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There's a similar question going on right now on this page that focuses more on who is ultimately in charge of the Imperium, and it's good reading. I came here asking this question and I hoped to find it answered in that thread, but alas, it was not, so here's a new thread. The question is at what command level is Exterminatus ordered?

The Inquisition. AFAIK only they have the real 'right' to order one but i'd say that SM Chapter Masters and IG Commanders (high level commanders) probably also have the authority to do so in certain circumstances. Though with IG they would need to be an army group general of a crusade or something...

May depend on the sources you read, but the 40k rulebooks make a point about Exterminatus being connected to the Inquisition, and always the Inquisition alone.

I've read somewhere that Astartes warships can also carry Exterminatus devices, but in combination with the above I suppose this would mean that they may have the ability to deliver the payload but are not granted the right to use it whenever they want. Similar to the Imperial Navy.
Not that this would always prevent unauthorized usage, mind you, especially if a Chapter goes rogue.

At least that's how I've come to see it.

Many SM ships carry exterminatus stuff on them. It is sometimes the only way an Inquisitor can get one carried out, by ordering an SM ship to do it.
However the few Inquisition shps that exist in sufficient size have exterminatus stuff as well and some Navy ships have them.

In C: SM It is mentioned that Calgar issues the order for Exterminatus a couple of times. It is also mentioned that The Blood Swords use it, so I guess Chapter Masters have the right to order it as well.

Fairly certain it isn't just the inquisition, especially since exterminates also includes severe planetary bombardment. Inquisitors can be very rare. If the planet is getting overrun by tyranids or chaos there is no guarantee an inquisitor will be available, but exterminatus must still be performed.

I think the Inquisition are the only ones who can order certain types, like virus bombing, but high level commanders from several organizations have the authority: Space Marines, Guard, Navy, High Lords, and obviously full inquisitors.

I'd say only the very senior guard commanders can order it...

Inquisitors (High Ranking, I would assume)
Space Marine Masters

I think that's it. Maybe extremely high ranking humans like Yarrick could as well.

riplikash wrote:I think the Inquisition are the only ones who can order certain types [...]

Hum, I guess that would make sense, especially if severe planetary bombardment via lance strikes already counts as Exterminatus, too. Works for me, anyways.

purplefood wrote:I'd say only the very senior guard commanders can order it...

I'm not sure if the Imperial Guard could order anything from the Imperial Navy, but senior IG Commanders can be elevated to Warmaster status, which (iirc) also gives them command of the Navy assets attached to the campaign - and with it the ability to indeed decree Exterminatus?

Now, I'm operating on the assumption that "Warmaster" isn't an IG rank but rather something above all the combined arms. It has been ages since I read that stuff, though, so I could well remember wrong here.

Inquisitors only have 2 ranks...
Inquisitor and Lord Inquisitor.
Though some are inevitably more senior than others.

Lord Inquisitor isn't actually a rank, it's a term of respect. There are several ranks in the inquisition lower than Inquisitor though. Interrogator, for example, would be an example of a member of the Inquisition that isn't considered a "full inquisitor". They have vast, far reaching power, much like an inquisitor, but would likely not be authorized to actually perform an exterminates.

There can be many ranks below that too, but once you become an Inquisitor you are technically equal in authority to all other inquisitors. But the reality of the situation is that some Inquisitors are more equal than others.

riplikash wrote:Lord Inquisitor isn't actually a rank, it's a term of respect. There are several ranks in the inquisition lower than Inquisitor though. Interrogator, for example, would be an example of a member of the Inquisition that isn't considered a "full inquisitor". They have vast, far reaching power, much like an inquisitor, but would likely not be authorized to actually perform an exterminates.

There can be many ranks below that too, but once you become an Inquisitor you are technically equal in authority to all other inquisitors. But the reality of the situation is that some Inquisitors are more equal than others.

A Lord Inquisitor has power over an Inquisitor.
The way i understand it is that a Lord Inquisitor is responsible for the co-ordination (when required) of many Inquisitors.
Interregators are in-training inquisitors but apart from that there isn't another rank... not AFAIK.

