Scintillan Fusiliers

"They are, without a doubt, the finest soldiers the Imperial Guard has to offer. Their training is comprehensive, their officers brave, their equipment in a high state of readiness, and their breeding is beyond reproach. They are destined for great things, and I will do all that is within my power to ensure that they achieve their potential."

—Commander-General Pailus, on the Scintillan Fusiliers 17th

Scintillan Fusilier trooper — An Imperial Guardsman of the Scintillan Fusiliers

The Scintillan Fusiliers are the regiments of the Astra Militarum raised from the Hive World of Scintilla, the capital world of the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus. The Guardsmen of these elite combined arms regiments are drawn from the best that the Scintillan nobility has to offer. These forces are composed of the pampered sons and daughters of idle Scintillan nobility who receive the finest training and equipment the Departmento Munitorum has to offer.

Regimental History[]

The Scintillan Fusiliers is the name given to the combined arms regiments hailing from the Hive World of Scintilla in the Calixis Sector. Composed largely of mechanised and line infantry regiments with a handful of armoured formations and Grenadier units, the men and women of the Scintillan Fusiliers are drawn from the best and brightest that the Scintillan nobility has to offer.

These pampered sons and daughters of idle Imperial nobility receive the finest training, are equipped with the highest quality wargear, and are curently assigned to the most prestigious billets on the Spinward Front in the Calixis Sector's Periphery Sub-sector, where warfare has been raging in a three-way struggle between the Imperium, the Secessionists of the Severan Dominate and an Ork WAAAGH!.

The Scintillan 17th, called the "Spireborn" for obvious reasons, are a particularly famous regiment, largely for being the chosen unit of the powerful Commander-General Pailus of the Scintillan 4th Army Group. Favoured by the Commander-General thanks to their shared heritage as scions of powerful Scintillan noble houses and the political and business ties the Commander-General maintains among the Scintillan nobility, the 17th Regiment is known throughout the Imperial Guard regiments operating in the Calixis Sector as a "Golden Regiment."

These facts, along with the habit of those in the 17th and the Scintillan Fusiliers at large of looking down upon and condescending towards anyone of lesser breeding, has given this regiment a decidedly unsavoury reputation among the Imperial Guard at large.

The Spinward Front[]

As natives of Scintilla and thus regiments raised near the conflict in the Spinward Front, the Scintillan Fusiliers have contributed a number of regiments to the war effort. These soldiers, many of whom view themselves as nobles doing their duty to "the common man" or as elites deigning to assist the unwashed masses, often come into conflict with members of regiments with less adherence to the Imperium's stratified social structure and well-worn strategic platitudes.

However, a number of regiments stand out from the rest of the Scintillans tithed to the Imperial Guard, including the infamously well-supplied Scintillan 17th "Spireborn," the brutal Scintillan 23rd "Hive-Jagers," and the Scintillan 112th "Mortis Wardens," who are noteworthy for being merged with the embittered and understaffed 456th Catachan Jungle Fighters, the "Wrackwasps," and having nonetheless reached a friendly fire rate well under the acceptable averages for combined regiments within the mere span of a Terran year.

Despite their reputation for avoiding the most brutal of conflicts in favour of more "sophisticated" encounters, the 17th Scintillan Fusiliers recently suffered a stinging defeat at the hands of the Orks during the assault on the planet Aeyras. The regiment is currently standing down at Firebase Long-Tooth for reinforcements and resupply. Once their downtime is at an end, the regiment is set to be redeployed back to the Spinward Front to push against the Drukhari.

It is here that Commander-General Pailus believes that the skills and abilities of his chosen regiment can be put to best use, fighting a cunning and sophisticated enemy rather than grubbing around on backwater planets squabbling with Ork rabble. Whether this will be the case or not remains to be seen. While the 17th is competent despite the meddling and political wrangling of its powerful patron, the Drukhari are a challenge the likes of which they have never faced.

Regimental Organisation[]

Scintillan Fusilier Master of Ordnance2 — A Master of Ordnance of the Scintillan Fusiliers.

