Liber

Administratum

The Adeptus Administratum

"To know one’s place is the greatest comfort, to excel

within it is the greatest solace, and a master’s

contentment is the greatest reward."

— Codex Administratum Edition XXIIV

The Adeptus Administratum is the administrative

and bureaucratic division of the Adeptus Terra, the

heart of the gigantic bureaucracy that controls the

government of the Imperium of Man, consisting of

untold billions of clerks, scribes and administrative

staff constantly working to manage the Imperium at

every level, from assembling war fleets to levying

taxes. It is the largest of the departments comprising

the Adeptus Terra, and ten billion Administratum

adepts work in the Imperial Palace on Terra alone. Its

billions of officials on Terra and throughout the galaxy

are constantly carrying out population censuses,

working out tithes, recording and archiving

information, and the million other things that are

necessary for the running of the Imperium. Such is its

immense size, that whole departments of the

Administratum have been submerged by a sea of

complex bureaucracy, becoming lost in loops of paper

trails. Other departments have continued to

dogmatically operate and carry out their founding

function, even if the intent and requirement behind

them no longer exists.

Purpose

Of all the Imperium's governmental divisions

within the Adeptus Terra, the Administratum is

regarded as the least prestigious, but its high-ranking

members are among the most powerful people in the

galaxy. If the Adeptus Terra is the machinery that

drives the Imperium, the Administratum is the grease

and oil that ensures this machinery operates. Without

the Administratum, the machine would splutter to a

halt and the Imperium would fail. As a result, the

Master of the Administratum is in actuality the most

politically powerful member of the High Lords of

Terra.

Many Administratum positions are considered

hereditary. Typical Administratum Adepts labor within

gargantuan vaults, sitting at logic-engines and

Cogitator workstations. They can be considered quite

learned by Imperial standards. Like other non-

combatant servants of the Adeptus Terra, the

members of the Administratum wear a monastic style

of dress, their habits varying in color according to their

rank within the Adepta and their area of responsibility.

The basic color for the lowliest scribe is black; higher-

ranking members have increasingly lighter shades of

grey, and eventually pure white.

While the Administratum is primarily responsible

for all logistical operations related to the civil aspects

of the Imperium, the division of the Administratum

known as the Departmento Munitorum is responsible

for the logistics of the Imperial Guard, organizing

military tithes, materiel supplies, troop movements

and troop deployment. The Departmento is far more

decentralized than the other divisions of the

Administratum, establishing a presence on any world

with a significant tithe-grade. Distress calls from an

invaded world are processed by the Departmento,

and will be passed up the ladder of bureaucratic

command: star system to Sub-sector Command to

Sector Command to Segmentum

Command to the Senatorum

Imperialis itself until one of

them with

enough

resources

and

responsibility

can deploy

the needed

reinforcements.

Lib

er: A

dm

inist

ra

tu

m

History

The Adeptus Administratum was originally created by

the Emperor of Mankind as the Imperial

Administration, the first bureaucracy for the newborn

Imperium of Man, during the closing days of the Great

Crusade, following the Ullanor Crusade of the 31st

Millennium. The Imperial Administration was placed

under the control of the Regent of Terra, Malcador the

Sigillite, who was titled with the esteem rank of Chief

of the Imperial Administration, and is recognized

today as the first Master of the Administratum. As the

single largest part of the Adeptus Terra, the

bureaucrats of the Imperial Administration were to be

responsible for the assessment of tithes, the

distribution of resources, and essentially every

administrative function the Imperium required to

operate. Today, uncountable and ever-changing

quantities of offices, departments and divisions deal

with almost every facet of maintaining a galaxy-

spanning empire of a million worlds, and every sector,

world and citizen is subject to their scrutiny and

intervention.

Within the Imperium, the agents of the

Administratum are an innumerable and ever-present

facet of interstellar commerce and politics, with the

largest concentrations found on worlds with a

particularly high military presence, high tithe

requirements, or large-scale commerce. In particular,

extensive Administratum offices on more developed

worlds house hundreds of thousands of archivists,

ordinates and prefects, who scrutinize sector-level

operations with a keen eye and unwavering

adherence to ancient doctrine. Typically, the

Administratum takes little direct action in regards to

matters of law or violations of it within the Adeptus

Terra, as such matters are the concern of the Adeptus

Arbites. However, the attention to detail that

characterizes much of the work of the Administratum

often discovers criminal acts where they would

otherwise go unnoticed, detecting pirates from reports

of missing ships and locating smugglers from

incongruous audits and tithe manifests. In situations

such as these, the Administratum tends to hand

matters over to another Imperial Adepta so that

appropriate action can be taken. Even once others

are involved, the Administratum continues to observe,

ensuring that everything happens by the book and as

efficiently as possible.

Divisions of the Administratum

The largest organization in the Adeptus Terra,

the Adeptus Administratum is itself divided into many

branches. The greater majority of its constituents

have no concept of how their work fits into any overall

scheme, or even that they are part of the same

bureaucracy. Comprised of innumerable divisions and

offices it is unlikely that any one man, even the

Master of the Administratum himself, has an idea of

how many divisions exist within the monstrous

Administratum. Their work is an end in itself and the

single most important factor in the lives of

Administratum Adepts. It is enough to perform the

task; understanding is neither required, nor welcome.

It is said by the soldiers of the Imperial Guard that for

each fighting man there are a dozen scribes and at

least two minor officials toiling, recording petty details

that no one will use or consider. Most of the divisions

are petty and of little interest. Known divisions of the

Administratum include:

Departmento Munitorum - The Departmento

Munitorum, also called the Adeptus Munitorum, is a

department or sub-division of the Adeptus

Administratum devoted to the general administration,

personnel assignment, supply and logistics of the

Imperial Guard. The Munitorum has ultimate

responsibility for the raising of new Imperial Guard

regiments, the training of new Imperial Guard troops,

the provision of equipment and supplies to all

regiments in the field, and the transportation of troops

and equipment to and from theatres of war using the

vessels of the Imperial Navy. It is primarily a logistical

organization, like the larger Administratum of which it

is a part, but while the Administratum deals with the

civilian logistics of running the entire Imperium of

Man, the Munitorum deals solely with the military

logistics necessary to fight and win the Imperium's

wars on behalf of all branches of the Imperial armed

forces.

The Estate Imperium - The Estate Imperium is a division

of the Administratum described as, "..the million-strong

records office of the Administratum." Presumably its

purpose is to keep and furnish records of Imperial Adepta

when they are called for by the relevant arms of the

Adeptus Terra. The division's head carries the title of

Chancellor of the Estate Imperium. The Estate Imperium's

importance is such that its leader sometimes holds a

position in the Senatorum Imperialis of the High Lords of

Terra.

Lib

er:

Ad

min

istr

atu

m

Historical Revision Unit - The Historical

Revision Unit is another one of the myriad

bureaucratic departments of the

Administratum, whose Adepts are the

indentured servants and Servitors known as

Historitors who work within the Imperial

Palace. Their job is to revise subversive

records of Imperial history into versions that

are more reverent towards the Emperor and

the version of Imperial history that most

glorifies His name. The Historicus is the title

of the unit's chief Adept. One of the

important duties of the Historical Revision

Unit is seeking out historical records and, if

need be, destroying them when ordered to

do so by their superiors in the

Administratum. Specially designated units of

the Historical Revision Unit known as

Deletions Teams carry out this function.

