Cadian 101st and Friends

The Cadian 101st are the Mechanised Infantry regiment that protagonist Arminka “Minka” Lesk comes to serve with Justin D. Hill’s Cadia Novel Series and was a large part of the inspiration behind starting a Guard Army.
For me, it was the stories that got me into 40K. I love a good battle and the grand stories as much as the next Warhammer fan but the stories that really got me into all this was the stories of the (relatively) little people: Gaunt’s Ghosts, Ciaphus Cain, Cadia, Severina Raine, Eisenhorn, Shira Calpurnia, Sister Miriya, 15 Hours. These are what attracted me from jumping from reading the novels and playing the video games to wanting to make my own stories on the table top.

The Cadia series in particularly stood out to me as, even though Minka is definitely the protagonist and our point of view for much of the series, it always framed as what was happening to 7th Company and Minka’s own 2nd Platoon as a whole rather than a posse of key characters from across an entire Regiment (Gaunt’s Ghost being a good example). I know Cadians get a lot of flack for being the Ultramarines of the Guard but all in all, I became an fan and have always wanted to put play them on the table (even if the table top game is a little more faceless and has a higher casualty rate when characters cease to have plot armour).

So, with this goal in mind I set about laying out how I would represent this unit in a table top army, as easy as it is to map out all the named characters and units they ultimately need to fit into rules of the game for play. Ultimately, I may use this for other games besides Warhammer 40K (Grim Dark Future being a go to in my local play sphere for lighter pick up games) but 40K is the most proscriptive system I regularly play (and I am in the middle of a Crusade at my local club) so this is where I will be starting.

So, this is my take on marrying the force as a functional set of toys along with their lore. Lets have a look at who they are and how they will be represented

The Cadian 101st – “Hell’s Last”:
The Cadian 101st actually began it’s service as a Armoured Regiment and served across the Cadian Gate prior to the 13th Black Crusade. Recalled to Cadia to aid in the planet’s siege they became part of Ursarka E. Creed’s counterstrike force, held in reserve during the initial battles and deployed to strike back at the invaders when the opportunity arose. Yet, as Abaddon’s plan to drop the Blackstone Fortress Will of Eternity on the planet became apparent, much of the regiments equipment was destroyed or abandoned in the evacuation. With the Regiment’s Colonel, now General: Isaia Benedict promoted by Creed during the Battle for Cadia the Regiment found itself without a commander, without adequate armour and without the adequate crews.

Rather than allow the Regiment to die, reinforcements where scratched together from the remnants of other shock trooper units that had escaped the planet and found themselves similarly without a functional command structure. The tank crews had their skills reassigned to operate Chimera Armoured Transports and the troopers reorganised as Mechanised Assault Infantry.

The nickname “Hell’s Last” was earned during the Battle for Hive Markgraaf. During Operations to retake the Hive from chaos worshippers, the Hive became simply known as Hell as units where forced to take long tours through the dark and decaying superstructure to hunt down traitor units. During one of these operations, the 101st became cut off by a hive quake that collapsed the tunnels they had entered. A number of the survivors eventually emerged from the ruins after High Command had long given them up as lost. These survivors become to known as the last to pull out that Hell and the moniker stuck for the regiment as a whole.

7th Company is merely the company under which many of the characters are organised, though a few will be showing up from elsewhere in the regiment. So far, I have committed to factoring the Company HQ as a secondary command squad (the Astra Militarum being all about coverage of Orders after all).

Colonel Sparker and Command Squad:
Unit – Cadian Command Squad

Colonel Sparker is both the 101st’s Regimental Commanding Officer and 7th Company Commander in Charge. With a lack of readily available senior officers when the Regiment was reformed, Sparker ended up filling the role of the 7th’s CIC, a “temporary” posting that has stuck as the loss of Cadia has meant commissioned officers are in even shorter supply than troopers. This means that Sparker often deploys with the 7th, taking to the field with the Company before establishing the Regimental field command in their wake.
To represent this, I intended to run Sparker as Command Squad with mostly “unit on the field” abilities, to be deployed in larger games where he can hang back, offer bonuses and shout Regimental Orders over the vox to any units not already being ordered by 2nd Platoon Command. He probably won’t see as much play as Lesk’s Squad but I still look forward to being able to create this part of Company echelons.

Accompanying Sparker will be: Colour Sergeant Tyson (Regimental Standard), Sparker’s aide Kavik (Master-Vox), Chief Medicae Banting (Veteran with Laspistol and Chainsword) and Banting’s orderly Evrind (Medipack).
Tyson has the banner as he is literally the Company Colour Sergeant, Kavik gets the Vox as this makes sense for the officer’s aide in the field.
I’ve given Evrind, the orderly, the medipack simply because that equipment choice also carries a lasgun and Banting is here for the rule of cool with basic personal defence weapons. This gives me more room to work with some bits previewed for the upgrade kit and there is a trooper in the Command Squad kit festooned with satchels and bundled up field stretcher. This feels more fitting for the assistant orderly than chief medical officer.
If I ever want to make this more competitive I may swap Banting out for a nameless veteran with a special weapon but for now, Banting is in.

