Battle Book (1995) Chaos Lore

[MolotovKraken]

ASSAULT SQUADS

On the bloody battlefields of the 41st Millennium, specialised units surge forward. ahead of the main armies to secure strongpoints and winkle out the enemy from prepared positions. These are the assault troops, dedicated warriors whose task is to close with the enemy and overcome them in hand-to hand combat

A close assault can be one of the most spectacular and devastating attacks in Warhammer 40,000. Properly equipped assault troops quickly chop their way through hordes of ordinary warriors, and are particularly effective against those encumbered by heavy weapons. Even mighty battle tanks such the Land Raider and Predator are vulnerable to close assault, and in many situations the best way to dig a determined and well equipped foe out of their positions is by close assault. This is particularly the case in missions such as Dawn Raid or and Take and Hold where all the firepower in the world is not going to get you across the battlefield to where you need to be. Also, troops which suffer broken morale in Warhammer 40,000 have a nasty habit of ducking down behind cover until they rally. Assault troops will quickly drive off or kill such skulkers before they get a chance to rally, earning more victory points for you and clearing they way to annihilate the rest of the enemy force.

Space Marine assault troops are among the toughest in any force because they have a unique combination of excellent characteristics; high weapon and ballistic skills, exceptional toughness, good intiative and excellent leadership make them more than a match for most opponents. Add to this the Space Marines’ power armour and special skills and it soon becomes apparent that Space Marines make deadly opponents.

Of course this doesn’t mean that other races don’t have their own close assault specialists. The Eldar have Harlequins, Striking Scorpion aspect warriors and the much feared Howling Banshee aspect warriors. The Imperial Guard have Rough Riders and Ogryns. Chaos have their fearsome daemonic troops. All Squats are excellent hand to hand combat troops by nature. Tyranids and Genestealers are the very epitomy of a close assault army and Orks can field hordes of Goff Boyz, Nobz and Boarboyz to sweep away the most dogged defence.

 

[MolotovKraken]

ADEPTUS ARBITES

The Adeptus Arbites are the keepers of the Imperium’s laws and watchdogs of the far-flung empire of humanity. The Imperium is an organisation where rebellion and defiance of the Imperial will are Crimes Against Humanity. The Arbitrators are the grim and uncompromising reminder of the Imperium’s presence which no planetary governor can ignore. They cannot be bought off or threatened or corrupted or negotiated with. Indeed the Adeptus Arbites goes to a great lengths to ensure that those recruited into their ranks do not serve on their own homeworlds nor anywhere within a dozen light years of home. They do not communicate with the citizenry unless absolutely necessary and only leave their great fortress-precincts on official business.

Should a planet revolt against the Imperium the Arbitrators will be the first to go into battle against the traitors. More often than not a rebellious governor will order the destruction of the Adeptus Arbites precinct on his planet as his first treachery and a great battle will break out between rebel planetary defence forces and the besieged Arbites. The one-sided struggle of a few hundred against an entire world should not last long and the result would seem inevitable but the Judges are well trained in their task and always ready.

During the rebellion of Ichar IV the Arbitrators held their precinct for twenty seven days before finally escaping via a secret tunnel and capturing four of the hive's power generators. These they held for a further six days before destroying them as the last of the judge's positions was overrun. When the Ultramarines Chapter of Space Marines arrived to crush the rebellion they found twenty percent of the planets ground defences inoperative and successfully staged a drop directly into the core hive, shortening the whole campaign by two months.

In truth the Arbitrators need only to hold out until their astropath has transmitted a message summoning help. Mobile fleets of Arbitrators stand in constant readiness to answer the call of their precincts and bring retribution upon the transgressors of the Emperors laws. Beyond them the entire might of the Imperium can be called upon with Space Marine Chapters and the Imperial Guard prepared to quell the fiercest rebellion.

Equally the Arbitrators stand ready to fight against the foes of humanity in the case of Genestealer infestation, Chaos incursion or alien attack. The well armed and rigorously trained Arbitrators make excellent troops and Squads of Judges can add vital backbone to the planetary defence forces. It is ironic that planetary governors who may have plotted against the Imperium for years are always the first to squeal for help when the Orks arrive.

