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Armageddon Steel Legion

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Uniform Basic Data Miniature
ArmageddonGuardsman.jpg
- Armageddon Steel Legion -
Homeworld: Armageddon
Regiment Name: Armageddon Steel Legion
Specialities: Armoured & Anti-Ork Warfare
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The Armageddon Steel Legion are the Imperial Guard Regiments native to the Hive World of Armageddon. True to its name, Armageddon has been the site of three massive battles in the history of the Imperium, most recently a pair of invasions by the Ork Warboss Ghazghkull Thraka. As a result, the armies of Armageddon are very skilled in fighting Orks.[1]


Organization

Soldiers of the Steel Legion in combat with Orks on Armageddon[16]

The Steel Legion operates mainly on Armageddon and the planets of its surrounding system. They operate primarily against Orks, as they have gained experience fighting against them during the Third War for Armageddon.[Needs Citation]

Much like the Death Korps Grenadiers, the Storm Troopers of the Armageddon Steel Legion are fully part of their own regiments and homeworld. The only noticeable difference is that they are instead split into divisions, this allows them to assist different companies of regular guardsmen during high-risk missions or on important campaigns. Steel Legion Storm Troopers pride themselves on being their regiment's finest soldiers, and whilst distant from regular guardsmen, they are still shown a great deal of respect within the Legion, whose rank and file members rightly consider them to be the "best of the best". Steel Legion Storm Troopers are armed with powerful Hellguns that are attached to notably heavy, thrumming power generators. They are also known to wear the Legion's iconic re-breather masks and don thick, ochre coloured trench-coats over their Carapace Armour.[8]

Regimental Structure

Each regiment raised on Armageddon is composed of twelve companies, typically a mix of infantry, armour, artillery and mechanised infantry. Infantry and mechanised infantry companies consist of a command section, a fire support platoon with 10 heavy weapons teams, and three infantry platoons of 50 soldiers each, including 5 heavy weapons teams. At full strength a company would have 175 soldiers, though casualties suffered during battle will quickly reduce this.[2a] Tank and artillery companies consist of a command vehicle and three squadrons or batteries of three vehicles each.[2a] Super-heavy tank companies are composed of three super-heavy vehicles.[2b]

Additional units can also be attached to a company to function as part of their organic structure. These include a fire support platoon, an infantry platoon, a tank squadron, a Hellhound squadron, a Griffon battery, a Hydra flak tank, and/or a two-man Sniper or Ogryn team. Normal practice limits companies to three such attachments, and never more than one of each type.[2b]

Additional support units can be attached to regiments on an as-needed basis, normally restricted a maximum of two support formations per company.[2b] These attached units can include Rough Rider and Steel Legion Storm Trooper platoons, the latter often riding in four Valkyries per platoon; three-vehicle Hydra flak batteries and four-vehicle Sentinel squadrons; four-craft Vulture Gunship squadrons; and even Deathstrike Missile batteries, with two Deathstrike Missile Launchers per battery.[2b]

Recruitment & Training

The Armageddon Steel Legion are recruited from the planet Armageddon and are trained under standard Imperial Guard methods.[Needs Citation]

Combat Doctrine

The Steel Legion regiments are primarily Mechanized Infantry, and Armageddon produces many armoured fighting vehicles for the Imperium, such as Chimera APCs. This allows them to launch rapid attacks in which the Chimeras overrun enemy lines before the infantry disembarks to finish them off. Regiments are sometimes supported by Conscript Platoons and Ratling snipers.[Needs Citation]

The mechanized regiments of the Steel legion are extremely mobile and can be shifted within the shortest time to the front or to support a threatened front section.[Needs Citation]

Equipment

Guardsmen of the Steel Legion wear a uniform of mustard yellow greatcoat, heavy boots and gloves, gas-masks and rounded bowl helmets over black fatigues. This is however only the most commonly seen uniform and uniform presumably varies slightly between regiments as with all Imperial Guard.[Needs Citation]

The Armageddon Steel Legion make use of Grenade Launchers and Missile Launchers. The preferred armoured vehicles are Leman Russ Battle Tanks, with Vanquishers serving as command vehicles, though they are known to include a few Leman Russ Executioners.[5a] Artillery is usually Basilisks, Bombards and Manticores, while super-heavy vehicles are typically Baneblades and Shadowswords.[2a]

