"The Steward of Imperium"
OOC Info
Intent: To codify the 313th Stormtrooper Legion - Erskine Barran's personal legion for the Imperial Armed Forces (IMPAF)
Image Credit: Doot!
Insignia Credit:
Lucien Dooku
/
Dante Corvus
- Doot Doot!Role: IMPAF's Command & Control/Invasion Spearhead
Permissions: N/A
Links: POPULATE - Devastation of Nirauan | NIO | Populate of Ansion
Nirauan/Legends
Nirauan was a planet located in second of three inner planets in the Nirauan system. It was inhabited by the indigenous avian Qom Jha and Qom Qae species, and was the capital of the Empire of the Hand, it housed a large garrison of Chiss and human personnel. The second satellite of a weak red...
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Approved Vehicle - XT-62 Cataphract-class Main Battle Tank
CROSS ROLES TANK 'CATAPHRACT' MODEL 862ABY MAIN BATTLE TANK KUAT ENTRALLA ENGINEERING OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION Intent: Update the ICONIC Cataphract MBT Image Source: RoadwarriorZ44 | DeviantArt Kuat Entralla logo by ME Canon Link: -- Permissions: -- Primary Source: XT-60b...
General Information
Unit Name: 313th Stormtrooper Legion,"Sabretooth Legion"
Affiliation: New Imperial Order
Rurik Fel
Noel Strasza
Konrad Harrsk
Gat Tambor
Classification: Vanguard legion
Description: Lord-General Barran's very own take on the Stormtrooper Legion concept, one such that was established out of almost-manic necessity, especially after the tragically catastrophic events of his first proper large-scale strategic command ending in such a costly defeat. Swearing never to let his comrades and superiors down again, a rather wrathful Lord Erskine would spend his time alone with textbooks in spite of what Nirauan had cost him, along with archive-files and historical accounts of almost every conceivable variety as he recovered in drunken silence, noting anything that could be useful to the kind of war-machine he was building from the ground up. The end product, with a year-long recruitment campaign split in two by the subsequent reconquest of New Carannia, would be a rather menacing collection of some of the empire's hardiest breeds merged into one fighting force; a well-oiled veteran war-machine, comprised of the most savage stormtroopers, led by a noble savage in his own right.
Not only are the Sabretooth-troopers required to fight harder than many other trooper variants in the heaviest of hostile environments, but their ability to coordinate with every other Imperial (or allied) contingent, to give the Lord-General every potential strategic-advantage, will be certainly relied upon heavily in future large-scale operations. Erskine Barran's constant state of evolution as a warrior, commander and strategist in his own right have given rise to an almost similar upward trajectory of micromanagement and troubleshooting capabilities - and as a direct result of his Pre-IMPAF years, with the process of his inebriated-though-productive solitude serving as the other main catalyst, has found a methodology that works on every level of his growing chain-of-command. Many believe that Lord Erskine is one of the obscure few who could make elites of rabble, but with an array of already-sharp tools at his disposal, a frighteningly effective picture is being painted for the 313th already.
The Lord-General wants them on the frontline as fast and as aggressively as possible, with as much manoeuvrability factored into each deployment's early moments, knowing that early rooting yields endless advantages in insight and coordination with allied units and subordinates alike. From there, Lord Erskine's main doctrine is vanguard shock tactics in the thick of each battle's wildest firepower exchanges, pushing stubborn enemy lines in ways that tank-formations can't, as the Stormtrooper majority allows the 313th to hold whatever ground they take. Also adding to their chances of holding against all opposition, no matter how heavy, is the implementation of duelling-champions as bodyguards and junior-commanders alike, all with sparring-yard training from one of the most skilled swordsmen in the Galaxy - with each and every last sword-wielding subordinates capable of becoming legends in their own right.
