Located in the far Galactic North, Antor was only discovered by Imperial Explorator fleets following the end of the Horus Heresy, in early M32, and as such, had escaped the galactic turmoil caused by that great conflict almost entirely. To those who found it, Antor was something of a paradise compared to the horror that had swept the Imperium, with cities still standing high, and wide plains rich with crops. The people of Antor were initially suspicious of the new system they found themselves a part of, but soon came to accept the ways of the Imperium, and as more and more settlers arrived from worlds ravaged by war, more and more of the planet was converted to Hive-cities, and the population began to swell.
The first regiment of Imperial Guard raised from Antor entered service in 413 M32, and they were immediately deployed near the Eye of Terror, assisting the Cadian Garrison to guard the vital Cadian Gate. While this initial task was a test to the regiment, it was but a shadow of what was to come, with the Traitor Legions too consumed with bitter conflict among themselves to be a trouble to the Imperium.
Even in times of peace, though, the regiment still suffered losses, through nothing more than a quirk of evolution. Where the explorators were amazed at the cleanliness and purity of Antor, the troops from that world were equally horrified at the polluted and clouded environments found across the remainder of the Imperium. While this was initially nothing more than a simple dislike, it soon turned to outright disgust as men started dying, claimed by illnesses and diseases in the atmospheres that were long eliminated on Antor. Before long, the problem had been once more countered, but only so long as the troops remained in respirators on any world but their home. With this issue resolved, or at least prevented, they returned to duty near Cadia, and for many years, were engaged in nothing but the smallest conflicts, not being redeployed for fear Cadia could not hold the gate alone.
This peace was not to last, as barely a century after the regiment was first deployed, the Beast's Waaagh tore through the Imperium, and like so many other regiments, the men of Antor took near-fatal losses. As the Waaagh was finally defeated, and the cost counted, the regiment was found to be all but destroyed, and for generations, they were merely assigned piecemeal to various warzones, losing any semblance of coherency or identity. It was only at the close of the millennium that the regiment again fought together at full strength.
Since then, the First Antor Rifles have fought across the galaxy, against all manner of foes, and their style of warfare has become as varied as their foes. This is partly due to the wide range of threats, but also to the unpolluted nature of their homeworld. The relative peace and comfort of Antor made it a haven for any regiment who were either too exhausted, weak, or underequipped to fight on the front lines, and as such, the leaders of Antor's own regiment have been exposed to a thousand different combat doctrines, and have gained experience in all manners of warfare, from siegecraft to airborne assault, and from infantry wave attacks to armoured breakthrough. This has also led to Antor regiments having an unusually high contingent of veteran troops to call upon, as they are typically deployed to take the place of those who use their home.
In a age of war, the First Antor Rifles are rarely off the front lines.
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