There are several ranks of Acolyte who are being trained to one day take the rank of Inquisitor. Explicator and then, from memory, I think there's another rank or two and Interregator is the top rank, those who are ready to make the final leap to the lofty heights of power the rank of Inquisitor brings.

As others have said, Exterminatus is pretty much only ever ordered by the Inquisition and they alone have the absolute authority to order a planet to be declared Exterminatus.

Depending on the fluff you read, Lord Inquisitor is either just a term of respect, or is an actual rank that is afforded to an Inquisitor when two other Lord Inquisitors of the sub-Sector Conclave put his/her name forward, and second the motion.

A Warmaster would have the authority to order Exterminatus, yes, as they're a combined-arms leader of Imperial military forces... but a simple Guard Commander? No... unless he plans on blowing the planet up from under his own feet, as he doesn't have a ride off the place without the Navy, of whom the Guard is not in command. Creed did blow a planet or two up, but is the Lord Castellan of Cadia, which probably grants him command of combined Imperial forces.

purplefood wrote:
A Lord Inquisitor has power over an Inquisitor.
The way i understand it is that a Lord Inquisitor is responsible for the co-ordination (when required) of many Inquisitors.
Interregators are in-training inquisitors but apart from that there isn't another rank... not AFAIK.

It really depends on the fluff you are going with. The newer push has been for Inquisitor Lord (FFG rpgs, grey knights codex, a few novels) has been for the title "lord" to not so much be an absolute rank as but more a recognition of an inquisitors power and influence, e.g. it doesn't confer you authority, you had the authority already and it is being recognized by your fellow inquisitors. But I know in the past it has been a rank, so since all fluff is valid it just depends on which you want to go with.

If you want to go with the new fluff you could still call the 'lord' title a rank as you are granted it by being nominated by an existing lord and confirmed by two other lords. It grants no additional legal authority, however. It is just a recognition of power and authority already gained. If we want to treat that as a rank we should also consider the ranks of Grand-Master (head of a conclave) and Master (other heads of a conclave).

Interrogators are not just 'inquisitors in training', though they are the rank just below inquisitor, so inquisitors in training would often hold that rank. But it is entirely possible to be an interrogator for life. As for acolyte ranks there are Explicator (as has been mentioned), Neophyte, Novitiates, Approbators, and numerous others.

The thing about the inquisition, like everything in the Imperium, is there is no standard. It depends on the ordos, the region, and the conclave in question.

These are excellent responses and cleared up that question for me. I'm writing a campaign in my free time and the wiki article on Exterminatus didn't really specify who could order it. Someone should add it!

The thing is, the Imperium is so massive and fragmented that even the people in command don't have a clear picture of all that is going on. The Inquisition might have the official power to order Exterminatus, but the Marines and Navy have the tools for it (and as said often carry it out as the Inquisition's ships might be nowhere near).

So while people like Marneus Calgar might not have official sanction he can do an Exterminatus - and it would be a very ballsy Inquisitor who didn't excuse Calgar as much as humanly possible in his report. It helps if the target wasn't actually very valuable compared to the sheer amount of enemies taken out. Yarrick doing Exterminatus on Armageddon just to kill Ghazgkhull would probably be executed for treason, Hero of the Empire or not.

lol My thoughts exactly.

Marneus: "We will commence exterminatus... "
Inquisitor: "But...."
Marneus: *harsh glare* "WE WILL commence"
Inquisitor: "B---.. uhhh okay..."

There are accounts of Astartes doing exterminatus as well. Makes sense given how independent they are and since Astartes warships are the ones that carry out exterminatus anyway.

Also for operational reasons I really doubt high-ranking Imperial Admirals can't do it either.

From the fluff I have read it seems that Astartes can do it, in the Blood Ravens novels(I know,but they still count) a mere captain orders a couple.

Inquisitors obviously can do it.
I would imagine a Warmaster could order one, and I suspect that if a guard commander and a fleet admiral had a decent working relationship or pressing enough need they would do it as well.

