Beginning to build the Inquisition

[ThePenitentOne]

I picked up Ashes of Faith from my store today, and on Wednesday, we're getting our peek at the Agents Index, so I thought it was time to start my Inquisition building thread. I want to unpack some of the useful flavour pieces pieces from the Inquisition rule set. 

 

First, some background on what I hope to achieve:

 

I want at least one Radical and one Puritan Inquisitor for each Ordo. Some of the named Inquisitors fit my criteria, where others do not... But I generally want (and pretty much have) all of the named ones too. I then want a small selection of Imperial Agent units to support each of those Ordos (at a minimum) and and in some cases, these forces might need enough options to be fielded with their respective Radical or Puritan.  Finally, each Ordo will have significant Chamber Militant forces to back them up.

 

I'm not going to dig into that until Wednesday, but I wanted to define my scope. Now here's the main attraction: the narrative tools in Kill Team often provide me with design cues for army lists, terrain, and most importantly campaign and story building, and Ashes of Faith is no exception.

 

First, here's the list of Bases of Operation, listed with my ideas about how they may support the development of my Inquisitorial forces:

 

Aquila Orbital Landers:  It's a shame that the Aquila Lander from Forgeworld was discontinued, but here's hoping that means plastic. If so, a Kill Team that has this option would have those Aquila Landers in their 40k detachment. This may also suggest breachers. Also: Aquilas are landers, but there is another base of operations that includes a frigate, so I figure these Landers would be used to shuttle Agents between a space station, orbital platform or moon base and the parent planet. To me, this has an Ordo Xenos feel to it- an Orbital Platform watch fortress.

 

Inquisitorial Sub-Citadel: This option works great for forces that are heavy in Acolyte units built from Necromunda Gangers, because it fits with a hive city. It's best suited to the Hereticus I think, particularly those of a more punitive nature, hence the subterranean imagery. I feel like Arbites have a role to play in managing the Penitent- even if it's just patrolling and "Disappearing" agitators and suspected heretics. That feels Puritan... And to me, Karamazov is the Epitome of Puritan as an Inquisitor that doesn't use psychic powers, aka Heretical Witchpower. I mean, sure, Greyfax CALLS herself a Puritan, but when you get right down to it, how pure can a witch really be, right?

 

Trouble is, underground doesn't really fit Karamazov either- he's kind of a big shiny Dreadnaught type dude, and he feels like he needs either a battlefield or a grandiose, sweeping courtroom to preside over. Fortunately, I have two old generic Hereticus Inquisitors who could be fielded as non-psychic Inquisitors (if that's still an option in 10th). 

 

Psy-shrouded Frigate: This screams Malleus, as Psy-Shrouding has GK all over it. Another option could be a Blackship with a Non-Psychic Inquisitor and a full Battalion or even Brigade of SoS... but the later is back to Hereticus, and they're already over represented in this list. Deathwatch are equally likely to be on a capital ship, but the Psy-Shrouding isn't as good a fit for them as it is for GK.

 

Amidst the Wretched: Another Hereticus option. This one has heavy Ministorum/ Sororitas support beyond the Penitent units that characterize the Sub-Citadel. Still a good fit for Agent units based on Necromunda models... And Cawdor/ Redemptionists in particular.

 

Seized Command Post: This can work for any Ordo, but it's good for extremely militant Inquisitors. It feels more Xenos/ Malleus than Hereticus to me... But see my thoughts on Karamazov above. I think it's particular suitable to combined armies that are coordinated by the Inquisition- things like Armies of Faith from 9th. It feels like guard should be a part of this, which means Kasrkin or Scions.

 

Ecclesiarchal Chapel: Only suitable for Hereticus, and it's definitely bringing Sisters. It feels more neutral than the Sub-Citadel or Amidst the Wretched though; it will take its identity at least in part from the Sisters stationed there.

 

The next set of tools I want to look at are the Strategic Assets:

 

Interrogation Chamber: This is the only item in the list that is a terrain feature. It really suits the Sub-Citadel or the Psy-Shrouded Frigate; it could also be made to fit with particularly grimdark Chapels or Command Posts. Arbites have a place here.

 

Spy: Okay, I really like this one for Radical Xenos, to represent Alien agents... Like an Eldar Ranger or Corsair who keeps an Inquisitor up to date on all things Eldar, or a Kroot Killbroker whose Kinband is looking for Mercenary work. A spy is also useful for the Hereticus, but I don't see much of a role for a spy with in service to the Malleus.