Combat Information
Unit Size: 12,000 Max (LARGE)
Unit Availability: Uncommon
Unit Experience: Professional - Elite
Combat Function: Rapid deployment/Vanguard infantry
Equipment(Vehicles): NSTL-62a Landspeeder
Equipment(Trooper Armour): Storm Universal-Combat Platform
Equipment(Weaponry): SRK-65 Particle-Beam Service Rifle
AP-25i "SIMP" Particle-Beam Blaster
CSR-50i Slugthrower Sniper Rifle
Strengths
Veteran-Commander: While Lord Erskine has never been infallible, nor unbeatable, Sabretooth Legion are fortunate to have a commander with the right experience, abundant intellect and that very same killer instinct that saw the Galidraani Free-State's armies inflict untold losses on the Sith Empire and the Brotherhood of the Maw alike. Though a solid chain-of-command exists, all know that without the true mind behind the manoeuvres, they would merely perform the predictable - even if endeavoured to higher standards than other, similarly-predictable contingents on the field.Hyper-Aggressive in CQC: Erskine hasn't just chosen these troopers for the aptitude shown in the credentials on their datapads, the Lord-General has ordered the entirety of IMPAF's clerical elements to find him the meanest, scariest troopers from each and every garrison the Stormchaser has scoured so far - even going so far as to read the reports for himself, and overseeing every exercise and bareknuckle bout personally in the process. And with the melee weapons issued, even at lower-NCO level, the NIO's warhound knows what sort of carnage awaits the brave, unfortunate enemies who wish to learn the hard way.
Rapid Frontline-Deployment capabilities: With the Woad already aware of the fact his choices of ground-vehicles would very much dictate his battle doctrine going forward, he'd understand through benefits he reaped from Lord Tal's decision to use the XT-62 Cataphracts as their main battle tank for the Third Imperial Civil War. And with the implementation of Landspeeder IFVs to facilitate his great need for the quickest of advances, the type that would see Sabretooth legion taking up positions first in every battle.
Supreme Warfighting Cohesion: Chain-of-command, as a concept, goes a long way in the 313th, one of the positive permeations of traits from Blue-Heart Brigade to Sabretooth Legion when Lord Erskine was still drunkenly formulating the concept's earliest building blocks. Every rank is taught the duties and responsibilities of the ones resting a single rank above them, as in the event that inevitable losses and injuries began to stack up, Barran is certain he would want everyone retaining competent control of the situation in the event he was downed in the line of duty.
Highly Adaptable: Working on night raids and the means of defending against them, readying the Sabretooth-troopers for snow, jungle and desert deployments to name but a few of the training exercises and low-priority operations that Lord Erskine's had his fresh transfers on in perpetuity. These long training sprees are not only to make them as competent in as many areas as possible, but also in making them more receptive to the benefits of devoted pre-deployment preparations, a must for a strategist who aims to be in all the largest engagements of the Second Great Hyperspace War as it progresses.
Weaknesses
Heavier Mechanised doctrines: Brash and hard-hitting though the 313th are supposed to be, even Lord Erskine knows what shortfalls await every Stormtrooper legion in the field, and one of them is the stronger armour and heavier-calibre weaponry enjoyed by adherents to tank and mobile-artillery doctrine. There are measures trained to be put into place in certain scenarios, but there's still only much that good cover and anti-tank methodologies can achieve in a battlefield littered with enemy tanks, a risk that Lord-General Barran was aware of from the offset.Reliant on Comm-Link/Map-Holographics: In the event of EMP-driven disruption or signal-jamming of any sort, their Lord-General is forced to revert to older, riskier means of coordination with other contingents. To some, sending a random trooper to relay information as a Sabretooth runner incurred no real risks, but to the likes of Erskine Barran, a man perpetually seeking every possible advantage in the crucible, such communications and coordination breakdowns are expected to be quite counterproductive to the 313th's need for Barran's quick, reactive counterattacking strategies.
Unsettling to Non-Combatants: It could be in the aura they put forth on-leave, or perhaps even in the thousand-yard stare of the stereotypical Sabretooth-Trooper when they're on said Leave Rotations on Bastion, or even in the way they seem to stare into the depths of people's souls when disturbed from what little reveries the Galaxy permitted them to enjoy. The only thing everyone knows is that these troopers will have great difficulty in adjusting to civilian life after discharge, regardless of whether it would be by honourable or dishonourable means, regardless of their achievements as enlisted Sabretooth Troopers of the 313th.
