was one of the first intake of young officers placed in the care of a cadre of experienced personnel (which included the newly promoted 1st Sgt Maxwell). The last three years have seen him become a proper soldier and capable officer.

As the daughter of a single mother, she was close to her mother and used to share a lot with her. Shioban used to discuss the gallant Lt Hakisake with her mother.  Her mother would warn her that men like that, members of the planetary nobility, might indulge in a fling with a Drookian girl but would never admit the affair and certainly not marry her.  It seems that despite this conversation being played out many times, Shioban failed to take on board her mother's advice.

At the age of 17 she enlisted, volunteering for the Hulin Rifles.  Unusually, the Minister for Munitions intervened and had Shioban sent home again.  However, the Imperium will not be denied its pound of flesh and she was loaded on to the next intake. Realising that to be close to an officer meant being in a command squad, after her basic training she elected to become a grenadier (ie with a Grenade Launcher, not a pseudo Kasarkin).

Somehow, she has ended up in the now experienced Lt Hakisake's platoon.  Weirdly to him, he seems comfortable around PFC Racitte, as if he had known her all his life.  She is still lovestruck. Their association becomes ever closer.

More Tigers.

You may remember me talking about posting and suggesting that posts about the Imperial Guard were generally easier because I was more familiar with what I actually have and who might be added in the near future.

And then there is my previous post about the Tigers which includes a bit of exposition about filling the army out.  But then I found another two trays in another army box.  So here they are again:

That's four platoons of three squads and one SWS.  Coy HQ and Coy 2iC's command team and then Gunny Harker and his animal welfare team front and centre.

The first platoon's SWS, three flamers.  Every rifle squad in the entire army has a flamer

First platoon's command squad, GL, Heavy Flamer and Medicae as well as their flamboyant leader, Lt Logan.

Second platoon's command squad, three sniper rifles and Lt Choppy.

Second platoon's SWS, two heavy stubbers and a GL (yeah, I know, but not every army is organised according to the Tactica Imperialis).

Third platoon's SWS, three meltas.

Third platoon, Lt Thor and his three plasma gunners.

Fourth platoon's SWS, another three flamers.

Fourth platoon, GL, Medicae and vox.  Led by Lt Wenger.

Coy Command - Straken and his three heavy flamers.  (Burn !  Cringing Dogs of the false emperor !) and attendant priest for extra Ooompf.

Gunny Harker and the vets.

Coy 2iC, Capt Pundit and her team, along with attendant apostate bishop.  'Cause why wouldn't you ?

The leftovers - a mobbed up platoon of lots of guys with warrior weapons (so digging that rule out for these) or maybe conscripts.

Their leader - freed from a state penitentiary by Chaux Na M'rsee (where she was for serial killing her husbands) now serving the cause of feminism by leading a testosterone fuelled mob of meatheads against the forces of oppression.

So if the SWS ride in the PCS's transport, that's four counts as Chimerae per platoon (16) plus one for each CCS (+2) and one for the Vets (+1) and another for the mortar squad (+1) and another for the autocannon squad (+1).  So that's 21 sets of wheels.  Will I do them all ? Probably not.

SITREP - Drawing together the threads of the campaign as the Imperial Invader lays siege to Xyphonica

Imperial SF infiltrate Xyphonica

The purpose of this post is largely to signpost you to documents (blog posts) illustrating the campaign whilst describing the prevalent situation.  If you enjoy this sort of thing and have a few hours to trawl through the links, pull up a chair. I am, of course, more than happy to entertain any questions which might occur to you as you soak it all up for your Rogue Trader Campaign.... 

The defenders of Xphonica were not numerous enough to engage in open or set piece battles in order to defeat the invaders from Outer Space.  Their tools were based on classic guerrilla tactics – mines and booby traps could be constructed, manufactured and laid in the path of the invader.  Where the blasted and ruined cityscape allowed suitable locations and escape routes, more conventional ambushes could be laid on.  Here the remains of the PDF contributed an organisational model and military professionalism whilst the militia contributed local knowledge and manpower to such enterprises[1].

In the three years since Operation Tranquillity[2], Xyphonica has been subject to a widespread, intensive and effective bombing campaign[3].  Initially, this was more to do with the punishment of the errant government and population of Devos IV but ultimately the rebellion was always going to make a ‘final stand’ in Xyphonica and therefore the bombing did shift to objectively having a military purpose as the defenders slowly fell back.

After the Battle of Chobli[4] the PDF ceased to exist as a formal command structure.  In all of the exercises and war planning, the PDF had always worked on the basis that if the struggle against the invader came down to a city fight in the capital, that they would have fought themselves into the ground; exhausting their fighting power and hopefully exhausting the invader as well[5].  The planning (and extensive preparation) for this endgame had always been to arm the remains of the population and organise them on a local community basis – the remnants of the PDF who had made it back into the city would provide leadership and the militia would provide a bridge between the hard bitten veterans of four years of war and the shell shocked civilians who had spent four years hiding in bomb shelters.

