Hrossey Yeomanry

The difference between Hrossey and Hjaltland could not be more stark. Where Hjaltland is a densely vegetated and mountainous jungle world, where as Hrossey is composed of vast open plains. This in turn is reflected in the planets military, with the Hrossey yeomanry being a highly mechanised force, with significant numbers of chimeras. This is to enable the rapid deployment and movement of troops around the surface of the planet. Due to the low importance and low population levels on the planet, Hrossey does not have to supply troops for service in the Astra Militarium, and has rarely done so, arguing that it is a better use of such man power for the production of food supplies than soldiers. The only time that the planet has provided troops for the AM at the beginning of the Sabbat Worlds Campaign, when 5 regiments, the 1287th to the 1291st, were mobilised. At the time, this amounted to over half the regiments that were kept as permanent PDF units on the planet. However, with the current situation within the Sabbat Worlds, a "request" was made to the governor of Hrossey for the mobilisation of a regiment of the Yeomanry, which lead to the 1313th being mobilised alongside the 851st Hjaltland L.I.

With the separatist rebellion on Hjaltland, the 1313th Yeomanry was deployed alongside the 851st L.I. on to Hjaltland. This meant that the yeomanry had to abandon there chimeras and take to the forest on foot, leading to significant numbers of casualties, up to 90% in some squadons. As a result the 1313th is only a shadow of its former self.

The 3rd squadron was one of the luckier squadrons, being posted to support the 1st company of the 851st Hjaltland L.I. and as such, have survived in greater numbers. This is also due to the actions of the commanding officer, Colonel Leith, a man of outstanding courage and determination. The colonel is not afraid to lead from the front, sharing in the risks of the soldiers under his command. While this means taking great risks, it also enables the colonel to react to any situation at a moments notice, making sure the best units are in the best position.

The 3rd squadron is full equipped to deal with any situation, with the 4 sections each armed to deal with a specific task, from tank hunting to taking the many monsters that walk to field of battle. While the 851st rely on numbers to overwhelm the enemy, the 1313th rely on the speed of their chimeras and the imperial navies aircraft to make up for the lack of numbers.

The Yeomanry regiments of Hrossey are supported by various artillery regiments, notably the 56th Artillery Squadron, which is armed with Wyvern heavy mortars, although a few venerable griffins are stored by the squadron. Currently the 3rd wynern batteries 2 remaining wyverns are on attachment to support the 851st.

In addition to the regular forces on Hrossey, there is the local Militia, formed to many of the sons of the ruling land owners. The main unit of the militia forces are the Lancer units, often named after the land owner funding the unit, such as the Kirkpatrick Lancers. The mount of choice for many units is the plains cat, a large tiger like animal capable of carrying a man with ease. The majority of the time, these units are used to hunt down other wild plains cats that are bothering the herds or even just for fun, but in times of war, they are deployed as rapid reaction forces to hunt down any small bands of enemy soldiers that maybe in the area.

In addition to the forces of Hrossey, the planet is also home tons small number of units from Helliar. These tank units are part of a mutual agreement between the two planets, which also involves the stationing of some Hrossey Yeomanry units on Hellier. This arrangement is seen as mutually beneficial as it means each planet can be more specialised in its recruitment and training. At present the Hellier 12th tank squadron is attached to the 1313th yeomanry, with the 6th tank troop supporting the 3rd yeomanry squadron. The 6th tank is commanded by Major Antoun Turvous, astride his Leman Russ Punisher, who is always flanked by his to troop mates in there Leman Russ Battle Tanks.

The 851st 2000pts list

This is my current 2000pts list for the 851st' 1st company.