2nd Platoon is Lesk’s current command. Brevetted ranking officer during operations on the planet Malouri when the platoon’s prior officer, Lieutenant Dido, is wounded during an assault on the secessionist bastion of Tor Kharybdis. When Dido passes away, Minka’s promotion is confirmed.

Lieutenant Arminka Lesk and Command Squad:
Unit – Cadian Command Squad

Lt. Arminka “Minka” Lesk is the novel’s primary protaganist. A Whiteshield cadet when Cadia came under assualt by the forces of the 13th Black Crusade, she survived the conflict and eventually escaped the planet. As one of the initial members of the newly formed 101st she makes Sergeant when the regiment lands on the Cardinal World of Potence and several other depleted Cadian regiments are folded in as reinforcements. Promoted again after taking command of the platoon on Malouri when the platoon’s CO is wounded in the field and fails to return.
I could write a whole novel on Minka but Justin D. Hill already wrote three and he’s a better author than I. Simply to say I’ll be making her with Bolt Pistol and Powersword as, at the end of the Traitor Rock, she is issued with a Marauder Patter Bolt Pistol (this is distint in that it has a drum mag but I might have to give up this detail unless I want to get creative with greenstuff) and carrying a powersabre, used in a desperate moment during the penultimate assault and kept as a trophy. This will also have some interesting painting opportunities as she carries a blade given to her by Kasrkin Captain Rath Sturm. Sturm was the commanding officer of the mixed force Minka was a part of during the Battle for Cadia and she carries it as a keepsake (and occasional backup weapon).

In Minka’s Squad are several trusted members of her former 4th Squad that she brings with here into her command. Here, where we can have up to four models in the unit besided the commander I have chosen Blanchez (Regimental Banner), Thuga Baine (Master-Vox), Elias Orugi (Medipack) and Urea Yedrin (Flamer).

• Blanchez begins as a Whiteshield as a part of the controversal program to find the children of Cadians born away from the planet or aboard fleets and restart the Whiteshield training program. First deployed on Malouri and makes the rank of Shock Trooper after surving her first action. Acquiring a sharpshooter’s Hot-shot Lasgun variant during the fighting, she proves her skills with the weapon and it permitted to keep it. Falling in with Minka’s squad during the assualt on Tor Tartarus she becomes a member of Minka’s squad for her ability to pick off priority targets. That being said, there is a lack of good sniper rifles in the new kits and the Heavy rule for the Sniper Rifle weapon profile is rubbish for a mobile squad so instead, Blanchez gets to carry the Regimental Standard and I’ll aim to model her more as a designated sharpshooter just for the rule of cool.
• Thuga Baine was Minka’s second in command in 4th squad, he gets the vox here because someone has to carry it and was shown to be capable of running vox equipment in the squad’s Chimera before Minka’s promotion.
• Elias Orugi was something of a simple giant, having taken a severe head wound that was surgically repaired with a metal plate. Whilst much of his personality was lost he retained his muscle memory for weapons and his above average strength and he often hauls excess gear and special weapons for the squad. Here I making him something of a corpsman and having him carry the medipack (Cadian Command Squads all have a Veteran that carry one) so I plan to model him with plenty of baggage.
• Urea Yedrin was another Whiteshield who fought along side Blanchez on Malouri and fell into Minka’s orbit. During their initial deployment he acquires a flamer and puts it to good use and, as a fairly good anti-mass infantry deterent, I have elected to give him this weapon on the table.

The Squads of Second Platoon:
Unit – Cadian Shock Troopers

Their are canonically four squads in 2nd Platoon so, seeing as that is about as many Cadian Shock Troops as I could ever want without getting into hugely titanic battles (and even if I do, I would probably look into some other options for flavour: like running Krieg Veterans or basic Infantry with Heavy Weapons and playing with modelling other known units if that would prove useful) I have decide to map and create each of these.
We don’t get a lot on these squads in details apart from Minka’s own former 4th squad but half of them are dead or transferred into the Platoon Command at the end of Traitor Rock. This works fine for me though as I have no desire to detail, story and model every inevitable casualty across these units. Rather I will instead give a little bit of attention to the squad sergeants and equip each squad for a different tactical role. The differences being the Sergeants loadouts and the special weapon options.
I am basically running this down two axes. Closer range vs longer range and anti-infantry vs. anti-armour/elite. The closer range sergeants will be getting bolt pistols and chainswords, the longer range will get the drum-fed autoguns.

1st Squad: Elhrot – Not a lot is said about Elhrot so pretty free with this. This will be my closer range anti infantry option on Crusade so this squad gets flamers.
2nd Squad: Raske – We get a bit more on Raske with the details that he has prominent face augmetics over an old injury so I’ll be looking for a head that shows this. This will be my closer range anti-armour and so will carrying meltas.
3rd Squad: Barnabas – We only really get a personality for Barnabas, a older Veteran so pretty free again. Squad 3 will the longer range anti-armour and will be equipped with plasma guns.
4th Squad: Dreno – As Minka’s old squad we get a lot more details on 4th but I’ll be keeping this simple. Dreno is something of an arrogant man so maybe a nice big cocky grin or something chewying on a cigar/lho stick. I’ll see what the new kits offer up. Lastly, this will be the longer range anti-infantry squad and carry grenade launchers (though the krak profile on the weapon won’t leave them helpless against hard targets).

