Although there are hundreds of Imperial Guard regiments fighting in the Third Armageddon war, many of them carved out a bloody reputation for themselves during the constant and bitter fighting. Some among their number fight there still, for once the taint of the Orks has spread to a world, it can never truly be removed. Some of these regiments may be familiar, either established as honourable and valuable components of the Imperial Guard or as wilful and unpredictable forces that many officers refuse to fight alongside.

This article focuses on the savage Armageddon Ork Hunters and the dour Death Korps of Kreig. We also take a look at Imperial Guard armies that have fought protracted campaigns in the confines of the galaxy's cities. In the future we hope to publish rules for the elite Elysian Drop Troopers and the Savlar Chem Dogs, so don't worry, we haven't forgotten them!

For more background material on the illustrious and infamous regiments of Armageddon, see Historical Actions of the Imperial Guard in WD 249.

The Armageddon lists and the Cityfighting Imperial Guard list are currently recommended optional. This means that you must get your opponent's consent before using these lists; they are experimental and we encourage you to try them but they are not official. They may only be used in tournaments with the organiser's consent.

If you have any thoughts on these army lists, why not write in to the usual address and let us know?

During the third Armageddon War, the head of the ruling military council of Armageddon, General Kurov, conducted several xenocidal campaigns throughout the Equatorial jungles to rid them of the Ork presence that had taken root there. Those regiments engaged in such bitter and drawn out fighting encountered guerrilla resistance far in excess of their expectations. Rather than disbanding the decimated regiments, General Kurov harnessed the valuable knowledge gained by the survivors by ordering them to form a number of specialised Ork hunting regiments.

The Ork Hunters have learnt to fight the enemy on his own terms, and have become extremely good at their jobs. Many Imperial Guard regiments are posted to Cerbera base to learn from the Ork Hunter instructor sergeants. It is well recorded that the uncouth and savage nature of the Ork Hunters rankles with many of the more traditional Imperial Guard regiments, and the Battle at Hell Town is well recorded as the start of the enmity between the Ork Hunters and the Pyran Dragoons.

Unfortunately, the psychological effect such constant contact and close-quarter warfare with the Orks was not calculated by Kurov in his haste to combat the Orks in the jungles of Armageddon. Many of the Ork Hunter squads do not return to their base for weeks on end, surviving purely on the jungle around them, immersing themselves in their war against the Orks. Occasionally, a squad of the Ork Hunters will return to Cerbera base laden with the skulls and scalps of the many Orks that they have culled on their forays.

A worrying trend in the Ork Hunters' combat doctrine has been noted in recent times. It seems the Ork Hunters are not only adopting the Orkoid manner of war, but also many of their superstitions, codes of conduct and icons. At best, these soldiers have found that to destroy their enemy beyond doubt, they must understand them and adopt their combat doctrine. At worst, they are degenerating into the savage beasts they have given their lives to fight, a vile slight upon the honour of the Emperor's warriors.

You will need a copy of Codex Imperial Guard and Codex Catachans to use this army list.

HQ. 1 Ork Hunters Command HQ (use the entry for Deathworld Veteran Command HQ, adjusted as below), 0-5 Commissars (see Codex Imperial Guard).

ELITES. Ork Hunters Fire Sweep Team (use the entry for Deathworld Veteran Assault Team, adjusted as below), Ogryns (see Codex Imperial Guard).

TROOPS. Ork Hunters Infantry Platoon (use the entry for Deathworld Infantry Platoon, adjusted as below).

FAST ATTACK. Ork Hunters Sentinel Squadron (use the entry for Deathworld Sentinel Squadron, adjusted as below), Ork Hunters Patrol (use the entry for Deathworld Veteran Patrol Squadron, adjusted as below)

HEAVY SUPPORT. 0-2 Mortar Heavy Weapons Squads, Booby Traps, 0-1 Armoured Support Vehicle (this may be a Chimera, Leman Russ Exterminator, Basilisk or Hellhound).

Many of the Armageddon Ork Hunters squads use the army lists entries from Codex Catachans. However, where a troop type is listed as a Deathworld Veteran in their special rules section, substitute the Jungle Fighters ability (see below). In all other respects these army list entries are identical to the army lists in Codex Catachans.

Jungle fighters: Armageddon Ork Hunters have adapted and trained so extensively that they have become masters of jungle warfare. Although they are not born into the jungle and hence will never be the equal of soldiers such as the infamous Catachans, they have become highly skilled nonetheless. They are the only survivors of apocalyptic combat between their previous regiments and the Orks of the equatorial jungle, and every one of them is as skilled as they are tough.

