Could someone help clear the following up for me:

Space marines begin play with lots of basic skills checked, which means they test at their full characteristic value.

Why then are all of the basic skills listed in the level 1 advances? These level 1 advances don't have a "+10" in their listing, because those are found at higher rank tables. So What is the point? Do starting characters ever need to take any of these advances?

In the same vein, why is Medicae listed in the rank 1 apothecary advances, when their Medicae is listed as a trained advanced skill under the "Starting Skills" heading? What's the point?

What am I missing?

First, make sure to note the difference between:

Advanced and basic skills

vs.

Trained and untrained skills.

Now yes, marines start with quite a few trained basic skills. These same skills are pretty much all on the advancement tables. This is mainly future-proofing the books for other background packages.

For example, we might have a new starter package in the upcoming First Founding book, that offers a different set of starting skills for a default marine, but maybe they continue to use the general space marine advancement table. Offering the core skills, even though they're trained, ensures some characters don't get royally screwed.

The black box on page 59. Quite frequently overlooked.

Alex