31st Nightfall Ranger Regiment
The Nightfall 31st are a light infantry regiment of the Imperial Guard. Typical of ranger regiments (sometimes known as "devil" regiments by offworlders) from the infamous Death World of Nightfall, the 31st features a high proportion of marksmen, veterans, trackers and scouts. Lightly armed, the 31st have access to no heavy artillery and are only lightly mechanised. Consequently, while they represent an excellent force for reconnaissance, infiltration and skirmishing in difficult terrain, they lack the expertise and equipment necessary to function effectively as line infantry. When used correctly by a canny general the Nightfall 31st are a potent tool; too often however they are used as a blunt instrument in much the same way as any other Imperial Guard regiment - In the past this has led to horrendous casualties, and bad blood between Regimental and High Command. The 31st are culturally similar to other Nightfall regiments, and have adopted a clan based regimental culture with the hierarchy loosely (but not totally, much to the chagrin of the Commissariat) based upon ranks.
The 31st’s regimental mascot is a Shade Weasel; vermin from their homeworld with a nasty habit of sneaking into places thought safe, and killing or debilitating those within with their paralytic venom and voracious appetite for vulnerable parts such as eyes or tongues. The 31st find this grim and humorous in equal measure, and have taken their mascot to heart despite its status as disgusting, hated vermin - Shade Weasel decals and fetishes such as their skulls are commonplace, and though they will always refer to the creatures as loathed pests (as almost every member of the regiment knows someone who has been attacked by a Shade Weasel at some point), they are also quick to point out the qualities the animal has that make it an effective predator: Cunning, stealth, light feet, and easily overlooked venomous fangs. These are qualities almost all Nightfallers respect, and the 31st consider them watchwords for effectiveness in their preferred battlefield role.
Nightfall Regimental Culture
All Imperial Guard regiments from Nightfall mirror the clan culture of their homeworld, with every soldier within a given regiment considered family by every other - even to the point of referring to each other by first names, including between ranks (aside from in cases of discipline or formality). Nightfall regiments are deliberately drawn from individuals from multiple clans, Sector Command theorising that homogenising intakes would lead to fewer feuds being imported from the homeworld and disrupting campaigns where more than one Nightfaller regiment was deployed. Unfortunately the agents of the Departmento Munitorum do not understand the world’s culture nearly as well as they think they do.
The cooperative nature of Nightfaller culture (when dealing with their own kind at least) means that these homogenised regiments simply form into clans of their own, the soldiers within them well aware that they would likely never see home again. These regiment-clans then treat everyone outside their group as "Mualla" (Outsiders in Low Gothic), which is a slur on their homeworld stemming from the bleak statistic that every colonisation attempt, private enterprise or invasion of Nightfall that has taken place since its coming to Imperial Compliance has failed, some within mere days of making planetfall.This leads Nightfallers to be hard to impress, and to consider offworlders generally incompetent liabilities - at least until said offworlders accomplish something worthy of their respect.
This abrasive attitude typically wins Nightfaller regiments few friends in the Imperial Guard - the lack of respect breeds resentment in both parties, and the Nightfallers invariably commit crimes such as thievery and murder at higher rates than other regiments, primarily (but not exclusively) against those they don’t like. This behaviour completely reverses should they come to respect a group of Outsiders, for example if a regiment they are deployed alongside do something to impress them such as saving their lives. Unfortunately all too often they are their own worst enemies, and turn their fellow guard regiments against them long before they have a chance to show their mettle.
Regimental History
The regimental history of the 31st is long, with units bearing the same name and colours having been active in the Eridani Sector for almost as long as Nightfall has been producing a tithe. This history is not always contiguous - the regiment has been annihilated and refounded several times over the course of its history, and no doubt will be again.
The current iteration of the 31st Ranger Regiment was founded relatively recently, shortly before the coming of the Cobalt Scions - the designation having been left unused for some time after the last regimental destruction. Founded alongside several other Nightfaller regiments in response to an uptick in recidivist and xeno activity, the regiment has since accounted for itself in several theatres across the breadth of the sector.
Past Campaigns
See also: Nightfall 31st After Action Reports and Intercepted Correspondence
The Defence of Eniola’s Prospect
Eniola’s Prospect (a recently colonised prospector world) came under assault from the orks of Da Metalwaaagh, under the leadership of Sirrus Bizniz. The orks had swept onto the lightly defended world and enslaved roughly half the population and settlements in a shockingly short amount of time, keeping production of ores going but towards their war machine instead of an Imperial Tithe.