Their most common duty is performing the

vital task known as an Edict of Obliteration --

the deliberate destruction of any vital records

or historical documents pertaining to an

individual or organization that has been

declared Excommunicate Traitoris by the

Emperor of Mankind, the High Lords of Terra

or the Inquisition.

Officio Medicae - The Officio Medicae is the

primary arm of the Administratum that deals

with public health and medical-related issues

in the Imperium, operating government-run

medical facilities throughout the galaxy and

on many Imperial worlds. In addition, they

seem to oversee the management and

quarantine of worlds or groups afflicted by

plagues, such as those created and spread

by Nurgle, the Chaos God of Plague. Like

much of the Administratum, it is plagued by

bureaucracy and procedure.

Logis Strategos - The Logis Strategos is

the primary intelligence gathering and

analysis agency of the Administratum. Its

primary function is to analyze the myriad of

threats to the Imperium presented by xenos

and the Forces of Chaos and devise suitable

strategies to counteract them.

Munitorum Strategic Intelligence

Collective - The Munitorum Strategic

Intelligence Collective is a secret arm of the

Administratum that is composed of senior

Ordo Xenos Inquisitors and Magos Biologis

Genetors and Xenobiologists of the Adeptus

Mechanicus. It is their primary mission to

compile biological and logistical data on the

Tyranids to determine their weaknesses and

devise suitable counter-measures to future

Hive Fleet invasions. These secretive reports

are sent directly to the High Lords of Terra

themselves. Their analysis of all the details

of the Tyranid invasions thus far has seen

them draw a startling conclusion as stark as

it is terrifying: the Hive Fleets faced by the

Imperium to date are but parts of a far

greater whole, and this whole will be arriving

at the Imperium's borders within less than a

standard century. They estimate that

Imperial mobilization levels will need to be

increased by a minimum of 500% -- which

would effectively include every able-bodied

man, woman and child on every world in

Segmentums Solar, Obscurus and

Tempestus -- to have even a hope of

stopping this dire threat.

Tithes Chamber Notaries, sub.

Planetary Census (Abhumans) - The

Tithes Chamber Notaries, sub. Planetary

Census (Abhuman) is a sub-division of the

Adeptus Administratum that oversees the

classification and

recognition of stable and

Lib

er: A

dm

inist

ra

tu

m

sanctioned Abhuman strains within the

Imperium. Of these, forty-six types are

now listed as extinct, and no records have

been received of a further twelve strains

for over a generation, suggesting that they

too have died out or been assimilated

back into the general population of

Mankind. The status of the remaining

fifteen Abhuman races is quite varied and

there is permanent disagreement about

their specific classification amongst the

Adepts of the Tithes Chamber Notaries.

The most noteworthy and contentious

matter concerning the Adepts is the Ogryn

(Homo sapiens gigantus) matrix of

Abhuman strains.

Divisio Auditae - Unique to the Calixis

Sector is the Divisio Auditae, which

oversees matters of significant interest to

the Administratum from incorrect tithes to

the adjudication of Warrants of Trade

granted to Imperial merchants in the

sector. The Divisio Auditae was

established in the early 8th century of the

41st Millennium, created as one of the first

acts of the Lord Calixis Marius Hax, and it

reports directly to Hax himself and to its

superiors in the Administratum.

Questors - Known more commonly (but

unofficially) as Quaestors, these Auditors

are empowered to travel the Calixis Sector

and demand access to all records of any

planetary government or organization they

come across; only the most powerful of

individuals can deny a Quaestor’s

demands, though even these few

exceptions try Lord Hax’s patience.

Anything they discover that seems worthy

of attention is reported, to be acted upon

by other agents of Lord Hax or other

Imperial agents as deemed appropriate.

Under the command of Prefect Salassar

Aoghan Annovestes, a minor functionary

from the Sephris Secundus elevated

through the ranks of the Administratum,

the ranks of the Divisio Auditae have

swollen to include over 6,000 separate

Questors. Each possesses the freedom to

move and investigate whatever and

wherever they see fit, much to the

consternation of the Inquisition, Planetary

Governors, and Rogue Traders who see

such freedom of remit for an official who is

essentially a bureaucrat as dangerous and

intrusive into matters better left in other

hands.

Ranks and Titles of the

Administratum

There are countless ranks and titles used within

the Administratum; this system of nomenclature is

also used within the Adeptus Terra as a whole. Some

examples include:

Master of the Administratum - The

Master of the Administration is the titular

head of the Adepta who sits on the

Senatorum Imperialis as one of the High

Lords of Terra.

Adeptus (or Adept) - An Adept is the title

of all members of the Adeptus Terra, from

the highest-ranking to the most petty of

functionaries.

Prefectus (or Prefect) - Prefect is a title

used by Administratum officers and

officials.

Master - Master is a title used by

Administratum departmental heads.

Ordinate - Ordinate is a title used by

minor administrative officials.

Curator - Curator is a title used by

Administratum Adepts who maintain the

ancient records of the Imperium; the rank

also requires associated historical and

linguistic knowledge and is therefore

considered somewhat prestigious.

Scribe - Scribe is a title used by the lowly

functionaries of the Administratum

responsible for keeping records.

Cipher - Cipher is a title used by a special

form of Imperial messengers; they

memorize dictation with a single scan,

repeating it verbatim when they reach their

destination; they have no knowledge of the

messages they carry.

Menial - Menial is a title used by lowly,

non-specialized but free workers recruited

from the non-Adept population, essentially

the Administratum's janitors and

mechanics.

Subordinate - Subordinate is a title used

by the hereditary slaves of the Adeptus

Terra who serve as engineers and

craftsmen, as well as in other unskilled

occupations.

Lib

er:

Ad

min

istr

atu

m

Imperial Languages

Low Gothic is the common tongue of the

Imperium, spoken on most Imperial planets as a first

or second language. Imperial worlds have inevitably

developed their own, often highly variant, dialects of

Low Gothic over time. High Gothic (represented as a

form of Latinized English) dates from the last time

humanity was united across interstellar distances in

an ancient confederation that existed during the Dark

Age of Technology (long before the Age of the

Imperium), and is used solely as a hieratic tongue by

the divisions of the Adeptus Terra, the Inquisition and

the Ecclesiarchy. Low Gothic (also called Imperial

Gothic or simply Gothic) is the “official” language of

the Imperium, the everyday tongue of its Adepts and

of Terra. Most worlds have been a part of the

Imperium for long enough to have adopted Low

Gothic as a universal tongue but there are still a great

many Feral Worlds on which Imperial Gothic is not

spoken. Inevitably, dialects of Gothic differ from world

to world and can be mutually unintelligible. Older

planets frequently maintain archaic tongues of their

own, to the extent that ruling aristocracies might only

know enough Low Gothic to be sworn into their

Imperial offices. For highly formal matters, the

Adeptus Terra use High Gothic, the precursor

language of Imperial Gothic. Many Ecclesiarchy

rituals, Administratum edicts and Imperial charters

use this ancient and venerable language.

The Imperial Demesne

The territory of the Imperium is defined by the

reach of the psychic beacon of the Astronomican,

which has a range of approximately 50,000 light

years. The Imperium proper could thus be thought of

as a sphere whose center lies at Terra's Sol System,

and whose radius is about 50,000 light years wide.

