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Description

Of the many armed forces of the Imperium of Mankind, the Solar Auxilia are the most disciplined and well-equipped fighting forces of the Imperium outside the Space Marine Legions.

The Auxilia are different from the other martial traditions of the Imperium because they are not a single unit raised in a particular tradition. They are a pattern, a culture of warfare, and an order of battle replicated across hundreds—if not thousands—of worlds.

They served as the premier force of the Imperium’s military as its pathfinders and watchman. Their remit was exact; raise a large body of frontline soldiers whose principal theater would be the void and hostile environments.

They were to garrison both the warships of the Armada and frontier outposts. They would need to be well-trained and disciplined. Once the battlefronts had moved on, the Auxilia with their fleets served as a defense against marauders and rebels.

While an Auxilia task force could not match the power of a Space Marine expeditionary fleet, these fleet-based armies were capable of dealing with most local conflicts on their own.

Origins & History

The origin of the Auxilia can be traced back to the void hoplites of the Saturnyne ordo. This was a military alliance of asteroid outposts, lunar colonies, and space stations around Saturn during the age of strife. The hoplites were renowned for their skill in void structure clearing and hazardous environment engagements. When the ordo joined the Imperium, they replicated their hoplites and distinctive armor.

Initial recruitment to the Auxilia came from worlds with naval traditions or colonies. They did this to minimize the training. As the Imperium mustered Auxilia regiments, advances in aptitude testing and disciplinary procedures allowed Auxilia regiments to be raised from worlds of low-level technology.

The key to Auxilia’s success was not only their patterns of adaptability. But also their indoctrination into a lifestyle that developed hundreds of light-years away. This meant they were no longer loyal to any regime on their homeworld.

In battle, the War Council on Terra appointed a Lord Martial. They had considerable military and political authority. For example, a Lord Martial could appoint his subordinates as planetary governors on newly compliant worlds.

With planetary governorship, a potential prize of service, posting within the Solar Auxilia cohorts became sought after by ambitious elements of the Imperium’s officer cadres. Despite its merits-based nature, the Solar Auxilia were not immune to the Imperium’s politics. Ruthless officers jostled with scions of noble houses for positions of authority that could allow for personal enrichment. Fortunately, the warfare that the Auxilia are involved in made quick corpses of those whose desires outweighed their abilities.

The rewards of service were not just for officers alone. When one's tour of duty is completed after 30 years, many Imperial army regiments offer compensation. This came as a pension and a plot of land on a colony. This was the minimum for the Solar Auxilia since their recompense was more generous. The rewards accumulated with every tour served in the Auxilia. They had access to anti-aging therapies that were not available to rank-and-file soldiers.

Wargear

The Auxilia were heavy void infantry, involved in hazardous environment combat and boarding actions. When called for, they could extend these operations into interface operations. This involved clearing all Void structures in a planet’s orbit before transitioning to ground operations.

This tactical doctrine developed because of the technology the regiments were adept at and had ready access to. Saturn’s near-space at the Imperium’s founding was a loose collection of lunar colonies and space stations. Void hoplites were forced into boarding actions in pressurized environments by necessity. Because of combat, it was not possible to remain so.

The hoplites developed their signature void armor. The personal panoply of the Auxilia is superior to the carapace or flak armor used by other army units. The sealed suit allowed operations in a vacuum but was resistant to small arms and shock trauma. Void armor had the added benefit of onboard systems that could treat lacerations and suit punctures in combat. It was also resilient against radiological and toxicological hazards, making it perfect for void operations. That said, void armor was inferior to the power armor worn by the Space Marine Legions in terms of defense and endurance.

Just as the Void Armour worn by the Solar Auxilia is more significant in terms of sophistication and cost, so are its small arms. The most common of which was the Kalibrax V-I Pattern Lesrifle. The Kalibrax operates within the power ranges set down by the Officio Militaris. It was notable for its superior heat dissipation and reinforced energy transfer capacitors. These factors made it desirable for the hazards of void warfare and also able to handle a variety of modifications and augmentative systems.

