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Hi there, I've recently joined the RP bandwagon and my first game is Dark Heresy (1st Edition).
I have a few questions to put to the wise residents of Dakka!

1. What equipment is generally critical?
E.g. Filtration Plugs, Lamp, drugs?
Basically, what is a good selection for any scenario?

2. How is the Heavy Stubber?
I'm interested in saving up for it, to support our group (I'm going more of a support role anyway).

3. How important will armour turn out to be?
Currently I have a chain-coat and am wondering whether to save up for better armour or focus on the Heavy Stubber.
Is it more important to be tougher/ better armoured or to put out more damage to take out threats?

4. Is having multiple melee weapons useful/necessary?
I started with a club, brass knuckles and a knife and I'm just wondering if I need so many melee weapons or if it would be acceptable to sell off the surplus ones?

Thanks in advance for responses!

So Arbitrator huh?

1-Mono upgrade on melee weapons, aupex, medikit, combi-tool, microbead to keep in touch with the cell as well!
A lamp is always a good thing, plug or a gas masks is more situational, but when you'll need it you'll be happy to have it. If you got the funds, get a rebreather instead; comes with a bottle good for one hour.

2-Never used it, but since it is full-auto only, it's one of those weapon you set up and stay there, or you carry it, but got to choose between shooting and moving; sure you can suppress someone, but good luck trying to be unnoticed with one. You might leave it for the Guardsman, you should stick with assault weapons, i.e. auto-shotgun and boltguns.

3-Armour is important, it's what reduced the damage you take alongside your toughness value. Granted, most weapons can have an AP value, but a good cost/effectiveness is the Guard Flak; you get 4 everywhere, is somewhat easily available and it's not too costly. Toughness cannot be reduced, but armour can be ignored with armour penetration (AP), so toughness is more important in the long run, but armour is a well deserved help.

4-Meh..depends really..with your example, you can knock someone unconscious with the club, stab with the knife (or use it as a tool; it *is* a knife after all) as for the knuckles is good to keep things clean and weaponless.
I would recommend getting those weapons with the mono upgrade to loose the primitive quality. I had my own players mostly use knifes and swords and clubs; brawling only happened once, and even then it was more narrative than numbers.

If you got any other questions, do ask; I've ran DH games almost since it came out (or a few months later or so..)

In Dark Heresy combat situations, you want one of two things: the ability to cause pinning or a sharpshooter who can instagib people

 Otto Weston wrote:
Hi there, I've recently joined the RP bandwagon and my first game is Dark Heresy (1st Edition).

Excellent. Be sure to get The Lathe Worlds. It's awesome.

(/Totally obvious bias)

 Otto Weston wrote:
1. What equipment is generally critical?
E.g. Filtration Plugs, Lamp, drugs?
Basically, what is a good selection for any scenario?

Having a glow-globe/lamp of some sort is important, and microbeads make life tons easier as mentioned above, but I've yet to come across any gear I'd consider vital outside of some decent armour. Cover's great and all, but you're not always going to have it.

 Otto Weston wrote:
2. How is the Heavy Stubber?
I'm interested in saving up for it, to support our group (I'm going more of a support role anyway).

As a support role, especially using it to suppress/pin the enemy in place whilst other members of your group flank/shoot or get closer for melee, then the heavy stubber does a good job at that.

 Otto Weston wrote:
3. How important will armour turn out to be?
Currently I have a chain-coat and am wondering whether to save up for better armour or focus on the Heavy Stubber.
Is it more important to be tougher/ better armoured or to put out more damage to take out threats?

Very. You're a squishy human, and humans are the most squishiest of things in DH. That's good when making them go asplode, but it works both ways. Cover is your friend, and armour allows you to shrug off a few hits of the lower variety (punches, knifes, stub guns, a few auto-rounds, etc.). It won't stop a Lascannon, but then again pretty much nothing stops a Lascannon.

 Otto Weston wrote:
4. Is having multiple melee weapons useful/necessary?
I started with a club, brass knuckles and a knife and I'm just wondering if I need so many melee weapons or if it would be acceptable to sell off the surplus ones?

Sometimes you need to be discreet. It's far easier to hide a pair of brass knuckles than a club. Having a few different types of weapons gives you options.

Thanks for the responses guys! Very informative.