However, as a practical matter, agents and agencies

of the Imperium (along with "unofficial"

representatives of the Imperium - such as Rogue

Traders - who often work in tandem with the goals of

the Imperium) carry on its affairs and expand its

influence beyond that limit. The disparate and

widespread nature of Imperial territory, with its

millions of star systems and worlds, means that a

strongly centralized government would be unfeasible.

The Imperium encompasses countless worlds.

No one has ever been able to map them and no one

can even say how many there are. Entire

departments of the Adeptus Administratum are

devoted to cataloguing the worlds in the Emperor’s

domains, a never-ending task, for it is in a state of

eternal flux. Furthermore, the Adeptus Terra holds

that the whole human race and the entire galaxy are

under the Emperor’s rule—the Imperium has a

manifest destiny to unite Mankind, impose its laws on

every human world and destroy all alien life. The true

scope of the Imperium is, therefore, the entire galaxy,

though this is far from actuality. The Imperium

jealously guards its territory whenever it can but its

sheer size means that it cannot react to every

circumstance. Many planets live and die alone, with

only the truly great threats commanding the attention

of the Adeptus Terra. Worlds are frequently lost to

aliens, rebellion or disasters, with news of their

destruction sometimes taking centuries to reach

Terra. The Imperium’s borders undergo constant

change, with new worlds discovered, conquered or

colonized and old ones lost to xenos attack,

Exterminatus or even to the Warp.

The Imperium of Man divides the galaxy into five

administrative zones called Segmentae Majoris,

which include the:

Segmentum Solar, the galactic "center,"

with the Sol System at its heart.

Segmentum Pacificus, the galactic "west."

Segmentum Obscurus, a region to the

galactic "east" of Terra that has been

heavily fortified by the Imperial Navy and

the Imperial Guard due to the dangers

posed by this Segmentum's most

infamous element, the Eye of Terror. This

is a vast Warp rift where the Immaterium

actually intrudes upon material space - as

do the Chaos Space Marine Traitor

Legions and the daemons of the Ruinous

Powers themselves.

Segmentum Tempestus, the galactic

"south."

Segmentum Ultima, the largest province of

all in the Imperium, located to the galactic

"north" of Terra; its furthest extents are

beyond even the range of the

Astronomican in space still unexplored by

humanity.

Lib

er: A

dm

inist

ra

tu

m

The Segmentae are the primary administrative

divisions of the Imperium. Each is divided into

sectors, which are areas of three-dimensional space.

The sectors in turn consist of sub-sectors, each

containing a number of individual star systems. These

spatial divisions and subdivisions are also levels of

the administrative hierarchy.

Each Segmentum Governor (or Segmentum

Commander, the term used when the governor is

acting in his military capacity) oversees his Sector

Governors (or Sector Commanders), who in turn

oversee Sub-sector Governors (or Sub-sector

Commanders), who in their turn oversee the individual

Planetary Governors, who are also known as Imperial

Commanders. The higher ranks in this administrative

system are usually combined with a basic planetary

governorship as well as interstellar duties. Each of

these governors is usually a member of the Imperial

nobility and it is rare, but not impossible, for a man or

woman born in the lowest ranks of Imperial society to

rise to the rank of an Imperial Governor on his or her

own merits or abilities. This neo-feudal system is the

means by which the Imperium maintains control of the

separate planets that comprise it.

Planetary Administratum

Because of the distances involved and the

unstable nature of Warp communication, Planetary

Governors generally operate very autonomously. This

allows quite a lot of variation in the regional

governments of the Imperium. Some governorships

are hereditary, but it is also possible for a planet to

have an elected Planetary Governor, a tyrant

Governor who rules solely by force of his personal

arms, or anything in between. So long as the

Governor fulfills his duties to the broader Imperium,

his rule will generally be accepted by the higher

authorities with little or no interference.

A rare few Planetary Governors preside over

Feral or Feudal Worlds where the Imperium has not,

for whatever reason, seen fit to introduce modern

technology. These Governors are often isolated from

their subjects, sometimes even living on orbital

installations, only interfering to control mutation,

Chaos incursions, Ork invasions and rogue psykers,

as well as to collect the modest tithes in men for the

Imperial Guard and psykers that these planets

provide. The Imperial duties of a Planetary Governor

include paying the planetary tithe to the

Administratum, controlling psykers, mutation and

heresy among the population, defending the planet

and putting down rebellions against the local

government (and thus against the Imperium). A

serious responsibility for a Planetary Governor is the

maintenance of an adequate planetary defense force

capable of defending the planet in the event of an

invasion. The Planetary Defense Forces (PDF) are

expected to defeat attacks from minor foes, and in the

case of major invasions to hold out until

reinforcements arrive, which could take a period of

months, years or even decades.

A relatively small number of Imperial worlds are

not ruled by a Planetary Governor, but are directly

overseen by an alternate organization such as the

Adeptus Terra, the Ecclesiarchy, an Imperial

Commander of the Imperial Guard or a Chapter of the

Space Marines. These planets include the Forge

Worlds of the Adeptus Mechanicus, whose

inhabitants toil without pause to manufacture the

weapons of the Emperor's armies (including Mars,

Gryphonne IV and Fortis Binary), the Cardinal Worlds

of the Ecclesiarchy, which are given entirely over to

education of the priesthood and worship of the

Emperor (Ignatius Cardinal, Ophelia VII), and the

Space Marine Chapter homeworlds, such as Fenris,

Macragge, Baal, or Medusa.

Just as the environments and cultures of Imperial

worlds vary immensely, so too does the way they are

governed. The Imperium allows most of its worlds to

govern themselves, using whatever method of

government the population gravitates towards or was

the traditional form of rule. Some are hereditary

monarchies, others are ruled by aristocracies or

warlords. Some are ruled by elected parliaments,

while on others power is given to whoever can pay for

it. On some worlds these are the same thing. Upon

other planets, such things as democracy, free choice

and even individual civil rights are present, though

these worlds are few and far between. Some worlds

are administered directly by the various Adepta, such

as Agri-worlds run by the Administratum or Cardinal

Worlds ruled by the Ecclesiarchy. Whilst the individual

countries, states, tribes, corporations, hegemonies,

peoples’ work collectives, and so on, may have their

own various leaders, the Adeptus Terra will look to

one person to fulfill the planet’s Imperial tithes and

obligations to the Imperium. Titles for this governor

vary from planet to planet. In some cases the person

judged responsible for the Imperial tithe may not even

be aware that this is the case until too late. Certainly,

more than one titular head of state has discovered

this upon rejoining the Imperium after a period of

isolation through Warp Storm, war or other calamity.

All Imperial Governors are expected to recognize

the authority of the Imperium and the Emperor and to

uphold His laws. These responsibilities include aiding

the agents of the Adeptus Arbites and the Inquisition,

Lib

er:

Ad

min

istr

atu

m

as well as arranging the allotted tithes for the

Administratum. Governors are also expected to yield

psykers up to the Black Ships of the Inquisition when

required and to keep the population free of mutants,

Chaos Cultists, heretics, political radicals and witches.

In practice, some planets escape from these duties

with relative ease, whilst others are placed under

seemingly tyrannical restrictions. Due to the sheer

size of the Imperium and the unpredictability of travel

through the Warp, there are many occasions where

the Administratum never manages to extract its levy,

or the Black Ships never arrive at the appointed time

to take psychic individuals away. Planets can be

isolated for generations and it is not unusual to

encounter worlds where the Imperial tithe has been all

but forgotten. Certainly the scribes of the Prol System

have, in their vast libraries, several accounts of

Administratum Logisters arriving at worlds lost for

centuries, only to discover their yearly tithe burning on

vast pyres as the natives offer their dues up to the

sky.

