Time To Get Tough!Offensive launched on Persephon as reinforcements

arrive in their hundreds of thousands!

Deployed with DeLuca:

Guard’s newest Cpt. leads

company into battle for 1st

time

Guardsman MonthlyReporting from the front line for over 5,000 years

MX41.500.03 1 Throne

Exclusive frontline picts:

Frontal assault breaks through

heavily defended noble compound!

Mech Corner

How to maintain

your las rifle!

Attention!

II

Editorial

As millions of you already know, we at Guardsman Monthly have contributors on the ground in every battlefield in the sector. This means we can bring you the latest tales of valour which would otherwise be forever lost in the mountain of battlefield reports the high command has to process each day. This month is no exception and you will in these pages our regular mix of stirring tales of bravery, sacrifice and victory in the face of untold adversity. This month we have an update from the

battlefield s of Korimesta, report on Captain DeLuca’s meteoric rise from the rank of Corporal and show how the administratum is responding to high commands request for additional troops on Persephon as the green tide shows no sign of getting any the wiser just yet.

The epic battle for Persephon has been raging now for centuries and a huge amount has been learnt by the brave men of the Guard who are fighting to retake their planet. We here at Guardsman Monthly have been reading with huge admiration how the men and women who serve there have overcome all of the foul Ork’s worst barbarism and have, to this day, retaken over 3,000

square miles of land for the Emperor. SO, in honour of the huge sacrifice of the troops serving on Persephon we sent one of our best reporters to the front to see if we could find out what tips the veterans of this epic campaign can share with the fellow troopers should they ever be confronted by a 7ft tall Ork. You may be surprised by what you read!

We also bring our usual mix of obituaries and letters, including your chance to win a Mk. 4 Las rifle if you are our letter of the month so get writing. And finally in Mech Corner webing you the latest tips from weapons development team Beta 3 from the Prosperitas Mons forge on Farraeus. This month is a must read: how to keep every Guardsman’s most prized possession operational. The Mk. 1 Las rifle.

Fall Out!

Contributors

Disclaimer

Weapons development team Beta 3 from Forge Prosperitas Mons on Ferraeus.

Corporal James Powell – Chief photographer for Guardsman Monthly. Go to www.OliverFacey.co.uk

This magazine is completely unofficial and in no way endorsed by Games Workshop Limited.

Adeptus Astartes, Blood Angels, Bloodquest, Cadian, Catachan, the Chaos devices, Cityfight, the Chaos logo, Citadel, Citadel Device, Codex, Daemonhunters, Dark Angels, Dark Eldar, 'Eavy Metal, Eldar, Eldarsymbol devices, Eye of Terror, Fire Warrior, Forge World, Games Workshop, Games Workshop logo, Genestealer, Golden Demon, Gorkamorka, Great Unclean One, Inquisitor, the Inquisitor logo, the Inquisitor device, Inquisitor:Conspiracies, Keeper of Secrets, Khorne, Kroot, Lord of Change, Necron, Nurgle, Ork, Ork skull devices, Sisters of Battle, Slaanesh, Space Hulk, Space Marine, Space Marine chapters, Space Marine chapter logos, Tau, the Tau caste designations, Tyranid, Tyrannid, Tzeentch, Ultramarines, Warhammer, Warhammer 40k Device, White Dwarf, the White Dwarf logo, and all associated marks, names, races, race insignia, characters, vehicles, locations, units, illustrations and images from the Warhammer 40,000 universe are either ®, TM and/or © Copyright Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2011, variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world.

Used without permission. No challenge to their status intended. All Rights Reserved to their respective owners.

III

A Prayer of Adulation to

The Emperor.

Oh immortal Emperor, have mercy upon us, miserable and

unworthy that we are.

Oh master of the galaxy protect your flock from the alien.

Oh keeper of the light, guide are darkened path with your radiance.

We are your warriors and servants to thee.

We stand free from blindness of hearts, vain glory or deceits; but

captive to hatred malice and anger.

To the filth, the alien, the heretic.

By thy agony and bloody swet, by the Golden Throne and thy death,

By thy destruction and re-emergence as the god of men.

Keep and strengthen us, we who fight for thee.

