How would a hypothetical Arbites standalone army be implemented?

[Captain Idaho]

Arbites are one of those armies I loved back in the Codex Imperialis book back in the day. Judges were menacing and Arbites were faceless and remorseless distributors of Imperial decree... plus who doesn't love Judge Dredd right?

 

There's something distinctly english in the dystopian, almost steam punk post apocalyptic desperate totalitarian portrayal of background and it always spoke to me.

 

We know Adeptus Arbites exist as a concept often alongside Inquisitoral forces and Agents of the Imperium but let's hash out further ideas -

 

Who would a full Arbites army be implemented and be separate in concept from Astra Militarum (who I shall forever more refer to in this thread as Imperial Guard) to be a long term permanent addition to 40K in their own right?

 

So on that basis, I'll start the ball rolling with some concepts I quite enjoy that I feel are distinctly adjacent to Imperial Guard.

 

Firstly, close range specialists. Long range firepower should probably be a decidedly distinct weakness in comparison to Imperial Guard. They also shouldn't be as tough as Marines despite being better armoured than most humans.

 

So a middle ground? Perhaps judicious shotgun over representation that gives them a fierce firepower up close. I like the concept of say a single solid shot that can fly out 18" but the dual profile has a multi shot up close that is high in strength but low in AP?

 

New rule:

 

Range 18" S4 AP-1

Range 8" S5 AP0 , 3 shots

 

Real world snipers are a thing so sniper teams who can support the infantry is a no brainer. Perhaps make them less able to be targeted or with powerful bonuses to cover related stealth? Shouldn't be whole squads as a pair operating is generally the way of REAL WORLD.

 

I'd have a bonus to being within range of a Judge. Like, a special rule that he can pass a leadership check and the snipers can choose the casualty removal, but only if the Judge can see the target also.

 

Now... here's the crux of the topic... apart from Sniper teams, Judges, Arbites enforcement squads and perhaps a shield and melee variant... where else would we go? Some sort of psychic nulls to oppose witchery makes sense.

 

Perhaps close ranged variant of both Sentinels AND even armour vehicles that have very close ranged weapons?

 

Ooo I had a thought. How about also Scare Grenades that suppress opponents? Works for grenade launchers. Maybe even a series of gas themed weapons that provide different effects, maybe as a single army based rule? I haven't fleshed out this concept but it just came to me. What sort of ideas for differing effects can people devise?

 

Feel free to run with ideas folk. Always fun to discuss.

[W.A.Rorie]

I really think GW missed out on giving us An Arbites army. Here are my thoughts. 

 

Arbites Combat Shotgun:

• Round Type            Range   A    BS     S    AP   D     Special Rules   

1. Basic                        18"       2    4+    4      0    1     Assault            
2. Executioner              24"       1    4+    5     -1    1     Ignores cover, Precision
3. Your Rd 1                 18"       2*   4+   4      -1    1
4. Your Rd 2                   8"       3     4+   5       0    1

I personally think the issue is the Executioner round. It has to much range and this is supposed to be the basic round for arbites. So I would say combine the Executioner round and your round 1 into this. 

 

         Executioner                 12"     1      4+   5       -1   1   Ignores cover, If model was stationary reroll wound roll of 1.

 

 

Arbites characters (too be expanded upon):

 

Justicar:

•  M   T   SV   W   LD   OC
•  6"   3   4+   4    6+    2
• Special Rules: 5+ Invulnerable save

Marshal:

• 6"   3   4+   3     7+     2
• Special Rules: 6+ Invulnerable save

Judge:

• 6"  3   4+    4     6+     2
• Special Rules: 4+ Invulnerable save

Units

 

• Sniper teams (2 man teams make sense)
• Pursuit teams (bike squad)

[Tawnis]

I think that something like the Taurox looks like it would fit much more into that riot control aesthetic that the Arbites are designed for than a Guard vehicle. I'd say maybe something like a water cannon on top for riot suppression, but this is 40k, so it would probably be a chem cannon, or something else horrible like that.  

 

Otherwise, I'd look to the Palatine Enforces from Necromunda for some more inspiration. 

Edited July 3 by Tawnis

[kabaakaba]

Iirk arbiters use rhinos and landraiders. 

Provost

Marshal

Judge 

Unit with shields

Unit with shotguns

Unit on bikes(Dredd)

Veterans with bolters.

Valkyrie equivalent

Snipers

Rhino

Landraider

Some bizarre walker in GW style (:

+

GSC like detachments to recruit SoB and IG

That should be ok for start

 

[SvenIronhand]

Surprised nobody brought up the Repressor yet.

[kabaakaba]

Oh, and terrain, arbiters should use faction terrain like barricades and barbed wire. Like KT one.

1 minute ago, SvenIronhand said:

Surprised nobody brought up the Repressor yet.

It's still rhino

[W.A.Rorie]

Ahh the repressor…..relic of the bygone era. I think GW wants that forgotten like some of the other vehicles of legends. Great transport back in the day I had a few in my sisters army. But unless they release it in plastic it set to be a legends unit for arbites with en gun replacing heavy flamer 

7 hours ago, kabaakaba said:

Iirk arbiters use rhinos and landraiders. 

Provost

Marshal

Judge 

Unit with shields

Unit with shotguns

Unit on bikes(Dredd)

Veterans with bolters.

Valkyrie equivalent

Snipers

Rhino

Landraider

Some bizarre walker in GW style (:

+

GSC like detachments to recruit SoB and IG

That should be ok for start

 

Land raiders are restricted to Space Marines (Inquisition snuck themselves in there) only per the Emperor’s decree. 