In general, the men and women of the Scintillan Fusiliers rarely join its ranks out of some sense of duty to the Imperium, the God-Emperor, or even their homeworld. Instead, most have self-serving aspirations behind their choice to take up the life of a soldier. For some, it is a form of rebellion, a way to get back at overbearing parents for the numerous egregious offences heaped upon their children.

For others it is simply a lark, a way to pass the time and avoid the dullness of the Scintillan salon society and have adventures that they believe will have a small chance of personal risk. Some are also second and third sons and daughters, children with little to inherit in the twisted web of Scintillan noble society.

Many officers are in the regiment simply to further their political or social goals, or to gain wealth and glory and eventually a highly-paid and respected administration position as a general officer with a noble title, a staff, and a generous stipend from the Departmento Munitorum. Whatever their reasons, there are precious few among the Scintillan Fusiliers who see their duty as anything but a means to an end.

They are rarely deployed far from Scintilla, and when they are it is in the softest and most luxurious billets available in-theatre. A large portion of the soldiers of most Scintillan Fusiliers regiments, even a surprising number of infantrymen, are accompanied by a servant, adjutant, or other lackey to assist in day-to-day tasks.

Officers of the Scintillan Fusiliers tend to have many servants and aides de camp, and the regiment always travels with all of the amenities of home that can be provided by the Departmento Munitorum and their own personal purses. Fairly or not, the Scintillan Fusiliers are often considered fops playing soldier by their more serious counterparts from other regiments, and the aloof and condescending Guardsmen of the Scintillan Fusiliers do little that would disabuse their "social inferiors" of this opinion.

It is of some note that aside from the aforementioned infantry and armour companies, the Scintillan Fusiliers tend to field few of the common Astra Militarum units. They consider siege work to be beneath them, suitable only for criminals and peasants who are used to grubbing in the dirt, and there is no glory, as far as their leaders are concerned, in light infantry and reconnaissance work.

Though various Scintillan Fusiliers regiments over the centuries have been forced by circumstance to fight in protracted sieges, close urban combats, and other such "uncouth tasks better left to Servitors or even Feral Worlders" as one officer famously complained, most of the regiments serving in the Spinward Front have avoided such unpleasant assignments thanks in no small part to their close political connection on Scintilla.

Training[]

Scintillan Fusilers charge — A Scintillan Fusiliers regiment in combat on the Spinward Front.

Despite their pedigree and overflowing armouries, the Scintillan 17th, Commander-General Pailus' favoured regiment, is as straight-forward a regiment as can be found in the Imperial Guard. The regiment's commander, an unimaginative and blaggardly Colonel by the name of Eli Hamsha, is a strict literalist when it comes to military orthodoxy. He hews closely to the letter of both his orders and well-worn Imperial tactical doctrine, showing little initiative and a distinct inability to interpret the nuances of the battlefield.

Though the soldiers of the regiment are quite competent, their training extends only to what is laid down in The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer. Further, their training consists mostly of deep-underhive hunts targeting the wretched creatures in the depths of Scintilla's forgotten pits, and their experience has largely been in low-intensity conflicts where the regiment could bathe themselves in the greatest amount of glory for the least amount of risk.

The amount of commendations, accolades, and medals garnered by the regiment is, while certainly impressive, not commensurate with the amount of actual combat the regiment has seen. This has led many in the Spinward Front to look askance at the so-called achievements of Pailus' pet regiment.

Of course, certain individual formations within the regiment are better-run than others. The leader of several armoured companies in the 17th, Major Eldin de Mole, has largely disregarded Colonel Hamsha's ideas that the intimidation factor of an armoured column and the inherent grit of the Imperial armour crews rather than intensive training in gunnery and armoured assault tactics, are all that is needed to defeat the enemies of the Imperium.

In fact, Major de Mole is a staunch believer in a scientific approach to battle, and trains his tank crews thoroughly in gunnery, piloting, movement, and efficient armour tactics. He has even been accused of being an innovator, a charge bordering on heresy to some of the more orthodox Imperial Guard commanders on the Spinward Front, but his results speak for themselves and the accolades won by the 17th Regiment's armoured companies are both hard-won and well-deserved.