Taken from Valandian Penal Legio Prayer Book.

The Emperor Protects!

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Notes & Letters

Letter of the Month

By Corporal Lash In a recent issue I read that your men on the ground were reporting that delays for loading times at Polarnus station had started to impact the war effort on Caracas.As a member of the newly raised Caracan 1st this news is infuriating as we have now been in the field for 6 months without relief or resupply. As you can imagine having to choose between shooting the enemy to stay alive and shooting wildlife for food when ammo is short is far from ideal.I hope you coverage of the crisis in the Polarnus station docking ring will change things, and quickly, as things on the ground are getting more than a little sporty now! Keep up the great work.

Following on from the recent news we broke 2 issues ago sources close to the sector General have informed this paper that the Commissariat are now working with the officers and men of the docking ring on Polarnus to improve efficiencies. And from what we are hearing they are making rapid process with their efficiency drive!

Corporal Lash will receive a new Mk.4 Las Rifle for his winning letter.Send your letter to Guardsman Monthly at Polarnus Station to win you Mk. 4

Music & Morale

We recently received a speech from our new padre about the importance of keeping our spirits up in the face of danger and overwhelming enemy numbers. Being a 9 year veteran of 3 different campaigns across the sector I had a few choice words to offer in response.

It was when we attended his first Sunday sermon though did I understand what he meant. After leading us in your standard prayer he called on us to sing... and not a standard hymn of the imperium mind but one our most colourful marching

songs. Emperor knows who told him about it but after a few uncertain looks we all joined in.

Now none of us had had any reason to sing this or any other marching tune for over 6 months as we had been dug in on Naximus prime. But within 60 seconds we were all falling about laughing! Laughing I tell you. None of us had heard the sound of laughter since we got planet side.

Singing has now become such a main stay of our daily routine not to would seem

just as unnatural as it did when we attended the padre’s first service. Sadly though the Padre was dismembered by Orks one night when he got lost on the

way to the latrine. The regiment still sings but we aren’t sure his replacement approves.

By PVT. Lun on Naxius Prime

The planet Strayvia may have been lost to the enemy and purged by the cleansing fire of the Imperial navy a decade ago this month but the planet and the proud history of its regiments have not been forgotten by this publication.The Strayvian regiments were always a problem for high command because of their provocative and volatile nature but they had an almost unnatural ability to come through even the most challenging of missions with only moderate losses.There are only a few Strayvians alive today.

If you go Legio Vena you can find one or two Strayviansectors in the lower hive. We also know that there are a handful of surviving serving guardsman still fighting for

the Emperor. When you next go to prayer, light a candle in memory of the Strayvian people who were lost to the warp 10 years this month.

Gone but not

Forgotten

V

Obituaries

Lord Captain Caliban Novus

“He was a smug prick but he was my kind of smug prick. He didn’t mind mucking in with the men and getting his hands dirty.” Cpt. Stross

We are sad to report the recent demise of the well respected and extremely popular Lord Captain Caliban Novus while assisting the Imperial Guard on a classified operation.

Despite our best efforts to get specific information from the frontline the precise details surrounding his death remain a mystery. What is beyond any doubt however is that the heavy drinking and fast living Rogue Trader will have met his end in the same way that he lived his life. With a smile on his face and a sword in his hand.

Lord Caliban’s association with the Imperial Guard goes back many years when he first offered the use of his ship to transport men of the Venian 62nd when no other was available. The only problem was that his hospitality for the troops was so good that when it came time for them to deploy none of them wanted to step off.Showing his now legendary ability for thinking on his feet he simply said that if any man came back from the front with the fangs of 100 Orks he could serve aboard his ship. The fact that the Commissars were also about to arrive may have helped to convince the troops this

was the best offer they were going to get.

