The “Death Korps of Krieg” is probably the most famous regiment in the world of Warhammer 40,000, at least among the humans of the Imperium. Often associated with memes about shovels and a wish for death, there is actually a tragic story behind the planet “Krieg” and its people, with an ending that fits perfectly with Warhammer.
Many of you probably already knew this, but: Yes, there is actually a planet in Warhammer that is literally called “Krieg.” The Imperium of Man is already not a particularly pleasant place to live, but Krieg definitely ranks very low on the list of vacation paradises.
The planet is classified as a “Death World,” meaning a world that actively fights against any human life and makes survival there difficult to impossible – the most famous and deadly death world is the jungle planet Catachan.
Humans originating from such planets are among the toughest fighters around, as they have fought for survival since childhood. This also applies to the infantry of Krieg, who remind one of soldiers from World War I with their iconic coats and gas masks.
Once, Krieg was a flourishing world with billions of people. However, decadence and moral corruption turned Krieg into a nuclear wasteland, and its people into stoic zealots.
From Decadent Megapolis to Nuclear Death World
Little is known about the past of Krieg, only that it must have once been a huge megacity world with several hives. Its focus on production led to prosperity, which the rulers of their world eventually saw as a threat in their paranoia.
To protect their wealth, they fortified Krieg and declared their independence from the Imperium. The result was a civil war between loyalists of the Imperium and the rebels of Krieg in the mid-41st millennium.
As the last megapolis, the hive Ferrograd withstood the rebels, and under Colonel Jurten, a final order was given: nuclear bombardment of the entire planet. The credo at the time: If the Emperor cannot have the world, then no one shall.
Since then, Krieg has been an uninhabitable world, an atomic wasteland like in Fallout, plagued by nuclear winter and radiation storms. Humans still live there, in underground bunkers and with complete devotion to the Emperor and the Imperium.
“Die for the Emperor or die trying”
Warriors … War people … Kriegians? The inhabitants of Krieg are among the most indoctrinated people in the entire Imperium. Their minds are deliberately broken to be rebuilt with absolute loyalty to the Emperor.
Believing that they still owe a debt for the rebellion many centuries ago, the people on Krieg endure the harsh conditions without complaint. Thoughts of rebellion are virtually non-existent.
Those who cannot fight work in underground factories to produce war equipment. Those who are trained as soldiers bring important skills and special equipment:
- The standard armor of Krieg soldiers includes protective coats, helmets, and the iconic gas masks that you probably know them by.
- Due to their origins from a radiation-infested planet, the Korps of Krieg are well-equipped psychologically and physically for the greatest stresses.
- Each soldier is additionally equipped with a rudimentary tool for digging trenches – the absolute specialty of the warriors. Hence the well-known meme with the shovel or folding spade, which is considered the best friend of each of these soldiers.
Training also includes instruction with all common weapons of the Astra Militarum, especially the well-known laser rifles. Krieg is especially known for its infantry, tanks and such are usually there to support the infantry.
Fanatical Dedication and Unyielding Morality
The people of Krieg are among the toughest fighters of the entire Astra Militarum, though not necessarily the best. Their recklessness and lack of respect for life, which borders on a wish for death, sometimes endanger entire strategies.
Correspondingly, Commissars, who usually enforce morale with brutal means, have a completely different task in the Death Korps: They are supposed to ensure that the warriors do not blindly charge at enemies with bayonets and die, but remind them of the strategic goals.
Allegedly, the people, or at least the soldiers of Krieg, do without individual names and address each other only with their identifications. It is said: Only those who prove themselves are given a name – and often only after death as a martyr.
Although Krieg is a death world, from which usually only a small “tithe” is required, the planet regularly delivers regiments to the Astra Militarum – even more than most other worlds. Allegedly, as many as 50 million soldiers from Krieg enter the Imperial Army annually.
Breeding Humans to Serve the Imperium
How does such a planet, whose population has been decimated and where life should actually be impossible, manage to produce so many soldiers? The answer lies in this very word: “produce.”
Humans on Krieg are literally bred. How precisely is a secret known only to the scientists there, but through “Vitae-shots,” artificial fertilizations and children born without parents occur.
Accordingly, selective breeding takes place. Abnormalities such as mutations, which are usually undesirable in the Imperium, but also Psykers, are virtually non-existent on Krieg.
The same goes for nutrition. While many worlds rely on nutrients derived from corpses, on Krieg, there is usually nutrient paste and some goo from the lab. All things that don’t bother the warriors – after all, they endure it all for the Emperor.
Krieg is one of the most well-known worlds in Warhammer 40,000, not only because of its name but also because of the memes and its absolute Warhammer vibe. Probably known more than it – besides the Holy Terra – is only one world: The Fall of Cadia is one of the greatest tragedies in Warhammer 40,000 – what happened there?
