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Imperial Guard & Traitor Guard Articles ---

The Beastmen Auxiliary Forces are regiments (Similar to those of the Astra Militarum) originating from Skyllian VIII, an extremely dangerous jungle planet that is part of the Europan Planetary Federation, a small secular empire near the edge of the Garon Nebula of the Segmentum Tempestus.

Beasmen regiments are rather small in numbers, but specialized in several branches they excel in, thanks to their physiology, lifestyle, and culture. They are generally known as fierce, though warriors and specialists in jungle warfare, that are further divided into mounted light infantry regiments, dense terrain reconnaissance regiments, and heavy shock assault units.

Most of the Beastmen (or rather Homo Sapiens Bovinus & Homo sapiens Equus, as they are officially designated) units are either attached to other, regular regiments as specialized auxiliary detachments, hence their name, or as a territorial army, guarding their homeworld.

History
The first Beastmen-only regiment was raised after the Battle of the Caladon Bay, when all nearby Beastmen tribes gathered and attacked the Pale River Tribe, a tribe that was cooperating with the human settlers in exchange for food and basic technology.

To put it into context, when the human settlers arrived first at Skyllian VIII, they were seen as invaders and constantly under attack from nearby tribes. Many counter-attacks was launched, but due to Skyllian VIII being a jungle death world, many guardsmen died from poisoning or encounters with local predators long before they had a chance to face the real enemy. Fighting against beastmen was relatively easy. They lacked any real protection and apart from bows or thrown javelins, no ranged weapons, they presented no threat from distance and were easily gunned down. Facing a beastman in close combat was, on the other hand, usually fatal for the Guardsman and finding oneself in front of one wasn't unusual in the thick jungle.

And so the decision was made to befriend one of the tribes and use them as advisors, guides, and a mercenary fighting force in exchange for food, basic technology, and protection. The cooperation proved to be working and the colonists expanded greatly, annihilating several other tribes while strengthening the alliance with the Pale River Tribe. The other tribes allied with the intention of destroying the traitorous tribe and so a massive horde of all able warriors was gathered and the Pale River Tribe settlement stormed. The defenders were quickly overrun and killed, while the women and children ran towards the Caladon Bay Fortress, seeking protection. The survivors from the Pale River Tribe, now counting only several hundred individuals from a few thousand members in total, were given refuge. Soon the massive horde arrived to the fortress and a battle began. If it can be called a battle. It was more of a total massacre. When the beastmen got within range of the defensive emplacement, they were mowed down in hundreds by massed heavy bolter, lasgun, and mortar fire. The surviving marauders quickly routed and ran back into the jungles. With the tribes weakened, a massive counter-attack was launched and the tribes pushed deep inside the jungle. The new ground was then captured by the allied tribe and secured by the Europan colonists.

Over following years, the Pale River Tribe grew in strength thanks to new, young warriors and the fact that some of the beastmen now lived in the human-occupied zone, order to raise a first, beastman-only regiment was given, as a sign of trust and gratitude towards the tribe.

Deployments
Battle of the White Mountain - second invasion of beastmen, crushed

Equipment

 * Mk VI field fatigues - Consisting only out of white tank-top and olive shorts made to fit the beastmen body, it is usually the only piece of clothing, apart from underwear, the beastmen wear. Beastmen refuse to wear the flak armor as it makes them feel unnatural and confined. Male beastmen often fight topless and female beastmen are known to decorate their clothes with iconography, amulets and other things with spiritual importance.
 * Mk XVII Lasrifle - An almost exact copy of the M36 Kantrael lasgun, only locally produced and modified to be easier to use for the beastmen, as they are generally stronger, taller and more robust than regular humans.
 * Tundra 32 Heavy Automatic Shotgun - (Issued only to the heavy shock troop units). It is extremely robust, large caliber automatic shotgun with large, drum magazine which holds 32 rounds, usually fragmentation rounds with solid, penetrator core. The weapon has spring-loaded, inbuilt bayonet.
 * M3 Service Pistol - M3 is a reliable laser-based sidearm issued to every single soldier. While it is not known for its use during offensive operations, it is frequently used in close-quarters combat and self-defense situations. Its rugged design can withstand very rough handling and simple design makes it easy to use and maintain.
 * 4 Mk XIV Power Packs - Single power pack holds enough energy to provide about 75 shots from the Mk XVII lasrifle.
 * Combat blades - Combat blades are made by their wielders and are a thing of cultural importance. Sizes and shape vary from piece to piece. It is not unusual to see clubs and axes, instead of daggers and swords.
 * 2 M5 Frag Grenades - Standard issue "pineapple" fragmentation grenade.
 * 2 M12 Frag Grenades - (Issued only to the heavy shock troop units) bigger cousin of the M5 frag grande. It has a stronger explosive charge.
 * Package of S.EX. preservatives - (S.EX. stands for Super Extra large) Considering the physiology, culture and feral mentality of the beastmen, this was deemed as a must to limit the number of pregnancies within the ranks. Issued to both males and females. Package contains twelve pieces.
 * First aid kit
 * Water canteen
 * 1 Emergency ration pack