Inquisition New Rules – Nights At The Game Table

That’s right ladies and gentleman, nobody expects the Imperial Inquisition. Unless of course, you have been looking forward to the new White Dwarf. Well we have a copy and we are going to share all the new info for all of you. Buckle up ladies and gents, this ones going to be spicy.

Detachment Rules

So what many of you may be wondering is how inquisitors and other units with their keyword interact with other imperial factions. After all, no one wants their Space Marines to lose combat doctrines or any other snazzy rules you get from having an army from a single faction or sub-faction. Especially since new rules seem to be going in a direction that rewards fielding a mono codex and mono sub faction armies.

Well luckily inquisition units won’t cause you to lose any bonuses that require your army to be from a single faction! This allows you to bring an inquisitor with your Ultra Marines or Imperial Fists and not lose combat doctrines or the sub faction bonuses that come from running them. Keep in mind however this only works if your including an inquisitor into a Space Marine Detachment. However, if you bring an INQUISITION VANGUARD DETACHMENT you will lose combat doctrines. So be mindful of that. Now on to the crunch!

Special Rules

• Authority of the Inquisition: Inquisitors can jump in any imperial vehicle. Pairs really well with a Space Marine drop pod which can hit the board turn one and get the Inquisitor into range to cast psychic powers and support your forward deploying units.
• Quarry: The Ordos have a specific keyword which determines their bonus against specific foes. However keep in mind that Inquisitors aren’t really meant to be beat stick characters and wont replace a good smash captain. So I would recommend picking your ordo based on the Traits and psychic powers they offer as opposed to the re-roll bonuses listed below.
  • ORDO MALLEUS: Re-roll to hit and to wound rolls against models with the CHAOS and/or DAEMON keyword. If you want to have advantage against demons this is a solid pick. Plus, it works against anything chaos as well and can give you surprisingly good damage output as well. Also, gives you access to a fantastic warlord trait.
  • ORDO HERETICUS: Re-roll to hit and to wound rolls against models with the CHAOS and/or PSYKER keyword. If your Meta is rife with Psykers this is a good one, and the best part is that it can help in almost any match-up. Only two armies in the game don’t have access to psykers, so this one will almost always be useful.
  • ORDO XENOS: Re-roll to hit and to wound rolls against units that do not have the CHAOS, IMPERIUM, and/or UNALIGNED keyword. Notice a theme here? This one is clearly aimed at anything xenos. Unfortunately this one is a tad bit niche in comparison to the others. Chaos, and Imperium are both very popular factions and so this one won’t be as widely useful.
  • ORDO MINORIS: Re-roll to hit and to wound rolls against Characters. This one is easily the most widely useful of the bunch. Every army field’s character models, so this one will always come into play no matter the match-up. The only downside is that you will lose some options that come from picking the other ordos, so think carefully about what you want your inquisitor to do and what artifacts to bring.

Telesthesia Discipline

1. Terrify: WC 6. Target a single enemy unit within 18″. The unit gets -1 leadership and cannot overwatch. This one is really awesome, and works really well with stuff like Ogryns, Vanguard Vets, or any choppy unit of your choice. This can be really nasty if used to support a Centurion assault squad, like in the example list used below.
2. Mental Fortitude: WC 4. Targets a friendly unit within 12″. If cast a unit auto passes LD tests. Not a bad choice if you want to save some Command points, or have two squads ignore morale tests. You can cast this on something like a blob of conscripts, to save yourself the CP and have a massive unit that wont fail a Ld test.
3. Dominate: WC 6. pick an enemy unit within 12″ that isn’t a vehicle. Roll 3d6, if you beat its LD you get to take control of the unit and make a single attack (in either Melee or shooting) with some of their weapons. This is strange one, but your best bet is to target a unit that has a really nice gun. For example, consider using this on a devastator squad with lasconnons or even a havoc squad with reaper chain cannons.
4. Mental interrogation: WC 6. An enemy character 12″ away suffers a -1 to hit till your next psychic phase. Then roll 3d6 against that models leadership to gain a CP. This is a solid choice, and can be used to weaken enemy characters. However, the real reason you take it is for the chance to gain a CP, this one is good for a safe general choice that would see use in any matchup. A really good strategy is to cast this on a Space Marine captain with a thunderhammer.
5. Psychic Pursuit: WC 7. Allows a friendly Ordo unit to snipe a character provided that character with less than 10 wounds, is within 18″, and visible to the psyker. Plus, the psyker must be within 6″ of the ordo unit. This one isn’t as useful, seeing as most of the unit’s the Inquisition can take don’t offer a whole lot of shooting.
6. Castigation: WC 6. Your off brand smite – roll 3d6 against LD to deal d3 mortal wounds. Seeing as your inquisitor can only cast smite once this one can be nice if you really need your inquisitor to deal more mortal wounds, otherwise I would recommend skipping it

