Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I've just posted pics of my Arbites army in the Articles section - you can see it here.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Ian%27s_Arbites_Army

I originally wrote my own codex, loosely based on the WH/Sisters of Battle Rules. Essentially, the Arbites Squads were stormtroopers, the idea of fast moving special weapons squads were borrowed from the Sisters' equivalent, and I threw in some rules for cybermastiffs, two man sniper teams, and shock maul teams. For command, I used a Canoness as the Arbitor General, and an Inquisitor as the Judge (the Inquisitor's special morale rules were quite fluffy for Judges).

However, I dug out this army recently, and I'd love to find a way to use this army legally. I'd appreciate any suggestions. You can see the list of models I own above, they can always be organised into different squads, but basically...

* Most of the normal arbites models either have shotguns or boltguns.
* There are a number of models with flamers, plasmaguns, grenade launchers and heavy stubbers (could be used as autocannons/assaultcannons/stormbolters??).
* There are a few models with Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolters and Sniper Rifles
* Every model has carapace armour. Obviously we can count it as something else if need be. Some models have suppression shields (could be just normal shields, or a bonus to the armor save??)
* Have to include the shock squads and the cybermastiffs somewhere
* It would be great if we could allow for bike/horse mounted teams.
* Tanks are Repressors (an old Imperial Armour vehicle) or Rhinos.
* Commanders are Arbites Generals (military/ops commanders) or Judges (preacher-style lawgiver characters). I guess the General model could always be a veteran sgt. and the Judge could be the only commander if need be.

How would you put together an army that works with these restictions?? I imagine Sisters would still be the way to go, but are there any other options? I can't think of anything that includes ALL my models!

Thanks

Ian

Ok, I've been trying to think, and i can think of a few options, but they need clarifying...

1. WITCH HUNTERS

PROS - Give ALL the Arbitors Shields and call them SoB with their 3+ save. Count Combat Shotguns with 'Executioner' Ammo as Bolters. Keep 'Dominion' squad, and Hvy Bolter 'Retributor' Squad. Use Faith rules as is. Use Inquisitor as Judge, Canonness as Arbitor General. Use cybermastiffs as Sister Repentia?

CONS - No shock teams, no sniper teams, no missile launcher heavy squad. NO SHOTGUNS OR GRENADE LAUNCHERS!!!


2. IMPERIAL GUARD

Take 'Restricted Equipment:Carapace Armour' and 'Grenadiers'

PROS - Take Command HQ with Missile Launcher/Heavy Bolter/Special Weapons/Sniper Squads. Take Shock team as Hardened Vets with Close Combat Weapons. Take judge as preacher??. All other squads are stormtroopers (grenadiers) and count boltguns/combat shotguns as hellguns?

CONS - Shock Mauls only count as close combat weapons?? No cybermastiffs, no Repressor, no Rhino. Special, command and heavy squads have worse stat lines than normal troops!


3. MARINE SCOUT ARMY

PROS - Smaller squads, with shotguns or boltguns, missile launchers, heavy bolters. Can take sniper squads, and scout bikes. Judge as Chaplain? Arbitor General as Marine Commander?

CONS - Everyone has a marine stat line - seems a bit high-powered!! No plasmaguns, flamers, grenade lauchers. No Rhino!

As a recovering Arbites player, I've given a lot of thought to this in the past and I think you've pretty fairly covered your options, although I'd add a couple things:

IanWilliamGalloway wrote:1. WITCH HUNTERS

PROS - Give ALL the Arbitors Shields and call them SoB with their 3+ save. Count Combat Shotguns with 'Executioner' Ammo as Bolters. Keep 'Dominion' squad, and Hvy Bolter 'Retributor' Squad. Use Faith rules as is. Use Inquisitor as Judge, Canonness as Arbitor General. Use cybermastiffs as Sister Repentia?

CONS - No shock teams, no sniper teams, no missile launcher heavy squad. NO SHOTGUNS OR GRENADE LAUNCHERS!!!

Ah, but you're wrong - you can have Shotguns! In fact, this is exactly where Arbites are addressed in the rules! WH can use Arbites squads instead of Stormtrooper squads. They are essentially Stormtrooper Squads with their Hellguns replaced with Shotguns. In this squad you can also use your Grenade Launchers. And Rhinos!

I wouldn't feel comfortable giving the Arbitors shields and calling them SoB, particularly because of the Faith rules. However, Inquisitors can have Crusaders and other Warriors in their retinues that are a perfect use for Bolter-wielding and Shock Team Arbites. Inquisitors are perfect for Judges, and frankly, cybermastiffs make great Arco-Flagellants.

Here's the other advantage to using Witch Hunters. You can use Marines as allies. Why is this good for Arbites? You can use Arbites with Bolters, Heavy Bolters, MLs, or Snipers as SM Scouts. Include two of these squads in your army and the you can use any Arbites Bikes or Arbites Land Speeders you might have. The Scouts and Bikers get SM stat lines, but you can use that to represent that these are the Elite of your Precinct. You can also use IG as allies, which is useful if you have Penal Legion troops - use them as IG platoons, and then you get access Sentinels and Leman Russ Tanks.

