Freeblade Knights

[This Dave]

Freeblade Knights are Nobles that have left their House for whatever reason and take their Knight with them. This is a cool idea that also gives people the opportunity to model and paint up a single Knight to add to their army. And it's obviously based on the Knights Errant of the Middle Ages. But unlike then when a single man could maintain all his weapons and armor himself so wandering around was an option a Knight isn't a one man operation.

A machine the size of a Knight is going to need maintenance as well as repair after a battle. Does the Freeblade take a retinue of Sacristians along with him? Unless they're near to Mechanicus forces or another Knight house where do they get the parts? Or if they're so easy to maintain why do they need the elaborate Keeps the Houses use, unless it's just tradition? And what about ammunition? The Errant pattern at least only uses common Heavy Stubber rounds. The Paladin could possibly get ammunition from a Guard armored regiment, assuming the Battle Cannon rounds are compatible. And the ones that are left behind on planets after a battle, who reprints the thing in the new Freeblade colors? That's got to be like repainting an entire house solo.

And how do they travel if they're not on their home planet? Does the House they're leaving give them a lift off world? Or if they attach themselves to a crusade or regiment do they just hope there's a heavy lift ship available for them?

I like the Knights and the idea of Freeblades. I'm just wondering if the answers to my questions have been said somewhere I've missed.

[Librarian Harker]

Think of them like the Ronin from feudal Japan. Wandering from planet to planet, often with the aid of friendly rogue traders. In the 40k universe, stubber rounds and battle cannon shells will be freely available from local PDFs and imperial garrisons, eager to help a servant of the emperor, and the maintenance of their suits could be handled either by the knight themselves as in medieval times, or with the aid of local tech priests, who would see assuaging the machine spirit of the suit as a duty. Reprinting the suit would take time, but I imagine seeing your entire house massacred by chaos will focus the mind somewhat.

[ElectricPaladin]

There is evidence that some freeblades are self-willed robots. I wonder if they don't develop some ability to repair themselves, as though they were living organisms. The power of the Warp is more or less the concentrated power of human passion, and if a robot soaks up sufficient human emotion to become self-willed, might it not become somewhat alive and capable of healing?

[Ivarr]

In the codex it says that some travel alone and others take "a small group of retainers and Sarcristans."(pg.17)

As stated above, I am certain that resupply and repair are readily available in either case as the knights are generally revered for their service to the Imperium. What commander is ever going to say "Sorry, we cannot help as we would prefer not to have the support of a giant stompy death machine in the coming fray"??

[This Dave]

In the codex it says that some travel alone and others take "a small group of retainers and Sarcristans."(pg.17)

As stated above, I am certain that resupply and repair are readily available in either case as the knights are generally revered for their service to the Imperium. What commander is ever going to say "Sorry, we cannot help as we would prefer not to have the support of a giant stompy death machine in the coming fray"??

Ah, I'd missed that about them sometimes having groups of retainers. And for some reason I'd forgotten all about Rogue Traders that could transport them for pay and/or service. That makes a lot more sense to me now. Thanks guys!