Tallarn Desert Raiders
From Lexicanum
| Tallarn Desert Raiders | |
| Branch | Imperial Guard |
| Homeworld | Tallarn |
|---|---|
| Type | Infantry and armoured regiments |
| Role: | Guerrilla warfare, desert combat |
The Tallarn Desert Raiders are the Imperial Guard regiments raised from the bleak desert world of Tallarn.
Contents |
Battle style
The Tallarn are mobile guerrilla fighters, evasive and opportunistic. They are well known for their hard-fighting Sentinel squadrons and are masters of hit-and-run warfare.
Their chief strength lies in their skill in guerrilla warfare, which makes use of various mounts as well as numerous Sentinel squadrons to remain highly mobile on the battlefield, harrying their opponents mercilessly before disappearing into the background. Noted marksmen, Tallarn forces employ a unique style of lasgun which is longer and more fluid in shape than the standard Imperial Guard issue.
Some Tallarn Rough Rider squadrons ride large alien mounts, called Mukaali. These desert-dwelling herbivores are originally indigenous to the vast equatorial deserts of Goru-Prime. Many Mukaali have been transported to other desert worlds, including Tallarn itself, because they are well adapted to arid environments.
History dictates the future, and Tallarn is no exception to this. Following the desecration of their homeworld during the Horus Heresy by the Iron Warriors, the Tallarn have been forced to make use of Mechanised Armour and APC's in order to safely move their infantry across the barren wasteland of their homeworld.
As well as infantry, artillery and armoured companies, it is not uncommon for Tallarn regiments to include one or more patrol companies (sometimes referred to as recon or long range companies).5
Appearance and uniform
Owing to the harsh climate and the constant raging sandstorms of their homeworld, the Tallarn have a distinctive desert combat garb consisting of light, loose cottons, a wraparound head-scarf and canvas boots. They make use of curved knives.
Weapons and equipment
As special weapons, the Tallarn prefer the plasma gun and the missile launcher. Both weapons suit the Tallarn preference for hit and run attacks, and are prized for their ability to deliver a crippling blow as well as for their relative ease of transport.
Notable Desert Raiders Infantry Regiments
| Tallarn 3rd (Desert Tigers) | Fought throughout the Macharian conquests alongside the 4th and 5th Tallarn regiments. Subsequently it was all but destroyed fighting for Warmaster Solon during the Macharian Heresy. On the planet of Kallastin the regiment took part in a hard but successful war against mutant human rebels, receiving a commendation from the Inquisition5.
The 3rd is known to have included a Leman Russ Vanquisher as the first tank of the second squadron and fought at the Defence of Balle Alpha.2a It included at least one tank of Stygies VIII and Gryphonne IV design.2b It also included one Leman Russ Conqueror at the aforementioned Defence of Balle Alpha.2c | ||
| Tallarn 4th & 5th | Macharian Crusade1 | ||
| Tallarn 12th |
Fought in the Cursus War in M401-p30 | ||
| Tallarn 16th (Tallarn XVI) | Fought Eldar on Holon Prime in 762-765.M35. The unwieldy Tallarn Companies were having great difficulty dealing with the speed and flexibility of the aliens. In response to this, one of the commanders, Captain Lurenz, ordered that some of the regiment's Chimeras be lightened by stripping down their armour, giving his raiders a transport that could carry them quickly across the dunes. This proved successful in defeating the Eldar and since the battle, the First Patrol Company of the Tallarn 16th has been known as the "Gravediggers".5 | ||
| Tallarn 17th | 998.M41 An infantry unit assigned to the 4621st Imperial Army, X corps during the Taros Campaign. The regiment had the honour of being the first on the ground after the Space Marines of the Raptors Chapter had destroyed the planets orbital defence facilities. The campaign ultimately ended in failure. The regiment was completely destroyed during the retreat from Tarokeen. Scattered and captured by the Tau, the survivors of the regiment were condemned to work in the mines for the greater good. Those few survivors who made it to the evacuation ships were reassigned to the Tallarn 331st Desert Raiders Regiment.3 Also includes a Thunderer Siege Tank as part of the second, squadron of the second company.2d | ||
| Tallarn 54th | Destroyed by the Steel Confessors for "Failure to complete objectives". | ||
| 82nd Shaytani of the Dust | The 82nd lost about half their number to Orks.6c The remains of the unit were rolled into the 892nd.6a | ||
| Tallarn 89th |
Known to have taken part in the Annukani Campaign in M39.1-p30 Also one of the infantry units assigned to the 4621st Imperial Army, X corps during the Taros Campaign 998.M41. The campaign ended in failure. The regiment was completely destroyed during the retreat from Tarokeen. Scattered and captured by the Tau, the survivors of the regiment were condemned to work in the mines for the greater good. Those few survivors who made it to the evacuation ships were reassigned to the 331st Tallarn Desert Raiders Regiment, a green regiment which completed the campaign relatively unscathed.3 | ||
| Tallarn 101st | Known to include at least one Leman Russ Conqueror, part of either the first or second company. The inconsistency is due to the colour scheme varying from the numbers on the vehicle.2-p56 | ||
