What do you think is the best career path for a tough ass bounty hunter? Guard?

Definitely Arbitrator.

They have the toughness down, takedown, and all forms of info gathering and tracking skills. The Gaurd may be tough, but he'd have a rougher time actualy finding his prey.

Arbitrator, Scum, Enforcer, Guard or Assasin.

It all depends on what style of Bounty Hunter you intend on playing.

Velvetears said:

Enforcer?

lol my bad, group pet name for the not quite scum not quite arbites.

Enforcers are used as generic police mind you, going by all published books thus far (something about whats in a name, a cop on one world is a nightwatchman on another and so on)

I think in the source book, assassins are cited as the base class for bounty hunters. I don't have it to hand, but 'm pretty sure.

Locque is correct, Assassins are listed as the base for bounty hunters in the rulebook. Also in the Ravenor series it would appear that having a bounty on your head probably means that someone will be looking to make you dead to collect it. But as mentioned before you could make one from any class depending on the skill set you want the hunter to have. For instance I have an NPC that is a bounty hunter who at one time was a bit of a hooker so she uses the scum class.

I would go "Assasine" or "Scum":

Both get "Common Lore (Underworld)" at Rank Two.

There are several cool classes but there is only one Alternative career, the Malfian Bloodswarn, very cool mercenary/bountyhunter society.
It is a Rank 5 Alt. career suitable for Assassin, Arbitrator, Guardsman or Scum

Santiago

Anyone willing to hunt someone for a bounty.

But these are the little bits of the 40Kiverse that could easily be filled by background packages or alternate ranks.

Personally Id like to the the Metallican Marshal, which would be the Enforcer equivalent of the Metallican Gunslinger.

I noticed that Guardman starting equipment can include a "mercenary license", and arbitrators get and "arbitrator ID", but no sign of a "bounty hunter" license, which would lead me to believe there is no special requirement to call yourself a bounty hunter.

Scum with The Brotherhood of Thollos Background Package and Malfian Bloodsworn Alternate Career Rank.