ELYSIAN DROP TROOPER
The heavy helmet is constructed of reinforced plasteel, with extra armour protection incorporated into the front of the helmet. The basic helmet contains a tinted flash suppression visor and a short-range communications receiver. All vox-operators wear a variant of the type 5 helmet with corns-booster equipment built in. The Drop Trooper's armour is constructed of cast, lightweight synthi-plas. This provides a good level of protection whilst keeping weight to a minimum. As Drop Troops will often operate for extended periods out of supply, they must carry a lot of extra equipment themselves. Weight saving is important, to reduce encumbrance during drops and to allow space for extra ammunition, grenades, ration packs etc. Each troop is issued a chest and back plate, complete with respirator and air hose attachments for the air supply (required at high-altitude) and attached shoulder pads. Separate elbow pads and knee-pads give extra protection in combat and on landing. Some veteran troopers disgard these pads after landing to help reduce their overall weight, especially if operating in difficult terrain. Most troopers prefer the extra protection. On Taros all armour was painted codex grey. He wears a PT-38 jumpsuit, a one piece reinforced coverall made of hardwearing synthi-canvas. It is supplied in a variety of colours and camouflage schemes. On Taros a suitable sandy coloured jumpsuit was used. The jumpsuit can be worn with a thermal liner for high altitude drops, were temperatures in the upper atmosphere are sub-zero. On Taros, the lining was not issued due to the climate at ground level and the altitude of the jump. The jumpsuit is always worn with gloves and a respirator mask, which prevents wind-burn on exposed skin. Wind-burn is a side effect of rapid free fall, much like friction burns, but caused by fiction with the air. The jumpsuit includes thick quilted pads on the upper arms and legs, referred to as the 'impact pads'. These pads help reduce the effects of blunt trauma from impacts and give additional protection during a collision or hard landing. The pads are filled with foam to absorb and distribute the energy of an impact. The jump suit includes a variety of pockets for extra storage space. He also wears the distinctive tall jump boots, designed to give strong ankle support upon landing, and has his jump gloves, one is pushed through the belt. The trooper's Accatran pattern, mark IV lasgun is a lightweight weapon manufactured on Accatran forge world and supplied to the 23rd Elysian regiment. Its overall length is shortened by its 'bullpup' design, with the powercell positioned behind the handle. This is ideal for Drop Troops who must crowd into the troop compartment of a Valkyrie, carrying all their kit into battle, often needing more spare ammunition, rations, water etc to operate beyond supply lines, as well as wearing a bulky grav-chute. Extra carrying capacity and weight is always at a premium for Drop Infantry. To conserve ammunition and reduce wastage the weapon only has a single shot setting and cannot be used for automatic fire It uses a standard power pack, good for fifty shots, and operates in the 19 megathule range. The power pack can be recharged by exposing its thermal cells to heat or light. The recharging takes time, and cannot generally be done during combat, so extra power packs are always carried. The Mark IVc variant lasgun include an auxiliary krak grenade launcher mounted under the barrel. This is a short-range, single shot weapon, issued to officers and NCO's for additional squad level close support. The lasgun also has a carrying handle and solar converter for power pack recharging. This model of lasgun does not include a bayonet lug. Elysian guardsmen must fight with their knife in hand if engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Many Elysian regiments prefer to equip themselves with assault shotguns, for extra close-range hitting power upon landing. Although this is true, General Syckava (the commanding officer of the 23rd regiment), believes this drastically reduces the regiment's firepower in the longer term whilst defending an objective. Some veteran troops still choose a shotgun, but the rank-and-file are all issued lasguns as standard. The grav-chute (not shown here) is a complex piece of equipment issued solely to Drop Troop regiments and Storm Troopers for special missions. It is worn across the shoulders, above the backpack, and because of its weight and bulk is usually discarded immediately upon landing, freeing up the Drop Trooper to fight less encumbered. Grav-chutes only operate at a set altitude, the troops are in free fall until the grav-chute activates, controlling their decent with their body shape. The grav-chute slows the final descent, but impact with This Elysian Drop Trooper