Extrapolating from the Adeptus Arbites Exaction Squad for Warhammer 40,000

[Brother Tyler]

The Adeptus Arbites were finally restored to the setting in miniature form in the Soulshackle box for Kill Team (which sold out very quickly). The Warhammer Community article that provided more in-depth information on the Adeptus Arbites miniatures gave fans of the Adeptus Arbites high hopes for also seeing them in the Warhammer 40,000 game by saying:

 

“[The Adeptus Arbites Exaction Squad] can be used in games of Warhammer 40,000…”

 

We haven't seen those rules yet, but Warhammer Community promised to provide them closer to their individual release (i.e., when the Exaction squad becomes available in its own box).

 

Taken at face value, we’ll be able to use the Adeptus Arbites Exaction squad in the larger game, with limited opportunities to expand the Adeptus Arbites into their own discrete army. Many of us that are fans of the Adeptus Arbites, however, hope to see further expansion in Warhammer 40,000 so that we might take a complete pure Adeptus Arbites army. I am definitely in that camp. We all have our own ideas of how we would like to see the Adeptus Arbites, explicitly described in the lore as being able to conduct large-scale military actions (even if only on a short-term basis), expanded. Things such as bikes, transports, etc., seem reasonable, with numerous ideas for expanding beyond such things. For the purposes of this discussion, I’m going to [try to] confine myself to the types of units that we might see based primarily on the models, but perhaps a little of the lore, in Soulshackle. This is, perhaps, much less than others [like me!] would like to see, but it keeps us firmly within the realm of higher likelihood. I might throw some other things into the mix at the end, but I’ll try not to get too outlandish. After all, Soulshackle tells us that:

 

“Some precinct fortresses [of the Adeptus Arbites] have the numbers and equipment to fight entire wars if need be.”

 

For what it's worth, the Adeptus Arbites Exaction squad in Soulshackle is far better than what I envisioned. My previous attempts at rules for the Adeptus Arbites in Kill Team were far more basic, what I would now call Vigilant or Subductor squads (see below). While the Exaction squad can be built in a manner similar to those squads, it offers far more flexibility, giving Adeptus Arbites fans a kill team that can contend with other factions on an equal footing.

 

First things first, the Exaction Squad is described as an “Elite or temporary formation” in Soulshackle. The squad is a composite unit, the members hand-picked from other squads by its Proctor-exactant, who is considered a veteran. This squad would almost certainly be available in Warhammer 40,000, most likely as an Elites choice. “Proctor” is a title for a squad leader in the Adeptus Arbites, with the type of squad they lead appended to the title. So a “Proctor-exactant” leads an Exactant squad whereas other types of squads will probably be led by a “Proctor-(squad type)” of varying names. The other members of the squad represent various types of Arbitrators, and it is from these that we might guess at basic squad types and then speculate about squad compositions.

 

The Exactant squad can include any number of Arbites Vigilants (shotguns and batons) and up to four Arbites Subductors (shield and maul). These give us Vigilant squads and Subductor squads as the two core units as Troops choices, the former led by a Proctor-vigilant and the latter led by a Proctor-subductor. Either/both of these might include some add-ons like Gunners and a Leashmaster/Cyber-Mastiff combo (or perhaps others), as well as the likelihood of Transports.

 

The Exactant squad can also include up to two Arbites Gunners. While these are likely to be add-ons to other units (see above), there is also a chance that there might be a Heavy Support choice with even more gunners. “Gunner squad” and “Proctor-gunner” aren’t sexy, so I would expect Games Workshop to give us some other name for them, though I won’t speculate on it. Such a squad would likely have a Transport choice, too.

 

The rest of the Exactant squad appears to be specialists, though I could see a few offered as possible add-ons to other units or as larger units, though probably not full squads (not at 10 models, anyways). Here’s a rundown of the other Adeptus Arbites operative types available to the Exaction squad, each of which is limited to one in the squad:

 

• Castigator – subdues quarry, probably an Elite version of the Vigilant squad (same equipment)
• Chirurgant – a medic, would likely be available in a manner similar to medics in other factions; also an interrogator
• Leashmaster – handler for the cyber-mastiff, I could see this as an add-on or perhaps as a “unit” of up to X leashmaster/cyber-mastiff teams
• Malocator – tracks criminals down, possible add-on or small unit
• Marksman – as the name says, probably either an add-on, a small Elite choice, or a Heavy Support choice (seems like it would be good as a solo model, but could be a small unit)
• Revelatum – scouts the area ahead of the main squad and leads squad to quarry, could be a light Troops unit (pistols instead of shotguns)
• Vox-signifier – communications specialist, provides intel to squad; could be an add-on to units or an Elites/HQ type of addition
• Cyber-mastiff – the pointy end of the leashmaster/cyber-mastiff team, takes quarry down (see Leashmaster above)

 

Something I found surprising is that the three sprues for the Exaction squad have all of the bits mixed together. I expected to see the bits for the core units, including add-ons, on two sprues, with the third having all of the bits for the specialists that aren’t part of those core units. Having everything mixed together might not mean anything, however, as it’s relatively easy to adjust sprues with computer-aided design.

