Cadian(s) (Warhammer 40k)

The Cadian Shock Troops, also sometimes called Cadian Shock Troopers, are the highly disciplined Militarum Regimentum soldiers conscripted in large numbers from the Fortress World of Cadia for the Astra Militarum, which once stood sentinel as the preeminent bastion of the Imperium of Man in the fight against the Emperor's ancient Archenemy, Chaos. They are known to be extremely good shots, taking down their enemies with a single shot from a lascannon. They are deployed in every segmentum of the Imperium and are particularly skilled at defending fortified positions against extreme assaults and in warfare against the forces of Chaos. From the famous Shock Troops of its infantry regiments to the dedicated crews of its armoured war engines and the gunners who man its artillery and heavy weapons, the disciplined and highly-professional warriors of the Cadian Regimentum are lauded throughout the Imperium as born soldiers. Their homeworld, the Fortress World of Cadia, fell during the the 13th Black Crusade from Abaddon the Despoiler after being raided by the forces of Chaos for over 10,000 years due to Cadia's proximity to the Eye of Terror. Every Cadian is expected to fight for their entire lifetime, even since birth. They are highly disrespected by the Space Marines, but are used to being disrespected and unanswered. They call anyone higher-ranking than them "my lord". They even receive a carefully monitored introduction to the perils of psyker-taint and mutation -- for such were once the risks of living on a world so near to the Eye of Terror -- and this grounding has proved more beneficial on the numerous other worlds now cursed with the Great Rift's caress in the Era Indomitus. This approach leaves Cadian soldiers mentally and spiritually fortified, with a grim acceptance of things that would send lesser Humans screaming in terror. If they run in combat or desert due to fear, their Commissar will immediately punish them. Most Cadians have PTSD in some form, however. If you mention Cadia to any Cadian, they'll instantly break down into tears for the loss of the Fortress World.

"Cadia is a by-word for stalwart defiance and righteous contempt on countless worlds, and for good reason. Sat within a narrow stable passageway known as the Cadian Gate into the heart of the Eye of Terror, the Cadian Sector stands as a bastion against the encroachment of the forces of Chaos, holding fast for millennia against the onslaught of Traitors, Heretics, and Daemons. Cadia was among the foremost Fortress Worlds in the Imperium, with every soul trained from childhood to defend their world, and all the Imperial worlds beyond, against the abominations that dwell within the colossal Warp Storm that dominated their skies.

Barring a small minority composed of those unfit to serve as soldiers, every child on Cadia was expected to serve in the Cadian Youth Army, better known as the Whiteshields, from the age of fourteen standard years until their maturity, learning the combat skills and discipline regarded as essential. From these, many continued their service by joining the Interior Guard (the Cadian Planetary Defense Force) as adults, pledging their lives to the defense of Cadia, a force of hundreds, even thousands of regiment-strength units, and the equal of any comparably sized Imperial Guard force.

Even those who did not remain in military service -- fulfilling some rear-echelon role essential to the upkeep of an immense defensive army -- were expected to maintain their skills and remain vigilant, stepping up to fight should the Interior Guard be overwhelmed. Indeed, such was the number of capable youth soldiers, Interior Guardsmen, reservists, and the sheer quantity of new recruits on Cadia every year, that many invasions were been defeated through attrition alone, the invading armies unable to match the hundreds of millions of Cadians.

In addition to defending the Imperium from the horrors of the Eye of Terror, Cadia also provided a large tithe of troops to the Departmento Munitorum, and some of the most legendary regiments in the Imperium still hail from the lost Fortress World. These soldiers are selected at random, without fear that they might be rejected by the Departmento Munitorum -- a testament to the quality of the Cadian Interior Guard.

The legendary status of these troops still sees Cadian regiments serving in warzones vast distances from Cadia. As such, the influence of Cadian regiments can be felt on worlds in every Segmentum, influencing combat doctrine and logistics. Cadian Interior Guard forces employed standardized Departmento Munitorum equipment and vehicles, allowing them to seamlessly transfer into the service of the Astra Militarum, and there are only a few types of regiment that cannot be raised from Cadian forces.