Notable Campaigns


Notable Regiments

Infantry

Regiment Notes
Ash Wastes Militia Known to have fought in the Third War for Armageddon[Needs Citation]
9th Fought in the Second War for Armageddon under Colonel Kerschlact.[9]
11th Fought in the Second War for Armageddon.[9]
16th Known as the 'Tank-Stormers' for their lightning-fast attack patterns.[10] Famous for putting down the Cassell Rebellion in less than six hours.[9]
34th Third War for Armageddon - One of the regiments that served in defense of Hive Helsreach.[8k]
47th One of the many regiments that served in the Third War for Armageddon.[1]
50th Fought in the Second War for Armageddon.[9]
51st Third War for Armageddon - One of the regiments that served in defense of Hive Helsreach.[8k]
61st Fought in the Third War for Armageddon.[8h]
68th Third War for Armageddon - One of the regiments that served in defense of Hive Helsreach.[8f]
81st An Assault Legion. Fought in the Second War for Armageddon, where they were involved in a suicidal orbital landing to reclaim Hive Infernus. The survivors were subordinated to the 9th Steel Legion.[9]
87th Hydra Flak Tanks of this Regiment were assigned to protect the 1st Company. It is fought during the Hive Acheron attack in one of the wars for Armageddon.[5c]
91st Third War for Armageddon - One of the regiments that served in defence of Hive Helsreach.[8d]
93rd The 93rd Steel Legion is known to have taken part in the Third War for Armageddon, in the defence of Hive Infernus[14] and fighting at the Mannheim Gap.[6]
101st Third War for Armageddon - One of the regiments that served in defence of Hive Helsreach.[8b]
116th Third War for Armageddon - One of the many regiments that served in the defence of Armageddon.[2c]
141st

Third War for Armageddon - The 141st fought in the defence of Palonious where they suffered heavy casualties. They were eventually reinforced by the Salamanders chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. During the battle around the Eumenides bridge the regiment was all but destroyed by a large body of Orks from the Blackskulls tribe as they migrated out of the Diablo mountain range. With the assistance of the Salamanders the bridge was saved and the Orks pushed back to the mountains. The remnants of the regiment were used to reinforce the 252nd Regiment.[3]

238th In this Regiment fought the famous Chimera which was later attached to Inquisitor Umbra Nox and after his death - to Witch Hunter Skour, having passed in this way through countless generation of Inquisitors.[13]
273rd Known as the "Steel Vultures". Third War for Armageddon - One of the regiments that served in the defence of Hive Helsreach.[8c]
276th

Third War for Armageddon - The 276th fought in the ash wastes where, in 963.M41, the Third company discovered the remains of a shattered Ork Gargant from the Second War for Armageddon and secured it with the help of Fourth company in the face of heavy Ork counterattacks.[4]

302nd Took part in the Octarius War[18]
303rd Took part in the Octarius War[18]
339th Third War for Armageddon - The 339th earned its title, "The Iron Heads" during the battle for the tank forges of Hive Tempestora during the war. So massive was the factory that the entire tank battle was fought within. At one point the 339th held a line demarcated by a long conveyor belt against an Ork attack and the assembly line continued to function despite the pitched battle that took place around it. At the height of the battle the entire regiment was mounted in Chimeras that had just rolled off the assembly line. The 339th then made a mechanized assault along the length of the factory, smashing through the Orks.[7]
473rd Took part in the Third War of Armageddon. Sacrificed itself to stall Chaos advance during the Battle of Hive Thoraddis under Colonel Berkant.[24]
703rd Third War for Armageddon - One of the storm-trooper regiments that served in defense of Hive Helsreach.[8g]
808th Serving on the Spinward Front[11]


Steel Legion Armoured Divisions

Regiment Notes
34th Third War for Armageddon - One of the regiments that served in defense of Hive Helsreach.[8k]
121st Steel Legion Armoured Division Third War for Armageddon - One of the armoured regiments that served in defense of Hive Helsreach.[8i]
199th Steel Legion Armoured Division Third War for Armageddon - One of the armoured regiments that served in defense of Hive Helsreach.[8e]
233rd Steel Legion Armoured Division Third War for Armageddon - One of the armoured regiments that served in defense of Hive Helsreach.[8j]
8th Super Heavy Tank Company A Super Heavy Tank Company. This company was originally equipped with Stormsword super heavy tanks, one of which was the ninth of the company.[5b] This company was heavily engaged in fighting around Hive Infernus before being destroyed.[12]


Notable Members

Images

Miniatures Range

See also

Sources

Uncited