The following rules apply to all Armageddon Ork Hunters:

• Armageddon Ork Hunters roll 3D6 and pick the highest to see how far they can move through jungle terrain. When pursuing and falling back through difficult terrain, they roll 3D6 and halve the result. They only become 'spooked' on the roll of a triple one and only set off booby traps on any roll of a triple (three fives, for example).
• Armageddon Ork Hunters receive a 4+ cover save for being in woods or jungle terrain.
• Armageddon Ork Hunters may infiltrate as described on page 134 of the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. They may only do this in missions which allow infiltration and only if they use their ability to set up or move into woods or jungles. Sentinels may not use this ability.

Ork Hunters: The hard-bitten squads of the Ork Hunters have dedicated their lives to fighting the Orks, and have even adopted effective tactics against the Orks in close combat. In any assault, Armageddon Ork Hunters always hit Orks on a 3+.

To know the enemy: The Armageddon Ork Hunters"have adapted to the Ork way of war so completely that worrying psychological similarities have begun to emerge. Armageddon Ork Hunters benefit from the Waaagh! special rule (call it the Aaagh! Rule if it helps...) when fighting Orks (any type). When a squad of Armageddon Ork Hunters charges into close combat check its size by rolling 2D6. If the score is equal or less than the number of Armageddon Ork Hunters in the squad, they charge in with a rousing warcry to rival that of the Orks they fight. All the Ork Hunters in the squad double their Initiative characteristic for the rest of the assault phase. In future assault phases they revert to their original Initiative values. If the 2D6 roll is greater than the number of Ork Hunters left in the squad they charge in as normal and attack with their basic Initiative value.

Ork Hunters who make a sweeping advance into the enemy also use this rule. The test for this is made at the beginning of the assault phase so any casualties from enemy fire will reduce the chances of them managing to maintain their momentum.

Sentinels: Ork Hunter Sentinels are identical to the Deathworld Sentinel Squadron entry in Codex Catachans, and occupy a Fast Attack choice on the force organisation chart.

Armageddon Ork Hunters very rarely have a chance to return to Cerbera base and replenish their ammunition, their patrols often lasting weeks on end. As a result, the Armageddon Ork Hunters commonly use captured Ork weaponry. Some of the strongest Ork Hunters have even been known to wield the crude axes of the Orks in close combat. Various Imperial reports have postulated that the Armageddon Ork Hunters actually prefer Ork weapons for the sheer noise and chaos they can cause when an ambush is sprung.

Any model in a Deathworld Veteran Fire Sweep team in an Armageddon Ork Hunters army may be equipped with a choppa for +2 points. See rules below.

Any model in a Deathworld Veterans Patrol in an Armageddon Ork Hunters army may be equipped with a shoota for +1 point. See rules below.

Armageddon Ork Hunters characters may buy choppas (+2 points), sluggas (+1 point) or shootas (+1 point) in addition to those items listed in Codex Imperial Guard.

(In close combat, choppas limit the saving throw of an enemy model to a 4+ at best. All models using choppas count as having Initiative 2.)

(All models using shootas count as having Ballistic Skill 2.)

The Death Korps of Krieg, a very powerful martial force, are well-known for their dour habits and sinister appearance. No regiment in the Imperial Guard has such an accord with death, and the sons of Krieg adorn their solemn, dark greatcoats with skulls, bones and other such icons of mortality.

The history of the Death Korps is peculiar indeed; when the Autarch of Krieg renounced the Imperium his populace rose up against him in a devout fervour, and the regiments raised to combat the heretic responded with such horrific force that the planet of Krieg was changed forever. In fact, this uprising led to a five-hundred year long campaign of atomic purging that resulted in the previously populous Krieg degenerating into a toxic wasteland of ash and ruins.

Yet the sacrifice of their home world seems not to be enough to atone for the Autarch's heresy. The Death Korps of Krieg still believe they should be punished for the stain on their planet's honour, and have embarked upon a quest for absolution that takes them into the most desperately dangerous warzones and hopeless battles in the Imperium. Their martyrdom in the name of the Imperial cause is well documented, for the Korps do not fear death. In fact, many seem to welcome it, and a platoon of Death Korps will quite willingly follow orders deemed to be suicidal by less dedicated troops. As a result of this, officers of the Krieg know that their orders will be carried out efficiently and to the letter. It is this surety that has led to many victories against seemingly impossible odds.

You will need a copy of Codex Imperial Guard to use this army list.

