Alternate Heresy 2018 - User contributions [en]

Legion XX: The Anvilus Guard

2018-08-14T19:10:38Z

Russell: /* Exemplary Battles */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=Russell Marine.jpg
|Numeration= XX
|Primogenitor= Kirenn Lokkan
|Cognomen= The Emperor's Hammerers (Informal)
|Observed Strategic Tendencies= Extensive use of siegecraft; extreme firepower. Overwhelming, mass assaults. Known to be ruthless, rarely taking prisoners of war.
|Noteworthy Domains = The Taros system
|Allegiance= Loyalist
|Colours= Burnished silver with black trim
|Quote= “True victory is to crush your foes utterly, to shatter their armoured legions and run down their fleeing troops as they scatter. Pursue them into their lairs and burn them out. And when that is done, put the ruins to the torch." -Attributed to Kirenn Lokkan 
}}
[[File:ag.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Anvilus Guard legion symbol]]
The Anvilus Guard are the 20th Legionnaires Astartes. They were created with a singular purpose: Annihilation. Tasked with campaigns deemed too time-consuming or resource heavy for conventional legions, the Anvilus Guard deploy en mass to crush their foes in the Emperor's name. They are the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's wrath, engaging whole civilisations and pocket empires that the Emperor deems worthy only of consigning to the pages of history. The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists, whether it is upon a single battlefield or across an entire solar system. Once the Anvilus Guard deploys its battlelines and siege trenches there is no escape for their enemies.

The Primarch of the Anvilus Guard, Kirenn Lokkan, is not known for his mercy. Once he has a target in his sights, he will single-mindedly pursue the utter destruction of that foe, with no quarter asked or given. That said, when the Anvilus Guard arrive at the foes' gates Lokkan (or one of his senior officers, if he is not present) will always give his opponents one chance, and one chance only, to lay down their arms and surrender, before a single shovel has hit the ground. If the offer is accepted, then he will allow his foes to retreat from the world the Emperor has claimed for His new Imperium. If the offer is refused, there will not be another, and the siege will only end one way: with the destruction of the foe and death to every single man, woman or child who dare to oppose the Emperor's Will. The Anvilus Guard are not known to take any prisoners of war after such a refusal.
=History=

== Early History ==
Following the Unification Wars the Emperor set out from Terra on His Great Crusade, taking with him His 20 Space Marine Legions. One of these, The Anvilus Guard, quickly showed a natural aptitude for attritional warfare, and made frequent use of grinding, siege-like tactics. Using these to His advantage, they became the Emperor's first choice when it came to assaults on heavily fortified postions or entrenched opponents. The Legion quickly adapted and learned the fine arts of siege warfare, and made frequent use of siege tactics, heavy artillery, and massed Super-Heavy formations. They became apt at grinding their opponents down in sieges that would sometimes last years. Once the foe was beaten and their walls crumbling around them, only then would the legion deign to strike, with what would always be a first and last assault - and it would do so with a massed escalade across multiple breaches, with many hundreds of Astartes storming each shattered section of rubble in unison.

== The Discovery Of The Primarch ==

When the Anvilus Guard descended upon the Taros system, an initially hostile cluster of seven populated, heavily fortified planets that defied the Emperor's offer of compliance, they found that their opponents were canny indeed - every attempt to create a proper battlefront and enclose their foes' many citadels was met with defeat. The occupants of the Taros system seemed to just KNOW siege warfare, with many feints, counter-attacks and fake fortresses that repeatedly caught the Astartes completely off guard. After several months failing to even pin down their wily foe, the Emperor Himself brought fresh forces to the system. With His guidance, only then did the Taros system begin to crack, but the cost was high. Many thousands of Imperial Army and Astartes died in the struggles to take the system.

When at last the fortified capital city of Taros III itself was biesieged, the Emperor spoke personally to the Fortress' defenders across the field of trench lines, praising them for such a tenacious and masterful defence, and offering them survival if they would but offer Him fealty. As soon as He saw the Taros Siege Commander step upon the walls of the city, however, the Emperor stopped mid-speech - and laughed. He had found one of His lost sons.

= Legion Organisation =
The Anvilus Guard broadly follow standard Legionnaires Astartes organisation, with the exception that all of their formations are known as 'Siegehosts', and are typically much larger than standard, with emphasis on massed infantry and artillery, with the bulk of their armoured support being Super-Heavy tank and artillery squadrons.

In the void, the legion's large fleet has a preponderance of heavy cruisers that make up the bulk of its strength. These often travel in larger than standard formations that encircle any opposing system in a web of overlapping firepower that few enemies can evade.

==Unique Formations==
===Hellfyre Squadrons===
[[File:Minotaur1.png|200px|thumb|left|The Minotaur Super-Heavy Artillery Tank has found great favour within the Anvilus Guards 'Hellfyre' squadrons]]
The Anvilus Guard almost completely conform to standard Crusade templates for its units and organisation; however one marked deviation is its extensive use of its many and varied Super-Heavy tank and artillery battalions. While most commanders would prefer to keep their artillery units sheltered in their backline, safe from harm, the Anvilus Guard does the opposite. During sieges they often makes unconventional use of Super-Heavy artillery squadrons, organising them into so-called 'Hellfyre' squadrons which are used to make lightning attacks on fortress walls.

The tactic calls for the heavier legion artillery units present in the Siegehost to group into smaller squadrons of 4 or 5, which are used in concert with Super-Heavy tank squadrons and often led by the less numerous Typhon Heavy Siege Tanks to make direct attacks on fortress walls. These 'Hellfyre' squadrons, in which the Minotaur Super-Heavy artillery tank has found great favour, drive in alternating groups directly up to indentified weak points in the opposing fortress, often under heavy fire, and level their heavy cannons to fire almost point-blank into the base of the structure before quickly withdrawing. Using specially modified shells, they will repeatedly hammer one section of wall and force a breach in the targeted section in a fraction of the time it would take to conventionally shatter the walls from long range.

Many are the bastions that find their walls crumbling under such relentless attacks, often within days of the legion establishing its siege lines; by this method has the legion ended in days and weeks grinding sieges that Imperial logisticians predicted would take months or even years to conclude.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists without compare. When the gunmetal grey warships of the legion enter a system, they will begin to use their superior numbers to systematically surround a target world; they will isolate its defenses, its Mandeville Point, and any routes or avenues of escape - a 20th legion blockade is very hard to escape from or survive. Ground targets are identified, landing zones set, and bombardments begin to pave the way for the legions heavy landers.

Once the legion makes planetfall, a foe is given their one chance at surrender; if it is refused the legion will begin a siege. They have gained a slight notoriety among Imperial forces for being known to be utterly ruthless and without mercy to those who scorn their offer. Once Kirenn's legion has begun to dig their trench lines, they will not stop, they will not relent, and they will not take any prisoners. Any who face them are slain, no matter how strong their defences nor how high their walls are. In this, the legion can sometimes display quite a stubborn streak - they will fully commit to the grinding attrition of siege warfare regardless of the cost in men, material, or the less quietly voiced, common sense. A 20th legion siege does not end until the Siegehost commander is satisfied that every last man, woman or child who stood against them is destroyed.

When siege lines are complete, the Siegehost commander will waste no time in cracking open the foes' defenses and laying waste to whatever lies beyond. Cities, Bastions, Citadels - all are easily broken upon the Anvilus Guard. Massed artillery brigades, swarms of Super-Heavy tanks, Hellfyre squadrons, wave after wave of legion infantry - all are adept at breaching and forcing any target, at any cost. All in the legion know that to fail to successfully storm a target is to fail their father Kirenn - and by extension, the Emperor himself; a shame they will never allow.

Once the war is concluded the legion will move on - leaving little regard for the devastation caused by its methods. Such is the concern of the iterators and other post-complience personnel that follow in its wake; although on more than one occasion the legion has been so thourough in its prosecutuion of a world that there were no survivors at all...

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[The Taros System]]'' 

The Legion's home system, Taros, is comprised of seven planets.

Taros I - Taros I is a barren wasteland, mostly irradiated, but was once home to the system's inhabitants. Its surface is riddled with tumbledown citadels and forts, and is often used by the legion for weapons testing and live fire exercises.

Taros II - Fortified mining world. Much of the systems resources of minerals and ore come from this planet, which has an extensive underground network of linked fortresses.

Taros III - The system capital. Densely populated, almost every settlement on the surface is walled, and armoured bastions guard every street corner. From space the planet almost appears as though it is one enormous, sprawling fortress. It is the Tarosian's greatest boast that Taros III has never fallen an invader - not even the Emperor.

Taros IV - VI - The next three planets in the Taros system are effectively smaller versions of the capital. The majority of the systems population live on these three planets, and it is from here that the legion takes the bulk of its recruits.

Taros VII - Gas giant. Rich deposits of valuable gas are present in the upper atmosphere, and the legion maintains several massive refinery stations here, that each serve as both rigs to harvest the gas, as well as potent void stations forming the core of the Taros systems' outer defences.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Kirenn Lokkan]]'' 
[[File:kir3.png|200px|thumb|left|Kirenn Lokkan, Master of the Anvilus Guard]]
Kirenn Lokkan is the master and commander of the 20th Legionnaires Astartes, the Anvilus Guard. He is the spiritual and cultural heart of the legion, and every Anvilus Guard strives to emulate his fierce example. A warrior without compare and a shrewd tactical genius, Lokkan has taken his legion and moulded it into his own image: the very model of loyalty, ruthlessness and sheer will that prosecuting the Emperor's many wars requires. He is universally revered within his legion and is a much loved commander, and it is seen as a great honour for a legionary to have their primarch take command of their siegehost while on campaign.

Kirenn Lokkan is a Siegemaster with no equal; whether on attack or defense he has an unparalleled understanding of sieges and can often anticipate what move his opponent will try next before even they are aware of it. Since being found and brought into the Imperial fold, Kirenn and the Emperor have had many discussions regarding the nature of siege warfare. Ever since the compliance of the Taros system and Lokkans subsequent discovery he has found in the Emperor a like mind - someone who can see, predict, and understand the nuances of attritional siege warfare just like himself, and in ways no other can. Where others might see a bloody fight with little glory to be had - relentless bombardments, mass casualties and the horrors of trench warfare, Kirenn Lokkan has the ability to elevate it to something like high art. He understands sieges like no other, save the Emperor, and so it is his favoured way to do battle, and to flex his strategic genius in a situation others would despair in or find hopeless.

In combat Lokkan is a superlative fighter, and while he makes use of a wide variety of weaponry and has an extensive personal armoury, his favoured weapons are his enormous hammer, Spinebreaker, and his equally massive chainfist, Hell's Razor, which he often wields as a pair.

=Culture and Beliefs=

Both Kirenn Lokkan and his legion have a firm belief in the vision the Emperor has for the galaxy. They trust in Him to lead them to victory and are utterly certain that He knows the best way forward. They both love and revere the Emperor as a father and as a leader, and any one of them would gladly lay down their lives in His name if it furthers the Imperial cause. Lokkan will do anything the Emperor commands him to do, and the legion anything Kirenn says in turn, without question.

The Anvilus Guard are not exactly the most prideful of legions - they know they get given a lot of the dirty work or dangerous campaigns that the other legions perhaps would not do, or would not have the stomach for, yet they stoically bear this knowledge without complaint. They are not bitter about this however; they are glad to be able to do the Emperor's work in His name; for if not the Anvilus Guard, then who? The 20th know that there are no others in the galaxy capable of tearing down fortresses like they do, no other force in the galaxy capable of sustaining the most gruelling and punishing of assaults like they do, and this gives them a quiet pride when they wage such wars. Indeed, often Lokkan will deliberately ask for, and be given, the most dangerous or bloody of conquests, so that his legion might keep their specialised skills sharp and not fall victim to complacency, in what Lokkan would describe as 'softer fights.'

The legion maintains very little in the way of ornamentation, even among its command ranks, and certainly not among its foot troops. Such things only serve as distractions from the neccessity of the task at hand; the prosecution of the Emperor's wars, and so the legion generally distain from such things, on everything from its weapons and armour to its battleships and supply vessels. They know that the nature of the wars they fight and their successful conclusions are gifts enough for the Emperor, and so do not care to flaunt these victories in front of others. He loves them as only a father can, and that is enough for the Anvilus Guard.

