Cadian Shock Troops

"Any Cadian who can't field-strip his own lasgun by age ten was born on the wrong planet."

—Anonymous Cadian

The icon of the Cadian Shock Troops

The Cadian Shock Troops, also sometimes called Cadian Shock Troopers, are the highly disciplined Militarum Regimentum soldiers conscripted in large numbers from the Fortress World of Cadia for the Astra Militarum, which once stood sentinel as the preeminent bastion of the Imperium of Man in the fight against the Emperor's ancient Archenemy, Chaos. They are deployed in every segmentum of the Imperium and are particularly skilled at defending fortified positions against extreme assaults and in warfare against the forces of Chaos.

From the famous Shock Troops of its infantry regiments to the dedicated crews of its armoured war engines and the gunners who man its artillery and heavy weapons, the discipline and highly-professional warriors of the Cadian Regimentum are lauded throughout the Imperium as born soldiers.

A Cadian Shock Trooper carrying a Plasma Gun

Cadia was one world amongst many tens of thousands in the Imperium, and has an honoured and violent place in its history, for Cadia stood upon the edge of the Eye of Terror within the Segmentum Obscurus, in a narrow corridor of navigable space known as the Cadian Gate. As a result, for 10,000 standard years Cadia endured the constant assaults of the forces of Chaos from within the Eye and remained unbowed and unconquered until Abaddon the Despoiler unleashed his 13th Black Crusade. This history of unending threat from the Archenemy bred a world of warriors who are still known to possess unsurpassed discipline and skill, and whose Astra Militarum regiments stand as examples to the rest of the Imperial Guard and Mankind.

Cadia is a by-word for stalwart defiance and righteous contempt on countless worlds, and for good reason. Sat within a narrow stable passageway known as the Cadian Gate into the heart of the Eye of Terror, the Cadian Sector stands as a bastion against the encroachment of the forces of Chaos, holding fast for millennia against the onslaught of Traitors, Heretics, and Daemons. Cadia was amongst the foremost Fortress Worlds in the Imperium, with every soul trained from childhood to defend their world, and all the Imperial worlds beyond, against the abominations that dwell within the colossal Warp Storm that dominated their skies.

A Cadian Shock Trooper wielding the standard M36 Kantrael Pattern Lasgun

Barring a small minority composed of those unfit to serve as soldiers, every child on Cadia was expected to serve in the Cadian Youth Army, better known as the Whiteshields, from the age of fourteen standard years until their maturity, learning the combat skills and discipline regarded as essential. From these, many continued their service by joining the Interior Guard (the Cadian Planetary Defence Force) as adults, pledging their lives to the defence of Cadia, a force of hundreds, even thousands of regiment-strength units, and the equal of any comparably sized Imperial Guard force.

Even those who did not remain in military service -- fulfilling some rear-echelon role essential to the upkeep of an immense defensive army -- were expected to maintain their skills and remain vigilant, stepping up to fight should the Interior Guard be overwhelmed. Indeed, such was the number of capable youth soldiers, Interior Guardsmen, reservists, and the sheer quantity of new recruits on Cadia every year, that many invasions were been defeated through attrition alone, the invading armies unable to match the hundreds of millions of Cadians.

In addition to defending the Imperium from the horrors of the Eye of Terror, Cadia also provided a large tithe of troops to the Departmento Munitorum, and some of the most legendary regiments in the Imperium still hail from the lost Fortress World. These soldiers are selected at random, without fear that they might be rejected by the Departmento Munitorum -- a testament to the quality of the Cadian Interior Guard.

The legendary status of these troops still sees Cadian regiments serving in warzones vast distances from Cadia. As such, the influence of Cadian regiments can be felt on worlds in every segmentum, influencing combat doctrine and logistics. Cadian Interior Guard forces employed standardised Departmento Munitorum equipment and vehicles, allowing them to seamlessly transfer into the service of the Astra Militarum, and there are only a few types of regiment that cannot be raised from Cadian forces.

Cadians believe that discipline is the single most important factor in the operation of any army. While there are those who justifiably disagree with this position, it has nonetheless served the Cadians well for millennia, and countless Imperial victories can be attributed to the effort and determination of the sons and daughters of Cadia. Even with the loss of their homeworld after the Fall of Cadia, millions of Cadian troops, many now raised and trained in transit to war zones, remain a vital cog in the defence of the Imperium from its myriad foes.

That there will be no more of their kind born on Cadia itself is not the death knell that many fear: the Cadian lineage continues in every new generation that comes of age as the fleetborne armies make their standard-years-long transitions through the Warp between war zones. Cadian tactics and dogma have spread to many other worlds and Cadian regiments are frequently reinforced with soldiers from other regiments. In these ways the lost Fortress World's culture survives, its huge armies now marshalled by Lord Castellan Ursula J. Creed.

Every generation of Cadian soldiery still undergoes total military indoctrination. At the age of most other worlds' raw recruits, every Cadian already has had more than a solar decade's military experience; through constant drills and endurance trials, they train to be deadly shots in the bloody cacophony of war and proficient in hand-to-hand combat.

They even receive a carefully monitored introduction to the perils of psyker-taint and mutation -- for such were once the risks of living on a world so near to the Eye of Terror -- and this grounding has proved more beneficial on the numerous other worlds now cursed with the Great Rift's caress in the Era Indomitus. This approach leaves Cadian soldiers mentally and spiritually fortified, with a grim accepatance of things that would send lesser Humans screaming in terror.

Regimental History

"Though our tanks and artillery are mighty, it is the vast ranks of Imperial Guardsmen that shall trample the enemy to dust -- let them come."

—Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed of Cadia

Cadian Shock Troopers in combat.

Cadia is the true definition of a Fortress World, its entire culture and infrastructure wholly dedicated to the raising and equipping of new Cadian Shock Troop regiments for service in the Astra Militarum, the defence of the Cadian Gate and the surrounding star systems.

For thousands of standard years, the people of Cadia have known nought but war. Fighting always to hold back the infernal hosts of Chaos that pour from the Eye of Terror, they have evolved into a robust warrior culture. All Cadians -- no matter their age, gender or station -- must know how to fight, and be capable of facing with unwavering courage all the horrors that proliferate in the 41st Millennium.

The birth and recruitment rates on Cadia were ever synonymous, with each generation undergoing total military indoctrination. By the age of five standard years most Cadians learned to strip and reassemble a Lasgun. By six, most were deadly shots, and before their seventh birthdays they received a no-nonsense introduction to the perils of psyker-taint and mutation.

This approach leaves Cadian youths mentally and spiritually fortified, with a grim acceptance of things that would send lesser humans screaming in terror. By the age of sixteen all Cadians are adept in endurance training, weapons handling, hand-to-hand combat, and vehicular and chemical warfare drills, and are raring to prove themselves in the Cadian youth army. These so-called "Whiteshields" were comparable to the standard conscripts of many worlds, recognisable by the thick white stripe that runs front-to-back on their helms.

The primary infantry regiments raised from amongst the Cadian population are designated as Cadian Shock Troop regiments by the Departmento Munitorum, and maintain a tactical mixture of different arms and equipment, supported by integrated artillery and heavy armour formations, but their true strength lies in the skill, discipline and courage of the Cadians themselves. The Cadian Shock Troops are believed by many to be without equal in the entirety of the Imperial Guard. Displaying enviable levels of discipline, excellent marksmanship, and a cynical gallows humour, Cadian foot soldiers hold true to the tenet that to do your best and give your life for the Emperor is the highest form of honour.

The same unflinching loyalty and martial prowess are found amongst Cadia's armoured and artillery regiments. The endless load-fire-reload drills the gunners and tank crews of Cadia are taught to master make them nigh unstoppable on the battlefield, their guns capable of pounding even the most monstrous enemies to dust. Whether fielded independently or as mixed-arms battle groups, the regiments of Cadia are famed for their effectiveness and discipline, overlapping fields of precision fire obliterating any foe caught helplessly in their path.

An officer of the Cadian Shock Troops armed with Power Sword and Laspistol.

It is their ranks operating in perfect unison in the field that grant the Shock Troop regiments the needed tactical flexibility to react to changing combat needs on the battlefield and the numbers and sheer fortitude to grind an enemy into extinction through the application of overwhelming firepower or even sheer attrition. In addition to the rank-and-file Cadian regiments, numerous specialised formations and different troop types are integrated into their organisational structure, ranging from dedicated sapper units and combat engineers to the youthful, unblooded armies of Whiteshields and the elite "Kasrkin."

In particular the Kasrkin, named after the Kasr fortress-cities of Cadia, are rated as amongst the most superior forces in the Astra Militarum and considered equal both in combat capability and quality of wargear with the Tempestus Scions raised from the orphans of the Schola Progenium who serve the Astra Militarum and the Inquisition alike.

In addition to the Shock Trooper infantry regiments, Cadia also produces dedicated mechanised, artillery, reconnaissance and armoured regiments, many of which have had long and distinguished histories and, like the Cadian Shock Trooper regiments, have served across the entire breadth of the Imperium in innumerable warzones and Imperial Crusades.

The success and glorious record of the Cadian regiments in the defence of the Imperium have been such that they have long been held up by the Adeptus Terra as the very epitome of the Imperial Guard. As a result, they have provided the template for others to imitate and there are regiments of the Astra Militarum raised on worlds as far apart as the Hive World of Brimlock and the holdfasts of the Coronus Nebula that seek to emulate the martial traditions and overall regimental structures of heroic and doomed Cadia.

The regiments of Cadia are also very well-equipped and represent the highest standards of wargear and supply of any standing Imperial Guard Militarum Regimento formations. Their wargear issued to the rank and file complies unwaveringly with the edicts of the Departmento Munitorum concerning frontline combat operations and this procurement was carried out by manufactoria on Cadia itself as well as a large number of Forge Worlds and industrial facilities in the adjacent sectors that dedicated their output wholly to the service of the defence of the Cadian Gate.

This wide network of production facilities also means that a considerable variety of weapon systems, patterns of vehicles and other heavy equipment can be found at the disposal of Cadian regiments in the field, and includes such standard designs as the Mars Pattern Leman Russ main battle tank to such rarities as the Destroyer Tank Hunter in certain more specialised Cadian units.

