Khazamga 1st Rough Riders "Hard Chargers"

History
Their origins remain unclear- as a people of shepherds and herders the region they are drawn from had always used horses to watch over their herds. Khazamga horses are a hardy breed, able to go days without sleep (like the men who ride them) and travel hundreds of kilometers per day. In short distance they can easily run at 80kph (roughly 50mph). The history of this breed is legendary, no one is quite sure what is true and what is merely legend. Their origins as an Imperial Guard unit date back to the first founding of Khazamga regiments sometime in the past, but the dates remain unclear as the early regiments kept very poor records, concerning themselves only with fighting. Whatever the case they have proven themselves fighting alongside Khazamga infantry, most notably the 7th during the Liberation of Xomia and in the battles since. While their primary enemy is Orks they have on occasion faced down "Rakshasa" - their word for Daemons

A preferred tactic of theirs is to circle an enemy unit shooting on the move, picking off high value targets and thinning the enemy ranks before charging in with their lances.

Command element
11 men Karnala (equivalent to Colonel) and his Honor Guard of 8 men (Largely a ceremonial position, when committed they wear the same armor as the others but still carry their power sword)

2 Pramukah( equivalent to majors) who each command 4 companies

Regimental structure
•	6 companies of 128- commanded by a Subadar who carries the company banner on his horse

•	Each platoon of 32 (4 squads of 8 riders) is commanded by a Jemadar

•	Each squad is commanded by a Havildar

Company 1
Scouts- lightly equipped troopers who ride ahead of the regiment and around the flanks and relay information back to the other Subadars via saddle mounted voxcasters and pick off important targets at a distance (used as scouts for Tricamerate armies)

Company 2-4
Heavy Lancers- the front line armed with lances and lasguns- their role is to pin an enemy in place and break their formations, setting them up to be smashed by the flankers

Company 5-6
Flankers- designed to cut through an enemy already disrupted by the lancers and finish (with luck) an already broken enemy.

Uniform
• Khaki long sleeved shirt with rank pins on collar

• Khaki pants with studded knee pads

• Black boots with studded metal toes, spurs, and khaki leg wraps

• Flak helmet with black Shemagh wrapped around the helmet and face. • Khazamga pattern flak armor (bronze colored metal with decorative studs)

(Regimental symbol- a rearing horse beneath an Aquila on right shoulder company number on the left)

• Studded leather cross belts that contain 3 extra charge packs, 2 extra autogun magazines and the fighting knife

• Studded leather gloves Note: all studs are hammered brass

Equipment
•	Horse- The pride of the Khazamga cavalryman- each is given a name and cared for by the rider, they are seen as soldiers too, they wear armor as well and they are given proper burials should they fall in battle. If both mount and rider are killed they are buried together.

•	Horse armor/helmet/saddle built to the same standard as the infantry armor and bearing the same brass studs, the saddle has built in bags for equipment.

•	Khazamga pattern flak armor/helmet (armor is split at the waist and falls to upper legs)

•	M36 Kantrael pattern lascarbine

•	Medici Pattern autogun •	Khazamga War Lance- this weapon is the other pride of the Khazamga cavalry. Anyone can use a lasgun but to use a blade makes a warrior. Honed to a monomolecular edge this weapon can easily penetrate armor and the flesh beneath when dismounted they use it as a pole arm, using it in a martial art drawn from traditional spears and staves.



•	 Fightning knife and sheath

•	Officers sword

•	Imperial Guardmen’s uplifting Primer with honor code tucked inside it.

•	8 days of rations/mess kit

•	Bed roll

Honor Code
All Khazamga warriors followed these codes. However parts of the Uplifting Primer directly contradicted these rules leading to some internal struggle between being a warrior and being an Imperial Soldier. In such cases- the idea of fleeing a lost battle when needed they used it as motivation to ensure that they won

• The innocent have no place in war.

• Women and children are not to be harmed for they are the future of our people

• Holy Places have no place in war and none must fight in them. • Once a Holy Place is defiled by an enemy it must be recaptured and made holy again. A failure to do so is a loss of honor.

• A fellow warrior must be treated with respect unless they make themselves unworthy of it by harming innocents. Then they are no better than animals. • It is dishonorable to flee from battle while those you command still fight.

• It is better to retreat from a lost battle than to die without need, so that you may be victorious in the next. • It is better to die than to live without honor.

• If a warrior must die it is best that he die to defend his people • It is better still that he lives to fight on

Bahir Chatterjee
"This is such a bad idea... In the likely event we die at least no one can say we died as cowards. Complete fools yes, but cowards never. Are you with me? The Thunder of hooves, the thunder of guns!"

He was chosen as the commander before they left Khazamaga and he quickly proved himself both worthy of it and up to the task. The first of many truly spectacular moments in his career came during the liberation of Xomia. Finding himself and his regiment with no other options in one truly desperate battle, he led his command element in a head on charge against a Squiggoth. For anyone else the act would have been suicide but the plan was just crazy enough to work, power swords and fighting lances were enough to bring the beast to its knees and allow his routing regiment to rally. They bought time for reinforcements to arrive and win the day.

Sirita Devi
He fell ill shortly before the regiment was shipped out for Xomia- they didn't wait and left him behind on Khazamga(his men were divided amongst the other captains until he arrived) he arrived just as the landing site at one of the farming outposts came under attack by Orks. He had no choice but to take command of his company in the civilian clothes he was still wearing.

(feel free to add your own)

By
"Did that just happen? Did that really just happen? That was... "

- overheard after the Regimental command brought down a Squiggoth

"Hard Chargers! Rally and cut them down. Remember you fight for your world and for honor!"

-Subadar Sirita Devi

About
''“These Khazamga are crazy… It would never occur to me to take a horse into battle, not against what we see so often… Guess it works for them. They’ve hauled us out of the fire often enough''.” -Unknown Xomia PDF trooper

''“I’m curious about what those horses can do… I’ve got 20 thrones my bike can still beat one in a race. Just gotta talk one of ‘em into going for it …”'' –unknown Szerkasian Outrider

''“That war lance- Throne of Terra that’s a brilliant weapon, can go through armor, go through flesh, I’ve  even seen them go through a Wartrukk! I think I want one…”'' - unknown Medici infantryman