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. See the /tg/ Heresy Timeline and Galaxy pages for more information on the Alternate 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 Squad of the Sacred Band

The origin of the 13th is ill-documented, but their peculiarity is apparent from the records that persist. Orders of the Day from Hektor Cincinnatus often include reprimands to Aldous Cadigan for the squad's lack of discipline. The Thirteenth were often reprimanded for drunken behavior while in training, and censures were sometimes severe. This hints at the origin of the recruits; they were either came from lowly stock or were disowned once their irreverent streak emerged. During the Pacification of the Merican Hives, the Thirteenth were held in reserve and dispatched to suppress the partisans and militia that sprang up behind Imperial lines. Hektor's dispatches make it clear that this role was intended as a punishment, but by the end of the campaign he also gave grudging praise to Cadigan's efficiency and endorsed the squad's leader as the Master-Apparent of the Thirteenth Legion.

It seems likely that the Thirteenth Legion took part in other campaigns of the Unification Wars. They were certainly deployed in the Pacification of Urartu, but played a curious role. Cadigan's men were once again held in reserve and it is implied that they were used in a counter-insurgency operation of substantial scale shortly following the sacrifice of the last Thunder Warriors in the Battle of Mount Ararat. However, the dispatches of Imperial commanders make no report of resistance fighters. Who were the targets of the Thirteenth Legion?

The 13th Sacred Band squad roster:

• Aldous Cadigan, Squad Commander (MIA some time after Metnav I.)
• Oskar Reynhardt, Sergeant (Alive and captaining the legion in the Eye of Terror)
• Elias Halder (Unconfirmed dead, some time after Metnav)
• Karolus Vayne (Alive and leading the rogue warband Black Corsairs)
• Earl Togo, notable marksman (MIA during Metnav I. Unconfirmed report of various lone appearances post-Heresy in Golgotha Sector)
• Ruzlan Malakhov (Confirmed dead during Heresy. Slain at the the Siege of Terra)
• Yevgenniy Gogol (Unconfirmed dead, some time after Metnav I.)
• Arial Uzyshkin (Unconfirmed dead, some time after Metnav I.)
• Arkady Balotin (Confirmed dead as of the Scouring, believed to have been killed before or during the Heresy)
• Lo-Zho Lou (Unconfirmed dead, some time after Metnav I)

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

Attempting to make sense of the methods and organisation of the Children of Astarot one is as always, faced with an exercise in insanity and foolishness.

Disregard. Not happy with this. Editing tomorrow 23/03/15

The one major feature that at least seems consistent, is the legions dynamic command structure. Every campaign the legion participates in seems to change the established leadership structure so that the individuals with the most experience and knowledge in the relevant fields for that campaign are leading the operations. This is true from the grand-strategic level down to the tactical level.

This dynamic leadership has been reported to even change mid operation, as new circumstances present themselves. This seems to stem from the legions propensity for being prepared; when caught off-guard those equipped to combat the new circumstances most effectively are brought to the forefront. While this seems chaotic and impractical, there is an internal logic to the method, and the Marines Justicar took pride in the system they developed with it. They had a cadre of officers who acted as each others command staff, with the Captain simply being a nominal rank for whomever had the most experience in the currently required fields as opposed to a permanent fixture.

This practice was present during the Great Crusade, and while highly effective, had drawn criticism from many commanders unused to fighting alongside the legion. Most were used to a more centralised and rigid command structure that can be clearly understood in the heat of battle. Where many legions would have forced their allies to adapt to their methods, the 13th attempted to compromise. To quell these complaints, the legion appoints serf's and human agents as liasons to all of the allies they serve alongside. This proved to be a perfect compromise, as the liasons were provided all pertinent information giving them an understanding of the bigger picture, and acted as a tangible and reliable means of coordinating with the allied commanders.

command heirarchy changes every operation, sometimes even mid-campaign. Adapting to circumstances. A PO2 political specialist may be in charge to start, but later on in the campaign a GO2 guerilla warfare specialist is required. The priority is having the most knowledge applied to the bleeding edge of combat.