I may chop and change these depending on whether this feels like I’m losing options on the board when not deploying all four squads at once and may switch some of the special weapons around to create some more flex (like squad 1 and 2 having a flamer and a melta each whilst 3 & 4 get a plasma and a grenade launcher). Point is, once these are all built I’ll have enough toys to mix and match till I’m happy,

Chimeras:
Unit – Chimeras

The 101st are a Mechanised Infantry regiment and this is how they are typically mechanised. Whether I ever make all five is questionable given that to take the entire platoon at once with Dedicated Transport would be a really big points/power sink but their here on the Org Chart for reference. The only details of note here is the Command Squad’s Chimera. The Saint is named after stories of troops having visions of an angelic figure appearing accross Cadia during it’s final days. I have always chosen to believe this is a reference to Saint Celestine and may do something a little more with this particular Chimera when it comes to painting. Everything else are just transports so my squads aren’t half dead before they get to objectives and into range of enemies.

Platoon Level Weapons:
Units – Heavy Weapon Squads

Not much to say on these so far. There is no dedicated heavy weapons support troops in the narrative, rather heavy weapon are things that troopers jump on or are provided tactically. However, the Cadian Shock Troops unit can no longer take Heavy Weapons as an options so I threw this down based on the idea of Platoon level support weapons, a common practice in the early 20th Century in our own reality of warfare. With the introduction of Field Ordinance Batteries these may not be a priority but I’ll leave so I have some space to play around and maybe come back to them down the line.

Kasrkin Veterans:
Unit – Kasrkin

There are references to the fact that the 1st and 2nd Company are made up of Veteran Kasrkin troopers and we get the name of some Captains buuuuuut I don’t really feel the need for another command unit at this time and any further details are oblique. I want some Kasrkin because the models are cool and rules look fun so I’ll make them part of 1st Company, 1st Platoon unless another novel comes out and expands on this.
Otherwise these are mostly here because their a fun Elite slot options and you know… Kasrkin!

Like any Guard force, there are a number of ancillary members of the Imperial War Machine that are not strictly a part of the Regiment itself. I’ve decided to include a few here, some of which I will definitely build and field, some I may make a neat hobby project our of one day just for the fun of it.
This may also include the like of Attaches and Bodyguards but these would be gameplay additions rather than narrative ones so I would probably not go to great lengths to detail them.

Chief Commissar Shand:
Unit – Commissar

There are a number of Commissars that we meet over the series but the constant presence of the Officio Commissariat is Shand, Chief of the so called “Bats” assigned to the Regiment. We spend more time with him amongst the 7th Company after he personally oversees the integration of reinforcements from other dissolved Cadian Regiments.
I’ll most likely give him the classic Bolt Pistol and Powersword of the Commissars but I might upgrade him to a plasma pistol for some more punch as I reckon he could easily acquire one given his seniority and I tend to play on Power Level anyway. Maybe magnetised? I’ll see when the new Commissar kit comes out.
Side Note: Speaking on the new kit, I know a lot of talk has disparaged the new kit that is coming out and feel it is very understated compared the traditional brocade and frogging of older models but Shand is described and dour, humourless man with a scarred face and stiff bearing. The new model of the glowering officer standing ramrod straight with the stormcoat buttoned all the way to neck encapsulates how I see Shand almost perfectly. Looking forward to getting my hands on this one when it releases.

Father Kerrem:
Unit – Regimental Preacher

Father Kerrem appears infrequently but is mentioned as the regiment’s presiding priest, typically blessing the assembled troops before a major operation or attending to the fallen. We have yet to read of him taking to the field but he is described by others as being a force to reckon with in his younger days: wading into battle with a two-handed eviscerator chainsword and signing battle litanies and hymns. I’ve no idea if this unit is any good on the table but it would be fun to look at coming up with a model to include him along with the rest.

Primaris Psyker:
Unit – Primaris Psyker

Yeah, this one doesn’t even have a name yet as no sanctioned psyker has really factored into any of the novels as of yet. But I want some psychic phase abilities and denial so I’m including one under the idea of one being seconded from the Scholastica Psykana.
I’ve been meaning to read Witchbringer so maybe I’ll get my hands on that and look some inspiration to bring this one a little closer to home.

And that’s what I have so far. As I mentioned, I’m not about to sit and build all of these on one go and some things may change around the periphery. Plus this hasn’t even touched on the accompanying Armour and Artillery regiments for the Armour I’ll want to field but more on them when I come to working on them respectively. If you read this far well done! I’m not entirely sure I expected anyone to follow my rambling for so long.

Next, time to look at the models themselves and what I am doing with them (spoiler, I get more time to build than write so I’m about done with the infantry from the Cadia Stands box so we’ll see them soon).