Spinward Front

Cadian Shock Troops in the Spinward Front

Because of the sheer quantity of Cadian regiments produced, thousands of them are sent to warzones across the galaxy at any one time, with generals overseeing warzones across the Segmentum constantly requesting additional forces from the reserve, to fight alongside those mustered locally. However, the bureaucracy of the Departmento Munitorum, and the sheer quantity of warzones that exist in a region as large as the Segmentum Obscurus, mean that such requests are seldom approved.

Still, the requests made by Lord Sector Marius Hax of the Calixis Sector for more Cadian regiments to prosecute the conflict in his sector's Spinward Front were agreed to. With the Calixis, Scarus, and Ixaniad Sectors already heavily taxed by supporting distant conflicts, notably the grand and costly Margin Crusade (which treasonous rumours suggest may have been diverted to another region of the galaxy altogether), the need for other forces to prosecute a war closer to home was acute.

Due to this dearth of locally available forces, and some measure of distrust of locally-raised forces amongst Lord Hax's court on Scintilla, the bulk of the Spinward Front's forces are drawn from the Segmentum Obscurus reserve and other non-local sources, with a significant number of Cadian regiments amongst them, and a slow trickle of reinforcements from Cadia to replace some of those lost each Terran year.

Cadian regiments of all kinds have served on most worlds in the Spinward Front, with Lord Marshal Ghanzorik employing a dozen regiments of Cadian infantry as part of the permanent defence force of Fort Drusus on Kalth. Dozens, perhaps even hundreds more serve on worlds across the Calixis Sector's Periphery Sub-sector, holding the line against Orks, Chaos raiders, Dark Eldar incursions, and rebels from the Severan Dominate.

The 13th Black Crusade and the Fall of Cadia

A Cadian Shock Trooper active in the years after the fall of Cadia and the birth of the Great Rift.

It was on Cadia itself, during the 13th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler in 999.M41, that the legendary Cadian resolve was put to its most gruelling test. Long foreseen by mystics and strategists alike, the last onslaught from the Eye of Terror was like nothing Cadia had ever faced before. As Imperial battlefleets met the dread Chaos warships spewing forth from the Immaterium, the planet's already formidable defences were hastily reinforced. Regiments returned in droves from the distant war zones to bolster Cadia's standing garrison. They were joined by the mighty Adeptus Astartes, war engines of the Adeptus Mechanicus and gleaming ranks of the Adepta Sororitas.

Millions perished in the opening assault, and as the first solar hours of battle turned into days, the slaughter showed no sign of abating. As they had been drilled to do, the Cadian Shock Troops fought to their last dying gasp. Thoughts of despair were quickly drowned out by the bellowed orders of Platoon Commanders, directing those in their charge to hold the line -- and hold they did. Every Cadian soldier had been trained from birth to sell their life willingly so that vile Chaos scum might pay for their trespasses in blood.

On uncountable fronts the Cadians meted out as much punishment as they received -- obliterating waves of Chaos worshippers with creeping artillery barrages and dogged tank formations, and bringing down colossal daemonic beasts with sheer weight of las-fire. Despite their heroic defiance, Cadia -- which for ten standard millennia had stood as the bulwark against the denizens of the Warp -- was consumed by a cataclysmic firestorm when Abaddon sent his crippled Blackstone Fortress Pillars of Eternity crashing onto its surface. The planet was beyond saving, its defenders powerless against the hordes of Daemons surging forth to claim the once-defiant world.

Though their home planet was utterly sundered, the resolve of the Cadians has not been not broken. Veteran survivors of the last battle for Cadia, along with regiments of their kinsmen scattered across war zones throughout the galaxy, now fight even more doggedly against the enemies of the Imperium. Whole generations of Shock Troopers are born, raised and trained en route to war zones, and soldiers from other worlds with the mettle to withstand Cadian training are inducted into their ranks. The mantra "Cadia Stands!" which was oft repeated during the planet's final violent days by the legendary Cadian commander Ursarker E. Creed, has gained purchase within the officer corps and amongst the platoons. For Cadia does indeed stand, as long as a single Cadian soldier continues to fight.

In the wake of the Fall of Cadia, the remnants of the Imperial Navy's Battlefleet Cadia and the Cadian Shock Troops who managed to escape the destruction of their homeworld managed to make it through the roiling Warp to the Agripinaa System under the command of Admiral d'Armitage and General Maximus Octavian Grüber III. They discovered that system already under assault by multiple warbands of Chaos Space Marines, including one drawn from the Sons of Malice, who held a particularl grudge against Cadians for their role in the destruction of the Heretic Astartes homeworld of Scelus. The Cadian fleet had become divided while transiting the Warp, and the smaller portion of the fleet under the command of General Grüber was forced to make a final stand on the ice moon of Faith's Anchorage, unleashing the larger Battle of Faith's Anchorage. The conflict eventually resulted in an Imperial victory with the arrival of the other remaining portion of Battlefleet Cadia under the command of Admiral d'Armitage and reinforcements from the Space Wolves. In the wake of the battle, the Agripinna System was ultimately cleared of all Chaos forces.

Chaeros was an Industrial World that was the seventh world of the Agripinaa System. It had been invaded by Abaddon the Despoiler's forces during the 13th Black Crusade. Imperial military forces that escaped the Fall of Cadia would later arrive in the Agripinaa System and clear it of the Chaos forces following the Battle of Faith's Anchorage. Once the system was cleansed of the presence of the servants of the Ruinous Powers, General Isaia Bendikt of the Cadian Shock Troops, who had also fought at Faith's Anchorage and to clear the wider system, declared Chaeros was to be renamed "New Cadia" and serve as the new home for all Cadian survivors. However, it is not known if the Imperium accepted his renaming of the world as official.

Legacy of Cadia

Though their home planet was utterly sundered, the resolve of the Cadians has not been broken. Veteran survivors of the last battle for Cadia, along with regiments of their kin scattered throughout the galaxy, now fight even more doggedly against the Imperium's enemies.

Whole generations of Cadian Shock Troops are born, raised and trained en route to war zones and soldiers from other worlds with the mettle to withstand Cadian training methods are inducted into their ranks. The mantra "Cadia stands," oft-repeated during the planet's final violent days, has gained purchase within the officer corps and amongst the platoons of the Shock Troops. For Cadia does indeed still stand, they assert, as long as a single Cadian soldier remains alive to fight.

The grit and determination with which Cadia was so valiantly defended for all those millennia has long been lauded within the Astra Militarum. The professionalism of the world's soldiers remains influential, not only as inspiration to fuel lurid trench-line tales, but also through tactica penned by Cadian generals that are studied in regimental academies. Rare demobilised regiments of Cadians, granted rights of settlement on worlds they conquered for the Emperor, instill Cadia's legendary discipline into their new societies.

Other Astra Militarum regiments model their recruitment and training practices on Cadian doctrine, or seek to equip their forces in the Cadian style. All are eager to emulate a world so heavily militarised that it was said its people were taught how to field-strip and shoot a lasgun before they could even read.

Cadia's surviving sons and daughters refuse to allow the destruction of their homeworld to keep them from unleashing the Emperor's wrath on their foes. This dauntless spirit in the face of ceaseless enemies masks several darker sentiments amongst Cadian troops that continue to fight. Widespread hatred for Humanity's enemies has deepened to a zealous degree. Many Cadians see their homeworld's fall as a personal failure and fight all the harder to regain what they perceive as lost honour. Some of those who were not present for the planet's tragic end resent those who failed in its defence but survived, or else feel guilt for playing no part themselves. Others scorn the regiments of worlds they believe failed to aid Cadia in its darkest hour and oppose the use of soldiers from other worlds to be integrated into and expand existing Cadian Shock Trooper regiments, loathe to share the burden of loss with outsiders.

In the view of many guardsmen, "the planet broke before the Guard did!" The sacrifice of Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed and those under his command only reinforced for many survivors the bloody-mindedness and hard-faced demanour of the Astra Militarum. The men and women of the regiments of lost Cadia will continue to wade into unremitting firestorms and battle through trenches choked with blood and mud. Alongside defeaning salvoes from armoured behemoths, they will advance into the teeth of enemy fire if that is where their orders lead them.

They will do so, again and again, continuing to fight until the day every Traitor in thrall to the Dark Gods is defeated at last and their world avenged a thousand times over.

Notable Campaigns

• Black Legion Incursion (777.M41) - Spearheaded by the Black Legion, Chaos Space Marines exit the Warp at the Cadian Gate. Their advance into the Imperium is slowed by the actions of the Cadian Shock Troops. Imperial Fists Space Marine reinforcements arrive and help the Cadian Shock Troops drive the Traitors back into the Eye of Terror.

• Krandor System Uprising (795.M41) - An uprising in the Krandor System is put down by the Cadian 23^rd Regiment.

• Saint Cyllia Massacre (863.M41) - The Cadian 423^rd Regiment, led by the legedary tank ace Knight Commander Pask, rallies to engage rearguard elements of the Adamant Fury Traitor Titan Legio during the Saint Cyllia Masacre.

• Battle of Planus Steppes (883.M41) - The Cadian 423^rd Regiment spearheads the largest armoured assault since the Battle of Tallarn. Over 8,000 tank companies and 35 super-heavy detachments are annihilated during the near-total destruction of a Renegade Titan Legion at Planus Steppes.

• Bren's World Offensive (935.M41) - The offensive on Bren's World falters when Imperial forces from over two-dozen worlds are unable to take the fortifications of Haven's Spire. The Cadian 12^th Regiment leads the blitz that finally destroys the Spire following the destruction of several void-shield generators by elite Kasrkin units.

• Battle of Fortress Carcasson (937.M41) - The 9^th Cadian Regiment devastates Hive Fleet Scarabus at the walls of Fortress Carcasson without loss of a single company.

• The Kieldar Rebellion (956.M41) - The Kieldar Rebellion is utterly crushed by the combined forces of the Cadian, Morax, Loriar, Elysia, Catachan, Aegis, Tallarn, Harkoni, Neocassan, Paragon, Vostroyan, Birmingham, Mordian, Jjojos, Pintax, Athanos, K'phrani, Rassiosan and Bannan Imperial Guard regiments.

