I've started playing in a new group and by the end of the first session the GM put some dark eldar kimeras (Fear III) to ambush us.

He killed a comrade without even allowing us to react and them when we first looked at the kimeras, general histeria took place.

My Sgt freaked out horribly bad with a 92 on the Fear table, a similar situation happened to every but 1 guardsmen who alone was taking a beating. While stunned, we lost 2 other comrades out of which I only managed to save 1. (I finally managed to "snap out of it" myself and rolled the "Snap out of it!" for the squad and got everyone back in fight with a "Get them" as my second Sweeping Order).

For me, as their Sarge, what do you recommend? Currently I am planning for the "Jaded" talent and similar ones.

Jaded, radiant presence, heroic inspiration. All of them would help you steel your men in the face of fear.

I don't have the book handy, so correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Jaded limited to non-supernatural fear?

Anyway, as the squad leader, advances in Willpower are a good investment. Plus, spending a Fate Point to re-roll failed Fear tests is usually the way to go.

Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death.

Bravo to your GM, Fear is underrated and makes Willpower actually a valid Characteristic and not everybody's favorite dump stat.

I don't have the book handy, so correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Jaded limited to non-supernatural fear?

Anyway, as the squad leader, advances in Willpower are a good investment. Plus, spending a Fate Point to re-roll failed Fear tests is usually the way to go.

I did spend the fate point, failed again. Rolled a 96 or something in the fear table. Ran away from the battle, got surrounded by 2 kimeras.

GM did let me roll a WP test for mercy. I rolled a 6 and discharged my lasgun full-auto on overcharge on one of the kimeras while also passing a Snap Out of It test for my squad who finally begun to put up a fight.

The game ended with us going into a cavern just to find out it was an elaborate ambush by Dark Eldar, who now have us completely surrounded. FML.

I don't have the book handy, so correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Jaded limited to non-supernatural fear?

Anyway, as the squad leader, advances in Willpower are a good investment. Plus, spending a Fate Point to re-roll failed Fear tests is usually the way to go.

I did spend the fate point, failed again. Rolled a 96 or something in the fear table. Ran away from the battle, got surrounded by 2 kimeras.

GM did let me roll a WP test for mercy. I rolled a 6 and discharged my lasgun full-auto on overcharge on one of the kimeras while also passing a Snap Out of It test for my squad who finally begun to put up a fight.

The game ended with us going into a cavern just to find out it was an elaborate ambush by Dark Eldar, who now have us completely surrounded. FML.

Yikes!

This deserves to be posted in the "You know you're playing Only War when" thread!

I don't have the book handy, so correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Jaded limited to non-supernatural fear?

Anyway, as the squad leader, advances in Willpower are a good investment. Plus, spending a Fate Point to re-roll failed Fear tests is usually the way to go.

I did spend the fate point, failed again. Rolled a 96 or something in the fear table. Ran away from the battle, got surrounded by 2 kimeras.

GM did let me roll a WP test for mercy. I rolled a 6 and discharged my lasgun full-auto on overcharge on one of the kimeras while also passing a Snap Out of It test for my squad who finally begun to put up a fight.

The game ended with us going into a cavern just to find out it was an elaborate ambush by Dark Eldar, who now have us completely surrounded. FML.

RIP squad, never seen again.

Fearless, Frenzy, and Frenzon are all good options.

Though OP's scenario sounds more like a GM trying to **** with his players, so it's not likely that planning would have helped you.

From what I've been talking with him, he thinks he can make us surrender in the next game.

I already told him that we won't (or at least my Sarge won't) and if possible, I will pull my grenades' pins if I think we will be captured.

That morning I had sent this to the game group:

"Negotiation is surrender - leniency is a sign of weakness - weakness is death. In the Emperor's name, let none survive!"
- Imperial Thought of the Day

I've read about 8 IG novels, whereas the GM is new to the setting - I see now that this will probably get the 40k-lovers' PCs killed (1/2 of the squad).

Yes that is the reason why I'm always hesitant to run games I don't have a good background knowledge of. As much as any of my players if not more.

If I were you I'd be telling the other players what Dark Eldar do to their captives!

Yeah, better to die in battle vs. DE to be honest.

It occurs to me that your GM could be messing with you to bring the fear OOC.

Gotta make my squad read this novel: http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/iron_harvest-ebook.html

I like your story - and my PCs will be fighting those things too now

Surviving that as a player could be complicated, so here are my solutions:

• Frenzon. A drug whose only side-effect is increased RIP AND TEAR? That's not a bug, that's a feature. Why aren't you using it? Remember, everything can (and will) die when you crush it under a tank or beat it to death with a missile launcher.
• Psykers. Psykers generally have good WP, and there's a power to hand their resistance to fear talents to nearby allies. Abusing this is pretty good, and explains why the psyker is here: to make the PCs insane enough to even attempt whatever suicide mission they're being sent on.
• High-WP PCs with Command and Squad Orders can mitigate the effects of Fear - don"t forget to give them resistance to fear talents.
• Resistance to Fear talents: while these are better on a telepath or sergeant, any PC can make good use of them. Here are some of my favorites: Radiant Presence, Resistance (Fear), Heroic Inspiration, Adamantium Faith/Fearless (whatever it's called in Only War). Frenzy also helps in a pinch. Jaded is also great, but doesn't function against Daemons.

But I personally love the Fear rules, and abuse Fear (especially if you're not Jaded - then large battles and their consequences become... complicated whenever you get a good view or good comms). IMO, they're one of the best things in the RPGs - and finding ways to fight it should be one of the main goals of a group that sees frequent combat. It should be RP'd accordingly of course, as well as its consequences...

How to deal with fear as player? Dunno, go get beer, drink 2 bottles before session, play some relaxing music, be nice to your GM... You can also smoke some marijuana instead of sipping beer.

Against DE, you are very much better off putting your lasgun into your mouth or, as you said, pulling the pins on your grenades, if you're at danger of getting taken captive.

Be sure to inform your fellow squadmates of the dangers of xenos and that the Emperor wills that they die before being taken captive. If you've got in-game reasons to know (Forbidden Lore: Xenos), you could inform them of what exactly the DE do to their prisoners.