Imperial thought of the day: Ignorance is a virtue
/DATA BEGINS/: WARNING, THE CONTENTS OF THIS ARCHIVE ARE SUBJECT TO IMPERIAL CENSURE, ISSUED BY THE EMPEROR, BELOVED BY ALL.
Makkedon
The Imperial world of Makkedon is a sparkling white gem in a sea of black. It is a world where the polar icecaps reach quite far toward the equatorial regions, where the runoff from the glaciers has made an agricultural paradise. The world before compliance was of roughly information-age technology with an archaic twist. There were four main power blocs, the Romanii Empire, Grekoi Republics, Makkedonian Empire, and the Europii Hordes.
Over the course of time, around the Late Bronze age, the Grekoi had slowly succumbed to the Europii Hordes, who gained more advanced weapons in doing so. The Europii expanded their area of foraging to the edges of the habitable zone and devolved to infighting. At this time both the Makkedonians and Romanii seized the opportunity to capture more resources and fertile land, invading the Europii from both sides of their territory.
The enabler of this was the dawn of the Iron Age, and the mastery of forging iron weapons. The Makkedonians favoured long spears and short swords, while the Romanii liked to use large shields, javelins, and swords. The advent of Steel came to the Makkedonians as they started to encroach on the Romanii holdings. This changed things considerably, as the Makkedonians continued to improve their tactics with spears and swords, the Romanii were still only using the tactics they had used for years against the Europii to good effect. This would be the deciding factor as the Makkedonian and Romanii armies first clashed. The Makkedonians had adopted the Hopplitee Phalanx from the dead Gerkoi and armed the men with longer spears, called sarissae. The Romanii however countered this by skirmishing until all of their missiles were depleted, and then charging the gaps in the formation left by the barrage or rough terrain, and using their larger than average shields they were impervious to the Makkedionain Peltasts.
However, this tactic alone was not enough to win the battle, as the Romanii centurions were pressed out of the Makkedonian formation by the long sarrisae, and then flanked by the cavalry that the Makkedonians had held in reserve, as well as the peltasts. The flanks of the Romanii formation crumbled and routed, leaving the Makkedonians victorious against their first "modern" enemy.
The losses on both sides were grievous. The Makkedonians looked for a way to remedy their formation's weakness to missiles and found it among the Romanii dead; the tower shield. If used properly in a tight formation, such as that of the Phalanx, the tower shields could render the troops invulnerable to conventional missiles. With these shields liberated from the dead Romanii, the Makkedonians stopped for two months and established outposts and drilled in new tactics. After this period and some fresh recruits, they were on the march again. In less than five years the Makkedonains had conquered their entire planet. Only the Nordics and the outlying Europii tribes remained to pose any threat to the empire.
After about 150 years of industrialization, advances in sciences, and general improvement, a team of miners discovered an underground bunker at a new prospect. It was later learned that this was The Great Library, the source of all inspiration on the world of Makkedon, containing historical texts from a world called Earth. It had knowledge of the Romanii, Grekoi, Makkedonians, Persusii, and many other tribes that had existed in ancient times, some of these tribes were even present on Makkedon. After re-discovering this great catalogue of knowledge, scholars from even the furthest reaches of the empire gathered together to read and decipher the history in the cache. After some 7 years of study they made a breakthrough.
The ancients had left more than just a library behind, they had left things called Standard Template Constructors. The locations of them were unknown, but their purpose was not. There was mention of laser weaponry, power weapons, and even powered armour in the catalogue. In the next years they located the STC that was able to manufacture the parts for powered blades, and they were used to great effect against the remaining enemies to the south of the empire. A mere 32 years later the STC for high powered laser weaponry and generators was located, and an inventor called Konrad Menn thought it would be a great idea to strap a laser onto a glaive, and make it longer to resemble a pike. Thus, the modern sarissa was born.
In the 100 years before Compliance, the final STC was located, enabling the production of inexpensive, high grade power assisted armour. The Makkedonians embraced this discovery wholeheartedly and pumped in much of its income to outfitting the army with these new technological wonders. By the time of Compliance the Makkedonians were taking their first steps into the rest of their solar system, having just colonized Makkedon II, and establishing the orbital shipyards with knowledge gleaned from The Great Library and a little innovation.
In the 51st year of the great crusade, the II Legion Astartes and their newly discovered Primarch brought the system into compliance. Due to the presence of 3 STC devices, Makkedon entered the Imperium as a Forge world of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Thanks to its geology however, all industry was focused on the ice plains, leaving the equatorial regions open for residence and agriculture. This means that Makkedon is still able to raise armies, and as such has been designated an auxiliary of the 2nd Legion.