De Mole's armoured companies, including the decimated 53rd Company that suffered so cruelly on Aeyras, are equipped with the common patterns of Leman Russ Tanks, but they do count among their number a small number of Leman Russ Executioners and Leman Russ Vanquishers. They even possess two Baneblade super-heavy tanks, but these precious relics rarely leave the 17th Regiment's home base on Scintilla, and they have not been seen in the Spinward Front.

Wargear[]

The magazines, hangars, and armouries of the entire Departmento Munitorum are open to the Scintillan Fusiliers to use as they please, when they please -- or so they believe, at least. With his not insignificant influence within the Astra Militarum and the Calixian military-industrial complex, Commander-General Pailus has seen to it that the regiments from his homeworld -- especially his favoured Scintillan 17th -- receive only the finest wargear for their service in the Spinward Front.

Through political wrangling, arm-twisting, spreading around copious amounts of Throne Gelt, and even tampering with and re-routing shipments slated for other regiments in need, the Commander-General has ensured that these regiments are well-stocked. The most obvious evidence of Pailus' favour and influence is the fully equipped complement of Valkyrie troop transports that are often called in to support the 17th and many other Scintillan regiments.

These aircraft allow the regiment to deploy fully airborne companies, especially those composed of veteran strike units, giving them the ability to perform deep strikes into enemy territory and the flexibility to respond to the fluid tactical situations found in the Spinward Front. Though other regiments of Scintillan Fusiliers operate in different manners depending on their role, the Scintillan 17th stand as a strong archetype, defining the tone of the soldiers from that world if not all of their battlefield specificities.

The following is a list of the standard issue equipment and gear of the Scintillan Fusiliers:

Lascarbine - A Lascarbine is the carbine form of the standard Imperial Lasgun with a compact upgrade, which makes it easier to carry and to aim than its larger counterpart. It will often possess a folding stock. However, as a result of these modifications, a Lascarbine has a shorter range and will fire fewer shots before depleting its power pack when compared to a standard Lasgun.
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.
Laspistol (Optional) - The Laspistol is the pistol version of the Lasgun, and this compact firearm fires a coherent beam of energetic photons that can burn through most materials.
4 Charge Packs
Combat Knife - This one-handed melee implement is 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 Catachan Fighting Knife, are designed for a specific purpose, whilst others are more generic in nature.
Ornamented Light Carapace Armour - Carapace Armour is generally a sign of status and is mostly worn by Imperial officers, special forces and agents of the Inquisition. Made from moulded plates of armaplas, ceramite, or other strong, light but highly resistant materials, it can cover the entire body or just selected regions of the body depending on the desired level of protection. Kasrkin, for example, wear full-body suits of Carapace Armour, including a helmet, while most Imperial Guard soldiers are lucky to gain access to just a simple chestplate of Carapace Armour to wear over more comfortable mesh or flakweave suits. Some bodysuits have slots designed for simple carapace plates to be inserted in, so that the overall suits can be rapidly configured for as much or as little protection as desired. Damaged plates can in this way be more easily replaced without requiring the purchase of an entire new suit. The Scintillan Fusiliers, however, receive access to full suits of carapace Armour that are often ornamented in a highly baroque fashion as suits the tastes of the Imperial nobility in the Calixis Sector.
Scintillan Fusiliers Imperial Guard Uniform
1 Gas Mask
Annointed Maintenance Kit
Dress Uniform
Rucksack
Poor Weather Gear
Basic Tool Kit
Mess Kit & Water Canteen
6 Weeks' Rations
Blanket & Sleep Bag
Grooming Kit
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
Ident Tags ("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 Astra Militarum, 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. The Primer is a basic guide to life in the Astra Militarum and the tactics employed by its regiments.