The Nightfall 31st were sent alongside other Imperial reinforcements, including Battlegroup 86. There they were placed under the command of Lord General Otto Batiatus III, an inexperienced yet eager member of High Command freshly commissioned to oversee the defence and retaking of the planet. Batiatus wasted no time in deploying his elite light infantry on garrison duty, using them for front line assaults, and generally ignoring their specialised usefulness. By the end of the campaign there were more than a few posts with likenesses of the Lord General fixed to them with combat knives.
Ultimately the 31st (along with their allies in ‘86) were pulled from the front following a distress call from the Lachesis system. This led the Lord General to panic, and to commit his veteran guardsmen before he was forced to relinquish them and was left with inexperienced reservists and militia. He focused his efforts on the town of Dhihabi, reasoning that if it could be taken and held, it would prove a stronghold that his lesser forces could garrison until he received further Imperial reinforcements.
Unfortunately he also deigned to hold back his heavy artillery from the attack, so they weren’t placed at risk and could commence bombardment of ork positions once the town was his. This choice, plus the unexpected arrival of Evil Sunz ork allies, turned the tide at Dhihabi, leaving the Lord General with the grim prospect of watching his elite regiments ship offworld even as the orks began to encroach into Imperial territory...
The Raid on Lachesis
Lachesis Prime was the victim of a sizeable raid by Traitor Astartes - primarily of the Word Bearers Legion, although they employed both Red Corsair and Night Lords allies. Their objective was to conduct a ritual to thin the fabric of realspace, creating a stable warp portal through which the bulk of a large Word Bearers invasion force could quickly and safely travel to the Eridani Sector.
The Nightfall 31st, along with Battlegroup 86 and Adeptus Astartes of the Cobalt Scions engaged the Word Bearers wherever they attacked. The Cadian 177th fought early on alongside the 31st, and though they went on to take harrowing casualties forcing their rotation from the front, they further cemented their position in the eyes of the 31st as offworlders to be respected after a string of hard fought victories. The 31st themselves were active in the war up until its closing moments, with L Company in particular finding themselves at the crux of a number of key battles including the defence of Ursev against Red Corsairs, and a battle for the Tower of Hope in which L Company's second platoon were somehow responsible for the defeat of a considerable number of Gal Vorbak. Sometimes by the skin of their teeth the Nightfallers held the line, and contributed in no small part to an eventual Imperial victory - though the world's ability to process its massive psychic harvests was crippled in the medium term. Regimental Command noted the differences between being under the operational command of a human officer, and the supreme commander being a space marine in the form of Tiberius Drusus, Chapter Master of the Cobalt Scions. Chief among these was that they were used for their intended purpose, and despite a superior foe the regiment punched above its weight performing the tasks it was specialised for.
The Makrinos Ambush
Towards the spinward end of the Targean Veil lies the world known as Makrinos to its inhabitants and Imperial Listening Post TV-7 to the Departmento Munitorum. A small self-sufficient colony far from Imperial civilisation, its primary use to the Imperium is maintaining the largely automated listening post located several miles from the colony limits in the wilderness. Used by Explorators, Rogue Traders and even Inquisitorial Agents at times as a stopping point between the wider Eridani Sector and the uncharted wilds of the Veil, the base was strategically useful - but relied on obscurity to defend it rather than a significant standing garrison. It was equipped with long range communications and scanners, and monitored the Veil for incursions into Imperial space. When it stopped broadcasting therefore, the Departmento Munitorum redirected a small escort squadron containing elements of the Nightfall 31st Recon and Cadian 177th Mechanised, both regiments veterans of the defence of Lachesis, to investigate.
Upon arrival the Imperials found the planet seemingly deserted, no hails or other signals leaving the world as the escort squadron approached. Mid-way through deployment, with just a few thousand guardsmen landed so far, several Tyranid escort-class ships emerged from cover and threatened the Naval forces. They forced the Navy to abandon the landing and withdraw, causing the loss of several troop transports - including the one carrying the Nightfall 31st 2nd in command, Major Hoss. The Navy were able to prevent the escorts from taking up stable orbital positions that would allow them to dominate any fighting on the ground, but were not powerful enough to drive them away entirely. Cut off from reinforcements and beset on all sides the Nightfallers and Cadians were again forced to work together or die alone, as it had been in the opening stages of the Lachesis campaign. Together they defended the Imperial base and managed to get word of the Tyranid presence offworld via a long range communications tower, and remarkably broke the back of the ambushing Tyranid ground forces in a decisive defensive action.