In terms of light support and specialized weaponry, the Solar Auxilia favored forms of directed energy weapons. These include Flamers, Meltas, Multi-Lasers, and Lascannons. They chose these weapons for their ease of use and ability to be used void combat.

The Solar Auxilia were also known for carrying significant numbers of volkite weapons in their infantry sections. These potent energy weapons were rare as the Great Crusade wore on and only the most elite of their Veletaris units kept them. In the ranks of the Solar Auxilia, carrying such a weapon became a mark of distinction.

The weapons of the Solar Auxilia's officer class were highly idiosyncratic, with each officer allowed to furnish their own personal arms. Swords of various forms being held as the mark of an officer allowed for considerable variation.

Dueling between officers of similar rank outside of active war has always been permitted within certain parameters within the Solar Auxilia. This is done as a sport and over matters of honor (with a commanding officer's permission). For this, the Terran Charnabal Sabre is the most common implement. The training and skill this encourages are beneficial to those involved and the cohorts they serve.

Organization and Hierarchy

The Solar Auxilia is a hybrid structure. Early regiments were structured according to the Principia Belicosa. Each Regiment had 5,000 auxiliaries led by a Legate-Colonel, their staff of 300 specialists and political officers. As the Great Crusade ground on, this organization did not last long. The War Council decided to increase the effectiveness of their primary unaugmented infantry force. Thus, the old regiments were restructured into larger cohorts.

A cohort had an operational strength of 120,000 auxiliaries under the banner of its Lord Martial. These could also be divided into smaller sub-cohorts of 1,200 under the command of a junior officer. Be it a Legate Commander, Commander, or Sub-Commander, depending on the operational level and status.

The building block of an Auxilia cohort was the Tercio. This was a holdover from the Saturnyne ordo, consisting of three sections of Auxilia, all of which could be formed around whatever troops the cohort required. The infantry Tercio, composed of three sections of 20 infantrymen, was the standard line formation. The Veletarii Tercio had three units of veterans armed with specialized weapons. An infantry Tercio made up of three batteries of heavy weapons platforms could also accompany a fire-support Tercio.

Command was both rigid and expansive. A Solar Auxilia cohort or a collection of cohorts were under the command of the expeditionary commander, either a Lord Commander Militant or a Lord Marshal depending on their origin. The Solar Auxilia having a rank comparable to a Lord Commander Militant speaks volumes about the Auxilia’s elite status within the Imperium’s armed forces.

Being one of the highest ranks one could attain within the Imperium, the personal resources of a Lord Marshal are many and varied, depending on one’s career and preferences. Each Lord Marshal possessed their flagship crewed by their staff and household. These included lifeguards, indentured servants, intelligence officers, retainers, emissaries, accounting clerks, and other agents.

The flagship also served as the headquarters for the strategic command, composed of the Tribunes General, Strategic Quartermasters, and representatives of various organizations of the Imperium. While navy personnel was present, the leading admiral was subordinate to the Lord Marshal, who carried more clout in naval matters than any Lord Commander Militant. This was because of the void-based nature of the auxiliaries.

The command staff of the Solar Auxilia, from the noncommissioned officers to the Lord Marshals, adhered to the chain of command with a discipline rarely seen outside their ranks. Because of void warfare, adherence to discipline and cohesion was of paramount importance. In the close confines of a boarding action, one minor infraction could cause the loss of an entire Tercio. Auxiliaries who broke the rules during their service would meet the harshest punishments outside penal battalions. Their commanding officer executed those who shirked their duty during a battle on the spot.

Their near-supernatural levels of discipline allowed the cohorts of the Solar Auxilia to operate at a level of professionalism that exceeded most of the Imperial army. In doing so, it influenced their tactical preferences on the battlefield.

