Inquisitorial Acolytes?

[Brother Captain Ed]

Has anyone found a good role for acolytes? They seem *really* underwhelming. BS 4, T3" 5+... And they aren't even cheap.

 

My first thought was to use Scions as makeshift Inquistorial Stormtroopers, but just using them as actual Scions and grafting an Inqusitor on is better in nearly every way.

 

Anyone have some non-obvious success? (Or obvious success that I'm too stupid to see at first?)

[WarriorFish]

They are not particular good as they come. I know some have made them little fire bases but that's as much the fact you can't do much else as anything! I'm thinking that their unique rules are what to aim for... but again that's not saying much. Having them as little characters to go round might be useful for example, even if that's just annoying opponents (perhaps keeping a tank in combat :lol: ) or running in support of other forces with special weapons?

 

Acolytes haven't been given a kind hand sadly, but fortunately for me while expensive for what they do they don't break the bank so I don't feel bad for including them for fun. I'm still working towards this with - you guessed it - a Stormtrooper Detachment ;)

[Zephaniah Adriyen]

Acolytes are trash.

 

That said, they're fluffy and excellent for that purpose alone. You can convert them from practically anything humanoid, and every single one of them can be a Character if you want.

[ThePenitentOne]

I'm not sayin they're great, but here are things that I like about them:

 

1. Everything Zephania said.

 

2. Super flexible load out options: if you want every one of them to have a plasma gun or power fist, go ahead.

 

3. Can use the seize for interrogation strategem, which is made somewhat easier by #2.

 

4. Can snipe characters while under the influence of the Psychic Pursuit, which can be maximized with #2.

 

5. Xenos Inquisitors can give character status to a whole unit.

 

6. Quarry IS a good ability- reroll both the hit and the wound roll, and not just when they're 1's. Really helps a unit with 5 plasma guns survive firing on max. The downside, of course is that it only works against your chosen enemy, but when it works, it can be deadly.

 

6. Small unit size ensures optimal ratio of Inquisitors. If you want more than one Inquisitor in your army without arguing semantics, you can field a vanguard with as few as 4 models. Acolytes, like Jokaero, absorb their Inquisitor's Ordo trait, meaning that you can field up to 9 units of them in a mixed ordo force without violating the rule of 3. If you double down by doing the same with Jokaero, that's 6 vanguard units, 2 of each ordo; what's more? You can do it with as few as 24 models, leaving you a chunk to build the allied force that they soup with; keep in mind, all 24 Inquisitor units are individual characters that can hitch a ride in any vehicle that your allied force puts on the table. 

 

Note: I've never experimented with list building anything like #6, but after writing this, I feel like I should give it a shake. I can see Xenos and Hereticus working together against a Genestealer Cult, with a Loyal 17 battalion from each of their Orders Militant- Inquisitors and Acolytes hitch rides in Immolators and Corvus Blackstars!

[Schlitzaf]

Acolytes need to be: given back 2 or 3 wounds, and/or moved to Troops, then given command squad limitation. As they are right now? Imho hot garbage. 8 points for being another wound on an inquistor. If I had to take them. It be like 2 1 Man. 6 SBolter or Bolter + 1 Jokero.

[ThePenitentOne]

Making Acolytes troops doesn't help unless they lift the restriction on 1 Inquisitor per detachment because you can't field Ordo Battalions or Brigades unless you can take more than 1 HQ. Multiple wounds would be nice, but it would raise the cost.

[Schlitzaf]

Patrol detachment

[Zephaniah Adriyen]

Patrol detachment

Inherently worse than a Vanguard, which is what Inquisition can do now for really cheap.

[WarriorFish]

Vanguard is great for the Inquisition, gives you a Command Point to spend on a Warlord Trait also ;)

[Expendable_Aquanaut]

Yeah I'm definitely not saying that acolytes are great but a full squad of plasma acolytes against their quarry is pretty deadly. Xenos inquisitors can keep them safe or another inquisitor can let them snipe characters. I play against a tyranid army pretty regularly though so I might be slightly biased.

 

Not saying they are even points efficient at all but I think they're a fun choice that could be okay in relatively friendly games. Plus the modeling opportunities are super fun.

[Brother Captain Ed]

Yeah. When acolytes use their quarry bonus I think they are interesting and cost appropriate. But when they don't (which is most of the time), then, eh.....

 

I wonder if the quarry bonus should be expanded. Like, before the game you have the choice of using the big bonus (Ordo Xenos vs orks, for example) or a lesser but still applicable version of the rule versus characters or something. The all or nothing Ordo restrictions are hard to swallow on such expensive models with such little utility.

[Expendable_Aquanaut]

Yeah. I do like that idea of a lesser bonus that applies no matter the opponent.

 

That said, I think the jokaero weaponsmith is how GW has sought to solve this problem. Keeping one of those space monkeys in range of your acolyte squads helps keep them relevant even without quarry. Again, likely not worth it in anything competitive but if you don't know your opponent I think jokaero are a good addition. They're also kind of cool models. In most games that I play I try and operate under the rule of the more monkeys you can bring in a list the better.

[ThePenitentOne]

I want to build a team; tell me if this has been done before:

 

A wizened old Inquisitor, trying to teach what he knows before succumbing to inevitable death.

The young, promising Acolyte who is eager to learn.

The most Roguish of Roque Trader pilots

The non-verbal, furry Jokaero Co-pilot

A tall gold plated servitor

And a short one who communicates primarily through beeps and whistles...

 

And of course, the young, fresh faced cannoness initiate who they must rescue from the clutches of Chaos Sorceror Lord Garth Slator...

 

No, seriously though... A Jokaero kill team crash lands in their custom spacecraft, right in the middle of a full scale realspace raid of the dark Eldar. While his Death Watch kill team allies assist the planetary PDF forces hold of the main force of raiders, radical Inquisitor Lord of the Ordo Xenos and his loyal Acolytes make contact with the Jokaero to protect them from slavers in return for their assistance repairing the shield generators of a vulnerable hive city.

 

I wish they would release a build your own acolytes box and plastic Jokaero in boxes of three. Some of the Necromunda models can make pretty badass acolytes, but Jokaero need more than a single resin monopose model. I also think Jokaero should be able to fight with the Tau.

[Expendable_Aquanaut]

Yes! Haha it took me a second to realize what you were talking about at first. Good one...

 

Haha I would play both of those scenarios.

 

I totally agree about jokaero though. If they had like two more model variants I would be super happy. If anyone knows any good proxies please send me some links! I know some people use dust tactics gorillas or the at43 karmans but they are too big and strong looking for me. I actually use the dust gorillas for bullgryn counts as. But yeah any tiny monkey models out there would be great!