Cadians believe that discipline is the single most important factor in the operation of any army. While there are those who justifiably disagree with this position, it has nonetheless served the Cadians well for millennia, and countless Imperial victories can be attributed to the effort and determination of the sons and daughters of Cadia. Even with the loss of their homeworld after the Fall of Cadia, millions of Cadian troops, many now raised and trained in transit to war zones, remain a vital cog in the defense of the Imperium from its myriad foes.

That there will be no more of their kind born on Cadia itself is not the death knell that many fear: the Cadian lineage continues in every new generation that comes of age as the fleetborne armies make their standard-years-long transitions through the Warp between war zones. Cadian tactics and dogma have spread to many other worlds and Cadian regiments are frequently reinforced with soldiers from other regiments. In these ways the lost Fortress World's culture survives, its huge armies now marshalled by Lord Castellan Ursula J. Creed.

Every generation of Cadian soldiery still undergoes total military indoctrination. At the age of most other worlds' raw recruits, every Cadian already has had more than a solar decade's military experience; through constant drills and endurance trials, they train to be deadly shots in the bloody cacophony of war and proficient in hand-to-hand combat.

They even receive a carefully monitored introduction to the perils of psyker-taint and mutation -- for such were once the risks of living on a world so near to the Eye of Terror -- and this grounding has proved more beneficial on the numerous other worlds now cursed with the Great Rift's caress in the Era Indomitus. This approach leaves Cadian soldiers mentally and spiritually fortified, with a grim acceptance of things that would send lesser Humans screaming in terror.

Wargear -

A Cadian Shock Trooper, like all Imperial Guardsmen, is issued a Lasgun upon his conscription into the Guard and it is with this weapon that he is expected to become most proficient. In addition to his weapon, he is also issued with a great many other items of kit and he is expected to look after everything with which he is issued, for such items are considered the property of the Departmento Munitorum from the moment they are handed over to the Guardsman to the moment they are taken from his dead body.

When an Imperial citizen joins the Imperial Guard, he makes a solemn commitment to honor the Emperor and His servants. This oath also extends to the kit he is issued with and improper care and maintenance or use of this kit is a punishable offence. A Cadian Shock Trooper understands this better, perhaps, than most of his contemporaries within the Imperial Guard, for they know all too well that not only must a Guardsman be able to kill the enemy, he must also be able to survive long enough to do so.

He must be able to sleep, eat, dig trenches, survive poison gas and chemical attacks, administer field first aid, find his way to the battle and fight at the end of it all with weapons and armor that allow him to win it. A Cadian Shock Trooper takes his sacred oath to honor the Emperor very seriously, for to perish before honoring his debt to the Emperor is a crime and only those who have begun to repay that debt will have their names entered into the regimental roll of honour upon their death.

Blessed by the Emperor with a multitude of different weapons with which to smite the enemies of the Imperium, it is every Guardsman's duty to become familiar with each and every one of them. Though certain troopers are singled out for particular duties on special weapons or as part of a Heavy Weapons Team, it behooves each Guardsman to familiarize himself with their duties, for combat attrition is certain to take its toll on every squad's members.

Each Cadian Shock Trooper learns the duties and responsibilities of the trooper senior to him and teaches his own duties to the man below him in the chain of command. In this way, Cadian Shock Trooper infantry squads need never fear that the death of its squad members is reducing its combat effectiveness.

Cadian regiments are well-equipped and represent some of the highest standards of wargear and supply of any standing Imperial Guard formation. Their issue to the rank-and-file complies unwaveringly to the edicts of the Departmento Munitorum for frontline combat operations, with procurement fulfilled by manufactora on Cadia itself as well as a number of Forge Worlds and industrial facilities in the attendant sectors feeding their output directly to serve the needs of the Cadian Gate's defense.

This wide net of production also means that a considerable variety of weapon systems, patterns of vehicles and other heavy equipment can be found at the Cadian regiment's disposal, from standard designs such as the Mars Pattern Leman Russ Tank to relative rarities such as the Destroyer Tank Hunter in specialised units.

