Mazino Hunters

"Mazins! The fate of the Imperium will be determined by our ferocity and sacrifices in combat! There is no future where humanity can inhabit the galaxy without our contributions! Give your hearts to the Emperor and for Mazino! March or Die!"

- Lord-General Ignace giving a speech before the Mazino Hunters during the Battle of Tarsis Ultra.

The Mazino Hunters is the name of the imperial guard regiments that hail from the feudal/fortress world of Mazino, located in the near eastern fringes of the Segmentum Ultima. Due to the numerous wild animals present in the planet's notorious forested areas, the Mazin guardsmen are natural marksmen, unleashing deadly accurate volleys of lasfire, or well executed harassment and ambushes against enemy units. The Mazin guardsmen are highly disciplined, always following their superiors without any question. Unlike other feudal worlds, Mazino does not arm its PDF with sword and shield or crude black powder firearms, but with las-locks. Mazino is also known to have more firearms than there is citizens with almost every Mazin armed with old flintlock rifles, and some even able to get their hands on a las-lock.

Background
Mazino was discovered by the Imperium of Man during the 33rd Millennium, its vast forests and steep mountains made it difficult for colonization, however, this did not stop the Imperium to colonize the entire planet. The planet's timber eventually became the most popular resource for the Imperium. Due to Mazino's thick foliage and rough mountains, transportation is near impossible to traverse, making it even more difficult are the different wild animals that hunt in the forests as well. Relying instead of using avionic machines to gather supplies and travel from one place to another. Though, keeping the wild beasts from ravaging the entire planet are the brave and foolhardy peasants and nobility of Mazino. The vast forests, rolling valleys, mountainous terrain, meandering rivers, and extensive caves makes the planet a natural fortress against invaders.

Though, the wild beasts that dwell in the forests are a nuisance for travelers, the people of Mazino make sure they do not over hunt these animals, or destroy their habitat, as without them, the Mazin people will lose their tradition of hunting.

Other than marksmanship, Mazin guardsmen are also skilled in mounting steads, especially among the nobility, which are required to ride a tamed animal at a very young age, in order to catch up on the prey when hunting.

Mazins are also exceptional in raising animals, skilled in breeding every animal in its native planet, and some species in other imperial worlds. This makes them exceptional workers from nearby Agri-worlds, however, Mazins avoid this, as it usually makes them homesick and miss the thrill of hunting.

Though, not big in number such as the Cadian Shock Troops or the Mordian Iron Guard, the Mazino Hunters use quality over quantity, using their marksmanship and cavalry tactics to compensate the lack of forces it could muster into battle, usually reinforcing siege and line regiments, or perform dangerous reconnaissance and daring raid missions to gather intelligence, rescue prisoners, or sabotaging enemy supplies.

Mazins have minor mutations that was caused by a warp storm during the 34th Millenium, causing all the people of Mazino to become mutated in some way, and these mutations were passed on to their children, however, they still retain their pure human complexion and are still considered fully human by the Imperium. The most notable mutation is the addition of a tapetum lucidum in the eyes, making Mazin guardsmen perform night attacks more efficiently than other imperial guardsmen. Also, the people of Mazino have a visual acuity level of 20/9, making them see farther than a regular human being can.

Unlike other worlds in the Imperium, Ratlings are not discriminated in Mazino. In fact, Mazino regiments and Ratling units create a friendship with each other, mainly due to the fact that they are good at shooting. With the Mazino Hunters being one of the only, if not only imperial guardsmen that give kindness, Ratlings do not steal charger packs or other supplies from them, sometimes they would even share stolen supplies from other imperial guard regiments to their Mazino allies. In battle, Ratling units are more than willing to support Mazino Light Infantry and Reconnaissance regiments in their objectives. In Mazino, Ratlings are welcome in the Mazin community, building their own homes in Mazin villages, creating a bond with the people of Mazino, also tagging alongside in their hunting expeditions. There are few cases as well of interracial couples between a Ratling and a Mazin. Ratlings are also quite popular chefs in Mazino. This relationship however creates rifts between Mazino guardsmen and other imperial guardsmen, especially with the Maccabian Janissaries, which they refer Mazins in general as "Heretical Xeno lovers". However, the same cannot be said for Ogryns, as Mazins have a great distate of the Ogryns brutish and dimwitted nature.