• Reclamation of the Hollow Worlds (937.M41) - Inquisitor Pranix leads the Cadian 301^st, the Tallarn 14^th as well as five Great Companies of the Space Wolves Chapter in an attempt to reclaim the nine Hollow Worlds from the vile Chaos Lord Huron Blackheart and his traitorous Red Corsairs.

• Khai-Zhan Uprising (968.M41) - The planet of Khai-Zhan is plunged into rebellion and, led by the Night Lords Traitor Legion, rebels capture every major population centre before daybreak. Less than one-tenth of the Imperial Guard regiments sent to retake Khai-Zhan survive. However, in one of the most brutal urban conflicts in recent memory, the Cadian 122^nd Regiment and their allies succeed in recapturing the capital city of Vogen. With the world's primary spaceport secured, the Imperium's forces overwhelm the remaining traitors within a month.

• Drussite Crusade (975-980.M41) - The young Ursarkar E. Creed and his Whiteshield squad are hurled into the five-year Drussite Crusade. By the time the Cadian army celebrates its victory in the blaze of the xenos-pyres, Creed has been promoted to the rank of Captain.

• Treconondal (980.M41) - The Chaos Lord Brule and his Renegades are destroyed on Treconondal by a combined force of the 8th Cadian Regiment and the Terrax Guard.

• Hrud Migration (983.M41) - A Hrud migration is halted due in no small part to the courageous efforts of the 7th Cadian Regiment, a campaign in which the tactical abilities of Ursarkar E. Creed proved instrumental.

• Damocles Gulf Crusade - The Damocles Gulf Crusade, also called the Damocles Crusade, was the first military conflict fought between the Imperium of Man and the rapidly expanding Tau Empire in the Lithesh Sector of the Ultima Segmentum in the galaxy's Eastern Fringes during the late 41^st Millennium. The conflict essentially ended in a stalemate, as the Imperium was forced to conclude its military offensive early to deal with the encroaching Tyranid threat while the Tau sought to begin diplomatic negotiations with the Imperium to show humanity the benefits to be had by accepting the Greater Good. Members of the Tau Water Caste had established trade agreements with Imperial worlds on the frontier of the Tau Empire, near the Damocles Gulf region of the Ultima Segmentum in the galactic east, and exchanges of goods and technology were common. Alarmed by the threat of alien contamination, the Administratum readied a suitable response and almost a century later, the Damocles Crusade smashed into Tau space, destroying several outlying settlements and pushing deep into the Tau Empire. When the Imperial fleet reached the Tau Sept world of Dal'yth Prime, however, the Crusade ground to a bloody stalemate as the formidable numbers and high technology of the Tau and their Kroot allies thwarted every attempt to capture the world or its star system. Many months of terrible fighting ensued with nothing gained on either side. By late 742.M41 the Crusade's commanders eventually agreed to requests from the Tau Water Caste for peace talks. The negotiations were successful and the Imperial fleet withdrew from Tau space unmolested, primarily due to the impending approach of the Tyranid Hive Fleet Behemoth. Or, depending on the source, the Damocles Gulf Crusade was ended in 988.M41 due to the emergent threat of Hive Fleet Kraken.

• Raid on Aurnet (992.M41) - Ursarkar E. Creed, now the Colonel of the 8^th Cadian Regiment, defeats a raid by the Eldar of Craftworld Ulthwé on the world of Aurnet.

• Excovar Campaign (997.M41) - The Cadian 122^nd Armoured Regiment leads a counter-attack on Excovar against WAAAGH! Bigtoof. Current projections indicate that the Greenskins should be repelled by the end of the 42^nd Millennium.

• Emrah Campaign (997.M41) - During the Imperial campaign on the world of Emrah, the mysterious Emrah battle-fortress is reactivated by forces unknown. Under Commander Chenkov's command, platoons of Valhallan Ice Warriors Guardsmen were ordered to draw enemy fire, to prevent the valued demolition crews attempting to breach the Emrah battle-fortress from being discovered. However, the 1^st Army Group's wave is ultimately annihilated. Cadian Shock Trooper super-heavy detachments were recalled from the Vidar System to lead the second wave and engage the threat.

• Youth's End Campaign (997.M41) - Ursarkar E. Creed and his hand-picked "Mission Elite" break the stalemate upon the embattled world of Youth's End. Despite the fact that the remote but titanic cannon-fort Voice of Godhood has fallen to the insidious Emperor's Children outcast Fabius Bile and his vile minions, Creed and five Valkyrie gunships full of Cadia's finest launch a masterful assault and recapture the Godhood. They waste no time in reconsecrating the defiled megacannon and turning it upon the rearguard of the Chaos armies.

• Battle for the Tyrok Fields (2975.999.M41) - During the outset of Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade, treachery struck at the heart of the Imperium's defences. As the defenders of the Cadian Gate mustered, the traitorous Imperial Guard regiments of the Volscani Cataphracts revealed their true allegiance to the Ruinous Powers. The Traitors slaughtered hundreds of loyal Guardsmen before any response could be coordinated. The intent of the Volscani's treason was revealed as they swarmed aboard the Leviathan command vehicle of the Governor Primus of Cadia and proceeded to slaughter him and much of the senior command of Cadia's armed forces. This included the commander-in-chief of the defenders of the Cadian Gate, who was killed in the brutal attack. At the darkest moment, then-Colonel Ursarkar E. Creed took control of the dire situation. Rallying his 8^th Cadian Regiment, the bloodied defenders were quickly organised and ordered to advance upon the Traitors. The 8^th Cadian led the charge into the ranks of the traitorous Volscani. Through Creed's actions, what might have been a grievous defeat for the Imperium, and a nefarious victory for the hordes of the Archenemy, was turned into a defining moment for the defenders of Cadia. The 8^th Cadian Regiment would continue to be engaged in multiple battles across the world of Cadia throughout the course of the Despoiler's audacious assault, which ultimately resulted in a bloody stalemate for the Imperials and the forces of Chaos.

Regimental Homeworld

The entire population of Cadia is destined for a military life and the birth rate and the recruitment rate are essentially synonymous. Possessing a well-deserved reputation for being excellent shots, Cadian Shock Troopers are known for being highly disciplined and well-organised Imperial Guard soldiers. Cadian children are taught from a very young age how to field-strip, reassemble and shoot a Lasgun before they can even read or write. Cadians are also known for the manufacture of excellent military equipment for their regiments which are equipped with only the finest weapons.

Cadian regiments traditionally march to war in uniforms with camouflage patterns in a manner most suited to the mixed terrain of the Cadian wilderness, though they will also don specialised gear for different environments, including frigid environment survival suits, desert environment survival suits, and even more advanced gear for combat operations in vacuum or toxic zones.

The Cadian Shock Troop regiments have a special and honoured place in the history of Mankind as they long stood upon the edge of the Eye of Terror, serving as the Imperium's first line of defence against the encroachment of the forces of the Ruinous Powers. Due to its proximity to the Eye of Terror, the genome of the Cadian people deviated from the human baseline with a number of minor mutations, although the Cadians are still considered fully human by the Imperium. The most notable of these mutations is the Cadians' trademark violet irises, which provide any son or daughter of Cadia with a highly distinctive appearance.

Recruitment

Cadian "Whiteshield" trooper

Upon numerous occasions the forces of Chaos have moved against Cadia, for no battlefleet of any size can rely upon other stable passages from the Eye of Terror into Imperial space, but must first pass through the Cadian Gate. Therefore, Cadia is considered one of the most strategically important planets in the galaxy. Within the depths of space, many raging battles have been fought between the warfleets of Chaos and the great starships of the Imperial Navy. But the merciless Chaos forces do not limit their intrusions to the space lanes. Raids and planetary assaults upon populated worlds within the Cadian System are commonplace. Therefore, all Cadians are expected to train in the world's Planetary Defence Forces, and a large percentage of the population is eventually drafted into the Imperial Guard, where it is considered an honour to serve. This contrasts with other worlds where the tithe of soldiers to the Guard is often greatly resented.

Even before their induction, all Cadians are expected to have first served some time in the Cadian Youth Army, joining one of the Conscript Platoons, better known as the "Whiteshields," who show no regimental, company or platoon markings until they have earned the right to do so after facing their first combat test upon the battlefield. These Conscript Platoons are usually distinguished by a white stripe running from the front to back on their helmets or by some other white device. Serving in one of the Cadian Youth Army's Whiteshield platoons is considered something of a rite of passage on Cadia and the troopers are eager to show their worth and prove themselves in the crucible of war.

Cadian officers are well versed in the doctrines of the Tactica Imperium and are highly lauded for their implementation of both strategy and tactics. These officers exemplify the Cadian code of discipline and self-sacrifice that all Cadians aspire to. Cadian Shock Troop regiments have a higher proportion of Veteran (Imperial Guard)|Veteran Squads]] than most Imperial Guard units due to the unequalled combat experience of the general Cadian population.

Formed from the survivors of the harshest warzones, these proven warriors may receive additional training and special armaments. Only the toughest survive the punishing training regime used by Cadian Shock Troop regiments to determine which troops should receive Veteran status, but to serve in the Cadian elite is considered a great honour. Each Cadian Shock Trooper is expected to act above and beyond the call of duty, and continue the long tradition of the Cadian Shock Troops as the finest soldiers ever to serve in the Imperial Guard.

Regimental Organisation

A Cadian Shock Troops Colonel wearing the optional peaked cap and distinctive gorget used by Cadian regimental officers to protect their Refractor Field emitter's circuitry

The sheer amount of personnel required to keep an Imperial Guard regiment in the field is staggering, and to organise such an effort requires thousands of dedicated Departmento Munitorum scriveners and notaries. In any active war zone with multiple regiments in the field there are hundreds of senior Imperial Guard commanders with thousands of supporting officers on their staffs. Indeed, for every fighting man there stands behind him a virtual army of bureaucrats and support personnel whose heroic efforts keep the Imperial war machine going.

However, operational command of a Cadian Shock Troops regiment is held by a senior ranking Imperial Guard officer, usually a Colonel, who is most often a noble-born son of Cadia whose family has held command in the regiments of the Imperial Guard for many generations. In most war zones, there is no need to employ ranks above this level, though sometimes the Departmento Munitorum judges it necessary due to the scale of the conflict.