What follows is a list of the most common items of wargear issued to the members of the Cadian Shock Troops regiments:

M36 Kantrael Pattern Lasgun - The Lasgun (or Lasrifle) is the standard weapon of the Imperial Guard and the most popular weapon among a great many human military forces throughout the galaxy. It fires an explosive blast of coherent light with a similar penetrative effect to a bullet or small shell. Though not the most effective weapon in the galaxy, it is easy to manufacture and maintain, and very reliable even under the toughest battlefield environmental conditions. Though the Lasgun is the universal small arm of the Imperial Guard, there are many models, marks and patterns in service. Though Lasguns are manufactured throughout the Imperium, most Cadian Shock Trooper regiments prefer the Kantrael short-barrel M36 Pattern Lasrifle, a weapon known for its robustness and ability to survive even the most violent mistreatment. With the attachment of a bayonet, a Lasgun becomes a formidable close-combat weapon and every Shock Trooper is expected to train regularly in bayonet drill. As Cadia forms the first line of defense against potential Chaos incursions, the entire population of Cadia is destined for a military life. Every child of Cadia is taught to field strip, reassemble and shoot a Lasgun before they can read or write. Indeed, by the time a Cadian citizen is grown and inducted as a full Guardsman into the Cadian Shock Troops, they are already known to be excellent shots. Kantrael 'Defender' Laspistol Kantrael MG Defender Pattern Service Laspistol; it is standard issue to non-commissioned officers and officers in the Cadian Shock Trooper regiments 4 Charge Packs - Charge Packs are powerful capacitor batteries used almost exclusively by Imperial laser weapons. The Charge Pack's size and make varies depending on the class of the weapon. In all cases, it provides shots equal to the weapon's full clip value and can be recharged when emptied. Autopistol - Small but effective, autopistols are a favorite among many military veterans as a supplement for their standard Lasgun. They have a faster rate of fire than many Laspistols and can put down most targets in a single burst of shells. 2 Autopistol Cartridge Clips - These clips contain the metal-jacketed ballistic cartridges used by an autopistol. Combat Knife - A Combat Knife is a one-handed melee weapon, serving as the ubiquitous back-up weapon for warriors all across the Imperium, be they lowly hive scum or the elite soldiers of a Planetary Governor. Some, such as the infamous Catachan Fighting Knife, are designed for a specific purpose, whilst others are more generic in nature. 2 Frag Grenades - Frag Grenades use a combustible charge and special fillers of shrapnel fragments which make them potent anti-personnel weapons. Imperial Frag Grenades are roughly the size of a clenched fist and covered with a heavily notched shell, both to increase the shrapnel produced and provide a more secure grip for throwing. 2 Krak Grenades - Krak Grenades are crafted with powerful concentrated explosives designed to punch holes in armored targets such as vehicles or bunkers. While stronger than Frag Grenades, Krak detonations do not produce a blast effect and their more focused explosion makes them less practical as anti-personnel weapons. Cadian Pattern Helmet - The standard Cadian Pattern (Aquila) Helmet provides excellent protection to the vulnerable cranial area. Injuries to this region of the body are invariably fatal and thus maximum effort is made to avoid such wounds. Where such injuries are unavoidable, the use of the Cadian Pattern Helmet offers the best protection from exploding shrapnel and fragmentation. Older helmets (utilizing lost technology still sought for by the Adeptus Mechanicus) are blessed with good non-ballistic protective qualities that may be caused by concussive shockwaves from artillery or grenade explosions. Each helmet has an integrated outer-shell and suspension system to provide a stable, snug fit and has an adjustable standard two-point suspension system and a headband. The Cadian Tri-dome Helmet is a variant pattern helmet used when Cadian Shock Troops must fight on a world whose atmosphere or regions are inimical to the human respiratory tract. This pattern's visor lenses help to prevent glare and blindness from the elements. When fitted with a fully compatible Mark IX or Mark XIc Rebreather, it provides an excellent defense against most commonly-encountered toxic gases and pollutants as well as allowing the soldier to operate in airless environments for limited periods. It has also proven useful against biological plague weapons. Cadian Shock Trooper helmets bear a dedication Aquila, which declares the regiment's loyalty to the Imperium, and contains a short-range Vox link. Cadian Imperial Guard Uniform - As a heavily militarized world, Cadia's manufactora are able to mass produce