 

While there are no HQ level operatives in the Exaction squad, the lore in Soulshackle describes leaders at various levels. These include:

 

• Lord Marshal – leads at the sector level
• Marshal of the Court – rules over a precinct
• Judge – Soulshackle names them but doesn’t specify their level; previous lore described them as leaders below the Marshal of the Court and above the Proctor, with “Magistrates” as senior Judges

 

Such leaders would probably have some form of HQ retinue, and I would expect this to bear some similarities to an Exaction squad.

 

If you want to learn more of the current lore for the Adeptus Arbites and don’t have Soulshackle, I recommend the Adeptus Arbites Exaction Squads Are Simply Too Good for Regular Police Work and Adeptus Arbites Exaction Squads Are Bristling With Correction Gadgets articles found at Warhammer Community.

 

All in all, it’s great to see the return of the Adeptus Arbites in miniature form, and I hope to see much more of them in the future. I’m interested in hearing others’ thoughts on both the potential that the Exaction squad gives us for Adeptus Arbites units and, since I know it’s going to expand in this direction anyways, what other types of units you can see for the Adeptus Arbites in the Warhammer 40,000 game.

[Harrowmaster]

With the article confirming that both vigilant and subductor squads can be used in 40k, I imagine we will get a HQ of some sort to lead them. Whether or not a full codex comes out remains to be seen. Both of these units are likely to be troops. The boarding actions mustering rules say that one of acolytes, navis imperialis troops, or adeptus arbites troops get objective secured. 

[ThePenitentOne]

I have always loved the Arbites. This goes back to the Covert-X campaign in Citadel Journal. It was an amazing story of a scout company that got caught in stasis and dropped into a hostile and corrupt world where the Arbites were the forces of a bad governor, and the scouts work underground to "fight the power."

 

So if I see Arbites grow to a small faction, I will be looking for Repressors, and Psychic detectives, whose powers are investigative augmetics.

 

Now the thing that I think Arbites- and ALL Agents need is a dex, and preferably one with good Crusade content.

[Lord_Ikka]

I would love to have Arbites be integrated with all the other randomness that we have right now for Inquisition/Imperial Agents into a full faction/codex. I could easily see getting four+ units out of the current sprue, treating them basically like Scions as far as squad size/points go- 

 

Command squad - Marshal or Magistrate with four veteran Arbiters, options for special weaponry/medic/Vox/etc..., very much in line with current IG command squads

Vigilant Squad - Troops armed with shotguns, option for 2x gunners with heavy stubbers or sniper shotgun

Subductor Squad - Troops armed with pistols, assault shields and batons/mauls, option for 2x Gunners with webbers or grenade launchers

Exaction Squad - Elite specialists that can have some of the Soulshackle options like Castigator/Leashmaster that mixes the choice for ranged/melee loadouts

 

Now, will this happen, probably not. I expect GW will basically make the Exaction Squad a single unit Troop choice that will let you take whatever flavor of standard Arbiter you want (shotgun or shield/melee) and then a bunch of options to make the specialists that will just give out special rules. 

Edited February 27, 2023 by Lord_Ikka

[Tokugawa]

Look at DKoK sprue, then you will know not every wargear option in kill team will receive the corresponding 40k rules, when said kit introduced into 40k.

[sairence]

The most likely initial implementation will be similar to the Navy Breachers and Rogue Trader retinue. So a single choice, likely elites, with the Agents of the Imperium keyword and some equipment flexibility.

 

Whether that gets expanded at some stage later, only James Workshop knows.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, the only new unit released for KT to get a different treatment are Kasrkin, and they're unique in that the Guard is already a well-established army.

Edited February 27, 2023 by sairence

[Zuvassin]

Outside Kill Team, it seems logical - and fairly straightforward - to implement the Arbites into Necromunda.

 

We just saw the announcement of an Ogryn-sized automaton for them by Forgeworld. I bring up Necromunda because, if GW does fully integrate an Arbites "gang" into Necromunda, that opens the door for more plastic kits.

• Currently, beyond the basic ganger kit, a lot of Necromunda gangs have 3 additional plastic kits:
• a small vehicle kit for the Ash Wastes setting
• an upgrade sprue of additional weapons
• a set of gang-specific characters, such as Orlock Wreckers or Delaque wraiths, usually featuring 2-3 options with 2-4 models per option (e.g. the Orlock kit having 2x Arms Masters, 4x Wreckers, and a pair of doggos)

GW seems to have a rule that any unit in a 40k codex must be plastic. Anything only available as a FW kit or a hybrid FW/GW kit doesn't go into the main codex army list, and only shows up as a supplemental data sheet (e.g. like they do for FW 30k tanks).