Culture
The people of Mazino are born to hunt and ride at a very young age, in order to protect themselves against the dense wildlife that surrounds them. Though, military service is not something special for Mazin life, they will gladly take their arms and skills for service under the honor of the God-Emperor and their homeworld. It is a tradition for Mazin guardsmen however, to bring back at least the skin of one animal not native to Mazino wildlife. Since they were raised to obey their parents at all times, Mazin guardsmen are very disciplined soldiers, following orders without hesitation, refusing to disrespect or break the chain-of-command, however, they will hesitate when following orders that are heretical or that goes against their planet's customs. Though, they are considered professional hunters, the Mazino Hunters do not shy away from bright ornate uniforms. The people of Mazino have admirations for art, and the military has the same likings as well. The Mazino Hunters march proudly into battle with their brightly colored, elaborate uniforms. However, the same cannot be said for Light Infantry and Reconnaissance regiments. Instead, they wear a "dot mottled camouflage" pattern uniform, perfect for thick dark woodlands like in their homeworld. The light infantry and reconnaissance regiments also have other camouflage patterns, these include snow, desert, and even three types of urban patterns.

Each regiment have their own coat-of-arms, these banners are considered sacred to each regiment and must never be captured by the enemy or lost. When captured, a Mazino regiment would do anything to recapture their lost banner. This creates unnecessary losses for the Mazin regiment.

Gender
Given the low population of 380 million people in Mazino, both men and women are required to join the military. Both men and women are given an equal opportunity in their military service, and sexist attitudes is not tolerable. However this is only a rare occurrence, and cases involving this are caused by the Mazino Foreign Auxiliary.

Recruitment
The Mazino Hunters primarily recruit its soldiers in Mazino. Conscription is high, as the Imperium needs any able bodied man and woman who can defend the Imperium. Mazins are recruited/conscripted at the tender age of 13, there they begin their two year training course. Only the inhabitants of Mazino can be a part of the Mazino Hunters, however, foreigners who wish to part of the Mazino Hunters can be recruited into the Mazino Foreign Auxiliary.

Organization
The Mazino Hunters follow the basic structure of the Imperial Guard, a Colonel leads an entire regiment, then Majors lead Captains, Captains lead Lieutenants, and so on. The tactical importance of these officers however, differ in the type of formation the regiment is in. If a siege regiment is in line formation, it will divide itself in multiple Battalions of 5,000 men, each lead by a Major and one to three Captains as a second-in-command. The Lieutenants, Sergeants, and Corporals meanwhile stay in the second row serving as non-commissioned officers, and the privates at the first row. However, if the regiment is in loose formation, the entire regiment will act similarly to its light infantry counterparts. There Captains, Lieutenants, and Sergeants serve as officers. Each Captain leads a Company of 1,000 men, Lieutenants lead a Platoon of 250 men, while Sergeants command a Squad of 50 men. In each regiment contains other companies, each of these "special" companies are responsible for the supplies, transportation, security, and other needs for the regiment. Each of these companies are lead by a captain.
 * Engineer Company: This company is responsible for the Regiment's bases, supplies, and transportation.
 * Military Police Company: This company is responsible for the Regiment's security, making sure there are no deserters, no attempts of mutiny, heretical uprisings within the regiment, or any brawl between the soldiers. This company is given direct command to the Commissar in charge, and give out any information to the Commissar if the regiment is causing any distress.
 * Combat Medic Company: This company is responsible to heal wounded soldiers while in combat.
 * Adepta Sororitas Nurse Company: This company heal wounded and sick soldiers, however, unlike the Combat Medic Company, they do not do this in combat. Instead, they transport wounded troops while in battle, and heal the soldiers in the rear lines. Unlike all the special companies, the Adepta Sororitas Nurse Company are all females, and are not affiliated with the Mazino Hunters. Not all Mazino Hunter regiments have this company, only siege regiments have this company in its organization due to the high attrition rates these regiments sustain.

