Title: Danitun Guard Background
FarseerTyross - January 17, 2005 10:56 AM (GMT)
THE DANITUN GUARD
This report has been tendered by Inquisitor Byron as requested by His most holy order.
HISTORY/OVERVIEW
Shortly after the Horus Heresy, the worlds of the Danitun system were sealed off from the rest of the Imperium by several violent warp storms. The warp storms were the plight of its close proximity to the Eye of Terror. However, of the twelve planets in the Danitun System, there were only two that were inhabitable by humans. Danitun Prime was chosen as the guardian world and Danitun Secondus was colonised to act as the feeder world for Danitun Prime. These two worlds looked to each other, Danitun Prime provided protection whilst Danitun Secondus provided Prime with enough food stuffs to keep the vast Hive cities from starvation.
The prolonged exposure to the Eye of Terror, and to a greater extent, the very essence of chaos, the ecosystem had changed dramatically over the course of the centuries. Whether this was natural or intentional move by the Chaos Gods, I cannot say. The people of the Danitun system had adapted to the subtly changing climate, thus changing terrain and the population had mutated slightly. Over the course of the centuries, psykers had begun to appear in higher then average numbers as well as a large number of over-sized humans. These over-sized humans grew larger and stronger then the average population, causing minor social problems. Like many other Imperial worlds, Danitun Prime itself harboured a small number of Cultist groups, but these were kept in check by the small force of Adeptus Arbites stationed there. We know this from surviving records that had survived. This in itself had marked the world as tainted by Chaos.
When the Warp storms finally lifted in M.38, the world had changed from a primal jungle world to a rocky, barren and arid world with the only sign of habitation were ten large hives within which the heretics called home. Danitun Secondus faired better as it was nearer the systems centre, thus did not bear the brunt of the Warp storms that Danitun Prime. That world remained unchanged throughout the period of "concealment" from the rest of the Imperium. It is also noted in their few records that the last surviving Navigators that had been stationed there also died. The Navigators had, however, passed on their knowledge to a small number of untrained but highly skilled psykers that were a natural occurrence on Danitun Secondus, again due to the nearby Warp storms.
When Lord Arnell, servant of Khorne, arrived shortly after the period of "concealment," he was greeted with arms as the world of Danitun Prime were aware of the possible dangers. During this time of conflict, it is noted that all the Adeptus Arbites died in the fighting between the Arnell's forces and several of them were killed in unexplained circumstances, possibly due to the small Cultist groups. Unfortunately, such measures were not effective at combating the Khorne Berserkers as they poured from orbit in drop pods.
The few that knew about the Chaos also knew that their only hope of being kept alive were to pledge loyalty to Khorne and small Khorne militias begun to arise beneath the Hives but also had contact with the Cultists. As the Cultist groups and the militias grew in strength, they begun assassinating important Imperial officials, weakening the resolve of those still loyal to the Emperor even further. After a period of over 4 months, the capital Hive of Danitun Prime fell to Arnell and the rest were cast into doubt as to their own ability to defend themselves. The world as it seemed was Lord Arnell's at that moment. The exact actions afterwards are unclear from the records.
INQUISITORIAL INVOLVEMENT
A full century passed before rogue traders managed to reach the world, most of the long distance traders had been put off by the raging warp storms surrounding the Eye of Terror. What awaited them was a world of pain and bloodshed. Those that landed on Danitun Prime never left alive, and eventually, me and several other Inquisitors of our beloved Ordo Malleus heard about the chaotic world. After calling for assistance, several Adeptus Astartes vessels aided a small group of Inquisitors including me and we befell upon Danitun Prime.
We found a planet that was a shadow of it's former self, a world that was almost deserted except for a few pockets of resistance. However, before we could arrive, word had reached Lord Arnell that the Inquisition were heading towards Danitun and he ordered the world to be vacated, taking anyone who is able to fight onboard the massive vessels that they had built and had taken from killed Rogue Traders. The plight of the Danitun Guard had just begun.
By the time we had reached Primus Hive, we had already concluded that the world was truly lost to the Imperium. We ordered that the world would be exterminated. Within hours, the world burned as hundreds of magma torpedoes struck the world, destroying those fragments of resistance that still dwelt there.
