greetings all. 

My players made a deal that netted them a company of guardsmen that they used as a core that would train recruits and slowly recruited people to be trained and outfitted till they had enough to spread through-out the dynasty. It was mostly role played, with the exception of the gear acquisition. If you want to reduce it to mostly rolls, then i would use the same rolls you use to replenish your ship's crews and just funnel the people in to be trained as your troopers instead.

Hope that helps you.

Lemun Russ VI said:

In one of the adventure books (I can't truly recall which one, though I believe it's in Lure of the Expanse [LotE]), it has a listing of stats for House Troops.  Anyhoot, for some GM's (like me), whatever components your ships starts with, at least a quarter of them are filled when you start the game.  And so, when PC's start the game with a Barracks, they usually have House Hold Troops (or House Guards) regiment in there (around 2-5k of troops).  When referencing them to Battle Fleet Koronus (BFK) Groundwars, I list them as Medium Volunteer/Conscript Infantry.

As for acquiring more, well, that is when/if you return to your House/Dynasty/World you own, and raise more troops.  Or your Dynasty has raised them for you as a reward for something you did, and sends them to meet you somehow on a Free Trader's ship or another House Ship.  

Hurscals, on the other hand, are more loyal and often better trained and armed House Troops.  I'd use Oathsworn Bodyguard in the RT book for there stats, and possibly same equipment if the PC's didn't already deck them out with other stuff.  Other than this little bit of information, it's more or less Houserules on House Troops.  Happy gaming.

For Rogue Traders who start with a Barracks, I would give them a few thousand House Troops with the Hired Gun stats, page 370, those would make decent starting troopers, and if you ever got a Stormtropper Detachment from In to the Storm book, then you could use the Oathsword Body Guard, page 372 but give them Bolters or Hell Guns to repersent thier eliteness.  To me this would be a quick and easy way to establish House Troops without much work, as the characters can referance these NPCs quickly just by going to the back of the book.

The players in my game have the Hired Gun Profile as House Troops and then made aquisition rolls to get them bolters and guard flak armor.  Also, Autoguns are good too as they have a really high full auto setting that can be used for fire suppresion, pinning, and overwatch.

~Cpt H.