=Geneseed=

The Legion's Geneseed is very stable, which allows many of its recruits to survive the implantation process and go on to become full Battle-Brothers of the Legion. The ease with which the Geneseed takes to the Tarosians natural biology is surprising, but it is key to the Legion's survival; it must always maintain a high influx of recruits in order for the Siegehosts to maintain effectiveness, given the constant attritional warfare the Legion often finds itself in.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Competent
*'''Espionage=''' Competent
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Specialized
*'''Diplomacy=''' Competent
*'''Geneseed=''' Competent

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Competent
*'''Fortification=''' Specialized

=Exemplary Battles=
==Verusa Escalade==

''Main Article: [[Verusa Escalade]]'' 

Story of Battle

==Siege Of Ghosts==

''Main Article: [[Siege Of Ghosts]]'' 

Story of Battle

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Kirenn Lokkan]] The Hammer Of The Emperor, The Breaker, The Siege Lord 
'''High Command''' 
[[Delos Elzin]] Legion Siegemaster and Kirenn Lokkan's chief advisor 
[[Thirsaa Veron]] Master Of The Arsenal 
'''Others''' 
[[Aylas Ghoush]] Battle-Brother, 5th Siegehost, 8th Siege Company, 3rd Squad. Sole survivor of the Verusa Escalade 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XX: The Anvilus Guard

2018-08-14T19:09:41Z

Russell:

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=Russell Marine.jpg
|Numeration= XX
|Primogenitor= Kirenn Lokkan
|Cognomen= The Emperor's Hammerers (Informal)
|Observed Strategic Tendencies= Extensive use of siegecraft; extreme firepower. Overwhelming, mass assaults. Known to be ruthless, rarely taking prisoners of war.
|Noteworthy Domains = The Taros system
|Allegiance= Loyalist
|Colours= Burnished silver with black trim
|Quote= “True victory is to crush your foes utterly, to shatter their armoured legions and run down their fleeing troops as they scatter. Pursue them into their lairs and burn them out. And when that is done, put the ruins to the torch." -Attributed to Kirenn Lokkan 
}}
[[File:ag.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Anvilus Guard legion symbol]]
The Anvilus Guard are the 20th Legionnaires Astartes. They were created with a singular purpose: Annihilation. Tasked with campaigns deemed too time-consuming or resource heavy for conventional legions, the Anvilus Guard deploy en mass to crush their foes in the Emperor's name. They are the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's wrath, engaging whole civilisations and pocket empires that the Emperor deems worthy only of consigning to the pages of history. The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists, whether it is upon a single battlefield or across an entire solar system. Once the Anvilus Guard deploys its battlelines and siege trenches there is no escape for their enemies.

The Primarch of the Anvilus Guard, Kirenn Lokkan, is not known for his mercy. Once he has a target in his sights, he will single-mindedly pursue the utter destruction of that foe, with no quarter asked or given. That said, when the Anvilus Guard arrive at the foes' gates Lokkan (or one of his senior officers, if he is not present) will always give his opponents one chance, and one chance only, to lay down their arms and surrender, before a single shovel has hit the ground. If the offer is accepted, then he will allow his foes to retreat from the world the Emperor has claimed for His new Imperium. If the offer is refused, there will not be another, and the siege will only end one way: with the destruction of the foe and death to every single man, woman or child who dare to oppose the Emperor's Will. The Anvilus Guard are not known to take any prisoners of war after such a refusal.
=History=

== Early History ==
Following the Unification Wars the Emperor set out from Terra on His Great Crusade, taking with him His 20 Space Marine Legions. One of these, The Anvilus Guard, quickly showed a natural aptitude for attritional warfare, and made frequent use of grinding, siege-like tactics. Using these to His advantage, they became the Emperor's first choice when it came to assaults on heavily fortified postions or entrenched opponents. The Legion quickly adapted and learned the fine arts of siege warfare, and made frequent use of siege tactics, heavy artillery, and massed Super-Heavy formations. They became apt at grinding their opponents down in sieges that would sometimes last years. Once the foe was beaten and their walls crumbling around them, only then would the legion deign to strike, with what would always be a first and last assault - and it would do so with a massed escalade across multiple breaches, with many hundreds of Astartes storming each shattered section of rubble in unison.

== The Discovery Of The Primarch ==

When the Anvilus Guard descended upon the Taros system, an initially hostile cluster of seven populated, heavily fortified planets that defied the Emperor's offer of compliance, they found that their opponents were canny indeed - every attempt to create a proper battlefront and enclose their foes' many citadels was met with defeat. The occupants of the Taros system seemed to just KNOW siege warfare, with many feints, counter-attacks and fake fortresses that repeatedly caught the Astartes completely off guard. After several months failing to even pin down their wily foe, the Emperor Himself brought fresh forces to the system. With His guidance, only then did the Taros system begin to crack, but the cost was high. Many thousands of Imperial Army and Astartes died in the struggles to take the system.

When at last the fortified capital city of Taros III itself was biesieged, the Emperor spoke personally to the Fortress' defenders across the field of trench lines, praising them for such a tenacious and masterful defence, and offering them survival if they would but offer Him fealty. As soon as He saw the Taros Siege Commander step upon the walls of the city, however, the Emperor stopped mid-speech - and laughed. He had found one of His lost sons.

= Legion Organisation =
The Anvilus Guard broadly follow standard Legionnaires Astartes organisation, with the exception that all of their formations are known as 'Siegehosts', and are typically much larger than standard, with emphasis on massed infantry and artillery, with the bulk of their armoured support being Super-Heavy tank and artillery squadrons.

In the void, the legion's large fleet has a preponderance of heavy cruisers that make up the bulk of its strength. These often travel in larger than standard formations that encircle any opposing system in a web of overlapping firepower that few enemies can evade.

==Unique Formations==
===Hellfyre Squadrons===
[[File:Minotaur1.png|200px|thumb|left|The Minotaur Super-Heavy Artillery Tank has found great favour within the Anvilus Guards 'Hellfyre' squadrons]]
The Anvilus Guard almost completely conform to standard Crusade templates for its units and organisation; however one marked deviation is its extensive use of its many and varied Super-Heavy tank and artillery battalions. While most commanders would prefer to keep their artillery units sheltered in their backline, safe from harm, the Anvilus Guard does the opposite. During sieges they often makes unconventional use of Super-Heavy artillery squadrons, organising them into so-called 'Hellfyre' squadrons which are used to make lightning attacks on fortress walls.

The tactic calls for the heavier legion artillery units present in the Siegehost to group into smaller squadrons of 4 or 5, which are used in concert with Super-Heavy tank squadrons and often led by the less numerous Typhon Heavy Siege Tanks to make direct attacks on fortress walls. These 'Hellfyre' squadrons, in which the Minotaur Super-Heavy artillery tank has found great favour, drive in alternating groups directly up to indentified weak points in the opposing fortress, often under heavy fire, and level their heavy cannons to fire almost point-blank into the base of the structure before quickly withdrawing. Using specially modified shells, they will repeatedly hammer one section of wall and force a breach in the targeted section in a fraction of the time it would take to conventionally shatter the walls from long range.

Many are the bastions that find their walls crumbling under such relentless attacks, often within days of the legion establishing its siege lines; by this method has the legion ended in days and weeks grinding sieges that Imperial logisticians predicted would take months or even years to conclude.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists without compare. When the gunmetal grey warships of the legion enter a system, they will begin to use their superior numbers to systematically surround a target world; they will isolate its defenses, its Mandeville Point, and any routes or avenues of escape - a 20th legion blockade is very hard to escape from or survive. Ground targets are identified, landing zones set, and bombardments begin to pave the way for the legions heavy landers.

Once the legion makes planetfall, a foe is given their one chance at surrender; if it is refused the legion will begin a siege. They have gained a slight notoriety among Imperial forces for being known to be utterly ruthless and without mercy to those who scorn their offer. Once Kirenn's legion has begun to dig their trench lines, they will not stop, they will not relent, and they will not take any prisoners. Any who face them are slain, no matter how strong their defences nor how high their walls are. In this, the legion can sometimes display quite a stubborn streak - they will fully commit to the grinding attrition of siege warfare regardless of the cost in men, material, or the less quietly voiced, common sense. A 20th legion siege does not end until the Siegehost commander is satisfied that every last man, woman or child who stood against them is destroyed.

When siege lines are complete, the Siegehost commander will waste no time in cracking open the foes' defenses and laying waste to whatever lies beyond. Cities, Bastions, Citadels - all are easily broken upon the Anvilus Guard. Massed artillery brigades, swarms of Super-Heavy tanks, Hellfyre squadrons, wave after wave of legion infantry - all are adept at breaching and forcing any target, at any cost. All in the legion know that to fail to successfully storm a target is to fail their father Kirenn - and by extension, the Emperor himself; a shame they will never allow.

Once the war is concluded the legion will move on - leaving little regard for the devastation caused by its methods. Such is the concern of the iterators and other post-complience personnel that follow in its wake; although on more than one occasion the legion has been so thourough in its prosecutuion of a world that there were no survivors at all...

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[The Taros System]]'' 

The Legion's home system, Taros, is comprised of seven planets.

Taros I - Taros I is a barren wasteland, mostly irradiated, but was once home to the system's inhabitants. Its surface is riddled with tumbledown citadels and forts, and is often used by the legion for weapons testing and live fire exercises.

Taros II - Fortified mining world. Much of the systems resources of minerals and ore come from this planet, which has an extensive underground network of linked fortresses.

Taros III - The system capital. Densely populated, almost every settlement on the surface is walled, and armoured bastions guard every street corner. From space the planet almost appears as though it is one enormous, sprawling fortress. It is the Tarosian's greatest boast that Taros III has never fallen an invader - not even the Emperor.

Taros IV - VI - The next three planets in the Taros system are effectively smaller versions of the capital. The majority of the systems population live on these three planets, and it is from here that the legion takes the bulk of its recruits.

Taros VII - Gas giant. Rich deposits of valuable gas are present in the upper atmosphere, and the legion maintains several massive refinery stations here, that each serve as both rigs to harvest the gas, as well as potent void stations forming the core of the Taros systems' outer defences.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Kirenn Lokkan]]'' 
[[File:kir3.png|200px|thumb|left|Kirenn Lokkan, Master of the Anvilus Guard]]
Kirenn Lokkan is the master and commander of the 20th Legionnaires Astartes, the Anvilus Guard. He is the spiritual and cultural heart of the legion, and every Anvilus Guard strives to emulate his fierce example. A warrior without compare and a shrewd tactical genius, Lokkan has taken his legion and moulded it into his own image: the very model of loyalty, ruthlessness and sheer will that prosecuting the Emperor's many wars requires. He is universally revered within his legion and is a much loved commander, and it is seen as a great honour for a legionary to have their primarch take command of their siegehost while on campaign.

Kirenn Lokkan is a Siegemaster with no equal; whether on attack or defense he has an unparalleled understanding of sieges and can often anticipate what move his opponent will try next before even they are aware of it. Since being found and brought into the Imperial fold, Kirenn and the Emperor have had many discussions regarding the nature of siege warfare. Ever since the compliance of the Taros system and Lokkans subsequent discovery he has found in the Emperor a like mind - someone who can see, predict, and understand the nuances of attritional siege warfare just like himself, and in ways no other can. Where others might see a bloody fight with little glory to be had - relentless bombardments, mass casualties and the horrors of trench warfare, Kirenn Lokkan has the ability to elevate it to something like high art. He understands sieges like no other, save the Emperor, and so it is his favoured way to do battle, and to flex his strategic genius in a situation others would despair in or find hopeless.

In combat Lokkan is a superlative fighter, and while he makes use of a wide variety of weaponry and has an extensive personal armoury, his favoured weapons are his enormous hammer, Spinebreaker, and his equally massive chainfist, Hell's Razor, which he often wields as a pair.

=Culture and Beliefs=

Both Kirenn Lokkan and his legion have a firm belief in the vision the Emperor has for the galaxy. They trust in Him to lead them to victory and are utterly certain that He knows the best way forward. They both love and revere the Emperor as a father and as a leader, and any one of them would gladly lay down their lives in His name if it furthers the Imperial cause. Lokkan will do anything the Emperor commands him to do, and the legion anything Kirenn says in turn, without question.

The Anvilus Guard are not exactly the most prideful of legions - they know they get given a lot of the dirty work or dangerous campaigns that the other legions perhaps would not do, or would not have the stomach for, yet they stoically bear this knowledge without complaint. They are not bitter about this however; they are glad to be able to do the Emperor's work in His name; for if not the Anvilus Guard, then who? The 20th know that there are no others in the galaxy capable of tearing down fortresses like they do, no other force in the galaxy capable of sustaining the most gruelling and punishing of assaults like they do, and this gives them a quiet pride when they wage such wars. Indeed, often Lokkan will deliberately ask for, and be given, the most dangerous or bloody of conquests, so that his legion might keep their specialised skills sharp and not fall victim to complacency, in what Lokkan would describe as 'softer fights.'

The legion maintains very little in the way of ornamentation, even among its command ranks, and certainly not among its foot troops. Such things only serve as distractions from the neccessity of the task at hand; the prosecution of the Emperor's wars, and so the legion generally distain from such things, on everything from its weapons and armour to its battleships and supply vessels. They know that the nature of the wars they fight and their successful conclusions are gifts enough for the Emperor, and so do not care to flaunt these victories in front of others. He loves them as only a father can, and that is enough for the Anvilus Guard.