Caliban Novus is the most recent of a long line of Novus family members who have held the Novus Warrant of Trade since it was granted to the dynasty some generations ago by the High

Lords of Terra for services rendered to the Imperium. Since then the dynasty’s history has been a glorious one. Taking the great cruiser by the name of the Emperor’s Pride across the sector, the members of the Novus family have been responsible for discovering

new worlds and taking the word of the God-Emperor to countless planets. Commercial success was soon to follow with two notable discoveries in quick succession – first the sap of the Groot Tree on Mistoum, a useful treatment for Ildus Disease, and more importantly, the fine Amasec of Carthusia, now a common delight on the table of the Sector Governor and other notable personages. As the profits of House Novus grew, so did their influence amongst the other rogue traders and equivalent peers of the Imperium. Unlike many rogue traders, Lord Captain Novus chose but did not give this the same care and attention as the Pride. This concentration of his efforts caused many to speculate as to why, although the general consensus was that Novus preferred to focus on quality over quantity.

Lord Captain Novus is succeeded by his infant son who will take command of the ship and warrant once he comes of age. Until then the dynasty is to be held in regentship by trusted emissaries aboard the Emperor’s Pride.

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Persephonian training patrol leaves Camp Hellfire

VII

Turning back the

After decades of fighting the introduction of a tidal wave of newly trained troops could be about to make the difference as commanders finally attempt to re-take the Persephoniannorthern continent. Is the long struggle coming to an end?

By Lucien Salgetti

TIDE

As is almost always the case when you are in orbit above a world at war, when you first arrive and look down you can almost forget that people are dying right before your eyes. This time, however, it took less than thirty minutes for the gravity of the situation to be revealed to me. This is Persephon, a planet that has had the misfortune to not only be fully engaged with an Ork incursion for over three centuries but has also fought off an internal uprising of heretics.This latter threat is much reduced in recent years but the scars of that conflict are warn by the planet itself like a badge of honour. The use of atomics, though controversial with some backseat strategists, proved extremely effective at taking fight out of the enemy. The loss of the planetary capital, though tragic and mourned annually to this day, is universally recognised as the price that had to be paid for the survival of the rest of the planet. Looking down on the black, brown rad ground that stretches for over 1,000 miles in ever direction from the old hive I asked station master Varrick what is impact of seeing this vista has for a Persephionian.‚It is a call to action and arms. We are fortunate enough to have a R&R facility for the longest serving and most deserving of the Persophiniantroops to help them recover and recuperate after a five year tour on the frontline. Watching of the news reels from the time building up to and post the bombardment are part of the rehabilitation program... That combined with this particular vista is often enough to restore the spirits of

even the most battle weary veterans. You find within two weeks they want to get into the thick of it.‛

More Feral

Despite having some of the most dedicated men and women in the sector fighting for the survival of their home world the green tide has been a particularly stubborn adversary. Persephon IV is a lush and green world for the most part and the horde have been able to not only make excellent use of the jungle to protect them from the Imperium’s overwhelming air superiority but their presence has begun to make the ecosystem itself more feral.

“We thought giving them a 3,000 square mile target was about as challenging as we wanted to make it to begin with.”

With little change on the ground in decades high command realised something drastic needed to happen in order to break the deadlock. Above white cloud covered world there are literally thousands of ships at high anchor waiting to disgorge themselves of their precious cargo of supplies and ordinance. It is almost as if the sector has responded to the call to arms and decided enough is enough. This, it would seem, is the moment to make the green

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skins regret they ever existed.Mechnicus ships cluster together stuffed of the full array of new Leman Russ variants including the particularly deadly Vanquishers pattern. Later in this issue you can read how Capt. DeLuca is training his men ahead of the SENSORED offensive.As I stepped down the ramp of the expertly piloted Valkerie drop ship (only the best for us reporters – ship captains always try to impress to get a mention) I could almost instantly smell the overactive ecosystem at work. I had arrived at Camp Hellfire, a mere 3 miles from the front line. A massive Imperial Guard fortification, Hellfire is one of eight staging posts all along the southern edge of the northern continent.. For many years these were islands in a sea of green and were the front line with the green skins. Recent successes have now meant that a more entrenched frontline 3 miles to the north and now extends over 1,000 miles from east to west.

Spirits are High

Looking north from the camp walls you quickly realise how this has been achieved. Until recently these camps were surrounded by forests which allowed the enemy to get within one hundred meters of the camp without being detected. These have now gone after an extensive thermo bombing campaign by Imperial Navy.