ORDO HERETICUS only – Ascertainment: WC 6. One enemy unit within 12″ suffers -1A (min1). Then roll 2d6 vs LD for -1 to hit. This one is ok, beating the Ld test is not so great, and the -1 attack is a bit niche. ORDO XENOS only – Psychic Veil: WC 5. ORDO XENOS units within 6″ can’t be attacked unless they are the closest unit and can only be the target of a charge if the charging unit is within 6″. Some of the inquisitions units are a bit squishy and could benefit from hiding behind some agressors or something similarly beefy . ORDO MALLEUS only- Power through knowledge:WC 6. Gives an IMPERIUM INFANTRY or BIKER unit within 12″ 5++. Pretend your guardsmen are daemons! Really nice on a blob of conscripts, or anything that doesn’t already have an 5++ like centurions.

Stratagems

• Cyclonic Torpedo (4CP): Select a point on the battlefield 2d6″ radius each Non-Character unit on a 4+ and each character unit on a 5+ takes D3MW – This is one big nuke that can really punish anyone looking to castle up. This is expensive but can be used very effectively on armies like Tau that want to huddle together, or even Iron hands for that matter.
• Seize for interrogation (1CP): Kill an enemy character that is within 3″ of an inquisition unit and you get to gain D3 CP. Also your opponents army gets -1LD for the rest of the game. One use only. Really powerful, and can mess up anyone that suffers from poor Ld, and at the very worst it makes its CP back and at best you gain CP.
• Inquisitorial Mandate (1CP): Once per battle give an inquisitor who is not your warlord a warlord trait and a relic if it can take one ( can’t be a vehicle ) Very Nice for 1 CP, most armies can’t get a WL trait and relic for a mere 1CP.
• Requisition (1CP): When an imperium infantry or biker fires overwatch, shoots, or fights within 6″ of an inquisitor. For the rest of the phase re-roll hit’s of 1. However, it only works if the target matches a keyword in the units Quarry. Loses some value if you have something like a Space Marine captain nearby, and honestly I do not imagine people will use this very often.

Warlord Traits

1. Radical– once per round you can re-roll one hit, wound, damage, saving throw, psychic test, or Deny the Witch. This is a nice one as it can effectively replace a CP re-roll for your warlord, and can help you make sure your Inquistor stays alive , or casts an important psychic power.
2. Puritan– +1 to invuln save. Max at 3++ This can will make your inquisitor a bit harder to kill but is honestly outshined by the Black shroud relic listed below. However, when combined with the black shroud, it can make your Inquisitor a lot tougher.
3. Formidable Resolve– Add 1 to LD for the warlord and increase his unquestionable wisdom aura by 6″. This is another good choice if you want to reinforce an infantry blob with poor LD such as conscripts or regular guardsmen. However, this is pointless when used with Space Marines or Custodes who already have good Ld.
4. HERETICUS ONLY- No Escape – you get a 6″ heroic intervention, and models have to roll a 4+ if they want to fall back from your warlord. This can be a really solid choice if you need an option to keep something from falling back. You can use this best by charging something like a leman russ, or a whirl wind.
5. XENOS ONLY- Esoteric Lore- When your opponent uses a stratagem roll a D6. On a 5+ you gain a CP. This is another solid choice that is useful regardless of what your opponent is bringing. Command points are a powerful asset for any army, and any ability that generates more is worth considering.
6. MALLEUS ONLY- Psychic Mastery- the warlord knows one extra psychic power and can cast + deny once more per turn. Okay, so this is really awesome and can significantly boost your ability to cast powers in the psychic phase which is why we have chosen to include it in our example list further down in the article.

