Who or what are the man at arms that the Imperial Knights take to war with them?

[euansmith]

If you apply the historical archetype to the Men at Arms; they could be as professional as you like.

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-at-arms[/url]

[George Labour]

Could be, and likely would be. However the information presented throughout the game's long history doesn't show the knight world's as deploying front line formations beyond their suits. Everything is either a form of peasant militia drawn together out of desperation or an allied force providing them with auxiliaries. Any highly trained and well equipped conventional units seem to be small bodyguard or security units which generally do not have the manpower to serve as battlefield fodder. Especially when said fodder might steal the glory away from the nobles and their suits.

However a Rogue Trader pretty much breaks all the rules of the Imperium and can get away with all manner of craziness by sheer dint of owning a charter, and being so rich that he can buy and sell planets the way we buy new 40k miniatures. As such a Knight noble elevated to such a status might have a pressing desire to form a more battlefield worthy unit even if it was only to serve as a boarding party during combat in the void. He'd also be able to call on resources not normally available to his planet bound relatives.

It also covers the explanation of how the knight and his super troopers get around without resorting to Imperial or Mechanicus transport assets.

[John Bower]

If you apply the historical archetype to the Men at Arms; they could be as professional as you like.

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-at-arms[/url]

Nice find.

[bfmusashi]

And if the dual enrollment of being a noble and having a charter bothers you the Knight and the storm troopers could just be honor bound to the same lord or simply be allies of the Rogue Trader. Layers upon layers of deals with that lot.

[George Labour]

A rogue trader threw money at it is pretty much the 40k equivalent of 'A wizard did it' trope common to fantasy settings.

[bfmusashi]

Rogue Traders have assets far more valuable than mere physical goods. They can get things done. For instance, the Knight could be on a quest to discover the fate of long lost relatives that participated in an ancient crusade into lost space. The space, now beyond the Imperium's borders, requires a Rogue Trader to access. The RT, being a guy that weird things happen to a lot, would like to have a three story death machine to help with some of that oddness. They could also be relatives through marriage, old family pacts, perhaps there was even an adventure where the Knight acted as the Rogue Trader's second in a matter of honor while he was away. There are so many fun and fluffy ways for this to go.