wears the standard uniform, armour and equipment issued to all members of the 23rd regiment on Taros. This is Trooper Hyde of the first Fire Support squad. Heavy Weapons platoon, sixth company, seen here during Operation Comet. He was wounded in action on the third day of the battle, defending hydro-processing plant 23-30. It is currently unknown whether he was killed in action or became a prisoner of war. the ground is still hard and upon landing troops must roll with the impact lo absorb the shock. Drop regiments spend much of their time training to control the free fall descent, in collision avoidance and practicing landing procedure. Despite this accidents are not uncommon and grav-chuting is inherently dangerous. During a high level jump, from 10,000 feet, it will take approximately two minutes to reach the ground. Part of each Guardsman's drop equipment is a respirator mask (worn on the chest plate), and a small oxygen tank (incorporated into the back p/ate) and used for high altitude deployments. The air supply is not large enough for it to be used in hostile environments. The mask covers the lower half of the face, not protected by the helmet. The entire respirator until is attached to the air supply via underarm pipes. Other standard equipment issued for Operation Comet and worn here are. two ammunition pouches, a water canteen, two fragmentation grenades, a krak grenade, a combat knife and the Elysian's own tactical load-bearing backpack, worn under the grav-chute on the lower back, and complimented by to two side pouches. Rations and personal kit are stored here. Behind the trooper is a drop canister. These large containers are used to land a wide variant of equipment into a drop zone. For heavy weapons teams they will contain the heavy weapon itself (heavy bolter, missile launcher or mortar) and spare ammunition, which must be recovered by the crew before going into action. During an operation other drop canisters will be landed contain spare ammunition, rations, water, fuel, medical supplies and all manner of spare equipment. Due to their size, Elysian Drop Troops maccabrely refer to drop canisters as coffins', and after a battle they are often put to this use! The regimental insignia of the 23rd Elysian Regiment is a winged spear in Iron! of a sun. This Drop Trooper bears it painted onto his chest plate. The Taros Campaign badge has been temporarily stencilled onto the left knee-pad. This will be overpamted belore the regiment's next deployment. He wears his company number on the right shoulder pad. In this case sixth company. Regimental Command staff use the letter C. The left shoulder is blank for troopers and has a red stripe for veterans (with at least 8 combat drops). Officers have a more decortative left shoulder pad, the winged skull for low-ranking officers (sergeants and lieutenants), and laurel wreathed skull tor high ranking oflicers (captains and above). As a low ranking trooper this Guardsman's helmet remains codex grey. NCOs and officers use a system of stripes on the back of the helmet to identify themselves on the battlefield-sergeants use a white stripe, lieutenants use a yellow stripe, higher-ranking officers use a yellow stripe trimmed with red. The cast skull badge worn on the left breast is an honourific. It is a regimental citation for the 23rd Elysian's part in the Assault on Fort Moros It can be worn by all members of the regiment, whether they took part in the operation or not. The scratch marks on the side of the helmet are a personal addition to the trooper's kit. Many members of the regiment record the number of combat drops they have made on their kit. Amongst the men it is an unofficial badge of seniority, the more drops survived, the more senior the trooper amongst his squad members. 
 This Elysian Drop Trooper wears the standard uniform, armour and equipment issued to all members of the 23rd regiment on Taros. This is Trooper Hyde of the first Fire Support squad, Heavy Weapons platoon, sixth company, seen here during Operation Comet. He was wounded in action on the third day of battle, defending hydro-processing plant 23-30. It is currently unknown whether he was killed in action or became a prisoner of war.
|
The Drop Trooper's helmet is a type 5 pressure helmet. A bulky and infamously uncomfortable piece of equipment, it is worn for high-altitude drops. As standard It incorporates air lines which draw from dispensers in the trooper's grav-chute to stabilise the trooper's inner ear pressure. A dangerous aspect of high-altitude jumping is the rapidly increasing air pressure during the trooper's descent. This pressure needs to be continually equalized. Pressure-equalizing ear protectors prevent the rapid increase from bursting the troops eardrums which, although not fatal, is painful enough to render a Drop Trooper non-combatant.