In some cases, a group of planets might have

enough contact with one another to form political

alliances and even minor interstellar empires. Other

clusters of worlds might be connected by huge

corporations, the powers of hereditary nobles,

religious leaders or other such ties. In such cases,

Planetary Governors must not only tend to the needs

of the Imperium but also the whims of these power

blocs.

Types of Planets Just as the people of the Imperium live in hugely

varied environments, so too do their cultures vary

immensely.

Hive Worlds

The Imperium’s most populous worlds are its hive

worlds. The populations of these planets are so high

that the people live in huge cities, truly immense

many-layered structures that reach high into the sky,

each housing billions of individuals. Hive worlds often

provide much-needed labor, their manufactoria

producing mountains of war material and other goods

to meet the Imperial tithe demands. Most hive worlds

started out as relatively hospitable places but have

become severely polluted, the areas outside the hives

reduced to ash wastes or radioactive desert by the

never-ceasing industry of the great cities. Equally

dangerous can be the hives themselves. The crime-

ridden, poverty-stricken areas, almost always found in

the most polluted and decrepit lower levels of the

underhive, are home to violent gangs, criminals and

assorted scum as well as mutants and heretical cults

who hide there from the authorities.

Agri–Worlds

These farming planets, in their own way, are as

vital to the Imperium as its hives. These planets are

given over entirely to the production of food, which

hive worlds cannot produce in sufficient quantities to

keep their huge populations from starving. Many a

world has whole continents given over to livestock or

fields of crops. Some agri-worlds are covered in

oceans teeming with fish and a few are far stranger -

worlds covered in edible fungus, scoured by swarms

of nutritious insects or gas giants home to flocks of

flying creatures. A few planets are used solely to

provide clean water to nearby hive worlds. Agri-worlds

are sometimes ruled directly by the Administratum, to

help ensure that their produce is grown and harvested

with maximum efficiency.

Forge Worlds

Much of a forge world is like an immense factory,

with industrial complexes soaring into the sky and

mine workings burrowing deep into the crust. Forge

worlds build great numbers of complex machines, like

tanks or spacecraft parts. They are ruled by the

Adeptus Mechanicus, whose training and research

facilities are located there, along with the grand

cathedrals to their deity, the Omnissiah, in which the

Archmagi of the Tech-Priests enact the grandest,

most complex rituals to honor the Machine God. The

Adeptus Mechanicus’ fleets, its tech-guard armies

and, most formidably of all, the Titan Legions, are

also all based on forge worlds. The forge worlds are

sovereign ground and the Adeptus Mechanicus is

loath to allow anyone on their surface other than

Tech-Priests and the legions of menials who serve

them.

Mining Worlds

These worlds are rich in one or more of the raw

materials required by the Imperium's manufactoria

and forge worlds. The people here are likely to be

slaves or penal workers who live out their lives mining

and transporting massive quantities of metallic ore,

rock, minerals, frozen gases or some other useful or

precious substance. Mining worlds tend to be rather

inhospitable places, and many do not even possess a

breathable atmosphere, though a few may support a

Lib

er: A

dm

inist

ra

tu

m

greater variety of life and support developed cities

and even hives.

Developing Worlds

These worlds are split into geographical areas

with widely varying levels of advancement and

culture. Depending on the prevailing governments,

these might be countries, states, power blocks or

tribal homelands. It may be the case that higher levels

of technology and wealth are concentrated around

original colonization sites. Other planets might exhibit

gross variations in culture due to environment, with

areas weak in natural resources being similarly weak

in terms of military power, economic muscle and so

on. Some planets preserve a great divide due to

ancient tribal taboos, religious notions or plain old-

fashioned habit. A great many worlds of the Imperium

fit into this broad category, but no two are alike in the

way they realize these divides.

Feudal Worlds

These planets are populated by folk who have

lost access to all but the most basic of technologies.

Farming, simple machines such as pulleys, windmills

and the like are known, but propelled flight, automatic

weaponry and even powered vehicles are likely to be

rare or non-existent. These worlds are often said to

be the most politically harmonious of all the planets of

the Imperium, because their peoples know their place.

Feral Worlds

These worlds are populated by tribal peoples

largely living without the assistance of maintained

technology. This may be due to a failed colonization

project, religious preferences, cultural choice,

environment or some other reason. They may be

aware of the Imperium in some fashion but are

unlikely to know much more than something about a

large group of distant people living in the stars. These

planets are frequently unsuitable for later colonization,

either due to the circumstances which drove the

natives feral or because the natives themselves

actively resist new people settling on their lands.

People of feral worlds can range widely in culture,

from Grox-hunting tribes of ancestor worshippers to

wild-eyed, post-apocalyptic road warriors, fighting

endlessly amongst the toxic, sand-strewn ruins of

their civilization.

Shrine Worlds

These worlds are dominated by religion and acts of

devotion. It may be that these places saw the birth of

a famous saint or formed the battleground for a

particularly important war. Often studded with temples

and shrines, these worlds are frequently controlled by

the Ecclesiarchy and may form training grounds for

members of their Adepta. There are also the dark

mirrors to these places of Imperial devotion - fallen

worlds where the inhabitants offer up ceaseless

prayer to the Dark Gods. These places of obscene

sacrifices and bloody rites are not suffered continued

existence for long.

Cemetery World

Somewhat akin to shrine worlds are the cemetery

worlds, were large areas of the planet are given over

to care for the dead. Cemetery worlds may mark the

site of a huge battle, or they may be covered in

gigantic mausoleums each dedicated to a particular

Imperial noble. In contrast rare cemetery worlds may

be covered in fields of endless modest plots

containing the remains of the inhabitants of a nearby

hive world.

Pleasure Worlds

Otherwise known as paradise worlds and

sometimes as garden worlds. These holiday worlds

are the playground of the Imperial nobility. They tend

to be of outstanding natural beauty and the population

of such worlds are dedicated to pampering the

important visitors they receive. Pleasure worlds are

often very cultured places, and many have sections of

their populace dedicated solely to producing works of

art or music. Casino complexes, opulent restaurants

and huge ballrooms are often found on such worlds.

There is a darker side to pleasure worlds, particularly

those who cater to the tastes of the more depraved

guests they receive. Some pleasure worlds contain

large developing cities and other major settlements.

Quarantined Worlds

The existence of these planets is rarely made obvious

but there are many of them throughout the Imperium.

Travel to these worlds is forbidden except for the

most well-informed and heavily armed expeditions,

and even then only with a very good reason. Death

worlds, alien empires or planets where the creatures

of the warp have broken through into realspace are all

Lib

er:

Ad

min

istr

atu

m

examples of quarantined worlds, as are planets

wracked with plague. Some worlds are quarantined

because no one can fathom the origins of what has

been found there, be it mysterious artifacts or ancient

cities - it is thought better to live in ignorance of what

lies on such worlds than risk it becoming a threat.

Other worlds are quarantined because every

expeditionary mission there has failed to return.

Planets are often quarantined by the pronouncements

of Inquisitors, especially if they have uncovered some

warp taint or xenos infestation that cannot be

cleansed. Many quarantined worlds possess great

resources that would be extremely valuable to the

Imperium if they were properly explored and

exploited, but there are enough tales of ancient

horrors awoken on sinister alien worlds that few

adepts would try to defy a planetary quarantine.

