User:PrivateAttorney/Sandbox

The Black Hand was a Human anti-Imperium anarchist cult that was based in the Segmentum Obscurus and was responsible for inciting the Hundred Worlds Rebellion, creating rebellious splinter governments and warlord kingdoms in a remote region of space. Although it was regarded as a cult by the Inquisition, the Black Hand genuinely sought to create an alternative to the God-Emperor's dictatorship and create an independent non-monarchic state in the fringes for those who wanted freedom. Its leaders ended up succumbing to Chaos and became corrupted, however, and thus the plan ended up backfiring in many systems. The cult was ultimately destroyed during the Rebellion after a 68-year crusade waged by the Imperial Guard.

"Black Guard"
The various new revolutionary regimes that sprung up under the group's influence contributed troops to form a "Black Guard" that was organized along the lines of the Imperium's Astra Militarum. Its intended purpose was to defend Black Hand territory from all threats, but primarily from the Emperor's forces as they were enthusiastic to restore order to the sector. This new army was also run differently than its Imperial counterpart as it was less disciplined and decentralized. The Black Hand leaders believed that the troops' own revolutionary zeal would be enough to motivate them to fight and thus officers initially did not have power over "soldiers' councils" which made the important decisions. However as this proved to be too idealistic, the councils were soon abolished and officers were given more authority.

The decentralized nature of the Black Guard meant that the quality and organization of its units varied greatly. It was a mix of conscripts, mercenaries, bandits, Imperial defectors, and fanatical volunteers. They were often poorly armed and had to rely on improvised tactics to fight against the better-armed Astra Militarum. Not all were of such low worth, though. Black Guard units ranged from poorly-trained regiments which fled when the situation became difficult, to well-drilled and fanatically loyal ones that put up fierce resistance. The officer corps was large put contained few men with proper training, largely consisting of skilled troops promoted from the ranks. The Guard's operations were overseen by a military commission and general staff in theory, though in reality they exercised little control over most units and could only rely on about 20% of the regiments. Another problem was the lack of cooperation between some of the regimes, which resulted in some units being organized completely differently and not taking orders from others.

The weapons and equipment used by the Guard was often outdated and aged, with the best and newest war gear issued to the elite veteran units. It was mostly looted from Imperial depots or recovered on the battlefield from the enemy, or sometimes acquired through the criminal underground. Ammunition was also limited as the worlds under the Black Hand did not produce enough to keep up with the demand. Their armor and artillery were captured Imperial tech that was hard to maintain and mainly saw service in the reliable units. Some states outfitted their own units exclusively and unique but primitive designs were created that way.

Known units included:
 * 1st Catyuran Black Guard
 * 14th Talos Citizens Guard
 * 19th Zarakel Revolutionary Guard
 * 23rd Lyons Planetary Guard
 * 52nd Abyssini Free Rifles
 * 76th Yallon Black Guard
 * 88th Tirgamo Revolutionary Guard
 * 194th Black Besconi Riflemen
 * 201st Nihilis Republican Guard
 * 425th Tannheim Colonial Fusiliers
 * 600th Haakon Citizens Guard