Mazino Raiders
The Mazino Raiders are the elite special forces of the Mazino Hunters, created during 900.M40 conducting special operations and reconnaissance missions, often operating behind enemy lines. As Mazino Raiders are trained to use stealth, they normally encounter close-quarters or even hand-to-hand combat, and unlike regular units, to become a Mazino Raider would take five years of physically and psychologically excruciating and dangerous training.

Unlike regular units, Mazino Raiders are equipped with a Predator Pattern M41 Lascarbine and Sabine Huntsman Bayonet. This equipment fits the style of warfare for the Raiders, as their missions normally include close quarters combat.

Mazino Raiders are deployed as a squad of 50 men each, led by a lieutenant, instead of a sergeant like regular units. Their missions consists of assassinate enemy commanders, sabotage, hostage rescue, counter-assassination, Special Reconnaissance, Direct Action, intelligence gathering, and even Unconventional Warfare.

Like Light Infantry and Reconnaissance regiments, the Raiders use the "Dot Mottled Camouflage" instead of the regular red trousers and dark blue tunic of Siege Regiments.

Notable Campaigns
Battles of the Y'prenzo
 * Damocles Gulf Crusade
 * Siege of Vraks
 * Castigation of Derondis
 * Second War for Armageddon
 * Loss of Hieronymous Theta
 * The Orphean War
 * Second Tyrannic war
 * Defense of Fecundia
 * Taros Campaign
 * Third War for Armageddon
 * Third Tyrannic War
 * 13th Black Crusade
 * Second Damocles Gulf Crusade
 * Raid at T'ros

Siege Regiments
Light Infantry Regiments Reconnaissance Regiments Cavalry Regiments Artillery Regiments
 * 1st Mazino Siege Regiment "The Bold"
 * 3rd Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 7th Mazino Siege Regiment "The Sharpshooters"
 * 10th Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 12th Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 37th Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 45th Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 58th Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 73rd Mazino Siege Regiment "The Spawns of War"
 * 78th Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 81st Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 92nd Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 101st Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 108th Mazino Siege Regiment
 * 1st Mazino Light Regiment
 * 5th Mazino Light Regiment
 * 9th Mazino Light Regiment
 * 14th Mazino Light Regiment
 * 23rd Mazino Light Regiment
 * 35th Mazino Light Regiment
 * 47th Mazino Light Regiment
 * 54th Mazino Light Regiment
 * 68th Mazino Light Regiment
 * 3rd Mazino Recon Regiment
 * 4th Mazino Recon Regiment
 * 8th Mazino Recon Regiment
 * 11th Mazino Recon Regiment
 * 19th Mazino Recon Regiment
 * 22nd Mazino Recon Regiment
 * 39th Mazino Recon Regiment
 * 49th Mazino Recon Regiment
 * 51st Mazino Recon Regiment
 * 2nd Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 6th Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 10th Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 11th Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 13th Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 22nd Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 39th Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 48th Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 56th Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 69th Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 71st Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 84th Mazino Cavalry Regiment
 * 2nd Artillery Regiment
 * 5th Artillery Regiment
 * 37th Artillery Regiment
 * 44th Artillery Regiment

Simoun Harme
Major Simoun Harme, nicknamed the "Dead eye" by the Imperial Guard, is a Mazino sniper. Sniping his enemies without any misses, he gained a reputation for annihilating a Tau military patrol of 50 men with only minor scratches inflicted, killed an Ork Painboy 900 meters away without any scope, and holds the record of longest sniper kill within the imperium, killing a Tau Gue'vesa soldier 4 miles away (with a scope). Armed with a Predator Pattern M38 Lasrifle, he is reported to to have killed 5,000 Orks, 1,000-2,000 Tyrannids, 500 Tau warriors, and 10 traitor Adeptus Astartes.