War Worlds

There are a great many worlds in the Imperium

that can be classed as war zones. The Imperium is

constantly at war and in those wars whole planets can

burn. Massive campaigns can envelop dozens of

systems and hundreds of worlds, many of which are

utterly devastated by orbital bombardments and

artillery in planet-spanning battles that last decades.

Long-term war zones are hellish places where death

comes quickly. The Imperium can field truly immense

armies of millions of men, grinding their way across a

devastated planet and reducing cities to rubble.

Mercenaries flock to such places, hoping to leave

soon after with their ships loaded with pay. Deserters

and escaped prisoners form bands of pirates, preying

on any ships unable to defend themselves or roam

the war-torn planets in feral packs stealing and killing.

The Administratum sends colonists from overcrowded

worlds to populate war-torn worlds after the fighting

has ended but the wheels of the Imperium grind

slowly and a world can lie devastated for centuries

before any effort is made to resettle it. These places

can be some of the most ghastly in the Imperium, with

ravaged environments, cracked planetary crusts,

burnt-out cities and plains covered in the bones of the

fallen.

Dead Worlds

These worlds have minimal, even non-existent,

life traces. This results from ecological catastrophe,

devastating internecine war, Imperial or alien

intervention or no attributable cause.

Death Worlds

Planets which are too dangerous to support

widespread human settlement. Types vary from

world-wide jungles that harbor carnivorous plants and

animals to barren rockscapes strewn with volcanoes

and wracked by ion storms. These worlds are near-

impossible to colonize but must be properly explored

which necessitates the provision of outposts and

other facilities. Some harbor rich mineral, vegetable,

animal or gaseous resources.

Frontier Worlds

These worlds have only recently been discovered

by the Imperium and are home to a relatively small

number of colonists. The Administratum may not have

even had sufficient time to fully explore the world and

set up government. Frontier worlds can be a refuge

for those who want to escape from the repressive

Imperial regime (for a time at least), though they can

also be a destination for those who want to escape its

justice too, and have a reputation for lawlessness as

a result.

Lib

er: A

dm

inist

ra

tu

m

Imperial

Calendar The Imperial Dating System of the Imperium of

Man, also known as the Imperial Calendar, is fairly

complex in nature, and has been structured so as to

deal with the vast amount of recorded history that

exists in the 41st Millennium and the massive

distances between settled human worlds, which can

lead to long periods of isolation. Also the vagaries and

time-warping effects of the Immaterium can make it

almost impossible to keep accurate track of time over

long journeys. The Imperium has developed its own

method of recording dates, which needs a bit of

explanation. Most importantly, the years are always

"Anno Domini" (AD) using the numbering system of

our own present-day Gregorian Calendar, so the

dates themselves are the ones that we are familiar

with now. A typical date as Imperial scholars write it

would look something like 0123456.M41. This date

can be divided up so that each part is explained

separately:

0 123 456 M41 = Check Number/Year

Fraction/Year/Millennium

Check Number

The check number refers to the accuracy of a

given date, which is required for clarity due to the

common distortions of subjective linear time that

occur while travelling within the Warp, and

inaccuracies in timing on remote or isolated Imperial

worlds and star systems. Check numbers are listed

using the following numeric classes:

Class: 0/1 - Earth Standard Date. Referring to an

event which happened within the Sol System. "0"

is most commonly used to refer to an event which

actually occurred on Terra, while "1" refers to an

event that occurred somewhere within the Sol

System, such as Titan, the moon of the gas giant

Saturn that serves as the headquarters of the

Grey Knights Space Marines.

Class: 2 - Direct. The source for the event the

date records was in direct psychic contact with

the Sol System or Terra when the date reference

was made.

Class: 3 - Indirect. The source for the event the

date records was in direct contact with a Class 2

source, though not the Sol System itself.

Class: 4 - Corroborated. The source for the

event the date records was in contact with a

Class 3 source.

Class: 5 - Sub-Corroborated. The source for the

event the date records is in direct psychic contact

with a corroborated source.

Class: 6 - Non-Referenced, 1 year. The source

for the event the date records is not in contact

with a Class 0 to 5 source when the date

reference was made, though it is a continuation

of a timeline referenced by a Class 0 to 5 source.

Class: 7 - Non-Referenced, 10 years. As with

Class 6 sources, but with a greater time span to

allow for larger inaccuracies.

Class: 8 - Non-Referenced, 11+ years. As Class

7, though unsourced for a longer period of time.

Class: 9 - Approximation. For when worlds using

a non-Imperial calendar must reference an event

in that world's history.

Year Fraction

For record-keeping, each year is divided into

1000 equal parts, numbered 001-000, rather than

months or weeks. Note that this system is not

generally used by Imperial citizens in everyday life,

but is simply for administrative use by the Adeptus

Terra.

Year

This is the year within the millennium, running

from 001-999. For general dates, often only the year

and millennium are included, such as 999.M41.

Millennium

This is the millennium since the birth of the

ancient human religious figure Jesus Christ in which

the event took place. As an example, the year A.D.

2010 would be represented very generally in the

Imperial Dating System as 010.M3. As almost all

records of the religions practiced by Mankind before

the development of the Imperial Cult in the 31st

Millennium have been lost, none know exactly why

the Imperial Calendar counts the years in this manner

or the true origin of the dating system.

Lib

er:

Ad

min

istr

atu

m

Tithe Grade Tithe Grade is a bureaucratic designation of the

Adeptus Terra that determines the amount of raw

materials, resources or soldiers an Imperial world

must supply to the Administratum as taxes or tithes to

keep the Imperium of Man's interstellar government

functioning and to fill the ranks of the Imperial Guard

or provide human psykers to the Black Ships of the

Adeptus Astra Telepathica. The size and nature of the

tithe depends on the type of world it is applied to, as a

large Hive World like Necromunda will be expected to

provide a much larger tithe than a pre-industrial

Feudal World. A tithe can be any type of resource:

food, weapons, minerals, manufactured goods,

people, etc. Space Marine Chapter Homeworlds do

not normally provide tithes to the Imperium since their

resources are to be used to maintain the Space

Marine Chapter that controls them, and are given the

tithe grade Aptus Non. Agri-World tithes generally

refer to how much of the planet's food production

must be supplied to the Imperium.

Known Tithe Grades

The make-up of a given world's tithe payments,

regardless of the size of those payments as indicated

by the Tithe Grade, is determined by the section of

the Administratum responsible for the overall

governance of that world's Sector and sub-sector of

space. The known Imperial Administratum Tithe

Grades are listed as follows, from highest (most tithe

required) to lowest (least tithe required):

Exactis Extremis - the largest Tithe Grade

Exactis Particular

Exactis Prima

Exactis Secundus

Exactis Tertius

Decuma Extremis

Decuma Particular

Decuma Prima

Decuma Secundus

Decuma Tertius

Solutio Extremis

Solutio Particular

Solutio Prima

Solutio Secundus

Solutio Tertius

Adeptus Non or Aptus Non - No tithe allowed

due to past events like an Exterminatus or if the

world is a Space Marine Chapter Homeworld

Lib

er: A

dm

inist

ra

tu

m

The

Departmento

Munitorum The Departmento Munitorum, also called the

Adeptus Munitorum, is a department or sub-division of

the Adeptus Administratum devoted to the general

administration, personnel assignment, supply and

logistics of the Imperial Guard. The Munitorum has

ultimate responsibility for the raising of new Imperial

Guard Regiments, the training of new Imperial Guard

troops, the provision of equipment and supplies to all

Regiments in the field, and the transportation of

troops and equipment to and from theatres of war

using the vessels of the Imperial Navy. It is primarily a

logistical organization, like the larger Administratum of

which it is a part, but while the Administratum deals

with the civilian logistics of running the entire

Imperium of Man, the Munitorum deals solely with the

military logistics necessary to fight and win the

Imperium's wars on behalf of all branches of the

Imperial armed forces.

