95th Rifles

"Listen hard, gentlemen. Sharpe's Rules. First: Fight well, fight hard. Second: Don't get drunk unless I tell you. Third: Steal nothing but from the enemy, or if you're starving.
 Break these rules, and I'll shoot you myself."
— Major Richard Sharpe, explaining his rules to newly arrived reinforcements to the front lines

Regiment Rules

The rules listed for the Shorncliffe 95th Regiment of Foot have been created using the following Regiment Creation doctrines:

• Home World: Imperial World
• Commanding Officer: Maverick
• Regiment Type: Light Infantry
• Doctrines: Sharpshooters, Cameleoline
• Total Cost: 12 points

Characters belonging to the Shorncliffe 95th Regiment of Foot gain the following advantages:

• Characteristic Modifiers: +3 Willpower, +3 Ballistic Skill, +3 Agility, -3 Toughness
• Starting Aptitudes: Ballistic Skill
• Starting Skills: Common Lore (Imperial Creed), Common Lore (Imperium), Linguistics (Low Gothic), Navigate (Surface)
• Starting Talents: Resistance (Fear), Sprint, Deadeye Shot, Hatred (Mutant)
• Blessed Ignorance: Shorncliffe citizens know that the proper ways of living are those tried and tested by the generations that have gone before. Horror, pain, and death are the just rewards for curiosity, for those that look too deeply into the mysteries of the universe are likely to find malefic beings looking back at them. Their wise blindness imposes a -5 penalty to all Forbidden Lore (Int) tests.
• Kill the Mutants: Citizens of Shorncliffe are trained from birth to fear mutants, for it heralds the taint of Chaos. All regimental solders start with Hatred (Mutants).
• Wounds: Standard wounds
• Standard Regimental Kit: Uniform, set of poor weather gear, knife, flak vest, rucksack or sling bag, set of basic tools, mess kit, water canteen, blanket, sleep bag, rechargeable lamp pack, grooming kit, set of cognomen tags, primer, combat sustenance rations (4 weeks' supply), lascarbine, long las with telescoping sight, 4 charge packs, 2 frag grenades, 2 krak grenades, sword, stub revolver with 12 rounds, cameleoline cloak
• Favoured Weapons: Long Las

Formation

The 95th Rifles, or more formally the 95th Regiment of Foot, are from an Imperial World called Shorncliffe, of the Kent system. Long civilized by the Imperium, it is only the last millenia that it has stepped up its Imperial Guard contributions.

The "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" was raised by Colonel Coote Manningham and Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. William Stewart, drawn from officers and other ranks from drafts of a variety of regiments. The Corps differs in several regards from the Line infantry of the Imperial Guard regiments drafted from Shorncliffe. Most significantly, the Rifles are armed the Long Las to engage the enemy from long distance. They are also armed with sword-bayonets, which are more often used as a melee weapon on their own rather than affixed to their rifles.

Riflemen wear dark green jackets rather than the bright red coats of the line infantry regiments of Shorncliffe; close-fitting pantaloons, rather than breeches; black facings and black belts rather than white; a green plume on their "stovepipe shakoes" which the light infantry also wore, as well as other accoutrements unique to Rifles regiments. As part of their experimental nature, the entire regiment is issued cameleoline cloaks to enhance their stealthiness, which only helps to cement their reputation as "ghost warriors" who strike without being seen and fade away quickly.

Training and Tactics

The riflemen are trained to work in open order and to be able to think for themselves. They operate in pairs ahead of the main infantry, which are bunched in close formations. They are taught to make best use of natural cover and to harass the enemy with aimed shots.

The treatment of soldiers in the new Rifle Corps is markedly different from the line infantry. Although flogging exists as a means of enforcing military discipline, it is seldom used. The unit holds regular shooting and sporting competitions, and men are rewarded for their achievements. Officers regularly dine with their men and so became familiar with each man in their respective companies, an unusual practice among the regiments.

To aid speed and mobility, the Rifles muffled microbeads -- or in emergencies, whistles and bugles -- rather than the bellowed orders of the Line Infantry; and for the same reason did not carry Colours into battle.

Major Richard Sharpe

The Regiment's premier officer is Major Richard Sharpe. A grizzled veteran of many battles, he often is the Regiment's officer after heated battles as the more senior officers -- many of them who purchased their ranks or weasled their way into command through politics -- get themselves killed through inexperience.

Although well-respected by the enlisted and NCOs, he's often at odds with his fellow officers due to the fact that he was promoted through the ranks and did not come from the traditional 'upper crust' of Shorncliffe. His lower-class appearance and often raggedy uniform frequently cause him to be mistaken for a common solider, though he corrects this misconception quickly. Many a stupider and drunk officer accuse him of being a gentleman only due to his rank, a fact that makes him touchy about being challenged on his abilities. Still, he knows when to be diplomatic in order to keep his command happy enough to keep him with the Regiment.

Early in his time with the 95th, the Regiment suffered heavy defeat both in terms of personnel, morale, and honor when a line infantry regiment in their brigade lost their colours in battle to Orks. The 95th performed well in the battle, and was allowed to stand even as the rest of the Brigade was broken up and used for menial duties. During a hotly contested battle in the following month, Sharpe restored the Brigade's honor by making halting, then forcing a retreat of an Ork horde pushing the flank they were guarding. Sharpe and a select group of his men, made a suicidal push to successfully strike deep into the retreating Orks and capture the Horde's flag. Though gravely wounded, he eventually recovered and was promoted to Captain for his bravery.

In time, after numerous losses of the command officer corps for the Regiment, he was promoted to Major where he currently sits. Smart Colonels placed in charge call on him for his experience and insight into the battle capabilities of the Regiment. Stupid ones send him on minor tasks to get an "upstart" out of sight. Those officers tend not to last long as they hurl themselves into battle for glory.