Witch Hunter army up and coming

[Vash]

Awesome list. I've got a penitant engine and an inquisitor lord (no retinue yet) and I wanna run a few experiments with them even though other WH players told me never to field them.

 

I really wanna field 3xpenitant engines, an elite lord with 6 henchies (2xbolter, 1xplasma cannon, 2x acolyte, 1xchurgeon) and a full squad of repentia. But all three of these units have been shunned by anyone I know that plays WH so its a bit off putting ;)

Plus a full squad of REpentia is gonna cost me over $AUD100 which is REALLY offputting :)

Thanks mate. Nowdays I am trying to build unusual army lists. I have tried out a few and from the past I acctually had tried some inquisitor lists too.

Problem is... people tend to make "internet army lists" and think thats the only thing that works. For example, when I first came to this forum many years ago and when WH were new. I could hear alot of "You can't play SoB without the Exorcist etc etc". I went against this and almost got my head chopped off when I posted lists with no Exorcists, posted topics about tactics without Exorcists.

Thing is, by time some people relized they were not a must have. But in general most people still claimed they were a "must".

Anyhow, in the end it's up to you self to make your list and make it work with what you got. I basically won or placed my self in top 3 in every turnament I played in with my WH without Exorcists. Went so far that people where I played didn't want tp play against my SoB army. And the only reason for some to play against it... was to try to beat it.

 

So, what am I trying to say. Yes people are nagging about the Inquisitors "uselessness". "You can get much better things for the same points etc etc". YES true! But you wont get the "coolness" :D

Well I my self have used a shooty Inquisitor. Though I used 2x multi-meltas, and 1 plasmacannon. They worked wounders. Of course in 50% of the games they didnt even got close to bringing back their points, but what they did was worth alot. They kept tanks, transport and otherthings away. Now I know alot of players say "That doesnt give you a reason to have them etc etc". I'll just frown at that answer. Not everything is about killing killing killing. Heck I have even made a Tau Pinning army. Evert Fire Warrior equiped with Carbines, loads of pinning weapons on other units etc. Everyone was laughing at my Pinning Tau... until they faced it. Then it was all "it's cheezy etc etc".

 

Penitent Engines are good. Imop really good. Sure they are weak in AV. BUT, they will be fire magnets. Giving you time to save your other units. The thing with them to work is to find a balance between equally threatning units. If they take out your Penitents, you should have something else thats equally fas (transports for example) and equally dangerous (battle sisters in general are dangerous). Now he has two targets... take out the one PE, or the Rhino with a scoring unit?

Of course... take this to a bigger scale. Were there is 2-3 PE, tons of Rhinos, Seraphims etc etc.

The principal of my list is divided into three sections.

 

1. Penitent Engines and Acro flaggelants (Hard hitting close combat)

2. Sisters of Battle (allround and scoring)

3. Inquisitor and Culexus (fear)

 

I have tried to make them equally strong, so if one falls, the others are not affected. My army will work without one section. So if my opponent is really afraid of the fear (ld4 moral test) he needs to put some effort into bringing these down. An infiltrating Culexus isn't the easiest target, specially when he isnt in my list to fight or to be seen.

The Inquisitor is mounted in a transport and will most likely only show him self when he is in range.

Focusing on my Sisters of Battle, will let my Penitents go free. They will wreck havoc among the enemy lines. This has happened, and the game ended a draw, since no one had scoring units left.

 

Anyhow, make sure you have protection or threatening units other than your PEs.

 

About the painting. What's that varnish you put on with the white? I've never heard of it...

A varnish is what you coat your finnished model with. A protective transperant layer. There are different kinds of Varnish, Matt varnish, Gloss varnish and Satin Varnish. Matt leaves the model basically as it is, no shinyness. Gloss is really... glossy. And Satin is something in between. GW has Gloss and matt varnish in their line of colours I think. My Satin varnish is from Vallejo.

 

Edit:

Hmm... Maybe I should rethink my Inquisitor idea untill I can work it better...

Inquisitor (NOT lord) (20 Points)

Gear: Inferno Pistol (+15), Power Armour? (+10points)

Power: Scourging (20 points)

Retinue:

3x Warrior (10each, 30 total), 2 equipped with heavy bolters (+15 each), 1 with plasma cannon (+35)

2x Acolytes (8 each, 16 total), Wearing power armour (10 each), Holding Bolters (+2 each)

1x Churgeon (12 each)

TOTAL FOR INQ ELITE AND RETINUE: 212points ;_;

 

Now you need to, in the beginning atleast until you get a hang on how to use your Inquisitor, specialize your inquisitor. What is his purpose, and how shall he accomplish it?

As you have it now, he has an inferno pistol (anti tank) and scourging "medium range" (anti infantry). Two different targets and this brings him up to alot of points.

warriors is kitted for anti infantry at "long range".