The Munitorum is financed by tithes of men,

money and materiel drawn from the Imperium's

myriad worlds, and all Imperial planets able to support

the Imperial military forces in a sector are regularly

called on to do so. To make sure the tithes are

provided as and when required, representatives of the

Departmento Munitorum are present on almost every

Imperial planet as part of its branch of the local

Administratum. Representatives of the organization

are also present on all Imperial Navy starships, and

wherever Imperial Guard forces are stationed.

The Munitorum is organized to allow each level of

the Adeptus to respond effectively to threats to the

people of the Imperium, regardless of their size and

location in the galaxy. The local departments of the

Adeptus can raise tithes from worlds close to a war

zone without needing a response from the higher

levels of the Munitorum's bureaucracy. As the level of

a threat increases and more local departments of the

Munitorum become involved, the amount tithed, and

the amount of planets tithed from, increases. At this

point, higher levels of the Adeptus Munitorum will also

become involved, and may funnel additional

resources from other parts of the Imperium into a

given war zone. The local Adepts of the Departmento

Munitorum in an Imperial sub-sector have the legal

authority to impose instant tithes, without forewarning,

as and when required. Because of this, true central

command over the Imperial Guard's logistics from

Terra is not needed or even advantageous, due to the

functional autonomy of each level of the organization.

The Departmento Munitorum does not handle

logistics for the Adeptus Astartes or for the Adepta

Sororitas' Orders Militant, as each Space Marine

Chapter is a fully self-contained military organization

and the Sisters of Battle depend on the Ecclesiarchy

to serve their administrative and logistical needs.

The Departmento Munitorum is effectively

represented among the Imperium's rulers by three

members of the High Lords of Terra and is ultimately

required to answer to the demands of all three,

including:

The Lord Commander Militant of the Imperial Guard

The Chancellor of the Estate Imperium

The Master of the Administratum

Hierarchy of the

Imperial Guard

The Hierarchy of the Imperial Guard is complex,

but not so much that it cannot be understood; the

main issues of confusion arise from the sheer variety

of terminology employed by the Imperial Guard and

the lack of uniform standardization across units. For

example, in Tallarn regiments, the rank of Sergeant is

also known as Duf'adar, and the size and composition

of a typical Tallarn Company is unlikely to match that

of a company of, for instance, the Tanith 1st.

Bearing this in mind, the ranks and

responsibilities of the Imperial Guard are outlined

below.

Organization

The Imperial Guard are ultimately controlled by

the masters of the Departmento Munitorum, who

themselves are members of the High Lords of Terra.

The relevant High Lords in this case are the

Chancellor of the Estate Imperium, the Master of the

Administratum and perhaps most importantly, the

Lord Commander Militant of the Imperial Guard.

Subordinate to him are the Lord Commanders of each

of the five Segmentae of the Imperium, ultimately in

charge of all military operations in his own

Segmentum. Accordingly there are five Lords

Commander: Solar, Pacificus, Tempestus, Obscurus

and Ultima.

Lib

er:

Ad

min

istr

atu

m

An unusual command rank outside the normal

promotions ladder is that of Warmaster, the

commander of Crusades. This rank is not reachable

by any conventional means and is only bestowed by

agreement of the High Lords themselves. It is unlikely

that more than one Warmaster would exist at any one

time in the entire Imperium and many centuries may

pass without anyone holding this exalted position.

The highest 'conventional' rank reachable in the

Guard is that of Lord General Militant (or equivalent),

the highest rank above the General Staff corps and

one which brings with it command of armies of almost

limitless number. The General Staff itself is a highly

striated and decentralized formation, with its officers

present in every major (and many minor) battle

theatre in the Imperium. There are many variations of

General Officer rank, but by nature an Imperial Guard

General is likely to command battlegroups of multi-

regiment force. Regimental Officers are normally

holders of the rank of Colonel, with each regiment's

officer corps split into various senior, junior and non-

commissioned positions.

Operating in parallel to this command tree is that

of the other Imperial organizations the Guard comes

into contact with, principally that of the Commissariat.

Commissars are integral parts of the Imperial Guard

command echelons, with every regiment having at

least one Commissar attached to it, and likely more.

Commissars are also normally included in any

General Staff grouping.

High Command

At its highest level the Imperial Guard is

commanded by the Lord Commander Militant of the

Imperial Guard, a member of the High Lords of Terra.

The wishes of the High Lords are passed from the

Lord Commander Militant to his subordinates, the

Lord Commanders Segmentum, who notionally

control the actions of the Imperial Guard within their

Segmentae. In practice, however, the immense

difficulties involved in exercising command-and-

control over such distances means that actual

direction of Guard forces is orchestrated by officers

lower down the command tree.

Lord Commander Militant of the Imperial Guard:

This is the highest rank of the strategic staff of the

Departmento Munitorum. A powerful official, he is

often appointed to a position on the High Lords of

Terra, the governing body of the Imperium.

Lord Commander: A subordinate strategic rank, five

Lord Commanders are each responsible for the

Guard forces in each of the Imperium's Segmentums.

Warmaster: Warmasters are created when a

Crusade is being planned and resources from multiple

sectors are needed. The rank is not available unless

granted by the High Lords of Terra

Lord General Militant: the highest conventional field

rank in the Imperial Guard. They are in charge of

whole battlegroups of Imperial Guard regiments and

are assigned to their combat theatres by the

Departmento Munitorum.

General Staff

The General Staff of the Imperial Guard is not a

coherent organization; the term is principally used to

describe all officers who serve in the command

echelons above those of regimental level. Most

commanding officers in the staff category carry some

form of General's rank, but more junior officers can

also be found in the General Staff; they are drawn

from regiments to act as aides and administrative

assistants. They do not exercise individual authority

and merely act as conduits between their superiors

and other officers. A position common in the General

Staff is that of Imperial Tactician, a non-command

rank that nevertheless is vital. Trained staff officers,

Tacticians help to devise and organize battle plans

and strategy.

Lord General: The highest rank available inside the

General Staff, and one with a multitude of official

designations. This position is also known as Lord

Marshal, Captain-General and also Lord Castellan.

General: A staff officer normally responsible for

leading a multi-regiment battlegroup.

Regimental Officers

According to the Tactica Imperium, regimental

leaders range in rank from Colonel to Lieutenant. In

practice however, the individual regiments making up

the vast Imperial Guard are drawn from so many

different human worlds, and in turn, many different

cultures, that between different regiments the actual

name given to an officer rank can vary heavily.