THE HIVES
It is important to understand that the traitorous Danitun Guard is split into many different factions. Each "faction" came from a different Hive and although they now make a cohesive role in the Danitun Guard, those from one Hive find those that are from another Hive less trustworthy. This has led to the Danitun Guard fighting wars as Hive armies rather then a cohesive whole.
Of the ten that originally stood before Arnell attacked, only seven were left before the world was within Arnells grip. Several of them had been badly damaged by the infighting as Imperial citizens hurried to make fortifications and by looting, or so is my belief. Hive 3, also known as Mantano, was built into the side of a mountainous area near the Polar Regions. They were expert craftsmen who build the majority of the Danitun Guards weapons and spacecraft.
Arnell's crushing attack destroyed hives 8, 4 and 2. Hive 1, or Primus Hive, was the capital. Hive Primus held the rest in check by acting as the centre of commerce for the entire world. Although Primus Hive was damaged, it still stood by the time the Inquisition arrived.
Hive 9, or Numnor, located in the Southern Hemisphere was the main arms depot but also specialised in the training and raising of the worlds riding troops, each riding upon vicious beasts of omnivores. Of this dusty world, the many leagues surround Numnor were the most fertile and although the "grass lands" were not true grasslands.
Hive 5, Danion, is located in the "Great Desert," a massive sea of sand that stretches for miles. A naturally uninhabitable area, those that lived there learned to make use of the desert to hunt the many sand scorpions but also other desert creatures. Hive 7, a Hive without a name, was believed to be hidden beneath the surface, but there was no evidence after my fellow Inquisitors obliterated all life there.
Hive 6, or the Temple Hive was the main focal point for the world's prayers, and also had the highest concentration of shrines. It is my belief that due to the dual star ports of the Temple Hive that were found that Danitun was a deeply religious people. Hive 10, otherwise known as Damaclus, was in my opinion, ruled by the Navigators that were stationed on Danitun. Whether they vied for power or it was a gift by the Danitun people, it remains unclear. From the few records that survived, we know that they often seized newfound psykers shortly after they became known. We do know that they begun training them to be makeshift Navigators.
THE WARBANDS
When Halgar's Hunters first touched down on the jungle world of Falton I, they were greeted with a vicious warrior culture. The humans there were very much against these new arrivals but had strict honour codes that their nobles lived by. After a period of about three days of solid fighting between the disciplined lines of the Danitun Guard and the forces native to Falton, they reached a truce. It remains a mistery as to the exact terms of this truce were, but it remains clear that the warbands have joined the Danitun Guard, which are often referred to as "Primals" by the Danitun Guardsmen because of their backwards nature and mistrust of advanced technology, although it is really clear that they have adapted their ways and make limited use of the lasgun.
APPEARANCE
A Danitun Guardsmen is typically stronger then the average Imperial Guardsmen, how this came about is unknown, but some amongst my fellow Inquisitors have concluded that it is a natural side effect of their prolonged exposure to the Eye of Terror. Although they have not set uniform, the average Danitun Guard trooper makes extensive use of both deep red and cream. Their banners also make use of this crème and red combination, along with regimental heralds that are set against geometric banner fields. More often then not diamonds and diagonal lines feature in their banner imagery. Another powerful device they use for their banners are captured artefacts from previous battlefields ranging from weaponry, to enemy armour and decapitated heads. I have included a couple of images of Danitun Guardsmen below:
The average Danitun trooper doesn't often take battlefield trophies, but there are exceptions to this rule. Their tanks are often a deep red in colour, with the sides of the tracks having a number of cream strips and red strips down the aft of the engine housings. These denote the tanks number within the squadron. There is one thing of note however, each of their armoured vehicles often bears a banner. I have included a number of banners below:
Chimera Acron, 7th Squadron, 9th Tank
Basilisk Caldron, 2nd Squadron, 8th Tank
Leman Russ Domlin, 1st Squadron, 4th Tank
Leman Russ Lay'Huli, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Tank
Leman Russ Lytal, 2nd Squadron, 6th Tank
Basilisk Mafril, 2nd Squadron, 5th Tank
Leman Russ Pankrin, 2nd Squadron, 1st Tank
Banner for 'Halgar's Hunters', 1st Danitun Guard Reiment
Their tanks may or may not be embellished with Khorne symbols, and these vehicles are revered as a testament to Khorne as well as serve as moving shrines to the Khorne. They often hang captured bodies upon large spikes and chains from their tanks, and while being quite morbid in appearance, there have been some examples that appear to be less marked by the Danitun Guard then others. It is therefore that only the ancient vehicles are adorned with such symbols of death and destruction to such a notable degree.
