Combat Doctrine

Adaptability

Black Griffon units are famous to set up ad hoc formations on the basis of the tactical context and the demands of combat. Their success suggests that such an approach needs to be regularized in training and procedures. Light infantry as Scouts, airborne heavy infantry, armour and artillery all train regularly together in tactical scenarios that test the adaptability and flexibility of Black Griffon commanders as well as troops.

For example, on the open battlefield, lighter forces as the Land Speeder equipped with sophisticated scanning systems proved highly effective at engaging and destroying the enemy. But speed and information superiority became less decisive when combat occurred at closer range, in the complex urban terrain of Hiveworlds. There, older weapons systems such as the Predator and Land Raider, with their advantages in protection, mass, and explosive power, proved to be particularly effective.

Speed

In war, speed kills, especially if military forces move fast enough to disrupt the enemy's ability to make decisions. Black Griffons forces always seek to maintain the speed of movement by making the tip of the spear as supple, mobile, and flexible as possible. Black Griffons achieve overwhelming force by substituting velocity for mass. In most campaigns Black Griffon forces move with such swiftness that virtually every decision the enemy made was already overtaken by events. The unexpected appearance of the Black Griffon trademark Suppressor Land Speeder far in advance of where the enemy expected them overwhelmed the capacity of most enemy forces to respond.

Speed of movement resulted from a willingness to adapt to the actual conditions of the battlefield. Black Griffon Captains encourage their Squad leaders to take risks. The Black Griffons focus on getting to the target as fast as possible, even if it causes some dislocations in the logistic flow. Black Griffons willingly bypass enemy defences with the assurance that speed, supporting firepower by the Black Griffon Whirlwinds, and the competence of follow-on brother marines would protect their rear areas.

Knowledge

Black Griffon forces will never be able to achieve the tempo of their operations without the confidence drawn from a deep understanding of enemy military forces. The Black Griffons always try to gain as much knowledge on the enemy before the actual fight begins. Once the war began, commanders in the field are able to take advantage of surveillance technologies that allowed them to adapt and modify their plans and movements in accordance with the developing situation, while at the same time denying the enemy any sense of what was happening.

Precision

The Black Griffons are famous for precision strike capabilities of their forces. Precision killing comes only with the ability to locate the target precisely. For that reason Black Griffon Techmarines improved the information gathering capabilities of the Chapters Land Speeder.  Putting together information about where the enemy is and discovering what the really important targets are still represent daunting challenges in a complex, ambiguous environment.

Simultaneity

According to Black Griffon tactical doctrine, the secret to winning quickly is to strike the enemy across the entire extent of his territory in many dimensions-air, land, and space - in the shortest period of time. The objective of simultaneity is as much psychological as physical. The pattern of Black Griffon assaults are aimed at paralyzing the command structure of the enemy.

Quality

Quality trumps quantity on most battlefields. From the Horus Heresy through Armageddon, the Imperial Guard military relied primarily on mass and industrial might to smother its enemies in men and materiel. The Black Griffons emphasized smaller, higher-quality aggregations of Space Marines armed with the most sophisticated weapons. The limited supply lines of an entirely fleet based chapter have obliged Black Griffon commanders to win with fewer casualties. The emphasis on precision firepower and better weapons has resulted in fewer Marines having to be placed in harms way.

But smaller numbers on the battlefield place a premium on leadership. Black Griffon squad leaders must assume responsibilities once the purview of officers with higher rank in other chapters. Marines will invariably find themselves involved in fast-paced operations that demand rapid decision making. The requirements for initiative and leadership have moved down to the lowest levels of command in the Black Griffon chapter.

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