Chapter Unapproved: Ishtari Trencher Legions

Homeworld: The Ishtari Trencher Legions hail from not one world but several, an oddity traceable all the way to the first founding of the legions. The Ishtari System is comprised of thirteen worlds, all of them at some point or another have been agri worlds during their time under the Imperium of Man although now only a handful are still fertile. The primary recruiting world are Ishtari IV, Ishtari V, Inner Artemhelt and Swann's Hope; although recruiting is done from all worlds that support life in one way or another. All homeworlds of the Ishtari Trenchers are fortress worlds and have been for millenia: each line of mud soaked trench having been dug and redug by hapless recruits countless times. These countless lines of trenches surround a number of military bases and starports, which in turn form formidable bastions in the center of a fortified hell.

Founding: After the tumultuous years of the Horus Heresy the Ishtari system was on the brink of annihilation. The formerly lush and verdant agri worlds towards the system’s core were devastated and ruined by war: where there once were technologically kept bio-gardens there were now horizons of mud, blood and rockcrete. The entire inner rim had been turned into a maze of trenches, bunkers and redoubts, with all semblance of agriculture buried beneath the toxic mud. It was in these stricken worlds that the newly appointed High Lords of Terra saw an opportunity: almost the entire population of the Ishtari Inner Rim were involved in the fighting in some way or another, it was seen as only the next logical step to induct huge swathes of them into a force for the newly baptised Imperial Guard. At the founding fields on Ishtari Prime -a world relatively unscathed by the conflict- Lord Commander Kardredt accepted the salute of over 750,000 men and women of the newly formed Ishtari Trencher Legions.

Recruitment Process: Recruits into the Ishtari Trencher legions have known their involvement in the Emperor's great work since they were able to comprehend it: at birth every other child is inducted into the Legions and is seperated from their family, being taken to giant schola-barracks where the recruits are taught the basics of literacy and numerical skills before being thrown into combat training aged 12. The men of the Ishtari Armies are heavily indoctrinated into the Imperial Creed and having spent 6 years training with their brothers and sisters at arms the fresh Legions are shipped out to warzones across the imperium, ready to fight and to die in the name of the Emperor.

Combat Doctrine: The forces of the Ishtari Trencher Legions are as their name suggests, primarily siege troops. The regiments of the Ishtari will wait for months or even years for adjoining regiments of artillery to pound enemy positions into submission before mounting a huge infantry attack supported by infantry tanks and mounted troops. Ishtari commanders at company level favour all out infantry attacks across the entire front directly into the teeth of the enemy guns, supported by indirect fire from mortars and heavier artillery. Ishtari generals also put particular emphasis on fortification and counter fortification in both attack and defense, with besieging troops often creating a ring of fortifications around enemy positions, even going so far as building huge bunker complexes and fortresses to suffocate besieging troops: forcing the defenders to go onto the offensive.

Organisation: Squads of the Legions are 10 strong as per imperial standard, led by a Trench Warden, the second lowest rank above trooper: the Trench Warden has few powers above ordering his squad. At platoon level the men are led by a Sector Warden, who has the power to order small scale raids and small fortification building in his sector of the line. Company level commanders are Line Wardens, granted powers to order larger raids, approve sapping works and to request artillery from rear echelons. At regiment level nobility is in charge and are given the title of Warden Primaris. These men are rarely seen at the front and are usually found hundreds of miles away from danger. These men have supreme executive power and can approve and deny all actions of the men under them. Command structures are rigorously and brutally upheld, disobedience and miscommunication are punishable by death; it is also necessary for units to get appropriate approval from commanders above them and personal initiative is heavily discouraged.

Combat Dress: Ishtari Legions are clothed in dark red longcoats of no standardized design, the nature of the warfare Ishtari troops engage in means it matters little what the individual trooper looks like: after the first day of combat the trooper is either covered in mud or dead. The troops also make limited use of armour, wearing brass coated plasteel helmets commonly favoured by siege troops for their wide brim, which provides excellent protection against fire from above. The shoulderpads are of a similar construction, with a band of usually drab colour used to denote regiment, with the number of the guardsman’s company written in the middle.