HQ. 1 Command Platoon, 1-5 Commissars

ELITES. 0-1 Hardened Veterans, Storm Troopers

TROOPS. Infantry Platoon, Armoured Fist Squad

FAST ATTACK. Hellhound, Sentinel Squad, Krieg Death Riders

HEAVY SUPPORT. Leman Russ Battle Tank, 0-1 Leman Russ Vanquisher, Leman Russ Exterminator, Leman Russ Demolisher, Basilisk, Griffon

All Death Korps Command Sections and Command HQ must be accompanied by a Commissar, up to a maximum of 5 Commissars in total.

Hardened Fighters: The Death Korps, although far from suicidal, have no fear of death. They gladly lay down their lives in the name of the Emperor and willingly seek out the most hostile and punishing battlegrounds on which to display their devotion. The unit may ignore negative modifiers for Morale checks and tests for regrouping. In effect, the unit will always use its standard Leadership for these tests.

Death before dishonour: The Death Korps are used to being outmatched in close combat but fight on nonetheless showing their courage and slaying those who oppose humanity. Death Korps troops are Fearless in close combat, automatically passing any morale tests they are required to make, and will carry on fighting until they have beaten their foes or until they are all dead.

They must Sweeping Advance after an enemy that falls back, they cannot consolidate.

Krieg Death Riders: The Rough Riders of the Death Korps take to the field of battle on bionically enhanced steeds, the augmented constitutions of the beasts meaning that they are slightly faster and hardier than the average mount.

The army list entry for the Rough Riders is replaced by Krieg Death Riders. They are identical in all respects other than:

It is said that within the deadly crucible of a Cityfight, raw recruits are forged into grizzled, battle-hardened veterans after just one night of bitter, close-quarter fighting. And yet amongst those who have been plunged deep into this nerve-wracking hell, there are those that have come to excel. For every ten men that die, one learns from his comrades' deaths, becoming a better soldier for it. And learn he must, for those that fail to comprehend the mortal danger waiting around every corner, behind every pile of rubble, soon fall prey to a sniper's bullet or a well-placed booby trap.

Alongside these grim and battle-scarred veterans fight the inhabitants of the shattered city itself, from burly manufactorum workers to hab-block juves that have realised they have no hope but to fight. Gangland criminals fight side by side with their mortal enemies, realising their rivalries are of no consequence in the struggle cleanse their city of the foul aliens that infest its streets.

This army list is intended to represent this amalgamation of desperate soldiers thrust together by circumstance, forged into a force that has no real insignia or structure but is just as formidable as the most disciplined regiments of the Imperial Guard within the city's confines. Platoons can be comprised of rag-tag militia or experienced troopers, and part of the fun of collecting a Cityfighting force is the juxtaposition of miscellaneous models such as Necromunda gangers with Imperial Guard stalwarts like the Cadian Shock Troops and Valhallan Ice Warriors. Although they look great painted in the same colour scheme, the models in this army have great scope for tattoos, trophies and war wounds, with previously pristine uniforms tattered and obscured by dust and blood. Properly done, it can be a real painting and modelling challenge. But if you find Cityfighting to your taste, it can be a very rewarding army as you fight tooth and nail to reclaim your soldier's homes from the claws of the marauding invaders.

You will need a copy of Codex Imperial Guard and Codex Battlezone: Cityfight to use this army list.

HQ. 1 Command Platoon, 0-2 Commissars

ELITES. 0-1 Hardened Veterans, Guerrillas (see beiow) 0-1 Ratling Snipers, 0-2 Urban Snipers (see beiow)

TROOPS. 1+ Cityfighting Infantry Squad (see beiow). 0-1 Armoured Fist Squad, 1+ Ganger Militia (see below)

FAST ATTACK. Hellhound, Sentinel Squadron

HEAVY SUPPORT. 0-1 Leman Russ Battle Tank, 0-1 Leman Russ Vanquisher, 0-1 Basilisk, 0-1 Leman Russ Exterminator, 0-1 Leman Russ Demolisher, 0-1 Griffon

Cityfight Veterans: All units in the Cityfighting Imperial Guard Force benefit from the following special rules:

Desperate measures: Needless to say, the numbers of a Cityfighting Imperial Guard force have been whittled down time and time again, and the survivors are forced to take all manner of steps to make up for their comparative lack of manpower. Buildings are sandbagged and boarded up, rubble is strewn with improvised but deadly traps, and captured grenades are bundled together to form makeshift high explosives. The Cityfighting Imperial Guard player must spend 2D6 x 10 points of his army list on the following items from the Attackers and Defenders Armoury in the Mission Special Rules section of the Cityfight book, regardless of the mission being played:

Some of the Imperial Guardsmen assigned to fight in the city for long periods of time specialise in certain tactics and methods that make them a cut above the average trooper. From knowing when to keep your head down to having an intricate knowledge of the subway networks, these squads have the edge in any Cityfighting scenario.

