The Emperor required more manpower to ensure the momentum of the Great Crusade did not falter, and so the Imperial Army was created, known in High Gothic as the Imperialis Auxilia. Separated by countless thousands of light years, their presence became ever more scattered and dilute. On the front line of this mission of expansion and reclamation were the Space Marine Legions - the Adeptus Astartes - the finest warriors Humanity had ever created, each the equal of a dozen normal men.Дespite their formidable battle prowess, the forces of the Space Marines were not limitless, and the relentless demands of building a galactic empire pushed the Legions further apart.

The origins of the Astra Militarum date back to the Great Crusade of the late 30th Millennium, when the Emperor of Mankind conquered the stars and forged the Imperium of Man. The troops of the Astra Militarum in action. The primary combat tactic of the Astra Militarum is to overwhelm the enemy with their endless numbers, while at the same time hammer them into submission with devastating artillery and crush them with powerful main battle tanks. However, it is worth noting that a number of worlds copy the uniform and equipment used by the regiments of the Cadian Shock Troops, who are viewed as being the most effective of the Astra Militarum's infantry units. There is no universal uniform or regimental command hierarchy in the Astra Militarum, although it is compulsory for every regiment to have at least one commissar to maintain the discipline and morale of the troops while watching for any signs of corruption or heretical taint in the ranks. The Astra Militarum is often referred to as the 'Hammer of the Emperor' - the sheer amount of force that the Imperial Guard can bring to bear on the enemy is devastating, but is not as direct or as precise as their Space Marine allies, who are described as the 'Scalpel of the Emperor.' Supported by legions of heavy armour and thundering artillery, the Imperial Guard fight a never-ending war for the survival of Mankind in an unrelentingly hostile universe. They also garrison major locations of strategic or cultural interest to the Imperium and are often found in defensive roles. The Astra Militarum are usually the first Imperial force to respond to a threat if a world's Planetary Defence Force (PDF) fails to suppress it. It is comprised of countless billions of men and women - hundreds of thousands of different regiments, supported by a vast array of light and heavy armoured vehicles that provide the Guard's primary offensive punch.

They serve as the Imperium of Man's primary combat force and first line of defence from the myriad threats which endanger the existence of the Human race in the 41st Millennium.

The Astra Militarum, also known as the Imperial GuardВ in colloquial Low Gothic, is the largest coherent fighting force in the galaxy. Imperial Reformation (Early 31st Millennium)

40k imperial guard colour schemes