I have to throw the B.S. flag on the Summary execution RAW. The Idea that a character would heal upon seeing his buddy shot is just plain ridiculous! (It also has nothing to do with the TT rules and the way they work. Instead; I my game I use the following:

Summary execution:

If the player fails a fear or pinning test the Commissar may elect to Summarily execute a comrade with a challenging (+0) Ballistic skill test to hit the comrade. If successful the Comrade is immediately killed and the rest of the squad has any current fear or pinning effects removed. (Though they can still be affected by later fear causing events.)

Thoughts?

Thematically its a better fit, but perhaps you would end up loosing comrades at too fast a pace ?? - perhaps just wounding the comrade would be enough ?

i like it, good idea

at any rate: Blood needs to flow for Men's heart to rise in the face of heresy

comrades dieing is indeed a good thing for roleplaying purpose, it gives a bit of the feeling of being cannon fodder without killing player characters all the time

Depends on what they did, also. Summary execution isn't the proscribed punishment for every offense, per the Imperial Munitorium Manual. Often offenses call for flogging or transfer to a Penal Battalion.

Example: You, as a Guardsman, are responsible for your say…lasgun. If you break it, your responsibility is to "Take it to specialist capable and authorized to repair it". If it can't be fixed, then you must "Seek permission from superior officer to requisition new kit."

That's just one of the paranoias players have thinking "OMG, I broke my lasgun…automatic execution." The crime isn't accidentally breaking your lasgun, the crime is not following procedure in a timely manner and not filling out the paperwork properly.

Silly Brits and their dry, ironic humor!

It does make sense if you think of wounds not as actualy injuries, but the ability to avoid injury. taking two wounds doesn't represent a gash on your arm so much a loss of fighting ability. The execution of the soldier's comrade renews his vigour to fight, it doesn't knit flesh and mend bones but it allows him to ignore them and get back into the fight.

that said i like your rule, though dependeing on how highly the guardsmen value their comrades you might wanna increase the strength of the rule like "soldier gains +10WS and BS for the next turn" to represent renewed ferocity!

I think it sounds cool, but seems strange to execute the innocent comrade to inspire the wounded PC to keep fighting. i think if someone took this order I'd have it as:

1. They've gotten their 'License to Kill' and everyone knows it. That is something that will keep others in line and the PC knows they can execute someone at their discretion; they'll have to file reports later on most likely and unwise use can lead them to their own execution.

2. (In keeping with the original intent of this Order) Using Intimidate they can help get a wounded or fatigued PC back into the fight. A character that is Heavily wounded can count as Lightly wounded as far as movement is concerned. On a -10 intimidate they can get a PC to ignore the penalties from a Critical hit (except for limb loss and they still need to check for Bleeding problems) for the rest of the combat or other action scene. They can also get them to recover 1d5 levels of Fatigue on a -10 Intimidate roll. If used on Comrades, the Comrade is considered Unwounded and can move at normal speed (since there is no other mechanical effect for them being Wounded). So no technical healng is done, but they get the person to suck it up and keep fighting or moving.

I think that covers the use of the Order. Their other Order i think is great and wouldn't change a thing for it.

What if it was an Intimidate test, that applies the pinning fear effects removed regardless of pass or fail.

The pass indicates the Commissar successfully intimidated the squad with the threat of summary execution.

The fail indicating he had to carry it out in order to "inspire" the squad to keep fighting, resulting in one dead comrade.

And maybe a critical fail leading to a dead comrade and no inspiration