 

High-Placed Collaborator: This feels like a potential Rogue Trader connection. It also feels right for Inquisitors who make use of Imperial Assassins, as they require political power. This goes well with the type of Inquisitor who would make use of a Seized Command Post.

 

So there you have it- my background thoughts on how my forces might function and develop over time. I'm not certain of anything yet... Except possibly that Kyria Draxus, as a Radical, has an extensive network of Alien spies including Dayak Grek and a Zoat, as well as a Corsair and a Ranger. She also works extensively with Jokaero. She doesn't let her Chamber Militant allies know about these activities, but she has other Radical Xenos Agents that support her more clandestine operations.

 

I'll have more to discuss after the Faction Focus on Wednesday.

[ThePenitentOne]

Today's Imperial Agents faction focus has made one thing perfectly clear: 10th edition is utterly incapable of supporting Inquisition and Agents.

 

I will be building my Inquisition collection based on 9th edition rules. I will be combining the Inquisition list from PA: Pariah (as it includes the Ordo Malleus Terminator), the Octarius I Rogue Trader list (which includes Crusade rules) and the 9th ed PDF for Breachers and Arbites, and using this as the basis of a real document that actually supports narrative use of Agents.

 

Why 9th?

 

Simple: 9th has more tools. Customization via subfaction/ psychic abilities is something that doesn't exist in 10th. There is literally nothing to work with.

 

When it's done, might I try and convert it to 10th?

Maybe. For right now, it's doubtful.

Part of me wants to, because most players will switch systems, and I'd like anything I create to be useful to as many people as possible.

A 9th ed Agents dex, no matter how excellent, won't be useful to most of my Fraters.

[librisrouge]

I'm there with you. The current rules released make it 99% clear that fielding an Inquisition army is nearly impossible. No detachment almost guarantees that you can't field agents directly. The rules for incorporating them into other armies means I'm probably stuck with 1 inquisitor and 1 assassin, with a squad or two maybe joining them once we know the rules more specific. In past editions, that would come to 400ish points if I'm being generous.

 

What also concerns me is how Agents don't benefit from the existing faction and detachment rules. I get why, I really do, but one of my main armies is Grey Knights. Can they teleport with an inquisitor attached? Can they auto-6 an advance with Coteaz coming along? Probably not. Now I'm in a position where I not only can't use the faction I actually want but bringing them along with another means I can't use their rules either. Damned if I do or don't.

[Emperor Ming]

Its just crazy at this point, I just don't get it

 

Its a good job I have xenos armies, at least they get love from gw

[ThePenitentOne]

After posting in all the other threads, I've managed to figure out a lot of the details for a 9th dex.

 

I just downloaded Brother Tyler's awesome 9th ed Index Astartes template (thanks BT- that makes life SO much easier), so it's just a matter of transferring all the bits and pieces of existing rules/ profiles and reorganizing them. Then I'll fill in the original content. It's mostly a cut and paste job- most of the units already exist.

 

My one regret is that it doesn't make sense to add a repressor because the lack of fire points for other vehicles makes it unfair, whereas a 10th ed card would be totally fair game. If I bother porting the dex to 10th, I'll add a repressor card, but until then the Arbites are stuck with the Rhino.

 

I don't have access to the 9th ed FW Compendium, so it'll be hard to add the Vulture, Avenger, and Thunderbolt to the Navis Imperialis Section of the Agents dex- they'll have to be content with the Valkyrie. For that matter, the Inquisition will have to go without Hector Rex and Solomon Locke.

 

The hardest part will be the Crusade content: Rogue Traders already have serviceable Crusade content, but all 3 Ordos, Arbites and Breachers need it. I've got some tools for the Inquisition from Ashes of Faith that I can convert from KT to 40k. Actually, ditto on Arbites and Breachers.

 

That's all for now- time to crash.

 

If tomorrow's preview is detachment rules for bespoke Marine detachments for DA/BA/DW/SW/BT, it will be salt in the wound that is the utter lack of effort given the the Agents "Index." If so, each of those subfactions will have access to two detachments at launch since nothing stops them from defaulting to Gladius if they like it better. While we don't get even one detachment.