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I'm looking for some background for an inquisitor/Red Hunter Space marine army I'm making for a league that rewards having a themed back story for your army and I have a few questions.

The idea for the army is an Ordo Xenos task force with an Inquisitor + Retinue/assets plus an Allied Space marine force build around a Red Hunter Battle company. My problem is that while both the ordo Xenos and Red Hunters have established backgrounds, they don't have much detail for their inner workings or make up.

The Red Hunters chapter is often stated as acting on behalf of the inquisition. They are a 2nd Founding chapter that has a mysterious origin, beyond their close ties to the inqs they act as a codex compliant chapter in all known respects. The most mention I could get on them is from Vraks and their chapter tactics on Forgeworld.

Here are my questions, any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

1. Is there any convention for naming space marine tasks forces, as the army is a Battle company at its core plus a few extra units (scouts, 1st company veterans, etc). So would it be the referred to as the 5th battle company or Strike force "something Latin" or named after the commander?

2. The Inquisitor's retinue is going to be made up of IG Veterans who were recruited from various units/warzones and I wanted to know if there were any background on how this was done. I have no problem with writing my own and I could imagine that each inquisitor has their own methods/twists but I'd prefer to use established methods if there are any. (I need an excuse to field a few of my spare Kasrkin, some of the best IG models IMHO)

3. As part of the theme I'm planning to have my Stern guard represented as DeathWatch Veterans showing up on behalf of the Ordo Xenos. Outside of drop pods do deathwatch units have any other vehicles like Dreads, Razorbacks/rhinos or Storm ravens?

4. I'm also looking for a little background on inquisitor blackships as I've heard they are a type of strike cruiser with a more stubtle build than the standard marines who want their prescience known. Would these ships have teleport systems as I thought only space marine Battle barges had them.

5. Is there a template anywhere that I could use to make an organizational chart for the task force? I'm looking for outlines of vehicles, ships, etc.

Again any help would be great, hopefully someone how better knowledge of this stuff than I do.

Highly recommend the Deathwatch novels if you have not read them already… dark but good

As you say the 40k background is both a curse and a delight

Its often vague and contradictory - but this means it’s easy to make what you want.

Naming Conventions - none that I am aware of - they are often fairly descriptive or as you say named after the commander - on the other hand a force operating overtly at the direction of an Inquisitor may be designated by her and hence be named for a variety of reasons, mere whim not being the least of these:

*To disguise their fighting style (or the opposite) and / or objective
*To highlight the command the Inquisitor has over them
*To sow doubt in others as to what the Inquisitor’s resource level is.

Recruitment: Again hugely variable but often are those that have proved themselves useful in combat (or other situations) and who either will not be missed or are considered dead. A overt Inquisitor may recruit specialist guard kill teams in the same way as Astartes Squads – even leading them into battle himself. Others may work with a huge chain of go-betweens and so the veterans may only feel her influence as a fleeting, uncertain thing. They also may take those who might otherwise be slain but are highly useful. So mere men and women who have stood against such as the Dark Eldar say might normally be in line for a bullet as they “know too much“ about the enemy and how effective they are that they can-not allowed to spread such “lies”. Equally a tried and tested unit might languishing forgotten in some backwater garrison -desperate for action – some Inquisitors may have arranged the same.

Black ships are usually the vessels sent to claim the tithe of Pyskers from all Imperial worlds.

Inquisitors sometimes have ships – often very high spec and with Xenos/ Ad Mech special additions – others have Rogue Trader minions or even pretend to be them – although Inquisitor Vail does agree that this has become a cliché… but then she has her own warp capable yacht. and pet Rogue Trader.

The Inquisition wields near-total power within the Imperium. A figure wielding a rosette can order the destruction of a world, and can command any resource required to achieve the goals of his or her Inquiry.

Inquisitor encounters Nasty Alien #46857546. The Red Hunters are nearby for some reason. Inquisitor flashes his/her rosette and says, "I'm on a mission from the God-Emperor. You guys work for me now."

Now the Inquisitor has a Space Marine Chapter at his/her disposal.

 Psienesis wrote:
Inquisitor flashes his/her rosette and says, "I'm on a mission from the God-Emperor. You guys work for me now."

Some Inquisitors might do that, but most will probably say it in a somewhat more diplomatic manner. For example "I have discovered a serious threat to the IoM and only the Emperor's finest - that's you - can possibly stop it in time". No sense in making enemies when you can make friends.

As for retinues they can be made up of just about anyone and anything, but I'd imagine there's one requirement above all - the people have to want to serve the Inquisitor. Or at least that's my thinking if I was an Inquisitor. A man can be the best bodyguard in the sector, but if he doesn't want to leave his cozy job guarding spoiled nobles he's not really a man I want at my back when the chips are down.

About the Deathwatch, the wargear you talk about seems to fit in their role. As they are exclusively deployed in small kill-teams, they don't have heavy armour nor support artillery. I think Land Raiders (but not too many), Stormraven and Dreadnoughts in DP are a reasonable way to equip your force. But keep in mind even Dreads and Terminator TDA are rare in the ranks of the Deathwatch; they are supposed to work in very tiny squads to cleanse the worst xenos species before they turn into a greater threat. For example, when Damnos was invaded by Necrons, the Inquisition only dispached a handful of squads (1 strike force, no precise number of kill team in it).

Spetulhu wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:
Inquisitor flashes his/her rosette and says, "I'm on a mission from the God-Emperor. You guys work for me now."

Some Inquisitors might do that, but most will probably say it in a somewhat more diplomatic manner. For example "I have discovered a serious threat to the IoM and only the Emperor's finest - that's you - can possibly stop it in time". No sense in making enemies when you can make friends.

As for retinues they can be made up of just about anyone and anything, but I'd imagine there's one requirement above all - the people have to want to serve the Inquisitor. Or at least that's my thinking if I was an Inquisitor. A man can be the best bodyguard in the sector, but if he doesn't want to leave his cozy job guarding spoiled nobles he's not really a man I want at my back when the chips are down.

Yes, true, but Im keeping it simple for the purposes of this thread.