The Tanith First and Only is a legendary Astra Militarum regiment from the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, better known as Gaunt’s Ghosts. They’re the last survivors of a destroyed world, and that loss shaped everything about how they fight.
What the Tanith First and Only is
Officially the Tanith First Light Infantry, this regiment was raised on the planet Tanith for the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. Everyone calls them the Tanith First and Only, or just the Tanith First. Fans know them better as Gaunt’s Ghosts, after their commander, Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt.
They’re light infantry first and foremost. Their reputation comes from stealth, scouting, and marksmanship, not massed firepower. The nickname Ghosts started as a nod to how quietly they move and how hard they are to pin down.
A regiment born from disaster
Tanith was asked to raise three regiments in 765.M41, about 6,000 men in total, all under Gaunt’s command. On the night of the founding ceremony, a Chaos fleet slipped past the Imperial blockade and hit the practically undefended system.
Gaunt saw that Tanith couldn’t be saved. Rather than throw his men into a hopeless last stand, he ordered as many people and as much equipment evacuated as possible. Tanith burned, and most of its people died with it.
The survivors of the three regiments, roughly 3,500 Guardsmen, were folded into one unit: the Tanith First and Only. Gaunt promoted Corbec and Rawne, two men from a delegation that had come to confront him, to colonel and major. He also held the Right of Settlement, granted by Warmaster Slaydo, which gave the Tanith a promise of a new homeworld if they won one.
How they fight
The Ghosts lean on stealth, infiltration, and reconnaissance. They’re at their best when they can scout ahead, set ambushes, and pick off key targets before the enemy knows they’re there. That’s a direct result of Tanith’s culture and the regiment’s origins as light infantry.
They’ve also absorbed reinforcements from other worlds over time, most notably from Consolation, which broadened their ranks beyond the original Tanith survivors. The mix of old Tanith hands and newcomers becomes a recurring theme in the regiment’s story.
- Specialties: marksmanship, infiltration, scouting
- Commander: Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt
- Homeworld: Tanith (destroyed)
- Nicknames: Tanith First and Only, Tanith First, Gaunt’s Ghosts
Why they matter
The Tanith First and Only is one of the most human regiments in 40k fiction. They’re not super soldiers or chosen ones. They’re survivors of a dead world, fighting for a chance at a new home and for each other.
That’s why they’ve become the face of the Astra Militarum for a lot of readers. Their story runs through the Gaunt’s Ghosts novel series by Dan Abnett, which follows the regiment across the Sabbat Worlds Crusade.
Key facts
- The Tanith First and Only is an Astra Militarum light infantry regiment from the Sabbat Worlds Crusade.
- They’re commanded by Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt and nicknamed Gaunt’s Ghosts.
- Their homeworld, Tanith, was destroyed by Chaos shortly after the regiment was raised.
- Roughly 3,500 survivors from three original Tanith regiments were merged into the First and Only.
- They specialise in stealth, scouting, infiltration, and marksmanship.
FAQ
Who commands the Tanith First and Only?
Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt leads the regiment. He’s both its commanding officer and its commissar, which is unusual and part of why the unit is so closely tied to him.
Why are they called Gaunt’s Ghosts?
The nickname comes from their commander, Gaunt, and from their stealthy, hard-to-pin-down fighting style. It’s also a grim nod to the fact that they’re the last remnants of a destroyed world.
What happened to Tanith?
Tanith was destroyed by Chaos forces shortly after the regiment was founded. Gaunt evacuated as many Guardsmen as he could, and the survivors were merged into the Tanith First and Only.