=Geneseed=

The Legion's Geneseed is very stable, which allows many of its recruits to survive the implantation process and go on to become full Battle-Brothers of the Legion. The ease with which the Geneseed takes to the Tarosians natural biology is surprising, but it is key to the Legion's survival; it must always maintain a high influx of recruits in order for the Siegehosts to maintain effectiveness, given the constant attritional warfare the Legion often finds itself in.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Competent
*'''Espionage=''' Competent
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Specialized
*'''Diplomacy=''' Competent
*'''Geneseed=''' Competent

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Competent
*'''Fortification=''' Specialized

=Exemplary Battles=
==Battle One==

''Main Article: [[Verusa Escalade]]'' 

Story of Battle

==Battle Two==

''Main Article: [[Siege of Ghosts]]'' 

Story of Battle

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Kirenn Lokkan]] The Hammer Of The Emperor, The Breaker, The Siege Lord 
'''High Command''' 
[[Delos Elzin]] Legion Siegemaster and Kirenn Lokkan's chief advisor 
[[Thirsaa Veron]] Master Of The Arsenal 
'''Others''' 
[[Aylas Ghoush]] Battle-Brother, 5th Siegehost, 8th Siege Company, 3rd Squad. Sole survivor of the Verusa Escalade 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XX: The Anvilus Guard

2018-05-06T01:35:04Z

Russell:

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=Russell Marine.jpg
|Numeration= XX
|Primogenitor= Kirenn Lokkan
|Cognomen= The Emperor's Hammerers (Informal)
|Observed Strategic Tendencies= Extensive use of siegecraft; extreme firepower. Overwhelming, mass assaults. Known to be ruthless, rarely taking prisoners of war.
|Noteworthy Domains = The Taros system
|Allegiance= Loyalist
|Colours= Burnished silver with black trim
|Quote= “True victory is to crush your foes utterly, to shatter their armoured legions and run down their fleeing troops as they scatter. Pursue them into their lairs and burn them out. And when that is done, put the ruins to the torch." -Attributed to Kirenn Lokkan 
}}
[[File:ag.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Anvilus Guard legion symbol]]
The Anvilus Guard are the 20th Legionnaires Astartes. They were created with a singular purpose: Annihilation. Tasked with campaigns deemed too time-consuming or resource heavy for conventional legions, the Anvilus Guard deploy en mass to crush their foes in the Emperor's name. They are the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's wrath, engaging whole civilisations and pocket empires that the Emperor deems worthy only of consigning to the pages of history. The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists, whether it is upon a single battlefield or across an entire solar system. Once the Anvilus Guard deploys its battlelines and siege trenches there is no escape for their enemies.

The Primarch of the Anvilus Guard, Kirenn Lokkan, is not known for his mercy. Once he has a target in his sights, he will single-mindedly pursue the utter destruction of that foe, with no quarter asked or given. That said, when the Anvilus Guard arrive at the foes' gates Lokkan (or one of his senior officers, if he is not present) will always give his opponents one chance, and one chance only, to lay down their arms and surrender, before a single shovel has hit the ground. If the offer is accepted, then he will allow his foes to retreat from the world the Emperor has claimed for His new Imperium. If the offer is refused, there will not be another, and the siege will only end one way: with the destruction of the foe and death to every single man, woman or child who dare to oppose the Emperor's Will. The Anvilus Guard are not known to take any prisoners of war after such a refusal.
=History=

== Early History ==
Following the Unification Wars the Emperor set out from Terra on His Great Crusade, taking with him His 20 Space Marine Legions. One of these, The Anvilus Guard, quickly showed a natural aptitude for attritional warfare, and made frequent use of grinding, siege-like tactics. Using these to His advantage, they became the Emperor's first choice when it came to assaults on heavily fortified postions or entrenched opponents. The Legion quickly adapted and learned the fine arts of siege warfare, and made frequent use of siege warfare, heavy artillery, and massed Super-Heavy formations. They became apt at grinding their opponents down in sieges that would sometimes last years. Once the foe was beaten and their walls crumbling around them, only then would the legion deign to strike, with what would always be a first and last assault - and it would do so with a massed escalade across multiple breaches, with many hundreds of Astartes storming each shattered section of rubble in unison.

== The Discovery Of The Primarch ==

When the Anvilus Guard descended upon the Taros system, an initially hostile cluster of five populated, heavily fortified planets that defied the Emperor's offer of compliance, they found that their opponents were canny indeed - every attempt to create a proper battlefront and enclose their foes' many citadels was met with defeat. The occupants of the Taros system seemed to just KNOW siege warfare, with many feints, counter-attacks and fake fortresses that repeatedly caught the Astartes completely off guard. After several months failing to even pin down their wily foe, the Emperor Himself brought fresh forces to the system. With His guidance, only then did the Taros system begin to crack, but the cost was high. Many thousands of Imperial Army and Astartes died in the struggles to take the system.

When at last the fortified capital city of Taros III itself was biesieged, the Emperor spoke personally to the Fortress' defenders across the field of trench lines, praising them for such a tenacious and masterful defence, and offering them survival if they would but offer Him fealty. As soon as He saw the Taros Siege Commander step upon the walls of the city, however, the Emperor stopped mid-speech - and laughed. He had found one of His lost sons.

= Legion Organisation =
The Anvilus Guard broadly follow standard Legionnaires Astartes organisation, with the exception that all of their formations are known as 'Siegehosts', and are typically much larger than standard, with emphasis on massed infantry and artillery, with the bulk of their armoured support being Super-Heavy tank and artillery squadrons.

In the void, the legion's large fleet has a preponderance of heavy cruisers that make up the bulk of its strength. These often travel in larger than standard formations that encircle any opposing system in a web of overlapping firepower that few enemies can evade.

==Unique Formations==
===Hellfyre Squadrons===
[[File:Minotaur1.png|200px|thumb|left|The Minotaur Super-Heavy Artillery Tank has found great favour within the Anvilus Guards 'Hellfyre' squadrons]]
The Anvilus Guard almost completely conform to standard Crusade templates for its units and organisation; however one marked deviation is its extensive use of its many and varied Super-Heavy tank and artillery battalions. While most commanders would prefer to keep their artillery units sheltered in their backline, safe from harm, the Anvilus Guard does the opposite. During sieges they often makes unconventional use of Super-Heavy artillery squadrons, organising them into so-called 'Hellfyre' squadrons which are used to make lightning attacks on fortress walls.

The tactic calls for the heavier legion artillery units present in the Siegehost to group into smaller squadrons of 4 or 5, which are used in concert with Super-Heavy tank squadrons and often led by the less numerous Typhon Heavy Siege Tanks to make direct attacks on fortress walls. These 'Hellfyre' squadrons, in which the Minotaur Super-Heavy artillery tank has found great favour, drive in alternating groups directly up to indentified weak points in the opposing fortress, often under heavy fire, and level their heavy cannons to fire almost point-blank into the base of the structure before quickly withdrawing. Using specially modified shells, they will repeatedly hammer one section of wall and force a breach in the targeted section in a fraction of the time it would take to conventionally shatter the walls from long range.

Many are the bastions that find their walls crumbling under such relentless attacks, often within days of the legion establishing its siege lines; by this method has the legion ended in days and weeks grinding sieges that Imperial logisticians predicted would take months or even years to conclude.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists without compare. When the gunmetal grey warships of the legion enter a system, they will begin to use their superior numbers to systematically surround a target world; they will isolate its defenses, its Mandeville Point, and any routes or avenues of escape - a 20th legion blockade is very hard to escape from or survive. Ground targets are identified, landing zones set, and bombardments begin to pave the way for the legions heavy landers.

Once the legion make planetfall, a foe is given their one chance at surrender; if it is refused the legion will begin a siege. They have gained a slight notoriety among Imperial forces for being known to be utterly ruthless and without mercy to those who scorn their offer. Once Kirenn's legion has begun to dig their trench lines, they will not stop, they will not relent, and they will not take any prisoners. Any who face them are slain, no matter how strong their defences nor how high their walls are. In this, the legion can sometimes display quite a stubborn streak - they will fully commit to the grinding attrition of siege warfare regardless of the cost in men, material, or the less quietly voiced, common sense. A 20th legion siege does not end until the Siegehost commander is satisfied that every last man, woman or child who stood against them is destroyed.

When siege lines are complete, the Siegehost commander will waste no time in cracking open the foes' defenses and laying waste to whatever lies beyond. Cities, Bastions, Citadels - all are easily broken upon the Anvilus Guard. Massed artillery brigades, swarms of Super-Heavy tanks, Hellfyre squadrons, wave after wave of legion infantry - all are adept at breaching and forcing any target, at any cost. All in the legion know that to fail to successfully storm a target is to fail their father Kirenn - and by extension, the Emperor himself; a shame they will never allow.

Once the war is concluded the legion will move on - leaving little regard for the devastation caused by its methods. Such is the concern of the iterators and other post-complience personnel that follow in its wake; although on more than one occasion the legion has been so thourough in its prosecutuion of a world that there were no survivors at all...

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[The Taros System]]'' 

The Legion's home system, Taros, is comprised of seven planets.

Taros I - Taros I is a barren wasteland, mostly irradiated, but was once home to the system's inhabitants. Its surface is riddled with tumbledown citadels and forts, and is often used by the legion for weapons testing and live fire exercises.

Taros II - Fortified mining world. Much of the systems resources of minerals and ore come from this planet, which has an extensive underground network of linked fortresses.

Taros III - The system capital. Densely populated, almost every settlement on the surface is walled, and armoured bastions guard every street corner. From space the planet almost appears as though it is one enormous, sprawling fortress. It is Taros' greatest boast that Taros III has never fallen an invader - not even the Emperor.

Taros IV - VI - The next three planets in the Taros system are effectively smaller versions of the capital. The majority of the systems population live on these three planets, and it is from here that the legion takes the bulk of its recruits.

Taros VII - Gas giant. Rich deposits of valuable gas are present in the upper atmosphere, and the legion maintains several massive refinery stations here, that each serve as both rigs to harvest the gas, as well as potent void stations forming the core of the Taros systems' outer defences.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Kirenn Lokkan]]'' 
[[File:kir3.png|200px|thumb|left|Kirenn Lokkan, Master of the Anvilus Guard]]
Kirenn Lokkan is the master and commander of the 20th Legionnaires Astartes, the Anvilus Guard. He is the spiritual and cultural heart of the legion, and every Anvilus Guard strives to emulate his fierce example. A warrior without compare and a shrewd tactical genius, Lokkan has taken his legion and moulded it into his own image: the very model of loyalty, ruthlessness and sheer will that prosecuting the Emperor's many wars requires. He is universally revered within his legion and is a much loved commander, and it is seen as a great honour for a legionary to have their primarch take command of their siegehost while on campaign.

Kirenn Lokkan is a Siegemaster with no equal; whether on attack or defense he has an unparalleled understanding of sieges and can often anticipate what move his opponent will try next before even they are aware of it. Since being found and brought into the Imperial fold, Kirenn and the Emperor have had many discussions regarding the nature of siege warfare. Ever since the compliance of the Taros system and Lokkans subsequent discovery he has found in the Emperor a like mind - someone who can see, predict, and understand the nuances of attritional siege warfare just like himself, and in ways no other can. Where others might see a bloody fight with little glory to be had - relentless bombardments, mass casualties and the horrors of trench warfare, Kirenn Lokkan has the ability to elevate it to something like high art. He understands sieges like no other, save the Emperor, and so it is his favoured way to do battle, and to flex his strategic genius in a situation others would despair in or find hopeless.

In combat Lokkan is a superlative fighter, and while he makes use of a wide variety of weaponry and has an extensive personal armoury, his favoured weapons are his enormous hammer, Spinebreaker, and his equally massive chainfist, Hell's Razor, which he often wields as a pair.

=Culture and Beliefs=

Both Kirenn Lokkan and his legion have a firm belief in the vision the Emperor has for the galaxy. They trust in Him to lead them to victory and are utterly certain that He knows the best way forward. They both love and revere the Emperor as a father and as a leader, and any one of them would gladly lay down their lives in His name if it furthers the Imperial cause. Lokkan will do anything the Emperor commands him to do, and the legion anything Kirenn says in turn, without question.

The Anvilus Guard are not exactly the most prideful of legions - they know they get given a lot of the dirty work or dangerous campaigns that the other legions perhaps would not do, or would not have the stomach for, yet they stoically bear this knowledge without complaint. They are not bitter about this however; they are glad to be able to do the Emperor's work in His name; for if not the Anvilus Guard, then who? The 20th know that there are no others in the galaxy capable of tearing down fortresses like they do, no other force in the galaxy capable of sustaining the most gruelling and punishing of assaults like they do, and this gives them a quiet pride when they wage such wars. Indeed, often Lokkan will deliberately ask for, and be given, the most dangerous or bloody of conquests, so that his legion might keep their specialised skills sharp and not fall victim to complacency, in what Lokkan would describe as 'softer fights.'

The legion maintains very little in the way of ornamentation, even among its command ranks, and certainly not among its foot troops. Such things only serve as distractions from the neccessity of the task at hand; the prosecution of the Emperor's wars, and so the legion generally distain from such things, on everything from its weapons and armour to its battleships and supply vessels. They know that the nature of the wars they fight and their successful conclusions are gifts enough for the Emperor, and so do not care to flaunt these victories in front of others. He loves them as only a father can, and that is enough for the Anvilus Guard.

