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 Light Armor Company
Total Strength: 74 (5 Officers, 69 OR) plus 16 Vehicles
Armored Company HQ Platoon:
(2 officers, 6 OR)
1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander (and Political Officer), a Vox operator,
company standard bearer, medic and runner mounted in a Chimera APC (with 2 crew)
3 x Grenadier Squad (1 officer, 11 OR)
1 subaltern, 1 binomial rocket launcher team, 1 Plasma Infantry (melta) Gunner,
1 Vox operator, 5 troopers with Hellguns in carapace armor mounted in a Chimera
APC (2 crew)
3 x Hellhound Support Vehicle (4 OR, 1 Vehicle each)
2 x Sentinel Squadron (3 OR, 3 Walkers)
3 x Leman Russ Main Battle Tank (4 OR, 1 Vehicle Each)
Vehicle Descriptions
M22A2 Leman Russ Main Battle Tank
The Leman Russ is the chief battle tank of the Imperial
Guard and the one that most Guardsmen will have fought alongside. It is a rugged
design and has been used to equip the Imperial Guard for many centuries. In all
that time there have been many fundamental changes in construction and
appearance, but the capabilities of the vehicle have changed very little. The
chief reason why designs varied was not to improve the tanks, but to accommodate
the use of different materials, power plants and repair facilities available to
its builders.
The armored hull of the Leman Russ is designed to be tough,
long-lasting and easy to repair. In the hands of the Imperial Guard, a Leman
Russ might find itself deployed in places as varied as the blistering heat of an
acid waste or the moist chill of a methane swamp. It must withstand all these
environments as well as the shells and energy blasts of the enemy. For this
reason, the tank’s armor is not the most sophisticated, but it is practical and
tough; easily capable of withstanding a shot from all but the most powerful
enemy weapons.
The Leman Russ’s armament can be varied considerably, but
the turret mounted battle cannon is fundamental to the design. In addition, the
Leman Russ generally carries a hull-mounted lascannnon. This weapon is
specifically designed for tank busting, for attacking and killing enemy machines
and especially large, tough creatures, such are found in tyranid swarms. Side
sponson mounts are also integral to the design of the Leman Russ, which can be
fitted with a variety of standard heavy weapons and are intended to provide
close infantry support or to keep enemy troops at bay.
M23A Leman Russ Demolisher Infantry Combat Vehicle
The Leman Russ Demolisher is a common variant of the basic
tank design and is produced in limited numbers alongside the ordinary versions
of the Leman Russ. Instead of battle cannon, this tank carries the short ranged,
but highly destructive Demolisher cannon, making it invaluable in street
fighting and for close assault against fortifications and buildings. For this
reason it is often described as a siege tank.
The Demolisher cannon is a terrifyingly destructive weapon,
blasting through layers of plasteel and concrete alike in a storm of plasma and
flying debris. Originally designed to destroy bunkers and similar
fortifications, the Demolisher cannon was soon found to be capable of
obliterating enemy vehicles with equal ease.
This deadly versatility makes the Leman Russ Demolisher
siege tank an extremely valuable vehicle The Demolisher cannon fires even large
and more devastating shells than a battle cannon. These huge shells are far
heavier than the standard battle cannon ammunition and resemble larger versions
of anti-tank rounds. They consist of an outer layer of standard high explosive
and shrapnel surrounding a chemical core. When the shell strikes its target the
explosive detonates, blasting a hole in the target’s armor and scattering
shrapnel everywhere. At the same time, the explosion also sets off a chemical
reaction that superheats the second layer. This hurls a plasma jet lancing
through the hole blown in the armor and spreads flaming death and molten metal
over a wide area, literally ripping the target apart from the inside.
They are the only tank in the Imperial Guard that is directly affiliated with
infantry formations, rather than being assigned from an armored company, and
have a reputation for never letting down their 'little brothers'. As such, they
are often at the front of the battle with the guardsmen.
M22A3 Leman Russ Exterminator Infantry Combat Vehicle
Perhaps one of the oldest
recorded variants of the basic Leman Russ, the Exterminator is still a common
sight among Imperial Guard regiments that face massed, lightly armored infantry
such as Orks or Tyranids. The Exterminator is armed with twin-linked auto-cannon
and heavy bolter sponsons, making it an extremely powerful antipersonnel weapons
platform that is capable of cutting down large numbers of lightly armored
targets in the blink of an eye. The sheer lethality of its weapon ensures that
it still sees regular service.
Sometimes the Exterminator is also utilized
as a stopgap measure for anti-air defense due to its rapid firing speed.