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‚Well, we realised that thee Navy was getting bored in orbit and we wanted to make sure they could still hit what we asked them. So we thought giving them a 3,000 square mile target was about as challenging as we wanted to make it to begin with‛, explains Colonel Destine. ‚After all, if we are ever going to call them for close ground support we want to make sure they can shoot straight.‛Now if that gives you the impression that spirits are high here then you would entirely correct. I have rarely been to a battlefield that has been in use for this many generations where there remains an overpowering sense of optimism. The men know that the game is about to change from the one their father’s and grandfather’s bequeathed to them. I will let the Colonel try to explain.‚I have picts of my grandfather in this very camp. They are on my wall by my bunk and I know almost every man here has a similar heirloom in their footlocker. Only a few years ago you would have been hard pressed to see anything different. Men were crammed in and under siege looking tired. Trees overhung the walls in places and the ground was saturated by water. Now, because we have a front line three miles to the north we are able to actually use these camps for what they were designed... staging and supply points for the front ahead of the push north.‛

Boots on the Ground

But this camp has been the home of over 200,000 people for over a century and with less than 10% of that number here now you quickly begin to understand the size of the opportunity and the offensive that is now being planned here. Although it feels mostly empty this camp is still full of activity as the facilities are upgraded, for the first time in 75 years, in anticipation of the new influx of troops. And once they get their boots on the ground they will be trained up by Persephonian veterans to give these new men the best chance of defeating the enemy.

‚We are putting together a comprehensive training program which will cover local terrain, flora and fauna and combat tactics of the enemy. Stealth and the ability to move through the dense junglequietly is absolutely critical‛ explains Captain Cirapelli who will be training up of the infantry companies assigned to camp Hellfire. ‚It is our intention to make the Persephonian orientation program the most realistic training course there is culminating with 1 week tour into the jungle working with a more experienced Persphonian scouting platoon. We will even be introducing one or two live captured Orks so they are left in no doubt about the scale and ferocity of the enemy they will be tasked with defeating.‛I will be stationed here reporting on the Persephonian offensive and while I can’t reveal when it will start I suspect even the Orksknow it will be sooner rather than later which suits every guardsman I have spoken to here just fine.

Bellow: Captain Cirapelli overseas the upgrade red sector of Camp Hellfire with a mechnicus representative

Left: There has been no lull in the fighting as this short a skirmish at the frontline demonstrates

Opposite: The view above Persephon with Mechnicus ships at high anchor

X

AIM FOR THE FUNNYHEADS! Orks are known to engage the powers of lethal Xeno witch psyker scum, whose deadly

powers will endanger your entire unit if you don't remove them from the fight swiftly. Luckily, these degenerate monstrosities can be swiftly identified by their dreadful hats! Neutralise these ones first and the rest will swiftly follow them to destruction!

TOP TIPS to keep you FIGHTING KEEN in

the struggle against the GREEN MENACE!10

1PRAY REGULARLY! Ork scum are mortally terrified of Him-on-Terra and the sound of a

Guard squadron praying in unison is certain to send them fleeing for cover.

3

MIND YOUR KIT! Ork equipment and weaponry is so desperately inferior to your Imperial issue

that they will take any opportunity to steal your equipment and use it for themselves! Keep a close watch on your supply lines at all times and make sure that your static stores are well protected by a layer of fragmines.

2

AIM FOR THE EYES! A blind Ork is twice as good as a dead Ork, since he's likely to shoot his comrades in a panic! Heavy use of this tactic with support

personnel, Orks equipped with flamers etc. is heavily encouraged.

4MASK YOUR SCENT! Orksare freakishly twisted by the Warp such that their

sense of smell is greatly heightened compared to a good clean human's! Place your latrine pits carefully and avoid strongly scented foods.

5NEVER TURN YOUR BACK! The sight of cowardice will drive a greenskin into a

murderous frenzy! To turn your back on their line even for a moment is a death sentence, assuming your Commissar hasn't already dealt with you!

7EYES UP, EYES DOWN! Orks are vicious, sneaky and will use every aspect of the terrain to conceal themselves from you and rob you of the chances of

a fair fight. Keep your eyes up in the trees and down in the ditches to catch ambushes before they catch you!

