"Original 40k Adeptus Arbites list?" Topic

Can anyone tell me what 40k rule set first featured an Arbites army list?

They are mentioned in the Rogue Trader WH 40K, pp 140 – 142.

William

Arbites were listed as a troop choice for Grey Knights Marines in the Slaves to Darkness book.

I'm pretty sure White Dwarf 169 had the first dedicated article for Adeptus Arbites, 2nd edition 40K. I can't recall if it just presented them as squads you could use as allies, or if it was a true army list. I think a full army list appeared in Citadel Journal, where some options like bikers and riot shields were added. All I know is that it was quite a long time ago… I'm wishing I'd kept my Arbites squads, I'm paying a pretty penny to re-acquire them.

There is an article on converting an old Rhino into an Adeptus Arbites Rhino in the Citadel Miniatures Modelling Guide.

William

I'm pretty sure White Dwarf 169 had the first dedicated article for Adeptus Arbites, 2nd edition 40K. I can't recall if it just presented them as squads you could use as allies, or if it was a true army list.

They were a single squad, available as allies.

In answer to the original question, there has never been an official "Arbites Army List". Rogue Trader had them, but only, IIRC, as individuals, using the rather odd random equipment charts. They were mentioned in the Grey Knights army list in Slaves To Darkness, but I think that was as a placeholder for a possible future army. They were part of the "Imperial Agents" army list included in the army lists booklet in 2nd edition, which was a collection of miscellanea. There have been various army lists in the Citadel Journal over the years, but none of those are "official".

As well as the out-of-print Arbites miniatures (in two styles – the earlier ones, released around WD 130, and the later ones released in WD 169) there are the Necromunda Enforcers in the Specialist Games Necromunda line.

Still trying to track down original bits from old WD issues .In the mean time check this out link Somewhere in the list is reference to Citadel journal 29 if that helps.

Thanks Feet!

After having seen it done in a local game shop, I'm going to convert a box of Cadians to be Arbites. Almost no heavy weapons, mostly auto-guns, shotguns, and grenade launchers.

My group has an arbites company ,we used it to thwart a genestealer-cult army and had the worse luck with grenade lauchers and duds ,then the stealers got caught in the razor wire….

They made a fun army. Really riot police, so you could use them in mutant clean up operations, but it was always fun getting the Arbites involved in stuff that they just weren't quite prepared to handle, such as orks or genestealers.

Ah, those were the days.