[JaqTaar]

20 hours ago, kabaakaba said:

Iirk arbiters use (...) landraiders.

 

You might have been thinking of Leman Russes - they were mentioned in an Ultramarine novel, "Nightbringer", which showed the Arbites participating in planetary defense.

 

There are some vehicles unique to the Arbites that are mentioned in novels here and there:

https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Adeptus_Arbites_Armoury#Vehicles_and_Artillery

 

[Lord_Ikka]

As someone who has played Arbites squads on tabletop in Imperial Agents (and Breachers, who are very similar)- short ranged weapons without any AP are terrible. It basically turns the Arbites into worse versions of Scions, who at least have AP and Orders to make up for their sub-par weapon reach. Unless you are looking at making a purely mechanized army with every squad in a Rhino/equivalent (the new Commissar's custom Centaur is perfect for an Arbites vehicle), giving the basic Arbites squad some sort of round with at least 24" range is needed.

 

In the Shira Calpurnia books, they mention Chastener squads that have grapple-eagles (or something similar, can't quite remember the name) a psyber-bird with what are functionally taser-claws to capture targets. That could be an interesting unit.

[W.A.Rorie]

11 hours ago, Lord_Ikka said:

In the Shira Calpurnia books, they mention Chastener squads that have grapple-eagles (or something similar, can't quite remember the name) a psyber-bird with what are functionally taser-claws to capture targets. That could be an interesting unit.

 

It has been a while since I read that series, and I really enjoyed. I forgot about the the Psyber-birds with tasers. I think they called them Grapple- Hawks. 

 

 

[Captain Idaho]

On 7/7/2026 at 3:11 AM, Lord_Ikka said:

As someone who has played Arbites squads on tabletop in Imperial Agents (and Breachers, who are very similar)- short ranged weapons without any AP are terrible.

 

Good point. Make the shotguns super powerful up close, S5 AP-2.

 

***

 

Good ideas and feedback here guys.

[Tawnis]

On 7/6/2026 at 8:11 PM, Lord_Ikka said:

As someone who has played Arbites squads on tabletop in Imperial Agents (and Breachers, who are very similar)- short ranged weapons without any AP are terrible.

It can be, but that's not necessarily the case. This can be corrected based on how army rules and buffs are designed for the faction. 

Right now, you can do a solid amount with them: Ignores Cover, and Re-roll Wounds of 1, or full wounds on Objectives are baked in, they can also use Close Quarters Barrage to put them up to S:5 AP: -1, (Or Sustained 1 and Lance from Violent Acquisition if you're mowing through chaff instead) and can get +1 to hit if you're targeting the elimination target. Now, I know that's not always going to line up perfectly, but it shows that seemingly poor baseline profiles can be improved a lot.

 

I play a lot of Kroot for instance and our baseline Kroot Rifle is the same profile, S:4 AP:0, D:1, but with all the army's overlapping buffs, I can give them +1 to hit, +1 to wound, full hit re-rolls and AP:-1, (and Sustained 1 with a Legends unit) which makes it FAR more scary of a profile. 

 

I think a similar idea of individual Arbites units being "bad" but getting stronger the more of them gang up on a target could be a good theme for the army. Maybe something about leaders providing buffs and designating targets, something different than how Guard or Tau do it, but along those lines. 

Edited July 16 by Tawnis

[Lord_Ikka]

Well, at least the Kroot (and to an extent Guard) have 24" range on their basic weapons; with Arbites/Breachers, you get 18" or 12" range with their shotguns. All three squads (Breachers and both Arbites shooty squads) do get some buffs with their abilities/datasheet (re-rolls and Ignores Cover aren't nothing), but other than that you are required to spend CP to help them out, making it an extremely CP-intensive army just to help out the basic troops. Violent Acquisition is a 2CP buff, which is hard to justify for a single unit (though I do know the Fleetmaster Enhancement can really cut down on the cost).

 

They aren't terrible, but compared to a basic IG squad you are losing out on a minimum of 6" of range to gain a point of Strength. WIthout something like Assault, the lower range requires IA mortal units to get close enough to the enemy to make charges a very real worry. Since they are also pretty terrible in melee, getting that close is not a great idea. I would be more happy with the shotguns if you had different ammos-

Executioner rounds: A1 24" range, S4, AP-1 [PRECISION]

Frag rounds: A3 12" range, S4, AP 0 [ASSAULT]

This would give utility to the squads and might make their points actually close to decent. Does anybody believe that they are worth 85-90 points? That the same as a basic SM Intercessor squad that has the same Wounds (1 less than Arbites because of the dog), better T/Sv, better base weapons for both range and melee, and better support in terms of characters being able to attach and buff the squad. Arbites/Breachers might be ok if they were around 65-70 points, because then they would be directly competing with IG squads and that comparison is slightly better- Arbites lose range and lack the better options of special weapons of IG squads, but gain a better Sv and are technically better in melee (double the attacks). 

 

Now, Subductor squads are appropriately priced I think, and serve their use quite well. For a mortal unit they are decently durable with both their regular save and invuln, and their weapons are ok while not great; the shock mauls only being 1 damage hurts, but at least they have a pip of AP and 2 Attacks. The shotpistol is whatever, it is a fluffy bolt pistol and fine for a dedicated melee tarpit unit. I would have preferred a different ability from the squad, as I don't think a 4+ fight on death is super useful given their rather meh melee profile, but it does make some enemies more wary of charging the unit. Subductors are pretty much spot on for a good Arbites unit, they make sense both in-universe and work well in-game. I just wish Exaction/Vigilant squads were better, as well as being more different than "one gets re-rolls and one targets a single unit".