For example, in the Chondarax Campaign of 342.M34, Imperial records speak of no less than eighteen officers of more senior rank than Colonel commanding different regiments, ranging from a Lord General Militant, to the Master of the Imperial Purse and Regulator of the Militant Ordos. Other ancient titles used in Cadian regiments, such as Scourge Imperialis and Reductor Mineralis, remain a mystery as to what role or purpose they served.

The Regimental Commander leads from his Command Platoon and is accompanied by support squads equipped with specialised weapons, such as Missile Launchers and Mortars. They provide the Command Platoon with concentrated fire support and security for the commander himself. The Regimental Battle Standard is carried by a designated member of the Command Platoon and depicts the regimental insignia.

An Imperial Commissar

In addition to the Cadian command element, the Regimental Commander may be accompanied by other officers of the Departmento Munitorum, such as Commissars. It is a sad fact of war that some despicable cowards renege on their debt to the Master of Mankind and flee the field of battle when the blood begins to flow. Though such occurrences are, thankfully, rare, it is the duty of the Imperial Commissars to ensure that the disease of cowardice does not pollute the command echelons or rank and file of the regiment.

Commissars are some of the finest military officers in the galaxy and dispel the myth that the Departmento Munitorum is made up solely of rear-echelon clerks and notaries. Many will have been recruited from the Schola Progenium of the Adeptus Ministorum and may have served as Storm Troopers before their selection for duties as Commissars, so they are often no strangers to war. It is the tradition for Cadian regiments to have Commissars that were born of Cadian blood assigned to them, although sometimes the expediencies of war (or the spite of a non-Cadian superior officer) makes this impossible.

As Guardsmen are well aware, the prime duty of the Commissar is to preserve the fighting spirit and loyalty to the regiment. If discipline is lax, the Commissar will step in to reinforce it. If the regiment's officers are incompetent or lack courage, the Commissar will remove them by the sternest measures, up to and including an immediate battlefield execution.

There is no one in the regiment who lies beyond the unflinching gaze and lethal Bolt Pistol of a Commissar, not even the officers, so every soldier can be sure that the morale and fighting spirit of the regiment is safe in a Commissar's hands. Commissar Yarrick, while the most famous of Imperial Commissars, almost never had to resort to employing the ultimate sanction during the Second War for Armageddon, for his reputation alone was enough to stiffen the backs of even the most recalcitrant coward. However, Commissar Eyurban, while serving in the Yndolac Redbacks during the Assault on Hyrus Hive was known to have killed more of his regiment than the enemy.

A Cadian Shock Trooper Company Captain with Power Sword and Laspistol

Serving below the Colonel of the regiment and the Commissar are the company commanders, usually officers of the rank of Captain with many Terran years of experience in leading troops into battle. A Guardsman is expected to follow the orders of his officers with alacrity and vigour at all times. Each Captain has his own command unit, usually a platoon, from where he leads his company.

Each company is a formation that will generally range between one and four hundred men. Most of these companies will comprise two to six platoons of infantry, the backbone and workhorse of the Imperial Guard. Each platoon is also led by a command squad made up of a Lieutenant and his retinue of Veteran Guardsmen. The Lieutenant's platoon will comprise between two and six squads of Guardsmen. These sizes are not fixed and in times of war can change drastically, but they serve as examples of the flexibility inherent in the command structure of the Imperial Guard.

Each infantry squad will contain ten men and these soldiers will have a variety of weapons available to them, ranging from heavy weapons such as Missile Launchers, Lascannons and Heavy Bolters, to more specialised and rare weaponry such as Plasma Guns or Meltaguns.

An infantry regiment is often supplied with Chimera armoured personnel carriers, with many of these doughty, ever-reliable vehicles at its disposal. These tanks allow the regiment's commander the option of mounting a number of his infantry squads to provide Armoured Fist units for greater tactical flexibility. In addition, they are used to transport command squads that can make good use of the long-range Vox-casters that they carry as standard equipment.

Kasrkin Grenadier Sergeant of the famed 8^th Cadian Regiment in Carapace Armour; note the Kantrael Amp7 Hellpistol and officer sabre battlefield trophy

Imperial Guard companies are usually divided into three platoons, each platoon consisting of a command squad and three other squads, which may be either infantry squads or Armoured Fist squads or a combination of both. Each squad (if it does not already have one) may be given its own mechanised transport in the form of a Chimera. In addition, the platoon may include additional units, such as tanks, squads from other regiments -- including Abhuman regiments -- or extra squads from the original regiment.

A platoon may include as many as three of these additional units, one for each of its squads. Each squads consists of ten Guardsman, one of whom will be a sergeant. These non-commissioned officers are the glue that binds the Imperial Guard and every soldier should take special note of his sergeant's words, for he will have seen a great deal of active combat.

Where familial connections may secure an individual high office within other regiments, resulting in some officers lacking of combat experience, such does not happen within the Cadian regiments. Trained to fight before they can read and write, Cadian adults have already served the Emperor and their homeworld for many years before being recruited into the Imperial Guard.

Each Guardsmen is armed with a standard issue Cadian short-barrelled Lasgun, manufactured to the highest specifications in one of the many manufactorum dotted across the surface of Cadia. Two Guardsmen may form a Heavy Weapons Crew, to allow the squad to engage either multiple targets or enemy armour with a high probability of success.

To further specialise, a skilled Guardsman may be equipped with a weapon more advanced than a Lasgun, such as a Flamer, Meltagun or Plasma Gun. These weapons are rare and when Guardsmen trained to utilise them are killed, every effort should is made to retrieve the weapon intact. Even if the bearer is only wounded, the weapon's retrieval takes first priority. Failure to observe such protocols usually result in swift disciplinary action being taken by the regimental Commissars.

Wargear

Cadian Shock Troops regiment in the thick of battle

A Cadian Shock Trooper, like all Imperial Guardsmen, is issued a Lasgun upon his conscription into the Guard and it is with this weapon that he is expected to become most proficient. In addition to his weapon, he is also issued with a great many other items of kit and he is expected to look after everything with which he is issued, for such items are considered the property of the Departmento Munitorum from the moment they are handed over to the Guardsman to the moment they are taken from his dead body.

When an Imperial citizen joins the Imperial Guard, he makes a solemn commitment to honour the Emperor and His servants. This oath also extends to the kit he is issued with and improper care and maintenance or use of this kit is a punishable offence. A Cadian Shock Trooper understands this better, perhaps, than most of his contemporaries within the Imperial Guard, for they know all too well that not only must a Guardsman be able to kill the enemy, he must also be able to survive long enough to do so.

He must be able to sleep, eat, dig trenches, survive poison gas and chemical attacks, administer field first aid, find his way to the battle and fight at the end of it all with weapons and armour that allow him to win it. A Cadian Shock Trooper takes his sacred oath to honour the Emperor very seriously, for to perish before honouring his debt to the Emperor is a crime and only those who have begun to repay that debt will have their names entered into the regimental roll of honour upon their death.

Blessed by the Emperor with a multitude of different weapons with which to smite the enemies of the Imperium, it is every Guardsman's duty to become familiar with each and every one of them. Though certain troopers are singled out for particular duties on special weapons or as part of a Heavy Weapons Team, it behooves each Guardsman to familiarise himself with their duties, for combat attrition is certain to take its toll on every squad's members.

Each Cadian Shock Trooper learns the duties and responsibilities of the trooper senior to him and teaches his own duties to the man below him in the chain of command. In this way, Cadian Shock Trooper infantry squads need never fear that the death of its squad members is reducing its combat effectiveness.

Cadian regiments are well-equipped and represent some of the highest standards of wargear and supply of any standing Imperial Guard formation. Their issue to the rank-and-file complies unwaveringly to the edicts of the Departmento Munitorum for frontline combat operations, with procurement fulfilled by manufactora on Cadia itself as well as a number of Forge Worlds and industrial facilities in the attendant sectors feeding their output directly to serve the needs of the Cadian Gate's defence.

This wide net of production also means that a considerable variety of weapon systems, patterns of vehicles and other heavy equipment can be found at the Cadian regiment's disposal, from standard designs such as the Mars Pattern Leman Russ Tank to relative rarities such as the Destroyer Tank Hunter in specialised units.

What follows is a list of the most common items of wargear issued to the members of the Cadian Shock Troops regiments:

Kantrael MG "Short" Pattern Lasgun in the Betalis III Winter Pattern Camouflage Scheme

• M36 Kantrael Pattern Lasgun - The Lasgun (or Lasrifle) is the standard weapon of the Imperial Guard and the most popular weapon amongst a great many human military forces throughout the galaxy. It fires an explosive blast of coherent light with a similar penetrative effect to a bullet or small shell. Though not the most effective weapon in the galaxy, it is easy to manufacture and maintain, and very reliable even under the toughest battlefield environmental conditions. Though the Lasgun is the universal small arm of the Imperial Guard, there are many models, marks and patterns in service. Though Lasguns are manufactured throughout the Imperium, most Cadian Shock Trooper regiments prefer the Kantrael short-barrel M36 Pattern Lasrifle, a weapon known for its robustness and ability to survive even the most violent mistreatment. With the attachment of a bayonet, a Lasgun becomes a formidable close-combat weapon and every Shock Trooper is expected to train regularly in bayonet drill. As Cadia forms the first line of defence against potential Chaos incursions, the entire population of Cadia is destined for a military life. Every child of Cadia is taught to field strip, reassemble and shoot a Lasgun before they can read or write. Indeed, by the time a Cadian citizen is grown and inducted as a full Guardsman into the Cadian Shock Troops, they are already known to be excellent shots.

Kantrael MG Defender Pattern Service Laspistol; it is standard issue to non-commissioned officers and officers in the Cadian Shock Trooper regiments

• 4 Charge Packs - Charge Packs are powerful capacitor batteries used almost exclusively by Imperial laser weapons. The Charge Pack's size and make varies depending on the class of the weapon. In all cases, it provides shots equal to the weapon's full clip value and can be recharged when emptied.

• Autopistol - Small but effective, autopistols are a favourite amongst many military veterans as a supplement for their standard Lasgun. They have a faster rate of fire than many Laspistols and can put down most targets in a single burst of shells.