Equipment
Since the Mazino Hunters are foremost sharpshooters, they wield long weapons in order to raise accuracy of the weapon. However, they are also equipped with sidearms and melee weapons in case of close quarters combat.

Predator Pattern M38 Lasrifle
The standard issue firearm of the Mazino Hunters. The Predator Pattern M38 Lasrifle is 1.3 meters long, 4.9 kilograms, and not very maneuverable due to its height. However, the Mazin guardsmen do not mind this, as they have wielded longer weapons during their youthful years. The Lasrifle only has a 20-round magazine, however, the low magazine capacity compensates for the higher armor penetration and stopping power. The M38 Lasrifle has three firing modes. There is the regular semi-automatic, a five-round scattershot, which turns the lasgun into a quasi-shotgun, but lowers the magazine capacity to four rounds, and a single shot explosive mode.

Predator Pattern M41 Lascarbine
Developed two hundred years after the creation of the Mazino Raiders. The Predator Pattern M41 Lascarbine is the standard issue rifle of the Mazino Raiders. Shorter and more maneuverable than its longer M38 Lasrifle cousin, it is 860 millimeters long, and weighs about 4 kilograms. It also has a higher ammo capacity in its magazine, allowing thirty shots before recharging. Four different firing modes are available, adding an automatic firing option.

Cavine Pattern M37 Lasrevolver
The standard issue sidearm of the Mazino Hunters, and signature firearm of the officers. The Cavine Pattern M37 Lasrevolver is 240 millimeters long and only weighing about 940 grams. Unlike the standard issue laspistol, the Lasrevolver only has a 10-round capacity, however it compensates for this by having a high stopping power.

Josephine Bayonet
The Josephine Bayonet is a 23 inch long knife bayonet that serves as the primary melee weapon for Mazino guardsmen from privates to lieutenants. The length of the blade is 18 inches, which makes it quite long for a knife bayonet.

Sabine Huntsman Bayonet
The Sabine Huntsman Bayonet is the standard issue melee weapon for the Mazino Raiders. Unlike the Josephine Bayonet, the Sabine is shorter and more compact. Perfect for the close-quarters warfare the Mazino Raiders normally encounter. It is a 12 inch long knife, with a blade length of 7 inches.

Jean M35 Officer's Power Sabre
The signature weapon of a Mazino officer, from Captain of Colonel. It is a straight single-handed double-edged lightweight sabre that can cut a human body in half with ease. The power sabre is 900 millimeters long, and a sleek blade thickness of 8.5 millimeters and width of 25 millimeters.

Pierre M35 Cavalry Power Sabre
The standard issue weapon of the Mazino Cavalry, the Power Sabre is similar to the Jean M35, however the Pierre M35 has a slight curve to the sword as cavalry members prefer slash attacks rather than the traditional stab.

Renee M39 Heavy Bolter "The Woodchipper"
Used by Mazino Heavy Bolter squads. It is the standard issue heavy machine gun of the Mazino Hunters. Nicknamed "The Woodchipper" due to its high rate of fire of 1,200 rounds per second.
 * 6 Lasgun Charger Packs
 * Flak Armour
 * Mazino Hunters Imperial Guard Uniform
 * M39 Entrenching Tool
 * 2 Frag Grenades
 * 2 Krak Grenades
 * 2 Photon Flash Genades
 * 2 Smoke Grenades
 * Rucksack
 * Mess Kit & Water Canteen
 * 2 Week's Rations
 * Blanket & Sleeping Bag
 * Rechargeable Lamp Pack
 * Grooming Kit
 * Dog Tags
 * Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer