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Is The Inquisition Worth It?


Khavos

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So after purchasing the Soul Drinkers omnibus on a whim, I was dead certain that it would be my first and only foray into 40K fiction. Then somebody swore up and down that Abnett was worth reading, and, what do you know, Eisenhorn was actually decent. And it of course has me considering starting up a little Inquisitorial side army, before I've even put my Space Marines on the field for a single game.

 

The question is, though, with the outdated codices - I picked up DH and WH used off Amazon, and while WH is the only one that's arrived so far, trying to read through it after the SM 'dex has made my eyes bleed - I'm wondering if it'd be worth it for a 40K noob to even bother considering playing one of these lists. Especially since I'd be going with what I understand is a Radical style, in the sense of using neither SoBs if I went WH, nor Grey Knights if I went DH. I'd probably be trying to go with a shooty IST-based list.

 

Even if it's underpowered, I'd still like to see if I could make it work, simply 'cause the joint where I'll be playing when I eventually get done selling my organs for cash to fund the procurement of my SM army doesn't have anybody playing either WH or DH, and I like both underdogs and being original. If the codices are so broken - or if my self-imposed fluff monkey "No power armor!" rules would break them - it'd be good to know before I take out a second mortgage to begin funding a second army.

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You're already putting yourself at a disadvantage if you are discounting certain units or themes. The Inquisition works best when utilizing a combined arms approach to battle. Others will argue that pure GK/SoB lists are the most effective.

 

I myself enjoy some of the lesser used Ecclesiarchy and Schola Progenium units, but I recognize that my money makers are the more stable "Chamber Militant" units.

The only effective "radical" Inquisition lists rely heavily on inducted units, usually inducted IG.

 

However, I would argue that if that's the way you wish to play, you'd be way better off just playing IG (or Space Marines, for that matter), and simply allying in the Inquisition units you want into your parent army. You can still fluff your force as Inquisitorial, especially if you always devote an HQ slot to an I-lord and take at least one unit of ISTs. That would be enough justification to say "Radical Inquisitor X is taking over here!"

 

If you're going to be seriously true to the fluff, IG would be the better inducted units or base army to utilize. Mere humans that come in the gazillions are easier to requisition than the few, the proud, the living-outside-the-normal-Imperial-law, the Marines. There are also only a bare handful of known Marine chapters with fluff that would make them suitable for allying/inducting with radical Inquisitors. The Relictors are the most commonly cited.

 

If you're looking for an Inquisition army that can win any games at all, and you're skipping out on the chambers militant entirely, then you're looking in the wrong place. You simply must do the allying dance.

If you're looking for an Inquisition army that can win any games at all, and you're skipping out on the chambers militant entirely, then you're looking in the wrong place. You simply must do the allying dance.
I've done it, I've manage to win a few with Radical Inquisition forces with out inducting Guard or Marines. So, there is hope, it is possible.

 

I did make extensive use of Zealots though, a unit found in a white dwarf, that you may have a hard time getting your hands on. That and with over a decade of command beyond my opponents those days, and with what I'm told is unfathomable good luck, I've been able to scrape out a few victories. Advantages that I wouldn't count on you having.

I've found a specific inquisitor build to be pretty darned effective:

 

Inquisitor Lady (season to taste, but mine packs a bolter crossbow, and two powers: Hammer of Witches and purgatus)

 

two chirugens

 

two sages

 

a familiar

 

three warriors: two plasma guns and a plasma cannon

 

You could put them in a land raider for some godhammer goodness, as well as to dramatically improve the range of purgatus, but I use a chimera. This is a little expensive, but very effective...and who wouldn't take the hammer when there are all those those pesky battle psycher squads running around in the hands of twelve year olds expanding from tau to guard?

So after purchasing the Soul Drinkers omnibus on a whim, I was dead certain that it would be my first and only foray into 40K fiction. Then somebody swore up and down that Abnett was worth reading, and, what do you know, Eisenhorn was actually decent. And it of course has me considering starting up a little Inquisitorial side army, before I've even put my Space Marines on the field for a single game.
Another option, if you're interested in the Inquisition but aren't sure about playing 40k as Witch Hunters or Daemonhunters, is to look at Inquisitor - the rules are free and you only need a handful of models to play the game so it wouldn't break the bank either. It's a completely different gaming experience to 40k, and it's not one that suits everyone, but I certainly enjoy it (so much so that I don't really play anything else these days).

I wouldn't describe it as 'sub-par', merely as 'narrowly focused'.

 

Most of the units are highly specialised tools. My experiences as a radical are most similar to my experiences as a filthy Eldar player in this regard. Not that it plays the same, only that the units function best when mono-tasked like them. Mind you, most units in the game are at there best when mono tasked. I could launch into a rant about the thrice damned compulsory veteran squad leaders and grenades in the latest marine and guard codices, but that would be both off topic and gain little sympathy here.

 

No, it would not be an easy force to play, but any force with a self imposed restriction to eschew half the entries in the book is challenging. Foot slogging marines is more challenging than mechanised. Guard without armour can have issues. Not that these forces can't be made to function, but it will tend to lead you down a highly constrained design path.

 

I would strongly encourage you to attempt it. I've found it to be a rewarding experience in its own way, vaguely like beating a video game on the hard mode, and the freakshow army always seems to draw a bit of an audience. 'Sides, we can always use a few more radicals around here to offset all the puritans. ;)

Believe what you want, but I feel like you're trying to fool him (and possibly yourself) into thinking an Inquisition-only army stands anywhere near a fair chance at beating a competatively built and competatively played army from any other codex.

 

If you're just going to play games with friends, that's fine I suppose... they can tone down their lists or intentionally play poorly for you so that you stand a fair enough chance.

 

 

Guard without armor is not as weak as inquisition without support. Especially in the new codex. Same with footslogging Marines.

No, I'll not be so foolish as to say it was easy. Both previous posts in this thread mention and allude to the increased difficulty. As I suggest above though, most players I encounter locally aren't exactly my peer. As my friend used to say, "... When you fail no dice roll, the game is a foregone conclusion." I've been known to defy the odds. In both directions.

chief Wrapped In Fluff says:

"If you like the idea, if you have a theme, competative disadvantage is irrelevent. Creative purity over rules pretty much everything bar the important two point checklist: a) does if look cool? ;) will chick dig it?

All other thoughts are meaningless"

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