• 2 Autopistol Cartridge Clips - These clips contain the metal-jacketed ballistic cartridges used by an autopistol.

• Combat Knife - A Combat Knife is a one-handed melee weapon, serving as the ubiquitous back-up weapon for warriors all across the Imperium, be they lowly hive scum or the elite soldiers of a Planetary Governor. Some, such as the infamous Catachan Fighting Knife, are designed for a specific purpose, whilst others are more generic in nature.

• 2 Frag Grenades - Frag Grenades use a combustible charge and special fillers of shrapnel fragments which make them potent anti-personnel weapons. Imperial Frag Grenades are roughly the size of a clenched fist and covered with a heavily notched shell, both to increase the shrapnel produced and provide a more secure grip for throwing.

• 2 Krak Grenades - Krak Grenades are crafted with powerful concentrated explosives designed to punch holes in armoured targets such as vehicles or bunkers. While stronger than Frag Grenades, Krak detonations do not produce a blast effect and their more focused explosion makes them less practical as anti-personnel weapons.

Cadian tri-dome helmet variant with Mark XIc Rebreather

• Cadian Pattern Helmet - The standard Cadian Pattern (Aquila) Helmet provides excellent protection to the vulnerable cranial area. Injuries to this region of the body are invariably fatal and thus maximum effort is made to avoid such wounds. Where such injuries are unavoidable, the use of the Cadian Pattern Helmet offers the best protection from exploding shrapnel and fragmentation. Older helmets (utilising lost technology still sought for by the Adeptus Mechanicus) are blessed with good non-ballistic protective qualities that may be caused by concussive shockwaves from artillery or grenade explosions. Each helmet has an integrated outer-shell and suspension system to provide a stable, snug fit and has an adjustable standard two-point suspension system and a headband. The Cadian Tri-dome Helmet is a variant pattern helmet used when Cadian Shock Troops must fight on a world whose atmosphere or regions are inimical to the human respiratory tract. This pattern's visor lenses help to prevent glare and blindness from the elements. When fitted with a fully compatible Mark IX or Mark XIc Rebreather, it provides an excellent defence against most commonly-encountered toxic gases and pollutants as well as allowing the soldier to operate in airless environments for limited periods. It has also proven useful against biological plague weapons. Cadian Shock Trooper helmets bear a dedication Aquila, which declares the regiment's loyalty to the Imperium, and contains a short-range Vox link.

A standard Cadian Shock Trooper wearing Flak Armour

• Cadian Imperial Guard Uniform - As a heavily militarised world, Cadia's manufactora are able to mass produce and equip its Guardsmen quickly and efficiently. Typically, Cadian Shock Troops' uniforms are made from hard-wearing fabrics designed to resist hostile environments and prove hardy in the field, and are the result of centuries of tradition. The Cadian uniform consists of a thickly woven pair of trousers, sometimes fitted with pockets for Lasgun charge packs or personal rations. Over this, a sturdy tunic shirt and uniform jacket is worn in the regimental colours. Cadian regiments march to war in uniform patterns camouflaged in a manner most suited to the mixed terrain of the Cadian wilderness. Most regimental supply officers attempt to match the uniforms to the battlefield being fought upon, including whites for Ice Worlds, khaki for Desert Worlds and so on. The demands of the battlefield means most uniforms follow this pattern, though many regiments retain more traditional uniforms for ceremonial functions, dress occasions or for regimental officers attending formal events. A peaked cap is an optional uniform item for ranks above Sergeant to wear but this is generally replaced with a helmet when facing opponents known to utilise snipers. Other ranks in veteran regiments sometimes affect caps instead of helmets but this is frowned upon by both officers and Commissars.

• Flak Armour - The most common personal protection worn by Cadian regiments is Flak Armour. Cheap and easy to produce, Flak Armour comprises several layers of ablative thermoplast materials and impact absorbent carbifibres. In Cadian Shock Trooper uniforms, Flak Armour is woven directly into the layers of material that make up the overall uniform. For additional protection Carapace Armour is sometimes worn. Made up of large rigid plates of armaplas or Ceramite-moulded to fit the bearer, Carapace Armour provides better protection than standard Flak Armour, but is bulky and heavy and really only suited to units certain to be under the heaviest fire, such as assault units or those involved in urban operations. Kasrkin Grenadiers, the Cadian elite, are known to incorporate Carapace Armour as part of their standard kit. Imperial Guard officers often sport Carapace Armour breastplates of gold or silver, but Cadian officers disdain such ostentation, preferring to have their armour painted in the appropriate camouflage scheme as the rest of the regiment. In addition to such commonly available items, high-ranking officers may also be protected by energy fields, such as a Refractor Field or Conversion Field. Such advanced technology is never available to the ordinary Guardsman, but contains an anti-gravitic emitter that works by deflecting the energy of an incoming shot or converting its kinetic energy into some other form of energy that will not harm the target. Cadian regimental officers are known to wear a distinctive gorget used to protect their Refractor Field emitter circuitry which is incorporated directly into their Carapace Armour breastplate.

• Gas Mask - A simple breathing mask that covers the nose and mouth or entire face, these offer much better protection than filtration plugs.

• Micro-Bead - A micro-bead or comm-bead is a short range communication device worn in the ear, good for communication out to about one kilometre (depending on weather conditions and intervening terrain). Each fits discretely in the ear, with better crafted models nearly undetectable upon casual inspection.

• Poor Weather Gear

• Rucksack

• Entrenching Tool

• Basic Toolkit

• Mess Kit & Water Canteen

• 2 Solar Weeks' Rations

• Blanket & Sleep Bag

• Rechargeable Lamp-Pack - Sturdy and reliable, glow-globes illuminate many an Imperial paveway and cathedral. Most portable ones are roughly the size of a clenched fist and can shine strong, yellowish light a dozen or so metres in width, lasting roughly five hours before their power pack needs recharging or replacing.

• Grooming Kit

• Dog Tags

• Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer - A standard-issue Imperial text that covers a vast variety of topics, this book is possessed by all members of the Imperial Guard as part of their standard-issue equipment. The Primer is a basic guide that details everything a Guardsman needs to know: principles and regulations of the Imperial Guard, issued arms, attire, apparatus, and equipment, basic battlefield policy and Imperial Guard organisation and structure, elementary battlefield medical instructions, and a detailed guide on the foes of the Imperium. No Guardsman should ever be found without possession of a copy of the Uplifting Primer for the punishment is severe.

Optional Wargear

Cadian Pattern Grenade Launcher with 20 round drum

• Grenade Launcher - A common squad support weapon used amongst Cadian Shock Troops infantry squads is the Grenade Launcher, a weapon that launches a grenade a greater distance and with more accuracy than a Guardsman could throw it. Capable of a relatively high rate of fire, these Grenade Launchers are primarily designed for suppressive fire and to destroy light vehicles and buildings. The standard Cadian Pattern Grenade Launcher is a man-portable, drum-fed weapon that fires 40 millimetre grenades that more resemble smaller versions of the ammunition fired by Missile Launchers. A Grenade Launcher is capable of firing both Krak and Frag Grenades. The firer simply selects which he wishes to fire via a selection switch near the pistol grip handle. The Cadian Pattern Grenade Launcher can carry a load of 20 grenades and pivots forward to allow reloading. To aim the weapon, the trooper flips up a rear sight, which is notched for different ranges, and matches this up with the weapon's front quadrant sight. When preparing to pull the trigger, a trooper must first brace himself with a wide-legged stance, as the recoil from the Grenade Launcher is significant, comparable to that of a Bolter, and recoil injuries are a common occurrence amongst troopers unfamiliar with the weapon's power.

An Imperial Autocannon

• Autocannons - A commonly favoured special weapon used by Cadian Shock Troop heavy support squads is the Autocannon. These automatic, self-loading cannons fire high velocity hails of solid shells a great distance. They are used to lay down a burst of suppressive fire to cover advancing troops, or strafe enemy-held positions. These weapons are considered ideally suited for attacking enemy vehicles and fortifications from long ranges. They lack the heavy punch of a Lascannon, but can fire more shots and are less prone to overheating, though the need to carry large amounts of ammunition is a distinct disadvantage. This heavy weapon is capable of eliminating heavily armoured infantry or light vehicles, and are employed by Cadian Shock Troops fire support teams due to their versatility. Though Autocannons are designed to be fired from a standard pattern bipod configuration, in extreme situations, it is not unknown for some of the stronger troopers to carry them into battle slung from suspensor harnesses -- though this "gung-ho" method of firing is unusual and is generally not encouraged.

Regimental Markings

Cadian Carapace Armour shoulder plates with numerical squad designations

Upon enlistment, Cadian Shock Trooper squads are issued a unique three-digit squad number. Command squads are issued a two-digit number with a central skull motif. Numbers beginning with one or two zeroes are normally reserved for Kasrkin squads or special veteran squads formed from survivors of other squads.

Cadian Frigid Environment Survival Suit

Guardsman Yestr of 3^rd Platoon, 1^st Armoured Fist Company, 6^th Cadian Armoured Regiment, seconded to Battle Group Empteda on Betalis III in 894.M41; Yestr is wearing a Frigid Environment Survival Suit

When the 6^th Cadian Armoured Regiment was deployed on the frigid Ice World of Betalis III in 894.M41 to defeat an unexpected and unexplained attack by the forces of the Eldar Craftworld Mymeara, its troops were outfitted with the Frigid Environment Survival Suit, a variant of the standard Cadian kit that is intended for use by Cadian Shock Trooper regiments operating in extreme arctic conditions. This particular variant of the standard Cadian uniform is illustrated to the right with the photograph of Guardsman Yestr, and the components of his kit are further detailed below:

• Uniform - This Cadian guardsman is fully equipped with the Frigid Environment Survival Suit. The Guardsman's standard Cadian uniform has been adapted to fit the Frigid Environment Survival Pack's cables through which heated air is pumped into the suit, which forms a warm inner pocket. Unofficially known to most Imperial Guardsmen as a "hot-suit", similar technologies are used by Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator teams and Imperial colonists on frontier Ice Worlds. To retain the heat, the Guardsman's uniform includes an insulated lining of Betalis manufacture, using animal fur (most likely from Toryx skins imported from neighbouring star systems). The regiment's combat uniforms were issued in various arctic and tundra camouflage patterns as well as plain white, but the majority were as shown here, white armour over a tan and grey uniform. Given the regiment's rapid expansion, little standardisation was enforced by its cadre of officers. The Guardsman's boots remained standard issue combat boots, manufactured in the Betalis System, also insulated with a lining of Toryx fur. These boots also have detachable reinforced shin protection. The same pattern of boots are issued by the billions to Imperial Guardsmen across the galaxy and well-liked, as they are both strong and fully waterproof.

