The Garn Confederation

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The Garn

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Tech Level:  3

Description:  Hulking aliens, evolved from a species similar to the great predatory dinosaurs of Earth's distant past, Garn Warriors are a dour and aggressive race. Their merchant-war vessels seek out alien civilizations far and wide, attacking, plundering and consuming those too weak to resist, trading with more powerful peoples. They are also willing to serve as mercenaries in any army for suitable compensation, on the sole condition that they will not fight against other Garn mercenaries, or the Garn Confederation. They will happily consume the flesh of any life form, their huge jaws crunching the thickest bones, ripping the toughest hides.

Garn come from a warm world and eschew clothing and body covering equipment. Having two hearts and an immense frame, not to mention their awesome jaws (the most powerful by far of any known sentinents), they do not need much enhancement of their physical strength. For defence, to supplement their very thick, scaly hides they prefer advanced technology field defences to cruder forms of protection such as body armour. The FFP-15 Force Field Projector/Artificial Environment Generator, worn on their back, grants the Garn protection equivalent to that of human power armour, and generates a sustainable environment immediately under the field which will sustain the warrior for days.

As for equipment, Garn warriors employ a series of weapons to suit the galaxy of different foes they have met and overcome. A squad of eight consists of a commander; one LSW specialist armed with either a laser cannon, missile launcher or plasma cannon; two weapon specialists armed with a flamethrower and a plasma gun; and four troopers armed with assault cannons firing an armour-piercing 20mm round which detonates upon penetration. The commander also has an arm-mounted, rapid-fire assault gun firing a small calibre version of the assault cannon round, targeted via the laserscope permanently attached to the Garn commander's left eye. All Garn additionally carry a pair of plasma grenades for close encounters with superior foes, or for suicide, which the Garn consider the only honourable option when bested in battle.

Garn weapons all use advanced-technology rounds which do not require propellant and so do not have a recoil, making the weapons deadly accurate even when fired from the hip. It also allows unparalleled standardization, all types of ammo being carried in a single type of ammo drum, worn on the left hip of the Garn, the ammo fed into the weapon by means of an ammo tube. All Garn are left handed and right-handed Garn infants are ritually fed to the mighty Drargs of the valleys.

For communication the Garn have implanted into the scales of their lower left jaw a communication device allowing them to communicate with any member of their squad or with their merchant-warvessel.

 Infantry

• Due to their preponderance of heavy weapons, Garn squads receive a + designation.

• Due to their portable force-field generators, Garn use the Tech 3 shield line (1,2,3/4,5/6) on the casualty table and have a "2 or a 3 on 2d6" save against kills.

• In close combat, Garn count as elite troops and receive the flame weapons bonus.

• Garn Flesh Eater giants may be used in two different ways. If one is added to a standard Garn squad, above, then they add one dice to their firing rolls. Alternatively, they may operate on their own, usually with a spotter, counting as a 2-man DF Bolt Autogun. Their AT capability is when operating separately: when part of a squad, use the Garn Warrior Squad line.

6-man DF Bolt

4-man IF Boom

T1: 6-man DF Bolt

T2: 6-man DF Boom

T3: 6-man DF Boom

• Both the Alligator and Crocodile vehicle are protected by force shields that provide their armour class.

• If firing, the Alligator may fire either its DF or IF weapon in any one turn, not both. It may carry up to eight Garn infantry.

• The Crocodile has four initiative dice. Each dice used for firing allows the tank the equivalent of one initiative dice per functioning turret to be used however wished amongst its three turrets e.g. if undamaged, each dice used for firing allows a snap shot from each turret; an aimed shot from one turret, and a snap shot from another etc.

The Felids

Tech Level:  2

Description:  Felids originated on a planet on which mammalian predators, long of tooth and claw, came to sentience, a planet wracked by war and conquest, but which languished in early tech (spears and hide armour) until attacked and overwhelmed by the Garn. Because the Garn did not especially enjoy the taste of Felid flesh, and because they were impressed by the martial virtue of these noble savages, they raised the Felids to high tech, under their domination. The Garn frequently "sub-contract" mercenary work out to the Felids, whose relentless attacks, natural cunning and stealth, and great physical strength and dexterity make them truly fearsome foes. The Felids, normally not creatures to be dominated, respect the Garn the way a lion in the water might a twenty foot Nile Crocodile.

The Felids eagerly employ the tech that the Garn provide: battle armour that is less sophisticated than the Garn force field defences, but which is still good protection; heavy blasters which suit the Felid temperament, for once they strike they like to do so fast and loud, and cause extreme damage when they hit; and assault vehicles which, again, are of lesser tech than Garn vehicles but are heavily armoured and armed, simple and very easy to maintain.

With a temperament suited for nothing but war, the Felids are happy to fulfil this special niche in the Garn Confederation, and can be seen on countless battlefields fighting to the death for causes that are not theirs.

Organisation:   Felid society is more feudal than tribal in terms of mechanics -- their magnates, called Barons, dominating the structure of society, and equipping their forces with armour, weapons, and vehicles out of their own estates. Though the size of a Baron's force will depend on his success in battle (and thus wealth), most Barons possess sufficient assets to purchase armour, weapons and vehicles for a company of Felids -- five trucks and fifty sets of body armour and weapons, including his own command/battle dress, which only Barons are permitted to possess.

