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Reconnaissance and intelligence are the keys to victory. Knowing when and where to strike and the disposition of enemy forces has decided many a battle in history. Why, then, do space marines put their most inexperienced marines into scout roles? You'd think it would be assigned to veteran marines given the importance of the mission.

Which is why Space Wolves make sense.

And it's actually simple. A scout needs experience. No better experience than risking your ass and half your future company cause you may eff up.

Well, the Space Wolf way makes sense.
But then again, so does the Codex way.

You have a group of trainees that might just make the cut and spend the next few hundred years fighting, so you may as well want them to learn some stuff before throwing them in the meat grinder.

It's logical to send the fresh recruits on stealth and recon missions (lead by a veteran, though) rather than a gunfight, especially if they're significantly less tenacious and less armored than the kind of troops you normally use in a gunfight.

That way, they can see the flow of battles from a reasonably safe distance, learn a few tips and tricks about tracking and trapping, and they might actually get to practice their aim without being shot back at.

I don't know if the role of Scouts in the 41st Milennium is really recon anyway, given that planets can be scanned from orbit and all that jazz.

I consider them more in a stealthy, surprise attack role.

The veteran sarge is experienced enough to provide the neccessary knowledge alone.

But why do you think scouts are scrubs? They are not so unable as you seem to make them.
So I do agree it would be not wise to field the aspirants as line infantry and die when they may survive and learn as scouts.
This is different for wolves ( bloodclaws lack discipline and would not go unseen, rather get caught ) and Templars
( learning by doing, medieval knight style ).

Fluff example of scouts: "sons of Dorn"

You need to realize that even the newest and youngest of scouts are the equivalent of grizzled war veterans in any guard platoon.
They are also lead by veterans and the whole concept of putting them into their role is to weed out the last weak links before they become full astartes.

The SM organisation and code of honour is mediaeval. In those times, the role of scouting was left to the most plebby and least honourable warriors.

Now that I've thought about it a little more, the Scouts are already Space Marines, they're just not wearing armor. They have the superior strength and senses, so they're already way better than any normal being.

The worst space marine is probably a better scout than the best human.

They're *almost* Space Marines. The Power Armor makes all the difference for them. Not wearing it means you can't shrug off fire and therefore can't be an effective shock trooper. Which means that the only other option available for a chapter is to give the blokes without armor scouting roles.

Also, I'm pretty sure Mkoll would outsmart the best marine scouts out there.

But physically, they are Space Marines. That's what I'm saying. They have progenoid glands and Oolitic Kidneys and whatnot.

Also, I'm pretty sure Mkoll would outsmart the best marine scouts out there.

True but then again Mkoll is a one-in-a-billion super human and I wouldnt be surprised if he is some sort of latent psycher that can erase his presence from the minds of nearby enemies in an unconscious way.

Heck, if Mkoll was ever recruited in a space marine chapter when young I think he could very well have risen to chapter master or scout company captain at the least.