Following this success then-Captain Matthis of L company led her forces, along with armoured elements from the Cadian 53rd, to the nearby colony to investigate the source of the alien attackers. They found the colonists had long since been devoured, and the colony itself was the nest of a nascent Tyranid invasion, perhaps just weeks old, and still in the opening stages of growth before the planet could begin being fully devoured. It was bloody work but the colony was cleansed and the nest burned, winning victory as the Tyranids lost their ability to replenish the losses they had taken so far. By the time Imperial reinforcements arrived and broke the naval stalemate the Cadian/Nightfaller coalition were in the midst of a mop-up operation, piling and burning corpses while hunting for xenos in the forests. The Departmento Munitorum even refused to believe the incredulous tale of victory against long odds as reported by the officers on the ground, at least until their claims were corroborated by Imperial officials in the form of the two regiments’ attached senior Commissars.
In the final battle for the colony-nest Johanna Matthis was mortally wounded, ambushed by a lictor when she strayed too close. She barely survived, and has since had to undergo extensive cybernetic surgery and enhancement - though she was out of action for months afterwards, requiring extensive therapy and rehabilitation to return to duty. For her role in breaking the Tyranid invasion on Makrinos Matthis was promoted to Major, replacing Hoss who did not survive the crash of his transport. Lieutenant Raan of L Company's 2 Platoon was promoted in turn to Captain of L company to replace her, with Sergeant Kai promoted to replace him.
Regimental Structure
The 31st Nightfall Ranger Regiment is organised with operational independence in mind; being reconnaissance troops naturally predisposes the regiment to being placed in scenarios in which bringing its full might to bear would be difficult, or even detrimental, to its given objectives. Consequently the 31st have been organised for small scale deployments, with each individual company featuring a mix of line infantry, specialists and recon veterans to enable it to fight unsupported if necessary. Combat engineers, sentinel squadrons and mounted outriders are similarly all company command level assets, meaning that each and every Captain in the 31st has access to the tools they need to accomplish their objectives even if cut off from traditional lines of supply or reinforcement.
The only regimental command level assets are the regiment’s armour pool and attached specialist officers; commissars, priests, liaison officers and sanctioned psykers. These are attached to a given company for as long as required on deployment and (in the case of armour attachments) their crews are therefore subordinate to that company’s officers, but are not part of that company’s permanent hierarchy. As with many specialist infantry regiments the 31st’s armoured offerings are limited at best - they have no heavy armour or artillery, instead making use of up-gunned Chimera IFV variants, known as Wendigo Light Tanks, Hellhound variants, Hippogryph AFVs, and light field guns. They are sometimes further outfitted with Centaur pattern transport trucks if a given deployment involves fast movement of large quantities of men and materiel over large distances. This leaves a significant gap in the regiment’s capabilities when it comes to tank (or monster) hunting, which leads most company Captains to use their Sentinels as hunter-killer packs in an attempt to cover this operational weakness.
Company Structure
The 31st Nightfall Ranger Regiment is organised into 2 battalions comprised of 13 companies, lettered from A-Z, which are each organised into 4 platoons, numbered 1-4. The battalions are commanded by the regiment's Lieutenant-Colonel and Major (who do not maintain a company command), and every company is led by a Captain. Each company also has a Sentinel squadron and a number of mounted outriders who are not attached to any one platoon, but who are still subordinate to the company’s Lieutenants. Each platoon is made up of approximately 40 enlisted troopers (40 is the official number, but in reality this fluctuates in time with casualties and replenishments) and a Lieutenant, with a make-up of specialists appropriate to its role within the company.
1 Platoon
1 Platoon is made up of veterans who have survived both Nightfall and the Imperial Guard, and is designated the “ranger” platoon. They epitomise the Nightfaller way of war, so much so that it is these elite troops that give Nightfall regiments their name. These highly skilled troops are a valuable asset to their captain, being experts when it comes to almost anything light infantry might reasonably be expected to do. Infiltration, assassination and ambushes are all within their skillset, essentially making them a detachment of special forces akin to the Kasrkin of Cadian regiments - but with a specialism more suited to their regiment’s given role. It is not uncommon for veteran troopers to be promoted from the 1st platoon back out into the line platoons as NCOs, given that 1 platoon's specialist expertise are based on the skills an exemplary light infantry recon specialist would have; Nightfallers lead by example and respect competence above all else, and by having the most skilled soldiers lead the regulars the skills of the entire regiment are honed.
Given the elite nature of these troops the standing they have within the regiment is often at odds with their actual ranks; troopers in a company’s 1 platoon might be listened to more readily than NCOs (or even some officers), and this is doubly true when dealing with offworlders - part of the regimental-clan culture the Departmento Munitorum would dearly love to see removed.
