The battle doctrine of the Helljumpers focuses predominantly on mobility. While the other Chapters of the Legio Astartes are well-known as angels of death for their lightning strikes, the Helljumpers have perfected the use of the orbital strike. This is not the White Scars’ focus on ground mobility, or the Raven Guards’ dependence on jump-pack assault squads, nor even the Blood Angels’ reliance on tank-centered shock tactics. The Helljumpers take advantage of the ultimate high ground -- orbit -- to such a degree that some Chapters find unreasonable and unsettling. Theirs is orbital mobility. It is for this reason the Helljumper’s adopted the motto “Strike From Space.”
A battle barge emerges from the Warp as close to the target planetary body as possible, and as close as their astropaths can allow. These psychic navigators train religiously in the task, and are considered the best in the Emperor’s armies. This ensures that the fleet either circumvents any orbital defense systems, or surprises them before they can react. Burning off speed by entering orbit at near zero lateral vector, targeting computers rapidly commence orbital bombardment. Large population centers and military targets take priority in order to crush the opposition. The pilot places the battle barge in a “ball of yarn” orbit over the planet in order to ensure no target escapes the Emperor‘s righteous fury. A good pilot can place the ship in a position to glass every surface target within the span of thirty minutes standard.
Battle brothers only deploy in order to crush any remaining resistance. These are typically targets too small, or too vital, to warrant orbital bombardment by the ship’s mass drivers. The goal is to demoralize and destroy, and the Helljumpers typically target the strongest point in an enemy’s ground resistance. Destroy the center, Helljumper doctrine teaches, and you demoralize any opposition that remains.
Scout squads deploy via Thunderhawk gunships, their primary mission to work their way into a forward position and identify the main body of opposition. Once the Master of the Ship and Master of the Drop confirms the location via orbital imaging, the drop begins. The ship’s mass drivers switch from firing solid, deuterium core slugs to launching ceramite-armored drop pods loaded with Space Marines. Inertial guidance systems, maintained through prayer and unguents by the chapter’s Techmarines, ensure the drop pods scatter as little as possible and hammer onto the battlefield with pinpoint precision. They employ teleport homers and locator beacons at every opportunity to ensure accuracy.
Witnessing a drop pod assault would be an awesome sight, were it not terrible in its wrath. Few who behold one live to tell the tale. They are the ultimate weapon of terror and surprise. Their red-hot hulls blaze across the sky with the fury of re-entry. Impact kicks up a wave of debris and heat that levels everything in its path. Then, their hatches blow, like some horrible flower blooming, to disgorge a squad of Tactical Space Marines fuelled with righteous fury. Often, they sing hymns to the emperor as they dispense his vengeance upon the wicked.
In this way, the Helljumpers seize the initiative, and define the course of the battle. Tactical Squads can quickly establish a perimeter on the flanks on an enemy force. Or reinforce a single flank and roll up along the enemy’s lines of battle. Or use the drop pods themselves to smash into an opponent’s skirmish lines and simply mill around in an amongst the enemy. They can open up a new front, in order to confuse the enemy. Or, in the case of particularly strong opposition, can reinforce a stalled advance. In short, Helljumpers can be anywhere, or everywhere.
For many a foe, a Helljumper orbital assault is the last thing they will ever see. Good that it is a thing of terrible beauty, proof of the Emperor’s divine light and divine justice.
No comments:
Post a Comment