 

[MolotovKraken]

ARBITES TROOPS ON THE BATTLEFIELD

The forces of the Adeptus Arbites are deliberately better equipped than those of either Planetary Defence forces or the Imperial Guard to discourage attack. Every Arbitrator 's equipped with a complete suit of carapace armour giving them a saving roll of 4, 5 or 6 on a D6. All Arbitrators also carry a bolt pistol as their standard side arm.

Beyond this basic equipment the specific armament of Arbitrator squads varies according io their mission. The most common armament for patrol groups, execution teams and snatch squads is either standard boltguns or the specially designed Arbites Combat Shotgun. Arbites shock troops are frequently deployed as heavy assault troops and carry the much feared Power maul and Suppression shield.

One member of the five man Arbitrator squad ts usually armed with a special weapon drawn from the extensive precinct armouries. The most common choice is 1 grenade launcher as this offers the greatest tactical flexibility. Arbites squads also have access to a range of special grenade types such as photon flash, scare and choke, which are invaluable for crowd suppression and the capture of criminals. these have also proved very potent against poorly equipped opponents such as Orks and Gretchin. Chaos cultists and Genestealer broodbrothers.

Because of their heavy armour and (if armed with Arbites Combat Shotguns) their potent short ranged firepower Arbites squads are most useful at short ranges in dense terrain, either attacking enemy held positions or defending key points. ‘They excel in street fighting where their small squad size enables them to make best use of available cover. Arbites squads are very hard to shift at the best of times and they can fight off the fiercest assaults with sufficient heavy weapons support.

 

[MolotovKraken]

HOLD THE LINE

The time for war had come again. Once more the calm of the Dome of Crystal Seers must be abandoned for the clamour of battle. If he had been younger he might have bemoaned this passing of tranquillity, or felt some self pity for his burden — but no longer. Now Eldrad Ulthran, Farseer of Ulthwé, saw only his duty — to guide the Eldar to the safest of the many possible threads of destiny,

The visions had started as a mere glimmer of unease but now they were painful in their intensity. Soon, very soon now, a rift would open in the warp. A tear would appear in the very fabric of space, and through it would pour foul Chaos legions of the most unspeakable abominations to kill and maim and despoil. They would fall upon the Imperial colony of Dabentar IV and destroy every living thing.

Whatever the twisted reasoning of the Chaos gods, this insignificant little colony was the key to a great disaster. Stop Chaos here-and they would be halted for decades, fail and they would conquer a hundred planets.

He had seen it on Haran many years ago, when the gods of Chaos encroached upon the worlds of real space. From the warp they had come to ravage the colonies of the Exodite Lords. Eldrad had foreseen their attack and the hastily summoned Eldar fought desperately to push the twisted Chaos hordes back through the rift and into the warp. Victory belonged to the Eldar but at a terrible cost and since that time, the shattered planet had been known as Haranshemash — the world of blood and tears.

He had gone in person to the Imperial Governor but it had all been in vain. Eldrad had spoken of the great danger but the fool had just laughed in his face. “Chaos is just a myth, old man” he had said. Plainly he did not understand.

Yet while the Imperial Governor blindly led his people over the edge of the Blackest abyss, Eldrad clung to the hope that the disaster could be averted. The Imperial forces were strong and could defeat the might of Chaos if they were alerted in time. If they were not prepared for war they would be overrun before they had a chance to muster.

How could he make them listen? How could he force them to defend themselves? ff they did nothing they would be butchered even before they lifted their weapons. The answer was a desperate one and one which Eldrad had striven to avoid, but there was no choice — he would attack the planet himself. It didn’t matter if the Imperial forces were there to defend from Eldar aggression or from the dark creatures of the warp. All that mattered was that the forces of Chaos were met with the strongest armies wherever they attacked. This was the only way.

The Eldar attack had been swift and precise, overrunning the defences on a small peninsula, Across the neck of this land was an ancient line of bunkers and forts whose sturdy armoured sides were a reminder of past wars. Attack after attack failed to dislodge the Eldar from their well protected position and in panic the Governor had pleaded for the aid of the Space Marines.

Battle Companies of the Space Wolves and Uliramarines Chapters answered the call. These Space Marines would make the next attack. No Eldar could stand before the might of the Emperor's finest warriors.

As the early morning light broke over the distant mountains, Eldrad gazed over the field before him. They were coming, he thought, the Space Marines were coming... and soon too was Chaos.