=Geneseed=

The Legion's Geneseed is very stable, which allows many of its recruits to survive the implantation process and go on to become full Battle-Brothers of the Legion. The ease with which the Geneseed takes to the Tarosians natural biology is surprising, but it is key to the Legion's survival; it must always maintain a high influx of recruits in order for the Siegehosts to maintain effectiveness, given the constant attritional warfare the Legion often finds itself in.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Competent
*'''Espionage=''' Competent
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Specialized
*'''Diplomacy=''' Competent
*'''Geneseed=''' Competent

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Competent
*'''Fortification=''' Specialized

=Exemplary Battles=
==Battle One==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

==Battle Two==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Kirenn Lokkan]] The Hammer Of The Emperor, The Breaker, The Siege Lord 
'''High Command''' 
[[Person Name]] Title 
[[Person2 Name]] Title 
'''Others''' 
[[Spod Name here]] Title 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XX: The Anvilus Guard

2018-05-06T01:34:39Z

Russell:

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=Russell Marine.jpg
|Numeration= XX
|Primogenitor= Kirenn Lokkan
|Cognomen= The Emperor's Hammerers (Informal)
|Observed Strategic Tendencies= Extensive use of siegecraft; extreme firepower. Overwhelming, mass assaults. Known to be ruthless, rarely taking prisoners of war.
|Noteworthy Domains = The Taros system
|Allegiance= Loyalist
|Colours= Burnished silver with black trim
|Quote= “True victory is to crush your foes utterly, to shatter their armoured legions and run down their fleeing troops as they scatter. Pursue them into their lairs and burn them out. And when that is done, put the ruins to the torch." -Attributed to Kirenn Lokkan 
}}
[[File:ag.png|200px|thumb|left|Anvilus Guard legion symbol]]
The Anvilus Guard are the 20th Legionnaires Astartes. They were created with a singular purpose: Annihilation. Tasked with campaigns deemed too time-consuming or resource heavy for conventional legions, the Anvilus Guard deploy en mass to crush their foes in the Emperor's name. They are the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's wrath, engaging whole civilisations and pocket empires that the Emperor deems worthy only of consigning to the pages of history. The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists, whether it is upon a single battlefield or across an entire solar system. Once the Anvilus Guard deploys its battlelines and siege trenches there is no escape for their enemies.

The Primarch of the Anvilus Guard, Kirenn Lokkan, is not known for his mercy. Once he has a target in his sights, he will single-mindedly pursue the utter destruction of that foe, with no quarter asked or given. That said, when the Anvilus Guard arrive at the foes' gates Lokkan (or one of his senior officers, if he is not present) will always give his opponents one chance, and one chance only, to lay down their arms and surrender, before a single shovel has hit the ground. If the offer is accepted, then he will allow his foes to retreat from the world the Emperor has claimed for His new Imperium. If the offer is refused, there will not be another, and the siege will only end one way: with the destruction of the foe and death to every single man, woman or child who dare to oppose the Emperor's Will. The Anvilus Guard are not known to take any prisoners of war after such a refusal.
=History=

== Early History ==
Following the Unification Wars the Emperor set out from Terra on His Great Crusade, taking with him His 20 Space Marine Legions. One of these, The Anvilus Guard, quickly showed a natural aptitude for attritional warfare, and made frequent use of grinding, siege-like tactics. Using these to His advantage, they became the Emperor's first choice when it came to assaults on heavily fortified postions or entrenched opponents. The Legion quickly adapted and learned the fine arts of siege warfare, and made frequent use of siege warfare, heavy artillery, and massed Super-Heavy formations. They became apt at grinding their opponents down in sieges that would sometimes last years. Once the foe was beaten and their walls crumbling around them, only then would the legion deign to strike, with what would always be a first and last assault - and it would do so with a massed escalade across multiple breaches, with many hundreds of Astartes storming each shattered section of rubble in unison.

== The Discovery Of The Primarch ==

When the Anvilus Guard descended upon the Taros system, an initially hostile cluster of five populated, heavily fortified planets that defied the Emperor's offer of compliance, they found that their opponents were canny indeed - every attempt to create a proper battlefront and enclose their foes' many citadels was met with defeat. The occupants of the Taros system seemed to just KNOW siege warfare, with many feints, counter-attacks and fake fortresses that repeatedly caught the Astartes completely off guard. After several months failing to even pin down their wily foe, the Emperor Himself brought fresh forces to the system. With His guidance, only then did the Taros system begin to crack, but the cost was high. Many thousands of Imperial Army and Astartes died in the struggles to take the system.

When at last the fortified capital city of Taros III itself was biesieged, the Emperor spoke personally to the Fortress' defenders across the field of trench lines, praising them for such a tenacious and masterful defence, and offering them survival if they would but offer Him fealty. As soon as He saw the Taros Siege Commander step upon the walls of the city, however, the Emperor stopped mid-speech - and laughed. He had found one of His lost sons.

= Legion Organisation =
The Anvilus Guard broadly follow standard Legionnaires Astartes organisation, with the exception that all of their formations are known as 'Siegehosts', and are typically much larger than standard, with emphasis on massed infantry and artillery, with the bulk of their armoured support being Super-Heavy tank and artillery squadrons.

In the void, the legion's large fleet has a preponderance of heavy cruisers that make up the bulk of its strength. These often travel in larger than standard formations that encircle any opposing system in a web of overlapping firepower that few enemies can evade.

==Unique Formations==
===Hellfyre Squadrons===
[[File:Minotaur1.png|200px|thumb|left|The Minotaur Super-Heavy Artillery Tank has found great favour within the Anvilus Guards 'Hellfyre' squadrons]]
The Anvilus Guard almost completely conform to standard Crusade templates for its units and organisation; however one marked deviation is its extensive use of its many and varied Super-Heavy tank and artillery battalions. While most commanders would prefer to keep their artillery units sheltered in their backline, safe from harm, the Anvilus Guard does the opposite. During sieges they often makes unconventional use of Super-Heavy artillery squadrons, organising them into so-called 'Hellfyre' squadrons which are used to make lightning attacks on fortress walls.

The tactic calls for the heavier legion artillery units present in the Siegehost to group into smaller squadrons of 4 or 5, which are used in concert with Super-Heavy tank squadrons and often led by the less numerous Typhon Heavy Siege Tanks to make direct attacks on fortress walls. These 'Hellfyre' squadrons, in which the Minotaur Super-Heavy artillery tank has found great favour, drive in alternating groups directly up to indentified weak points in the opposing fortress, often under heavy fire, and level their heavy cannons to fire almost point-blank into the base of the structure before quickly withdrawing. Using specially modified shells, they will repeatedly hammer one section of wall and force a breach in the targeted section in a fraction of the time it would take to conventionally shatter the walls from long range.

Many are the bastions that find their walls crumbling under such relentless attacks, often within days of the legion establishing its siege lines; by this method has the legion ended in days and weeks grinding sieges that Imperial logisticians predicted would take months or even years to conclude.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists without compare. When the gunmetal grey warships of the legion enter a system, they will begin to use their superior numbers to systematically surround a target world; they will isolate its defenses, its Mandeville Point, and any routes or avenues of escape - a 20th legion blockade is very hard to escape from or survive. Ground targets are identified, landing zones set, and bombardments begin to pave the way for the legions heavy landers.

Once the legion make planetfall, a foe is given their one chance at surrender; if it is refused the legion will begin a siege. They have gained a slight notoriety among Imperial forces for being known to be utterly ruthless and without mercy to those who scorn their offer. Once Kirenn's legion has begun to dig their trench lines, they will not stop, they will not relent, and they will not take any prisoners. Any who face them are slain, no matter how strong their defences nor how high their walls are. In this, the legion can sometimes display quite a stubborn streak - they will fully commit to the grinding attrition of siege warfare regardless of the cost in men, material, or the less quietly voiced, common sense. A 20th legion siege does not end until the Siegehost commander is satisfied that every last man, woman or child who stood against them is destroyed.

When siege lines are complete, the Siegehost commander will waste no time in cracking open the foes' defenses and laying waste to whatever lies beyond. Cities, Bastions, Citadels - all are easily broken upon the Anvilus Guard. Massed artillery brigades, swarms of Super-Heavy tanks, Hellfyre squadrons, wave after wave of legion infantry - all are adept at breaching and forcing any target, at any cost. All in the legion know that to fail to successfully storm a target is to fail their father Kirenn - and by extension, the Emperor himself; a shame they will never allow.

Once the war is concluded the legion will move on - leaving little regard for the devastation caused by its methods. Such is the concern of the iterators and other post-complience personnel that follow in its wake; although on more than one occasion the legion has been so thourough in its prosecutuion of a world that there were no survivors at all...

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[The Taros System]]'' 

The Legion's home system, Taros, is comprised of seven planets.

Taros I - Taros I is a barren wasteland, mostly irradiated, but was once home to the system's inhabitants. Its surface is riddled with tumbledown citadels and forts, and is often used by the legion for weapons testing and live fire exercises.

Taros II - Fortified mining world. Much of the systems resources of minerals and ore come from this planet, which has an extensive underground network of linked fortresses.

Taros III - The system capital. Densely populated, almost every settlement on the surface is walled, and armoured bastions guard every street corner. From space the planet almost appears as though it is one enormous, sprawling fortress. It is Taros' greatest boast that Taros III has never fallen an invader - not even the Emperor.

Taros IV - VI - The next three planets in the Taros system are effectively smaller versions of the capital. The majority of the systems population live on these three planets, and it is from here that the legion takes the bulk of its recruits.

Taros VII - Gas giant. Rich deposits of valuable gas are present in the upper atmosphere, and the legion maintains several massive refinery stations here, that each serve as both rigs to harvest the gas, as well as potent void stations forming the core of the Taros systems' outer defences.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Kirenn Lokkan]]'' 
[[File:kir3.png|200px|thumb|left|Kirenn Lokkan, Master of the Anvilus Guard]]
Kirenn Lokkan is the master and commander of the 20th Legionnaires Astartes, the Anvilus Guard. He is the spiritual and cultural heart of the legion, and every Anvilus Guard strives to emulate his fierce example. A warrior without compare and a shrewd tactical genius, Lokkan has taken his legion and moulded it into his own image: the very model of loyalty, ruthlessness and sheer will that prosecuting the Emperor's many wars requires. He is universally revered within his legion and is a much loved commander, and it is seen as a great honour for a legionary to have their primarch take command of their siegehost while on campaign.

Kirenn Lokkan is a Siegemaster with no equal; whether on attack or defense he has an unparalleled understanding of sieges and can often anticipate what move his opponent will try next before even they are aware of it. Since being found and brought into the Imperial fold, Kirenn and the Emperor have had many discussions regarding the nature of siege warfare. Ever since the compliance of the Taros system and Lokkans subsequent discovery he has found in the Emperor a like mind - someone who can see, predict, and understand the nuances of attritional siege warfare just like himself, and in ways no other can. Where others might see a bloody fight with little glory to be had - relentless bombardments, mass casualties and the horrors of trench warfare, Kirenn Lokkan has the ability to elevate it to something like high art. He understands sieges like no other, save the Emperor, and so it is his favoured way to do battle, and to flex his strategic genius in a situation others would despair in or find hopeless.

In combat Lokkan is a superlative fighter, and while he makes use of a wide variety of weaponry and has an extensive personal armoury, his favoured weapons are his enormous hammer, Spinebreaker, and his equally massive chainfist, Hell's Razor, which he often wields as a pair.

=Culture and Beliefs=

Both Kirenn Lokkan and his legion have a firm belief in the vision the Emperor has for the galaxy. They trust in Him to lead them to victory and are utterly certain that He knows the best way forward. They both love and revere the Emperor as a father and as a leader, and any one of them would gladly lay down their lives in His name if it furthers the Imperial cause. Lokkan will do anything the Emperor commands him to do, and the legion anything Kirenn says in turn, without question.

The Anvilus Guard are not exactly the most prideful of legions - they know they get given a lot of the dirty work or dangerous campaigns that the other legions perhaps would not do, or would not have the stomach for, yet they stoically bear this knowledge without complaint. They are not bitter about this however; they are glad to be able to do the Emperor's work in His name; for if not the Anvilus Guard, then who? The 20th know that there are no others in the galaxy capable of tearing down fortresses like they do, no other force in the galaxy capable of sustaining the most gruelling and punishing of assaults like they do, and this gives them a quiet pride when they wage such wars. Indeed, often Lokkan will deliberately ask for, and be given, the most dangerous or bloody of conquests, so that his legion might keep their specialised skills sharp and not fall victim to complacency, in what Lokkan would describe as 'softer fights.'

The legion maintains very little in the way of ornamentation, even among its command ranks, and certainly not among its foot troops. Such things only serve as distractions from the neccessity of the task at hand; the prosecution of the Emperor's wars, and so the legion generally distain from such things, on everything from its weapons and armour to its battleships and supply vessels. They know that the nature of the wars they fight and their successful conclusions are gifts enough for the Emperor, and so do not care to flaunt these victories in front of others. He loves them as only a father can, and that is enough for the Anvilus Guard.