Confrontational Atmosphere: By Erskine's drunken design, and by rule of,"Walk-out or Clock-out.", Legion Dispute-Act 422-870 ABY, (Penned solely for the 313th by the Lord-General personally) remaining firmly within the boundaries of his jurisdictional power, each and every one of the legion's rivalries are settled within the boundaries of Sabretooth HQ and whatever siege-camps and outposts they establish along the way. However, this level of control, even though it keeps everyone supremely vigilant at all times, has flagged enough already that the officers have been receiving and accepting challenges against opponents in the lower ranks since the edict itself was first implemented.
Time-consuming Unit Replenishments: A small price to pay for excellence, as the selection-process and the poaching-transfers are expected to balance each other out in time, but even then, the former's harsh, rigorous curriculum has already been proven difficult enough that barely 3% end up sporting the Sabretooths' armour in the end. Wild, brutal, and difficult to control though they most-certainly are, the troopers of the 313th are still a relatively uncommon resource in the Galaxy; though fortunately for Lord Erskine, a resource of which the other Imperials were still to make proper use, much like other civilised factions in the Galaxy.
Historical Information
Dubbed,"Sabretooth Legion", by Lord Erskine personally; a tongue-in-cheek reference of how such a recent-addition to the Imperial High-Command structure could get his hands on so many elite-quality troopers in such a short span of time, and also as a cheeky reminder of the killer-cat insignias he was previously sure he'd ascended since the promotion. The Sabretooth tiger had been purged of it's best fangs by poachers, much like Lord-General was doing to garrisons all around Rurik Fel's Imperium, but only in the recruiter's sense of the verb itself, and the sabretooth insignia itself would fittingly serve as the largest, most iconic feline symbol of them all. After the Brotherhood of the Maw's invasion of Nirauan, and all the horrors that befell Barran and his subordinates that day, Lord Erskine knew such a force was necessary to, not only stem such tidal furies, but to turn them with a frightening ferocity of their own - especially if he wished IMPAF-Command to be more prepared than they had been for their defence of Fort Imperium.
Out of this sense of urgent necessity, the Lord-General has made a point of finding a particular quality of experienced trooper in his wide search across the NIO's many planetary garrison-installations, starting his recruitment campaign on Ord Mantel then going on a series of erratic, impulsive trips in weird zig-zagging patterns across the most renowned of planets within the borders of the Imperium. All the while, putting out broadcasts to peoples of formerly-Imperial systems, and in the process, drilling and testing every last living, breathing resource IMPAF-Command would have their disposal in whatever deployment-zone awaited them, the Lord-General would increase cohesion, loyalty and respect among the ever-swelling ranks of the force that grew with each and every landing on Imperial planets-of-interest. With the toughest, meanest troopers under his command, the old Woad knew he could force any and all opposition to flinch when it mattered most, no matter how crazed, brave, stupid or evil his adversaries could be in the right circumstances.
Under Lord Erskine's guidance, IMPAF-Command somehow knew deep down that there was nothing that could counter the 313th at their best, not while the Galaxy was still yet to find a resounding antithesis for Lord Erskine's ability to utilise the staunch willpower of his subordinates. All the legion needed was a chance to prove it's worth in the eyes of their peers in the 173rd, the 307th, and last but not least, in the eyes of the famed 501st, and by the time Lord-General Barran was done learning the finer nuances of legionary command, the Sabretooth-troopers of the 313th would have that chance before long. With the reconquest of Nirauan complete, time to swell their ranks to brigade-size would be of great use to the Stormchaser's personal legion, gelling together in exponential increases in cohesion while they waited, put on training-exercise after training-exercise in anticipation of each and every deployment that awaited them in turn.
The Maw had been waiting for a glimpse of the 313th Legion's banner on the horizon, it had been no secret to any of the factions fighting the Second Great Hyperspace War, and even with the rumour-mill always finding a way to reach Exegol, the perfect counterweight to the archetypal avatar of Order would always have their ears to the ground for news of the Woad's means of adapting to his first real defeat since before he ascended to the rank of Lord-General. Every last one of the Galaxy's best warfighters knew that a full-sized IMPAF legion would grace the field, both the prominent and the obscure with equalling intensity, it was just a matter of when they would be able to do so, and where. However, both fortunately and unfortunately for all participants in their next battles, Lord Erskine will be more than willing to give people varying tastes of the finished article for the time being.
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