2-3 Platoons
2 And 3 platoons are the backbone of any company within the 31st - designated the “line” platoons, and made up of regular troopers. They are typically organised into 3 infantry squads, a team of scout-snipers and a command squad assisting the Lieutenant, but ultimately platoon level organisation is left to its given officer on a mission by mission basis. It is not uncommon, for example, for the platoon's sniper specialists to also be trained in the use of infantry support weapons such as mortars or autocannons.
Line platoons form the core of the 31st, and similarly to how each company is organised to fight unsupported each line platoon should similarly be able to operate independently from its company, within reason; they would never be expected to be able to contend with heavy armour unsupported, or overcome forces beyond a platoon-level engagement, for example. Engagements where a line platoon is both cut off from its company and outclassed by its enemies are usually bloody affairs, but are also where some of the regiment’s greatest heroes have been forged.
Should the regiment end up with a glut of new recruits they are normally absorbed into the existing regimental structure by adding one or more line platoons to as many companies as required until the additional troopers are accounted for, as opposed to adding further companies. This is to reduce the need for additional senior commanders, and to keep the regiment's philosophy of self sufficiency among companies intact, with veteran line troops being on hand to guide greener ones.
4 Platoon
Designated the “support” platoon, 4 platoon typically features no line infantry at all and is instead made up of combat engineers, heavy gun crews, technicians and other support roles. They are an invaluable part of the 31st’s organisational doctrine: Without the support platoon providing vital additional skills and plugging gaps where the line platoons need them each company would be much less able to function independently. Whatever the task at hand, be it being able to repair communications equipment, man light artillery pieces or clear a mine-field, 4 Platoon finds a way.
Lieutenants well suited to 4 platoon command are usually themselves specialists in a given field, and are invariably excellent quarter-masters for the company - it comes with the territory of being responsible for the most expensive equipment in a regiment known for its light-fingered nature. While most Nightfallers would never harm their clan-mates, there are always those looking to make a quick profit...
Rangers and Outriders
Once a trooper has survived enough battles and gained enough recon experience to be wasted remaining with the line infantry, they are normally assigned to either the Ranger platoons or the Outriders. Both are veteran positions, with most becoming a Ranger and only those with significant riding experience from back on Nightfall being selected for a company's Outrider squad since fewer are required. The rivalry between these two groups is intense: The Rangers are the elite fighters after whom Nightfall regiments are named, but the Outriders are the more exclusive group. Both conduct missions behind enemy lines, but of very different sorts, and both are frequently lynchpins relied upon for results by their commanders. Ultimately it is Ranger Veteran status most Nightfallers covet, as this most closely resembles what an elite warrior on the home-world looks like, and this undeniable reality often chafes the Outrider squads and is a frequent source of intra-regimental friction. This is only made worse by the fact that most Outriders, having had experience riding the monstrous super-predators of Nightfall, find the horses supplied by the Departmento Munitorum insultingly mundane and tame compared to the Hellonn, the most commonly ridden mount on Nightfall: a fast and stealthy horse sized marsupial analogue covered in extremely corrosive spines and with a mouth of equally envenomed hollow-point fangs it regrows after every hunt, which the tithe ship captains have long since refused to carry alive after multiple incidents in transit. This often leads to Outrider units being overqualified for the mounts they ride and the missions they undertake, sometimes causing hot-headedness and impetuousness when a chance for a real fight presents itself.
Regimental Personnel
Colonel Cass Raikonnen, Regimental CO
Colonel Raikonnen is a canny senior officer who encourages initiative in his subordinates, and who understands his main role off the battlefield is to act as an ambassador for the regiment in their dealings with outsiders. Consequently he wears slightly finer fatigues: Not for the comfort, or to set himself apart from his men, but to try and ingratiate himself a little with the sometimes snobbish Imperial officers of high command. As a commander Raikonnen is highly respected and generally well liked by the 31st: He is charismatic and intelligent, and knows his way around a fight if it comes to it as any true Nightfaller should, while also never seeking one out unnecessarily.
Lieutenant-Colonel Aneskan Korhonen, Regimental 2IC
++++Update in Progress++++
Major Johanna Matthis, Regimental 3IC
Recently promoted to senior regimental command following heroic action against Tyranids that nearly cost her life, Major Matthis is an experienced and deadly leader of men. She is still getting used to her new cybernetically enhanced body, as well as her new responsibilities commanding fully half the regiment. Matthis technically commands N-Z companies, though will occasionally fight with other companies (such as her old outfit, Leshen company), and has finally returned to duty after being wounded for months. She has become something of a legend thanks to the overwhelming strength her new mostly bionic body possesses: She is a dangerous close combatant and not to be underestimated either in strategic ability or personal physical prowess... Though her near death experience has changed her from the nurturing mentor she once was into a colder, less compromising figure. When Major Matthis speaks, the 31st listens.
