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Oh also, a quite important point raised by the fluff. In 2ed, 'Judge' was a slang term for an Arbitrator. At some point, it was also mentioned that 'Judges' are the leaders of Arbites Armies. This was a good ten, fifteen years ago.

The most recent source of fluff on the workings of the Arbites is in Matthew Farrer's Black Library books. In these books, the rank of the senior battlefield generals of the Arbites is Arbitor General - either Arbitor Majoris or Arbitor Senioris. There are then other 'departments' such as Judges, who study the law for cases and convict criminals, and Chasteners, who are like interrogators/torturers.

I'd rather you had a standard 'Arbitor General' figure as the battlefield leader, and then a 'Judge' character who is much more of an inspiration for the army than a fantastic fighter, like a Priest, Ethereal or Commissar in other armies...

Maybe those sorts of characters could be incorporated into a command squad type unit, similar to the inquisitor's retinue.

I think I need to get around to reading those novels.
I like the idea of incorporating new fluff as much as possible. That said I think Judge should probably be an upgrade to proctors, but make them more worthwhile than the sgt to veteran sgt jump. While we can use those titles as the HQ IC's title. Any sort of units or other interesting things out of the black library books?

Fluff for the Arbites.... they are not cops in the traditional sense. They enforce crimes against the emperor, imperium etc. They are the 1st and last line of defence for a planet. They are completely autonomous in regard to the planetary government. They can and will use any force necessary to insure loyalty to the imperium. There is a ton of fluff where the local arbites would hold out long after the locals had fallen to chaos/aliens etc. and since many battles are fought on planets of the imperium, they would certainly participate in those battles.

Stormtroopers are trained to fight in all environments. AA are not. They are specialists in city fighting. As to why they have better equipment? They are expected to be outnumbered, and outgunned. If the planetary government rebels they are expected to put down the rebels hard and fast. If this proves impossible they are to hold out until an Ordo Hereticus force arrives to reinforce them. Besides stormtroopers use Lasguns because they are more reliable then bolters, and if your cells run dry you can get a quick charge on them by tossing them in a fire. Heck you can charge a lasgun off anything upto and including solar collectors.

Thats right, they may not kill the enemy very well, but Lasgun cells are roastable at campfires! (just like standard-issue marshmallows)

Also, arbites have shotguns. I do like the idea that they are just stormtroopers that went down a different path in training, however.

And I've always said... think Judge Dredd, not NYPD. They are not 'cops', they are not even SWAT. They are loosely based off the Judge Dredd Universe. Well, if you can call Mega City One a "universe". (I am not that big of a dredd fan, just picked up their Heroclix back when I played. They were awesome. Somehow that name came to mind, along with "brit city".)

So how do we work the "Inspirational Figure" idea into the command structure in a different, preferably ingenious sort of way? The Arbitrator Majoris (Judge Major as shorthand, maybe?) could also be a fantastic fighter as an IC as well as inspirational. The Canoness and Eldar Autarch do fine, and they are S3 T3. Especially the autarch. In other words, the fact that the rules need to work is easy. It just, above and beyond, needs to be unique and interesting.

I know that there should be Psy-Judges, that was a Dredd concept, but I gather it was also one of GW's due to the OP's first list. (can anyone confirm this?) They could be a Elites choice for 1-3 IC's that have a choice of psychic powers at certain costs. I'm taking distance from the random table of powers because I believe that they should be powerful. Again, what do you all think?

I also like the Idea of IG Conscripts for PDF. They should definitely have something different though. Maybe lots of Stubbers? Autoguns that do something different?

I don't think of the conscripts the Arbites would use would necessarily be "IG conscripts". They'd have penal conscripts, the different necromunda-esque gangers who for what ever reason were sitting in a prison cell or were just rounded up to deal with the bigger threat. The question then is how to make those two things different.

Ye old suicide bombers. Bomb collars.

I love the old human bomb... though it might just be done in the vague sort of way as democharges are handled.

confussed

In Slaves To Darkness, Adeptus Arbites squads in the Ordo Malleus list come in sixes. They have the same stats line as marines execept for LD7 instead of 8. Also, back then marines only had T3, as did the judges.

Judges wore Mesh Armour (5+ iirc) and carried webbers and a few other toys.

I like a judges list that is playable around 400-1000points against genestealer cultists, LatD, Necromunda-type gangs, PDFs, imperial citicens demonstrating for more food, etc. In that setting there will be much less need for tanks and anti-tank weaponry, wich makes for a somewhat different mode of play that I think suits the AA better.

The webber is an awesome weapon that needs to be brought back. Flamer template, initiative test to avoid wound, no armour saves allowed. Maybe?

I agree that AA should have better quality gear than guardsmen. They have the facilities, the stationary nature and very good supply routes that IG lack. Also, AA are not supposed to wallow in mud, sleep in watery trenches, get artillerybomed or die in any significant numbers during their daily work, so they can be equipped with more delicate gear.

For a laugh I looked at the old Rogue Trader rules for Arbites. As Fifty says they have marine-stats but Ld7, and commonly wear mesh armour (5% chance for carapace, 5% chance for power armour) and over that often a refractor field (5++). Usual armament is boltpistol, with plasma/flamer weapons pretty common. When they go into combat they can bring a lot of strange stuff, from frenzon drugs and jump packs to power boards, plate armour and crossbows! I'm honestly glad the fluff have evolved a bit since then, but I find the idea of a judge in plate armour, flying a jet-powered skateboard and firing wildly with his webber absolutely hilarious :-)

Have you read the Witch Hunter book?

Pg. 34 - Designer Notes: The Orodo Hereticus often call upon the Adeptus Arbites to aid them in their work, using them to round up known criminals and screen them for signs of deeper corruption. Hence, Inquisitorial Storm Trooper squads may be used to represent squads of the Adeptus Arbites by replacing each trooper's hellgun and targeter with a shotgun at no extra cost. All other options remain unchanged.

As garrisoned hard line law enforcers I scheme that perhaps the options for a unit of Arco-flagellents wouldnt go amiss (the ultimate riot suppression unit )

Man I miss the old Penal legionaires, popcorn effect FTW