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|OTHERPAGE=Imperial Guard (Novel Series)

The '''Imperial Guard''' is the primary fighting force of the [[Imperium]], so numerous in size that even the [[Departmento Munitorum]] cannot place a figure on the number of [[Guardsman|Guardsmen]] under arms at any one time; the daily lists of new recruits and toll of casualties can run into the millions in a single day. It would be infeasible trying to put any exact number on the strength of the Guard; however, it is believed that there must be many billions of Imperial Guardsmen, divided into millions of [[regiment]]s. This absolute numeracy provides the Guard with its main power; their ability to deploy in numbers that, eventually, result in victory. Attacking in seemingly endless influxes across battle-zones, charging forth under the cover of massive barrages and delivering massed [[lasgun]] volleys, in the Guard the individual [[Human]] soldier may appear a lost thing, almost forgotten. Yet the actions of these anonymous soldiers daily decide the fate of worlds.¹

===Regimental Structure===

The regiment is the primary unit of the Imperial Guard. Recruited from a single planet at a single raising, it is founded as a complete entity, complete with its own officer, supply, and support cadres. It should be noted however, that like most everything else in the Guard, the precise details of even these essential elements can vary widely from world to world. Whilst the majority of the regiment, even the non-combatant personnel, will come from their founding world, the [[Commissar]] or Commissars assigned to it are always off-worlders.³