Lord Commissar Emil Valden
Lord Commissar Valden is a legend among the 31st, a warrior foreign to Nightfall that has won their respect serving with two previous Nightfaller regiments before his current posting. He has been inducted into the clan society of the regiment, and his word carries the same weight as that of any home grown officer. Valden never refers to himself by his full title, instead merely using the term "Commissar". It is his daring fearlessness that has won him the loyalty of the 31st - a trait that has seen him leading from the front in several of their most bloody and memorable conflicts. He does not shy away from executing his duties as a commissar, but applies his own interpretation on when to carry out the ultimate punishment - an interpretation conveniently in line with Nightfaller custom.
Commissar Valden has written several times regarding the flaws and virtues of Nightfaller regiments, and is in the process of completing his memoirs. His collected works may end up being some of the most comprehensive Imperial analysis of Nightfaller culture, should they be completed before he dies on the battlefield... Yet in all of these works he has made no note of the fact that he has in the past acted as a legitimate face to many of the 31st's more underhanded practices; from black market trading to the creative interpretation of orders from high command, Valden has defended his adoptive people from Imperial scrutiny by leveraging his position as a highly regarded and decorated political officer: The position of Lord Commissar, after all, possesses almost unchecked authority within the structures of the Imperial Guard. He justifies this practice to himself very simply: His role as mandated by the Scholar Progenium is to get the best out of the Nightfall 31st by any means necessary, and he will do anything to ensure that they give their best.
Commissar Kessia Ward
Commissar Kessia Ward was until recently Valden's student, completing her final period of preceptorship under his supervision. She wants nothing for enthusiasm, faith or patriotism, but is lacking in ability to adapt to a regiment's culture where it deviates from what the schola progenium teaches is the Militarum standard. This has made her unpopular among the considerably divergent Nightfall 31st, though her recent heroic action in the Targean Veil where she led by example in Valden's style after he was wounded early on in the Makrinos campaign has won her both the grudging respect of the regiment, as well as her commission as a fully qualified political officer. Time will tell if Commissar Ward is able to round off her sharp edges, or if her inflexibility affords her a knife (or grenade) in the back.
Sanctioned Psyker Jocastus Florin
Battle-Psyker Florin is a recent addition to the Nightfall 31st, part of a contingent of battle psykers attached to the regiment during its reinforcement post Lachesis. An oddly approachable sort for a psyker, and assigned primarily to L company, he has taken well to working alongside them in training exercises, and is very appreciative of the natural acceptance of psykers Nightfallers tend to share. He is an aging psyker, withered and haggard, the endless demands of his mere existence draining him physically and mentally.
Missionary Angelica Vane
Missionary Angelica Vane is an Exile from the Order of the Thorn and former Sister of Battle. Angelica is a broken woman who knows she will never again walk in the light of the Emperor in the same way that she once did, and throws herself into her work among the thinly-veiled heathens of the 31st with the desperation of one seeking absolution for her own sins. For their part the Nightfallers think Angelica is mad, and they're not entirely wrong - though they're quick witted enough to never be caught saying so.
L “Leshen” Company
L, or Leshen Company as it has come to be known (as every company within the Nightfall 31st is assigned a letter designation, which they invariably then associate with one of the various predators of their homeworld), is a typical infantry company of 4 platoons, a squad of outriders, and 2 sentinel squadrons. Previously captained by Major Matthis before her wounding on Makrinos and subsequent promotion, Leshen Company has gone to now-Captain Hakkonen Raan. Regarded highly among the 31st as one of the regiment's crack companies, Leshen Company has a well earned reputation for results following successes both on Lachesis and Makrinos. Their freshly promoted Captain has large boots to fill, and high expectations placed upon him from the start by Regimental Command, given his own reputation.
Company Command
Captain Hakkonen Raan, L Company CO
Hakkonen Raan is Captain of the 31st Nightfall Ranger Regiment’s “Leshen” L Company. A former enlisted clansman that has earned his way to his current position using grit, resourcefulness and as much luck as personal skill-at-arms, Raan is a rising force within the 31st with a promising career still ahead of him. Thanks to a string of unlikely survivals and victories he is held up by his subordinates as a hero, the quintessential example of what it means to be a Nightfaller, and looked to by his superiors for results in ever more desperate circumstances.
