Commissar Training Squads for WH40k
By Tim Peers
Many Commissars are already veterans from the Stormtrooper Corps before they take up their duties, but others enter the Commisariat directly from the orphanages of the Schola Progenium. Despite all the harsh training they receive, these young Commisars know that they will never earn the respect of the ordinary Guardsmen, nor be able to inspire them, until they have seen battle from an infantryman's point of view. To this end, experienced Commissars often lead squads of Trainees into live combat, where they can face first hand the dangers they would have others endure.
Using Training Squads in an army
An Imperial Guard army may include up to one Commissar Training Squad as one of its Elite choices. The Commissar leading the squad counts against the five available for the army, and at least one other Commissar must be present in the force- if only one Commissar is available he will take his place beside the commanding officer of the army as is his duty.
Commissar Training Squad
|
Points
|
WS
|
BS
|
S
|
T
|
W
|
I
|
A
|
Ld
|
Sv
|
|
|
Trainee
|
10
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
8
|
5+
|
|
Commissar
|
40
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
10
|
5+
|
Squad: The squad consists of 1 Commissar and 4-9 Trainees
Weapons: Lasguns. The Commissar has a Laspistol and Close Combat Weapon.
Options: Two modesl may have: Flamer (3pts) Meltagun (8pts) Plasmagun (8pts) or Grenade Launcher (8pts). The squad must be free to get to wherever the fighting is fiercest, and so no Heavy Weapons are carried.
The whole squad may have Frag Grenades at +10 pts.
The Commissar may take additional equipment from the Armoury.
Fearless: As long as the Commissar survives, the Training Squad is Fearless. If the Commissar is killed, then the sqaud becomes subject to the usual morale rules. In addition, if at any time the Trainees fail a Morale or Pinning test after the death of the Commissar, then they will be considered destroyed for the purposes of victory points- they have failed in their hardest test of all.
Transport: The entire squad may be mounted in a Chimera (see Codex Imperial Guard for details)
Design Notes: Training Squads are quite a useful addition to an Imperial Guard army. They can be relied upon to stand firm in the face of the fiercest firefight, and can help swing an assault if the Commissar survives- or at least buy the army some time to reform by not running away. Interestingly, a Training Squad which breaks after the loss of its Commissar becomes effectively a suicide unit since it has already given away all the victory points it is going to- this is intentional!