• Flak Armour - Over his uniform the Guardsman wears standard issue Flak Armour, consisting of a breastplate and shoulder pauldrons. These are constructed of an impact absorbent carbi-fibre layer under a simple shaped Plasteel plate. Each armour piece straps onto his fatigues and provides protection against impacts, but they are considered cumbersome, especially for Armoured Fist squads. The shoulder plates bear the Guardsman's squad identification number on the right plate and the regimental number on the left plate (not visible).

• Helmet - The Guardsman wears a standard issue Cadian tri-dome helmet and Mark XIc rebreather with its own oxygen supply and a polarised snow visor, which is vital on Betalis III to prevent sun glare and snow blindness. The air supply is required for any extended exposure to the Ice World's toxic atmosphere. The helmet bears a dedication Aquila, which declares the regiment's loyalty to the Imperium, and contains a short-range Vox link. Also commonly issued was an insulation-lined field cap, worn by some Guardsmen when they were not in immediate danger and especially favoured by sergeants and officers of the regiment.

• Frigid Environment Convector Pact - Operations in a dangerous freezing environment require additional preparation and wargear to be issued to Cadian Guardsmen. In order to fight in Betalis III's constant sub-zero temperatures, the Guardsman carries a Frigid Environment Convector Pack, that was originally manufactured on Betalis III for its Planetary Defence Forces. This heavy backpack has two functions: it supplies clean air to the rebreather through oxygen scrubbers and also includes a heating element and the pump required to supply the warm air into the Guardsman's uniform. The backpack is constructed in three parts. The centre contains the pumping mechanisms, diverter valves and emergency pressure release vent. The lower section contains the primary heat exchange coils, while the top is an emergency oxygen tank that serves as a back-up if the suit's oxygen scrubbers should fail. The pack has a regulator unit which is mounted on the breastplate so that it is easily accessible. Whilst bulky and uncomfortable, similar Convector Packs are used by Explorator teams and human colonists on many arctic Frontier Worlds and the technology is widespread across the Imperium.

• Lasgun - This Guardsman's principal weapon is the Kantrael Pattern Lasgun, with a 19 megathule capacity. A robust Lasrifle produced by the millions, this standard issue Lasgun has a power pack that is good for 50 shots before replacement is required. It fires single-shot or semi-automatic bursts and includes a bayonet lug to fit the standard issue Imperial Guard Combat Knife. The rifle is easily capable of operating in sub-zero temperatures and its excellent durability is one of the primary reasons it is issued to Imperial Guard regiments across the galaxy. As a secondary weapon, this Guardsman has obtained a pistol. While difficult to identify, it is most likely a Laspistol or an Autopistol. Although not regulation-issue, Guardsmen heading into combat often provide their own back-up weapons. He also has a Combat Knife/bayonet in a boot scabbard and a Frag Grenade on his belt.

• Field Gear - This Guardsman's webbing contains standard field gear for a Cadian Shock Trooper, including a field medi-kit, Lasgun maintenance kit, miniature stove and its concentrated fuel tablets, Convector Pack maintenance tools and replacement filters, an emergency shelter, high-protein ration packs, the rebreather unit's storage pouch and an entrenching tool. He also possesses an ammunition pouch for spare Lasgun power packs which are easily accessible on his belt.

Notable Cadian Shock Troops Regiments

Infantry Regiments

• 3^rd Cadian - Took part in the defence of the Cadian Gate during the 13th Black Crusade.

• 7^th Cadian, "The Lucky Sevens" - Involved in the Battle of Tyrok Fields on Cadia itself where were they were caught unawares by the Renegade Volscani Cataphracts regiments during the 13th Black Crusade. The main body of the Cadian 7^th were mercilessly cut down before they could properly form a defence in response to the sudden assault. The regiment was rescued by the actions of the Cadian 8^th , under the command of Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed. The 7^th Cadians' Regimental Banner was carried forward by no fewer then 12 separate troopers during the course of the engagement.

• 8^th Cadian, "The Lord Castellan's Own" - This vaunted regiment was personally led by Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed during the 13th Black Crusade and was also once the Lord Castellan's own home in the Imperial Guard.

• 9^th Cadian - The 9^th Cadian Regiment is known for taking part in the notable engagement known as the Battle of Fortress Carcasson, in which it helped to devastate the Tyranid forces of Hive Fleet Scarabus.

• 15^th Cadian "Kalliagh's Heroes" - When the Chaos Space Marines of the Alpha Legion invaded the Mihok System in 361.M37, three worlds fell in quick succession to the Traitors' surprise assaults, but when the Traitor Marines, led by the Chaos Lord Orik the Vile, reached the moon of Mihok Secundus, two regiments of Cadians were waiting for them, the 15^th Cadian ("Kalliagh's Heroes") and the 23^rd Cadian ("Emperor's Hounds").

• 23^rd Cadian, "Emperor's Hounds" - When the Chaos Space Marines of the Alpha Legion invaded the Mihok System in 361.M37, three worlds fell in quick succession to the Traitors' surprise assaults, but when the Traitor Marines, led by the Chaos Lord Orik the Vile, reached the moon of Mihok Secundus, two regiments of Cadians were waiting for them, the 15^th Cadian ("Kalliagh's Heroes") and the 23^rd Cadian ("Emperor's Hounds"). The 23^rd Cadian was stationed in the Cobalt Valley where an extremely important stretch of road stretched for several hundred leagues in each direction. This was the sight of a major battle between the 23^rd Cadian and the Alpha Legion. Though outmanned and outgunned, the "Emperor's Hounds" used their superior knowledge of the terrain and their limited armour elements to their advantage. After three weeks of valiant struggle, additional Imperial Guard regiments from Cadia, Gorin V and Linnerberg arrived in the Cobalt Valley and found a blasted wasteland. Nearly the entirety of the "Emperor's Hounds" had been killed, and over three quarters of those remaining were badly wounded. Their regimental commander, Colonel Lean, was awarded the Terran Laurel for his part in the battle and the 23^rd Cadian's survivors were relieved from active service as a reward, allowed to accompany the Adeptus Mechanicus' Explorator fleets and colonise a new world. Such an honour is only usually bestowed on a regiment's men and officers after ten years of fighting, whilst this was Colonel Lean's first command.

• 24^th Cadian - The 24^th Cadian took part in the notable campaign against the Orks on Jaegersweld where their headquarters was overrun. The 24^th Cadian eventually redeemed their honour when they retook their headquarters' position from the Greenskins.

• 39^th Cadian, "Xenobane" - The 39^th Cadian, known as the "Xenobane", campaigned alongside the elite 1^st Company of the Dark Hands Space Marine Chapter during the Chinchare Hrud Infestation sometime during the 41^st Millennium to exterminate the alien Hrud. They later took part in the Veldt Campaign, which also occurred sometime during the 41^st Millennium.

• 44^th Cadian Heavy Infantry - The 44th Cadian Heavy Infantry was tasked to garrison the city of Dustrious on the world of Kalides Prime. The regiment was wiped out to the last trooper when Kalides Prime was assaulted by a force of Death Gurad commanded by the Lord of Contagion Gerloch.

• 81^st Cadian - The 81^st Cadian recently suffered heavy losses on Heletine, as the regiment was the first Imperial continent to arrive on the beleaguered world. The Ecclesiarchy world of Heletine had come under assault from several warbands aligned to the Black Legion, chief amongst them the Children of Torment which saught to destroy Imperiale relics and thus weaken the populations faith. As a result, desertion and corruption amongst the Heletine militia has reached unprecedented proportions, Colonel Redgage of the Cadian 81^st resulting in the installment of several dozen firing squads on a daily basis, even though officially none of the 81^st was swayed into worship of the Chaos Gods. True heroism and sacrifices, the 81^st Cadian successfully stalled the enemy advance until reiforcements could be brought in. Matters considerably evolved qith the arrival of a strikeforce of Space Marines of the Salamanders Chapter, led by the experienced Captain of 6^th Company, Ur'zan Drakgaard in what would mark the beginning of the Protean War.

• 85^th Cadian, "Firedrakes" - Known as the "Firedrakes" because of their fiery red military fatigues, the 85^th Cadian took part in the Gorsinian Lava Desert Campaign in the 39^th Millennium.

• 92^nd Cadian - The 92^nd Cadian Regiment was recently assigned the assets of the 781^st Cadian Artillery to provide needed fire support for its infantry.

• 99^th Cadian Mechanised Infantry - None are entirely certain how many different incarnations of the Cadian 99^th Shock Troops have existed across the millennia. The current incarnation of the 99^th Cadian Mechanised Infantry was raised in the ninth century of the 41^st Millennium, and were initially intended to join the Margin Crusade, but received orders to reinforce the Spinward Front instead. For all the Guardsmen's inexperience, they are nonetheless Cadians, and they have trained since they were children to fight for the Imperium. Colonel Dero Arkat, a thirty-year veteran of the Interior Guard assigned to lead the newly-raised regiment, has worked tirelessly to prepare his men for warfare, and appears to have succeeded thus far, operating as part of a series of rapid assaults against Chaos forces infesting the Periphery and worlds beyond.

• 107^th Cadian - The 107th Cadian is known to have taken part in the valiant defence of the Cadian Gate during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41.

• 108^th Cadian, "Wyverns" - Took part in the Valerian Purges alongside the Howling Griffons Space Marine Chapter in the 41st Millennium.

• 110^th Cadian, "Shadow Corps" - Took part in the Purging of Shaboloth Night World in the 41^st Millennium.