Relics

• Blade Of The Ordo- power sword only, Str +1 , AP -3 and Damage d3. also if the target of your attack happen to be your Inquisitors quarry, the damage becomes a flat 3. This is a solid choice if you want a cheap inquisitor that has the potential to do some damage. I chose to put this on our inquisitor due to its general usefulness in combat, as it can put the hurt on elite infantry like terminators, or plague marines.
• Digital Weapons– You get to make one extra melee attack using the close combat weapon profile. If the attack hits, the target suffers a mortal wound. This one is neat but honestly doing a single mortal wound isn’t all that amazing, and you have way better choices to utilize with this list.
• Blackshroud -1 to wound rolls for attacks that target the inquisitor with this relic. This is actually really cool. So the issue with inquisitors is that they are only T3 and can therefore be wounded by most weapons on 3’s and quite a few weapons can wound them on 2’s. This can make your Inquisitor much more durable as most anti infantry weapons will only wound him on 4’s. Consider using this if you plan on having an inquisitor fight on the front lines of your army. This relic pairs well with the puritan WL trait if you want to make your Inquisitor really tough.
• Ignis Judicum- Hereticus Inquisitor only: Replaces an inferno pistol. 12″ range pistol 1, Str 8, Ap -4, Damage d6. Its a melta pistol, that always gets to roll 2d6 for damage and pick the highest, as long as the target is a psyker or has the chaos keyword. This ones is very limited in use, and honestly having someone else in your army armed with a meltagun would be more effective. However if you really want to use it I would recommend putting your inquisitor in a drop pod so you can get within 12″ of whatever you want to shoot. Ideally something like a chaos rhino, land raider, or even a demon prince.
• Bio- Corrosive poisons– Xenos Inquisitor only: Melee weapons always wound on a 2+ as long as the target isn’t a vehicle or has the titanic keyword. This is actually another nice one that has some generic usefulness. This is always worth considering if you plan on fighting units like centurions, bikers, plague marines, or even hive tyrants.
• Tainted Blade– Malleus Inquisitor only: Replaces a power sword. Str +3, Ap-3, Damage 1. The first time the model is chosen to fight roll a d6 and on a 1 you suffer a mortal wound and cant use it that fight phase. when making an attack with this weapon, if the saving throw is failed you can make an extra attack against the same unit. These extra attacks don’t generate extra attacks themselves. This weapon can actually blow through infantry, and is honestly worth considering if you don’t mind the potential downside. If you are taking this weapon sure to keep a CP re-roll handy to make sure you don’t roll a 1 and suffer a mortal wound at the start of the fight phase. This is honestly great against stuff like space marines, eldar aspect warriors, or characters that lack an invulnerable save.

Tactics and Example List

So here is an example list incorporating some Raven Guard and an inquisitor .