"Weasel" Sentinel Squadron LS/1/2
Weasel Squadron are L company's sentinel squadron, and are specialist anti armour hunter killers. Frequently outgunned against their preferred prey, Weasel Squadron have learned to get the drop on their targets, ambushing them from cover with salvoes of las and missile fire before the enemy knows what hit them, and relocating to safety before the inevitable return fire. This strategy won them the respect of the Imperial Knights of House Ulfir during the defence of Outpost 14, where they took the heart out of an approaching ork dredd mob before the knights could even open fire.
Weasel Squadron's commander, Sergeant Korhonen, drills her comrades relentlessly. She is herself an ace Sentinel jockey - having been piloting them since she was a child back on Nightfall itself. She is highly regarded among the entire 31st and her opinion holds more weight than her rank would suggest within the regiment-clan hierarchy, even discounting the clan name she shares with the regimental 2nd officer.
Sergeant Skirren, who pilots "Ghoul", is the squadron's other NCO, and is constantly chasing Korhonen's kill tallies and victories. He's a very competent squadron leader in his own right, L company well served by its sentinel cadre, but his hunger for glory and to surpass the great regimental hero he serves under can lead him into taking risks.
"Ritari" Outrider Squad LO
Ritari Squad are Leshen company's mounted outriders, commanded by Sergeant Ilkuri and named for the ancient Hellonn riding folk heroes of Nightfall's past, analogous to the wandering hedge knights of other ancient cultures. In open battle they are an experienced flanking force, keeping themselves out of sight and in cover before charging at the most opportune moment, but they are perhaps even more useful off the battlefield, acting as extremely mobile scouts and reliable runners when radio communications would expose the company's position. Ilkuri is a gifted squad commander, but arrogant, and his squad mirror this attitude: They consider themselves the finest fighters in all of L company, and more than one of them has a chip on their shoulder about being sent to the Outriders rather than the Rangers.
1 Platoon
Lieutenant Jann Kyrie, 1 Platoon CO
Kyrie is L Company's chief scout: A consummate infiltrator, ambusher and assassin. He trains his platoon of ranger veterans to make the most of their unique skillsets, each squad resembling a pack of hunting predators more than a regimented military unit. Kyrie was the only other consideration when Raan was promoted to captain of L Company, but was passed over due to him being much more comfortable hiding in a sewer behind enemy lines than he is giving a company-wide tactical meeting. Kyrie may be a better killer than Raan, but he is a worse leader. He is, therefore, well suited to his role as the junior officer of L company's most elite fighters.
Kyrie has been decorated with the Macharian Cross following a decisive raid during the closing stages of the campaign against Waaagh! Bonerippa on Aetolia, in which he led a kill team of his 1st platoon rangers and a warband of allied Kroot carnivores into the heart of Ork territory, stole into Bonerippa's personal encampment, and assassinated the beast, beheading the entire Waaagh!. He has since thoroughly cemented his position as L company's scariest member, and enjoys the reputation he's earned as a dangerous killer.
Squad L1/1
First Sergeant Altonnen leads the 1/1, and is an exemplar of everything Nightfall Ranger Veterans should be. He frequently is accompanied by Kyrie, and occasionally captain Raan himself, his team often functioning as the defacto command squad of the company. He has completed multiple covert operations on behalf of the 31st, an expert at scouting forward positions and ambushing unsuspecting foes. As is common within the ranger cadres of the 31st, Altonnen's word carries weight disproportionate to his rank: His reputation as a hardened killer and competent leader means that Nightfallers will readily take his lead... Even when doing so might be against the proper chain of command.
Squad L1/2
Sergeant Saari leads squad 1/2, and is a close quarters specialist with a penchant for sabotage and demolitions. Kyrie uses him as 1st platoon's battering ram, placing him front and centre where he can make the best use of the close range range weaponry his team prefers, along with his signature power fist. Saari has made friends with several Cadian troopers from the 177th mechanised and 53rd armoured, and bears a Merit of Terra on his pack - a gift from a Cadian tanker representing mutual respect in the wake of the Makrinos campaign.
Squad L1/3
Sergeant Jaakko
Squad L1/4
Sergeant Vier
2 Platoon
Lieutenant Anrei Kai, 2 Platoon CO
Lieutenant Kai is a dependable junior officer who emphasises the importance of rifle drill and marksmanship to the men he commands - he was promoted to sergeant of squad L2/1 after its near total elimination at Outpost 14 - with just he and then-sergeant Raan being all that was left of the unit. Following a blitzkrieg action in the outskirts of Dhihabi on the world of Eniola's Prospect, Kai and his newly formed squad were issued commendations for the brutal efficacy with which they cut down ork counterattackers, efficacy which bought time and space for the pilots of two downed Imperial Armiger class Knights to safely quit the field.