6NEVER NEGOTIATE, NEVER CEASE FIRE! If an Ork detects the foul

scent of SURRENDER it will immediately be driven into a blood-drenched frenzy, spraying death across all in its path. In the horrible event that you are CAPTURED by these creatures you are likely to be horribly TORTURED shortly before being EATEN ALIVE.

8HEAR, SMELL, FEEL THEM COMING! Your

eyes are not the only tool that the God-Emperor gave you! Keep your nose and ears alert and check the ground for vibrations regularly. Sense them coming before they sense you! Then cover them in a righteous rain of grenades and Promethium!

9FORM UP! Good solid Imperial discipline is utterly

inimical to the fungoidmindset. Keep close formation and remember your drill exercises and the greenskins will be terrified by the order of your battle line.

10

XI

BRINGING THE PAIN!Captain DeLuca has seen it, shot it and killed it 100 times over. So much so that last month he was given his own mechanised company with which to unleash his very own special brand of payback on the Orks occupying his homeworld.As has been discussed elsewhere in these pages the campaign to re-take Persephon has stepped up several notches in recent months and one of the first to benefit has been the newly created 2nd

mechanised company of Persephonian 13th. Complete with 6 shiny new Chimeras this highly mobile unit is now being put through its paces as a fast

Mechanised infantry’s newest officer takes the fight to the Ork

response team along 10 mile front eliminating any incursions of Orks that get beyond the stockades. It is a crucial role in maintaining the ground gained so far – a fact that the Captain is more than aware of.

30 Minute Life Expectancy

‚Men have not been in control of the land we patrol for almost a century and in that time millions of lives have been lost to the enemy. So long as the 2nd mechanised are here no Ork that gets south the main battle front will have a life expectancy of more than 30 minutes. That is the standard I am holding my men to and they know it. Anything less would be an insult the memories of the dead buried beneath our tracks.‛During the 48 hour patrol in which I had the privilege to accompany the 2nd mechanised I witness no less than 5 attempted break outs by the green skins; three were held at the line with supporting fire from the chimeras and two, which managed to get into open country, were easily moped in the scorched open terrain south of the lines. All were eliminated in less than 30 minutes.

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Mk.2 Chimera Fact File

1. Main armament: Multi-Laser, Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer or Autocannon. 2. Hull mounted Heavy bolter or Heavy Flamer. 3. hull mounted las guns (x6). 4. Can Carry 12 Guardsman plus driver, main gunner and commander. 5. Capable of amphibious assaults or forging swamps and rivers.

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Right: Night falls at the fronltlineas two guards prepate for their

turn on watchOpposite: Captain DeLuca takes

down an Ork from the command hatch of his Chimera

These remain though, the initial exchanges of what is certain to be a new and much more protracted phase of the war on Persephon. The Orks have clearly been stunned by the new tactics employed by the Guard but once this has worn off all here are in no doubt of the onslaught that will follow.‚That’s why everyone here is training as hard and fast as they can towards getting the next stage of the offensive ready. We don’t want to be here in nine months time massing for an assault only for the Orks to beat us to it. If we are still

patrolling this same“If we are still patrolling

this same ground this time next year then we

will have missed our chance and serious

questions will need to be asked as to why?”

ground this time next year then we will have missed our chance and a serious questions will need to be asked as to why.‛Strong stuff, but then you would expect nothing less from a veteran like DeLucawho, according to the rumour

mill, has seen service with

Astartes and the Inquisition. When asked directly about his previous military service this reporter detected a slight smile and was kindly directed to request military intelligence for access to his personnel file. Sadly I don’t have 6 months of my life to spend wading through paperwork so lets just assume a former Corporal who now finds himself in command of just under 100 men might have one or two

friends in high places. If that is the case then that trust has

been well placed. DeLuca is a new breed of Persephonian who is unrelenting and unwilling to accept that the Ork presence is

a fact of life. This unwillingness to tolerate the status quo is drilled into the troops all day long as they experiment with

their new Chimeras and establish exactly what it is they are capable of. No operating manuals are to be seen, no Mechnicus

