The earliest origins of the Helghast Army can be traced to the Helghan Corporation's militia, which policed the Alpha Centauri system alongside the local Interplanetary Strategic Alliance contingent.
During the First Extrasolar War, it won several early victories against the ISA forces, but after years of fighting, suffered decisive defeats by both the remnants of the ISA contingent and the UCA Navy, ending the Corporation's attempts of secession.
History
The early Helghan Corporation militia were inexperienced, under-equipped and ill-trained, relying on overwhelming numbers to overwhelm the ISA contingent garrisoning the system.
Intervening Years
At some point after the settlement of Helghan, the reformed Helghast Administration established a standing army to protect itself and enforce its authority.
With the approval of the Army and its powerful leaders, Scolar Visari successfully initiated his coup to seize power. Agreeing to his ten year proposal, the Army would be at the center of the new Helghan Empire’s efforts, transforming the nation from a starving and impoverished refugee world into a galactic superpower, and the greatest threat to the UCN.
Second Extrasolar War
The military of Helghan invaded the UCN's breadbasket, Vekta, in August of 2357. In a matter of hours, two thirds of the planet fall to the invaders, including the planetary capital, Vekta City. However, once the element of surprise had worn off, the surviving ISA soldiers of Vekta successfully withdrew to several staging areas and began counterattacks against the Helghast, slowing down and eventually halting the invaders advance. This, combined with UCN reinforcements, had pushed the Helghast forces below the equator, where the frontline would remain for virtually the rest of the Vektan Campaign. While the Helghast were eventually defeated on Vekta, the incredible amount of death and destruction wreaked across Vekta showed the galaxy that the Helghast were no longer a weak, ineffective force to dismiss. Two years later, the Helghast prove themselves to be equally vicious and determined defenders as they are attackers, forcing the technologically and numerically superior invaders into a slow and costly urban war, before eventually routing and destroying the majority of the ISA forces, save for two small enclaves stranded in the wilderness, forced into hiding on Helghan.
Vektan Cold War
The army coordinates with the Helghast Security forces to protect the New Helghan sector.
Doctrine and Personnel
Pre-Helghan Terracide
The army favored strict specialization of its soldiers, forbidding non-certified soldiers from utilizing weapons or undertaking roles they were not trained for.
The Third Shock Army were the elite of the Helghast military, spending six months enduring intensive training to seize Vekta through force. Helghast Troopers, Light Soldiers and Assault Soldiers formed the bulk of troops within the first wave, supported by special forces troops like the Elite Soldiers.
The core of the Helghast infantry defending Helghan from the ISA counter-invasion were the Assault Infantry, Shock Troopers, Riflemen, Support Troopers and LMG Troopers.
Elite units of Commandos, Elite Shock Troopers, Pyro Troopers and others supplemented the defences.
Post-Helghan Terracide
The catastrophic loss of life of the Helghast nation forced the remnants of the Helghast army to shift away from the attrition warfare of the past and harness its technological prowess to develop a new breed of soldiers. Restructuring itself from the massed formations of the Second Extrasolar War, its strategic focus shifted towards obtaining victory outside of total war and towards defenisve actions and urban pacification.
With the shift away from massed formations of expendable, fanatical soldiers, the Army developed new military equipment to outfit valued soldiers with the same amount of firepower and overwhelming force as their predecessor formations.[1] They are trained and equiped to have an edge when and where ever possible, without starting open warfare on the endless Vektan border. This, and an increased reliance on robotic drones to supplement its numbers, has produced a lethal successor army.
The key specializations within the New Helghan military are the Assault Trooper, Commando and Engineer.
Equipment
Small arms
| Model | Manufacturer | Origin | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StA-52 Assault Rifle | Stahl Arms | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Standard issue service rifle during the invasions of Vekta and Helghan. |
| StA-14 Rifle | Stahl Arms | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | In service for over 50 years by the invasion of Helghan. |
TBC
Heavy weapons
| Model | Manufacturer | Origin | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VC9 Rocket Launcher | Visari Corporation | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. |
TBC
Land Vehicles
| Model | Manufacturer | Origin | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helghast Tank | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | ||
| Helghast Heavy Hovertank | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Anti-gravity assault tank. | |
| Helghast Light Hovertank | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Light anti-gravity tank. | |
| Helghast Hover APC | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Possesses three main models: infantry carrier, Anti-Aircraft and MRL. | |
| Helghast Tracked APC | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Nicknamed the Bull. | |
| Helghast Arc APC | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Standard APC chassis equipped with an Arc Cannon for anti-aircraft defence. | |
| Helghast Trooper Carrier | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Robotic walker capable of carrying infantry. | |
| MAWLR | Stahl Arms | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Acronym for Mounted Artillery Walker/Long Range. |
Aerial Vehicles
| Model | Manufacturer | Origin | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATAC | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Agile Tactical Air Component | |
| Jet Bike | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Reconnaissance and harassment vehicle. | |
| Jet Fighter | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Most prominent fighter during the war on Vekta and in defence of Helghan. | |
| Leech Pod | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Boarding and deployment pod. | |
| Overlord Dropship | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Standard infantry deployment and insertion aircraft. | |
| Stinger Interceptor | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Operated by Helghan Police during ISA invasion. |
Sea Vehicles
| Model | Manufacturer | Origin | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helghast Assault Boat | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | ||
| Helghast Fast Attack Boat | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War |
Spacecraft
| Model | Manufacturer | Origin | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strike Fighter | - | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Orbit-capable assault fighter equipped with troop capacity and armed with petrusite warheads. |
| Helghast Cruiser | Thoralf-Sigurd-Vig | Helghan; Vekta | Second Extrasolar War | Versatile cruiser that is the workhorse of the Helghast fleet. |
| Arc Cruiser | - | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Advanced warship equipped with petrusite bombardment cannons for surface attack. |
| Stahl Arms Prototype Cruiser | Stahl Arms | Helghan | Second Extrasolar War | Advanced cruiser equipped with energy shielding. Destroyed. |
Notable Divisions and Units
- Third Shock Army
- Autarch’s Guard - Scolar Visari's personal guard.
- Elite Guard
- 9th Division - Colonel Radec's unit during his tour on Vekta.
Notable Personnel
- General Joseph Lente (deceased)
- General Armin Metrac (deceased)
- Admiral Orlock (deceased)
- Colonel Tendon Cobar (deceased)
- Colonel Vyktor Kratek (deceased)
- Colonel Mael Radec (deceased)
Gallery
