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Cadian Shock Troopers

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- Cadian Shock Troopers -
Homeworld: Cadia (Formerly)
Regiment Name: Cadian Shock Troopers
Specialities: Discipline, Marksmanship
Cadian8thStandard.JPG


The Cadian Shock Troopers are Regiments of the Astra Militarum originally from the fortress world of Cadia before its destruction. Located at the edge of the Eye of Terror, Cadia formed the first line of defence against Chaos incursions, such as the Black Crusades. Because of this, Cadia was one of the most strategically important planets in the Galaxy, and the entire population was militarized to some degree.[4a]

Though their home planet was utterly sundered, the resolve of the Cadians has not been broken. Veteran survivors of the last battle for Cadia, along with regiments of their kinsmen scattered across war zones throughout the galaxy, now fight even more doggedly against the enemies of the Imperium. Whole generations of Shock Troopers are born, raised and trained en route to war zones, and soldiers from other worlds with the mettle to withstand Cadian training are inducted into their ranks. The mantra ‘Cadia Stands’, which was oft repeated during the planet’s final violent days, has gained purchase within the officer corps and amongst the platoons. For Cadia does indeed stand, as long as a single Cadian soldier continues to fight.[14b]

The Cadians are widely regarded as some of the best troops in the Imperium, short of the Space Marines themselves.[1][2]

Ursarkar E. Creed and the Cadian 8th at the Battle of Tyrok Fields.

Recruitment and training

As a fortress world, the entire population of Cadia is under arms. Cadian children are taught to strip, assemble and shoot a Lasgun before they are taught how to write.[4a] As soon as they are of age, every Cadian teenager is inducted into the Youth Armies, organized into Whiteshield platoons and trained under grueling conditions at a castellum. When not in combat alongside the Shock Troopers these Youth Armies fight mock battles against each other in the Cadian wilderness. The best and most promising of these cadets are selected for special training, eventually joining the elite Kasrkin Storm Troopers.[5e]

Additionally, one out of every ten Cadian soldiers, regardless of their abilities or achievements, are inducted into the Cadian Interior Guard. For this reason many excellent soldiers serve their entire military service on Cadia, making the planet's defense forces one of the best military organizations in the entire Imperium.[5a]

Cadian training emphasizes strength, stamina, marksmanship, self-sacrifice and above all discipline. Every challenge and exercise undertaken during basic training is performed in groups of squad-size or larger, with success possible only when the team operates effectively together.[4b] As such, Cadian regiments tend to have a higher number of veterans than other regiments and every Cadian soldier is considered a formidable marksman.[4a][5c] Cadian nobles are raised from birth to be officers and are trained in the dictates of the Tactica Imperium to become excellent tacticians and strategists.[4a][5c] For Cadians though the notion of allowing officer training to take place in the stuffy halls of academia is anathema to them, a waste of potential material in a region wracked by endless war. Instead those who show leadership abilities during their stint as a Whiteshield can be transferred to one of Cadia's renowned officer training corps and receive their education on the frontlines.[12a]

Cadian Officer[13]

Equipment

Shock Trooper with Grenade Launcher

As a heavily industrialized and militarized planet, Cadia is able to supply the Shock Troopers with the finest equipment available. Their uniforms are camouflaged to suit the various terrains found in the Cadian wilderness.[4a] The M36 Kantrael lasrifle, the stock lasgun of the Shock Troopers, is noted for its robustness compared to other lasgun marks.[4b] The standard Cadian Mark VIII tri-dome helmet [16] and mark XI re-breather allows Shock Troopers to withstand poison and gas attacks, as well as plague weapons, and permit limited operation within an airless environment.[3b] Officers are also noted for wearing a distinctive gorget used to contain refractor field generators.[3b] Cadian-pattern Grenade Launchers are the preferred squad support weapon of Cadian infantry,[3c] a twenty-round drum-fed weapon which fires 40mm Frag and Krak grenades with considerable recoil,[11c] while autocannons are favored among heavy weapon squads.[3c] A short, twin-edged sabre known as a hanger is also known to be used.[15]