\\Army Classification:
Imperial Army: An army, drilled and competent in their service.
\\Recruitment Criteria:
25:11 Male:Female
\\Recruitment Nature:
PDF Volunteers: Volunteers from the PDF are promoted and trained into the army.
Thankful Populace: Thankful citizens of a compliance's world volunteer and are trained.
\\Army Homeworld: Makkedon
\\Homeworld:
(Makkedon) Civilized World: Soft as clay before the firing of the kiln; war is their crucible.
Compliance Worlds: Any world brought into compliance is free to provide volunteers.
\\Homeworld Predominant Terrain:
(Makkedon) Ice: Cold-blooded, with hearts of fire.
Varies: Compliance worlds.
\\Army Tactical Information: 17th Makkedonian Phalanx
\\Army Core Units:
Heavy Infantry (Called Phalangites)
Cavalry (Called Companions)
\\Specialization:
Drill & Discipline
Hammer and Anvil
\\Loyalty Rating:
Fanatical: No remorse, no retreat, no fear.
\\Special Equipment:
Traditional Weapon*
Traditional Mount**
\\Army Creed:
For the Emperor: Extremely loyal to the Emperor and his legions. Espousing the Imperial Truth.
\\Army Relations:
\\Army Friends:
Adeptus Astartes: II Legion
\\Army Enemies:
Orks
Uncompliant Humans
Various Xenos
*Traditional Weapon Extended: Sarissa
Think a pike/glaive hybrid, 20 feet long, retractable tip (Easier for storage, urban combat, use as a spear, bayonet, etc...). The tip has a power field, and built in along the haft is a hotshot las-gun(Hellgun), wired to a powerpack on the trooper's back. At it's shortest the Sarissa is 4 feet. In this way it has a "pimping" 'bayonet' for close in fighting. The user end of the Sarissa has a folding stock for easier use as a rifle. When undeployed, the stock is replaced by a stake for implanting the sarissa in the ground for more traction.
**Traditional Mount Extended: Tech-Horse
They ride Horses, or techno-armoured horses. Bio-Horses are for ceremonial purposes, and Mech-Mounts for war.
More on The Makkedonian Phalanx:
They are equipped with tower shields, made of ceramite. As well, they carry power-kopii as their close-in melee weapon. When doing basic training, the troopers are unaugmented, and lug around the full kit of a phalangite like this until they are able to handle it in their un-enhanced state. Once they have mastered the various weapons, drills, and formations of the phalanx, they are trained in the use and maintenance of STC power armour, issued a set, and directed into one of three service paths:
1. The Phalanx:
These troopers become Phalangites, the main line infantry of the Phalanx armed with a Sarissa, Power-Kopis, and a Tower shield. They are drilled even more and become adept in squad tactics as well as the phalanx. One Phalanx is made up of 256 men, in 16*16 formation (This is the most basic formation, and subject to change). When encountering urban areas a phalanx will break down into squads of 8 or 4, depending on the commander. The first and last ranks of the phalanx are trained in the operation and maintenance of a more advanced set of power armour, these veterans keep the rest of the phalanx in line and act as sergeants.
2. The Companion Cavalry:
These troopers become Companions, the mechanized force of the army. They work their way up from riding Mech-mounts wielding shortened Sarissas and Power-kopii until they are deemed fit to move on to the tanks (or 'Cataphracts') of the Companions. They start in Leman Russ variants, and as they show prowess have the possibility of being elevated all the way up to Superheavy-Cataphractii, better known as Bane Blades.
3. The Logistik Corp:
These men will become anything from pilots, officers, tankers, or medics to quarter masters. These troops, called Logistikites vary in role throughout the crop, and are heavily integrated into the other two branches, as they often serve as officers for the Phalanx, or tank crew for the Companions. They handle all of the logistics and tactics of the army. Their equipment varies depending on their role, though all officers wear a set of finely crafted power armour into battle.
Standard Template Constructors:
Power field generators: This planet has been gifted with an overabundance of power field generators and as such has many powered melee weapons.
Laser Weapons: This STC manufactures the necessary components for almost all forms of laser weaponry. (Powerpacks, generator backpacks, focusing crystals, etc...)
Power Armour: The very same was found on at least two other worlds, Arrigata and Caliban.
Imperial thought of the day: Knowledge is power, hide it well.