Triarii Squads

Veteran Squads among the IInd Legion are called Triarii Squads and are highly flexible, well-equipped units that take the discipline and close-knit bonds of the Obsidian Wyrms to a new level. Usually held in reserves as the old maniples of the same name then committed where their abilities and effectiveness can yield the most results once a battlefield has become more clear, most frontline Cohorts number one Century of these veterans for this purpose, with the exception of Siege Cohorts which usually make use of heavily-armored Terminators instead.

Triarii Squads of the Obsidian Wyrms have access to an even wider selection of wargear than their analogues in other Legions and make widespread use of high quality Artificer armor. These are due to the need for Triarii to fulfill several different and sometimes mutually conflicting tactical roles depending on where they are deployed and for what purpose, and the fact that the great emphasis is put on the craftsmanship skills of every Astartes within the IInd Legion. Whenever not fighting or training, Astartes of the Obsidian Wyrms can generally be found in the forges, maintaining but also tweaking and customizing their Wargear.

Members of Triarii units are also one of the few formations among the Obsidian Wyrms to have access to the powerful and relatively rare Stormbringer Bolts produced exclusively on Corusco Parva and giving the humble Bolter greatly increased killing potential against heavily armored infantry.

History
To understand the origin and prevalence of Triarii Squads in the IInd Legion, one must first understand their customs and rites. While other Legions may find it appropriate to test potential candidates in highly deadly contests or hunts against murderous xenobeasts, this is not true of the IInd who use much different rites. Among them, Astartes Candidates must create a weapon with their own hands to be accepted as full battle-brothers. In order to do so, only they are allowed to touch the weapon, but they can still - and should - seek advice and good quality materials from their elders. Only by producing a weapon of their own that is deemed battle-worthy can one become a full member of the Obsidian Wyrms, and as such, even the youngest neophytes have practical experience on the matter.

With years passing and becoming decades, each individual Battle-brother will continue to refine their skills and personal equipment over time. What was but a relative rough newcomer's first work will eventually become a fine piece, and may one day even reach the status of Master-crafted, those skills growing alongside every Astarte's combat skills. It is this mindset that results in the disproportionately high number of high-grade equipment and armor within the IInd Legion. The creation of a suit of Artificer armor is seen as the rite of passage that hails an individual battle-brother as a true veteran of the Legion worthy of induction into one of the many Triarii squads. Due to concentrating warriors with such keen minds and sturdy protection, Triarii squads see especially low casualty rates against anything but the most heavily armed of foes.

It is worth noting that Triarii Squads have only started appearing after the rediscovery of the Legion's Primarch on Corusco Parva, when the arts of the forge began to be actively promoted and held in higher regard. They were few in numbers due to the relatively few suits of Artificer armor that had been created before then, and it was not until two decades later that Triarii Squads started to rise to the prominence among the IInd Legion that they now hold, eventually growing to largely replace the classical Veteran squads entirely in the Wyrms' battle order.

Organization
While the typical Veteran squad among other Legions only number between 5 and 10 Battle-bothers, Triarii squads may reach up to 20-strong. This is due to the fact that large 20-strong squads are the standard for all Centuries' frontline squads expected to see heavy fighting such as Tactical, Assault and Breacher squads. While one such large squad is less tactically flexible than two smaller 10-strong squads, they are nonetheless preferred for their imposing presence, massed fire and because it makes it easier for each squad to be overseen by a dedicated Apothecary at all time, something that would not be possible with twice as many formations.

Most Typically, Triarii Squads will be organized in a roughly identical manner to Tactical squads, as they fulfill the same purpose, but bring more experience and advanced wargear to bear on the task. Just as commonly but fewer in numbers, Triarii squads may also be equipped with jump packs, which is usually done when they act as the strategic reserve of an Assault Cohort, and therefore need to be able to keep up with the many Assault Squads that make up its bulk. The majority of Triariis will fit one of these two types of formations.

When a Triarii squad numbers only between 5 and 10 Battle-Brothers, it is often designated as a Support Squad. Triarii Support squads will generally fill the same battlefield role as conventional Tactical Support and Heavy Support squads, replacing their Bolters by a variety of weapons ranging from Flamers to Lascannons in order to provide flexibility and additional striking power for Triarii Centuries. With their own Artificer armor and long battle experiences, Triarii Support squads are capable of providing even more accurate anti-armor or anti-horde fire while being less vulnerable than their standard counterpart.

The most rare of all however are Triarii Assault Support Squads. Regular Assault Squads are often seen as relatively vulnerable as they cannot bring with them any heavy weapons and no squad that does can keep up with the frantic pace of jump pack equipped Assault formations, which make them liable to over-extend and be caught against forces they cannot effectively fight. The answer to this strategic conundrum are the Triarii Assault Support Squads, which combine jump packs with specialist pistol weapons and bombs.

Wargear
The one signature piece of equipment to all Triarii Squad is the suit of Artificer armor that defines them as Triarii. The most common weapon loadout they carry is a Bolter as primary weapon and a Chainsword and Bolt pistol as back-up for close quarter combat. Whenever picking up Jump packs, Triarii leave behind their Bolters to focus exclusively on their close-quarter weapons. Regardless of whether they are in the role of Tactical or Assault forces, it is not uncommon for a handful of Triariis to exchange their Bolt pistols for Hand Flamers, Volkite Serpentas or Plasma Pistols to give the squad more flexibility.

Triarii Support Squads will carry either specialist or heavy weapons, depending on whether mobility or firepower are being prioritized in any given battlefield condition. The full range of their possible loadout is large, comprising most Bolt, Flame, Volkite, Plasma or Melta weapons, as well as Missile Launchers and Lascannons. Those few squads designated to act in support of Assault troops will exchange their Chainsword and Bolt Pistol for paired specialty pistols as mentioned previously, giving them the ability to quickly move in, provide withering point-blank fire support, then move on their next target. In this manner, they are very similar to Destroyer Squads.