Notable Scintillan Fusiliers[]

Commander-General Pailus - Pailus is the Astra Militarum General from Scintilla who commands the 4th Scintillan Army Group, which is comprised of all of the Scintillan Fusiliers regiments deployed to the Spinward Front. Pailus has a particular affection for the 17th Scintillan Fusiliers, and he makes sure that they receive the best equipment available as well as the most choice assignments within the 4th Army Group.
Colonel Eli Hamsha - Colonel Hamsha is the commander of the Scintillan 17th, the 'Spireborn." He is an unimaginative and plodding commander, and a strict literalist when it comes to military orthodoxy. He hews closely to the letter of both his orders and well-worn Imperial tactical doctrine, showing little initiative and a distinct inability to interpret the nuances of the battlefield.However, he remains popular with Commander-General Pailus and as long as that is the case, will remain in command of the regiment despite the greater military skills of several of his subordinates, especially Major Eldin de Mole.
Major Eldin de Mole - Major Eldin de Mole is the commander of several of the 17th Scintillan Fusiliers' armoued companies. He generally disregards Colonel Hamsha's ideas that the intimidation factor of an armoured column and the inherent grit of Imperial armour crews rather than intensive training in gunnery and armoured assault tactics are all that is needed to defeat the enemies of the Imperium. In fact, Major de Mole is a staunch believer in a scientific approach to battle, and trains his tank crews thoroughly in gunnery, piloting, movement, and efficient armour tactics. He has even been accused of being an innovator, a charge bordering on heresy to some of the more orthodox Imperial Guard commanders on the Spinward Front, but his results speak for themselves and the accolades won by the 17th Regiment's armoured companies are both hard won and well deserved. Needless to say, de Mole is not popular with his commanding officer, who sees him as a threat to his own position.

Notable Scintillan Fusiliers Regiments[]

17th Scintillan Fusiliers , "Spireborn" - The Scintillan 17th Fusiliers, called the "Spireborn" for obvious reasons, are a particularly famous regiment, largely for being the chosen regiment of the politically powerful Commander-General Pailus of the Scintillan 4th Army Group. Favoured by the Commander-General thanks to their shared heritage as scions of powerful Scintillan noble houses and the political and business ties the Commander-General maintains among the Scintillan nobility, the 17th Regiment is known throughout the Astra Militarum regiments operating in the Calixis Sector as a "Golden Regiment." The rank and file of the Scintillan 17th are drawn from the scions of the great houses of Scintilla, capital world of the Calixis Sector. Having been brought up in luxury, and isolated from the day–to–day toil and suffering of the average Imperial citizen, these blue–blooded troopers are more comfortable among members of their own rank and class than among their lower-born brothers–in–arms. While most Imperial Guard regiments must make do with what the Departmento Munitorum sees fit to provide, the men and women of the Scintillan 17th are not so beholden to far-off bureaucrats. Thanks both to their connections and the attention and favour lavished upon them by their commanding officer, Commander-General Pailus, the 17th is incredibly well-equipped in weapons, ammunition, and other materiel and their quartermasters have a much easier time requisitioning equipment. Despite their reputation for avoiding the most brutal of conflicts in favour of more "sophisticated" encounters, the 17th Scintillan Fusiliers recently suffered a stinging defeat at the hands of the Orks during the assault on the planet Aeyras. The regiment is currently standing down at Firebase Long-Tooth for reinforcements and resupply. Once their downtime is at an end, the regiment is set to be redeployed in the Spinward Front to push against the Drukhari. It is here that Commander-General Pailus believes that the skills and abilities of his chosen regiment can be put to best use, fighting a cunning and sophisticated enemy rather than grubbing around on backwater planets squabbling with Ork rabble. Whether this will be the case or not remains to be seen. While the 17th is a competent regiment despite the meddling and political wrangling of its powerful patron, the Drukhari represent a new level of challenge the likes of which they have never faced.
23rd Scintillan Fusiliers, "Hive-Jagers" - A notoriously brutal Scintillan regiment.
112th Scintillan Fusiliers, "Mortis Wardens" - A Scintillan regiment noteworthy for being merged with the embittered and understaffed 456th Catachan Jungle Fighters, the "Wrackwasps," and having nonetheless reached a friendly fire rate on the Spinward Front well under the acceptable average for combined regiments within only a single standard year.

Sources[]

Only War: Hammer of the Emperor (RPG), pp. 24-27