| Tallarn 331st | A green infantry unit assigned to the 4621st Imperial Army, X corps during the Taros Campaign 998.M41. The campaign ended in failure. The regiment fared quite well in the retreat from the Imperial capital of Tarokeen. It fell back in good order and was extracted mostly intact. After the conflict the 331st received the survivors of the 17th Tallarn and the 89th Tallarn Desert Raiders regiments as reinforcements. Both of these having been completely destroyed in the campaign.3 | ||
| 351st Derv'sh Blades of the Imperium | The remains of which were rolled into the 892nd.6b | ||
| Tallarn 441st | :The 441st was stationed on the Mortise Line during the Medusa V campaign. The Mortise Line was a heavily fortified trenchline that spanned hundreds of miles from the Cithaeron Plain in the northeast, past Sybilla Tertius Hive to the southwest. It was built to keep out the creatures that inhabit the deserts beyond civilised Medusa V. The 441st Tallarn, then under the command of Lieutenant Krell Kreptmeiser, was based at the section of the Mortise Line due south of the Hive. They were sent along with the 442nd Tallarn into the desert beyond the line to investigate a series of strange reports in the opening days of the campaign. Reports of strange metallic beings and of six limbed beasts not seen in the desert before.4 | ||
| Tallarn 442nd | The Regiment was stationed on the The Mortise Line during the Medusa V campaign. The Mortise Line was a heavily fortified trenchline that spanned hundreds of miles from the Cithaeron Plain in the northeast, past Sybilla Tertius Hive to the southwest. It was built to keep out the creatures that inhabit the deserts beyond civilised Medusa V. The 442nd Tallarn, based at the section of the Mortise Line due south of the Hive were the first to make contact with the strange six limbed beasts not seen in the desert before. These beasts were said to be falling from the sky in ever increasing numbers.4 | ||
| Tallarn 892nd | The 892nd was combined from the remains of two Tallarn units (the 82nd "Shantani of the Dust", and the 351st "Derv'sh Blades of the Imperium").6d The 892nd battled Tyranids on Khadar under the direction of Commissar Rezail. |
Notable Tallarn Armoured Regiments
| Tallarn 3rd Armoured |
A veteran Armoured unit Assigned to the 4621st Imperial Army X corps during the Taros Campaign 998.M41. The campaign ended in failure. The regiment was effectively destroyed having lost all of their combat vehicles and much of their equipment during the retreat. The Tallarn 3rd Armoured Regiment would be reconstituted in the aftermath with the survivors of the 3rd Tallarn Armoured and the 12th Tallarn Armoured Regiment.3 During the defence of Balle Alpha, Chimeras of Gryphonne IV design with heavy bolters were used.2-p115
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| Tallarn 12th Armoured | The Tallarn 12th Armoured Regiment are a veteran armoured unit assigned to the 4621st Imperial Army, X corps during the Taros Campaign 998.M41. The campaign ended in failure. The regiment was effectively destroyed having lost all of their combat vehicles and much of their equipment during the retreat. The survivors would be folded into the 3rd Tallarn Armoured Regiment.3
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| Tallarn 17th Armoured3 | (No Data) | ||
| Tallarn 101st Armoured3 | See Attached Link >>
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| Tallarn 193rd Armoured3 | (No Data) | ||
| Tallarn 9th Heavy Tank Regiment | 947.M41The 9th Tallarn Armoured Regiment is known as "The Blue Devils". Their tanks, primarily of Baneblade class, are painted desert yellow with a sky blue camouflage. The regiment markings consist of vertical white-blue-white bands on the front quarter of the sides of the tank. The blue is often in a dark regal blue, but this fades over time. Blue and white check patterns are also seen on tanks. Commanders will ride in the turret, exposed to obtain a better view of the battlefield, and wave their curved chainswords to inspire their men to greater acts of courage.The most famous of the Tallarn 9th tanks belongs to the commander of A Squadron, Major Al'Biram and the Baneblade is named 'Iron Duke'. All other tanks of the 9th begin with the letter "I", and include "Indefatigable", "Ingenious", "Imperious", and "Itzhak"[Needs Citation]. The third vehicle of the second squadron is a Mars pattern Baneblade.2-p85 | ||
| Tallarn 17th Heavy Tank Company | The 17th Heavy Company contains a Stormsword and is the fifth vehicle of the company. The company is attached to the Tallarn 101st Armoured Regiment and it has an eagle's head honour badge for when the 101st led the assault on the Palace of Tears.2-p109 |
Famous Tallarn Desert Raiders
- Al'rahem - A captain of the Tallarn 3rd.
- Prince Iban (Turk) Salid - Battalion Commander of the 892nd (and former Commander of the 82nd).
- Colonel Nisri Dakar - Commander of the 829nd (and former Commander of the 351st).
Sources
- 1:Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex)
- 2:Imperial Armour: Volume One - Imperial Guard & Imperial Navy
- a:p.34; b:p.39; c:p.58; d:p.76
- 3:Imperial Armour: Volume Three - Taros Campaign
- 4:Medusa V World wide Campaign
- 5:http://uk.games-workshop.com/imperialguard/tallarns/1/ (Tallarn Desert Raiders, by Rick Priestley)
- 6:Desert Raiders (Novel) by Lucien Soulban.
- a: p.14; b: p.15 c: p.16; dp.18
