Macharian Crusade IG Regiment Challenge - June '08
I ended up sending the model to the BoLS guys to do with as they please. Though I do wonder what ever became of him. I have to say that I'm pleased my painting skills have improved somewhat since then.
Self-named The Scourge, and labeled “Red Devils” by Imperial forces, these enigmatic forces presented a considerable threat to Third Army Group perimeter and reconnaissance forces for the duration of the Macharian crusade in the Ghost Worlds region. Scourge forces struck rapidly utilizing highly fluid tactics which consistently demoralized the more rigid Imperial troops through the use of insidiously clever ambush and hit-and-run guerrilla tactics; generally preferring to strike at night or in poor weather conditions. Advanced liquid propellant-based projectile weapons, which made a distinctive low-frequency thwumph sound and X-shaped red-orange muzzle flash when fired, only served to add to the elusive adversaries' mystique and further unsettle the outclassed guardsmen. Specifics regarding troop disposition, motivation and origins were never significantly discerned as Scourge infantry were morbidly adept at discovering creative means of suicide to avoid interrogation. The ultimate fate of Scourge forces after the crusade remains unknown; though haunting regional tales persist of unidentified raiders striking fringe settlements and unwary patrols without warning, leaving only the corpses of their victims as evidence of passage as they seemingly vanish back into the ether.
Doctrines: Die-Hards, Drop Troops, Sharpshooters, Carapace Armor
Preferred Weapon: Liquid propellant-based sabot projectile cannon (lascannon equivalent)
Original Background:
Shrouded deep within the Segmentum Pacificus and separated from the Imperium of Man for some five thousand years, few could claim surprise at the proud inhabitant’s of Adrantis V refusal to bend to the will of the Macharial Crusade when the Third Crusade Army Group under the command of General Tarka mustered around the planet and demanded fealty to the Immortal Emperor. The Andranti’s incredibly advanced technology coupled with a philosophy which venerated knowledge and held religion and superstition in disdain gave the inhabitants of Adrantis valid reason to believe the technologically-backwards fleet which settled into high orbit above them posed only a marginal threat.
Attempts at planetary bombardment were utterly thwarted by Adranti planetary defense batteries, and beachheads were hard-fought and even harder won as regardless of the Imperial Guard’s superior numbers, the Adranti possessed the advantages of both superior technology and familiarity of terrain. Adranti troops initiated a highly effective campaign of hit-and-run assaults, decimating Guard supply and command structures, and seeding paranoia amongst the Guard rank-and-file. The conflict quickly degenerated from stalemate to quagmire from the Guard perspective.The Macharian High Command grew increasingly impatient at Tarka’s lack of results and apparent inability to bring the Adrantians under the yoke of Imperial rule. Pressured to produce and frustrated with the stagnant conflict, Tarka sealed Adranti V’s fate as he ordered the re-orientation of celestial body AS-327a to ensure the comet’s revised route intersected with the planet.
Even in the face of certain annihilation at the hands of Tarka's redirected comet, a significant portion of the Adranti forces continued their desperate assault against retreating guardsmen to both stall Imperial evacuation (thereby inflicting additional casualties on those unlucky enough to remain) and permit their own attempt at civilian evacuation, regardless of the futility of the effort. 395M41 brought an end to the Adranti conflict as AS-327a breached the upper atmosphere, evaporating it in a millisecond, and careened into the hapless planet… the verdant rainforests and majestic city spires obliterated in a maelstrom of flame and pressure waves.
While an indescribable multitude of Adranti ships were destroyed attempting the frantic run against Tarka's blockade, an undisclosed number of vessels managed to slip out-system. The ultimate fate of these escapees remains unknown; though haunting regional tales persist of organic-looking "ghost ships" striking without warning and leaving only the venting hulks of their victims as evidence of passage as they vanish back into the ether.
Adranti troops utilized highly flexible protective fatigue of unknown manufacture and material. Composed of a loosely fitting cloth-like garment, augmented with ultra-lightweight molded plates at critical locations such as torso and groin, this armor possessed characteristics similar to the Imperial Guard’s Carapace armor while permitting the wearing to retain close to 100% maneuverability. Unlike Carapace armor, troop endurance and stamina remained virtually unaffected when worn in the field for extended periods of time.
Standard Adranti infantry-level weapon technology appears to have been based upon the utilization of a semi-viscous and stable liquid accelerant which became volatile only upon the application of electrical current. The liquid was introduced to the firing chamber via nozzle and current was applied to the chamber through diodes; with the resultant reaction propelling caseless multi-flechette or high velocity sabot ammunition. While the Adranti rifle possessed remarkably similar characteristics to the standard-issue Imperial lasrifle in terms of range and stopping power, the weapon was purportedly more refined and simplistic in design, allowing for considerable advantages in ease of operation, reliability and maintenance. There also exists some speculation that the Adranti weapon possessed higher inherent accuracy due to advanced manufacture techniques. Representatives of both the Adeptus Mechanus and Ordo Obsuletus collected samples of the Adranti rifles during the conflict, though it is unknown if any examples of the technology survive to this day.
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