Regimental officers hail from the same world as

the troops they command, assuming officer rank at

the initial formation of the regiment. Prior to this, they

may have held positions of leadership within the

Planetary Defense Force from which members of the

regiment may have been drawn. In some cases, such

as when a regiment is formed from a hive world gang,

officers are the former leaders of the gang. A

guardsman's loyalty is naturally to the colonel of his

regiment and the other regimental officers, who all

Lib

er: A

dm

inist

ra

tu

m

have a common world of origin. Regimental officers

are advised not to throw the lives of their men away

with impunity; those who needlessly sacrifice the men

under their command are likely to end up in the Penal

Legions.

Colonel: Typically the commanding officer of a

regiment.

Major: The second-in-command of a regiment.

This rank (or equivalent) does not appear particularly

universal.

Captain: Combat Unit (typically Company-strength)

commander, they are the most common regimental

senior officers.

Lieutenant: The most junior officer on the battlefield

commanding Imperial Guard forces. They are

generally thought as platoon leaders[2]

Non-Commissioned Officers

Sergeants, Corporals and other NCO ranks act

as small unit commanders, as well as providing

almost constant oversight of the main body of

Guardsmen within a regiment. They carry out any

tasks assigned to them by their officers and are

essential to the running of the regiment.

Guardsman

The standard soldier of the Imperial Guard is the

Guardsman, also known as a Trooper.

Conscripts

Conscripts represent hastily conscripted men,

raised from surrounding planets in dire situations.

Whiteshield cadets and otherwise ill-trained troops,

often too young or old for normal conscription, are

inducted into the Imperial Guard and rushed through

basic training. They form squads massed together as

a single platoon. The concentrated firepower of a

large platoon tends to outweigh the relative lack of

combat ability of the individual conscripts.

They are considered the "ultimate meat shield".

Rights to Settlement

The Rights to Settlement are the reward Imperial

Guard regiments are promised for years of successful

service. When the Rights to Settlement are invoked

for a regiment, the recently conquered or colonized

world is theirs by right. With Rights of Settlement, the

commanding officer of the regiment often becomes

the new Planetary Governor. It is roughly common

practice for choice staff to be given prominent

positions within the government for their service, and

with these new roles filled, younger officers move up

and accept higher positions within the Guard

regiment, which in turn becomes the planet's first

Planetary Defense Force. The regiment is then

reclassified by the Departmento Munitorium, based on

the name of the planet.

The Rights to Settlement are hard earned,

requiring a minimum of a decade of successful

service. Extraneous circumstances can delay the

Rights to Settlement, such as the Sabbat Worlds

Crusade or extreme demand for Imperial troops in the

sector.

Lib

er:

Ad

min

istr

atu

m

The Imperial

Navy The Imperial Navy is one of the armed forces

employed by the Imperium. While the Imperial Guard

is responsible for the Imperium's ground forces, the

Imperial Navy is responsible for the fleets of warships

that soar between the stars and planets in the

Imperium as well as engaging threats both inside and

outside the Imperium's borders. The Imperial Navy is

the military arm of the Imperial Fleet and was, until

their separation after the Horus Heresy, a branch of

the Imperial Army.

Fleet Structure

The Imperial Navy fleets are arranged around the

five Segmentae Majoris that comprise the Imperium,

and are based at the five Segmentum Fortresses.

These fleets are named after the Segmentum in

which they are based, such as the Warfleet Solar and

so on. These fleets are then sub-divided into smaller

fleets patrolling individual sectors and subsectors,

again they are generally named after the area they

are safeguarding, for example Battlefleet Gothic will

be protecting the Gothic Sector.

Fleet Headquarters

Segmentum Solar - Mars

Segmentum Pacificus - Hydraphur

Segmentum Obscurus - Cypra Mundi

Segmentum Tempestus - Bakka

Ultima Segmentum - Kar Duniash

Fleet Personnel

The Imperial Navy is headed by five Lord High

Admirals, one of whom is often one of the High Lords

of Terra.

Below the Lord Admirals are various Sector and

Battlefleet commanders, then individual ship Captains

and junior officers and below them a myriad array of

Non-Commissioned Officers. The Imperial Navy has a

corps of Commissars that oversee the morale and

discipline of Naval personnel, known as the Fleet

Commissariat.

The Imperial Navy also operates Naval Security

Battalions, also known as Naval Armsmen. These

consist of units of armed soldiers intended to put

down mutinies, board enemy ships, and protect

Imperial Navy installations. Typically, Naval Security

troopers are equipped with black body armor and

shotguns.

The Imperial Navy

Hierarchy

The Imperial Navy has a rigid command

structure, seemingly unified across the whole

organization unlike the Imperial Guard which has no

standard organization.

Admiralty Ranks

Lord High Admiral

Lord High Admiral (also referred to as Lord

Militant Commander or Lord Commander) is the

highest rank in the Imperial Navy. There are five

Lords High Admiral, each one controlling a fleet of the

five Segmentae Majoris. Although all five are ranked

equally, command of the Segmentum Solar is

considered the most prestigious office. It is not

uncommon for one of these Admirals to sit on the

Senatorum Imperialis.

Lords Admiral

A Lord Admiral commands a Battlefleet, and is in

charge of all naval forces in a particular sector.

Solar Admiral is a prospective sector

commander, awaiting assignment to take command of

a particular Battlefleet.

Admirals

A High Admiral commands a Crusade or

collection of Battlegroups.

An Admiral sees command of a Battlegroup,

which is an assigned grouping of ships to handle

certain situations.

Vice-Admiral is traditionally in charge of a

vanguard, and as such is usually placed in command

of scouting forces of light cruisers and destroyers.

Rear-Admiral is usually an administrative post,

based around logistics and planning.

Lib

er: A

dm

inist

ra

tu

m

Battlefleet Ranks

Imperial Navy Officers

Senior Officers

Commodore or Commodore-Captain is a rank

within the Imperial Navy, held by personnel such as

the adjutant to an Admiral or the commander of a

battle-squadron.

Lord-Captain or Flag-Captain is the rank given

to the Captain of a vessel on detached duty.

In the Imperial Navy the rank of captain implies

that the bearer has command of a ship. On board his

ship, his word is law, above that of any other, save

the Emperor's own. An Imperial Navy captain receives

orders from a Rear-Admiral. He would then interpret

these orders, and have them carried out by delegating

tasks to his command staff.

Commander is a senior officer rank within the

Imperial Navy held, for example, by the First Officer of

an Imperial Cruiser or the captain of an escort vessel.

Lieutenant Commander is a senior officer rank

within the Imperial Navy.

Junior Officers

Flag-Lieutenant or Lord-Lieutenant is the highest

Lieutenant rank in the Navy, and may be the

second in command of a ship.

First Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant

Third Lieutenant

Sub-Lieutenant or Ensign is the most junior

Lieutenant rank.

Midshipman is the rank given to 'trainee' officers,

who have to pass extensive examinations before

becoming a Lieutenant.

Non-Commissioned Officers

Non-commissioned ranks within the Imperial

Navy include:

Warrant Officer

Master Chief Petty Officer

Chief Petty Officer

Senior Chief Petty Officer is a senior NCO rank,

denoted by a gold-fringed red rank sash.

Sergeant-at-Arms or Senior Armsman is often in

charge of squad of armsmen.

Crewboss is often in charge of a shift on convicts.

Ratings

An Armsman is tasked with maintaining security,

boarding enemy vessels and repelling boarders.

A Trusted Crewman, Voidsman or Shipman (archaic)

is a rank held by the skilled crew of the vessel.