The way the city militia has been organised has always been as a multiple connection network, their drill exercises had always involved using their own organic vox and data networks, whatever public communications networks were available as well as using runners and tunnels to share information and resources.   So this would enable a certain amount of elasticity in the response to any attacks or incursions[6]. 

The PDF’s plan had always been to disperse and fight delaying actions[7] at strong point after strong point, luring invaders in all directions and positioning them for guerrilla attacks from ‘stay behind’ units[8].  Of course this strategy included a lot of things designed to preserve the trained PDF personnel, such as the pre-prepared bunkers of tanks, munitions and fuel and hardened hangers with replacement airframes, munitions and fuel[9].   But the main facet was the well practice command arrangements where, following the first few set piece battles[10], the formations dispersed and the PDF High Command was, in line with its own plan, redundant. 

This had always been a strategy to delay an invader[11].  For thousands of years this basic plan has evolved and been rehearsed and resourced.  It just happens that now is period where the resourcing has provided a fully equipped plan for the current, well drilled, PDF to execute.   The departure from the script is that instead of their saviours coming from Agripinna, that’s where the invasion is coming from.  The hope of relief for those thousands of years has turned out to be the aggressor they were defending against.

Following the interrogation of prisoners by the Commissariat early on the campaign, 72AG knew that the PDF High Command hoped for a negotiated settlement before events spiralled out of control.  However, following the landings on mainland Benq in Operation Lockheart[12], the outlook changed for the worse.  But their plan did give more time, besides, once it was in action, it ended in death or emancipation.  Or both.

Now in this new reality, the plan hasn’t really changed.  What has changed is the addition of a Blood Pact formation in reinforced Brigade strength[13].  The emergence of the Ulatri from the ruins of San Cantor Hive[14], the arrival of Zhufor’s World Eaters, drawn by the promise of Belligera Rex and the emergence of Lord Eidolon’s Emperor’s Children from the shadows[15], possibly the driving force behind the rebellion. 

Of the mortal leaders of the rebellion[16], there is every chance that having carried out Eidolon’s wishes, she has been favoured by Slannesh, certainly the government buildings were overrun by Deamonettes the night after the Battle of Chobli.  There have been no been sightings of Chaux Na M’rsee since.   The Commander in Chief of the PDF, General “Danny Bloodcoat” Horpan[17] has not been seen for over a year.  There is high likelihood that he fell in one of the running battles which characterised the period between the Battles at the Cudlip Lines[18] and the Battle of Chobli.  

When he arrived on Devos IV, Zhufor found the PDF Command Bunker swiftly made sure that the PDF was answerable to him alone.  It is understood that the post invasion cell structure and the preordained sequence of pocket battles and delaying actions, over which the PDF High Command no longer had any influence, might have made him angry.

---

[1] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/reaching-edge-of-xyphonica-conurbation.html

[2] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/tranquility.html

[3] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/late-war-account-from-rebel-side.html

http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/air-war-over-devos-iv.html

[4] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/the-battle-of-chobi-part-1.

http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/the-battle-of-chobli-part-2.

http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/the-battle-of-chobli-from-other-side.html

[5] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-gionvudar-massacre.html

[6] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/into-xyphonica.html

[7] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/reinforce-success-do-not-feed-failure.html

[8] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/operation-dragonfire.html

[9] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/splash-another-bandit.html

[10] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-ibirnan-incident.html

[11] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/after-operation-dragonfire-failed.html

[12] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/operation-lockheart.html

[13] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/pushing-eastwards-across-prairie.html

[14] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/deeper-into-continental-acer-under.html

[15] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/eidolon-fallen-astartes-and-his-bitches.html

[16] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/the-devos-iv-liberation-campaign-so-far.html

[17] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/how-did-it-come-to-this.html

[18] http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/august-apocalypse-one-of-four.html

Loyalist interlude

When Santa gives you wolves, howl.

The lack of focus is supposed to imply a sense of movement.  I'd be delighted to know if you think it works.  I may dirty up the soles of his feet, but that's about it.  He's not that Blue IRL.

Back to my more usual verbosity on Friday.

Blood Pact finally organised.

So you all know that the hijacked transport ship destroyed by the Black Templars dropped off a large number of Blood Pact before being trashed.

I'm anticipating them being a DKK Siege Army list.

Etogaur.  Two bodyguards, bloodmage (counts as momento memori - for the time being) and master vox.

Platoon of three squads.

Platoon of three squads.

