Blackwater Rifles

History
Sarton tradition dictates that the name of a regiment- whether PDF or Imperial Guard comes from the region where it was founded and by tradition, its commanding officer comes from the regional capital. The regiment came from the city of Blackwater, the capital of the Blackwater region. Once called "Clearwater" the name changed when the river was polluted by industry and mining. The city was a working class town home to men and women attracted by high paying work in the factories and slaughterhouses. things changed as time passed, factory owners began saving money by using Ogryns as workers instead. With their way of life gone many men turned to the Imperial Guard, sending their pay home to their families. The Sarton 6th Heavy Infantry(the 6th of 13 regiments sent to fight) was founded shortly before the Crusade for Nightshores Unusually, once the fighting was over the units were disbanded and allowed to return home but many did not- instead settling on the newly claimed worlds of Nightshores or Akoni.

Tolomai Heights (the Clash of Legends)
While the Blackwater Rifles fought in many battles in the Crusade their greatest is the Battle of Tolomai Heights, on the world of Lanuar V- also known as the Clash of Legends. Tolomai Heights saw the Ogryn companies(themselves legend to their Akoni allies) face and defeat Beastmen who had sworn loyalty to Khorne in a brutal close quarters melee fight. While Ogryns were a common sight to the men of the Sarton Imperial Guard other Abhumans were not- existing only in fairy tales meant to frighten misbehaving children or in jokes poking fun at Ratlings. Tolomai Heights was a sobering lesson. They lost 79 Ogryns including a beloved BONEhead sergeant named Gamjee who died in a duel with a Minotaur and the captain of the 1st company, Markus Holman, noteworthy as the only Human to die that day.

They traded 80 dead on their side for more than 700 Beastmen and the capture of the Tolomai Heights, later used as an artillery position by the Crusade army.

Officer Corps
1.Officer Corps of 20 men composed of

1. Colonel

2 18 captains

3. Regimental Commissar

Ogryn Companies(Companies 1-6 (Ogryn)
A full third of the Blackwater Rifles consisted of Ogryns- armed with heavy weapons, high explosives, clubs and makeshift body armor made of scrap, they were used as the first wave in assaults or the front line in other battles. The reasoning being that Ogryns would not die as easily as ordinary humans and that no enemy could be prepared for a charging mass of 600 of them.

These 600 Ogryns fell under the command of human captains and the Regimental Commissar but beyond that organization was rather irregular- with no set platoon or company size beyond what the Ogryn BONEheads who acted as Sergeants could control. The people of Sarton had no real dislike toward them, treating them as they would a simple minded relative- albeit one far larger and suited to harder and more dangerous tasks.

Riflemen(Companies 1-12(Riflemen)
The other 12 companies were simply ordinary humans.

1.12 companies of 100 each lead by a Captain broken down into

2. 5 platoons of 20 each commanded by a Vice- Captain(equivalent to a Lt.) broken into

3. 4 squads of 5 men each- 4 troopers and 1 grenadier armed with the Sarton pattern Grenade Launcher.

Tactical Doctrine
As heavy Infantry they were often deployed as the center line of a battle or as assault troops for taking enemy fortifications (As most of these men came from industrial or farming backgrounds they tended to build up enormous muscle strength as well making them ideal for close quarters action.) As a unit The Blackwater Rifles, and Sarton units as a whole were rather inflexible, making them best suited to facing equally immobile units. They were excellent defensive soldiers, once they had taken a position they could be trusted to hold it whatever the cost. Anyone facing them would have to expect to pay a high cost of their own.

Colonel Adair
Born in Blackwater he grew up in an orphanage, never knowing who his parents were as they had died shortly after he was born. He was a problem child- the staff simply cast him out onto the street at age 13. He was forced to care for himself for the next 2 years. His life changed once he found work at the "Rose Street Meat packing plant." Saving his money he made plans to leave the city and head offworld- he never got the chance, he was drafted into the PDF at age 18 first. This was not all bad. His work ethic quickly earned him promotions and the respect of those he found himself commanding- these men would become the core of the 6th Sarton Heavy Infantry.

His life would change forever one night- going to a favorite tavern for a drink- he used his remaining savings to pay off a group of unemployed men before their complaints and desire for violence could become a revolt. Impressed that he had handled the situation without bloodshed his commander invited him to his home as a dinner guest. He would meet and marry his commander's daughter as a result of this invitation. When Colonel Haryson died he inherited command of the PDF unit that became the Blackwater rifles. His beloved wife Sienna Adair(nee Haryson) would follow him when he and his men embarked on the crusade. After their safe return he retired from the Imperial Guard when his unit returned to its role as a PDF unit and only then would he meet the 12 siblings he had never known.

Gamjee
" We lift things up... and put them down.  "

Once a household servant to the Harysons and later Colonel Adair he would be one of the first Ogryns to join the Blackwater Rifles out of loyalty to the family. At some point Colonel Haryson had paid for the surgical procedures to make Gamjee a BONEhead and this let him command his own squad. Despite being an Ogryn, he was known to display almost frightening flashes of insight and intelligence along with his enormous strength. Slow to anger but unstoppable when enraged he killed hundreds of the Emperor's enemies before dying early in the Crusade.

Markus Holman
"My mother was a drunk and my father was obscurity"

Born to a destitute mother who would die of liver cirrhosis shortly before his 5th birthday, he was raised in an orphanage as well until he was 12 years old. This institution was less than respectable however- it was targeted for a raid by the local constables. When it was shut down he was taken in by the lead officer. However he quickly rebelled against the man's authoritarian style of parenting and worked a serious of odd jobs and criminal enterprises before hiding in the PDF to avoid prosecution. Colonel Adair's gambit, giving him responsibility to get his life on track, worked and he rose in the ranks becoming leader of the 1st Company(Riflemen) shortly before they departed Sarton. Like Gamjee he died early in the Crusade and the 1st company suffered without his leadership until a suitable leader was found.

Equipment
M37 pattern lasgun

Sarton Pattern Grenade Launcher (essentially a larger version of the "Hammerhand" revolver- chambered for 20mm grenades)

Sarton pattern "Thunderclap" mortar

Fighting Knife/bayonet

Sarton "Hammerhand" Revolver

Imperial Guardsman's Uplifing Primer

Sarton flak armor/helmet

7 days of rations

bedroll/pack

Akoni
The Imperial Guard of Akoni(the Akoni 3rd Drop Infantry was 1 of 22 regiments) and the Imperial Guard of Sarton fought together in the Crusade for Nightshores developing an Intense respect for each other's skills. Most notably in the case of the 3rd Akoni and the Blackwater Rifles lacking in every way but in Heavy Infantry the Sarton Imperial Guard found themselves in danger of being outflanked in one major battle- only the timely deployment of the 3rd Akoni saved them and later won the battle.

From that moment forward the High Command deployed these units together for the remainder of the crusade. The Akoni remained completely fascinated by Ogryns(which none had seen in person) and the Sarton by Akoni tattoos and the exotic women depicted in aircraft nose art many friendships were born of the working relationship- they remained close friends, allies and trading partners after the end of the Crusade.