Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I've decided to start a second army on top of my Orks, and for a while now I've been wanting to do an Inquisition themed army. I have some questions:

What political role does the Inquisition really fill now-a-days in the Imperium? Do other powers trust them, isn't each inquisitor pretty stand-alone in jurisdiction? Also, what if an Inquisitor decided to try to form an Ultramar-lite, a sub-empire within the imperium? Would that be taken badly completely, or is their room for him/her to maneuver that and still be fluffy?

I want the centerpiece of the army to be my Inquisitor and his/her Acolytes, but to fill it out and play full games, I'll need other factions. I don't really want to use too many main line factions (AM, SM, etc.) except to use smaller portions of them that would accompany my Inquisitor logically. any Suggestions to which ones might accompany/do the bidding of this character? ...I would definitely NOT want to buy a lot of codices (read, more than 2), I do have Index: Imperium 2, though.

Thoughts? Perhaps some of you could provide ideas for factions that could accompany my Inquisitor? Thank you!

Hey!
Welcome to the Inquisition!

The Inquisition fulfills the same role it always has, and is in fact even busier. Most other Imperial factions "trust" Inquisitors, but are extremely cautious and nervous around them, mostly because making an enemy of one means Excommunication and a declaration of Traitor. Inquisitors maintain the ability to annex any Imperial faction to complete their own task and it is not unheard of for entire chapters of space marines to dedicate their service to a single Inquisitor. No one is safe from an Inquisitors judgment, from regular citizens to planetary governors, or even Space Marine Chapter Masters. Even the Mechanicum must follow an Inquisitors will. Many Inquisitors, particularly high ranking ones, can amass huge personal armadas and requisite entire planets to their cause, whatever that may be.
An Inquisitor can employ any Imperial faction, but 3 are closely tied to them.

The Adeptus Ministorum is home to the Sisters of Battle and Sisters of Silence, as well as Preachers. They are usually tapped by Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors to hunt rogue Psykers and mortal Chaos Forces/

The Deathwatch is exclusively tied to the Ordo Xenos and regularly work with Inquisitors from that faction. They are a special chapter of Space Marines that are pulled from other chapters as a term of service. Their armor is painted Black with only their left shoulder pad retaining their original chapters color and icons. Otherwise the bear the Inquisition "I".

The Grey Knights are another special Space Marine Chapter and work closely with the Ordo Malleus. They specialize in Daemon Hunting, and like the Deathwatch, bear the Inquisition seal all over their armor.

Assassins are also a favored ally of Inquisitors. They can kill what the Inquisitor wants killed, quietly. Most Inquisitors favor Callidus or Celexus Assassins.

Of course, some more radical Inquisitors will use Xenos and Daemons to fight. You will find Joakero Weaponsmiths and Daemonhosts under the employ of these Inquisitors.

Aside from those factions, any Imperial army is available to you. Just remember with most Space Marine Chapters, you will lose their Chapter Tactics if the Inquisitor is part of their Detachment. A lot of fluff tends to have Inquisitors working closely with Astra Militarum forces too.

I don't think the sisters of silence are part of the ministorum, but rather the telepathica.

Likewise I suspect that the sisters of silence, like the Custodes are not beholden to the inquisition in anyway.

Inquisitorial Storm Troopers are often found with inquisitors in the field.

If you want to have a fluffy/thematic force, I think the first step is to choose an ordo. This will influence what other units you could incorporate.

With ordo hereticus, stuff from adeptus minestorum makes a lot of sense, especially crusaders (they used to be in the inquisition in previous codex). Squads of crusaders and flamer acolytes riding heavy flamer chimeras or immolators match pretty well the "burn the heretic" mantra.
With ordo malleus, grey knights are a natural match.
With ordo xenos, it's the deathwatch.

But if you're not a big fan of bringing super soldiers (and only top inquisitors would be able to call upon GK or DW support), you'll really have to bulk up on acolytes. Some AM stormtroopers work pretty well too.
Do you have any models in mind to make your acolytes? If you want to bring more than a small retinue, you'll need a good supply of parts.

Just no the relationship between the inquisition and the mechanicus/mars. While an Inquisitors authority is absolute in the Imperium; Mars/mechanicum is a recognised sovereign state and as such an Inquisitor can't throw their weight as flamboyantly around without repercussion especially higher up Magos'. Such interactions rely on a bit more political finesse. We see this in Carrion Throne where the main inquisitor needs to investigate a Mechanicus facility; he can't just go kicking down the door and has to be covert as the place is declared as being on Mechanicus soil and the locals would be within their rights to shoot him.
Being an inquisitor is more than just getting your way because you say. Sometimes its getting your way by making others say it for you.

It's not unheard of for an inquisitor to take command of a significant force. At the end of Emperors Mercy, an inquisitor pretty much takes command of an entire crusade after he executes the guy in charge for treason.
A planetary governor in their right mind won't directly oppose an inquisitor; but they can tie one up in red tape and make things difficult; depending on the inquisitors disposition. We see this in Eisenhorn where he takes meticulous care to dot the eyes and cross the tees of his report and not break any local laws to the governor so that when the governor tries to pull so bureaucratic nonsense, he can give him the middle finger salute.

You've got your hardline puritan inquisitors that don't give so much as a millimeter and would burn a city for the sake of a chaotic rumour.
Your radicals who basically become the bad guy to beat the bad guy- which doesnt end well. They're either eventually declared heretic and hunted, or fall.
Then theres everything inbetween.

Imperium 2 is a good one. With that book alone thanks to Ministorum and Sororitas you can easily make a Hereticus Inquisitor and retinue much like the old Witch Hunter codex days (especially Sororitas as they're the chamber militant of the ordos hereticus much like death watch are for ordos xenos). Only problem with that is $$ of Sororitas and Ministorum.
Storm Troopers are another way to go; the Inquisiton as an organisation in sectors where they are more organised, having inquisitorial fortresses and such usually have a standing force of storm troopers to conduct raids as needed.
An assassin or two is always a nice addition; they're not unheard of in retinues. A lot of death cult assassins make appearance, but you'll sometimes fine temple assassins in the employ of an inquisitor.

Ordos Xenos inquisitor could be a logical extension as an army to pit against your orks. Some Deathwatch to help fill out themeatically, but now you're needing another book.