Children of Astarot

Children of Astarot
Battle Cry	"For the Emperor" or "Cheeki Breeki i v Damke!"
Number	XIII
Founding	First Founding
Successors of	N/A
Primarch	Uriel Starikov
Homeworld	Perfidiae V
Strength	Accurate Figure Unknown; between 71,000 up to 190,000. Official figure believed to be 130,000
Specialty	Deception and Counter-Insurgency.
Allegiance	Tzeentch
Colours	White and Black

This page details people, events, and organisations from The /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe.

The Children of Astarot were once a greatly respected Legion of the Legiones Astartes commanded by the smiling primarch Uriel Starikov. Known as the Justicars, they prosecuted the will of the Imperium to no apparent personal ambition or gain, nor with any reluctance or complaint. Nothing was above them or below them. They did whatever was the right course of action for the Crusade and the Imperium, regardless of the cost to themselves. This earned the legion a reputation for selflessness and diligence. They were driven and highly committed, especially in their specialist areas: deception and counter-insurgency.

Idiosyncratic and atypical for Space Marines, the 13th were a legion who told jokes, danced, talked freely, drank, and pulled pranks on others. They were gregarious, and were always helpful to their friends, going to great lengths to offer any assistance they could; they were universally regarded as the most trustworthy legion of the Great Crusade. This made their eventual betrayal all the more painful when it was finally revealed. And the betrayal cut deep too, as the legion had been traitors for far longer than anyone in the Imperium wanted to accept.

Now sworn to Tzeentch, the bitter truth of the 13th Legion was that they were far from the shining guardians and selfless champions that they seemed. Instead they were and still are, unbelievably deceptive, and utterly self-serving.

Legion History

The 13th Sacred Band

Unification wars and the foundations

A Legion in the Great Crusade

Justicars

The Tartaros Campaign

tbd

A Primarch Reunited

Uriel meets the family

Metnav I Campaign

Campaign with small contingent of IR. Uriel captured and forces hit hard and scattered. Uriel learns important but hard lessons about upping his game for the big leagues, and develops his philosophies - never trust anyone, and always be prepared for everything.

A New Beginning

And A new master.

Operation Ouroboros

bringing down the house, Uriel style.

A Legion in the Heresy

Perfidiae V the loyalists besieged Paramar the biggest con of the war Mars infiltrating the IR onto the surface covertly, as "advisors" and then running amok potentially getting their filthy fingers on classified info and blueprints Terra Uriel's game of duplicity is revealed in a duel at Terra when Tzeentch morphs him to show Uriel as he really is. Never meet your heroes kids!

A Legion in the Scouring

flight to the Eye

Post-Heresy

Legion Wars

Organisation

• Testing bulletpoint

Specialist Troops

Stalker Squads

Stalker squads specialise in reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering and were consummate masters of stealth, infiltration and sabotage deep behind enemy lines. Often remaining quiet when enemies were in sight, and reporting there location, direction, number, and armament to command so that other forces could be assigned to destroy them, allowing the Stalker squads to remain undetected, and continue providing up to date battlefield intelligence, as well as utilising their snipers and explosive charges to take out strategic and tactical objectives.

Stalker squads were also usually responsible for many of the guerrilla operations undertaken by the Children, using their skills of infiltration and sabotage to great effect behind enemy lines, working in conjunction with a Political Operations Officer to distribute propaganda, and win the local hearts and minds, while crushing the resolve and morale of their enemies with their constant hit-and-run attacks; always striking their target and disappearing before a retaliation could be organised.

The origins of the Stalker squads come from the Iron Rangers Heliwyr squads, who would use stealth and infiltration to get deep into enemy territory and help guide allied forces and harass enemy supply lines. Where other legions reconnaissance squads were used in a purely observational role, the Heliwyr and Stalker squads turned the humble scout into a fearsome formation, capable of wreaking great havoc. The Iron Rangers often cooperated in operations with the Children early in their legions history, the two legions sharing an affinity for similar types of warfare, and thus the normally guarded Iron Rangers shared their experience and skills, the Children offering their own in return.

These squads also spread to the other legions, although most were toned down from their incredibly clandestine beginnings, although still retaining the core concept of a guerrilla and reconnaissance role; it was from these formations that the later Adeptus Astartes Scout Marines were created after the Second Founding in the early 31st Millennium.

