Plushy said:

Hmmm, okay I have to say I approve of this selection. No One Here's explanation for the absence of the Steel Legion makes sense and the rest feels like a pretty good cross-section of the Guard. Are the Maccabian Janissaries FFG's homebrew regiment?

Psion said:

Yep, they're a Calixian regiment based off a Shrine World who are very pious.

The Maccabian Janissaries were added in the Dark Heresy adventure Dead Stars iirc.

Where is the Spinward Front with reguard to the other established settings?

Adeptus-B said:

That information is not included the in the Beta. Most of the fluff - including the setting - need to wait for the full release.

scottybomb said:

Details of future plans are nothing to do with me unless I'm asked to work on them, so I'll always be in one of two situations with regards to anything planned for the future - either I don't know, or I know but can't talk about it. Either way, there's no information I can give.

Must say I'm liking the comrades mechanic. Only sad thing is my gaming group is pretty small, and alot of us are probably going to be picking specialists that have no comrades (like I'm probably going to be picking up Commissar, because, well, you know, the name I use here…).

Will be interesting to see how the act of creating a regiment works collaboratively. Sure, its easy to make one yourself, but the intent is you're working with all the other players and the GM to come up with a unifying theme that will pretty much cover much of the attitudes seen by NPCs for some time. Add to that the mechanical differences in the homeworlds/doctrines/commanders/equipment etc.

Not sure if I'm liking how its a point buy for regiment creation. I'll need to see it in play, but it seems like it would cause some heated issues of having to give up person A's favorite commanding officer for something weaker that nobody wants, just to give person B and C thier favorite home world. Certainly, it helps prevent some massive cheese, but it feels like there are too few "low point" options, and too many "high point" options (thus easily inviting players to buy a bit more than they should, and too few options when getting down to the last part).

It would be interesting to dissect the provided regiments to figure out the selections made for those, because they do appear to have been generated using the provided system. It would be helpful for making slight variations, while keeping the main theme of them. While certainly there is some consistency in how certain types of regiments are raised, I doubt all of them from any given homeworld possess the exact same commanding officer type.

Then there will be the people complaining about the fact that it's point buy as opposed to random rolls.

JonnyStorm said:

Ah cool, never got into Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader was where I started picking up the books (and even then not as much as something like Traveller or Mutants and Masterminds.) Good to hear these guys get stats though, even though when I hear "very pious" in reference to a group of the Imperium I think "Insane Zealots" but eh, they're flanked by xenophobic racists and brain-washing space communists (I'd love a Tau RPG or supplement but that's another topic) who are hung up with the beautiful lie syndrome. And those are just the other good guys! =P

As for the rest of the regiments. Well the Catachans and Tallarians are probably my faves, with the Elysians falling in RIGHT behind them, the Cadians are practically required, Krieg and Vostroyan are two other big icons in the guard, and if I had to have a fourth favorite it would have to be the Mordians. So yeah, all in all I'm pretty pleased with the initial selection unlike Deathwatch (where it took till First Founding to start seeing the only three chapters I could convince myself to give a **** about but eh, was never big on Space Marines in the first place.)

So I might actually have to change my mind about this and give Only War more then a passing glance when it hits stores.

Psion said:

"Insane Zealots" is a bit overboard. They're zealots, but not drugged up psychopaths like Redemptionists or Death Cultists who would go on a rampage at the slightest inkling of heresy. Think more along the lines of serious professionals who really love their god, but can keep their **** together and can deal with heretics in a calm orderly fashion. Here's some fluff from the Dead Stars adventure for those who want to a fuller pictures of the Janissaries.

From Dead Stars:

"MACCABIAN JANISSARY:
The Maccabian Janissaries are an elite cadre with the Imperial Guard regiments, raised from the planet of Maccabeus Quintus; a dry arid planet of miracles and dust, which is also one of the most holy places within the Calixis Sector. Chosen from the most fanatical members of the Drusian sect of the Imperial creed, the Janissary Cadres are highly trained, well equipped and fanatically devoted to the service they do for the God Emperor of mankind. Their training and doctrines are based on the so called Drusian Trident of endurance, devotion and sacri? ce and the black clad and silver masked Janissaries embody all three to the utmost."

Also from Dead Stars:

"The Maccabian Janissaries:
The Acolytes have command of a ten strong force of elite troopers drawn from the renowned Janissary Cadres of the Imperial Guard. These regiments are raised from the arid planet of Maccabeus Quintus, a place of ? erce and stoic people and iron-strong puritan faith in the Imperial Creed. The Conclave Calixis has oath bonds with the ?fth Maccabian regiment and has called on the honour debts owed to them to procure the services of ten of the most resolute and effective soldiers in the sector, lead by two experienced NCOs. The Janissaries are tough and battle-hardened men and women who are bound by oaths made in seven shrines on Maccabeus Quintus. They see serving the Emperor’s will as a sacred duty and have a grim attitude; they are not given to frivolity or humour. They spend much of their time preparing for their mission, either performing combat drills or weapons maintenance, in prayer or studying information on the environment and situation of the station on Mara.

They are respectful and deferential to the Acolytes, who they see not only as their commanders but as instruments of the Golden Throne’s divine will. They are not, however, mindless, and in particular do not countenance overtly blasphemous or heretical behaviour in their presence without dif?culties. Commanding the squad’s two ?ve-man sections are the imposing and iron-hard sergeants Childres and Makrade, both combat veterans with experience in ?ghting at the Inquisition’s side.The names of the other Janissaries are; Gaius, Helenith, Kraven, Arco, Sufal, Nauls, Cars’son, and Janaad."

JonnyStorm said:

Okay, so like the Adeptus Sororitas except treated like Stormtroopers then?

H.B.M.C. said:

I'm really liking the rules for Ork Weirdboyz. Having a rampaging ork who ramps up his psy rating in larger battle isn't a disaster waiting to happen at all . Hopefully they'll be a slighty expanded version of the Perils of the WAAAGH! and power list when they get added as a Rogue Trader PC option in the Navis Primer. Having a xenos who's also an unsanctioned psyker on board in all but the most liberal crews is sure to be another disaster brewing.

Psion said:

Similar in some ways, though the Adepta Sororitas are specifically agents of the Church, while the Maccabean Janissaries are simply devout servants of the Emperor.

I expanded and developed the Maccabean Janissaries background for their writeup in Only War, and I'm quite pleased with the end results. With Maccabeus Quintus being a major shrine world in the Calixis Sector, it receives vast numbers of pilgrims every year, many of whom may be unable to afford the return journey. The Maccabean Imperial Guard regiments are created from the most martially-able of this vast horde of pilgrims, who are chosen to continue the spiritual legacy of Saint Drusus in expanding the Emperor's realm and combating the enemies that await in the darkness between the stars.

N0-1_H3r3 said:

That is an ingenious idea! It seems I'm definitely going to love Only War when I purchase it.