=Geneseed=

The Legion's Geneseed is very stable, which allows many of its recruits to survive the implantation process and go on to become full Battle-Brothers of the Legion. The ease with which the Geneseed takes to the Tarosians natural biology is surprising, but it is key to the Legion's survival; it must always maintain a high influx of recruits in order for the Siegehosts to maintain effectiveness, given the constant attritional warfare the Legion often finds itself in.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Competent
*'''Espionage=''' Competent
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Specialized
*'''Diplomacy=''' Competent
*'''Geneseed=''' Competent

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Competent
*'''Fortification=''' Specialized

=Exemplary Battles=
==Battle One==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

==Battle Two==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Kirenn Lokkan]] The Hammer Of The Emperor, The Breaker, The Siege Lord 
'''High Command''' 
[[Person Name]] Title 
[[Person2 Name]] Title 
'''Others''' 
[[Spod Name here]] Title 

[[Category:Legion]]

2018-05-05T22:38:21Z

Russell: /* Primarch */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=Russell Marine.jpg
|Numeration= XX
|Primogenitor= Kirenn Lokkan
|Cognomen= The Emperor's Hammerers (Informal)
|Observed Strategic Tendencies= Extensive use of siegecraft; extreme firepower. Overwhelming, mass assaults. Known to be ruthless, rarely taking prisoners of war.
|Noteworthy Domains = The Taros system
|Allegiance= Loyalist
|Colours= Burnished silver with black trim
|Quote= “True victory is to crush your foes utterly, to shatter their armoured legions and run down their fleeing troops as they scatter. Pursue them into their lairs and burn them out. And when that is done, put the ruins to the torch." -Attributed to Kirenn Lokkan 
}}
The Anvilus Guard are the 20th Legionnaires Astartes. They were created with a singular purpose: Annihilation. Tasked with campaigns deemed too time-consuming or resource heavy for conventional legions, the Anvilus Guard deploy en mass to crush their foes in the Emperor's name. They are the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's wrath, engaging whole civilisations and pocket empires that the Emperor deems worthy only of consigning to the pages of history. The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists, whether it is upon a single battlefield or across an entire solar system. Once the Anvilus Guard deploys its battlelines and siege trenches there is no escape for their enemies.

The Primarch of the Anvilus Guard, Kirenn Lokkan, is not known for his mercy. Once he has a target in his sights, he will single-mindedly pursue the utter destruction of that foe, with no quarter asked or given. That said, when the Anvilus Guard arrive at the foes' gates Lokkan (or one of his senior officers, if he is not present) will always give his opponents one chance, and one chance only, to lay down their arms and surrender, before a single shovel has hit the ground. If the offer is accepted, then he will allow his foes to retreat from the world the Emperor has claimed for His new Imperium. If the offer is refused, there will not be another, and the siege will only end one way: with the destruction of the foe and death to every single man, woman or child who dare to oppose the Emperor's Will. The Anvilus Guard are not known to take any prisoners of war after such a refusal.
=History=

== Early History ==
Following the Unification Wars the Emperor set out from Terra on His Great Crusade, taking with him His 20 Space Marine Legions. One of these, The Anvilus Guard, quickly showed a natural aptitude for attritional warfare, and made frequent use of grinding, siege-like tactics. Using these to His advantage, they became the Emperor's first choice when it came to assaults on heavily fortified postions or entrenched opponents. The Legion quickly adapted and learned the fine arts of siege warfare, and made frequent use of siege warfare, heavy artillery, and massed Super-Heavy formations. They became apt at grinding their opponents down in sieges that would sometimes last years. Once the foe was beaten and their walls crumbling around them, only then would the legion deign to strike, with what would always be a first and last assault - and it would do so with a massed escalade across multiple breaches, with many hundreds of Astartes storming each shattered section of rubble in unison.

== The Discovery Of The Primarch ==

When the Anvilus Guard descended upon the Taros system, an initially hostile cluster of five populated, heavily fortified planets that defied the Emperor's offer of compliance, they found that their opponents were canny indeed - every attempt to create a proper battlefront and enclose their foes' many citadels was met with defeat. The occupants of the Taros system seemed to just KNOW siege warfare, with many feints, counter-attacks and fake fortresses that repeatedly caught the Astartes completely off guard. After several months failing to even pin down their wily foe, the Emperor Himself brought fresh forces to the system. With His guidance, only then did the Taros system begin to crack, but the cost was high. Many thousands of Imperial Army and Astartes died in the struggles to take the system.

When at last the fortified capital city of Taros III itself was biesieged, the Emperor spoke personally to the Fortress' defenders across the field of trench lines, praising them for such a tenacious and masterful defence, and offering them survival if they would but offer Him fealty. As soon as He saw the Taros Siege Commander step upon the walls of the city, however, the Emperor stopped mid-speech - and laughed. He had found one of His lost sons.

= Legion Organisation =
The Anvilus Guard broadly follow standard Legionnaires Astartes organisation, with the exception that all of their formations are known as 'Siegehosts', and are typically much larger than standard, with emphasis on massed infantry and artillery, with the bulk of their armoured support being Super-Heavy tank and artillery squadrons.

In the void, the legion's large fleet has a preponderance of heavy cruisers that make up the bulk of its strength. These often travel in larger than standard formations that encircle any opposing system in a web of overlapping firepower that few enemies can evade.

==Unique Formations==
===Hellfyre Squadrons===
[[File:Minotaur1.png|200px|thumb|left|The Minotaur Super-Heavy Artillery Tank has found great favour within the Anvilus Guards 'Hellfyre' squadrons]]
The Anvilus Guard almost completely conform to standard Crusade templates for its units and organisation; however one marked deviation is its extensive use of its many and varied Super-Heavy tank and artillery battalions. While most commanders would prefer to keep their artillery units sheltered in their backline, safe from harm, the Anvilus Guard does the opposite. During sieges they often makes unconventional use of Super-Heavy artillery squadrons, organising them into so-called 'Hellfyre' squadrons which are used to make lightning attacks on fortress walls.

The tactic calls for the heavier legion artillery units present in the Siegehost to group into smaller squadrons of 4 or 5, which are used in concert with Super-Heavy tank squadrons and often led by the less numerous Typhon Heavy Siege Tanks to make direct attacks on fortress walls. These 'Hellfyre' squadrons, in which the Minotaur Super-Heavy artillery tank has found great favour, drive in alternating groups directly up to indentified weak points in the opposing fortress, often under heavy fire, and level their heavy cannons to fire almost point-blank into the base of the structure before quickly withdrawing. Using specially modified shells, they will repeatedly hammer one section of wall and force a breach in the targeted section in a fraction of the time it would take to conventionally shatter the walls from long range.

Many are the bastions that find their walls crumbling under such relentless attacks, often within days of the legion establishing its siege lines; by this method has the legion ended in days and weeks grinding sieges that Imperial logisticians predicted would take months or even years to conclude.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists without compare. When the gunmetal grey warships of the legion enter a system, they will begin to use their superior numbers to systematically surround a target world; they will isolate its defenses, its Mandeville Point, and any routes or avenues of escape - a XX legion blockade is very hard to escape from or survive. Ground targets are identified, landing zones set, and bombardments begin to pave the way for the legions heavy landers.

Once the legion make planetfall, a foe is given their one chance at surrender; if it is refused the legion will begin a siege. They have gained a slight notoriety among Imperial forces for being known to be utterly ruthless and without mercy to those who scorn their offer. Once Kirenn's legion has begun to dig their trench lines, they will not stop, they will not relent, and they will not take any prisoners. Any who face them are slain, no matter how strong their defences nor how high their walls are. In this, the legion can sometimes display quite a stubborn streak - they will fully commit to the grinding attrition of siege warfare regardless of the cost in men, material, or the less quietly voiced, common sense. A XX legion siege does not end until the Siegehost commander is satisfied that every last man, woman or child who stood against them is destroyed.

When siege lines are complete, the Siegehost commander will waste no time in cracking open the foes' defenses and laying waste to whatever lies beyond. Cities, Bastions, Citadels - all are easily broken upon the Anvilus Guard. Massed artillery brigades, swarms of Super-Heavy tanks, Hellfyre squadrons, wave after wave of legion infantry - all are adept at breaching and forcing any target, at any cost. All in the legion know that to fail to successfully storm a target is to fail their father Kirenn - and by extension, the Emperor himself; a shame they will never allow.

Once the war is concluded the legion will move on - leaving little regard for the devastation caused by its methods. Such is the concern of the iterators and other post-complience personnel that follow in its wake; although on more than one occasion the legion has been so thourough in its prosecutuion of a world that there were no survivors at all...

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[The Taros System]]'' 

The Legion's home system, Taros, is comprised of seven planets.

Taros I - Taros I is a barren wasteland, mostly irradiated, but was once home to the system's inhabitants. Its surface is riddled with tumbledown citadels and forts, and is often used by the legion for weapons testing and live fire exercises.

Taros II - Fortified mining world. Much of the systems resources of minerals and ore come from this planet, which has an extensive underground network of linked fortresses.

Taros III - The system capital. Densely populated, almost every settlement on the surface is walled, and armoured bastions guard every street corner. From space the planet almost appears as though it is one enormous, sprawling fortress. It is Taros' greatest boast that Taros III has never fallen an invader - not even the Emperor.

Taros IV - VI - The next three planets in the Taros system are effectively smaller versions of the capital. The majority of the systems population live on these three planets, and it is from here that the legion takes the bulk of its recruits.

Taros VII - Gas giant. Rich deposits of valuable gas are present in the upper atmosphere, and the legion maintains several massive refinery stations here, that each serve as both rigs to harvest the gas, as well as potent void stations forming the core of the Taros systems' outer defences.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Kirenn Lokkan]]'' 
[[File:lokkan.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Kirenn Lokkan, Master of the Anvilus Guard]]
Kirenn Lokkan is the Master and commander of the 20th Legionnaires Astartes, the Anvilus Guard. He is the spiritual and cultural heart of the legion, and every Anvilus Guard strives to emulate his fierce example. A warrior without compare and a shrewd tactical genius, Lokkan has taken his legion and moulded it into his own image: the very model of loyalty, ruthlessness and sheer will that prosecuting the Emperor's many wars requires. He is universally revered within his legion and is a much loved commander, and it is seen as a great honour for a legionary to have their primarch take command of their siegehost while on campaign.

Kirenn Lokkan is a Siegemaster with no equal; whether on attack or defense he has an unparalleled understanding of sieges and can often anticipate what move his opponent will try next before even they are aware of it. Since being found and brought into the Imperial fold, Kirenn and the Emperor have had many discussions regarding the nature of siege warfare. Ever since the compliance of the Taros system and Lokkans subsequent discovery he has found in the Emperor a like mind - someone who can see, predict, and understand the nuances of attritional siege warfare just like himself, and in ways no other can. Where other might see a bloody fight with little glory to be had - relentless bombardments, mass casualties and the horrors of trench warfare, Kirenn Lokkan has the ability to elevate it to something like high art. He understands sieges like no other, save the Emperor, and so it is his favoured way to do battle, and to flex his strategic genius in a situation others would despair in or find hopeless.

In combat Lokkan is a superlative fighter, and while he has made use of a wide variety of weaponry and has quite an extensive personal armoury, his favoured weapons are his enormous hammer, Siegebreaker, and his equally massive chainfist, Hell's Razor, which he often wields as a pair.

=Culture and Beliefs=

Info Cultural Practices, Philosophies, Cults and stuff go here. ESSENTIAL

=Geneseed=

The Legion's Geneseed is very stable, which allows many of its recruits to survive the implantation process and go on to become full Battle-Brothers of the Legion. The ease with which the Geneseed takes to the Tarosians natural biology is surprising, but it is key to the Legion's survival; it must always maintain a high influx of recruits in order for the Siegehosts to maintain effectiveness, given the constant attritional warfare the Legion often finds itself in.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Competent
*'''Espionage=''' Competent
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Specialized
*'''Diplomacy=''' Competent
*'''Geneseed=''' Competent

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Competent
*'''Fortification=''' Specialized

=Exemplary Battles=
==Battle One==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

==Battle Two==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Kirenn Lokkan]] Hammer Of The Emperor, The Breaker, The Siege Lord 
'''High Command''' 
[[Person Name]] Title 
[[Person2 Name]] Title 
'''Others''' 
[[Spod Name here]] Title 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XX: The Anvilus Guard

2018-05-05T20:16:26Z

Russell: /* Primarch */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=Russell Marine.jpg
|Numeration= XX
|Primogenitor= Kirenn Lokkan
|Cognomen= The Emperor's Hammerers (Informal)
|Observed Strategic Tendencies= Extensive use of siegecraft; extreme firepower. Overwhelming, mass assaults. Known to be ruthless, rarely taking prisoners of war.
|Noteworthy Domains = The Taros system
|Allegiance= Loyalist
|Colours= Burnished silver with black trim
|Quote= “True victory is to crush your foes utterly, to shatter their armoured legions and run down their fleeing troops as they scatter. Pursue them into their lairs and burn them out. And when that is done, put the ruins to the torch." -Attributed to Kirenn Lokkan 
}}
The Anvilus Guard are the 20th Legionnaires Astartes. They were created with a singular purpose: Annihilation. Tasked with campaigns deemed too time-consuming or resource heavy for conventional legions, the Anvilus Guard deploy en mass to crush their foes in the Emperor's name. They are the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's wrath, engaging whole civilisations and pocket empires that the Emperor deems worthy only of consigning to the pages of history. The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists, whether it is upon a single battlefield or across an entire solar system. Once the Anvilus Guard deploys its battlelines and siege trenches there is no escape for their enemies.