The AdMech almost certainly has the means, and I imagine would Virus Bomb a world or lots if they had proper motivation.

Since Astartes have no authority whatsoever over other imperial organisations i wonder how they can justify declaring exterminatus over a world, especialy imperial ones.

How would Astartes not have power over worlds? They're Adeptus Astartes. They have the Emperors blood in their veins. If anything, they should have even more control and say-so than the ridiculous Inquisition.

I think the reasoning goes: "This world is irrevocably tainted, I happen to have this here battle barge with cyclonic torpedoes, perhaps I can use the latter to solve the former."

IronSnake wrote:How would Astartes not have power over worlds? They're Adeptus Astartes. They have the Emperors blood in their veins. If anything, they should have even more control and say-so than the ridiculous Inquisition.

It doesn't matter whose blood they have in their vains. The Astartes do no longer have any authority over the other imperial organisations. This was part of their reorganisation after the heresy.
Tbh, i would rather trust a learned Inquisitor than some brainwashed psychopath with a superiority complex.

Oh... ok... right.

I'm not particularly sure it takes authority over something to blow it up, I am pretty sure it takes the ability to blow something up to do so.

The Astartes carry Exterminatus weapons for a reason, individuals as low ranking as Captain have gotten away with it in the fluff without serious consequence,

IronSnake wrote:lol My thoughts exactly.

Marneus: "We will commence exterminatus... "
Inquisitor: "But...."
Marneus: *harsh glare* "WE WILL commence"
Inquisitor: "I hereby accuse thee of foul heresy for speaking out against, and attempting to subvert the authority of the most Holy Emperor's Inquisition. You will be confined pending investigation and trial. Suck on that you blue git."

Fixed that for you there. I know it was meant to be a joke, but Calgar could not get away with countermanding an Inquisitors orders, ever, no matter how important he thought he was. The authority of the Inquisition is absolute and no-one is above it. Attempting to subvert that authority is heresy as you're denying an Inquisitor and thus doing the work of the enemy.

Calgar could get away with ordering Exterminatus but if an Inquisitor says "No" then thats the end of the matter. However, Calgar isn't stupid, for all that he's an Ultramarine, and if he reckoned a world should be condemned as Exterminatus then there would be a good reason and the Inquisition would most likely agree with it.

As for Astartes Captains 'getting away' with ordering Exterminatus, if an Inquisitor caught up with them over it they might full-well agree with their reasons for reducing the planet to ash. If they don't, that's it for that Space Marine Captain. Exterminatus is a last resort, when a world/planet is too far gone and there are no other options. This is why Inquisitors are supposed to be the only ones with the authority, officially, to sanction Exterminatus (apart from those few who are granted the authority to order it due to their role). Last thing the Imperium wants to do is destroy planets which could be retaken and still be of use to the Imperium, so having Astartes Captains, Admirals and Lord-Generals running around ordering Exterminatus is generally a bad, bad thing.

The fluff regarding the exterminatus comes from novels, so basically it's a bit fuzzy. As far as I know, Inquisitors have the authority to declare exterminatus, but only the Space Marines are authorized to carry the munitions to perform it (Grey Knights, Deathwatch usually, but any Chapter will do). So, Space Marines can perform exterminatus without an Inquisitor, but will have to explain/justify such an act. And when I mean exterminatus, I mean with virus bombs, cyclonic torpedoes. If it's just a bombardment with lances, nova cannons, ordinary torpedoes, bombardment cannons, then any high ranker could order it.

Sparks_Havelock wrote:

Fixed that for you there. I know it was meant to be a joke, but Calgar could not get away with countermanding an Inquisitors orders, ever, no matter how important he thought he was. The authority of the Inquisition is absolute and no-one is above it. Attempting to subvert that authority is heresy as you're denying an Inquisitor and thus doing the work of the enemy.

Calgar could get away with ordering Exterminatus but if an Inquisitor says "No" then thats the end of the matter. However, Calgar isn't stupid, for all that he's an Ultramarine, and if he reckoned a world should be condemned as Exterminatus then there would be a good reason and the Inquisition would most likely agree with it.

