User blog:RemosPendragon/Imperial Hierarchy

Just to make things a bit more comprehendable, I'll root out the hierarchy and organization of Imperial Guard. If you think this is plausible, feel free to use it.

Organization under Adeptus Terra
Imperial Guard (or Astra Militarum, as it now goes) is governed by the Adeptus Administratum. This falls into branches in following ways: Having little to none information about these separate "Militarums". In "Heresy-Online" forum there was some planning about them in one topic. With some reasoning, I think we can get something out of them.

"Militarum Ordinatus" is kinda hard. Ordinati/Ordinatus means to calculate and measure, so it kinda refers into some kinda record-keeping things. Though, we have Centurio Ordinatus in official fluff, what is AdMech's super-heavy-artillery legion... So I think, here is re-used latinized-english word for artillery (ordnance=ordinatus). I think I get some ground for this, as the "Deathstrike" missile is said to be "designated ordnance extremis by the munitorum", I think putting artillery under Ordinatus is fairly reasonable.

Then we get trickier ones. "Militarum Vendorum" is hard. Vendorum has striking resemblance to "vendor" and therefore selling goods and stuff. Could this really mean the labor-force? Or supply troops? Could it?

"Militarum Regimentos" is nasty indeed. It can be translated from latin and would mean "military government". Having nothing to do with actual regiments. So how is it?

I think we have to look this whole thing from different point. What are four major factions in commonwealth armies? Armour, Artillery, Infantry and Corps. So, here we have, Corps-Vendorum, Artillery-Ordinatus and under regimentos the armour and infantry. As in continental version, regiments cannot work on their own but need supply troops to aid them. In british army regiments are fine by themselves, but not everywhere. I think we have it here, because Regimentos, even being nasty piece of cake, is just latinized-english as the High-Gothic tends to be. Offices The "Codex: Astra Militarum" tells us, that comissars are assigned through "Officio Prefectus" that is equalent with the Astra Militarum brach under Administratum and therefore we can forget that "Comissariat" word and use the more proper, Officio Prefectus.
 * Types of Imperial Guard Regiment
 * 2.1 Light Infantry Regiment  (REGIMENTOS) 
 * 2.2 Drop Regiment (contradictory -part of Navy)
 * 2.3 Infantry Regiment  (REGIMENTOS) 
 * 2.4 Heavy Infantry Regiment  (REGIMENTOS) 
 * 2.5 Mechanised Infantry Regiment  (REGIMENTOS) 
 * 2.6 Armoured Regiment  (REGIMENTOS) 
 * 2.7 Artillery Regiment  (ORDINATUS) 
 * 2.8 Siege Regiment (ORDINATUS)
 * 2.9 Abhuman Regiment (AUXILIA)
 * Administratum Assay Corps (Records, not Imperial Guard)
 * Commissariat - Recruits, trains, and oversees the activities of Commissars.
 * Engineer Corps (VENDORUM)
 * Field Enforcement Corps (VENDORUM)
 * Labour Corps (VENDORUM)
 * Siege Auxillia Corps (VENDORUM)
 * Pioneer Corps (VENDORUM)

And by putting the abhumans under auxilia, I refer to this article in english wikipedia of Roman Auxilia forces that were not roman citizen but used in the army. Well... abhumans? So finally, this is what we get: Someone might wonder where are the PDFs. I think that, PDFs fall under Planetary Governors/Commanders and are not part of Imperial Guard. In some cases, PDFs are raised by inquisitors and warmasters to switch their placing, but they are supported, formed and trained in one planet. PDFs are not part of Imperial Guard but part of Planetary Government.

Departmento Munitorum
We are fine by that for now. So let's dive into deeper water, Departmento Munitorum. I've honestly lost the meaning of this organization long ago. I mean, it has nowhere to go! There is no place for it! But then again, I didn't read carefully enough.

Departmento Munitorum is a conclave, a group, formed of other Adepts, to supply Imperial Guard. So, to get things absolutely right, I have to assume, that Departmento Munitorum has absolutely nothing to do with the actual regiments. And yes, I know there is DepMun regiments in Eye of Terror and Armageddon codices, but still, nothing to do with the regiments.

Still thing gives food and new shoes for everyone. But that's not all. Oh no. They also keep statistics of... something, probably many things and collect the tithes (apparently). It is governed by three characters, the Estate Imperium, Astra Militarum and Administratum (where former two already belong to) leaders. And by these the munitorum works into segmentum and sector level, providing food and socks to troopers. This is also the branch, that works the Schola Progenium into life with Adeptus Ministorum.

Done, read about it if you want to know, I still don't really get it.

Imperial Guard Hierarchy
I know I should use the Astra Militarum everywhere but it just doesn't really... work that way. I don't like the sound of it... let's see the hierarchy. A highest rank. One of the three main characters in Departmento Munitorum, he oversees the whole Guard. Five of these guys work all the times. One for each segmentums. This name can also be "Lord Solar" that is, if you are leading the Solar Segmentum. But if I've understood this right, there can also be "Lord Commander Ultima", "Tempestus" et cetera. Why not? Lord Commander can also be the head of a crusade. Bad-ass who commands over crusades and stuff like that. Commands major battlegroups and leads thunderous wars around millions of light years. So, anyone starting a crusade, might have title of Lord General Militant (and not to be confused with Lord Commander Militant!). Though crusades can also be led by Warmasters, which is thought to be ill-fortuned title. Is a rank for a guy, that leads a battlegroup. So he is basicly tactician, and not a real commander here, though he is of course a commander too. This rank is sometimes referred as Captain-General, Lord Marshal (which is really inappropriate, don't use it, it is high Arbites rank) and Lord Castellan. So this is as far as it goes in upper part. General leads multi-regimental groups, but not whole battlegroups. Under General are number of other ranks that can be based upon anything you want. It doesn't matter, Imperial Guard is hugely diverse system. Only these five ranks actually matter, everything under these are just part of the meat-grinder. Of course, if you ask me, General could also be "Castellan" or "Marshal" as the Lord General could be Lord Castellan... you know.
 * 1) Lord Commander Militant (of the Imperial Guard)
 * 1) Lord Commander
 * 1) Lord General Militant
 * 1) Lord General
 * 1) General

Imperial Commanders
Now it gets messy. Imperial Commanders are not part of Astra Militarum, as they are de jure planetary commanders. For planetary governor, you can basicly use any name (not Emperor!), king/queen, regent, president, chancellor... I don't even know all the titles, and it doesn't matter.

Planetary Commanders
Command firstly the planet. Its PDF (that were not part of the Guard) and tithing, keeping criminals behind the bars, stuff like that. If (in my understanding) planet happens to raise Guard Regiments, then the Governor is by definition their leader. Though, these guys are sent as tithes around the Imperium, so governor won't command them for long anyhow.

Sector/sub-sector Commanders
As these guys are really Governors and Commanders, they can be also Sector commanders. So who is it then? Well... Lord General Militant. But if he also takes care of the tithings... is he governor then? Why not. Imperial sectors can be led by one character. This character is then Governor of entire sector's tithes, laws and Guard, so this is a military rank also. I think we have here pretty ailing title that can be used, if felt so. Lord Sector with the aid of Lord Admiral (who is Navy commander and totally different thing and has nothing to do with the Guard) takes care of the sector's military forces. Isn't that simple and efficient. Of course this can be divided into sub-sectors too, but... figure it out yourself.

I'm done for. Cheers!