Militarum Tempestus

Move over Maggots! Let the REAL guys show you how its done.

"I'm ready, man. Check it out! I am the ultimate badass! State of the badass art! You do not want to fuck with me. Check it out! Hey, Ripley, don't worry. Me and my squad of ultimate badasses will protect you! Check it out. Independently targeting particle-beam phalanx. WHAP! Fry half a city with this puppy. We got tactical smart missiles, phase plasma pulse rifles, RPGs. We got sonic, electronic ball-breakers! We got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks..."

– Private Hudson, Aliens

The Ordo Tempestus, also known as the Militarum Tempestus, is amongst the most rigidly codified of all Imperial organisations, for its men form the backbone of the Astra Militarum. Though the Ordo is technically a sub-faction governed by the Adeptus Administratum, it enjoys a unusually far greater level of autonomy than the regiments that often fight alongside it much to the chagrin (and potential penis envy) of said regiments. The Ordo's ranks are primarily comprised of Commissars and Tempestus Scions, though they have often included specialist factions mysteriously absent from Imperial records. In every theatre of war across the galaxy, the Ordo's men work alongside the incalculable might of the Astra Militarum, their elite training complementing the sheer manpower and tanks of the Imperial Guard. And yes, we are aware that if the Imperium just had the best and brightest of every world put through Stormtrooper training, they'd easily kick the shit out of any threat to tanks and tanks would kick the shit out of everything else and their mothers. Stop using common sense before a Commissar notices.

Overview

How to Your Dudes stormtrooper regiments. Note that everyone else on /tg/ will be doing Razvedki Scions, so pick something else.

If the Tempestus provides the rigid skeleton of discipline that holds the Astra Militarum together, it is the Commissars who are the minds of the operation. The Officio Prefectus or just Commissar with a fancy name in tabletop terms, governs and controls the regiments of Stormtroopers and Imperial Guardsmen alike, ensuring that their military force is put to the right use in the Emperor's name. All Commissars are trusted to improvise new orders on the battlefield, a rare privilege in the rigidly-controlled structure of the Imperial war machine. But it is only the most senior of their number, known as Lord Commissars, who are truly independent. Unlike their more trigger happy cousins, they are warriors of great personal charisma which is the closest thing we have to a reasonable Commissar that is not Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt or Ciaphas Cain *HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!*, and they will often inspire the men by leading from the front rather than from behind the barrel of a Bolt Pistol.

The Tempestus Scions do not form the main body of the Astra Militarum, for that duty falls to the regular Imperial Guardsmen. Instead, whilst the Guard, Space Marines and Imperial Assassins represent the Hammer, Sword and Poisoned Needle of the Emperor respectively, the Tempestus and their ilk can be likened to a Knife, a thrusting point of lethal force that is applied with shocking speed into the foes weakest point. Essentially they are in-between that of a Guardsmen and a Space Marine. Many a grinding war of attrition or extended campaign has been brought to a dramatic close by a strike force of Stormtroopers. More often than not, their insertion, mission completion and extraction parameters are all accomplished on the same day.

Creation

Exceptionally skilled warriors that are NOT a dude in power armor both Tempestus Scions Stormtroopers and Commissars obey and enforce the will of their superiors with merciless efficiency. The Imperium holds a million worlds and takes its tithe of military personnel from every single culture within its bounds. Despite this nearly inconceivable scale, the commands issued by the many Imperial authorities must be followed unflinchingly in order for the Imperium to endure; hesitation would result in the swift collapse of the Emperor's realm. Stormtroopers and Commissars are indoctrinated in the Imperial Creed from youth, serving no culture but that of loyalty and the swift execution of their duties...like literally every other human being in the Imperium is supposed to, but presumably actually in practice with Stormtroopers and Commissars. It is they who possess the tenacity and resolve to undertake the toughest missions. It is they who get shit done when the guys with balls of adamantium is not enough because they all died heroically.

Stormtroopers are disciplined, elite soldiers who fight without question or hesitation until their orders are fulfilled. Commissars are harsh yet inspiring leaders who ensuring that every military objective is achieved -- no matter the cost. Without the iron-willed resolution of both, the Imperium would be severely weakened in its darkest hour.

Tempestus Scions and Commissars are remorseless and efficient killers, but these warriors are not born that way (although ten thousand years of a Darwinian galaxy may have fixed that). They are forged within the Schola Progenia which like all things coming from this place, creates a fine batch of the Emperor's psychotic killers. Would-be recruits are sent to harsh training camps based on long-established Imperial worlds. It is these ancient facilities that are responsible for taking the orphaned offspring of the Imperium and transforming them into ruthless soldiers.

Unfortunately, despite this arduous training, they are disliked and secretly mocked by the average Joe Guardsmen. Usually that's because most Guardsmen get a slight case of penis envy for you having a better flashlight than they do as well as having access to better armor to allow them to survive more than 10 minutes and weapons that is usually found on the Guard's elite and specialized regiments. Although the Guardsmen insist that they act like pompous asshats, we know it's bullshit. Honestly, after all their training and indoctrination it's unlikely the Stormtroopers have much of a personality at all. Like Kriegsmen without the death wish. Come to think of it, this is probably very disturbing to normal humans who interact with them so perhaps the accusations of pompousness are just Guardsmen's assumptions as to why the Stormtroopers don't seem to ever talk to them at all.

On the Tabletop

There are two things that makes the Militarum Tempestus stand out; the first is that they are a very small (and we mean SMALL), elite army comprised of Stormtroopers. The second is that they have a very limited unit selection choice - seriously, they only have five/six units to choose from (only 2 of these are decent combat units), they don't even have a special character, hell, even the fucking Harlequins have more unit variety than they do, and that's saying something. That said, the unit hits hard; with the standard infantry weapon being AP-2, you can put a dent in anything short of a terminator with your basic dudes, and you have plasma for what you can't. Combined with their ability to spam air power, since they have no other fast attack option, and an army-wide armor save of 4+, the Tempestus hit hard, while not quite being a glass cannon, though still kind of frail. Because of this, you have to choose carefully where you want to play. A Stormtrooper army may be nice, but they still lack sufficient armor support, artillery, and heavy weapons, which means that they are often paired up with the Imperial Guard to provide cover support. So choose wisely. Tl;dr they are Imperial Dark Eldar, seriously they play like one. Focus on destroying threats to your armor so your armor can kill everyone else with impunity. Like in real life.

See Also

• Tactics/Tempestus Scions