Imperial Guard

The Imperial Guard

The Imperial Guard forms the mainstay of the Emperor's fighting forces, and at any one time there are thousands of regiments fighting across hundreds of battlezones all across the galaxy. Drawn from almost every world in the Imperium, the Imperial Guard is an incredibly diverse military organisation. Although all Imperial Guardsmen are well drilled in battlecraft, for an Inquisitor a man must have a special gift to make him truly useful, and this is most commonly found amongst the most Veteran units in the Imperial Guard.

Such Veterans are born survivors, having lived on when hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of others have died. Not only that, they possess an adaptability which is very useful to an Inquisitor who will travel to many different worlds and face all manner of foes. Although their individual skills may vary widely, a commonly found trait in a Veteran is the ability to forage and scavenge anything needed to survive, including looting enemy corpses. This can give them a very outlandish and rag-tag appearance, as their original uniforms and battlegear have often been added to or replaced over many campaigns with pieces of armour, stolen weapons and improvised wargear.

Veterans tend to be superstitious to a large extent, and it is not uncommon for them to carry trophies and other good luck charms, ranging from heads, hands and ears of their defeated foes to looted objects which seem apparently ordinary but for the Veteran contain some special measure of good luck or the Emperor's protection - trinkets such as necklaces of spent shell cases, holy icons, pieces of alien flora or fauna and other baubles which are attributed with powers to ensure the Veteran's continued survival.

Although a Veteran may possess a considerable array of looted weaponry, most still carry their trusty lasgun or laspistol. These weapons are built with durability and ease of maintenance in mind, and will often continue to work long after rarer and more complex weapons, such as bolters, plasma pistols and melta guns have ceased to function.

Not all Veterans are wholly sane, or even wholly men any more. Many suffer from severe battle psychosis to the extent that they hunger for battle, while others are haunted, paranoid individuals who believe that somewhere out there is the bullet or las bolt destined for them. The more dubious Imperial Commanders do not think twice about subjecting their Guardsmen to atrocities which would be considered barbaric by many, such as forced addiction to certain combat drugs, or the implantation of adrenal and endochrinal glands that turn the Veteran into a frenzied killing machine. In the most horrendous instances, the Veteran may have undergone such traumas that they are completely unhinged and unsuitable for normal service - tales abound of platoons forced to eat their dead comrades or starve; of being isolated for years at a time under continuous shelling until they are half-blind and deaf; of seeing alien and Chaotic monstrosities so hideous that they defy sanity.

Even those crippled in service can be recruited by the Inquisition, using their resources to fit them with bionics to replace shattered limbs and corrupted organs so that they may once again fight for the Emperor.

Years of strict discipline and adherence to the chain of command makes Imperial Guard Veterans ideal tools for an Inquisitor. The horrors of war and years of following orders have long since erased any thoughts of mercy or compassion and expunged the slightest trace of guilt or conscience. Veterans know that as long as they follow orders, they themselves are innocent of any sin they may commit.

Such men will follow orders to the letter, and an Inquisitor needs such ruthless and merciless servants on occasion; men who will fire on innocents if necessary, who will not baulk at killing the young, old and infirm if they are a threat. Alien domination, daemonic possession and heresy has no respect for those it affects, and an Inquisitor and his followers must be prepared to do whatever is necessary to overcome it.

Imperial Guard Veteran Characters

Equipment: Imperial Guard Veterans can pick up all sorts of things during their battles, but they are unlikely to have Exotic or Legendary equipment.

Pathfinders

Pathfinders are highly sort after by members of the Inquisition. Their ability to track, snipe and scout unnoticed has its obvious advantages for Inquisitors. The majority of pathfinders under the employ of Inquisitors will be sequestered from Imperial Guard regiments famous for their scouts, such as the Catachan Devils or the Headhunters of Mortant. This is not always the case as more tribal stock also has good trackers that are used by the Inquisition such as the Ratskins of Necromunda.

Wherever they originate, pathfinders are specialised warriors that Inquisitors will always find a use for them whether its tracking heretics or fleeing or hunting aliens.

Imperial Guard Pathfinders Characters

Equipment: This can vary depending on the character's background. However most Pathfinders will fight unseen and from a distance, so a long range weapon such as a sniper rifle is not uncommon.

Special Abilities: Detection - Pathfinders have an innate ability to instinctively know where the enemy is, whether this is a latent psychic power or just having the ability to notice broken branches and hidden footprints depends on the Character. In any case detection works exactly as described on page 57 of the Inquisitor rulebook.

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New Miniatures from Imperial Guard