>>96482859
>Where does the idea that the Imperial Guard are elite come from?
They aren't, necessarily. The reason they're so effective is because they're very well-equipped, financed, and have a well-trained body of officers e.g. commissars. They operate under a tithe system that allows them to have first-dibs on battlefield equipment and personnel, as well as practically endless resources and manpower. Unlike the SM and SoB who are supported by their chapters and the Ecclesiarchy respectively, the Imperial Guard never has to worry about paying for or commandeering war materiel. It's always provided well in advance by the Departmento Munitorum.

Compare this to the PDF, which is basically whatever's left after the Administratum takes their cut of manpower. PDF forces *NEVER* have the best personnel and equipment, and are usually glorified bodyguards for planetary aristocrats. This doesn't mean they are useless or have bad equipment neccessarily, but whatever they have, a Guard regiment drawn from that planet will always have better.