108,158
edits
Changes
From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
no edit summary
[[Image:CadianRegimentsArt.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Structure of two typical Regiments, a [[Cadian]] Armored Regiment and a Cadian Infantry Regiment]]
A '''regiment''' is the primary organisational unit of the [[Imperial Guard]], and of the [[Imperial Army]] ground forces before that. The size and composition of Imperial Guard regiments is not standardised across the [[Imperium]]; the number of individual [[Guardsmen]] alone can vary enormously between regiments, with some only a few hundred strong at founding-strength, whilst others possess tens of thousands of fighting troops.{{Fn|1}}
The formal term for a collection of Regiments drawn from a single world (i.e. the [[Cadian Shock Troopers]]) is '''Militarum Regimentum''', while a specific Regiment from that force (i.e. the [[Cadian 8th]]) is referred to as a single '''Regiment'''. However in practice, even amongst the agents of the [[Departmento Munitorum]], the two terms are used interchangeably.{{Fn|20}}
==Overview==
Entire Regiments are often combined into huge operational-level forces called Army Groups, commanded by [[general]]s or [[High Marshal (Imperial Guard)|high marshals]]. 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|15a}} Another model of operational-level formations is practiced by the [[Cadian Shock Troops]] and emulated by numerous other regiments from worlds located in the sectors surrounding [[Cadia]]. Herein, an Army Group has at least six Battle Groups, which themselves consist of six to nine Regiments. Additional support is provided by [[Munitorum]] support services, which are assigned to each Battle Group. During the [[13th Black Crusade]] every notable planet nearby to Cadia was assigned a minimum of ten Army Groups for defence, with capital worlds having as many as one hundred.{{Fn|19}}
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 Ice Warriors|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}}
===Command and Organization===
**{{Endn|18b}}: pg. 33
*{{Endn|19}}: [[The 13th Black Crusade (Background Book)]], pg. 20
*{{Endn|20}}: [[Codex: Astra Militarum (10th Edition)]], pg. 16
[[Category:Troops (Astra Militarum)]]