Tactics

While primarily deployed in void-based operations, necessity or situational demands were often required to make planetfall, which the Auxilia were uniquely prepared for. In the spirit of aggressive defense, they conducted ground operations. This involved the cohort seizing the most defensible land possible, fortifying it, and luring the enemy into attacking them on the most favorable terms possible. When maneuvers were called for, they were a rolling advance that used as much armor and air support as possible. Or as lightning-fast assaults at critical points in the enemy line.

That the Solar Auxilia could conduct such operations with their customary discipline is a testament to their professionalism and the simple nature of their combat theater. On a hostile alien world with an unbreathable atmosphere or in the metal shell of acarology, fleeing was pointless, for there is no line of retreat. If you break the line, you will doom yourself and your friends. It's better to fight for them, yourself, and the Imperium than die.

Armour and Ordnance
Despite their fleet-based nature and primary role, the Solar Auxilia did not lack an armor pool. Each cohort was expected to maintain an armored reserve capable of transporting every auxiliary under its command. As well as fielding the requisite battle tank support in case friendly armor was unavailable.

The Dracosan armored transport was preferred because of its improved NBC protection and its ability to carry an entire Lesrifle section. This environment proofing extended to the other vehicles in their motor pool. While a cohort would possess the same armor pool as an army regiment, and all were constructed to the void and environment proof with life support systems for the crews. Such was the Auxilia’s standing within the Imperium that these designs were custom-built on Mars and selected Forgeworlds to produce the advanced Mars-Solar Pattern borilia, basilisk, and medusa tanks.

At least one super heavy Demi-cohort would also be included, featuring Malcador and Baneblade battle tanks. Occasionally, more specialized variants of the latter, like the Shadowsword and Stormhammer tanks, could be present in a cohort. There were no static batteries or siege weaponry in the armored company. The Auxilia thought it was a waste of their talents…

—Seisma Dipli, historiographer, Remembrancer Order, excerpt from Strategikon

Description

Of the many armed forces of the Imperium of Mankind, the Solar Auxilia are the most disciplined and well-equipped fighting forces of the Imperium outside the Space Marine Legions.

The Auxilia are different from the other martial traditions of the Imperium because they are not a single unit raised in a particular tradition. They are a pattern, a culture of warfare, and an order of battle replicated across hundreds—if not thousands—of worlds.

They served as the premier force of the Imperium’s military as its pathfinders and watchman. Their remit was exact; raise a large body of frontline soldiers whose principal theater would be the void and hostile environments.

They were to garrison both the warships of the Armada and frontier outposts. They would need to be well-trained and disciplined. Once the battlefronts had moved on, the Auxilia with their fleets served as a defense against marauders and rebels.

While an Auxilia task force could not match the power of a Space Marine expeditionary fleet, these fleet-based armies were capable of dealing with most local conflicts on their own.

Origins & History

The origin of the Auxilia can be traced back to the void hoplites of the Saturnyne ordo. This was a military alliance of asteroid outposts, lunar colonies, and space stations around Saturn during the age of strife. The hoplites were renowned for their skill in void structure clearing and hazardous environment engagements. When the ordo joined the Imperium, they replicated their hoplites and distinctive armor.

Initial recruitment to the Auxilia came from worlds with naval traditions or colonies. They did this to minimize the training. As the Imperium mustered Auxilia regiments, advances in aptitude testing and disciplinary procedures allowed Auxilia regiments to be raised from worlds of low-level technology.

The key to Auxilia’s success was not only their patterns of adaptability. But also their indoctrination into a lifestyle that developed hundreds of light-years away. This meant they were no longer loyal to any regime on their homeworld.

In battle, the War Council on Terra appointed a Lord Martial. They had considerable military and political authority. For example, a Lord Martial could appoint his subordinates as planetary governors on newly compliant worlds.