Sentinels, especially the Cadian-pattern Sentinel, as well as Hellhounds are used for a variety of roles, while Chimeras are the standard personnel carrier.[5c] For armour support the Cadians favour the Leman Russ Battle Tank and Demolisher variant, though they also make use of the Vanquisher, Conqueror, and Executioner.[9] More rare vehicles include the Destroyer Tank Hunter.[6a] Super-heavy vehicles include the Baneblade, Shadowsword Stormblade and Stormsword.[9][6b][6c][6d] Salamander Scout and Command vehicles are also used for reconnaissance,[7] while Basilisks, Griffons, Medusa Siege Tanks and Manticores provide artillery support.[7][6e][6f] Anti-aircraft duty is fulfilled by Hydra Flak Tanks and Manticore variants, while static weapon systems include the Tarantula[6g] and other Weapons Platforms. Support functions such as vehicle recovery or resupply are fulfilled by dedicated vehicles including the Trojan and Atlas.[9]

Relics of the Cadian Shock Troopers

Organization

Cadian Sniper

The primary Cadian regiment, known as a Shock Trooper regiment, is a combined-arms force which integrates a mixture of arms and equipment, from artillery to heavy armour, although other more dedicated types of regiments exist as well, including armoured, artillery, mechanised and reconnaissance.[12b]

Cadian regiments are organized around a core of companies, anywhere from two to thirty depending on a variety of factors when it was raised; for example the Cadian 91st, raised in response to the 13th Black Crusade, numbered ten companies and was considered a small Cadian unit,[11a] while the storied Cadian 8th numbered twenty-four.[3a] Infantry companies, normally between one to four hundred men each, are led by a command squad and consists of between two to six platoons, as well as any additional support units attached to the company,[11] such as a squadron of Sentinels and a Sentry Gun battery.[8] Each platoon will be led by its own command squad and consist of between two to six squads.[11a] Normal infantry squads are given a unique three-digit identifier, while command squads use a two-digit number with a central skull motif; special veteran or Kasrkin squads use a three-digit number beginning with one or two zeros.[3b] In some infantry regiments, the heavy weapons and infantry are segregated, in which case every fourth company is a dedicated Heavy Weapons Company,[9] while in others they are intermixed, such as one heavy weapons platoon per company or one heavy weapons squad per platoon.[7][8] Armoured companies are typically composed of three squadrons of three vehicles and a command vehicle.[9] Super-heavy tank companies are composed of four vehicles.[6i] However, the sizes of each unit is not fixed in place and can change drastically in times of war, a necessary feature inherit in the flexible command structure.[11a]

TO&E of the 114th Cadian (Mechanized)

In addition to its core units, support formations can be attached to the regiment to give it additional capabilities: when the 114th Cadian Regiment deployed during the Taros Campaign, it included an artillery brigade, a Storm Trooper platoon, a Sentinel company and a Recon company.[7] A Colonel typically commands a regiment, assisted by a command platoon and any other Departmento Munitorum officials including Commissars.[11] In addition to the normal headquarters staff the regiment can include other noncombat support units such as logistics, medical and signals companies.[7]

Noteworthy Engagements

Cadian regiments have been involved in many engagements, both on and off their homeworld.

Notable Cadian Shock Trooper Regiments

Cadian Shock Troopers in various garb[14b]
Main article: List of Cadian Trooper Regiments

Notable Armoured Regiments

Main article: List of Cadian Armoured Regiments

Notable Cadian Shock Troopers

Quotes

  • "Any Cadian who can't field-strip his own lasgun by age ten was born on the wrong planet." – Anonymous[4a]
  • "If it was a miracle then it was a Kantrael short-pattern nineteen-megathule Lasrifle miracle" — General Karnow following the 122nd Cadian's victory at Vogen[5c]

Images

  • 2nd Edition Cadian Shock Trooper Squad[25c]

  • Cadian Officers[25a]

  • Cadian Command Squad[25a]

  • Cadian Shock Trooper Squad[25c]

  • Cadian Shock Trooper Squad (9th Edition)[24]

  • Cadian Shock Trooper Squad (9th Edition)[50]

  • Cadian Shock Trooper Squad (9th Edition)[50]

See Also

Sources

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