Incredible comms networks and systems allowing troops on the ground to have big scale understanding, and the commanders behind the lines to have an eye on the ground giving them practical analysis and advice to weigh against their plans.

misdirection used on troop sizes. Eg a company could be referred to as a section, a block, a body, or a cell. So could a chapter sized division. Operational flexibility occurs regularly and operational security maintained - the obscuring of their own moves, even to allies, is paramount part of this strategy.

Specialist Troops

The 13th legion with its unorthodox and ever-adapting methods, are among the legions with a larger number of specialist troops than average. Many squad formations are formed, specifically to deal with one campaign-specific threat, and once the campaign was complete they would be disbanded and never formed again. The marines that formed those specialist units then go on to take their experience to new formations, leaving the 13th Legion a surprisingly wide pool of expertise to wield.

There are however, many specialist troops whose roles were more universal, or had a broader potential, and so were maintained as permanent fixtures to the legion. Some of these even spread to other legions. The 13th were also very keen to acquire or learn new formations from their brother legions, always striving to push the boundaries of their own knowledge and capabilities.

Stalker Squads

Roles:

• Active and passive reconnaissance, and observation of enemy forces
• Guerrilla warfare
• Capture, assassination, and protection of Designated Targets
• Sabotage and observation of target locations
• Infiltration
• Additional capability to attack targets of opportunity

Stalker squads specialise in reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering and were consummate masters of stealth, and infiltration, being required to assassinate, kidnap, and sabotage designated targets 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, often as they saw fit.

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, harass enemy supply lines, and attack enemy targets of opportunity. 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. In a short time these squads also spread to the other legions, it was from these formations and the reconnaissance squads, that the later Adeptus Astartes Scout Marines were established after the Second Founding in the early 31st Millennium.

Headhunter Squads

Roles:

• Assassination of high value targets usually under combat conditions
• Spearheading urban and void-based close quarters strikes and assault operations
• Direct action strikes on dangerous battlefield targets, such as small voidships, titans, and close-quarter defensive positions
• Deployment of specialist munitions and explosives as vanguard assault infantry

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 would later add other capabilities to their role, most notably elimination of dangerous vehicle targets and as close assault infantry. 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. It wasn't long before nerves of steel became a practical requirment, as while they may have begun as an anti-personnel unit, they quickly broadened their capabilities to also destroy or capture large armoured targets, such as titans and small voidships. This highly dangerous target-hunting role ensured Headhunter squads endure heavy casualties.

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.

Commando Tactic Unit's (CTU's)

Roles:

• Rapid deployment strikes, by air, sea, void, & land.
• Commando direct action and unconventional assault operations on high value targets
• Rapid deployment battlefield support
• Capability to attack targets of opportunity

Most commonly 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.

When not airborne, the mobility offered by their transport vehicles, 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. 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.

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 an enemies ability to operate effectively.

On occasion, CTU commandos will be given a mission to assault a high-value target location. Deemed either too crazy or too heavily defended for a sudden assault without a larger operation organised to lay the ground work beforehand; that is where the CTU's are consulted. They will devise a plan, that is highly unorthodox and will probably seem doomed to fail by all forms of logic. But despite this, whether through finding refuge in the plans sheer audacity, or sheer luck, the Commando's have an impressive success rate, and casualty rate to match.

Casualties vary from mission to mission, sometimes very high, sometimes almost non-existent over an entire campaign - The squads Modus Operandi is either shockingly effective, but the high level of risk employed in their attacks can leave them at great risk should a mission go wrong.

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 often in specialist or leadership 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

 Why were they formed? 

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 -

 Why were they formed? 

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

 Why were they formed? 

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

 Why were they formed? 

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.

Insidiators

roles:

formation history

overview of missions and mandate

during the heresy?

what happened to them?

Emissarius

roles:

why were they formed?

overview and history

what happened to them?

Doctrine

Strategy

deception to 11, information war, COUNTER INSURGENCY

Tactics

Contained raids, rapid CQ assaults

Culture

Traditions, Philosophies, and Pastimes

Loyalty

the prank

the troika (a trinity) 9 being a auspicious number - a trinity of trinities. (Also Tzeentch's number)

sense of humour + G13 humour

boisterousness

equality + informality

drug use

secret societies

competitiveness

theft "5 finger game" and "Prize seeking"