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Despite appearing inflexible at first-glance, Imperial Guard Regiments can be highly adaptable on the battlefield if properly led, deployed, and trained. "Combined Arms" forces are able to be organized by comprising several separate Regiments together during campaign should circumstances require it. Regiments preform together which each being a certain core role, with [[Cadian Shock Trooper]]s for instance often forming infantry "cores" alongside support squadrons of tanks and artillery. Such forces frequently also see the deployment of [[Abhuman]] auxiliaries such as [[Ogryn]]s and [[Ratling]]s.{{Fn|13a}} The Regiment is the basic building block for bigger formations, offering a wide variety of options and naming conventions. For example, nine Regiments could be combined into two Combat Commands or an Army Group with an Independent Armoured Brigade is required and has to be formed.{{Fn|14}}
Regiments can also be sub-divided, most often into a number of [[Astra Militarum Company|Companies]]. These number between five and twenty-five, depending on the number of troopers in the Company itself and the quality of their equipment. Battalions are another common subdivision. They are often also called Brigades or other terms, depending on point of regimental origin. The Battalions are strictly administrative groupings, not used in combat engagements. To accomplish specific combat tasks, Regimental Battle Groups, Tasks Groups or Assault Groups may be formed, working alongside groups from other Regiments in a combined- or all-arms grouping.{{Fn|14}} Tasks that are required to be accomplished by Battle Groups range from supporting a lightning-fast armoured breakthrough by [[Chimera]]-mounted infantry and self-propelled artillery to supporting a light infantry force in a jungle fight with a [[Sentinel]] company. Some Battle Groups are simply a balanced mixture of infantry and vehicles, assembled to take a single objective. Battle Groups are commanded by a senior officer, often a [[colonel]] or [[Imperial Guard Captain|captain]]. They vary in size from around a hundred troops and five or six vehicles to a force nearly rivalling a regiment in size.{{Fn|1515a}}
Entire Regiments are often combined into huge operational-level forces called Army Groups, commanded by [[general]]s or [[high marshal]]s. These are highly variable in strength, consisting of any number of regiments, with some Army Groups only having as few as two. Other Army Groups contain many hundreds of regiments. An Army Group can be assembled to take and hold an entire planet or even a star system.{{Fn|1515a}}
Should a Regiment survive a campaign, it is unlikely it will return to its homeworld. Instead, it will move to the next war zone. Attrition rates are rectified by amalgamating it with other regiments, and despite a few exceptions new recruits are rarely added to existing regiments. Instead, fresh recruits are put into newly raised forces. While Regiments of the same type and planetary origin are most often merged together to keep it at full strength, it is not unheard of to have two entirely different Regiments merged together. Such was the case when the [[Valhallan 611th Infantry]] was merged with the [[1082nd Recon Armoured Division]], creating the [[Voltan Recon Hussars]] whose infantry clung to the hulls of tanks. Besides doctrinal and training differences, such formations are also plagued by cultural and language barriers. Most commanders consider such regiments inefficient and wasteful but they nonetheless persist in order to quickly field large numbers of soldiers. However it is not always a failure, as was the case when the [[Catachan CLXXXII]] merged with the [[Elysian 90th]] to create the [[Prosan 314th]]. This new regiment proved itself adept at airmobile jungle warfare after being issued [[Valkyrie]]s during the [[Saikong Justification Wars]].{{Fn|13a}}
==Regiment Types==
===Armoured Regiment===
The hammer of the Imperial Guard, Armoured Regiments are made up entirely of fighting vehicles, and can be expected to field very high numbers of [[Leman Russ Battle Tanks]] or variants. Typically bereft of organic infantry, but many contain their own artillery and [[Hydra (Anti Air Tank)|flak tanks]]. Some Armoured Regiments may also possess [[Super Heavy Tank|Super-Heavy Tank]] units.{{Fn|3x}} Armoured Regiments are divided into [[Company#Armoured Companies]] and further in to squadrons, each of which is led by a command tank. Each individual tank is considered the equivalent of a squad of guardsmen.{{Fn|1515a}}
===Artillery Regiment===
Regiments made up entirely of artillery pieces are known as Artillery Regiments. Such regiments can deploy a mixture of destructive weapons types or may specialise in a particular brand of long-range ordnance. Some such regiments contain small numbers of infantry and are likely to contain large amounts of transportation and anti-air vehicles. Since Artillery Regiments are not intended for direct frontline combat, they are generally much smaller then other Imperial Guard regiments. For this reason, Artillery Regiments are often attached as auxiliary units to larger regiments or are placed under the direct control of the local Commanding Imperial Officer.{{Fn|5}} An Artillery Regiment consists of three or more [[Astra Militarum Company#Artillery Company|'Emperor's Wrath' Artillery Companies]] and support vehicles.{{Fn|15b}}
===Death World Regiments===
**{{Endn|13b}}: pg. 21
*{{Endn|14}}: [[Tactica Imperialis (Background Book)]], pg. 56
*{{Endn|15}}: [[Apocalypse (2007)]], **{{Endn|15a}}: pg. 102**{{Endn|15b}}: pg. 109
[[Category:Troops (Astra Militarum)]]