• 122^nd Cadian - The 122^nd Cadian first distinguished themselves during the Winter Campaign on the world of Vintock III in the 40^th Millennium. They also distinguished themselves during the hard-fought Battle of Vogen. In 968.M41, the Khai-Zan Uprising against the Imperium erupted on the Agri-World of Khai-Zan. Led by the Night Lords Chaos Space Marines, Traitor Planetary Defence Forces (PDF) and numerous Chaos Cultist uprisings, an attack was launched on a public holiday. With over half of the Khai-Zan PDF on leave, the Agri-World quickly found itself quickly beset on all sides by the forces of Chaos. The cultists utilised summoned daemons but, due to the world's distance from the Eye of Terror and the lack of devotion to the Chaos Gods from the Night Lords, the actual number of summonings proved very small. The Night Lords' Exalted Champion Gorsameth lead his troops in a clash against the men of the 122^nd Cadian Shock Troopers, under the command of Captain Fane, who sought to defend the Imperial city of Vogen. The Night Lords' Chaos Sorcerer Asuramandos used foul Warp magicks to redirect and mis-deploy the Imperial defenders, causing them to be overrun in the ensuing battle. Fane as well as his entire company died in defence of an Adeptus Arbites Precinct House. The stranglehold of Chaos over the world was finally broken by the arrival of the Astartes of the Imperial Fists Chapter. Every Traitor present on the planet was ultimately wiped out.

• 126^th Cadian - Serving under the command of Lord Marshal Graf Harazahn of the Vostroyan Firstborn, the 126^th Cadian Shock Troops valiantly defended the trenchworks surrounding Deimos Space Port during the Fall of Medusa V in 999.M41.

• 180^th Cadian, "Stalking Tigers" - Known as the "Stalking Tigers", the 180^th Cadian took part in the Rassagar III Campaign during the defeat of WAAAGH! Craslash in the 41^st Millennium.

• 203^rd Cadian - The 203^rd Cadian deployed to the Forge World of Graia during the invasion of the Ork WAAAGH! Grimskull. The regiment suffered a large number of casualties, especially amongst its officer ranks, until overall command fell to Second Lieutenant Mira. With the help of the Ultramarines Space Marine Chapter, the 203^rd Cadian succeeded in the defence of the Forge World and its vital Titan manufactora against both Orks and and the invading forces of Chaos.
• 266^th Cadian - In 850.M41, the 266^th Cadian Regiment, alongside Detachment D-99 of the Elysian Drop Troops and elements from the Red Scorpions Space Marine Chapter's 1^st and 6^th Companies, led by Commander Carab Culln, assisted Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Solomon Lok during an investigation and subsequent battle against the renegade Tyranids of the world of Beta Anphelion IV.

• 331^st Cadian - After the Sons of Malice Chapter of Astartes were declared Excommunicate Traitoris, the 331^st Cadian was ordered to take part in the planet-wide campaign of genocide to wipe out the savage and barbaric tribes of the Renegade Chapter's homeworld of Scelus, in order to eradicate their Chaotic taint. It was revealed that the grisly tendencies that led to the Sons of Malice’s excommunication were found to be rooted in the barbaric religious practices of the feral population. The tradespeople of Scelus may have inadvertently become worshipers of the renegade Chaos God Malal.

• 411^th Cadian - Only recently raised, the 411^th Cadian Regiment was ordered to take part in the Fall of Medusa V campaign in 999.M41. Under the command of Colonel Hagen von Frohlof, only the regiment's commander and a Second Lieutenant Hennessen, a veteran of the defence of the Cadian Gate during the recent 13th Black Crusade, had seen any combat. Soon after their arrival in the war zone, they were placed under the command of Grand Inquisitor Belerophus Hotha to aid him in his investigation of an unknown Tyranid Hive Fleet. During three months of continual fighting, the 411^th suffered heavy casualties in pursuit of this goal. Colonel Frohlof noted in his personal log the suspicious behaviour of the war zone's supreme commander Lord Marshal Graf Harazahn, of the Vostroyan Firstborn, who had a tendency to supply the 411^th only when the situation became strategically critical, and even then only at the last minute. The last orders received by the 411^th Cadian were directed by Grand Inquisitor Hotha and their position in Combat Zone Hydra located deep in the ash wastes of Medusa V. The regiment was lost and considered destroyed by waves of oncoming Tyranids.

• 412^th Cadian - The 412^th Cadian took part in the campaign on the Ice World of Lorn V in order to retrieve a long-lost Imperator-class Titan known as the Dominatus. The regiment was featured in the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War PC game expansion Winter Assault.

• 417^th Cadian, "Hellbringers" - The 417^th Cadian Regiment were veterans of the Damocles Gulf Crusade but met their fate at the hands of an Ork WAAAGH! on Seperus Prime where the regiment was almost completely wiped out by the Greenskins.

• 450^th Cadian - The 450^th Cadian Regiment took part in the Klestry Forest War in the 40^th Millennium.

• 473^rd Cadian - The 473^rd Cadian took part in the 13th Black Crusade in the valiant defence of the Cadian city of Kast Thravius from the pustulent Chaos Lord Typhus, the Herald of Nurgle.

• 512^th Cadian - The 512^th Cadian Regiment was a part of the Cadian Orbital Defence Detail during the 41^st Millennium.

• 840^th Cadian - The 840^th Cadian Regiment fought valiantly against the forces of Chaos during the 13th Black Crusade, fighting alongside the vaunted 8^th Cadian Regiment at the Battle of Tyrok Fields. Though they acquitted themselves well against the Archenemy, they were wiped out in the initial assault by the traitorous Volscani Cataphract regiments.

• 1273^rd Cadian, "Elysion Eagles" - The 1273^rd Cadian Regiment was a Cadian mechanised infantry regiment that brought its troops to battle in Chimera armoured personnel carriers.

Armoured Regiments

• 6^th Cadian Armoured - The 6^th Cadian Armoured Regiment was deployed to the Ice World of Betalis III in 894.M41 where it aided Imperial forces in successfully repelling an attack by the Eldar forces of Craftworld Mymeara.

• 9^th Cadian Armoured - The 9^th Cadian Armoured Regiment fought in the valiant defence of their homeworld during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41.

• 17^th Cadian Armoured - When the traitorous 15^th Ocanan Infantry Regiment declared its allegiance to the Ruinous Powers it had little in the way of either heavy armour or artillery support and was unable to compete against the combined arms forces of the 17^th Cadian Armoured and the 110^th Elysian Drop Troops Regiments sent to eliminate them.

• 23^rd Cadian Armoured - The 23^rd Armoured Cadian Regiment was known to possess at least one Banesword super-heavy tank known as Tyron's Doom.

• 24^th Cadian Armoured, "The Emperor's Hammer" - The 24^th Armoured took part in the valiant defence of Kasr Gehr on their homeworld of Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41. Constituting nine companies, they were commanded by Colonel Polski. Each company was primarily composed of standard Mars Pattern Leman Russ Tanks and many of its variants. By the time Kasr Gehr fell, the 24^th Cadian Armoured had been reduced to only three companies comprised of 30 Leman Russ Tanks, one heavy company which possessed a Baneblade super heavy tank and the command company which possessed Polski's Leman Russ command tank and Chimera. The severe losses the regiment suffered is a testimony to the intense fighting the 24^th Cadian Armoured valiantly saw while standing against the forces of Chaos.

• 31^st Cadian Armoured - The 31^st Armoured Cadian took part in the Imperial campaign on Levilnor IV.

• 71^st Cadian Armoured, "The Hellhounds" - Commanded by Colonel Anders, the 71^st Cadian Armoured Regiment deployed to fight against the Tau on Baktar III.

• 81^st Cadian Armoured, "Rolling Thunder" - The 81^st Cadian Armoured Regiment is a distinguished Imperial Guard regiment that fought as part of the 18^th Army Group Exolon. During Operation Thunderstorm, over ninety-percent of the regiment's tanks were lost whilst fighting against the Orks on the world of Golgotha.

• 88^th Cadian Armoured - The 88^th Cadian Armoured Regiment is a Cadian mechanised infantry regiment that saw action against Plague Zombies and a warband of the Death Guard Traitor Legion on the Shrine World of Kathur which was under the protection of the Cadian Shock Troopers.

• 89^th Cadian Armoured - The 89^th Cadian Armoured Regiment is known to possess the famed Baneblade Steel Lord.

• 98^th Cadian Armoured - The 98^th Cadian Armoured Regiment took part in the Imperial intervention in the infamous Luxor Uprising in 812-813.M41. They fought alongside the Novamarines Space Marine Chapter in putting down the rebellion of the world's workers that rose up against the cruel ruling Oligarchs. Their uprising was backed by the nefarious Chaos Space Marines of the Alpha Legion, always eager to stir up an insidious rebellion against the Emperor's rule. The planet proved to be a lynch-pin of the Departmento Munitorum-dominated Helioret Sector which was vital to the wider supply of war materials to the northern Segmentum Ultima, which was why the rebellion had to be put down -- and why the Alpha Legion had sought to engender the uprising in the first place.

• 101^st Cadian Armoured - The 101^st Cadian Armoured Regiment served during the Deucalion Crusade commanded by Warmaster Ryse. It participated under the command of General Isaia Bendikt in the 13th Black Crusade and the defence of Cadia before it fell. Later, the regiment served under General Bendikt during the Battle of Faith's Anchorage in the Agripinaa System following the Fall of Cadia.

• 113^th Cadian Armoured - The 113^th Cadian Armoured Regiment is a Cadian mechanised infantry regiment stationed in the Cadian Gate. It contains Gryphonne IV Pattern Chimeras that are outfitted with Heavy Bolters.

• 114^th Cadian Armoured, "Blood and Thunder" - The 114^th Cadian Armoured Regiment is commanded by one of Cadia's premier Tank Aces, Colonel "Snake" Stranski. Renowned for his particular use of aggressive armoured attacks and counter-attacks, the 114th Cadian Armoured earned the nickname "Blood and Thunder." In 998.M41, the 114^th Cadian Armoured was assigned to the 4621^st Imperial Army, XI^th Corps during the Taros Campaign which, unfortunately, ended in failure for the Imperial forces. During the campaign, the "Blood and Thunder" was assigned to break through enemy lines to assist the beleaguered 23^rd Elysian Drop Troops Regiment during Operation Comet. But the mission ended in failure, for when the 114^th Armoured arrived at the Elysians' position, they were wiped out to a man. Colonel Stranski ordered a tactical withdrawal, in which the regiment withdrew in good order. But during their withdrawal, they were forced to abandon the majority of their Chimera armoured transports and march the rest of the way to their designated evacuation point for emergency pick up.