and equip its Guardsmen quickly and efficiently. Typically, Cadian Shock Troops' uniforms are made from hard-wearing fabrics designed to resist hostile environments and prove hardy in the field, and are the result of centuries of tradition. The Cadian uniform consists of a thickly woven pair of trousers, sometimes fitted with pockets for Lasgun charge packs or personal rations. Over this, a sturdy tunic shirt and uniform jacket is worn in the regimental colors. Cadian regiments march to war in uniform patterns camouflaged in a manner most suited to the mixed terrain of the Cadian wilderness. Most regimental supply officers attempt to match the uniforms to the battlefield being fought upon, including whites for Ice Worlds, khaki for Desert Worlds and so on. The demands of the battlefield means most uniforms follow this pattern, though many regiments retain more traditional uniforms for ceremonial functions, dress occasions or for regimental officers attending formal events. A peaked cap is an optional uniform item for ranks above Sergeant to wear but this is generally replaced with a helmet when facing opponents known to utilize snipers. Other ranks in veteran regiments sometimes affect caps instead of helmets but this is frowned upon by both officers and Commissars. Flak Armour - The most common personal protection worn by Cadian regiments is Flak Armour. Cheap and easy to produce, Flak Armour comprises several layers of ablative thermoplast materials and impact absorbent carbifibers. In Cadian Shock Trooper uniforms, Flak Armour is woven directly into the layers of material that make up the overall uniform. For additional protection Carapace Armour is sometimes worn. Made up of large rigid plates of armaplas or Ceramite-moulded to fit the bearer, Carapace Armour provides better protection than standard Flak Armour, but is bulky and heavy and really only suited to units certain to be under the heaviest fire, such as assault units or those involved in urban operations. Kasrkin Grenadiers, the Cadian elite, are known to incorporate Carapace Armour as part of their standard kit. Imperial Guard officers often sport Carapace Armour breastplates of gold or silver, but Cadian officers disdain such ostentation, preferring to have their armor painted in the appropriate camouflage scheme as the rest of the regiment. In addition to such commonly available items, high-ranking officers may also be protected by energy fields, such as a Refractor Field or Conversion Field. Such advanced technology is never available to the ordinary Guardsman, but contains an anti-gravitic emitter that works by deflecting the energy of an incoming shot or converting its kinetic energy into some other form of energy that will not harm the target. Cadian regimental officers are known to wear a distinctive gorget used to protect their Refractor Field emitter circuitry which is incorporated directly into their Carapace Armour breastplate. Gas Mask - A simple breathing mask that covers the nose and mouth or entire face, these offer much better protection than filtration plugs. Micro-Bead - A micro-bead or comm-bead is a short range communication device worn in the ear, good for communication out to about one kilometer (depending on weather conditions and intervening terrain). Each fits discretely in the ear, with better crafted models nearly undetectable upon casual inspection. Poor Weather Gear Rucksack Entrenching Tool Basic Toolkit Mess Kit & Water Canteen 2 Solar Weeks' Rations Blanket & Sleep Bag Rechargeable Lamp-Pack - Sturdy and reliable, glow-globes illuminate many an Imperial paveway and cathedral. Most portable ones are roughly the size of a clenched fist and can shine strong, yellowish light a dozen or so metres in width, lasting roughly five hours before their power pack needs recharging or replacing. Grooming Kit Dog Tags Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer - A standard-issue Imperial text that covers a vast variety of topics, this book is possessed by all members of the Imperial Guard as part of their standard-issue equipment. The Primer is a basic guide that details everything a Guardsman needs to know: principles and regulations of the Imperial Guard, issued arms, attire, apparatus, and equipment, basic battlefield policy and Imperial Guard organisation and structure, elementary battlefield medical instructions, and a detailed guide on the foes of the Imperium. No Guardsman should ever be found without possession of a copy of the Uplifting Primer for the punishment is severe." (https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Cadian_Shock_Troops#Wargear [im lazy as hell so I ain't gonna type allat])

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"Though our tanks and artillery are mighty, it is the vast ranks of Imperial Guardsmen that shall trample the enemy to dust -- let them come."

—Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed of Cadia