M292 Basilisk Self-Propelled Artillery
The Basilisk is a mobile
artillery platform based on the ubiquitous Chimera chassis, and which mounts the
deadly Earthshaker cannon. Of all the Imperial Guard artillery, the Basilisk is
the most numerous and well known. It is fully mobile, easily able to keep pace
with the main infantry advance, and can be deployed ready for battle with in a
matter of moments. It is most effective when deployed en masse in a barrage of
many hundreds of guns6, where its primary role is to sit behind the battlefront
and use its massive range to hurl shells onto enemy positions from a position of
safety. However, the Earthshaker can also be used as an assault gun, depressing
its barrel to fire over open sights directly at fortifications or enemy squads
and vehicles that have broken through the Imperial Guard lines.
The Earthshaker fires shells of
such awesome proportions that a target hit by one can literally shake itself
apart. The huge shells not only cause considerable damage from the shell’s high
explosives, but also send powerful percussive shockwaves through the target.
Even if the vehicle’s armor is not penetrated by the shell, great shards of its
inner armor are torn away, rivets and loose equipment are sent ricocheting
through the target’s interior at the speed of a bullet, killing crewmen and
destroying machinery and vital controls.
It can be upgraded to be allowed to fire from behind cover, blindly
destroying targets before the other forces arrive, while keeping itself safe
from enemy fire. The ordnance this produces is able to break through all of the
enemies defenses and is feared, rightly so. It is susceptible to enemy fire if
caught in the open however, and will not last long against any heavy weapons.
M290 Griffon
Self-Propelled Heavy Mortar
 The
Griffon armored weapons carrier is one of the most frequently employed Chimera
variants, though it is becoming rarer thanks to a quirk in its weapon mount, the
technology of which is becoming harder to source when one is damaged. It is
tailored to provide close to-medium range mobile artillery support where slower,
more cumbersome weapons might not be able to reach the front lines. Its armament
is a deadly heavy mortar designed to lob shells high over the battlefield and
onto concealed enemy targets.
The heavy mortar is simply a
support version of the standard mortar used by Imperial Guard Mortar support
squads. It is simple to construct and does not malfunction as often as other
support weapons, but its massive size means that it can only be mounted on
vehicles. However, from the solid platform on a Griffon, the crew can achieve a
very high rate of fire. The main advantage of the heavy mortar is the variety of
shells it can fire. These have been developed from existing shell types and take
advantage of the larger caliber of the heavy mortar to make much more
destructive versions. Of these shell types, two are unique to the Griffon and
warrant particular mention:
Melta shells –
Upon impact, a melta
shell undergoes a sub-atomic reaction, which releases a blast of intense
heat. The shell is capable of melting away vehicles and buildings, while
living targets are instantly reduced to molten meat and bone. This shell is
especially useful for attacking troops huddled together in defensive
positions.
Inferno shells –
This type of shell
contains a small explosive charge, surrounded by a highly volatile
concoction of phosphorous and synthesized compounds distilled from
promethium. The explosive charge detonates on impact, spreading the
compounds and phosphorous over a wide area, which then ignites on contact
with the air to create a conflagration that melts through armor and clings
to exposed flesh. The chemicals continue to burn and eat away flesh long
after the initial explosion, leaving the victims screaming in agony; as is
the fate of all enemies of the Imperium!
M572 Medusa Self-Propelled Siege Gun
 The
Medusa is a self-propelled gun like the Basilisk and also built on the Chimera
chassis, but with a larger-bore and shorter-barrelled gun. Functioning as an
assault gun rather than long-range artillery, it is also commonly deployed in
sieges.
M33 Hellhound
 Based
on the chassis of the Chimera, the Hellhound totes a large flamer known as an
'Inferno Cannon'. It is feared by all enemies because of its ability to cover a
wide area with flames and cause horrific losses to units that cluster together.
They instill fear in a target unit, forcing the enemy to take various checks to
find out if they run or bunker down. They have large promethium fuel tanks on
the rear chassis of the vehicle that replace the troop carrying capacity
of a standard chimera and the members of the tank crew are often
gleeful pyromaniacs.
P-5001 Sentinel Squadron
 These
small squadrons of walkers can carry a variety of heavy weapons, depending on
the pattern of the Sentinels, and bring high levels of power and maneuverability
together in one place. They are lightly armored however, and are susceptible to
light arms fire. They are often employed as scouts and can be used for defending
the flanks of other units or striking forward to take out medium-heavy armored
infantry or vehicles.
Sentinels are ideal scouting vehicles, and their pilots are often forced to use
their own initiative - qualities not always fostered in Imperial soldiers. Many
of these pilots are highly individualistic and have a reputation as
insubordinate mavericks. When not pressed into service as scouts, Sentinel
Squads are often used to harry the flanks of enemy formations or act as mobile
anti-armor squadrons.
M30 Chimera
 The
Chimera APC is one of the work-horses of the Imperial Guard, it has six firing
ports for the embarked troops, a turrent mounted Multi-Laser (sometimes upgraded
to an Autocannon or Heavy Flamer) and a hull mouted Heavy Bolter.
The Chimera is also amphibious and is able to cross most inland water
obstacles with relative ease - it is also capable of amphibious landings if seas
aren't too rough.
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