Astra militarum as a private military contractor?

[Bjorn Firewalker]

If you have the "private military company" serve as an Inquisitor's "Flying Tigers" (meaning they aren't mercenaries, but are guardsmen pretending to be mercenaries, to protect their "employer's" identity), then including a Space Marines squad may be counterproductive. Everyone knows Space Marines are difficult to create, and thus, aren't used on a whim; a Space Marine's appearance is obviously SERIOUS BUSINESS to all but the most ignorant/idiotic Imperial citizen, and thus, a sign the Inquisition is interested (or will soon be interested) in the circumstances behind the Space Marine's appearance.

[ElectricPaladin]

The trouble with a "flying tigers" approach is that we are talking about a world of extremes. The Imperium doesn't make treaties with outside forces - they are either Chaos traitors to be eliminated or untrustworthy xenos scum. The Imperium isn't a democracy, rule of law isn't really much of an issue. An Inquisitor (or even, in most cases, an ecclesiarch, or an agent of most planetary governors, or even a highly placed Astartes serf) can just say "you are not allowed to know that, if I find out that anyone has heard of this from you, you're dead," and that's all that's required. Or they could just kill anyone who knows the secret. The question is, under what circumstances would the Imperium need to act in this way?

 

I will be the first to insist that the Imperium is huge and varied, but some things are constant. It is, in most places, as more-or-less totalitarian regime. Some planetary authorities may allow a certain degree of autonomy or freedom, but it is very much at their whim and pleasure, rather than being enshrined into unbreakable law. This is a world where those sorts of secrets don't need to be kept, because there's no one to keep them from.

[recon0321]

Working on fluff should have something in a few days

[recon0321]

A member of My Rogue traders household guard. predessors to the unsavory and Imtimidating ATLAS Corporation...

[WarriorFish]

Looks good!

[Brother Paen]

If you are open to third party bits in your force, Mad robot miniatures has some great looking alternate heads to enhance the PMC feel.

[recon0321]

Yea I want a lot of different heads...shows individualism

[recon0321]

Anyone know of a third party co for a rogue trader model or conversion ideas from the GW range

[WarriorFish]

Rogue Traders can look like whatever you like really, but generally I find they're displayed a bit pirate/flamboyant/different so a lot of base models come from the WHFB range. Maybe some Empire fancy man with an ornate pistol or sword for example? Big hats are also popular in the 41st Millennium :P

[SW1]

This is soooo good an idea. I may even have to borrow if you don't mind. ;)

[WarriorFish]

Idea stealing inspiration is part of why the B&C exists - it's only bad if you fail to deliver on the inspiration

[recon0321]

Of course take it and run with it

[SW1]

Of course take it and run with it

Cheers. :D

[Marshal Rohr]

I wouldn't use words like corporation. Corporation just means 'as a body' or 'in body', iirc. Private also wouldn't really fit very well because it implies a designation between economy and state, which I have yet to see a source address. Private Military Corporations is a very Western title on a very old profession. While a mercenary outfit aligned with a powerful faction is perfectly believable, labeling them as PMCs stretches the setting into territory it hasn't ever covered. I'm not saying it's a bad idea at all, just an unorthodox way of going about it.

[recon0321]

They are mentioned in the word bearers trilogy in book 2...they are a pmc style company guarding a moon

[Brother Paen]

You know , you could build this force to "flex " between AM Codex and the Chaos Guard. This gives you the flexibility to play anyone anywhere, truly guns for hire. That being said , some vaguely marked alpha" Legionnaires" could be found looking for work or pushing their own agenda on a battlefield near you.

[Marshal Rohr]

They are mentioned in the word bearers trilogy in book 2...they are a pmc style company guarding a moon

 

I don't have that book, do you have the quotes?

[Gree]

 

They are mentioned in the word bearers trilogy in book 2...they are a pmc style company guarding a moon

 

I don't have that book, do you have the quotes?

 

 

''For twenty-five generations, Perdus Skylla has employed the Skyllan Interdiction, an outside mercenary agency funded by the wealthy mining guild conglomerates,''-pg. 24. Dark Disciple.

