Militarum Auxilla

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"For every guardsman whose boots hit the ground, there is the sage that added his name to the tallies, the Enginseer that blessed his weapon, the priest that blessed his soul, and the countless others. It is these auxiliaries that will see him through to the completion of his holy duty."


Symbol of the Militarum Auxilla[2]

The Militarum Auxilla is a subdivision of the Imperial Guard.[1] This specialist division is comprised entirely of abhuman soldiers.[4a]

Overview

The Astra Militarum has a variety of specialised Auxillia elements: powerful Primaris Psykers, fiery preachers, esoteric enginseers or other tech-priests and their servitors, and lastly are the often downtrodden abhumans of various types and specialist roles.[5a][9c] The term Militarum Auxilla can be used to refer to any of the afore mentioned auxilaries, as well as those of local citizen militias consisting of hive scum, gangers, desert nomads, and so on.[9b]

The Militarum Auxilla oversees the training and management of Abhuman specialists in the Guard, such as near-ubiquitous Ogryns and Ratlings.[2] These two races are the most common and most visible races drafted by the Imperial Guard into Auxilla regiments.[5] Ratlings and Ogryns are sometimes deployed together. The latter are extremely protective of the former, refering to them as their "little mates".[6c]

Beastmen regiments are also a notable part of the Militarum Auxilla.[3] They often poorly armed with crude weapons then herded into battle as cannon fodder or shock troops.[7]

All members are taught to know the first verse of the Auxillia litanies by heart: I am abhorred. I am unclean. And yet I am forgiven.[4b] They are regularly reminded of the sin that is their birth by their commissars, the odd visiting priest or Sororitas, and any other overly zealous or hateful Imperial they might come across.[4e]

Military Use

I am abhorred. I am unclean. And yet I am forgiven.
I am abhorred. I am unclean. And yet I am forgiven.
For His mercy am I grateful.


Ogryns

Main article: Ogryn#Imperial Guard

Heavy infantry regiments will often have Ogryn auxiliary squad attached. Their momentum and muscle make them effective shock troops, what they lack in intelligence, they more than make up for in brute force.[9a][9c] The most obstinate of their kind are outfitted with armour and large shields. Designated as Bullgryn, they form effectively stubborn shield walls that can advance directly into enemy fire.[9c]

Ratlings

Main article: Ratling#Ratlings in the Imperial Guard

Ratling is innately adept as infiltrators and snipers.[9c]

Treatment of Abhumans

"You're a soldier when they need you and a malcontent when they don’t. You'll never fit in. You'll never receive medals or glory, and you'll never hold rank. The best you can hope for is to look after your own and dodge your inevitable end for as long as possible. Remember, it isn’t just the enemy you’re up against either. Prejudice and spite are pitfalls, too."

-- Ratling Auxilla member[6b]


While in the Guard there tends to be plenty in the rank and file who would respect abhumans, but most higher-ups are worse than monsters to Auxilla members.[4d] The Imperium and Imperial Cult's prevalent prejudice towards all abhumans results in them regularly suffering at the hands of others and injustice being heaped upon them.[4e]

Auxilla members that show signs of improvement or distinguish themselves through skill or merit too quickly are sometimes branded with the Seal of Penitence. The brand is seared into their forehead, creating an ugly circular design like a malformed red coin.[4d] The brand is a form of punishment doled out by any commanding officer, such as a Imperial Navy Captain.[4b] A commissar may deem the brand necessary to keep the arrogance of individuals in check.[4d]

When attached to Astra Militarum regiments, Auxilla tents are kept on the outskirts of encampments, near the latrines.[4c]

When a warzone thoroughly deteriorates, the baseline human Guardsmen will often turn on their Abhuman attachments first. As tensions between troops rise when a campaign falls apart, Imperial Guard regiments usually kill off the more mutated Abhumans and then progressively the lesser strains as tensions grow. A regiment usually kills all their Beastmen first. Things must be particularly bad for them to start killing the Ratlings; their corpses are often times strung up and displayed on vehicles' chasses. Usually commissars then Ogryns are killed by the soldiers next.[10]

Treatment of Ratlings

Here’s a piece of advice if you’re going to be serving alongside those runts—watch your pockets.


It is common for abhumans of more diminutive size, such as Ratlings, to be beaten while in camp by guardsmen of the regiment they're attached to. With the perpetrators being usually the types full of zealotry. Reasons for the abuse can vary between simple muggings, looking to let off steam, or being scared the night before a risky engagement and thus the guardsmen wishing 5 minutes control over someone they deem as inferior. The victims of these abuses is usually left to limp back to their tents and get stitched up by their Auxilla medic. If a commissar catches and breaks up the scuffled, they might send the guardsmen away and the Auxilla member to the chapel to recite the Auxilla litanies for the next 12 hours as punishment for distracting the troops, landing the blame no matter the motive generally always on the abhuman.[4c] Some of these encounters might end with the Ratling having the word 'rat' carved into their forehead so that all the other Ratlings can see. Sometimes the pejorative term is carved backwards if they want the victim to be able to read it in the mirror.[4]

Members of the Auxilla quickly learn to get used to these beatings, as they accept that its simply the reality of their situation. They also learn to not make a sound, as that typically encourages the assailant's beatings to become harsher. Ratlings can be particularly vindictive and know to get a look at the unit insignia and remember the faces of their abusers. If the victim couldn't get payback, one of their mates could. A Ratling's payback might range from simply slipping a half filled flask into an assailant's belongings before an inspection, or for the worst the worst kinds of people; which most guardsmen can be; a venomous creature might be found in their boot come morning or find their gun's trigger stopped up before an assault.[4c]

The average time of a Ratling sniper spent aboard an Imperial Navy vessels consists of time spent in the training halls while a commissar looks down upon them from the ship's balconies through a veil of cleansing incense. These consist of shooting drills, weapons maintenance, close combat, and tactical theory. If the Ratlings get anything slightly wrong, they receive disciplinary lashings. Alongside training, every few days from rambling priests or crazed Sororitas can approach them to give a sermon on genetic hierarchy, or the finer points of self-castigation. An Auxilla's life on an Imperial Navy vessel is full of crewmembers appalled by the abhuman's existence and officers to be avoided and punishments endured.[4f]

Known Units

Images

  • Ogryn and Beastmen of the Imperial Guard deployed together.[8]

See also

Sources

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