Aegis with Quadgun - 100

Regimental command - 237
Commander Ollaw Jhonisoun (Creed), Master of Ordinance, Officer of the Fleet, Standard, Heavy flamer, Flamer, Medipack, Carapace

Company Command - 227
Captian Nicole Thomassoun (Commander) with plasma pistol and Kurov's Aquilla, 4 plasma guns, Officer of the fleet, Carapace

Additional HQ's - 250

2 Priests
2 Commissars
2 ML2 Primaris Psykers

Yellow Troop - 371

Troop Command -
Lt Wischert with boltgun, 4 Flamers, Krak grenades

3 Squads -
all containing Autocannons and Flamers

Heavy weapons squad
3 missile treams with Flakk

Red Troop - 161

Troop Command
Lt Sandersoun with boltgun, 4 Flamers, Krak Grenades

4 Squads
All with Flamers

Blue Troop - 201

Troop command
Lt Andersoun with Boltgun and Melta Bombs, 4 Grenade launchers,

2 Squads
Sgt with Melta Bombs, Melta, Krak Grenades

Heavy Support - 160
Hrossey 56th Artillery, 3rd Wyvern Battery
2x Wyverns, Enclosed

Fast Attack 170
Imperial Navy Vendetta "Wolf Hunter"

Total 1997


So what's the thinking? Simple, Yellow Troop along with the Regt command sit behind the Aegis Line, with the Wyverns at the rear. A commissar joins the HW Missile team, manning the Quadgun for extra BS4 Anti Air shooting. Red troop is split in to two blobs of 20, flanking the aegis line with one squad from Blue Troop in support for dealing with any armour. The Troop command squads go where they are needed to support the troops as they move forward. The Vendetta starts with Thomassouns' company command aboard ready to deploy where needed, using Kurov's Aquila to reroll those get's hot results.

The Aegis line will usually be deployed in to a corner or with a ruin on one side to offer some flank protection. The Officers of the Fleet are there to try and deny enemy reserve rolls. The priests and commissars are there for some Ld bonus', and the psykers are there for prescience and any other useful powers that they get. They will get at least 3 different power and potentially 5 different ones, which means that you generally have 2 useful powers a turn for each psyker.

Hjaltland Light Infantry

The Light Infantry Regiments are the main fighting force on Hjaltland, acting as both the Planetary Defence Force and also providing regiments to the Astra Militarium. Due to the size and population of the planet the force is small, usually consisting of a handful of regiments at anyone time, with one regiments being provided for service to the Emperor every ten year.

With the terrain of Hjaltland small continents being so mountainous and covered in jungle vegetation, vehicles are of little use. As such, the L.I. make little use of them, preferring to travel light and on foot through the numerous trails and tracks that criss-cross the continents. As such, much of the equipment used by the L.I. is man portable, such as autocannons for heavy support and missile launchers for anti-air, with flamers, or both the standard and heavy varieties, being common amongst the troops.

The 851st Hjaltland L.I. is the latest regiment to be mobilised for service in the greater imperium, but due to the recent rebellion, and transport errors by the Imperial Navy, has found itself once again on Hjaltland. During the rebellion the 851st gained itself a fearsome reputation for its fighting abilities, and has earned the name the Jungle Hunters, in recognition of there ability and relentless stalking of the Chaos Separatists through the jungles of there home world. Many separatist surrendered upon hearing that it was these warriors that chased them through the jungles, although all this act did was earn them a quick death as the 851st passed by, for mercy was not something to which the jungle hunters were willing to embrace.

The Regiment is currently lead by Commander Ollaw Jhonisoun. Commander Jhonisoun has proven himself to be a charismatic and energetic leader. While he has sometimes been criticised as to cautious, his steady approach and an unwillingness to throw away the lives of his men has earned him a lot of respect by all the members of the regiment. This does not mean that he is not willing to take risks when it is necessary or to sacrifice his men when such actions are needed, such as to hold a valuable objective.

The regiments 2nd in command and first company commander is Captain Nicole Thomassoun. The Captian is seen in a very different light to his superior. Although he is well respected by the troops, he is also seen as reckless and somewhat of a medal chaser, and can often be seen fighting up at the front and on many occasions in front of the line. Wherever possible, Captain Thomassoun like to deploy on to the battle field via the Valkyries or Vendetta's of the Imperial Navy, jumping to wherever the fighting is thickest or where his squads plasma guns can cause the maximum amount of damage. This approach has lead to high rates of casualties amongst the troops assigned to his unit, and is seen by many as a one way ticket to the Emperors judgment. It has also caused many arguments between the commander and the captain, as the captain is very rarely in a position to actually command the first company.

