Manyfist said:

Skiitari are the armed forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus but are very similar in organization to the IG and often deployed alongside them to protect the AdMech's interests. My two cents would be:

Cost: 4 points

Characteristic modifiers: +3 to any two of the following: Ballistic Skill, Willpower or Intelligence.

Skills: All Forge World characters start with Common Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus), Common Lore (Technology) and Trade (Technomat)

Rite of clear thought: The Adeptus Mechanicus subjects their Skitarii guardsmen to extensive and often horrific chemical and surgical modification to steel their hearts and make them indifferent to the moral repercussions of the tasks assigned by their masters. Forge World characters can choose to start with one of the following: Jaded or Chem Geld.

Rite of zealous obedience: Just as Skitarii are programmed to ignore fear, pain and morality, they're also mind conditioned to obey their Magi masters without thought or question through chemical therapy, brain surgery or even small devices attached at the base of the spine which shock the subject whenever he steps out of line. Any Forge World character needs to pass a Difficult(-10) Willpower test in order to disobey or even disagree with a higher ranking member of the Machine Cult.

The flesh is weak: Though the Magi keep ther dogs of war on a tight leash, they also take care that they perform at maximum possible efficiency through the blessings of the Omnissiah. Forge World characters reduce the rarity of all bionic augmentations by one step when making Logistic tests.

Starting Wounds: Forge World characters increase their starting wounds by 1. 

Nefasine said:

1. Battlefleet: I specifically state in the last paragrah:

"This Home World has been added for those who wish to explore the opportunities for playing the Marines of the Imperial Navy or similar roles. "

2. Forge Worlds: There are the skiitari, which I will address properly in a separate post.

3. Frontier Worlds: You are assuming there is no reason to raise a regiment. When Orcs invade, regiments get made =P. As for the stats I hewed as close to the source material as possible.

4. Raising Troops from Space Stations: It would certainly be possible to raise a unit of void-born (see DH) in theory, but are there an facilities with populations large enough a raise a regiment from?

JuankiMan said:

For the Forge World entry, I was thinking more recruiting to replace lost numbers, ala Gaunts Ghost after the defense of Vervunhive, that pure Skiitari. Now that being said, I do like the idea of a skiitari. Looking at your offering, here is my feedback:

Cost: These look like a 3.

Characteristics Modifiers: I would add Toughness to the list and perhaps a penalty to Fellowship to offset it.

Skills: All skiitari present in the RPG material--that I can find--have Tech-Use of +10 or higher, so I'd just give the Common Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) and Tech-Use and call it a day.

Rite of Clear Thought: I like this :). Kinda reminds me of the fluff around Tears of the Dragon from the Inquisitor's Handbook.

Rite of Zealous Obedience: Looks fine.

The Flesh is Weak: Hmm, this pretty much looks like the Augmentics Equipment Doctrine, which I feel may be a better way of modeling the skiitari's access to cybernetics, so I'd either drop this one or change it so that grants say the Machine (1) trait.

Mercucio said:

I think that there is no reason for a frontier world not to raise regiments. Valhalla can be considered a frontier sector in many ways, due to its proximity to Ork space. Same with Tanith, by the description Tanith was a world on the edge of the human domination, dangerously close to Chaos space and slightly backwater by Imperial standards.

Mercucio said:

Well in the Kornus expanse there is the Port Wander station, which look large enough to raise at least one regiment. Granted, these kind of structures should be quite rare and consequantly very few regiments should be raised from them.

Mercucio said:

1. Battlefleet: I did see that but as i said, it is better left for a homebrew setting. Only War focuses on the Imperial Guard. It was the same with Dark Heresy, You could play a squad of guardsmen or a squad of arbites and im sure many campains did, but the main focus was of a diverse inquisitorial force. At the moment there is no stats for any of the imperial navy strike craft (in Only War) but i am sure they will be added in further supliments

2. The skiitari: i am hesitant about the skiitari, they would be fun to play no doupt but in reality the best way to represent them is to give them the machine trait (1) but this would remove many of the weaknesses of the guard which is one of the bigest reasons to play Only war. If i want to play augmented humans who are bred for war, i would play Deathwatch.

