# Imperial Guard Insignia



## Cato Sicarius (Feb 21, 2008)

Hey there!

On the left shoulder of Imperial Guardsmen, there is a number, i.e. 005, 424 etc...

But is that number a regimental number, a company number, or a squad number? So if a guardsman has the number 005 on his shoulder, does that mean he's in the 5th Regiment, 5th company, or 5th squad?


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## lawrence96 (Sep 1, 2008)

each squad is issued a unique 3 digit number with the 00# being reserved for kasrkins, [email protected] (@represents skull) would be command squads, and all other 324 for example will be normal infantry.


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

According to the old dex Cadians use it for squads.

"Upon enlistment, squads are issued with a unique 3 digit squad number..."

IIRC company, platoon and squad designations used to be a split circle, company colour on one side, platoon colour on the other and the squad number superimposed.

Theres many regiments though so use whatever your happy with.

Edit: Ninja'd


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## Cato Sicarius (Feb 21, 2008)

Riiiight. So for my command squad I could have, say, [email protected], and for storm troopers I could have 007, and for a normal guardsman squad I could have 412? So it has nothing to do with regiment or company?


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

The Regiment and Company is denoted by Uniform, Call Sign, Beret's/Dress Reg's, and Banner.

A Command Squad is denoted by 0(skull)1 - First Squad, Command Platoon. Squads assigned to the Command Squad are denoted as 011, 012, 013 etc - 015, for example, is 5th Squad, Command Support Section, Command Platoon, Whatever Company, Whatever Regiment.

A Storm Trooper Squad is Schola Progenium, like a Commisar, so isn't required to have a number, but if they are assigned to stay with a Regiment (such as Equivalent units - Kasrkin for example), they occasionally follow it up from the command number - 0, to show that they only take orders from the Overall commander of the company. The second number, 0, refers to their number in a platoon - not being in one, they take the command insignia. The last number is their Squad number, which does change. 005, for example, is 5th Storm Trooper Squad, Whatever Company, Whatever Regiment.

If they have a Black Greatcoat and Black Peaked Cap (although some prefer the Armoured helm), and 003, then they are 3rd Commisar X, of whatever company, whatever regiment. They can take the number of the Platoon they are assigned to, but to show that they above the chain of command - even the most newly rated Commisar can execute a Lord Solar if they believe them to be heretical, they only show allegiance to the Regiment, hence the 00#.

Normal Platoons will have the command squad denoted as #, representing the number of the Platoon, 0, representing the Command Section, and 1 as the squad. Any support sections will have 101, for example, representing First Support Squad, First Platoon. 708 represents 8th Support Squad, 7th Platoon.

The Normal Squads are a bit different. The number of the platoon is reserved for the first digit, while the last two are reserved for the squad number of the platoon - for example, 329 is 29th Squad, 3rd Platoon.

However, each Regiment can be different - it's up to yourself.

To take reference from the Marines for example 3rd Platoon, Echo (E) Company, 42 Commando, 3 Commando Brigade. (I'd give my own, but for security, I can't). A Commando Unit (there are 3 of them), is Battalion sized - roughly 1500 men. The Brigade itself has 8000 (roughly) Marines in it.

In each platoon, I am lead by a Junior Officer - 2nd Lieutenant, 1st Lieutenant, Captain (in order of rank from Least to most senior), who commands 20-32 men, depending on how many pass out, and obvious other reasons, should the need arise.

A Company is made up of 2-5 Junior Officers, who report to a Senior Field Rank (anything up to Major, although usually a Captain, or Major with several years experience, and with proper Combat Experience). If the most senior rank is not the most able, the most able recieves a field promotion, or a brevet rank until the paper comes through, but with todays technology, and medical abilities, most survive, and the rank will come through in several days. Experience and ability counts for everything, while Wealth, Priveledge and time count for little, other than a pay rise (tri monthly).

This Field Senior Officer, in command of a Platoon, will have the rank up to Colonel, although that is usually a Lt. Colonel, as Colonels have buckets more paperwork, and extra bling and a slight payrise isn't worth it. Not to mention Diplomacy and Politics. The Bane of the Marines. Per Mare, Per Terram. Oorah Boys.

Hope that helps any ;D


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## Cato Sicarius (Feb 21, 2008)

Right, so the company command squad of the first company would have: 0(skull)1

The platoon command squad of the first platoon would have: 101

And the first normal squad of the first platoon would be:101

Is that right? It's just confusing by the way GW puts the insignia on as on the command squad box it says 8(skull)2, which would make no sense.


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

Yeah thats pretty much it.

That could simply mean that its the command squad for the second platoon in the 8th company (8, skull, 2) you can have numerous platoons per company and up to (IIRC) around 20 companies per regiment.

With an army as diverse as the Guard there is no standard across the whole. IIRC it says in the codex the only thing all regiments have in common is the lasgun, uniforms and equipment vary.


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## Cato Sicarius (Feb 21, 2008)

But that would mean that the squad was in a platoon, whereas, as far as I know, this is a company command squad.


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