COMMAND STRUCTURE/CURRENT STATUS
The Danitun Guard is led ultimately by the Khorne Lord Arnell, but when upon the battlefield, they are lead by several Command Officers, each with their own strengths as a leader. Most are hard-bitten warriors in their own right, often favouring combat in light of firepower. They often lead their command sections into the combat. They are always accompanied by a number of combat veterans who have proved themselves to their CO in countless battles.
Like any other Imperial organisation, the Danitun Guard is organised into varying ranks. I've included a chart that discloses their command structure here.
Although the Danitun Guard ultimately commanded by a number of Lesser Judges that act as advisors to the Grand Judge, Lord Bensin. Currently, to my understanding, there are 4 Lesser Judges, a Judge of Arms who ensures that the Danitun Guard is properly equipped. Judge of the Fleet controls Danitun fleet movements. The Judge of Armour is responsible for the organisation of the of Tank Companies. The fourth and last Lesser Judge, the Judge of the Warbands ensures that the Warbands are organised and ready to fight.
The next tier is the Regimental Command and is led by a five Grand Marshalls. Each Grand Marshall leads each Regiment personally and currently, the Grand Marshalls are Jean Halgar, Michael Welnor, Henson Jenkins and Hank Will. Each Grand Marshall has a small number of close advisors as is the norm for other Guard regiments.
Below each Grand Marshall, there are a number of Marshalls. Each Marshall is responsible for individual Danitun Companies. Below Company, there is the Division commanders, the Danitun Colonels. Each Colonel trusts three Lieutenants who each leads a number of Platoons.
The Platoons themselves consists of a Command Squad, with supporting Chimera, which also forms the Lieutenant personal bodyguard. Each Platoon has an attached Armour Squadron as well as an attached Warband. It then breaks down further into the squads.
It is my estimation that there are currently 134400 "Primals", 84000 Guardsmen, 8400 Sentinels, 2016 fighting tanks and 4210 support personnel. The Danitun Guard are presently stationed upon a fleet of about 30+ ships that are scatted throughout the sectors surround the Eye of Terror. Each sub-fleet numbers about 5 ships on average, but like the Eldar, when they strike, they steal enough to sustain their fleet and then move on. It is almost impossible to tell how many sub-fleets there are and they have managed to outmanoeuvre the Imperial Navy in just about every engagement.
ARMOUR ORGANISATION
The Danitun Guard however, does make extensive use of armoured vehicles ranging from Leman Russes, Basilisks, Hellhounds and Chimeras. They also feature a number of Sentinels in their fighting forces. I have summarised from reports how the Danitun Guard organise their tank squadrons below.
Each Tank Squadron is numbers roughtly 12 vehicles. There is a lead tank, more often the not, this duty falls to the Leman Russ. Three of their number are often field artillary, Basilisks and Bombards being the norm. Two of the other armoured vehicles are always Leman Russes, including it's varients, and another further four are Chimera transports. The last two vehicles are refereed to as "Auxiliaries" and can take the form of any tank, but most often, at least one "Auxiliary" tank is a rarer type of tank, ranging from Baneblades to Leman Russ Executioners.
Those who have fought the Danitun Guard often tell stories of monstrous fighting machines, akin to baneblades, some being augment with massive amounts of ordnance, others mounting nothing more then vile and cruel crushing devices which also act as mass transports. Examples of such vehicles have never been recovered, and it is believed that they may be crewed by daemonic entities rather the conventional crewmen.
COMBAT DOCTRINE/MOTIVES
Command Sections have been noted to attack their foes in the bloody melee of combat even against foes they have little hope to win against. They are also noted to rely upon heavy firepower, often from their armoured vehicles, to weaken their foes before they reached the Danitun lines. Although the Danitun Guard has no strict combat doctrine regarding dedicated tactics, they do rely upon their field commanders to issue orders in times of need and urgency.