3. Firstly if orks where to invade a frontier planet, the regiments raised would not be of the Imperial Guard but the PDF (Planetary defence force). A frontier world is (from my understanding) a newly populated, developing planet. For Example, the planet Quarth is able to go fairly unknown (and such is used like a pleasure planet) because they have yet to fill certain criteria (planetary govener i think? see the Harlock Trilogy for Dark Heresy) Tanith on the other hand was on the outer edge of the imperium but not nessisarily a frontier world (may be wrong though)

4. Proberly not, not for the imperial guard anyway. Navy, Maybe

1. Battlefleet: I did see that but as i said, it is better left for a homebrew setting. Only War focuses on the Imperial Guard. It was the same with Dark Heresy, You could play a squad of guardsmen or a squad of arbites and im sure many campains did, but the main focus was of a diverse inquisitorial force. At the moment there is no stats for any of the imperial navy strike craft (in Only War) but i am sure they will be added in further supliments

All the material you need for the ship-side of things can be found in the Rogue Trader supplements.

2. The skiitari: i am hesitant about the skiitari, they would be fun to play no doupt but in reality the best way to represent them is to give them the machine trait (1) but this would remove many of the weaknesses of the guard which is one of the bigest reasons to play Only war. If i want to play augmented humans who are bred for war, i would play Deathwatch.

The Machine trait is as unneeded at character creation for Skiitari as it is for Tech Priests. Sure it should be something they get at some point, just not in the beginning.

3. Firstly if orks where to invade a frontier planet, the regiments raised would not be of the Imperial Guard but the PDF (Planetary defence force). A frontier world is (from my understanding) a newly populated, developing planet. For Example, the planet Quarth is able to go fairly unknown (and such is used like a pleasure planet) because they have yet to fill certain criteria (planetary govener i think? see the Harlock Trilogy for Dark Heresy) Tanith on the other hand was on the outer edge of the imperium but not nessisarily a frontier world (may be wrong though).

PDF can be, and often are, conscripted onto the Imperial Guard.

4. Proberly not, not for the imperial guard anyway. Navy, Maybe

Naval impressment  seemed the more likely option to me as well.

I am agreeing with you on the majority of these points but none of it falls under the scope of Only War.

And while you and I both know where to find stats for basically all the imperial and non-imperial vessels, someone new to the game system would not and thus the stats would have to be inluded under Only War; which in a future supliment is a possibility, but for the core rule book it would mean a the inclusion of the flying rules, space rules and flyer/spacecraft stats (see: alot of work).

For the skiitari: sorry not the machine trait but the ability to have augumetrics (mechainicus implants trait?) which would be fun (im all for a supliment or a homebrew of this if someone is up for it) but most proberly unballanced.

For the PDF; I suppose but isnt that only when there is not much of a planet left? anyway that would mean mixed regiments which is another problem.

Nefasine said:

Skitarii usually do not have the Mechanicus Implants trait; those are saved largely for the Tech-Priests. Bionic Limbs and integrated weapons are common, though.

Grammar Nazi little tip: it's probably, not proberly.

I am agreeing with you on the majority of these points but none of it falls under the scope of Only War.

Ah, gotcha. I am looking through a lens of the entire WH40k line.

And while you and I both know where to find stats for basically all the imperial and non-imperial vessels, someone new to the game system would not and thus the stats would have to be inluded under Only War; which in a future supliment is a possibility, but for the core rule book it would mean a the inclusion of the flying rules, space rules and flyer/spacecraft stats (see: alot of work).

Agreed, but see the above.

For the PDF; I suppose but isnt that only when there is not much of a planet left? anyway that would mean mixed regiments which is another problem.

There may be a planet left, but that doesn't fighting isn't heavy on other planets in the theatre. Mixed regiments is a problem to worry about for another day. :)

Plushy said:

Usage Nazi tip: That's spelling, not grammar.

Now I'm picturing the Latin Grammar scene from "The life of Brian" only with a Commisar and some poor Trooper who tried to use High Gothic. I may have to do that in my upcoming campaign.