The basic unit of ten Felids is called a battle circle and is dominated by the circle's alpha warrior, a veteran favoured of his Baron who wears communication gear to communicate with the circle's Lion transport, with the other circles, and with his Baron. The alpha warrior is armed with a smart missile launcher specially designed by the Garn to give a measure of unit-level indirect fire support to these impetuous warriors. If the alpha is killed, the next senior member of the circle immediately adopts his place and his weapons.

In addition to the alpha, the other nine warriors might either all be armed with blasters (a light circle); or with seven blasters, a grenade launcher and a heavy plasma gun (a medium circle); or finally with five blasters, two grenade launchers, and two plasma guns (a heavy circle). A Baron commonly has a heavy circle as his household circle, in which he is alpha warrior.

 Infantry

• Light Battle Circles deduct one dice when firing as they have no Light Support Weapons. Heavy Battle Circles add a dice when firing because of their two sets of light support weapons.

• Due to their Garn-provided armour, Felids  use the Tech 2 shield line (1,2,3/4,5/6) on the casualty table.

Force Composition

Garn Confederation "Ripper" Assault Company (G-RIP)

 Company HQ

 1 x Garn Hegemon (Big Man)

 1-4 x Garn Flesh Eaters (each base is 1 x Flesh Eater, 1 x Garn)

 1st (Garn) Platoon

 1 x Garn Hegemon

 3 x Garn Warrior Squad (each 8 x Garn)

 [1 x Commander; 1 x Light Support Weapon; 1 x Flamethrower; 1 x Plasma Gun; 4 x Assault Cannon]

 2nd (Garn) Platoon

 1 x Garn Hegemon

 3 x Garn Warrior Squad (each 8 x Garn)

 [1 x Commander; 1 x Light Support Weapon; 1 x Flamethrower; 1 x Plasma Gun; 4 x Assault Cannon]

 1 x Garn Hegemon

 3 x Garn Warrior Squad (each 8 x Garn)

 [1 x Commander; 1 x Light Support Weapon; 1 x Flamethrower; 1 x Plasma Gun; 4 x Assault Cannon]

 Notes: 

 1) To mechanise the Garn, add one "Alligator" class superheavy assault transport per squad, and one for the Company HQ.

 2) Garn Flesh Eaters may operate independently, or may be attached to a particular platoon or squad.

Garn Confederation "Jaw & Claw" Mixed Assault Company (G-MAC)

 Company HQ

 1 x Garn Hegemon (Big Man)

 1st (Garn) Platoon

 1 x Garn Hegemon

 3 x Garn Warrior Squad (each 8 x Garn)

 [1 x Commander; 1 x Light Support Weapon; 1 x Flamethrower; 1 x Plasma Gun; 4 x Assault Cannon]

 2nd (Felid) Platoon

 1 x Felid Baron (Big Man)

 1 x Felid Heavy Battle Circle or Prideguard Medium Battle Circle (10 x Felid)

 Up to 4  x Felid Light or Medium Battle Circle (each 10 x Felid)

 1 x Felid Baron

 1 x Felid Heavy Battle Circle or Prideguard Medium Battle Circle  (10 x Felid)

 Up to 4  x Felid Light or Medium Battle Circle (each 10 x Felid)

 Notes: 

 1) As can be seen, a Garn Mixed Assault Company (a G-MAC) is formed by adding two Felid Household Companies (see below) to a Garn platoon. The paper strength is thus 26 Garn and 102 Felids, but the Felid contingent is usually understrength. 

 2) To mechanise the Garn, add one "Alligator" class superheavy assault transport per squad.

Felid Household Company (F-CO)

 F-CO HQ

 1 x Baron Big Man (Big Man)

 1 x Felid Heavy Battle Circle or Prideguard Medium Battle Circle (10 x Felid)

 1st Claw

 2 x Felid Light or Medium Battle Circle (10 x Felid)

 2nd Claw

 2 x Felid Light or Medium Battle Circle (10 x Felid)

 Notes:

 1) To mechanise a Felid Household Company, add one Lion Class Attack Transport per Battle Circle.

 2) Although called a "Company" and having a paper strength of 51 heads, a Felid Household Company (an F-CO) is more like a platoon in both organisation and deployment. The feudal way an F-CO is raised, and a high attrition rate in battle, means that an F-CO is usually significantly understrength:  averaging only around 30 heads.

 3) If operating independently to Garn, Felid forces are gathered into ad hoc groupings (often based on feudal relationships) of two to four F-COs known as Battles.

 4) Sometimes, albeit rarely, an entire Claw or Household Company may consist of Prideguard.

Garn Confederation Support Units

Superheavy Assault Company

Company HQ of 1 x "Crocodile" Superheavy Assault Tank; 3 x Basks of 2 x "Crocodile" Superheavy Assault Tanks each.

Card Allocation

One card is included in the pack for each platoon present. 

Each Garn and Felid platoon should be commanded by a Big Man, with a further one or two Big Men (usually Garn) available in the Company HQ.

Charge!:  always applies to a Garn Confederation force

Dynamic Commander: may apply to Felid Big Men.

Heroic Commander: may apply to Felid Big Men.

Rally: always applies to a Garn Confederation force

Rapid Deployment:  always applies to Felid forces (but not to Garn).

Recon: always applies to Felid Light Battle Circles.