could bear to watch the relentless grinding of gears and revving of engines well beyond their recommended heat

thresholds. Some might call this brovado or even

recklessness but DeLuca’s men are simply making sure that when

they go into battle they know exactly how far they can push

their new equipment before the bolts sheer and the oil boils to

grit. After all, if you were calling for back-up when under assault

from a gang of green, foul smelling xenos do you really want

the reinforcements to be worried

if their paint job gets scratched?‚We operate in an environment which is literally trying to

exterminate us every day and in those circumstances all you have is your fellow Guardsman. When the push forwards does come the 2nd Mechanised will be fully trained up and ready to

support or lead any operation over the wire. We are going to

liberate Persephon or die tryng.‛

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THE LAThe difference bet

Over the coming issues of this fine publication, I will be teaching you survival techniques you won't find in the primer or other field manuals. Some of this is purely for theoretical use only, so don't let me or anyone else catch you using them!With any luck some of this will keep you alive a little longer so that you can serve our glorious emperor in that time. This issue we will cover your most fundamental piece of field kit, and all the things you didn't know you could do with it.

FIRE AND HEAT

Should you for what ever reason be lacking ignition sources, take two small pieces of metal (wire, breeching cleaning rod parts, your dog tags etc) and whilst wearing dry gloves or other insulation, touch one end of each to the contact points on a power pack, then bring the other ends together. This will cause sparks, use this to light your fire. Don't worry, this won't harm the pack nor effect its charge level noticeably.This one is purely theoretical, but did you know that you can use a lasgun at a heater?1st, take a lasgun that is not currently needed (partly damaged or owner deceased) and remove the barrel from it and stock if its wooden.. Next, remove the casing as per normal servicing. Next, take a

solid piece of metal and jam it into the ignition chamber, being sure it touches the ignition coils and the focusing array. Close the case, set the weapon to 'low‘ and automatic.Next, using the removed barrel, push it into the trigger guard to jam the trigger closed. This will cause a feed back loop within the weapon and cause the energy to be discharged into the weapons body, causing it to heat up. Having it on low will stop the weapon melting and make the effect last for about 15 minutes, during this time the weapon will radiate enough heat to cook with and create no smoke. Of course it will need a substantial overhaul after being used thus, hence this is just a theory.

WATER

Out of purification tablets and unsure of your water supply with nothing to make a fire from?Fear not, fill your collapsible water bag (or dig a small trench and line it with a tarp/waterproofs) and fill with the offending water.

Mech Corner

XV

SGUNween life and death.

Q&A

I am in possession of a MKII short pattern lasgun, this is my 1st weapon that I was issued with over 20 years ago and have found it to be supremely accurate and reliable. I am very attached to it but it is no longer being manufactured and obtaining spares is becoming extremely difficult. Can you suggest any other patterns and MK's that use interchangeable parts? Your help would be most appreciated, I am loathe to consider giving up such a fine weapon that has served so well!

How pleasant to see someone with a decent regard for fine manufacturing, instead of some whiny fleshbag.Depending on which parts need replacing there are a wide range

of options. The MK1-χ and –τ are the most similar overall and should be your first port of call but I think you will find that if your secondary focusing lens has burned out neither of those will

help you overmuch. Also, the charge-pack interfaces on the τ can be temperamental, bear that in mind. For power settings, use spares from the MKII hazard-pattern as these are identical.While I would not usually suggest this, you will find that with a bit of work a lot of standard MKII spares can be made to fit. In most cases, of course, this will offend the machine spirit mightily, but I am sure that after so long together you and your lasgun are close enough to avoid any faux pas

Being careful not to let the barrel touch the water, discharge your lasgun a dozen times on 'low' into the water. This should be enough to boil the water and the low setting will dissipate the shot into the water and not blast through it. Then, pour the water through a clean sock into your canteen to remove debris.

1ST AID

Wait, lasguns heal wounds as well as cause them? You bet your emperor they can, but don't go trying this if you have a medic around to do this properly.If your deep in the shit and someone is bleeding from a blade or slug wound in the middle of a firefight, just remember your lasgun muzzle gets hot. If you think they are going to bleed out before help can arrive, use the muzzle to cauterize the wound by touching it to said wound. Its going to hurt like the warp, better that than ending your service early though!