Attack Craft Ranks

The ranks of personnel assigned to Attack Craft

differ from regular Naval ranks:

Wing Commander - The commander of all attack

craft on board a carrier ship.

Squadron Commander - The commander of a

squadron consisting of attack craft such as a

Starhawk Bomber.

Wing Captain - The commander of an attack craft

such as a Faustus Class Interceptor.

Vessels

The Imperial Navy is composed of a vast array of

different types of vessels - from one-man attack

fighters to huge Battleships that are many miles long.

Battleships

Battleships are huge vessels, with colossal

amounts of weapons and shields, and usually serve

as the flagship for the Admiral of the Fleet, though this

is not always necessarily the case. Although very

powerful, battleships are very slow to maneuver and

cannot react quickly to enemies that rapidly change

course. Imperial battleships can have crews of

anywhere between 25,000 to 3,000,000 or more

depending on sources, including large numbers of

Imperial Navy armsmen to defend against enemy

boarding assaults. Battleships can be up to 8

kilometers from prow to stern and displace billions of

tons. Because they represent such a vast expenditure

of resources and require a fairly advanced technical

base, these are typically constructed only in the

largest shipyards above the major Adeptus

Mechanicus Forge Worlds. These vessels are

precious assets and are carefully husbanded, usually

employed in only larger fleet formations.

There are various classes of Imperial Battleship,

but the Emperor and more recent Retribution are by

far the most common in the Imperial Navy.

Lib

er:

Ad

min

istr

atu

m

Emperor Class Battleship - carries an

immense amount of attack craft in addition to

its normal, incredibly powerful weaponry.

Retribution Class Battleship - which is

noted for its powerful broadside firepower

and its very large amount of torpedo tubes

Apocalypse Class Battleship

Oberon Class Battleship

Victory Class Battleship

Nemesis Class Fleet Carrier

Cruisers

Smaller that Battleships, Cruisers are the Ships

of the line in Imperial Fleets. There are several

different sub-categories of Cruiser.

Grand Cruisers

Grand Cruisers are significantly smaller than

battleships, yet distinctly larger than regular cruisers.

These vessels are usually very old in design and do

not incorporate many of the features that are typical

in current Imperial Navy vessels, like the armored

prow, and are not entirely compatible with current

navy tactical doctrine. Due to this, many are retired

from active duty, but are still used by reserve fleets.

There are also some modernized versions of grand

cruisers in service, but since these are much larger

and more heavily-armed than their predecessors,

they are more often classed as battleships. These

kinds of vessels are usually purpose-built or modified

from battlecruiser hulls and are not commonly

encountered in the Imperial Navy.

Vengeance Class Grand Cruiser

Avenger Class Grand Cruiser

Exorcist Class Grand Cruiser

Battle Cruisers

Battlecruisers are based on a hull-design that is

similar to the regular Cruisers, though Battle

Cruisers are generally somewhat larger and more

heavily armed, incorporating more advanced power

distribution systems capable of supporting

battleship-grade weaponry in a cruiser hull.

Armageddon Class Battle Cruiser

Mars Class Battle Cruiser

Overlord Class Battle Cruiser

Chalice Class Battle Cruiser

Cruisers

Cruisers make up the majority of a fleet. Though

not as powerful as a Battleship, cruisers are much

faster and can still deliver a deadly blow. There are

multiple classes of cruiser, most based on the same

general hull design but incorporating different

combinations of broadside batteries, lance turrets

and starfighter hangars. Cruisers can carry a crew

complement of anywhere between 1,000-100,000,

depending on sources. While cruisers are still

particularly complex, it is not uncommon for them to

be constructed on smaller Forge Worlds or any

Civilized World that has a shipyard suitable for

constructing vessels of their size.

Lunar Class Cruiser

Tyrant Class Cruiser

Dominator Class Cruiser

Gothic Class Cruiser

Dictator Class Cruiser

Light Cruiser

Endeavour Light Cruiser

A subset of the cruiser category are the Light

Cruisers. These ships fall in size between cruisers

and escorts, mixing the firepower and durability of

the former with the speed and maneuverability of the

latter. Light cruisers are a fairly common ship class,

for they are relatively simple to construct for being a

capital ship, and they are uniquely suited for

reconnaissance patrols and for making a presence

where their speed and maneuverability are an

advantage, and where having a larger number of

smaller hulls allows the Navy to monitor a wider area

of space.

Dauntless Class Light Cruiser

Endeavor Class Light Cruiser

Endurance Class Light Cruiser

Defiant Class Light Cruiser

Defender Class Light Cruiser

Enforcer Class Light Cruiser

Escorts

Escort ships are the smallest type of ship in the

Imperial Navy fleets, found in two distinct sub-

classes.

The larger of the two are Frigates, which are

better armed and more heavily armored. Destroyers

are generally smaller, but they are by far the fastest

and most maneuverable interstellar warships

Lib

er: A

dm

inist

ra

tu

m

employed by the Imperial Navy. They are usually

organized in squadrons of 2 to 6 vessels and will

always operate as a group. The main task of the

escort ships is to serve as a screen for capital ships

against enemy torpedoes and attack crafts so that

they can get into position more quickly and safely.

They are also employed behind the gun line to finish

off enemy cruisers that have been damaged so that

the larger vessels can concentrate on the most

important threats in an enemy formation. Most escort

classes specialize in a certain role, such as the Cobra

class torpedo boat destroyers or the Firestorm class

frigate with its armor-piercing prow-mounted Lance.

Escort ships are normally not more than 1.5

kilometers in length, with destroyers generally being

only 750 meters to 2 kilometers from prow to stern.

Sword Class Frigate

Firestorm Class Frigate

Tempest Class Frigate

Cobra Class Destroyer

Falchion Class Escort

Turbulent Class Heavy Frigate

Claymore Class Corvette

Defense Monitor

Older and obsolete classes

There are many older classes of Imperial ship

that are no longer in production -

Ironclads - much like their contemporary

counterparts, are vast 8-kilometre vessels which

lack the void shielding of their counterparts in

favor of meters of adamantium plate armor.

These ships, built before the advent of void-

screen technology, have since been phased out

of production, for the main part, to be replaced by

more modern designs. However, those remaining

in service have been re-commissioned for a

variety of purposes; various pattern ironclads

may be retrofitted with gargantuan, ship-, station-

and even planet-killer cannon running the entire

length of the ship's keel, linked directly to the

stern fusion reactors; others may simply be

braced and reinforced for the purpose of

ramming into - and through - enemy vessels.

These ships are rare in the Imperial Navy, due to

their archaic design and the lack of facilities still

capable of repairing, let alone producing them.

Obsolete Classes - There are many classes of

vessel which were once utilized by the Imperial

Navy. Many of these older vessels are still in

service with the Traitor Fleets.

Note on variations in Classes

While naval warships can be defined along a

fairly limited number of classes based on weapon

configurations approved by the Adeptus Mechanicus,

the form these vessels takes varies widely throughout

the Imperium. For example, a Lunar class constructed

above Cypra Mundi in Segmentum Obscurus may

bear little resemblance to a Lunar class constructed

above Kar Duniash in Ultima Segmentum and even

less so to a Lunar class, constructed among the vast

shipyards of Mars. Nonetheless, they will all have

roughly the same operating characteristics and

weapon configuration, and thus can be easily

serviced by any orbital facility throughout Imperial

space.

.

Lib

er:

Ad

min

istr

atu

m