As for Astartes Captains 'getting away' with ordering Exterminatus, if an Inquisitor caught up with them over it they might full-well agree with their reasons for reducing the planet to ash. If they don't, that's it for that Space Marine Captain. Exterminatus is a last resort, when a world/planet is too far gone and there are no other options. This is why Inquisitors are supposed to be the only ones with the authority, officially, to sanction Exterminatus (apart from those few who are granted the authority to order it due to their role). Last thing the Imperium wants to do is destroy planets which could be retaken and still be of use to the Imperium, so having Astartes Captains, Admirals and Lord-Generals running around ordering Exterminatus is generally a bad, bad thing.

Um. . . the Space Wolves, at least, have flat-out MURDERED Inquisitors before. Calgar could easily get away with countermanding an Inquisitor's order; what are they going to do, arrest him and spark an open war between the Ultramarines and the Inquisition? That would be the worst civil war since the Horus Heresy. The Imperium would simply kill the Inquisitor who started the whole thing and smooth everything over, rather than risk that.

The Adeptus Astartes are not subject to the authority of the Inquisition, and do not hold it in particularly high respect. Technically, yes, the Inquisition CAN condemn a Space Marine. . . but any Inquisitor who tried to condemn Marneus Calgar would rapidly find that in the Imperium, your authority is limited by the guns at your command, and Marneus Calgar not only has the whole Ultramarines chapter behind him but also the entire Imperial Guard of the Ultramar sector, as well as any Ultramarine successor chapters which were close enough to help. The authority of the Inquisition is LEGALLY unlimited, but in reality the power of any given Inquisitor is highly circumscribed. That seal is supposed to be able to allow you to commandeer any resources you want, but when you're out on the Eastern Fringe alone, with no other Inquisitor within a hundred light-years and every military organization personally loyal to the Ultramarines, your actual power is precisely equal to what you can persuade others to give you. Attempting to arrest or execute a famous, powerful, publicly devout and highly influential individual like Marneus Calgar would be EXTREMELY difficult, if not outright impossible, and I think would more often end with the quiet dropping of all charges and the disappearance of the Inquisitor who tried it.

All that said; Exterminatus doesn't happen very often. It's very much a last resort. Official Exterminatus can only happen on an Imquisitor's command. Unofficially. . . well, if you've got a battlegroup of the Imperial Navy, or any significant fraction of a Chapter fleet, in orbit around a rebel world that isn't giving up no matter how hard you pound it, then you might as well level the place and rebuild from the glass up. A Chapter Master or Warmaster has the authority to do that, even if they don't call it 'Exterminatus'.

BeRzErKeR wrote:Um. . . the Space Wolves, at least, have flat-out MURDERED Inquisitors before.

Now, the Space Wolves are the Space Wolves and break pretty much every other Astartes fluff rule in existence. This should not be taken to mean that any other Marine Chapter can pull off stupid stuff such as taking on an entire Segmentum worth of Imperial Navy and win and all that. This would be like saying every Marine can survive in the warp because of Draigo. Some things might better be regarded with ... how shall we put it ... a certain distance from the more reasonable pieces of background (usually the ones that do not hype a specific character or company and instead focus on the anonymous general standards for a faction).
Of course it's all a matter of interpretations, so no opinion on this can ever be flat-out wrong - I just believe it important to point out that there are some things not quite adding up when you focus on such exceptions and compare them to the rest.

BeRzErKeR wrote:The Adeptus Astartes are not subject to the authority of the Inquisition, [...]

When you look at GW fluff, they are, given that it clearly says in the Inquisition's info that everybody is subject to the Inquisition's authority. Right up to the High Lords of Terra.
You are quite correct regarding the game of influence and politics, however, so it would come down to who makes the better argument. Half the Space Marines of the entire Imperium having defected to Chaos once already means that no-one is ever above suspicion, not even a Marneus Calgar. Not that I believe that Calgar would ever mess up so badly that he creates a situation where his loyalty can truly be called into question in the first place, though. He's no Space Wolf, after all.