A letter from Auntie Livia!Acclaimed author Livia Terpsichoria – writer of long-time favourites For the Emperor!, Blood and Plasteel, and The Void A-Tremble, as well as recent bestseller Stalwart Hearts – returns to give us the latest gossip from the front lines of mankind’sendless and most holy wars. It’s time for...

Livia Terpsichoria

Hello my dears! It’s been such a longtime since I sat down to write to you!Now I’m back from that tedious businesswith my editor – they’re such beasts,honestly dears, never become a writer –and back with my beloved boys and girlsof the Argenurium 26th! Some drab littleofficial – honestly, they’re as tedious aseditors! – was not happy about this butthe lovely Commissar Daltry had a wordwith him and, well here I am! He said itwas important that people not forget ourBrave Boys and Girls at the front, andimportant that people know what dangersare being braved on their behalf. I hopethe ladies of the Argenurium know howlucky they are – he really knows how toturn a girl’s head, let me tell you!Anyway the last letter I managed to get toyou was such a quick scrawl – we wereon Caracas, you remember, and in such adreadful hurry to leave it! And then thisbusiness with my editor came up and Istill haven’t told you the whole story!Well read on...You remember that we were trying tosolve the Mystery of the Missing Tithes.We had just come across anotherImperial Guard regiment who hadmanaged to stumble across them, and getthemselves in all sorts of trouble in theprocess – they were really glad to see us,let me tell you! They helped us face downthe trials and tribulations and terriblebattles necessary to secure the tithes andthen still insisted that they’d seen themfirst! Brave boys, of course, but maybenot the sharpest bayonets in themanufactorium! Anyway we managed toconvince them that it was our duty to get

turns out that my editor is even moretedious than I thought – while I wasdealing with him, I missed anotheradventure! But Colonel Carrutherswas of course more than happy to tellme what I’d missed so I could pass iton to you...Well it seems that this time Our BraveBoys and Girls were on some dreadfullittle world called Tori’Goran III.Sound familiar? It certainly should!Yes, those were the eventsimmortalised in that wonderful pictThe Road to Ruin. From what I hearthey managed to stick rather closely tothe actual events, which makes me justgreen that I wasn’t there to see it – andtell you about it – first-hand! Though Ican tell you that even the undoubtedlywonderful Gron Ostmern isn’t quite upthere with the real Commissar Daltry.Well I suppose you can’t beat a realwar hero can you!Our Brave Boys and Girls have had aperiod of rest since then. You’ve seenthe pict so you’ll agree with me that itwas well-deserved and hard-earned!But as Colonel Carruthers said to me,true soldiers can’t rest while there arebattles to be won, so it’s off againsoon on another exciting adventure!You can sleep safely knowing that theArgenurium 26th are defending you –and your old Auntie Livia will be theretoo, keeping you up-to-date with allthe gossip from the sector’s favouriteheroes!Emperor protect you, dears, and I’llwrite again as soon as I can!

the tithes back where they belonged. Ofcourse, the other lot had rather managedto get themselves into a bit of a messwith foul cultists and xenos andEmperor-knows-what, but dearCommissar Daltry is far too gentlemanlyto just leave anyone in that kind of pickle,self-inflicted or not, so we left them witha rather generous helping of our ownsomewhat dwindling supplies. Let me tellyou dears it was heartbreaking to see thebrave men and women of the Argenuriumleave that planet! They hate to leave afight unfought or a vile xeno unpunished!But it was our duty, and duty comesbefore even killing the enemies of Himon Earth. I’m sure you’ve all heard thatdear brave Major Carruthers was made aColonel for that. None more deserving, Isay! I’ve been having a bit of a girlygossip with her since I got back and it

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XIV

The Emperor Needs You To Do Your Duty!

The Emperor is with you always and does not abandon those who follow orders. Stay true to your oath and your officers and you have nothing to fear even from the enemy.

Fight hard, work hard and die firing!A platoon is only as strong as its weakest link. Inform your nearest Commissar of anyone who needs to have their courage, faith or discipline restored. Your life could depend on it!

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