Acolytes, soaks wounds

and the medic to take away first inflicted wound.

Now I would say that you should take away the inferno pistol atleast. This is not really in the range of the purpose of this unit.

Power armours... is it really nessesary to add one could wounder? Well that depends on what else you have in your army. Are they more threatning than this unit?

If so, then your inquisitorial unit wont be targeted as much, thus a 4+ save is enough, leading to more points saved.

 

Now I would for this amount of points go for a MEQ inquisitor, but thats me. I would get warriros with special weapons (big possibility to make cool conversions), such as Flamer, melta, plasma. Now the inquisitor can wield either a plasma pistol or inferno pitol, depending on target.

Mount them in a rhino, Immolator, chimera, Valkyrie.

Using a Valkyrie one could do something nasty... Use turbo boost before the game starts (scout move) and in the first round jump out with the inquisitor and perhaps 3 warriors with meltaguns. There is a big chance that there will be a blown up tank (only works if you have the first turn).

Now of course... the inquisitor and his gang will be outnumbered and most likely killed. The Valkyrie can either turbo boost again to safety or stay and fight. But the inquisitor and his unit can be made really cheap for this purpose.

 

Anyhow, I hope you will find a way to use your inquisitor.

[Hellbreaker]

Cool, someone who considers lists roughly like me. ^_^

 

As a matter of fact I pretty much always get my head chopped off on forums when I post my tyranid lists with Raveners and next to no MC's.

Silly people...

 

Anyhow, looking good here, I really like it.

Now, your build looks somewhat similar to my planned army, in the way that you have Arco's and penitents. And Inq.+Assassin.

Now, I must follow your thread more extensively to gather some advice on how to apply these to my own army, since I have always liked the Inq, but never found a place for it in my army...

 

Still, looking great.

 

Cheers!

[Inquisitor Fox]

I get similar comments on a lot of boards about my close-combat WH Inquisitor. People assume that they can't, or that the Inquisitor and Retinue is a waste of points. I've had a couple instances where people actually asked for help and advice so they could help a newer WH player in their local group, and I managed to give enough advice that it fixed their view forever on Inquisitor's "uselessness."

 

My advice is to play and have fun, pick things that are neat or appeal to you and run with them. Chances are if they appeal to you, they fit your style, and you'll use them well. Don't use a unit because someone else says it's awesome and a must have. Read up on other styles and ideas, as you might not have considered something until someone else points it out, but play Your army Your way.

 

That being said, there's been several threads on this board about Inquisitors and Retinues, both shooty and close combat. Lots of info and ideas ^_^

[Vash]

I'll try to update this topic as my army goes on and develops into different styles. Its fun that some people acctually read and take intrest.

 

As said before, it's more important to field things you like, rather than fielding things that is just good.

In my opinion everything in the WH codex is good, as long as you know how to handle them and support them with the right things.

 

As Inquisitor NicolePyykkonen said, his close combat retinue is often frowned on by many players. "You could get Seraphims, etc etc instead" or my favorite "I can get howling Banshees (or somthing else similar from another dex) for less points". Well hey... its another codex :huh:

But the close combat Inquisitor and retinue has it's advantages over other units in the WH codex. Option to have a medic is one. Another, obvious, thing is boosting the inquisitors stat line. WS 5 is more than a Sister of Battle can have, and can really make a differance.

The inquisitors ability to choose if he shall pass or fail a moral check is one of my favorites. Has saved me several times.

 

Well anyway, I have lots of ideas I want to try out. And I'll post them as it comes.

One is making as Inquisitor NicolePyykkonen, and build a fully inquisitorial list. Though I'll ally with IG, more specically Elysians as I have a 1750 pts army with them... well 6 Valkyries take up alot of points though so I don't need so many Elysian models... still around 60 of them (fully mounted force).

Though this will require some repainting to be done, as that army is painted to look like Starship troopers...

[Shoitaan]

Some extremely good advice from all around. I'm really glad to see so many players trying alternate/more stylish :tu: methods of gameplay. Instead of having an idea of the engines and an idea for the Inq, I'm going to go back and make a really alternative idea of operation for the whole army.

 

Thanks lads ;)

[Vash]

Finnished of a game with the current list.

went acctually okey. A draw, but I am happy with that result. Didn't really know how to use the army list on the battle field to 100%.

Anyhow, my Penitents and acros didnt do much :) they made it to close combat but didnt really take down anything. Only thing that the PEs did was to hold Berserkers and a defiler for 4 combat rounds.

 

The Canoness took out a unit of nurgle on her own. so I am happy with her performance. And she also took down a Rhino... the intension was that the Acros would charge the Nurgle... but the rolled to low on the diff test. So the Acros got hammered down by a unit berserkers who charged them.