This undoubtedly shows that experienced individuals who are very capable field commanders lead them in battle. But one cannot help but notice that their recent raids on Imperial worlds have had hidden motives. One such example is the raid on Alterian IV. They attacked and captured the star port and although they did collect enough supplies to feed their ranks, they also absconded with over a hundred battlefield tanks ranging from Chimeras, Basilisks and other field tanks. They also attacked and raised all Imperial shrines within several leagues of where they had landed. This shows that not only are they raiding for supplies but also as an act to sow terror and confusion within the surround worlds.
KEY ALLIES
Although they are known to call Lord Arnell master, they have also a small number of other allies that are yet to be found by my fellow Inquisitors. One such sect that is currently on the run is the Oxran Cult. This Oxran Cult practises the morbid art of sacrifice in exchange for assistance, which I believe to be, from Slaanesh. Whether this is true or not, I can only speculate as they are never in a place long enough for them to be caught. They have also managed to secure a place in the government of Gulon. As I prepare this report, the government officials on Gulon that are loyal to the Danitun Guard are marked for assassination.
ENEMIES
Although I call myself an enemy of the Four Winds of Chaos, I have also spent time hunting the fleets of the Danitun Guard. They are a valuable tool for gathering information about their master, Lord Arnell. Just like their mastery, their forces are wily and elusive and especially hard to track down, although not to the extremes of the Eldar.
Another enemy of the Danitun Guard include the forces of Julican VIII. The Danitun Guard were responsible for the Julican massacres, over half the world's populuce were killed as the Danitun Guard withdrew. After they withdrew, they launched virus torpedoes into the atmosphere, and fortunatally, because of the extremely high tithe that the Imperium demands of that world, under half of the worlds' population were off world. Since they, they have sworn to destroy their Danitun Guard utterly. They have even gone so far as to disobey direct orders to go after and engage Danitun officers.
BATTLE CRY
The Danitun Guard use a number of war cries and battle chants during battle. The most notable is "Terra shall burn."The "Primals" often have their own battle chants, "Huy-guk-cha-ul" is the most repeatedly heard and recounted by those who have fought the Danitun Guard "Primals." Just what this means is unclear and is probably a chant from their native language.
This report has been tendered by Inquisitor Byron as requested by His most holy order.
HISTORY/OVERVIEW
Shortly after the Horus Heresy, the worlds of the Danitun system were sealed off from the rest of the Imperium by several violent warp storms. The warp storms were the plight of its close proximity to the Eye of Terror. However, of the twelve planets in the Danitun System, there were only two that were inhabitable by humans. Danitun Prime was chosen as the guardian world and Danitun Secondus was colonised to act as the feeder world for Danitun Prime. These two worlds looked to each other, Danitun Prime provided protection whilst Danitun Secondus provided Prime with enough food stuffs to keep the vast Hive cities from starvation.
The prolonged exposure to the Eye of Terror, and to a greater extent, the very essence of chaos, the ecosystem had changed dramatically over the course of the centuries. Whether this was natural or intentional move by the Chaos Gods, I cannot say. The people of the Danitun system had adapted to the subtly changing climate, thus changing terrain and the population had mutated slightly. Over the course of the centuries, psykers had begun to appear in higher then average numbers as well as a large number of over-sized humans. These over-sized humans grew larger and stronger then the average population, causing minor social problems. Like many other Imperial worlds, Danitun Prime itself harboured a small number of Cultist groups, but these were kept in check by the small force of Adeptus Arbites stationed there. We know this from surviving records that had survived. This in itself had marked the world as tainted by Chaos.
When the Warp storms finally lifted in M.38, the world had changed from a primal jungle world to a rocky, barren and arid world with the only sign of habitation were ten large hives within which the heretics called home. Danitun Secondus faired better as it was nearer the systems centre, thus did not bear the brunt of the Warp storms that Danitun Prime. That world remained unchanged throughout the period of "concealment" from the rest of the Imperium. It is also noted in their few records that the last surviving Navigators that had been stationed there also died. The Navigators had, however, passed on their knowledge to a small number of untrained but highly skilled psykers that were a natural occurrence on Danitun Secondus, again due to the nearby Warp storms.