 

I believe a well-known mercenary company also appears in Eisenhorn as a force sent to kill the main character.

 

Honestly, if people are nitpicking the concept of mercenaries serving important figures, they might want to take a step back and re-evaluate the lore. The Imperium is an immense place with countless different cultures and planets. There is most certainly room for a mercenary company like the OP describes. It hardly should be a problem considering Games Workshop has written more incredulous things with the setting.

[SW1]

Yup ... In one of the Eisenhorn books there's a lot of troops turn up in military grade kit. :)

[walter h]

The great houses, would definately keep certain forces,and the mining interest,as well as many manufactorum concerns, other than military would probably keep security forces. The main thing being as everyone has said it is a vast universe, with many possibilities,and your vision is well within the realm of possibilities.

[recon0321]

Thanks for the help guys

[Marshal Rohr]

 

 

They are mentioned in the word bearers trilogy in book 2...they are a pmc style company guarding a moon

 

 

I don't have that book, do you have the quotes?

 

''For twenty-five generations, Perdus Skylla has employed the Skyllan Interdiction, an outside mercenary agency funded by the wealthy mining guild conglomerates,''-pg. 24. Dark Disciple.

 

I believe a well-known mercenary company also appears in Eisenhorn as a force sent to kill the main character.

 

Honestly, if people are nitpicking the concept of mercenaries serving important figures, they might want to take a step back and re-evaluate the lore. The Imperium is an immense place with countless different cultures and planets. There is most certainly room for a mercenary company like the OP describes. It hardly should be a problem considering Games Workshop has written more incredulous things with the setting.

 

No one is debating the existence of mercenaries in 40K. Good try.

[Gree]

They are mentioned in the word bearers trilogy in book 2...they are a pmc style company guarding a moon

I don't have that book, do you have the quotes?

''For twenty-five generations, Perdus Skylla has employed the Skyllan Interdiction, an outside mercenary agency funded by the wealthy mining guild conglomerates,''-pg. 24. Dark Disciple.

I believe a well-known mercenary company also appears in Eisenhorn as a force sent to kill the main character.

Honestly, if people are nitpicking the concept of mercenaries serving important figures, they might want to take a step back and re-evaluate the lore. The Imperium is an immense place with countless different cultures and planets. There is most certainly room for a mercenary company like the OP describes. It hardly should be a problem considering Games Workshop has written more incredulous things with the setting.

No one is debating the existence of mercenaries in 40K. Good try.

You and ElectricPaladin questioned the existence of Private Military Contractors in 40k did you not? You even asked for sources on that one in Dark Disciple, so I provided quotations and sources for it . You put forth questions about the concept and I answered it, so don't get up in a knot about it.

[Marshal Rohr]

PMCs and mercenaries are not the same thing. I've got family doing contracting and they are not security. One drives a truck and the other is ordnance disposal. My coworker was a contractor and he is currently a life guard at a state department compound. There are thousands of contracting jobs that don't require a weapon. The very reason security services from PMCs are so controversial is because of the 'mercenary' painting it gets. So sure in 40k there are tons of guns for hire. But calling them a private military contractor doesn't make sense, given that the majority of contractors are not guns for hire. To me, when I hear about a private contracting 40K army, I imagine a bunch of guys driving semi-trucks or people working cafeterias for the Imperial Guard.

[Gree]

PMCs and mercenaries are not the same thing. I've got family doing contracting and they are not security. One drives a truck and the other is ordnance disposal. My coworker was a contractor and he is currently a life guard at a state department compound. There are thousands of contracting jobs that don't require a weapon. The very reason security services from PMCs are so controversial is because of the 'mercenary' painting it gets. So sure in 40k there are tons of guns for hire. But calling them a private military contractor doesn't make sense, given that the majority of contractors are not guns for hire. To me, when I hear about a private contracting 40K army, I imagine a bunch of guys driving semi-trucks or people working cafeterias for the Imperial Guard.

Forgive me if I put considerable doubt in your online claims.

 

Now, if you want to go with your own interpretation of what a PMC is, that's fine, but the term as it's commonly used is apparently the one the OP is going for. If he wants to label them as PMC's, then that's certainly his prerogative.