The Vanguard

History

In the 19th century, the sleeper Karl Marx made a contribution to the development of the economic paradigm. The High Guild (as it was then known) debated his theories, among others, and eventually settled on the competing doctrine of marginalism as their guide for political-economic science. Some others in the Order of Reason were dubious of this decision, seeing the invisible hand of the Guild's commercial interests at work in their hierarchy, but little was made of it at the time. Meanwhile, Marx's devotees developed his theories among the sleepers, and some of them awoke.

In the aftermath of the First World War, when the young Technocracy reeled from the horrific consequences of the new industry, the communists struck. The Technocratic power structure overseeing the development of the Russian frontier was swept away by the revolution. Any jubilation among the Traditions was short-lived however, as the new order proved to be just as implacable a foe of mysticism and deviant thought as the technocrats.

The only ones to see the real opportunity were Iteration X. They had long been suspicious of the almost anarchist science of the Syndicate, and the rational organisation of the Soviet economy was an excellent testbed to prove the financiers wrong - and make the Iterators less dependent on their funding committees. Despite herculean - and horrific - attempts by Stalin to root out the infiltration once he became aware of it (and, of course, secure his personal power) the USSR was never able to escape the grip of the Iterators. Meanwhile, the communists spread across the world to foment revolution, most successfully in China and Latin America. They developed the sciences of revolution and guerrilla war.

Ultimately, both fronts failed. The international communists were unable to resist the crusading and better resourced West. The Soviets, materially inferior to the West and with enlightened allies unused to large-scale social engineering, were unable to keep up with their competitors. The aftermath of World War 2 had seen the capitalist economic paradigm develop beyond the ability of the Iterators' then-crude manipulations to keep up. It was only a matter of time until they forced the Iterators to abandon the 'experiment'.

By then though, some had no interest in doing so. They fled to shelter among communist groups worldwide, which were coming to terms with their failure and reorganising for the next phase of the war. As the Syndicate declared final victory and the end of history, the newly dubbed Vanguard bunkered down, spread its cells, and waited for it all to come tumbling down again. It was a historical inevitability, after all.

The Vanguard Today

The Vanguard today is a shadow of the former strength of communism. It is strongest in Latin America still and is establishing a foothold in India. Not all, or even most, communist parties and organisations are part of or controlled by the Vanguard, but they are the only enlightened force advancing proletarian science today. Their present modus operandi focuses on entryism. Vanguard members join other communist and non-communist leftist organisations with a view to influencing them in an ideologically correct direction.

The Vanguard has no real allies or clear position in the Ascension War. They have a clear vision of what ascension would mean, but are ultimately too weak to actualise this. Their bridges with the Technocracy are forever burned, but their hostility to mysticism is too strong for them to align with the Traditions, despite the efforts of some enterprising Russian Etherites to have them join as a social science wing of the Sons. Nevertheless Etherites and Virtual Adepts often mediate alliances of convenience.

The recent rise of the 'accelerationist' tendency in first-world cells is seen by some as indicative of the influence of the Nephandi. A reckoning on this point is likely soon.

Proletarian Science

The Vanguard are typically pigeonholed as technomages, but as their hard science has inevitably fallen behind faced with lack of resources, they have developed more and more advanced asymmetric and organisational methods to overthrow Capitalism.

Forces

Fire Support

Forces 3, Prime 2

People's war will overcome the mercenaries of capital. With good leadership, they can strike them down from unexpected angles and with unprecedented success, even if they seem inferior on paper. RPGs and bullets rain from the trees.

Foci: Troops.

Production (Matter)

Means of Production

Matter 3 or 4

All value derives from labour. Motivated workers with control of the means of production can produce new capital to improve their material conditions. The presence of the fetishised 'entrepreneur' is not required.

Foci: Labour, capital.

Ideology (Mind)

United Front

Mind 3

By reminding people of their shared position and interests, propagandists can enable them to act and think as one to overcome shared problems.

Foci: Propaganda, speeches, material conditions.