The Primarch of the Anvilus Guard, Kirenn Lokkan, is not known for his mercy. Once he has a target in his sights, he will single-mindedly pursue the utter destruction of that foe, with no quarter asked or given. That said, when the Anvilus Guard arrive at the foes' gates Lokkan (or one of his senior officers, if he is not present) will always give his opponents one chance, and one chance only, to lay down their arms and surrender, before a single shovel has hit the ground. If the offer is accepted, then he will allow his foes to retreat from the world the Emperor has claimed for His new Imperium. If the offer is refused, there will not be another, and the siege will only end one way: with the destruction of the foe and death to every single man, woman or child who dare to oppose the Emperor's Will. The Anvilus Guard are not known to take any prisoners of war after such a refusal.
=History=

== Early History ==
Following the Unification Wars the Emperor set out from Terra on His Great Crusade, taking with him His 20 Space Marine Legions. One of these, The Anvilus Guard, quickly showed a natural aptitude for attritional warfare, and made frequent use of grinding, siege-like tactics. Using these to His advantage, they became the Emperor's first choice when it came to assaults on heavily fortified postions or entrenched opponents. The Legion quickly adapted and learned the fine arts of siege warfare, and made frequent use of siege warfare, heavy artillery, and massed Super-Heavy formations. They became apt at grinding their opponents down in sieges that would sometimes last years. Once the foe was beaten and their walls crumbling around them, only then would the legion deign to strike, with what would always be a first and last assault - and it would do so with a massed escalade across multiple breaches, with many hundreds of Astartes storming each shattered section of rubble in unison.

== The Discovery Of The Primarch ==

When the Anvilus Guard descended upon the Taros system, an initially hostile cluster of five populated, heavily fortified planets that defied the Emperor's offer of compliance, they found that their opponents were canny indeed - every attempt to create a proper battlefront and enclose their foes' many citadels was met with defeat. The occupants of the Taros system seemed to just KNOW siege warfare, with many feints, counter-attacks and fake fortresses that repeatedly caught the Astartes completely off guard. After several months failing to even pin down their wily foe, the Emperor Himself brought fresh forces to the system. With His guidance, only then did the Taros system begin to crack, but the cost was high. Many thousands of Imperial Army and Astartes died in the struggles to take the system.

When at last the fortified capital city of Taros III itself was biesieged, the Emperor spoke personally to the Fortress' defenders across the field of trench lines, praising them for such a tenacious and masterful defence, and offering them survival if they would but offer Him fealty. As soon as He saw the Taros Siege Commander step upon the walls of the city, however, the Emperor stopped mid-speech - and laughed. He had found one of His lost sons.

= Legion Organisation =
The Anvilus Guard broadly follow standard Legionnaires Astartes organisation, with the exception that all of their formations are known as 'Siegehosts', and are typically much larger than standard, with emphasis on massed infantry and artillery, with the bulk of their armoured support being Super-Heavy tank and artillery squadrons.

In the void, the legion's large fleet has a preponderance of heavy cruisers that make up the bulk of its strength. These often travel in larger than standard formations that encircle any opposing system in a web of overlapping firepower that few enemies can evade.

==Unique Formations==
===Hellfyre Squadrons===
[[File:Minotaur1.png|200px|thumb|left|The Minotaur Super-Heavy Artillery Tank has found great favour within the Anvilus Guards 'Hellfyre' squadrons]]
The Anvilus Guard almost completely conform to standard Crusade templates for its units and organisation; however one marked deviation is its extensive use of its many and varied Super-Heavy tank and artillery battalions. While most commanders would prefer to keep their artillery units sheltered in their backline, safe from harm, the Anvilus Guard does the opposite. During sieges they often makes unconventional use of Super-Heavy artillery squadrons, organising them into so-called 'Hellfyre' squadrons which are used to make lightning attacks on fortress walls.

The tactic calls for the heavier legion artillery units present in the Siegehost to group into smaller squadrons of 4 or 5, which are used in concert with Super-Heavy tank squadrons and often led by the less numerous Typhon Heavy Siege Tanks to make direct attacks on fortress walls. These 'Hellfyre' squadrons, in which the Minotaur Super-Heavy artillery tank has found great favour, drive in alternating groups directly up to indentified weak points in the opposing fortress, often under heavy fire, and level their heavy cannons to fire almost point-blank into the base of the structure before quickly withdrawing. Using specially modified shells, they will repeatedly hammer one section of wall and force a breach in the targeted section in a fraction of the time it would take to conventionally shatter the walls from long range.

Many are the bastions that find their walls crumbling under such relentless attacks, often within days of the legion establishing its siege lines; by this method has the legion ended in days and weeks grinding sieges that Imperial logisticians predicted would take months or even years to conclude.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists without compare. When the gunmetal grey warships of the legion enter a system, they will begin to use their superior numbers to systematically surround a target world; they will isolate its defenses, its Mandeville Point, and any routes or avenues of escape - a XX legion blockade is very hard to escape from or survive. Ground targets are identified, landing zones set, and bombardments begin to pave the way for the legions heavy landers.

Once the legion make planetfall, a foe is given their one chance at surrender; if it is refused the legion will begin a siege. They have gained a slight notoriety among Imperial forces for being known to be utterly ruthless and without mercy to those who scorn their offer. Once Kirenn's legion has begun to dig their trench lines, they will not stop, they will not relent, and they will not take any prisoners. Any who face them are slain, no matter how strong their defences nor how high their walls are. In this, the legion can sometimes display quite a stubborn streak - they will fully commit to the grinding attrition of siege warfare regardless of the cost in men, material, or the less quietly voiced, common sense. A XX legion siege does not end until the Siegehost commander is satisfied that every last man, woman or child who stood against them is destroyed.

When siege lines are complete, the Siegehost commander will waste no time in cracking open the foes' defenses and laying waste to whatever lies beyond. Cities, Bastions, Citadels - all are easily broken upon the Anvilus Guard. Massed artillery brigades, swarms of Super-Heavy tanks, Hellfyre squadrons, wave after wave of legion infantry - all are adept at breaching and forcing any target, at any cost. All in the legion know that to fail to successfully storm a target is to fail their father Kirenn - and by extension, the Emperor himself; a shame they will never allow.

Once the war is concluded the legion will move on - leaving little regard for the devastation caused by its methods. Such is the concern of the iterators and other post-complience personnel that follow in its wake; although on more than one occasion the legion has been so thourough in its prosecutuion of a world that there were no survivors at all...

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[The Taros System]]'' 

The Legion's home system, Taros, is comprised of seven planets.

Taros I - Taros I is a barren wasteland, mostly irradiated, but was once home to the system's inhabitants. Its surface is riddled with tumbledown citadels and forts, and is often used by the legion for weapons testing and live fire exercises.

Taros II - Fortified mining world. Much of the systems resources of minerals and ore come from this planet, which has an extensive underground network of linked fortresses.

Taros III - The system capital. Densely populated, almost every settlement on the surface is walled, and armoured bastions guard every street corner. From space the planet almost appears as though it is one enormous, sprawling fortress. It is Taros' greatest boast that Taros III has never fallen an invader - not even the Emperor.

Taros IV - VI - The next three planets in the Taros system are effectively smaller versions of the capital. The majority of the systems population live on these three planets, and it is from here that the legion takes the bulk of its recruits.

Taros VII - Gas giant. Rich deposits of valuable gas are present in the upper atmosphere, and the legion maintains several massive refinery stations here, that each serve as both rigs to harvest the gas, as well as potent void stations forming the core of the Taros systems' outer defences.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Kirenn Lokkan]]'' 
[[File:lokkan.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Kirenn Lokkan, Master of the Anvilus Guard]]
Kirenn Lokkan is the Master and commander of the 20th Legionnaires Astartes, the Anvilus Guard. He is the spiritual and cultural heart of the legion, and every Anvilus Guard strives to emulate his fierce example. A warrior without compare and a shrewd tactical genius, Lokkan has taken his legion and moulded it into his own image: the very model of loyalty, ruthlessness and sheer will that prosecuting the Emperor's many wars requires. He is universally revered within his legion and a much loved commander, and it is seen as a great honour for a legionary to have their primarch take command of their siegehost while on campaign.

Kirenn Lokkan is a Siegemaster with no equal; whether on attack or defense he has an unparalleled understanding of sieges and can often anticipate what move his opponent will try next before even they are aware of it. Since being found and brought into the Imperial fold, Kirenn and the Emperor have had many discussions regarding the nature of siege warfare. Ever since the compliance of the Taros system and Lokkans subsequent discovery he has found in the Emperor a like mind - someone who can see, predict, and understand the nuances of attritional siege warfare just like himself, and in ways no other can. Where other might see a bloody fight with little glory to be had - relentless bombardments, mass casualties and the horrors of trench warfare, Kirenn Lokkan has the ability to elevate it to something like high art. He understands sieges like no other, save the Emperor, and so it is his favoured way to do battle, and to flex his strategic genius in a situation others would despair in or find hopeless.

=Culture and Beliefs=

Info Cultural Practices, Philosophies, Cults and stuff go here. ESSENTIAL

=Geneseed=

The Legion's Geneseed is very stable, which allows many of its recruits to survive the implantation process and go on to become full Battle-Brothers of the Legion. The ease with which the Geneseed takes to the Tarosians natural biology is surprising, but it is key to the Legion's survival; it must always maintain a high influx of recruits in order for the Siegehosts to maintain effectiveness, given the constant attritional warfare the Legion often finds itself in.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Competent
*'''Espionage=''' Competent
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Specialized
*'''Diplomacy=''' Competent
*'''Geneseed=''' Competent

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Competent
*'''Fortification=''' Specialized

=Exemplary Battles=
==Battle One==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

==Battle Two==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Kirenn Lokkan]] Hammer Of The Emperor, The Breaker, The Siege Lord 
'''High Command''' 
[[Person Name]] Title 
[[Person2 Name]] Title 
'''Others''' 
[[Spod Name here]] Title 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XX: The Anvilus Guard

2018-05-05T19:48:17Z

Russell: /* Primarch */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=Russell Marine.jpg
|Numeration= XX
|Primogenitor= Kirenn Lokkan
|Cognomen= The Emperor's Hammerers (Informal)
|Observed Strategic Tendencies= Extensive use of siegecraft; extreme firepower. Overwhelming, mass assaults. Known to be ruthless, rarely taking prisoners of war.
|Noteworthy Domains = The Taros system
|Allegiance= Loyalist
|Colours= Burnished silver with black trim
|Quote= “True victory is to crush your foes utterly, to shatter their armoured legions and run down their fleeing troops as they scatter. Pursue them into their lairs and burn them out. And when that is done, put the ruins to the torch." -Attributed to Kirenn Lokkan 
}}
The Anvilus Guard are the 20th Legionnaires Astartes. They were created with a singular purpose: Annihilation. Tasked with campaigns deemed too time-consuming or resource heavy for conventional legions, the Anvilus Guard deploy en mass to crush their foes in the Emperor's name. They are the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's wrath, engaging whole civilisations and pocket empires that the Emperor deems worthy only of consigning to the pages of history. The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists, whether it is upon a single battlefield or across an entire solar system. Once the Anvilus Guard deploys its battlelines and siege trenches there is no escape for their enemies.

The Primarch of the Anvilus Guard, Kirenn Lokkan, is not known for his mercy. Once he has a target in his sights, he will single-mindedly pursue the utter destruction of that foe, with no quarter asked or given. That said, when the Anvilus Guard arrive at the foes' gates Lokkan (or one of his senior officers, if he is not present) will always give his opponents one chance, and one chance only, to lay down their arms and surrender, before a single shovel has hit the ground. If the offer is accepted, then he will allow his foes to retreat from the world the Emperor has claimed for His new Imperium. If the offer is refused, there will not be another, and the siege will only end one way: with the destruction of the foe and death to every single man, woman or child who dare to oppose the Emperor's Will. The Anvilus Guard are not known to take any prisoners of war after such a refusal.
=History=

== Early History ==
Following the Unification Wars the Emperor set out from Terra on His Great Crusade, taking with him His 20 Space Marine Legions. One of these, The Anvilus Guard, quickly showed a natural aptitude for attritional warfare, and made frequent use of grinding, siege-like tactics. Using these to His advantage, they became the Emperor's first choice when it came to assaults on heavily fortified postions or entrenched opponents. The Legion quickly adapted and learned the fine arts of siege warfare, and made frequent use of siege warfare, heavy artillery, and massed Super-Heavy formations. They became apt at grinding their opponents down in sieges that would sometimes last years. Once the foe was beaten and their walls crumbling around them, only then would the legion deign to strike, with what would always be a first and last assault - and it would do so with a massed escalade across multiple breaches, with many hundreds of Astartes storming each shattered section of rubble in unison.