His career continued to flourish as Sergeant of squad 2/1, culminating in decisive action on Makrinos in which he and then-Junior Commissar Ward assaulted a gargantuan Tyranid gun-beast to keep it away from then-Lieutenant Raan's team burning the alien's nest. Among the widespread promotions following that campaign Kai was given command of 2 Platoon by Captain Raan: Thus far he has proven to be an inspired choice.
"Shrike" Squad L2/spec
2 Platoon's specialist squad of sniper-scouts have made a name for themselves in combat against the forces of the archenemy during the first war for Lachesis, forcing chaos lords to keep their heads down, and picking off elite warriors when the opportunity presented itself. Sergeant Jakkie is in charge, a squad leader who echoes his lieutenant's message of the importance of marksmanship. The name the rest of L company have given them is "Shrike Squad", referring to the vicious Nightfaller birds of prey that pin their victim down by impaling them on the branches of nearby trees, before tearing at their fleshy underbelly with a hooked beak and anti-coagulant secreting talons. While Shrikes are typically too small to attack an adult human, they have been known to pick off children that stray too far from their parents. Squad 2/Spec share this philosophy, waiting until the opportune moment to strike from prepared positions where the enemy is weakest. The shrikes are trained both with sniper rifles and with autocannons, a versatile addition to 2 platoon.
Squad L2/1
Captain Raan has a special place in his heart for the men and women of the 2/1, primarily due to the fact he used to lead the unit when he was himself an NCO. None of the troopers from his time in the squad are still alive save for Lieutenant Kai, the rest having been killed or maimed to the point of retirement in the various wars the regiment had fought since. Sergeant Marrv is a minor clan-leader from the intake of recruits post Lachesis, and is yet to make his mark on his platoon despite his eagerness to do so. He was badly wounded in the war for Eressus Tertia in defence of the city of Iria, but survived and continued to lead the 2/1 with new scars and more respect for his own mortality.
Squad L2/2
Sergeant Vassin is an experienced veteran promoted out of a ranger platoon back into the line, as is common within the 31st. She relished the chance for promotion and is career minded, and was disappointed when Kai was promoted over her to lead 2 Platoon. Instead of letting this wound fester she instead talked it over with Raan and Kai in respectable Nightfaller fashion, a decision that put her in good standing with her commanding officers. She is a capable squad leader who is frequently given the task of reigning in the more impetuous sergeant Marrv of the 2/1.
Squad L2/3
Though he lost an arm to an ork stormboy's power klaw, Sergeant Imka survived the following cybernetic surgery and continued to lead 3rd squad after the defence of Outpost 14. He took his experience with him into the reformed platoon, and has the respected position of 2 Platoon's longest serving NCO. His squad make up some of the finest close quarters fighters in L company, usually equipped with flame units for flushing enemies from cover, and are well drilled at storming enemy positions.
3 Platoon
Lieutenant Makiela Micah, 3 Platoon CO
Micah's command style is confident and assured, and should she not die she may have a promising career ahead of her in senior regimental command.
Squad L3/spec
Focusing on scouting and covert reconnaissance rather than battlefield support, Sergeant Aira's squad of sniper-scout specialists are often L company's eyes and ears ahead of the main force, and have paved the way for several of the company's more audacious manoeuvres in the past when the ranger platoon was otherwise occupied. They frequently work detached from 3 Platoon alongside Lt. Kyrie's rangers or Ritari squad, and Aira has a good relationship with Kyrie himself having originally been a part of his squad back when he was a ranger sergeant. She is also, unfortunately, quite sour that she is no longer part of 1 platoon, and frequently wears the medals she won while a ranger to remind everyone of just how good she is, a trait that wins her few new friends.
Squad L3/1
The 3/1 are an experienced unit commanded by sergeant Malinen, an aging veteran who was once a member of the elite rangers, but upon getting wounded and needing a bionic arm lost his way, becoming an embittered malcontent. Malinen has since found his home in the regimental black market, moving illicit goods between parties and skimming subtantial profits (and equipment for his squad of malcontents) off the top in the process... Suffice to say he is not on good terms with the regiment's morale officers, and is constantly on Commissar Ward's radar. He is also a close associate of "Big Cheese" Boggins, another influential figure in the criminal underbelly of the 31st. Aside from his bionic arm and an intimidatingly large machete, Malinen is always armed with a boltgun, obtained with the proceeds of his crimes, and he has become extremely proficient with it. His continued value as an experienced soldier and leader, despite his misdeeds, was proven on campaign against tyranids in the Eressus system where he was credited with a confirmed kill on a massive genestealer broodlord. He uses his former experiences with the Rangers to ensure his squad is always on task, often screening ahead of the platoon, and is less reliant than other NCOs on orders from his Lieutenant.