When Lord Arnell, servant of Khorne, arrived shortly after the period of "concealment," he was greeted with arms as the world of Danitun Prime were aware of the possible dangers. During this time of conflict, it is noted that all the Adeptus Arbites died in the fighting between the Arnell's forces and several of them were killed in unexplained circumstances, possibly due to the small Cultist groups. Unfortunately, such measures were not effective at combating the Khorne Berserkers as they poured from orbit in drop pods.
The few that knew about the Chaos also knew that their only hope of being kept alive were to pledge loyalty to Khorne and small Khorne militias begun to arise beneath the Hives but also had contact with the Cultists. As the Cultist groups and the militias grew in strength, they begun assassinating important Imperial officials, weakening the resolve of those still loyal to the Emperor even further. After a period of over 4 months, the capital Hive of Danitun Prime fell to Arnell and the rest were cast into doubt as to their own ability to defend themselves. The world as it seemed was Lord Arnell's at that moment. The exact actions afterwards are unclear from the records.
INQUISITORIAL INVOLVEMENT
A full century passed before rogue traders managed to reach the world, most of the long distance traders had been put off by the raging warp storms surrounding the Eye of Terror. What awaited them was a world of pain and bloodshed. Those that landed on Danitun Prime never left alive, and eventually, me and several other Inquisitors of our beloved Ordo Malleus heard about the chaotic world. After calling for assistance, several Adeptus Astartes vessels aided a small group of Inquisitors including me and we befell upon Danitun Prime.
We found a planet that was a shadow of it's former self, a world that was almost deserted except for a few pockets of resistance. However, before we could arrive, word had reached Lord Arnell that the Inquisition were heading towards Danitun and he ordered the world to be vacated, taking anyone who is able to fight onboard the massive vessels that they had built and had taken from killed Rogue Traders. The plight of the Danitun Guard had just begun.
By the time we had reached Primus Hive, we had already concluded that the world was truly lost to the Imperium. We ordered that the world would be exterminated. Within hours, the world burned as hundreds of magma torpedoes struck the world, destroying those fragments of resistance that still dwelt there.
THE HIVES
It is important to understand that the traitorous Danitun Guard is split into many different factions. Each "faction" came from a different Hive and although they now make a cohesive role in the Danitun Guard, those from one Hive find those that are from another Hive less trustworthy. This has led to the Danitun Guard fighting wars as Hive armies rather then a cohesive whole.
Of the ten that originally stood before Arnell attacked, only seven were left before the world was within Arnells grip. Several of them had been badly damaged by the infighting as Imperial citizens hurried to make fortifications and by looting, or so is my belief. Hive 3, also known as Mantano, was built into the side of a mountainous area near the Polar Regions. They were expert craftsmen who build the majority of the Danitun Guards weapons and spacecraft.
Arnell's crushing attack destroyed hives 8, 4 and 2. Hive 1, or Primus Hive, was the capital. Hive Primus held the rest in check by acting as the centre of commerce for the entire world. Although Primus Hive was damaged, it still stood by the time the Inquisition arrived.
Hive 9, or Numnor, located in the Southern Hemisphere was the main arms depot but also specialised in the training and raising of the worlds riding troops, each riding upon vicious beasts of omnivores. Of this dusty world, the many leagues surround Numnor were the most fertile and although the "grass lands" were not true grasslands.
Hive 5, Danion, is located in the "Great Desert," a massive sea of sand that stretches for miles. A naturally uninhabitable area, those that lived there learned to make use of the desert to hunt the many sand scorpions but also other desert creatures. Hive 7, a Hive without a name, was believed to be hidden beneath the surface, but there was no evidence after my fellow Inquisitors obliterated all life there.
Hive 6, or the Temple Hive was the main focal point for the world's prayers, and also had the highest concentration of shrines. It is my belief that due to the dual star ports of the Temple Hive that were found that Danitun was a deeply religious people. Hive 10, otherwise known as Damaclus, was in my opinion, ruled by the Navigators that were stationed on Danitun. Whether they vied for power or it was a gift by the Danitun people, it remains unclear. From the few records that survived, we know that they often seized newfound psykers shortly after they became known. We do know that they begun training them to be makeshift Navigators.