With planetary governorship, a potential prize of service, posting within the Solar Auxilia cohorts became sought after by ambitious elements of the Imperium’s officer cadres. Despite its merits-based nature, the Solar Auxilia were not immune to the Imperium’s politics. Ruthless officers jostled with scions of noble houses for positions of authority that could allow for personal enrichment. Fortunately, the warfare that the Auxilia are involved in made quick corpses of those whose desires outweighed their abilities.

The rewards of service were not just for officers alone. When one's tour of duty is completed after 30 years, many Imperial army regiments offer compensation. This came as a pension and a plot of land on a colony. This was the minimum for the Solar Auxilia since their recompense was more generous. The rewards accumulated with every tour served in the Auxilia. They had access to anti-aging therapies that were not available to rank-and-file soldiers.

Wargear

The Auxilia were heavy void infantry, involved in hazardous environment combat and boarding actions. When called for, they could extend these operations into interface operations. This involved clearing all Void structures in a planet’s orbit before transitioning to ground operations.

This tactical doctrine developed because of the technology the regiments were adept at and had ready access to. Saturn’s near-space at the Imperium’s founding was a loose collection of lunar colonies and space stations. Void hoplites were forced into boarding actions in pressurized environments by necessity. Because of combat, it was not possible to remain so.

The hoplites developed their signature void armor. The personal panoply of the Auxilia is superior to the carapace or flak armor used by other army units. The sealed suit allowed operations in a vacuum but was resistant to small arms and shock trauma. Void armor had the added benefit of onboard systems that could treat lacerations and suit punctures in combat. It was also resilient against radiological and toxicological hazards, making it perfect for void operations. That said, void armor was inferior to the power armor worn by the Space Marine Legions in terms of defense and endurance.

Just as the Void Armour worn by the Solar Auxilia is more significant in terms of sophistication and cost, so are its small arms. The most common of which was the Kalibrax V-I Pattern Lesrifle. The Kalibrax operates within the power ranges set down by the Officio Militaris. It was notable for its superior heat dissipation and reinforced energy transfer capacitors. These factors made it desirable for the hazards of void warfare and also able to handle a variety of modifications and augmentative systems.

In terms of light support and specialized weaponry, the Solar Auxilia favored forms of directed energy weapons. These include Flamers, Meltas, Multi-Lasers, and Lascannons. They chose these weapons for their ease of use and ability to be used void combat.

The Solar Auxilia were also known for carrying significant numbers of volkite weapons in their infantry sections. These potent energy weapons were rare as the Great Crusade wore on and only the most elite of their Veletaris units kept them. In the ranks of the Solar Auxilia, carrying such a weapon became a mark of distinction.

The weapons of the Solar Auxilia's officer class were highly idiosyncratic, with each officer allowed to furnish their own personal arms. Swords of various forms being held as the mark of an officer allowed for considerable variation.

Dueling between officers of similar rank outside of active war has always been permitted within certain parameters within the Solar Auxilia. This is done as a sport and over matters of honor (with a commanding officer's permission). For this, the Terran Charnabal Sabre is the most common implement. The training and skill this encourages are beneficial to those involved and the cohorts they serve.

Organization and Hierarchy

The Solar Auxilia is a hybrid structure. Early regiments were structured according to the Principia Belicosa. Each Regiment had 5,000 auxiliaries led by a Legate-Colonel, their staff of 300 specialists and political officers. As the Great Crusade ground on, this organization did not last long. The War Council decided to increase the effectiveness of their primary unaugmented infantry force. Thus, the old regiments were restructured into larger cohorts.

A cohort had an operational strength of 120,000 auxiliaries under the banner of its Lord Martial. These could also be divided into smaller sub-cohorts of 1,200 under the command of a junior officer. Be it a Legate Commander, Commander, or Sub-Commander, depending on the operational level and status.