The First company, which is usually formed of 6 platoons, like many of the other companies within the 851st, have been depleted in both men and equipment as a result of the recent rebellion, is currently formed of only three platoons, or Troops as they are know within the Hjaltland L.I., Red, Yellow and Blue Troops. Red Troop, lead by Lieutenant Sandesoun, is tasked as a multirole platoon, to support both yellow and blue platoons. YellowTroop, commanded by Lieutenant Wischert, is tasked as the defensive platoon and is armed with the majority of the units autocannons. Blue Troop, lead by Lieutenant Andersoun, is the main offensive platoon, and contains all of the companies melta guns, a rare and valuable weapon within the Hjaltland L.I.

The Hamnavoe System

The planet of Hjaltland is located on the outer fringes of the Imperial Segmentum Pacificus, near to the Sabbat Worlds, and is one of a group of planets within the Hamnavoe Star System. The system is comprised of a number of planets and moons. Of the planets only a few are inhabited, namely Hjaltland, Hrossey and Helliar, with the moon of Hildasay being the only inhabited moon.

The Planet of Hjaltland is formed of many small sparsely populated mountainous and heavily forested continents, that are spread across the vast oceans that dominate the planet. The main exports of the planet are the rare chemicals and substances that are harvested from the plants and animals of the forest. Many of these substances are destined for consumption by the nobility of the local and neighbouring systems, either as items of vanity, cosmetics and perfumes, or as medical remedies.

The planet is considered to be of very low importance by the Administratum, and as such the Tithe requirement of the planet is very basic. At present this tithe stands at the provision of 10% of the planets total products, which due to the amounts produced by the planet is collected once every ten years. As such the planet is not required to provide troops to the imperial guard, but as a show of loyalty to the Emperor the planet also provides a full regiment for service to the IG at the same time as the tithe is collected. The Hjaltland Light Infantry regiments are the main fighting force of the planet, and form the planets PDF as well as providing regiments to serve in the IG. The total number of men under arms on the planet can be measured in hundred of thousands and the total population in millions, it was last recorded before the separatist uprising at just under 2 million.

The other planets within the system vary in appearance. Hrossey is the largest planet in the system, although it is still sparsely populated. As a low technology agri-world, responsible for the production of the all of the systems food resources, in addition to the tithe requirement of 25%, most of which is bound for the Sabbat World Crusade. The planet is formed of a few of large continents ,which cover the vast majority of the planets surface, with numerous small interlinked seas. As a result, the planets PDF, referred to the Hrossey Yeomanry, utilise chimeras in large numbers. Again, the planet is not required to field any units within its yearly tithe, and only rarely voluntarily supplies one, the notable exception was at the beginning of the Sabbot World Campaign, when 5 full regiments, over half the PDF's total strength, were mobilized.  

The last populated planet within the system is Helliar. This is an industrial planet of low to middling technology. The main exports of Helliar are numerous chimera based vehicles and the more basic pattern Leman Russ tanks, along with the staple supplies for the Imperial Guard, such as Lasguns and pistols, and numerous heavy weapons, especially autocannons. Much of the equipment produced currently goes to support the Sabbat World Crusade, but a large number of vehicles and equipment  goes towards the local regiments. In addition, Hellair also maintains a small force of Leman Russ tanks, many of which are the more technologically advanced versions, such as Vanquisher and Annihilator variants.

The last inhabited body in the system, Hildasay, is a moon of the dead world Hascosay. Hildasay is a small hive moon and in contrast to the other planets within the system, is vastly over populated. Legend has it that the world of Hascoray was once  a world of riches and technology, one of the main hubs of trade and commerce in the surrounding systems, and the moon of Hildasay was nothing but a backwater slum and prison. As to how Hascosay came to be in its current state, no one can be sure, some say catastrophic natural disaster, others say war and famine and while others say it is due to more sinister reasons. What is know is that any records of said event have long since been destroyed, either by accident or design.

Hildasay has a small military force, comprising of a number of Sentinels and Hellhound variants. The PDF is small in size due to the main force on the planet belonging to the Adeptus Arbites and their local counterparts. These units outnumber the PDF units, both in terms of numbers of men and equipment.

Within the system, there are also a number of other planets, ranging from several gas giants to small planetoids, and numerous moons and asteroids. There are also a number of mining colonies dotted about, supplying many of the raw material needed for production on Helliar.