 

The Battle sisters and Celestians... well they didnt do much really. I missed alot, and in general they had bad luck. One unit secured an objective though.

 

BUT to my surprice, Inquisitor Boo did his job. Culexus found a nice piece of terrain in the middleish area of the battle field. From here he could lower the Leadership on the enemy and keep me safe from his Souless effect.

To my surprice, my opponents Chaos Lord and terminator retinue came into the Culexus range, and the Inquisitor quickly moved in for his pointiness of his finger.

Needless to say, the Chaos Lord failed his Ld4 test and ran away, and kept on doing so until the game ended.

 

Inquisitor Boo also scared away a 10-man tactical squad away from my objective holders. So, overall I am happy with the results he had. My friend/opponent coulnd not stop laughing over his though Chaos Lord, who runs away from a puny human...

He didnt really care that his thoughest unit ran away.

[Shoitaan]

Awesome recap. I'm sad to hear the Arco's didn't perform. Sisters Repentia are lousier arco's so if arco's don't perform then my repentia idea... :D

Tell me this though, did the Penitents and the arco's get holy rage/beserk before they charged in?

 

My idea for running Celestians would be to take advantage of their Holy Hatred (equipped with Sarissa's = potential for fun) instead of their shooting abilities but I'm guessing they wouldn't have faired too well in close combat against chaos.

 

Your inquisitor+Calexus combo sounds hilarious, I'd love to try it but sadly my friends circle don't really field psykers (SW, Necrons, Tau, Salamanders, Tyranids - I have literally never seen a psyker fielded if you don't count the necron lord... who doesn't count as a psyker I think but not sure). My mate that plays SW has left town for a few months. If he picks up the new codex I think I might start seeing more psykers around... then I can try this combo out :wub:

 

Did the cannoness die by the end or was she still around?

[Hellbreaker]

Tyranids - I have literally never seen a psyker fielded

 

Your Tyranid friend plays a REALLY odd army then... Since everything that is usable as an HQ is a psyker. :P

(Synapse is a psychic power)

Also since, unless s/he plays 'Zilla s/he will need the psykers... (Bar the fact an HQ is always required)

 

As mentioned, the terrifying(no?) Inquisitor Boo sounds hilarious.

I just thought up the scenario that the Inquisitor pointed at the Chaos lord and just shouted "You better have my money from our last poker night!"

 

Hilarious...

 

Oh, I will check with the guys at my club this weekend if I can borrow one of the Inquisitors a friend have and test it out. :)

 

Cheers!

[Vash]

Well fear not. The Acro-flaggelants are GOOD. I just happened to have a bad luck with them in this game. In my other 4 games I have used them, they have performed more than enough.

In the first game they took out around 25 Space Marines.

Second game, Tons of orks.

 

and so on. My point is that they will in many cases do what they are designed for, kill kill kill and get killed (self inflicted or not, doesnt matter).

Oh and to answer a question, all the PEs and Acros were under the influence of holy rage. Again, just bad luck and my opponent really feared my PEs and Acros more than anything, so he focuesed on them alot.

 

My next list will involve Repentias. And I have loads of plans for them :D

 

 

Inquisitor Boo will stay and reapear in many lists. He works really well and is not really bound to only causing fear. his unit has 3 plasmaguns and 1 plasma pistol, able to dash out some serious pain. The culexus... well not so good really if the fear factor isnt working (ie fearless armies such as Demons).

[Hellbreaker]

Looking forward to that. :unsure:

And yes, arco's are lovable. I use the time and I must say, all this hate is wrong.

Sure, they kill themselves, but that's the only thing that have had them killed for me... Suicide... Oh yeah. B)

 

Yet again, looking forward to a battle rep. (I assume/hope there will be one)

 

Cheers!

[lostsoul]

Love the photographs of your Sisters Vash. I like how you painted the white armour, the warmer tone makes the white look like ivory and angelic as opposed to a more Beil Tan white armour and a blue/grey, cold, shade for the shadowing in the seams between armour plates.

 

Some lovely conversion work and the addition of the burning braziers really does makes the whole Celestian squad stand out - objective achieved.

 

Look forward to seeing how the rest of your army looks.

[Eumenes]

Oh wow I am definitely going to use your work as inspiration to get back to painting my own sisters.

 

Now Vash, I skimmed through the thread, but I can't find anything detailing your use of the braziers on the backpacks. Could you please help a dude out and enlighten me as to where you got them?

 

EDIT agh sorry I didn't realize that this thread had been raised from the dead...

[panbient]

the brazier backpacks come from the Canoness, it's either 1 or 2 flames at random apparently.

[Eumenes]

Oh geez... that's a lot of collecting... :S