These squads are identical to the Hardened Veterans entry in the Imperial Guard Army List, however instead of having the Hardened Fighters and Steadfast Battle Honours, they must roll for two Cityfighting Battle Honours on the chart below before deployment.

The very finest marksmen that the vicious conditions of a Cityfight produces often become snipers, utilising stolen or captured weaponry and taking their place alongside the specially trained snipers of the Imperial Guard. These deadly assassins are able to take their place in the cityscape hours before battle, concealing themselves so completely that they are virtually impossible to target.

Loners: You may include up to three Urban Snipers as a single Elites choice. They do not form units and are set up separately (see Special Rules below).

Weapons: Sniper rifles.

Infiltrators: In the right circumstances Urban Snipers have the ability to work their way into a forward position on the battlefield. To represent this they may set up using the Infiltrators special rule but only if the mission allows for Infiltrators to be used.

If the mission does not allow troops to use this rule then the Snipers must set up normally with the rest of the army.

Concealment: Urban Snipers are universally adept at concealing themselves, finding nooks and niches amongst shattered architecture from which to pick off their prey. They improve their cover save by +1 when in cover. For example, an Urban Sniper gains a 3+ save when deployed in a building, and a 2+ cover save in a heavily constructed building.

Disappear: You may never move an Urban Sniper model. During your movement phase you may remove the model, representing the Sniper merging back into the shadows so he can fight another day. Once removed, a Sniper may not return to the battlefield but doesn't count as having been killed for victory point purposes. Urban Snipers can't claim table quarters or other objectives.

A fair proportion of the soldiers in any given Cityfighting Imperial Guard regiment have been conscripted in from the local gangs, and many still use the weapons and equipment they have fought with for all their adult lives. In fact, it is not unheard of for the Imperial Guard and the local gangs to form a bond of mutual respect as their desperation forces them to fight back to back time and time again.

Unit Size: The unit consists of 5-20 Gangers and one Gang Leader.

Weapons: A variety of home-made and black market weapons of dubious quality. These count as either a laspistol (or autopistol) and a close combat weapon, or a shotgun, or a lasgun, or an autogun. There can be a mix of weapons within each Ganger Militia unit.

Options: Up to one model may have one of the following: flamer at +3 pts; meltagun at +8 pts; heavy stubber at +8 pts (as heavy bolter, but with Strength 4 and AP 6); grenade launcher at +8 pts. In addition, one other model may have one of the following: heavy bolter at +10 pts; missile launcher at +15 pts; lascannon at +20 pts; plasma cannon at +20 pts.

Character: The leader may choose additional equipment from the Imperial Guard Armoury. He may take items normally only allowed to Officers.

No Chimera: Gang Militia can never be equipped with Chimeras, and so cannot be included as part of a Mechanised Infantry Company.

Designer's Note: Gangers can be represented by Necromunda Gang models.

Squad: The squad consists of one Sergeant and between four and nineteen Imperial Guardsmen.

Weapons: Lasguns. The Sergeant may exchange his lasgun for a laspistol and close combat weapon at no additional cost.

Options: Up to one model can have one of the following: flamer at +3 pts; meltagun at +8 pts; plasma gun at +8 pts; grenade launcher at +8 pts. Two Guardsmen can form a weapons team with one of the following: heavy bolter at +10 pts; missile launcher at +15 pts; lascannon at +20 pts; autocannon at +15 pts; mortar at +15 pts. The squad can have frag grenades for +1pt per model. One model can have a comm-link for + 5 pts.

Character: The Sergeant may be upgraded to a Veteran Sergeant for an additional +10 pts. The Veteran Sergeant may choose additional equipment from the Armoury.

Each of these armies has a unique character and will play very differently on the battlefield. But if the sheer amount of painting and conversion work necessary to build an army dissuades you, why not assemble a squad from one of these regiments and add it to your existing Imperial Guard army? If you like the way they look, it's an ideal starting point from which to build a completely new force, plus you get to field the models you have worked on straight away in conjunction with your usual Imperial
Guard. This can represent an Armageddon army that has been at war for a considerable period of time and has been moved from one war zone to another, being combined with elements of other Imperial Guard armies along the way. However, merely using normal Imperial Guard miniatures and declaring that they are Death Korps, Ork Hunters etc. is not enough, you must paint and/or convert your models in an appropriate way.

So why not have a go at putting together a squad that adds a little variety to your existing Imperial Guard army, and if you're really inspired by the descriptions and models shown here, start an entire battle force. Remember, you can gather more information from Codex Armageddon, Famous Actions of the Imperial Guard in WD249 and the Armageddon Website at http://www.armageddon3.com/.

Go forth and conquer!