THE WARBANDS
When Halgar's Hunters first touched down on the jungle world of Falton I, they were greeted with a vicious warrior culture. The humans there were very much against these new arrivals but had strict honour codes that their nobles lived by. After a period of about three days of solid fighting between the disciplined lines of the Danitun Guard and the forces native to Falton, they reached a truce. It remains a mistery as to the exact terms of this truce were, but it remains clear that the warbands have joined the Danitun Guard, which are often referred to as "Primals" by the Danitun Guardsmen because of their backwards nature and mistrust of advanced technology, although it is really clear that they have adapted their ways and make limited use of the lasgun.
APPEARANCE
A Danitun Guardsmen is typically stronger then the average Imperial Guardsmen, how this came about is unknown, but some amongst my fellow Inquisitors have concluded that it is a natural side effect of their prolonged exposure to the Eye of Terror. Although they have not set uniform, the average Danitun Guard trooper makes extensive use of both deep red and cream. Their banners also make use of this crème and red combination, along with regimental heralds that are set against geometric banner fields. More often then not diamonds and diagonal lines feature in their banner imagery. Another powerful device they use for their banners are captured artefacts from previous battlefields ranging from weaponry, to enemy armour and decapitated heads. I have included a couple of images of Danitun Guardsmen below:
The average Danitun trooper doesn't often take battlefield trophies, but there are exceptions to this rule. Their tanks are often a deep red in colour, with the sides of the tracks having a number of cream strips and red strips down the aft of the engine housings. These denote the tanks number within the squadron. There is one thing of note however, each of their armoured vehicles often bears a banner. I have included a number of banners below:
Chimera Acron, 7th Squadron, 9th Tank
Basilisk Caldron, 2nd Squadron, 8th Tank
Leman Russ Domlin, 1st Squadron, 4th Tank
Leman Russ Lay'Huli, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Tank
Leman Russ Lytal, 2nd Squadron, 6th Tank
Basilisk Mafril, 2nd Squadron, 5th Tank
Leman Russ Pankrin, 2nd Squadron, 1st Tank
Banner for 'Halgar's Hunters', 1st Danitun Guard Reiment
Their tanks may or may not be embellished with Khorne symbols, and these vehicles are revered as a testament to Khorne as well as serve as moving shrines to the Khorne. They often hang captured bodies upon large spikes and chains from their tanks, and while being quite morbid in appearance, there have been some examples that appear to be less marked by the Danitun Guard then others. It is therefore that only the ancient vehicles are adorned with such symbols of death and destruction to such a notable degree.
COMMAND STRUCTURE/CURRENT STATUS
The Danitun Guard is led ultimately by the Khorne Lord Arnell, but when upon the battlefield, they are lead by several Command Officers, each with their own strengths as a leader. Most are hard-bitten warriors in their own right, often favouring combat in light of firepower. They often lead their command sections into the combat. They are always accompanied by a number of combat veterans who have proved themselves to their CO in countless battles.
Like any other Imperial organisation, the Danitun Guard is organised into varying ranks. I've included a chart that discloses their command structure here.
Although the Danitun Guard ultimately commanded by a number of Lesser Judges that act as advisors to the Grand Judge, Lord Bensin. Currently, to my understanding, there are 4 Lesser Judges, a Judge of Arms who ensures that the Danitun Guard is properly equipped. Judge of the Fleet controls Danitun fleet movements. The Judge of Armour is responsible for the organisation of the of Tank Companies. The fourth and last Lesser Judge, the Judge of the Warbands ensures that the Warbands are organised and ready to fight.
The next tier is the Regimental Command and is led by a five Grand Marshalls. Each Grand Marshall leads each Regiment personally and currently, the Grand Marshalls are Jean Halgar, Michael Welnor, Henson Jenkins and Hank Will. Each Grand Marshall has a small number of close advisors as is the norm for other Guard regiments.
Below each Grand Marshall, there are a number of Marshalls. Each Marshall is responsible for individual Danitun Companies. Below Company, there is the Division commanders, the Danitun Colonels. Each Colonel trusts three Lieutenants who each leads a number of Platoons.
The Platoons themselves consists of a Command Squad, with supporting Chimera, which also forms the Lieutenant personal bodyguard. Each Platoon has an attached Armour Squadron as well as an attached Warband. It then breaks down further into the squads.