 

Beyond that, for making a standalone 40k army, it'd really depend on the context. They're probably fine "as is" if the intent is to simply make them available as an allied or add-on unit for Imperial armies like Sisters, Guard, etc to take. Or even as one of a hodge-podge of entries in some sort of Inquisition or similar mini-codex.

 

For something akin to a fuller army, or a semi-full army, the potential gaps would be:

• transport vehicle (would almost certainly be filled by standard Taurox, Chimera or Rhino options - it seems doubtful GW would commit to an Arbites-specific plastic vehicle kit, and as stated, this has to be a fully plastic kit to make it into a 40k codex)
• tank or similar combat vehicle (again, would almost certainly be a standard existing 40k kit being repurposed into an Arbites list)
• flyer (ditto)
• additional units - GW would either have to commit to further plastic kits to cover things you typically see in other armies - Terminator-like "heavy" troops, jump pack troops, biker troops, psykers, etc - or they'd have to find a way to basically work in some existing plastics to help with things.

I'm no rumormonger or far-seer, so this is pure speculation, but here's some potential options if they truly wanted to do an Arbites army for 40k, but with me trying to keep it realistic in terms of new kit commitments by GW alongside the aforementioned "rule" GW seems to have about not allowing FW kits to be mainline entries in a 40k army:

 

HQ:

• Commander figure (basically a stand-alone Judge using the basic kit, with encouragement to kit bash to make them more visually unique - could be supplemented by a Hired Gun type persona from an Arbites Necromunda range by FW for gamers that want a more unique or standout looking model to field)
• Inquisitor (makes sense to use the existing model range as they thematically fit)
• Psyker (probably either another stand-alone model using the basic kit, or one of the options for the Necromunda Arbites gang-specific characters, and either way supplemented by a resin Hired Gun model from FW for gamers wanting a fancier model)

 

ELITES:

• Exaction Squads: in addition to the two "pure" squads of Vigilants and Subductors, I could see the Kill Team style squad used in 40k as an elite option, similar to the unique Deathwatch squad kit that got 40k rules to supplement the main 40k Deathwatch kits
• Support Characters, Part 1: this is where that plastic ganger-specific kit that Necromunda gangs get comes in handy - I could see something like a psyker judge or a sniper judge being fairly obvious options here, another idea might be something like a Judge-type that calls down orbital strikes from the Arbites fleet
• Support Characters, Part 2: obviously, some of the Kill Team roles could also be broken out into minor 40k character entries, like the dog handler and such

 

TROOPS:

• Vigilant and Subductor Squads as the two base Arbite squads
• Palanite Enforcers / Palatine Subjugators: in terms of lore, the local planet law enforcement could be allies or enemies depending on their corruption and loyalties, but for 40k purposes, the Palatine Enforcer squad from Necromunda could be added as a somewhat less-elite squad - only downside is their armament options are not too different from what the Arbites have, but it'd be an option
• Navy Breachers: this may seem a bit random, but they'd be a bit more distinct from the Arbites than the Palanite squads, and lore-wise they could either represent the forces of the Arbites' own ships or gang-pressed Naval marines requisitioned by the Arbites to take on a corrupt planetary PDF or governor's personal forces
• Outcast Hive Scum / Cawdor: if you wanted something more akin to a "horde" option to help the semi-elite Arbites squads, you could have a generic unit like "Imperial Cultists" representing loyalist fanatics that side with the Arbites when they arrive to take on the corrupt local leaders

 

FAST ATTACK:

• Judge Bikers: this would require that GW proper releases a bike kit similar to what they've been doing for Necromunda Ash Wastes, like the Orlock Quads or the bikes for Esher and Goliath - would also allow for biker versions of any Arbites HQ characters as well

 

HEAVY SUPPORT:

• Taurox/Taurox Prime: the Taurox kit would theoretically work well here because it gives the Arbites both a combat vehicle option (Taurox Prime) and a straightforward transport option (Taurox), it isn't recycling the more iconic Rhino or Chimera kits outside of their standard armies, and I'd argue the visual look of the Taurox fits the Arbites look

 

MISCELLANEOUS:

• Sanctioner Automata could be added via an Index type data sheet similar to the book they did for adding FW-only kits or 30k tanks into 40k
• any named/special character personas for Necromunda could be added in a similar manner, either as named characters or as generic equivalents
• Valkyries would be a tempting addition, giving them a flyer, but double-dipping both it and the Taurox from the Scions would probably be a bit too much (it's a shame that GW doesn't have a plastic kit for the Aquila Lander or Argus Lighter kits, either of which would have been perfect for an Arbites 40k list

 

Again, all speculation and I'm sure plenty of people reading this will hate it. But 2-3 characters, 2-4 Arbites squads, both Taurox variants, and some repurposed Kill Team and/or Necromunda kits for some less elite infantry and you'd have a solid small army list. And the only new kits needed would be an Arbites characters kit and bike kit, both of which would fit the standard support for Necromunda gangs (and Arbites seem like a natural addition to Necromunda anyways).