Four members of the Death Brigade.  Obviously four grenadiers doesn't fit any DKK codex entry, so another two boxes of scions and I can have two squads of seven... plus one sourced from a bitz site would be three squads of five.  And Centaurs would be kool.

Here we are with the three sentinels and a basilik (obviously an allied detachment).

Not shown are the three VL/Reaper Sledgehammer counts-as-earthshakers, yet to be delivered.  The five terror bird (death) riders.  Left out of these pictures by error.

So they're looking fairly healthy.

Tranche 3:  AT Teams with Tread Fethers plus others, including another command squad for the heavy artillery.

Other randoms as well, so we can crew the Basilisk etc.

Forsaking the Emperor for freedom from oppression and unlimited war crimes.

So that's posts into the new year written.  I've got a special treat waiting for me under the tree, so the next time I write a few posts, maybe Christmas will have passed and there'll be more new stuff. 

PDF 99th Line Infantry Regiment "The Bloodcoats"

Here they are without the copious heavy weapons detachments.  (2 chimera for the vets, 3 thudd guns, 3 Hvy Stubber, 3 Hvy Stubber, 5 Ogryn, 3 Mortars, 3 Mortars, 3 ac, 3 ac.)  The back line are not part of the platoons.  So there's three platoons of three squads.

The spare officers.  A sort of high command for the PDF; I could add at few guys and make a command squad or two for the heavy weapons and the heavy artillery.

CCS with missile launcher and master vox.  Everyone needs a stick with chromed baby's skull on it to point at things with.  That guy does need more work....

There are two melta vet squads, the guys in the Russian internal security uniforms and red berets.

There are three guys in this mode: there could be more of these depending on the future developments with the Death Brigade guys (next post).

The other melta vet squad.  These guys have a chimera each.

But I think this is pretty good core for this unit.  And they all fit in one KR case.  With only a little doubling up. So any further expansion is going to mean breaking into another KR case.  So it could easily comprise of another platoon or two.  Or perhaps four platoons of four. 

 

And this is the weirdvane squad with all it's attendant warp spawned freakiness.  In this layout, that makes the deamonhost model a Primaris Psyker.

Devos IV PDF 13th Mechanised Infantry "The Tigers"

Here they are, three platoons - currently two platoons of two squads and a SWS each.  And one platoon of three squads.  I'd like to equalise these = three platoons of three squads and one SWS each.  These guys have a mortar section somewhere, but should rely on their counts-as-chimeras which they don't yet have for their intimate support.

Straken with a priest and four Heavy Flamers.  Because broken.  Suck it up cringing dogs of the corpse emperor.

Harker and his veterinarian squad - all animals are safe at last.  So missing from this line up are 3 Scount Sentinels, a squad of 10 Rough Riders, the aforementioned 3 mortars and their accompanying 3 Auto cannons.

These guys are gonna need quite a few sets of wheels when I eventually get around to it.

My last note on these is that whilst they look pretty feral, only the sentinels and rough riders actually have any chaos iconography, so they could just be a bunch of uncouth types in a loyalist army, should I ever need them to be....

Stock taking the forces of freedom and self determination.

Hi.

Happy new year.  I like my Iggies and thus creating that stock take list I put up just before Christmas was pretty straight forward as I know more or less who they are and what they are (in list terms).  The forces of freedom and self determination (the renegades and heretics) get, let's face it, a bit less love.

So I had a night without Mrs Z or the little people.  The resulting picts are a bit poor, but hopefully will show the formations in good enough detail for a casual illustration.

Coming up in the next few, written before Christmas posts, we have the PDF 13th Mechanised Infantry (not - Catachans), who at the minute still lack the APCs to fulfil their role.  But that's for the future.  The PDF 99th Line Regt "The Bloodcoats", who have been a part of Devos IV since 2009.  And then the Blood Pact, who are recent addition to the melting pot.

But we start with a mob of mutants (from IA5's heretics and renegades list).

They look suitably weird and variable.  Painted by Mr Lee.

Other single squad units which could go in here include twenty Chaos Hounds (they are in the EoT 'dex), a squad of ten beastmen (IA 7 has these) and some nurgly servitors (counts as plague zombies).  So there's another post for later on when I can actually remember where they are.

Then the Xyphonica Militia (Zovures).  Who were featured earlier in the year.  Functionally, I'd run these as Astra Miliwhat Conscripts in an allied formation or something.  No idea what the "noo roolz" allow, but meh, that's what I've done for ever...

In the infinite monkey cage of our world, enthusiasm can triumph over competence; hey 2016's elections prove that, but possibly not on the battlefields of the 41st millennium.  So this a 21 man speed bump; one heavy stubber and one rouge psyker.

But also, check these out. 

And if you didn't see the MLP space marines.  The news article is here.