Rogue Trader Imperial Guard Assault Squad

Imperial Guard Assault Squad ready for duty.

A new addition to participate in our 25th Anniversary Mini-Campaign - an Imperial Guard Assault Squad.  These troops will take part in the next part of our mini-campaign this week.

Each trooper carries a pair of laspistols...not scary, but somewhat useful.

Equipped with jump packs, the Assault Squads are intended to close quickly with the enemy and engage in close fighting.  I don't think pairs of laspistols will scare anyone, but the squad is equipped with a pair of plasma guns, weapons that were actually pretty effective before they were neutered by stupid rules like "gets hot". Plasma guns are "following fire", had high strength and hard-hitting save modifiers - pretty good covering fire for the other troops.

Each squad has two plasma guns for support - and in RT, plasma guns are actually useful.

RT-era sergeant, ready to lead the troops.  A chain sword is actually useful in RT 40k...

The jump packs are actually Space Marine backpacks, but the jump packs of the RT era were huge metal turbofan deals (close in look and size to the assault packs worn by the Space Marine assault troops of the contemporary lineup).

Snapshot from the 40k Compendium, showing the jump packs - pretty close to the Space Marine packs...

Back when I collected my first Imperial Guard "army" in the early 90s, I opted for Space Marine jump packs in place of the enormous metal jump packs.  I think GW even realized the metal jump packs were out of kilter - when you look at the graphics in the 40k Compendium, you see jump packs on the Imperial Guardsmen that look very much like the back packs of the Space Marines.

More jump troopers.

Our campaign kicked off last week with a re-fight of the "Battle At The Farm".  Our next game will feature the Marine survivors trying to connect with Imperial Guard troopers from the garrison holding out in the capital of New Rynn City.  I'm sure these newly-painted troops will dominate the table top...