Iron Warriors - hierarchy questions

[Zuvassin]

Building the background for my Iron Warriors army. The army is meant to be a garrison force representing a single grand battalion (the 76th), and made up of 3-5 (grand) companies - more or less the remnant of a full battalion left behind to garrison a backwater sector.

 

As such, I have a couple questions regarding the IV Legion structure:

 

1. I feel a bit confused regarding Company vs Grand Company. Are grand companies:

• The same thing as a company - ie these are just interchangeable terms?
• Between Companies and Grand Battalions - ie Company --> Grand Company (2+ companies) --> Grand Battalion (2+ grand companies)?
• The same thing as a grand battalion?

2. Would a garrison force still receive periodic support in terms of equipment and new Marines?

 

3. Would a garrison force include elements like Siege Tyrants, or would those continue on with the rest of the Legion when a force is left behind to garrison?

 

4. Would a garrison force be given legion ships as well, or would they be expected to rely upon whatever local Imperial fleet elements happen to exist?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Marshal Rohr]

Grand Companies and Assault Battalions are the two chapter sized units mentioned explicitly in the organization section but I would have to go back and double check.

[Corswain]

Can’t really answer your first question because I don’t have Massacre with me but for the other three my general answer is make it what you want.

 

For an Iron Warriors garrison, I would pitch it as a forwards operation base or as the garrison of a few systems, rather than a few planets. That way, you can easily justify all of the above, especially if it’s a garrison on the edge of an ork empire or something like that. They are going to need to have a fairly good support structure to be useful.

 

My way of thinking is take your core concept (Iron Warriors garrison force) and twist your fluff to suit what you want to do. It’s a big universe, you can get away with pretty much anything.

[lokkorex]

1. If i remeber correctly, grand companies are to the IVth what other legions call battalions, a couple of companies bunched together under one leader.

 

2. Depends on why it's being garrisoned, did Perturabo send them there to guard a possible threat, or as punishment for some failure? It's all up to how you choose to write their background.

 

3. As 2, it depends how you write it. Could be the assigned Tyrants expect to join the rest of the legion, but Perturabo doesn't care enough to send a ship for them, or he expects them to be his eyes and ears in the garrison, or he deems them necessary for the garrisons defence.

 

4. My guess is they are left with the bare minimum, no doubt Perturabo expects them fight till the last legionnaire, not retreat and tell him what happened, based upon how he treats Dantioch in the Perturabo Primarch book.

[Zuvassin]

Thanks for the feedback so far!

 

I'll double-check the Massacre book, maybe I just misread it as that was part of my confusion on what exactly a Grand Company is compared to a Company or a Battalion.

[Gorgoff]

You should read the Invasion of Paramar section in book three Extermination. That answeres question 2-4 almost entirely, is an awesome read AND introduces one of the coolest characters in the whole series:

Kyr Vhalen.

@ADB: Do it. Make it happen. ;)

 

Edit: The Invasion of Paramar starts p18 and at p118 you find the answer to question #1.

3-5 line companies are in one Great Companie.

One Great Battalion incorporated roughly thousand marines which means that it should be made of 2-3 Great Companies.

Like I said you should read it for yourself but that is the rule of thumb here.

[Zuvassin]

You should read the Invasion of Paramar section in book three Extermination. That answeres question 2-4 almost entirely, is an awesome read AND introduces one of the coolest characters in the whole series:

Kyr Vhalen.

@ADB: Do it. Make it happen.

 

Uh...did I miss an ADB comment on this thread?

[bluntblade]

No. It's just that Extermination introduces an IW character many people would like to see in BL material

[Gorgoff]

 

 

You should read the Invasion of Paramar section in book three Extermination. That answeres question 2-4 almost entirely, is an awesome read AND introduces one of the coolest characters in the whole series:

Kyr Vhalen.

@ADB: Do it. Make it happen.

Uh...did I miss an ADB comment on this thread?

Nope, but I have high hopes that he reads it while procrastinating and BOOM "The :cussing Battle of :cussing Paramar" by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.

UH YEAH!

;)

[rendingon1+]

I imagine Vhalen swearing all the time.

"You :cussin, sons of a :cussing, you want my :cussin ship? SO come and :cussing get it!"