Right, now that's out the way, I promise the next post will be about the 851st Hjaltland L.I., their history, formation and current composition.

The Hjaltland Campaign

I thought that I had better do a little background in to the formation of the 256th BG first, before I get in to the actual units and their individual histories and formation.

The 256th Imperial Battle Group, often referred to as simply the 256th or the BG, was formed after a separatist uprising on the planet of Hjaltland. Due to the systems location and proximity to the Sabbot Worlds, it was not surprising that a uprising by separatists occurred. Lead by cult members dedicated to chaos undivided, and comprised of a number of highly placed officials within both the administratum and the Planets Defence Force. There was also significant evidence that cultists from the Sabbat Worlds travelled to the Hjaltland, influencing the population. With a number of senior PDF officers corrupted by the forces of chaos, the opening salvos for the uprising was brutal and well managed, targeting loyal PDF forces and elements of the Administratum which remained out of the control of the rebels. The result was a complete collapse of all law and order on the planet and the disintegration of all organised resistance. However, the separatists made a critical error, as the recently deployed 851st Hjaltland L.I., along with the Hrossey 1313th Yeomanry, were still waiting on the near by planet of Hildasay for the Navy transports that were to take them to the Sabbat Worlds. These transports had failed to materialise out of the warp, whether they were destroyed on route, redirected or were never even dispatched in the first place remains unknown. However, this enabled local commanders to redeploy there forces quickly to meet the uprising on Hjaltland.

The battle was short and brutal, raging for only a few months. Casualties were high on both sides, especially amongst those units not from Hjaltland. A prime example of this was the Hrossey 1313th, who, deprived of there chimeras, suffered significant casualties in the close quarters jungle fighting. For the 851st the story was different, earning the name The Jungle Hunters, they took every opportunity to exact total and unforgiving revenge on anyone who would sully the name of there homeland.

 At the end of the campaign, the forces remaining on Hjaltland were greatly diminished, as such all the remaining elements from the Imperial forces were formed in the Hjaltland Yeomany Division, to assist the remaining PDF units in the final cleansing of the planet. The Hjaltland Yeomanry Division was formed around the remains of the 851st Hjaltland L.I., and included elements of the 1313th Hrossey Yeomanry, the Hrossey 56th Artillery, the Helliar 12th Tank and Hildasay 9th Fast Attack Wing.

In addition to the elements of the AM currently on the planet, a small force of Militarum Tempestis Scions were also dispatched to the planet. The force, the 56th Dagr Ormr Strike Group, was tasked with hunting down and eliminating any remaining senior cultists that may still be alive.

It was during the fighting that the presence of the Inquisition was first noted. None are sure when they arrived or their reason for coming but they were first sighted in the company of Space Marines from the Emperors Disciples and also the Eagle Knights. Elements of both chapters were seen at various times during the campaign leading strike forces against separatist positions often in the presence the inquisitor. It was shortly after all resistance by separatist forces ceased that Inquisitor Tullas formally requisitioned the Hjaltland Yeomany Division and the MT Dagr Ormr, and is currently preparing for there deployment in support of elements of the Eagle Knights and Emporers Disciples.

First post

Well, I've finally jumped on the bandwagon. I've thought about it for years, in one form or another, but now I've decided to take the plunge. I'm sure that it will take me a while to get the hang of blogger and it's intricacies, but I'll get there in the end.

So, what's this blog going to be about? Well, it's going to be about the 256th Imperial Battle Group.  Never heard of them? Well neither had I until a couple of months ago. With the addition of a number of marine models, both loyal and chaos, plus the addition of a second DV box set, with the release of 7th, a plan was hatched. The core of the battle group will be formed by the valiant Imperial Guard of the Hjaltland Light Infantry and Hrossey Yeomanry, with support from the Militarum Tempestus of the Dagr Ormr and the Space Marines of the Emperors Disciples and The Eagle Knights chapters. The battle group itself was formed by the Inquisition, namely Inquisitor Tullus, with the aim of cleansing a number of systems just outside of the Sabbat Worlds.

I'll go in to more detail over the next few posts as to the composition of the various groups, and also there current state, which mostly is "in a box in the loft", but the basic structure is a number of 2000pt lists with some additions. First up will be my main army, the Hjaltland Light Infantry.