Penal Legions

[Mechanicus]

Having not read Last Chancer books, are just the standard troops in a penal legion criminals, or some of the officers as well?

It's probably a stupid question, but I want to get the details right.

Thanks in advance!

[thimnwitt]

They are there for everyone Grunt to General, if you do something that upsets your local commisar you can find your way to one.

Though the General being incarcerated and having to serve in the penal legion might be a stretch becuase of the different security procedures/clearance codes and what he might know might make him a risk for being captured while serving out his time.

In the Last Chancers series one of the convicts was a Lietuenant.

[Hideous Loon]

It's logical, really. Why would the leaders of a Penal Legion be anything else than criminals (please note that I use the term loosely, Commissars are indeed not known for their forgiving nature!), since they are going to be in the thick of fighting as much as the grunts, given the expendable nature of Penal Legions.

[Chem-Dog]

Many of the "officers" in the penal legions will be keen to make amends, not everybody in a penal unit will be an urepentant psycho, there are several takes on the Penal legion, some have special Adeptus Arbites at the head of the unit enforcing the law, frenzon dispensers, exploding collars and all and others have them as a largely meatsheild unit dedicated only clearing minefields or opperating in unplesant or dangerous environments that would ensure a high mortality rate but working under it's own commanders (like my lovely Savlar Chem Dogs).

[Gen.Steiner]

If you're in a Penal Legion, you've broken the rules.

Everyone's a criminal, except the overseers - Commissariat, Inquisition or Adeptus Arbites troops. In my Penal Legion, the only 'innocents' are the Commissars, but even they got sent to it because they'd annoyed their superiors.

[Lord Zarkov]

The Colonels in charge and some of their assisting staff aren't always criminals: i.e. Schaeffer who is definitly NOT a criminal

[Mortare]

The criminal make up the troops for the legion, the supervising officers are outsiders appointed to control the men. They may give some of the 'more responsible' troopers nominal ranks, to aid with their operation in battle, and to have an individual to help kick them into order when you arent there, such as Kage in the last chancers

[Tybraal]

Many if not all high ranking officers of the Guard are highborn or at least very well connected so the possibility of such a harsh punishment is quite slim for them. I don't think that even a Cadian officer would go to the Legion without hesitation if a Commissar ordered so. And even if a Commissar would make such a decision it would surely need a counter-conspiracy to really get the officer into the Legion.

This ofcourse covers only ranks of colonel and above.