710th Ironbacks

The Ironbacks, who were drawn up in three divisions and seated on the ground, seeing their enemies advance, rose undauntedly up, and fell into their ranks. That of Colonearl Tythe was the first to do so, whose troopers-at-arms were formed in the manner of a electro-cullis, and the tankers in the rear. Colonearl Nortdel, who commanded the second division, had posted themselves in good order on his wing to succour Tythe, if necessary…

Alkqin, chronocler supreme on the opening stages of the Battle of Crekhall

Background

The world of Jumril was designated a Feudal World by the Cartographers Guild. Almost all technology had been lost during the Age of Strife, with warring kingdoms left fighting for scraps. No one was able to dominate the entire world and as such, the planet was left in somewhat of a stalemate.

When the 216th Expeditionary Fleet arrived in system, it set in motion a catastrophic chain of events to upset this uneasy equilibrium. Isolated from the galaxy for millennia, the inhabitants of Jumril were hostile to the Imperium’s advances and rejected compliance. However swords and shields could do nothing against Lasguns and Leman Russ tanks and the war was only ever going to go one way.

Seeing the direction the war was taking, King Methalazar IX, ruler of a small southern kingdom took a different path, bending the knee to the Imperium in return for governorship post-compliance and enough weapons to conquer the whole planet. The subsequent war was brief, but bloody. Armed by the Imperium, Methalazar’s forces were unstoppable and soon the entire planet was under his control. In a display of staggering arrogance he renamed the planet Methalazari.

Not long after, Methalazar discovered the cost of his victory as the Imperial war machine claimed its tithe. Fully one sixth of the planet was demanded, equalling millions of fighting men and women. Methalazar filled the tithe with nobles and troopers from the conquered kingdoms in an attempt to remove potential dissidents.

As a result, those warriors who boarded the Slovo-II bulk landers were those most filled with hatred for their new king. Turning their back on Methalazari, these troopers continued to refer to themselves as Jumrilians and saw themselves as orphans from a dead world.

Equipment & Fighting Style

The origin of the nickname ‘Ironbacks’ is disputed, with some claiming it stems from the burnt steel armour worn by troopers-at-arms, whilst others say it comes from the Jumrilian preference for using Crassick Assault Vehicles. These armoured behemoths can fit an entire Conponne inside, making them impervious to small arms fire before disembarking amongst the enemy and bringing their Lasguns to bear.

Jumrilian forces are organised according to their traditional structures, with Colonearls commanding Eschelles, each of which is broken down into Conponnes made up of Troopers-at-arms led by a Dukant.

Before the rise of Methalazar IX, wars on Jumril were fought to settle specific grievances rather than with bloodshed or conquest in mind. As such the focus was on achieving specific goals rather than the wholesale massacre of an enemy. Any unnecessary loss of life was looked down on, with Colonearls and other commanders being punished for such practices. This doctrine has been carried into the Ironbacks, but frequently puts them at odds with commanders from other units, such as the Highland Plöners, where soldiers’ lives are merely seen as a resource to be spent in the pursuit of victory.

Contrary to standard Imperialis Militia doctrine, Ironbacks use their Lasguns on the most powerful setting, viewing a single shot akin to the perfect strike with a blade.

Notable Conflicts

• War of a thousand deaths. Fought during the Great Crusade, this Xenocide campaign was fought against the Ghe, a spectral like species. Forming up alongside units from the Byzant Janizars, the Ironbacks were beset by an enemy that regenerated from even the worst of injuries. Disgusted by the mounting casualties for the Imperials, Colonearl Tythe instead set up a cordon around the primary nesting site before ordering the Saoghal siege corps to pulverise the area to dust – removing the opportunity for the Ghe to regenerate due to sheer weight of fire. Following this, the 4th Army Group withdraws off-planet before the fleet performs a total planetary orbital bombardment. Leaving a dead world behind, the fleet records simply state the following for the campaign “216-1. Victory: Complete, Xenocide: successful, Colonisation: inappropriate, Commendations: none”.
• Cavernhold Massacre. In one of the largest tank deployments in the Fleet’s history, the entire 710th Ironbacks launched a mechanised assault alongside the 1212th Piscaian Cohort and elements from the Hephaiston Armoured Corps into the subterranean crystal-caverns on Mirivold II. The need for such armour stemmed from the planet’s hallucinogenic atmosphere.