Headhunter Squads

The Headhunter squad was a new formation, created by Thirteenth to fill the role of rapidly disabling enemy command chains and eliminating persons of interest. They were comprised of legionaries chosen mostly for being the best assault marksmen and close quarters fighters in the Legion, but also for their quick thinking and personal agility; often the window of opportunity to make the "kill-shot" is mere moments, and thus fast and accurate reactions were highly prized.

Using the chaos of battle as a distraction, a Headhunter Squads primary role was to seek, identify and execute designated enemy targets. Commanders, officers, medics, demagogues, champions - whomever the target was, they were marked, and would be dead before the smoke of battle had cleared.

The Children of Armok Legion were the first to form this squad configuration. It's deadly effectiveness earning it as much acclaim as it gained detractors for being dishonourable. Despite many legions resisting, its effectiveness made it popular, and many legions adopted it for their own use.

Special ammunition and weapons were often deployed by the Headhunter Squads, to ensure a target was eliminated effectively and efficiently.

Headhunter Squads in the Children are also usually the best at Urban fighting in the legion, their quick reactions, and high precision giving them the edge in the cramped battlefield conditions of urban fighting, where enemy fire can come from difficult and oblique angles. This predisposition for quick reactions and the emphasis on speed needed to function, meant that Headhunter Squads in the 13th would sometimes operate in scout armour, to allow them better range of movement.

CTU Squads

Utilising the custom Koln pattern LandSpeeders (similar to the Landspeeder Storm) and Schwarzefalken-Pattern Stormtalon ground attack aircaft, which were customised and outfitted for transporting troops, the Counter Tactic Units, or CTU's, undertake sudden assaults and raids on unsuspecting foes, often far behind enemy lines. They are also deployed in the flanks and rear of assaulting enemy forces, before their assault has made contact the legions lines. This is to sow confusion among the enemy, and destabilise their ability to prosecute their plans. Often the CTU Squads are also used to lure or coral enemy forces into kill zones and traps laid out by the rest of the legion.

Utilising the mobility offered by their transport vehicles, the CTU's strike the enemy hard and fast, hitting strategic or tactical targets quickly, then seizing and holding the ground, or remounting their transports to hit their next target.

Their targets are often designated by Stalker Squads, Insidiators, and Kokolny agents, giving the CTU's up to date intelligence to base their attacks on.

They are the most cavalier and foolhardy of all the 13th Legion, and tend to focus less on deception and subterfuge, in favour of rapidly removing and enemies ability to operate effectively. In environments unsuited to fliers, the CTU's utilise vehicles, often favouring bikes and custom 4-wheeler light transport vehicles's designed for maximum speed and agility. Utilising a brash dismounting assault, the CTU squads complete their assigned mission before remounting and riding off, leaving enemy reinforcements without targets and out of position.

On rare occasions they will deploy from drop pods, but the one-use nature of such a method leaves the teams stranded after completing their immediate objectives, and so is only used as a last resort, with the CTU switching over to a regular combat roles once the ground has been secured, or rolling into another formation until they can link up with their vehicles.

Due to the nature of the CTU squads operation, they attract those who are highly aggressive, highly efficient, and quick on their feet, both mentally and physically. However, many calm and more methodical marines still make it in the squads, although usually in specialist roles.

Specialist Ranks

The Children have 4 distinct ranks of 'Officer' relevant to their particular set of strategies. All officers above sergeant wishing to advance further, are assigned to an existing officer as adjutants, and serve a number of campaigns to give the marine training in each of the 4 roles, whereby they can choose a specialisation, or elect to list themselves onto rotation full-time.

Being on rotation means that the marine will be given command in one of the 4 roles, on a case-by-case basis. This means a Child of Astarot officer on rotation could be assigned to political operations for one campaign, then in the next campaign be assigned to guerrilla operations, and counter-intelligence the next. The majority of marines elect to pick a specialisation, as the demands on skill, endurance, and flexibility that rotation requires leaves it a highly stressful and highly challenging position - even for marines. As a result Rotation is mostly staffed by those who display equal talents in all roles, and are usually candidates for fast-track to higher command positions later on.