== The Discovery Of The Primarch ==

When the Anvilus Guard descended upon the Taros system, an initially hostile cluster of five populated, heavily fortified planets that defied the Emperor's offer of compliance, they found that their opponents were canny indeed - every attempt to create a proper battlefront and enclose their foes' many citadels was met with defeat. The occupants of the Taros system seemed to just KNOW siege warfare, with many feints, counter-attacks and fake fortresses that repeatedly caught the Astartes completely off guard. After several months failing to even pin down their wily foe, the Emperor Himself brought fresh forces to the system. With His guidance, only then did the Taros system begin to crack, but the cost was high. Many thousands of Imperial Army and Astartes died in the struggles to take the system.

When at last the fortified capital city of Taros III itself was biesieged, the Emperor spoke personally to the Fortress' defenders across the field of trench lines, praising them for such a tenacious and masterful defence, and offering them survival if they would but offer Him fealty. As soon as He saw the Taros Siege Commander step upon the walls of the city, however, the Emperor stopped mid-speech - and laughed. He had found one of His lost sons.

= Legion Organisation =
The Anvilus Guard broadly follow standard Legionnaires Astartes organisation, with the exception that all of their formations are known as 'Siegehosts', and are typically much larger than standard, with emphasis on massed infantry and artillery, with the bulk of their armoured support being Super-Heavy tank and artillery squadrons.

In the void, the legion's large fleet has a preponderance of heavy cruisers that make up the bulk of its strength. These often travel in larger than standard formations that encircle any opposing system in a web of overlapping firepower that few enemies can evade.

==Unique Formations==
===Hellfyre Squadrons===
[[File:Minotaur1.png|200px|thumb|left|The Minotaur Super-Heavy Artillery Tank has found great favour within the Anvilus Guards 'Hellfyre' squadrons]]
The Anvilus Guard almost completely conform to standard Crusade templates for its units and organisation; however one marked deviation is its extensive use of its many and varied Super-Heavy tank and artillery battalions. While most commanders would prefer to keep their artillery units sheltered in their backline, safe from harm, the Anvilus Guard does the opposite. During sieges they often makes unconventional use of Super-Heavy artillery squadrons, organising them into so-called 'Hellfyre' squadrons which are used to make lightning attacks on fortress walls.

The tactic calls for the heavier legion artillery units present in the Siegehost to group into smaller squadrons of 4 or 5, which are used in concert with Super-Heavy tank squadrons and often led by the less numerous Typhon Heavy Siege Tanks to make direct attacks on fortress walls. These 'Hellfyre' squadrons, in which the Minotaur Super-Heavy artillery tank has found great favour, drive in alternating groups directly up to indentified weak points in the opposing fortress, often under heavy fire, and level their heavy cannons to fire almost point-blank into the base of the structure before quickly withdrawing. Using specially modified shells, they will repeatedly hammer one section of wall and force a breach in the targeted section in a fraction of the time it would take to conventionally shatter the walls from long range.

Many are the bastions that find their walls crumbling under such relentless attacks, often within days of the legion establishing its siege lines; by this method has the legion ended in days and weeks grinding sieges that Imperial logisticians predicted would take months or even years to conclude.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists without compare. When the gunmetal grey warships of the legion enter a system, they will begin to use their superior numbers to systematically surround a target world; they will isolate its defenses, its Mandeville Point, and any routes or avenues of escape - a XX legion blockade is very hard to escape from or survive. Ground targets are identified, landing zones set, and bombardments begin to pave the way for the legions heavy landers.

Once the legion make planetfall, a foe is given their one chance at surrender; if it is refused the legion will begin a siege. They have gained a slight notoriety among Imperial forces for being known to be utterly ruthless and without mercy to those who scorn their offer. Once Kirenn's legion has begun to dig their trench lines, they will not stop, they will not relent, and they will not take any prisoners. Any who face them are slain, no matter how strong their defences nor how high their walls are. In this, the legion can sometimes display quite a stubborn streak - they will fully commit to the grinding attrition of siege warfare regardless of the cost in men, material, or the less quietly voiced, common sense. A XX legion siege does not end until the Siegehost commander is satisfied that every last man, woman or child who stood against them is destroyed.

When siege lines are complete, the Siegehost commander will waste no time in cracking open the foes' defenses and laying waste to whatever lies beyond. Cities, Bastions, Citadels - all are easily broken upon the Anvilus Guard. Massed artillery brigades, swarms of Super-Heavy tanks, Hellfyre squadrons, wave after wave of legion infantry - all are adept at breaching and forcing any target, at any cost. All in the legion know that to fail to successfully storm a target is to fail their father Kirenn - and by extension, the Emperor himself; a shame they will never allow.

Once the war is concluded the legion will move on - leaving little regard for the devastation caused by its methods. Such is the concern of the iterators and other post-complience personnel that follow in its wake; although on more than one occasion the legion has been so thourough in its prosecutuion of a world that there were no survivors at all...

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[The Taros System]]'' 

The Legion's home system, Taros, is comprised of seven planets.

Taros I - Taros I is a barren wasteland, mostly irradiated, but was once home to the system's inhabitants. Its surface is riddled with tumbledown citadels and forts, and is often used by the legion for weapons testing and live fire exercises.

Taros II - Fortified mining world. Much of the systems resources of minerals and ore come from this planet, which has an extensive underground network of linked fortresses.

Taros III - The system capital. Densely populated, almost every settlement on the surface is walled, and armoured bastions guard every street corner. From space the planet almost appears as though it is one enormous, sprawling fortress. It is Taros' greatest boast that Taros III has never fallen an invader - not even the Emperor.

Taros IV - VI - The next three planets in the Taros system are effectively smaller versions of the capital. The majority of the systems population live on these three planets, and it is from here that the legion takes the bulk of its recruits.

Taros VII - Gas giant. Rich deposits of valuable gas are present in the upper atmosphere, and the legion maintains several massive refinery stations here, that each serve as both rigs to harvest the gas, as well as potent void stations forming the core of the Taros systems' outer defences.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Kirenn Lokkan]]'' 
[[File:lokkan.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Kirenn Lokkan, Master of the Anvilus Guard]]
Summary of Primarch in relation to Legion ESSENTIAL

=Culture and Beliefs=

Info Cultural Practices, Philosophies, Cults and stuff go here. ESSENTIAL

=Geneseed=

The Legion's Geneseed is very stable, which allows many of its recruits to survive the implantation process and go on to become full Battle-Brothers of the Legion. The ease with which the Geneseed takes to the Tarosians natural biology is surprising, but it is key to the Legion's survival; it must always maintain a high influx of recruits in order for the Siegehosts to maintain effectiveness, given the constant attritional warfare the Legion often finds itself in.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Competent
*'''Espionage=''' Competent
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Specialized
*'''Diplomacy=''' Competent
*'''Geneseed=''' Competent

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Competent
*'''Fortification=''' Specialized

=Exemplary Battles=
==Battle One==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

==Battle Two==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Kirenn Lokkan]] Hammer Of The Emperor, The Breaker, The Siege Lord 
'''High Command''' 
[[Person Name]] Title 
[[Person2 Name]] Title 
'''Others''' 
[[Spod Name here]] Title 

[[Category:Legion]]

2018-04-11T22:57:00Z

Russell: /* Combat Doctrine */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=Russell Marine.jpg
|Numeration= XX
|Primogenitor= Kirenn Lokkan
|Cognomen= The Emperor's Hammerers (Informal)
|Observed Strategic Tendencies= Extensive use of siegecraft; extreme firepower. Overwhelming, mass assaults. Known to be ruthless, rarely taking prisoners of war.
|Noteworthy Domains = The Taros system
|Allegiance= Loyalist
|Colours= Burnished silver with black trim
|Quote= “True victory is to crush your foes utterly, to shatter their armoured legions and run down their fleeing troops as they scatter. Pursue them into their lairs and burn them out. And when that is done, put the ruins to the torch." -Attributed to Kirenn Lokkan 
}}
The Anvilus Guard are the 20th Legionnaires Astartes. They were created with a singular purpose: Annihilation. Tasked with campaigns deemed too time-consuming or resource heavy for conventional legions, the Anvilus Guard deploy en mass to crush their foes in the Emperor's name. They are the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's wrath, engaging whole civilisations and pocket empires that the Emperor deems worthy only of consigning to the pages of history. The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists, whether it is upon a single battlefield or across an entire solar system. Once the Anvilus Guard deploys its battlelines and siege trenches there is no escape for their enemies.

The Primarch of the Anvilus Guard, Kirenn Lokkan, is not known for his mercy. Once he has a target in his sights, he will single-mindedly pursue the utter destruction of that foe, with no quarter asked or given. That said, when the Anvilus Guard arrive at the foes' gates Lokkan (or one of his senior officers, if he is not present) will always give his opponents one chance, and one chance only, to lay down their arms and surrender, before a single shovel has hit the ground. If the offer is accepted, then he will allow his foes to retreat from the world the Emperor has claimed for His new Imperium. If the offer is refused, there will not be another, and the siege will only end one way: with the destruction of the foe and death to every single man, woman or child who dare to oppose the Emperor's Will. The Anvilus Guard are not known to take any prisoners of war after such a refusal.
=History=

== Early History ==
Following the Unification Wars the Emperor set out from Terra on His Great Crusade, taking with him His 20 Space Marine Legions. One of these, The Anvilus Guard, quickly showed a natural aptitude for attritional warfare, and made frequent use of grinding, siege-like tactics. Using these to His advantage, they became the Emperor's first choice when it came to assaults on heavily fortified postions or entrenched opponents. The Legion quickly adapted and learned the fine arts of siege warfare, and made frequent use of siege warfare, heavy artillery, and massed Super-Heavy formations. They became apt at grinding their opponents down in sieges that would sometimes last years. Once the foe was beaten and their walls crumbling around them, only then would the legion deign to strike, with what would always be a first and last assault - and it would do so with a massed escalade across multiple breaches, with many hundreds of Astartes storming each shattered section of rubble in unison.

== The Discovery Of The Primarch ==

When the Anvilus Guard descended upon the Taros system, an initially hostile cluster of five populated, heavily fortified planets that defied the Emperor's offer of compliance, they found that their opponents were canny indeed - every attempt to create a proper battlefront and enclose their foes' many citadels was met with defeat. The occupants of the Taros system seemed to just KNOW siege warfare, with many feints, counter-attacks and fake fortresses that repeatedly caught the Astartes completely off guard. After several months failing to even pin down their wily foe, the Emperor Himself brought fresh forces to the system. With His guidance, only then did the Taros system begin to crack, but the cost was high. Many thousands of Imperial Army and Astartes died in the struggles to take the system.

When at last the fortified capital city of Taros III itself was biesieged, the Emperor spoke personally to the Fortress' defenders across the field of trench lines, praising them for such a tenacious and masterful defence, and offering them survival if they would but offer Him fealty. As soon as He saw the Taros Siege Commander step upon the walls of the city, however, the Emperor stopped mid-speech - and laughed. He had found one of His lost sons.

= Legion Organisation =
The Anvilus Guard broadly follow standard Legionnaires Astartes organisation, with the exception that all of their formations are known as 'Siegehosts', and are typically much larger than standard, with emphasis on massed infantry and artillery, with the bulk of their armoured support being Super-Heavy tank and artillery squadrons.

In the void, the legion's large fleet has a preponderance of heavy cruisers that make up the bulk of its strength. These often travel in larger than standard formations that encircle any opposing system in a web of overlapping firepower that few enemies can evade.

==Unique Formations==
===Hellfyre Squadrons===
[[File:Minotaur1.png|200px|thumb|left|The Minotaur Super-Heavy Artillery Tank has found great favour within the Anvilus Guards 'Hellfyre' squadrons]]
The Anvilus Guard almost completely conform to standard Crusade templates for its units and organisation; however one marked deviation is its extensive use of its many and varied Super-Heavy tank and artillery battalions. While most commanders would prefer to keep their artillery units sheltered in their backline, safe from harm, the Anvilus Guard does the opposite. During sieges they often makes unconventional use of Super-Heavy artillery squadrons, organising them into so-called 'Hellfyre' squadrons which are used to make lightning attacks on fortress walls.

The tactic calls for the heavier legion artillery units present in the Siegehost to group into smaller squadrons of 4 or 5, which are used in concert with Super-Heavy tank squadrons and often led by the less numerous Typhon Heavy Siege Tanks to make direct attacks on fortress walls. These 'Hellfyre' squadrons, in which the Minotaur Super-Heavy artillery tank has found great favour, drive in alternating groups directly up to indentified weak points in the opposing fortress, often under heavy fire, and level their heavy cannons to fire almost point-blank into the base of the structure before quickly withdrawing. Using specially modified shells, they will repeatedly hammer one section of wall and force a breach in the targeted section in a fraction of the time it would take to conventionally shatter the walls from long range.