Frankly, both straight IG and Marine Scout arbites armies are inferior to this. While both allow you to use your boltguns, heavy bolters, and MLs, you have to deal with hellguns in an IG army, and power armor for HQs in the marine army, not to mention limiting your special weapons, and there are too many other things you miss out on.

There's just all sorts of goodness to be used from the WH list. I think it will really be the most flexible for your needs.

As an active Arbites player I have to agree with Death By Monkeys. My list breaks down along these lines

HQ:
INQ's : head swaps and conversion here. I have one stock judge, the redeemer w/ head swap, and a deamon hunter inq w/ headswap.

retinues: I use the Necromunda heavy stubber arbites as Gun Servitors w/ HB. I converted the same model w/ parts from the vanDerSaar range to carry a Plasma Cannon. I put an open book on a tau drone base for a familar. I use the classic arbites sgt as acolytes. The Necor SGT w/ shield and baton as crusaders. Normal sage models.

Elite: Cyber mastiffs as Acro's ftw. The sniper assassin fits in here as well.

Troops: Use the arbites note under StormTrooper entry in the which hunter codex. In a friendly game you can use the Retributor as is, otherwise count it as a rhino. Ally w/ Space marines to get scouts, I count my bolter arbites as scouts. I also use sniper scouts.

Fast: Nothing from the which hunter codex works imo. I have given thought to converting land speeders into buggies. *shrug*

Heavy: Exorcist tanks, the FW version. Looks good and is effective.


Word of warning, the list isn't terribly strong. I also haven't played it under 5ed yet either.

This weekend I will get around to putting an article about my army up.

SPARKEYG wrote:Word of warning, the list isn't terribly strong. I also haven't played it under 5ed yet either.

That's a good point, but frankly, no legal or semi-legal (Citadel Journal lists, I'm looking at you) Arbites list has been produced yet that's a very strong army. Executioner rounds helped, but aside from some overly powerful fan lists, Arbites aren't a very competitive army. You play Arbites because you like the fluff and like the models, not because you like to win.

Yup, I have no interest in producing an effective army - just one where I can use all my painfully converted models!!

However, I've given thought to an exorcist as well - the list is sorely lacking in ranged firepower.

Taking shock teams as crusaders seems to be quite an expensive (points-wise) option, though. Also, I'm limited to three per HQ, assuming I take both HQs as Inquisitors. Maybe i could take them as scouts with CCW and use the shields and shock mauls to justify the extra strength and toughness?

Or, what are the rules for Sisters Repentia? Would shock teams work with those??

For the shock teams you could ally in some Grey Knights although that might be too over the top . Repentia rules just plain suck don't do it.

You can slo take inquisitors as elites. Doing them that way gets you more shock squads and is a bit cheaper. Roughly 90 points for a 4 man squad.

You could also try running them as death cult assassins (which you can take up to 9 of ) although that might not be as good in 5th.

I, personally, would just use Imperial Guard with the Grenadiers and Stormtroopers doctrines. You could use the 'counts as' rule to figure a giant pack of cyber mastiffs (Ogryns) and the Arbites often have access to Guard armor, including Russes and Chimeras. You can talk with your opponent about allowing Rhinos if you opt not to take, for example, hellhounds and sentinels. Shotguns with Executioner rounds could count as hellguns (not a perfect match, but close) or you could ask your oppoonent if your army could be equipped with shotguns out of the Guard codex.

Doctrines: Grenadiers, Stormtroopers, Ogryns (cyber mastiffs), Wargear: Carapace armor

HQ: Inquisitor Lord or HSO with command platoon

Troops: Grenadiers x3 (senior arbites)
Elites: Stormtroopersx2 (veteran arbites), Ogrynsx1 (cyber mastiffs)

Heavy: Leman Russx3

Fill remaining points with: Chimeras, Rhinos (opponent allowing), Infantry Platoons with Carapace Armor (line arbites)

This gives you a slightly smaller, more hardened army than Imperial Guard but not on par with Sisters of Battle, who would be much more elite than even Arbites. I don't think it's very tournament viable because it lacks anti-armor and AP3-, which honestly, Arbites dont typically have as they are most used for fighting large numbers of poorly armed civilians.

Arbites are for Sisters armies.

You can run a 'police' force in an IG army, but without the shotgun option the army really isn't the same.

You could do the suppression shield guys in an Inquisitorial retinue, along with the regular Stormtroopers being shotgun toting police fanatics.

Lots of ways to do it really, but I'd centralize around the Sisters Codex and not another (although DH are possible, who polices Demon worlds? lol).

yeah...

Battle Report 1 using Witch Hunters with Space Marine Scout allies
Arbites snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.. a great game! check out my new avatar! objectives are awesome!

Battle Report 2 using Witch Hunters with Imperial Guard allies
Arbites got beaten with a stick, but i think annihilation is a bad misson type for guard arbites to be playing in...

some eye-candy from the first batrep that I didn't use...









Either way This army is awesome!


PaniC...

edit: i can't spell and the links didn't work, so I fixed 'em...

Do you know if you could PM me the codex love to take a look!