• 142^nd Cadian Armoured - The 142^nd Cadian Armoured Regiment participated in the valiant defence of their home system during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41.

Artillery Regiments

• 781^st Cadian Artillery - The 781^st Cadian Artillery Regiment has been seconded to the 92^nd Cadian infantry regiment to provide needed fire support.

Notable Cadian Shock Troopers

• Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed – Lord Castellan Creed is the supreme commander of all Imperial military forces assigned to Cadia and also serves as the Imperial Commander and Imperial Planetary Governor of that crucial Fortress World. Creed is known to be a tactical genius who has saved his world from falling to the forces of Chaos time and again. Though he initially came from humble beginnings, Creed eventually rose meteorically through the ranks, eventually becoming the supreme commander of all of Cadia's military forces and the Colonel of the famed 8^th Cadian, "The Lord Castellan's Own."

• Lord General Mohamar Antoninus deViers - Lord General deViers was the Supreme Commander of the 18^th Army Group Exolon during its mission to the Ork-held world of Golgotha. This mission was designated as Operation Thunderstorm, an Expeditio Reclamatus to find and retrieve the wreckage of Commissar Yarrick's personal Baneblade, the Fortress of Arrogance. This Imperial operation was undertaken sometime during 998.M41, sometime before the Third War for Armageddon began. Commissar Yarrick and the Departmento Munitorum believed that this famous tank would be a monumental boost to morale for the Imperial forces defending Armageddon from the predations of WAAAGH! Ghazghkull. General deViers would succeed in his objective, but would sadly not survive it, as in his haste to adress and compliment his men from the top of the just reclaimed Fortress of Arrogance, he was cut in two by a slash of the dying Warboss' Power Klaw.

• General Sturnn - Commander of the 412^th Cadian Regiment.

• Major General Gerard Bergen - Major General Bergen served as a part of the 18^th Army Group Exolon during Operation Thunderstorm to reclaim the famous Baneblade the Fortress of Arrogance from the Ork-held world of Golgotha.

• Colonel Dero Arkat - Arkat is a thirty-year veteran of the Interior Guard who was assigned to lead the newly-raised 99^th Cadian Mechanised Infantry Regiment. Arkat worked tirelessly to prepare his men for warfare, and appears to have succeeded thus far, operating as part of a series of rapid assaults against Chaos forces infesting the Periphery Sub-sector and worlds beyond.

• Colonel "Snake" Stranski - Stranski was the commander of the 114^th Cadian Armoured Regiment and one of Cadia's premier Tank Aces.

• Warden-Colonel Parmenion Thade - Thade was one of the senior commanders of the 88^th Cadian Armoured Regiment that assisted the Reclamation of the Imperial world of Kathur. Thade commanded part of the spearhead of Imperial forces assigned to retake the planet from the forces of Chaos during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41.

• Knight Commander Pask - Knight Commander Pask is considered one of the Imperial Guard's most renowned tank aces. A hero of the Imperium of Man and a constant presence within the armoured regiments of the Cadian Shock Troops, Pask is one of the most skilled tank commanders ever to grace a Leman Russ Tank. He has commanded these behemoths through hundreds of campaigns, with his reputation continuing to grow with each victory. Over the decades Pask has commanded all variants of the Leman Russ and has mastered them all. He knows the capabilities and limits of each and every weapons system these mighty war machines can mount and it is a brave fool indeed who strays into his gun-sights.

• Second Lieutenant Mira - Lieutenant Mira assumed overall command of the 203^rd Cadian Regiment after all of its senior officers were killed during the fighting on the Forge World of Graia against WAAAGH! Grimskull.

• Colour Sergeant Jarran Kell - Kell was Lord Castellan Creed's personal confidante and man-at-arms, and the bearer of the Regimental Standard of the 8^th Cadian Regiment. Kell had come up through the ranks with his protege Creed.

• Sergeant Lukas Bastonne - Bastonne was one of the most highly regarded and capable non-commissioned officers within the ranks of the Cadian Shock Troops regiments of the Imperial Guard.

• Sergeant Oskar Andreas Wulfe - Wulfe was a Tank Commander of the 10^th Company, 81^st Cadian Armoured Regiment.

• Guardsman Drasquez - Whilst serving in the 91^st Cadian Regiment, Guardsman Drasquez decimated an entire Genestealers brood that had infiltrated the rear echelons of the regiment's command platoon. He accomplished this feat by lifting the entire bipod arrangement off an Autocannon and marched towards the hideous xenos as he fired. Though later killed in battle, Drasquez was awarded the esteemed Honorifica Imperialis for his actions.

Videos

Warhammer 40,000 Grim Dark Lore Part 38 – The 13th Black Crusade

Warhammer 40,000 Grim Dark Lore Part 39 – Resurrection

Sources

• Battlezone: Cityfight, "Lords of the Night" by Pete Haines, pp. 33-48
• Cadian Blood (Novel) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
• Cadia Stands (Novel) by Justin D. Hill, Part 4, Chs. 2-8
• Codex: Armageddon (3rd Edition), pg. 32
• Codex: Eye of Terror (3rd Edition), pp. 5-6, 12, 37-41
• Codex: Astra Militarum (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), "Regiments of Distinction - Cadian Shock Troops"
• Codex: Astra Militarum (8th Edition), pp. 18-19, 29
• Codex: Astra Militarum (9th Edition), pp. 12, 19
• Codex: Imperial Guard (2nd Edition), pp. 11-12, 38
• Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd, 2nd Codex), pp. 10-16, 19-20, 22-23, 26-32, 50-51
• Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pp. 14, 22-25, 27, 38
• Crusade (Novella) by Andy Clark, Chs. 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, Epilogue
• Dawn of War: Tempest (Novel) by C.S. Goto
• Dawn of War: Winter Assault (Game)
• Gunheads (Novel) by Steve Lyons
• Imperial Armour Volume One, pp. 64, 71, 94, 102, 109, 115, 168, 180, 196, 259
• Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign, pg. 265
• Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project, pp. 138-139
• Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara, pp. 78-81
• Imperial Munitorum Manual, pp. 16-18, 71, 74
• Iron Hands (Novel) by Jonathan Green
• Let the Galaxy Burn (Anthology), "Defixio" by Ben Counter
• Only War: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 42-43
• Only War: Hammer of the Emperor (RPG), pg. 62
• Rebirth (Novel) by Nick Kyme
• Thirteenth Black Crusade (Background Book), pg. 91
• Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse, pg. 103
• Warhammer 40,000: Planetstrike, pg. 57
• Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (5th Edition), pg. 128
• Words of Blood (Anthology), "Defixio" by Ben Counter
• White Dwarf 124 (DE) "The Generals Project - Part One"
• White Dwarf 125 (DE) "The Generals Project - Part Two"
• White Dwarf 126 (DE) "The Generals Project - Part Three"
• White Dwarf 240 (US), "Glorious Battles of the Imperial Guard, Part 2 - The Defense of Cobalt Valley" by Gav Thorpe, pg. 94
• Third War for Armageddon Worldwide Campaign - Forces Disposition, Imperial Forces: Cadian Shock Troops

Gallery

Basic structure of a Cadian Shock Troops regiment, the 8^th Cadian, "The Lord Castellan's Own"

Cadian Shock Troopers of the Cadian 6^th Armoured Regiment in Frigid Environment Survival Suits who served in the campaign on Betalis III

Cadian Shock Trooper wargear used by the Cadian 6^th Armoured Regiment on Betalis III

Cadian Hostile Environment Toops

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 8^th Cadian Regiment in jungle camouflage uniform

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 8^th Cadian Regiment in winter camouflage uniform

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 8^th Cadian Regiment in uniform worn during the Vrakesworld Campaign of the 38th Millennium

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 8^th Cadian Regiment in uniform worn during the Gerreck Heresy of the 40th Millennium

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 39^th Cadian Regiment in standard uniform

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 39^th Cadian Regiment in uniform worn during the eradication of the Hrud infestation on Chinchare

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 110^th Cadian Regiment, the "Shadow Corps," in uniform worn during the purge of the Shaboloth Night World in the 41st Millennium

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 85^th Cadian Regiment in uniform worn during the Gorsinian Campaign of the 39th Millennium

Cadian Shock trooper of the 122^nd Cadian Regiment wearing the uniform worn during the Vintock III Campaign of the 40th Millennium

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 122^nd Cadian Regiment wearing the uniform worn during the Battle of Vogen in the 41st Millennium

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 180^th Cadian Regiment in standard uniform

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 180^th Cadian Regiment in uniform worn during the Rassagar III Campaign of the 41st Millennium

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 450^th Cadian Regiment in uniform worn during the Klestry Forest War of the 40th Millennium

Cadian Shock Trooper of the 512^th Cadian Regiment in uniform worn as part of the Cadian Orbital Defence Detail in the 41st Millennium

Infantry of the Cadian 108th "Crimson Guard" wear red Flak Armour over their red and tan fatigues

The green uniform of the Cadian 717th "Huntsmen" is supplemented by stark grey armour plates on the upper torso

Red armaplas on the shoulders and shins offsets the dark camouflage of the Cadian 43rd "Broken Swords" Regiment

Regimental banner of the 8th Cadian; every Cadian regiment has a number of standards that are carried in battle by a Command Squad; typically, each company will have its own standard, embroidered with the names of their fallen heroes

Individual Cadian Shock Troop platoons may also have their own regimental standard; these banners depict the name and markings of the platoon and are often studded with purity seals

The short-peak cap with Imperial crest worn by Cadian officers makes them easily identifiable upon the battlefield; the triple chevron sleeve marking denotes an Infantry Squad Sergeant

Cadian squads have unique numbers; a two-digit number with central skull designates command, and Veteran squad numbers begin with one or two zeros

Chimera driver from the Cadian 1273rd, "Elysion Eagles," a mechanised infantry regiment

Basilisk shell loader from the Cadian 781st Artillery Regiment, seconded to the 92nd Cadian infantry