Many are the bastions that find their walls crumbling under such relentless attacks, often within days of the legion establishing its siege lines; by this method has the legion ended in days and weeks grinding sieges that Imperial logisticians predicted would take months or even years to conclude.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists without compare. When the gunmetal grey warships of the legion enter a system, they will begin to use their superior numbers to systematically surround a target world; they will isolate its defenses, its Mandeville Point, and any routes or avenues of escape - a XX legion blockade is very hard to escape from or survive. Ground targets are identified, landing zones set, and bombardments begin to pave the way for the legions heavy landers.

Once the legion make planetfall, a foe is given their one chance at surrender; if it is refused the legion will begin a siege. They have gained a slight notoriety among Imperial forces for being known to be utterly ruthless and without mercy to those who scorn their offer. Once Kirenn's legion has begun to dig their trench lines, they will not stop, they will not relent, and they will not take any prisoners. Any who face them are slain, no matter how strong their defences nor how high their walls are. In this, the legion can sometimes display quite a stubborn streak - they will fully commit to the grinding attrition of siege warfare regardless of the cost in men, material, or the less quitely voiced, common sense. A XX legion siege does not end until the Siegehost commander is satisfied that every last man, woman or child who stood against them is destroyed.

When siege lines are complete, the Siegehost commander will waste no time in cracking open the foes' defenses and laying waste to whatever lies beyond. Cities, Bastions, Citadels - all are easily broken upon the Anvilus Guard. Massed artillery brigades, swarms of Super-Heavy tanks, Hellfyre squadrons, wave after wave of legion infantry - all are adept at breaching and forcing any target, at any cost. All in the legion know that to fail to successfully storm a target is to fail their father Kirenn - and by extension, the Emperor himself; a shame they will never allow.

Once the war is concluded the legion will move on - leaving little regard for the devastation caused by its methods. Such is the concern of the iterators and other post-complience personnel that follow in its wake; although on more than one occasion the legion has been so thourough in its prosecutuion of a world that there were no survivors at all...

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[The Taros System]]'' 

The Legion's home system, Taros, is comprised of seven planets.

Taros I - Taros I is a barren wasteland, mostly irradiated, but was once home to the system's inhabitants. Its surface is riddled with tumbledown citadels and forts, and is often used by the legion for weapons testing and live fire exercises.

Taros II - Fortified mining world. Much of the systems resources of minerals and ore come from this planet, which has an extensive underground network of linked fortresses.

Taros III - The system capital. Densely populated, almost every settlement on the surface is walled, and armoured bastions guard every street corner. From space the planet almost appears as though it is one enormous, sprawling fortress. It is Taros' greatest boast that Taros III has never fallen an invader - not even the Emperor.

Taros IV - VI - The next three planets in the Taros system are effectively smaller versions of the capital. The majority of the systems population live on these three planets, and it is from here that the legion takes the bulk of its recruits.

Taros VII - Gas giant. Rich deposits of valuable gas are present in the upper atmosphere, and the legion maintains several massive refinery stations here, that each serve as both rigs to harvest the gas, as well as potent void stations forming the core of the Taros systems' outer defences.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Primarch Name]]'' 

Summary of Primarch in relation to Legion ESSENTIAL

=Culture and Beliefs=

Info Cultural Practices, Philosophies, Cults and stuff go here. ESSENTIAL

=Geneseed=

The Legion's Geneseed is very stable, which allows many of its recruits to survive the implantation process and go on to become full Battle-Brothers of the Legion. The ease with which the Geneseed takes to the Tarosians natural biology is surprising, but it is key to the Legion's survival; it must always maintain a high influx of recruits in order for the Siegehosts to maintain effectiveness, given the constant attritional warfare the Legion often finds itself in.

=Legion Attributes=
Please List the Bandings of your Legion Attributes.
'''0 Ranks = Incompetent/Terrible''' 
'''1-4 Ranks = Competent/Average''' 
'''5-8 Ranks = Specialized/Good''' 
'''9+ Ranks = Exceptional/Amazing''' 
SUMMARY FOR REFERENCE, DELETE ONCE BELOW COMPLETED.

*'''Tactics=''' Tactics indication
*'''Espionage=''' Espionage indication
*'''Aggression=''' Aggression indication
*'''Mitigation=''' Mitigation indication
*'''Diplomacy=''' Diplomacy indication
*'''Geneseed=''' Geneseed indication

=Homeworld Attributes=
Please List the Bandings of your Homeworld Attributes.
'''0 Ranks = Incompetent/Terrible''' 
'''1-4 Ranks = Competent/Average''' 
'''5-8 Ranks = Specialized/Good''' 
'''9+ Ranks = Exceptional/Amazing''' 
SUMMARY FOR REFERENCE, DELETE ONCE BELOW COMPLETED.

*'''Population=''' Population indication
*'''Fabrication=''' Fabrication indication
*'''Fortification=''' Fortification indication

=Exemplary Battles=
==Battle One==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

==Battle Two==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Primarch Name]]Shiniest of Shiney, The Shiney Lord 
'''High Command''' 
[[Person Name]] Title 
[[Person2 Name]] Title 
'''Others''' 
[[Spod Name here]] Title 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XX: The Anvilus Guard

2018-04-11T22:05:17Z

Russell: /* Hellfyre Battalions */

File:Minotaur1.png

2018-04-11T22:01:34Z

Russell: Hellfyre Squadrons

Hellfyre Squadrons

Legion XX: The Anvilus Guard

2018-04-11T21:56:58Z

Russell: /* Legion Organisation */

Legion XX: The Anvilus Guard

2018-04-11T21:55:50Z

Russell: /* Hellfyre Battalions */

Legion XX: The Anvilus Guard

2018-04-11T21:54:06Z

Russell:

2018-03-28T16:45:35Z

Russell: /* Early history */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=Insert the name of an image file that you uploaded using the Upload File option on the Left
|Numeration= XX
|Primogenitor= Kirenn Lokkan
|Cognomen= The Emperor's Hammerers (Informal)
|Observed Strategic Tendencies= Extensive use of siegecraft; extreme firepower. Overwhelming, mass assaults. Known to be ruthless, rarely take prisoners of war.
|Noteworthy Domains = The Taros system
|Allegiance= Loyalist
|Colours= Burnished silver with black trim
|Quote= “True victory is to crush your foes utterly, to shatter their armoured legions and run down their fleeing troops as they scatter. Pursue them into their lairs and burn them out. And when that is done, put the ruins to the torch." -Attributed to Kirenn Lokkan 
}}
The Anvilus Guard are the XXth of the Emperor's Space Marine Legions. They were created with a singular purpose: Annihilation. Tasked with campaigns deemed too time-consuming or resource heavy for conventional legions, the Anvilus Guard deploy en mass to crush their foes in the Emperor's name. They are the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's wrath, engaging whole civilisations and pocket empires that the Emperor deems worthy only of consigning to the pages of history. The Anvilus Guard are siege specialists, whether it is upon a single battlefield or across an entire solar system. Once the Anvilus Guard deploys its battlelines and siege trenches there is no escape for their enemies.

The Primarch of the Anvilus Guard, Kirenn Lokkan, is not known for his mercy. Once he has a target in his sights, he will single-mindedly pursue the utter destruction of that foe, with no quarter asked or given. That said, when the Anvilus Guard arrive at the foes gates Lokkan (or one of his senior officers, if he is not present) will always give his opponents one chance, and one chance only, to lay down their arms and surrender, before a single shovel has hit the ground. If the offer is accepted, then he will allow his foes to retreat from the world the Emperor has claimed for His new Imperium. If the offer is refused, there will not be another, and the siege will only end one way: with the destruction of the foe and death to every single man, woman or child who dare to oppose the Emperor's Will. The Anvilus Guard are not known to take any prisoners of war after such refusal.
=History=

== Early History ==
Following the Unification Wars the Emperor set out from Terra on His Great Crusade, taking with him His 20 Space Marine Legions. One of these, The Anvilus Guard, quickly showed a natural aptitude for attritional warfare, and made frequent use of grinding, siege-like tactics. Using these to His advantage, they became the Emperor's first choice when it came to assaults on heavily fortified postions or entrenched opponents. The legion quickly adapted and lerned the fine arts of siege warfare, and made frequent use of siege warfare, heavy artillery, and massed Super-Heavy formations. They became apt at grinding their opponents down in sieges that would sometimes last years. Once the foe was beaten and their walls crumbling around them, only them would the legion deign to strike, with what would always be a first and last assault - and it would do so with a massed escalade across multiple breaches, with many hundreds of Astartes storming each shattered section of rubble in unison.

== The discovery of the Primarch ==

When the Anvilus Guard descended upon the Taros system, an initially hostile cluster of five populated, heavily fortified planets that defied the Emperor's offer of compliance, they found that their opponents were canny indeed - every attempt to create a proper battlefront and enclose their foes' many citadels was met with defeat. The occupants of the Taros system seemed to just KNOW siege warfare, with many feints, counter-attacks and fake fortresses that repeatedly caught the Astartes completely off guard. After several months failing to even pin down their wily foe, the Emperor Himself brought fresh forces to the system. With His guidance, only then did the Taros system begin to crack, but the cost was high. Many thousands of Imperial Army and Astartes died in the struggles to take the system.

When at last the fortified capital city of Taros III itself was biesieged, the Emperor spoke personally to the Fortress' defenders across the field of trench lines, praising them for such a tenacious and masterful defence, and offering them survival if they would but offer Him fealty. As soon as He saw the Taros Siege Commander step upon the walls of the city, however, the Emperor stopped mid-speech - and laughed. He had found one of His lost sons.

= Legion Organisation =
The Anvilus Guard broadly follow standarde Legionnaires Astartes organisation, with the exception that all of their formations are known as 'Siegehosts', and are typically much larger than standard, with emphasis on massed infantry and artillery, with the bulk of their armoured legions being Super-Heavy tank squadrons.

==Unique Formations==
===Formation 1===
Some Text

==Combat Doctrine==

Text about battle tactics and strategies ESSENTIAL

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[The Taros System]]'' 

The Legion's home system, Taros, is comprised of seven planets.

Taros I - Taros I is a barren wasteland, mostly irradiated, but was once home to the system's inhabitants. Its surface is riddled with tumbledown citadels and forts, and is often used by the legion for weapons testing and live fire exercises.

Taros II - Fortified mining world. Much of the systems resources of minerals and ore come from this planet, which has an extensive underground network of linked fortresses.

Taros III - The system capital. Densely populated, almost every settlement on the surface is walled, and armoured bastions guard every street corner. From space the planet almost appears as though it is one enormous, sprawling fortress. It is Taros' greatest boast that Taros III has never fallen an invader - not even the Emperor.

Taros IV - VI - The next three planets in the Taros system are effectively smaller versions of the capital. The majority of the systems population live on these three planets, and it is from here that the legion takes the bulk of its recruits.

Taros VII - Gas giant. Rich deposits of valuable gas are present in the upper atmosphere, and the legion maintains several massive refinery stations here, that each serve as both rigs to harvest the gas, as well as potent void stations forming the core of the Taros systems' outer defences.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Primarch Name]]'' 

Summary of Primarch in relation to Legion ESSENTIAL

=Culture and Beliefs=

Info Cultural Practices, Philosophies, Cults and stuff go here. ESSENTIAL

=Geneseed=

Info about Geneseed stability and quirks go here. ESSENTIAL IF YOURE ODD!

=Legion Attributes=
Please List the Bandings of your Legion Attributes.
'''0 Ranks = Incompetent/Terrible''' 
'''1-4 Ranks = Competent/Average''' 
'''5-8 Ranks = Specialized/Good''' 
'''9+ Ranks = Exceptional/Amazing''' 
SUMMARY FOR REFERENCE, DELETE ONCE BELOW COMPLETED.

*'''Tactics=''' Tactics indication
*'''Espionage=''' Espionage indication
*'''Aggression=''' Aggression indication
*'''Mitigation=''' Mitigation indication
*'''Diplomacy=''' Diplomacy indication
*'''Geneseed=''' Geneseed indication

=Homeworld Attributes=
Please List the Bandings of your Homeworld Attributes.
'''0 Ranks = Incompetent/Terrible''' 
'''1-4 Ranks = Competent/Average''' 
'''5-8 Ranks = Specialized/Good''' 
'''9+ Ranks = Exceptional/Amazing''' 
SUMMARY FOR REFERENCE, DELETE ONCE BELOW COMPLETED.

*'''Population=''' Population indication
*'''Fabrication=''' Fabrication indication
*'''Fortification=''' Fortification indication

=Exemplary Battles=
==Battle One==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

==Battle Two==

''Main Article: [[Battle Name]]'' 

Story of Battle

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Primarch Name]]Shiniest of Shiney, The Shiney Lord 
'''High Command''' 
[[Person Name]] Title 
[[Person2 Name]] Title 
'''Others''' 
[[Spod Name here]] Title 

[[Category:Legion]]