It is my estimation that there are currently 134400 "Primals", 84000 Guardsmen, 8400 Sentinels, 2016 fighting tanks and 4210 support personnel. The Danitun Guard are presently stationed upon a fleet of about 30+ ships that are scatted throughout the sectors surround the Eye of Terror. Each sub-fleet numbers about 5 ships on average, but like the Eldar, when they strike, they steal enough to sustain their fleet and then move on. It is almost impossible to tell how many sub-fleets there are and they have managed to outmanoeuvre the Imperial Navy in just about every engagement.
ARMOUR ORGANISATION
The Danitun Guard however, does make extensive use of armoured vehicles ranging from Leman Russes, Basilisks, Hellhounds and Chimeras. They also feature a number of Sentinels in their fighting forces. I have summarised from reports how the Danitun Guard organise their tank squadrons below.
Each Tank Squadron is numbers roughtly 12 vehicles. There is a lead tank, more often the not, this duty falls to the Leman Russ. Three of their number are often field artillary, Basilisks and Bombards being the norm. Two of the other armoured vehicles are always Leman Russes, including it's varients, and another further four are Chimera transports. The last two vehicles are refereed to as "Auxiliaries" and can take the form of any tank, but most often, at least one "Auxiliary" tank is a rarer type of tank, ranging from Baneblades to Leman Russ Executioners.
Those who have fought the Danitun Guard often tell stories of monstrous fighting machines, akin to baneblades, some being augment with massive amounts of ordnance, others mounting nothing more then vile and cruel crushing devices which also act as mass transports. Examples of such vehicles have never been recovered, and it is believed that they may be crewed by daemonic entities rather the conventional crewmen.
COMBAT DOCTRINE/MOTIVES
Command Sections have been noted to attack their foes in the bloody melee of combat even against foes they have little hope to win against. They are also noted to rely upon heavy firepower, often from their armoured vehicles, to weaken their foes before they reached the Danitun lines. Although the Danitun Guard has no strict combat doctrine regarding dedicated tactics, they do rely upon their field commanders to issue orders in times of need and urgency.
This undoubtedly shows that experienced individuals who are very capable field commanders lead them in battle. But one cannot help but notice that their recent raids on Imperial worlds have had hidden motives. One such example is the raid on Alterian IV. They attacked and captured the star port and although they did collect enough supplies to feed their ranks, they also absconded with over a hundred battlefield tanks ranging from Chimeras, Basilisks and other field tanks. They also attacked and raised all Imperial shrines within several leagues of where they had landed. This shows that not only are they raiding for supplies but also as an act to sow terror and confusion within the surround worlds.
KEY ALLIES
Although they are known to call Lord Arnell master, they have also a small number of other allies that are yet to be found by my fellow Inquisitors. One such sect that is currently on the run is the Oxran Cult. This Oxran Cult practises the morbid art of sacrifice in exchange for assistance, which I believe to be, from Slaanesh. Whether this is true or not, I can only speculate as they are never in a place long enough for them to be caught. They have also managed to secure a place in the government of Gulon. As I prepare this report, the government officials on Gulon that are loyal to the Danitun Guard are marked for assassination.
ENEMIES
Although I call myself an enemy of the Four Winds of Chaos, I have also spent time hunting the fleets of the Danitun Guard. They are a valuable tool for gathering information about their master, Lord Arnell. Just like their mastery, their forces are wily and elusive and especially hard to track down, although not to the extremes of the Eldar.
Another enemy of the Danitun Guard include the forces of Julican VIII. The Danitun Guard were responsible for the Julican massacres, over half the world's populuce were killed as the Danitun Guard withdrew. After they withdrew, they launched virus torpedoes into the atmosphere, and fortunatally, because of the extremely high tithe that the Imperium demands of that world, under half of the worlds' population were off world. Since they, they have sworn to destroy their Danitun Guard utterly. They have even gone so far as to disobey direct orders to go after and engage Danitun officers.
BATTLE CRY
The Danitun Guard use a number of war cries and battle chants during battle. The most notable is "Terra shall burn."The "Primals" often have their own battle chants, "Huy-guk-cha-ul" is the most repeatedly heard and recounted by those who have fought the Danitun Guard "Primals." Just what this means is unclear and is probably a chant from their native language.