- GO2 - Guerrilla Operations Officer - in charge of leading counter-insurgency operations, working with locals, and managing hearts and minds. Also responsible for on the ground political based long operations that require combat, ie the assassinations, capturing, or rescuing of persons of interest. They are often viewed as the toughest of the 4 roles due to the resolve required to operate out of supply for long periods of time. While not as prestigious a role as the other 3, the practical experience and respect earned serving as a GO2 ensures a reliable chance of promotion to a commanding role, usually a battalion. Many GO2's also find themselves being recruited into Group 13, or the Special Military actIvities & Logistics Echelon(SMILE) various sub-sections.

Post-Heresy many former GO2's would find minor-leadership positions in warbands, and cause a lot of problems for the Imperium by infiltrating imperial space and establishing cults to Tzeentch and the Legion, putting their skill at counter-insurgency to great use in eluding and evading capture.

CIO - Counter Intelligence Officer - in charge of keeping the Children's operation secure, and managing exposure to outside influences. Responsibilities include guarding the legions intelligence, preventing enemy agents from acquiring intelligence on the legion and Imperium at large, and managing internal morale among the legion and its allies and auxiliaries. They are often quieter and more observant individuals with an inclination for privacy. Despite trying to remain incinspicuous, the CIO is highly respected, and much liked as they look out for the legion and its marines.

Post-Heresy CIO's would find themselves in great demand by various warbands who wished to keep their warbands secrets hidden from rivals and allies alike. Many CIO's would take these roles only to betray their new employers as part of a longer scheme for their original warband, or as a means to gain themselves power.

PO2 - Political Operations Officer - In charge of political interactions and diplomatic negotiation work, but are also in command of small-scale contained and/or controlled operations on political targets. Responsibilities include undertaking analysis of local political figures, factions and forces. The PO2 is also expected to maintain up-to-date and highly detailed intelligence on their designated chargess, and other people and places of interest in the areas they are based in. The role requires above average (by the 13th's standard) abilities with language and especially skills of persuasion and lying. Highly valued is an understanding of human nature, psychology, and an excellent acting ability. While their job seems far more limited and less involved than the other 3 roles, the PO2 is also in charge of psychological and economic operations, which are far more time consuming than other roles, but are often highly effective and necessary methods of bringing a world to compliance. PO2's who distinguish themselves in their role will find themselves serving a term as an Emissarius, which is a highly prestigious role in the legion, or serving in the Special Activities Division.

Post Heresy, many PO2's would find themselves sought after for their negotiation abilities, and indeed those who possessed psyker abilities would find themselves in leadership positions for many warbands. PO2's operating in the Imperium would often cultivate ties with local Rogue Traders and criminal groups, using the criminal networks as vectors to spread chaos and destabilise the Imperium economically, psychologically, and politically. Despite seeming a rather mundane threat, in some ways the PO2 is one of the most fearsome threats to the Imperium: the skills to destabilise or destroy a local economy can cripple a sector and have far reaching consequences that a direct assault could not hope to match.

ICO - Intelligence Case Officer - In charge of gathering actionable intelligence for the legion, managing the reconnaissance vanguard units, and establishing and maintaining legion networks. They tend to operate isolated from the legion, with anywhere from a small squad up to a company of marines, and operate ahead of the rest of the 'section' they are assigned to. They are responsible for setting up networks, and are usually those who make the initial connections with targets on behalf of the legion, before passing them off to a PO2's or GO2's. ICO's are highly respected members of the legion, but are also the most feared, as they are the men who discover the secrets the legion operates on. It is well understood that they are central to deciding which course the legions forces may take on campaigns, and the influence such power has is not lost on others; the other side of this coin is that the role involves high levels of pressure, as making a mistake or failing means the deaths of fellow marines. Marines in this role often found themselves recruited into Group 13 as Insidiators should they serve in the ICO role with distinction.

Post Heresy ICO's would find themselves in a strange position: they were sought after by many warbands for their skills, but more importantly their knowledge of secrets and established networks. However, those same skills, secrets, and networks gave them the power to lead warbands in their own right. The ICO's are responsible for many of the far reaching traitor networks that plague the Imperium and keep the Inquisition so busy.

Doctrine

Strategy

deception to 11, information war, COUNTER INSURGENCY

Tactics

Contained raids, rapid CQ assaults

Culture

Traditions, Philosophies, and Pastimes

Loyalty

the prank

sense of humour + G13 humour

boisterousness

equality + informality

drug use

secret societies

competitiveness

theft "5 finger game" and "Prize seeking"