 

Throw in some data sheets for a few FW kits, and maybe allow some easy to ally options for some supplemental Scions, Guard squads, or Sisters of Battle, and you'd have a playable (but admittedly not too powerful) core for a 40k army.

Edited March 1, 2023 by Zuvassin

[librisrouge]

I'm guessing we'll get two elite choices that don't allow any or most of the special kill team models. They'll have a rule that lets them count as compulsory elites choices but only in an Adeptus Arbites detachment (no HQ will be available).

[sairence]

The main point against a full on army in my view is this:

 

What is it's niche? What playstyle could Arbites offer, as baseline humans, that isn't already there?

 

Sisters of Battle fill the heavily armoured baseline humans, with plebty of CC-potential. Guard has horde, mechanised and armoured playstyles well covered, and Scions exist if you're looking to play a a carapace armoured elite force, mechanised or otherwise.

 

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by sairence

[ThePenitentOne]

Returning the Repressor to the range in plastic could benefit SoB and Arbites.

 

A great many SoB players had hoped that the Castigator would be a plastic Repressor, and many were disappointed when it wasn't. Sisters are going to need a new kit for 10th, and it might as well be a Repressor. Certainly the army is in fairly decent shape right now- we could still use a flyer or LoW, but barring that we don't need a lot.

 

 

[Zuvassin]

2 hours ago, sairence said:

The main point against a full on army in my view is this:

 

What is it's niche? What playstyle could Arbites offer, as baseline humans, that isn't already there?

 

Sisters of Battle fill the heavily armoured baseline humans, with plebty of CC-potential. Guard has horde, mechanised and armoured playstyles well covered, and Scions exist if you're looking to play a a carapace armoured elite force, mechanised or otherwise.

 

 

 

Depends on what the "point" of an army is to GW:

• Non-Marine allies for Imperial armies
• Thematic opponent force to pair with Genestealer Cults and Traitor Guard / Cultist themed Chaos armies
• more short-ranged/CC themed carapace army than Scions are 
• as I suggested above - it would also allow GW to sell Necromunda kits to 40k gamers (if the army incorporated some of the gang kits as Imperial Cultists, auxiliary law squads, etc)

 

[Brother Tyler]

This discussion is just about the Adeptus Arbites.

 

There's definitely lore supporting the Adeptus Arbites being expanded quite a bit - sufficient to mount full scale war, even if only for a short time. Whether or not Games Workshop is willing to expand the Adeptus Arbites to the full scope supported by the lore, however, is anyone's guess. The bare bones minimum would probably be just rules for the Exaction Squad in WH40K; and if the composition of the squad is consistent with the Kill Team version, it would allow for three variations (Exaction, Vigilant, Subductor).

 

Anything beyond that is gravy.

[jimbo1701]

Love the models. My thoughts:

 

1. would defintely love to see a small expansion for this faction. Repressor, specialist squads, bikes. Lovely stuff. 
2. bit frustrating that the 40k rules are taking so long as I’m literally sat waiting to build them based on what specialists I can include. 
3. speaking of specialists, bit frustrating that you can only build either / or with the handler and squad medic. 

[Arikel]

7 hours ago, jimbo1701 said:

Love the models. My thoughts:

 

1. would defintely love to see a small expansion for this faction. Repressor, specialist squads, bikes. Lovely stuff. 
2. bit frustrating that the 40k rules are taking so long as I’m literally sat waiting to build them based on what specialists I can include. 
3. speaking of specialists, bit frustrating that you can only build either / or with the handler and squad medic. 

1. I think they’d be interesting as a mini addon to the Guard myself, sort of like a different flavor of scion. HQ Judge, Exaction Squad elite, and Subjugator, Vigilator squads as elite troops maybe? Planning on at least one subjugator squad to fill out my Pacification Brigade PDF

 

2. Same boat here frater

 

3. The novitiate squad has the same problem, but worse. One of the flamers is also either a standard bearer or the condemnor boltgun person. Not sure how the arms will fit on a diffetent body.

 

 

[librisrouge]

On 3/1/2023 at 7:54 AM, librisrouge said:

I'm guessing we'll get two elite choices that don't allow any or most of the special kill team models. They'll have a rule that lets them count as compulsory elites choices but only in an Adeptus Arbites detachment (no HQ will be available).

I was close. So damned close.

 

Two of the options are troops. One is elite. Otherwise, nailed it.