The building block of an Auxilia cohort was the Tercio. This was a holdover from the Saturnyne ordo, consisting of three sections of Auxilia, all of which could be formed around whatever troops the cohort required. The infantry Tercio, composed of three sections of 20 infantrymen, was the standard line formation. The Veletarii Tercio had three units of veterans armed with specialized weapons. An infantry Tercio made up of three batteries of heavy weapons platforms could also accompany a fire-support Tercio.

Command was both rigid and expansive. A Solar Auxilia cohort or a collection of cohorts were under the command of the expeditionary commander, either a Lord Commander Militant or a Lord Marshal depending on their origin. The Solar Auxilia having a rank comparable to a Lord Commander Militant speaks volumes about the Auxilia’s elite status within the Imperium’s armed forces.

Being one of the highest ranks one could attain within the Imperium, the personal resources of a Lord Marshal are many and varied, depending on one’s career and preferences. Each Lord Marshal possessed their flagship crewed by their staff and household. These included lifeguards, indentured servants, intelligence officers, retainers, emissaries, accounting clerks, and other agents.

The flagship also served as the headquarters for the strategic command, composed of the Tribunes General, Strategic Quartermasters, and representatives of various organizations of the Imperium. While navy personnel was present, the leading admiral was subordinate to the Lord Marshal, who carried more clout in naval matters than any Lord Commander Militant. This was because of the void-based nature of the auxiliaries.

The command staff of the Solar Auxilia, from the noncommissioned officers to the Lord Marshals, adhered to the chain of command with a discipline rarely seen outside their ranks. Because of void warfare, adherence to discipline and cohesion was of paramount importance. In the close confines of a boarding action, one minor infraction could cause the loss of an entire Tercio. Auxiliaries who broke the rules during their service would meet the harshest punishments outside penal battalions. Their commanding officer executed those who shirked their duty during a battle on the spot.

Their near-supernatural levels of discipline allowed the cohorts of the Solar Auxilia to operate at a level of professionalism that exceeded most of the Imperial army. In doing so, it influenced their tactical preferences on the battlefield.

Tactics

While primarily deployed in void-based operations, necessity or situational demands were often required to make planetfall, which the Auxilia were uniquely prepared for. In the spirit of aggressive defense, they conducted ground operations. This involved the cohort seizing the most defensible land possible, fortifying it, and luring the enemy into attacking them on the most favorable terms possible. When maneuvers were called for, they were a rolling advance that used as much armor and air support as possible. Or as lightning-fast assaults at critical points in the enemy line.

That the Solar Auxilia could conduct such operations with their customary discipline is a testament to their professionalism and the simple nature of their combat theater. On a hostile alien world with an unbreathable atmosphere or in the metal shell of acarology, fleeing was pointless, for there is no line of retreat. If you break the line, you will doom yourself and your friends. It's better to fight for them, yourself, and the Imperium than die.

Armour and Ordnance
Despite their fleet-based nature and primary role, the Solar Auxilia did not lack an armor pool. Each cohort was expected to maintain an armored reserve capable of transporting every auxiliary under its command. As well as fielding the requisite battle tank support in case friendly armor was unavailable.

The Dracosan armored transport was preferred because of its improved NBC protection and its ability to carry an entire Lesrifle section. This environment proofing extended to the other vehicles in their motor pool. While a cohort would possess the same armor pool as an army regiment, and all were constructed to the void and environment proof with life support systems for the crews. Such was the Auxilia’s standing within the Imperium that these designs were custom-built on Mars and selected Forgeworlds to produce the advanced Mars-Solar Pattern borilia, basilisk, and medusa tanks.

At least one super heavy Demi-cohort would also be included, featuring Malcador and Baneblade battle tanks. Occasionally, more specialized variants of the latter, like the Shadowsword and Stormhammer tanks, could be present in a cohort. There were no static batteries or siege weaponry in the armored company. The Auxilia thought it was a waste of their talents…

—Seisma Dipli, historiographer, Remembrancer Order, excerpt from Strategikon