Squad L3/2
Sergeant Perss "Red" Aalto, squad leader of the 3/2, is easily distinguished by his dyed red hair, a tradition from his clan back on Nightfall. His squad, known simply as "The Reds", are seen as a dependable if unimaginative unit.
Squad L3/3
Sergeant Tari is newly promoted to command of the (reformed) 3/3 from the reserves, after Sergeant Rekola was torn apart by hormagaunts on an ill fated escort mission during the war for Eressus Tertia along with every last member of their unit. While Tari is new to squad command, and clearly needs time before becoming a confident leader of men, she is a gifted tactician, a good choice to mentor the freshly reformed 3/3 if she can only master her own insecurities and gain valuable experience in battle. She was chosen over a ranger platoon veteran as senior command (along with Raan and Commissar Valden) believe she may have potential as an officer.
4 Platoon
Lieutenant Ranken Chakkoten, 4 Platoon CO
++++Update In Progress++++
Attached Auxilia
"Kronk" Squad
An abhuman contingent from the Eridani Sector Militarum Auxilia has recently been attached to the 31st, with the Ogryn outfit affectionately named after its squad leader, Kronk, attached to L Company. While undoubtedly a straightforward individual, Kronk has taken to his Bone 'Ead implants remarkably well, and is even capable of appreciating the tactical significance of orders, so long as they are delivered in short, simple sentences. His "troopers" follow him enthusiastically, and have found the Nightfallers surprisingly easy company. Part of this may be due to the well-honed Nightfaller survival instinct telling them not to annoy ogryns with their usual antics, but another possibility is that the abhumans feel at home in a regiment that is regarded by the wider Imperial Guard with -almost- as much distaste as they are.
"Big Cheese" Squad
Also part of the Militarum Auxilia contingent were a number of Ratling sniper units, Sector Command pairing like with like and placing the diminutive abhumans where their sneaky talents would be most useful. The unit attached to L company is informally led by Bolbo "Big Cheese" Boggins, named for his one time feat of both stealing and consuming an entire platoons' cheese rations in a single sitting. Much like the ogryns, the ratlings have found the Nightfallers remarkably easy to get on with and almost completely lacking in abhuman prejudice. In this case, it is likely due to the fact that the ratlings are adept at exactly what the Nightfallers value, and are excellent friends to have when considering the inter-regimental black market, closely integrated as it is with the Ratling Mafia.
The Glorious Dead
Sanctioned Psyker Agustius Ghelt
Agustius Ghelt was a new arrival to the 31st as of action on Lachesis Prime. He was previously a mentor and supervisor in the Tower of Focus, responsible for the tuition and evaluation of raw Psykers before they are taken for the Tithe. When the world came under threat he offered his services to the Imperial Guard forces deployed to defend his workplace and home. He proved useful to the Nightfall 31st during action against the Word Bearers, and was assigned to them by High Command following positive reports. Ghelt enjoyed serving alongside the Nightfallers; their relative lack of loathing for his kind compared to more honest Imperials made his time with the Imperial Guard decidedly easier than that of most battle Psykers. Ghelt was killed in action in defence of Haeka Province on Lachesis, during a desperate assault on a Word Bearer held communications centre that was being used to jam Imperial vox networks. Though the 31st were utimately victorious and saved countless lives by restoring comms, Ghelt was cut down by Word Bearer Raptors and torn limb from limb. In his final moments he at least accounted for himself well, blasting a traitor astartes with every ounce of psychic power he had before the raptors were on him.
Major Praala Hoss
Major Hoss was the 31st's third in command since its most recent refounding, chosen by Colonel Raikonnen as his second largely due to the fact they had come from the same clan originally back on Nightfall. He was a useful administrator, often taking on the more organisational or menial duties Raikonnen didn't have time to complete, but was merely "competent" on the battlefield. He died in the skies above Makrinos in the midst of a Tyranid ambush - caught between the escorts in orbit and the landing fields beneath as the craft was hit with acidic anti-aircraft fire. The craft crash landed, killing everyone within - his body was never found, presumably devoured by the aliens on the planet's surface long before any relief efforts could be made.