Basic Background info

Here's the first section, as promised. Not finalised by any means, but that's why I'm posting it here... ;)

Introduction:

This project will be an army list for the forces that might be employed by one of the many Rogue Traders that roam the galaxy of the 41^st millennium. In creating this army list, I am attempting to add depth to the 40k universe, by exploring some of the human forces outside of the Inquisition, Imperial Guard, and Adeptus Astartes. There are many other forces mentioned in the background (such as the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Titan Legions), and other people have often attempted to create army lists and rules for these organisations, with varying degrees of success. My aim is to end up with a full stand-alone list that can be used to field an entire army, complete with characters, units, vehicles, wargear and upgrades.

Background:

Rogue Traders featured prominently in the first edition of the Warhammer 40,000 rules (indeed, the game was titled Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader), but disappeared entirely from the rules and background in subsequent editions. They feature in the Battlefleet Gothic space combat game, where they have a fleet listing, but nothing else has been forthcoming from GW about them in recent years, as they seem to have preferred to concentrate on the “big picture” at the expense of detail (the only real reference to Rogue Traders in the current rulebook is a small inset on P94). Basically, Rogue Traders are free agents, either granted (or forced into) their position by some branch of the Imperium, or removed from it by some other means (they may be a pirate, a wanted criminal, or they may simply be fed up with the oppressive and high-handed nature of the Imperium as a whole). They will typically be people of some stature, being high-ranking officials of some Imperial department (such as the Imperial Guard, the Navy, even the Adeptus Mechanicus or the Inquisition), a powerful corporate figure or the leader of a criminal organisation.

A Rogue Trader’s power is centred on his/her fleet of spacecraft. They provide a base of operations, the means of transport from system to system, and substantial firepower for when extreme force is required. A typical fleet will consist of several flexible warships (mainly cruisers – battleships and carriers are too expensive for all but the most incredibly wealthy of traders), as well as a number of cargo vessels and transports. The trader will have substantial manpower aboard these vessels – a sizeable contingent of fighting troops, and numerous technical and administrative staff. If the trader is an explorer, then one or more colony ships may be present as well, ready to settle on any suitable planets that may be encountered.

Types of Rogue Trader:

Rogue Traders can be broadly separated into four categories, stated below. Each type will have different advantages and disadvantages, reflecting their status and the resources they can call on to achieve their goals.

Traders: These are businessmen, skilled in the arts of commerce and negotiation. They also have very deep pockets, and can buy pretty much anything (if a price can be put on it). Such an entrepreneur will usually be the head (or former head) of a large corporation, or member of a very wealthy family.

Explorers: There are some people for whom life in the Imperium is simply not stimulating enough. Whether they were an Administorum official, the commander of a forgotten garrison or the spoiled heir to a noble house, they left it behind to journey into the far reaches of the galaxy in search of adventure. They may get support from Imperial officials, who will devote substantial resources to an exploratory mission if they believe that sufficient returns can be made.

The Inquisition: The most dreaded of the Imperium’s many shadowy agencies, the Inquisition has the best technology, the finest troops, and vast resources at its command. This sinister and secretive organisation is charged with seeking out and destroying the direst threats to mankind’s existence, and does so with ruthless efficiency. Occasionally, though, word reaches one of the three Ordos of a threat that they cannot respond to directly – either there is no tangible evidence, or the distances and times involved would tie up too large a force for too long a time period. Instead they will despatch an Inquisitor, who will investigate the threat and deal with it as he sees fit, summoning whatever support he needs from Imperial forces stationed closer to the target region. Of course, the journey may take decades if conditions are not favourable, and the Inquisitor may get sidetracked or caught up in other situations that demand his attention before he reaches his destination.

Pirates: Of course, regardless of their original intent, there are many Rogue Traders who end up as nothing more than pirates, carving out their own little empire in a distant region of space, or harassing the deep space shipping routes and colonies of populated systems. Others simply move from system to system, looting and pillaging anything they come across in the simple pursuit of wealth. Such characters are of course marked by the Imperium as enemies to be hunted down, but the hundreds of wars being fought at any one time mean that Imperial resources are hardly ever available to combat these bandits. If other races fall prey they may take action (particularly the Eldar and the Tau, who place great value on their limited numbers of spacecraft), but often a pirate and his rag-tag fleet will go unchallenged for decades at a time.