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium – Space Marines) [58 PL, 1,000pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

**Chapter Selection**: Raven Guard

+ HQ +

Captain [6 PL, 103pts]: Jump Pack, 2x Lightning Claw, Master of Ambush, The Ebonclaws, Warlord

Inquisitor [5 PL, 60pts]: Condemnor Boltgun, Ordo Malleus, Power sword, Psyker

Librarian in Phobos Armour [5 PL, 101pts]: 2) Enveloping Darkness, 5) Tenebrous Curse, Camo cloak, Force sword

+ Troops +

Scout Squad [4 PL, 80pts]: 5x Camo cloak
. Scout Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Sniper rifle
. 4x Scout w/Sniper Rifle: 4x Sniper rifle

Scout Squad [4 PL, 80pts]: 5x Camo cloak
. Scout Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Sniper rifle
. 4x Scout w/Sniper Rifle: 4x Sniper rifle

Scout Squad [4 PL, 80pts]: 5x Camo cloak
. Scout Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Sniper rifle
. 4x Scout w/Sniper Rifle: 4x Sniper rifle

+ Elites +

Centurion Assault Squad [16 PL, 208pts]
. Centurion: Hurricane bolter
. . Flamers: 2x Flamer
. Centurion: Hurricane bolter
. . Flamers: 2x Flamer
. Centurion: Hurricane bolter
. . Flamers: 2x Flamer
. Centurion Sergeant: Hurricane bolter
. . Flamers: 2x Flamer

Vanguard Veteran Squad [6 PL, 131pts]
. Space Marine Veteran: Storm shield, Thunder hammer
. Space Marine Veteran: Power axe, Storm shield
. Space Marine Veteran: Power fist, Storm shield
. Space Marine Veteran: Power axe, Storm shield
. Veteran Sergeant: Storm shield, Thunder hammer

+ Heavy Support +

Thunderfire Cannon [4 PL, 92pts]
. Techmarine Gunner
. . Servo-harness: Flamer, Plasma cutter

+ Dedicated Transport +

Drop Pod [4 PL, 65pts]: Storm bolter

++ Total: [58 PL, 1,000pts] ++

So, you are probably wondering how all this can possibly work together. Well don’t worry, I am here to guide you through it. Ok, so the inquisitor will know Terrify and power through knowledge. Now at this point its worth spending the 1cp to give him the ordo blade relic and the Malleus trait that allows him to know an extra power and cast it. So what you do is set up your scouts anywhere that seems relevant, and place your thunderfire cannon somewhere hidden and safe. Then, your going to put the Inquisitor in the drop pod with the vanguard vets. Next, deploy your captain forward with the four assault centurions and the librarian in phobos armor, but make sure they are in cover and deployed carefully.

So now for the synergy wombo combo madness. So Turn 1 you are going to want move the captain, librarian and centurions into position to inflict the most damage. Then your going to drop down the drop pod nearby and get the inquisitor within range of both your centurions and the opponents army to cast powers in your psychic phase . In your Psychic phase you now have the option to shut down overwatch with two units, the inquisitor and your Librarian, or have a backup if the first one doesn’t go off. Also, you will want to cast power through knowledge on the centurions to give them a nice 5++ save.

The other power worth casting is tenebrous curse, which when cast on an enemy unit will half their move characteristic, and their charge rolls. Choose any unit that seems scary, fast, or scary and fast. Conversely you can cast it on a huge blob to cause a “traffic jam”. The Idea behind a “traffic jam” is to limit the movement of a large screen or mob. As a result units behind that mob wont be able to get around them, and the now slow unit wont be able to get out of their way and can really mess up someone’s turn. Effectively trapping your opponent’s units. This is especially useful against stuff like ork boys or cultists.

From then on you are going to want to shoot and assault with the centurions who shouldn’t have a problem making the charge. You will want to shoot infantry with the hurricane bolters, and flamers. Then your ideal target for the charge will be a tank or similarly tough unit. You can then use the 1cp stratagem , the Ravens blade to help those Vets make it into combat as well. Another important part of this list is the thunderfire cannon, which can be used to half the movement of two more units on top of tenebrous curse. This is done by spending 1 Cp for tremor shells and another 2 CP to fire the thunderfire cannon twice. This will half the movement of two more units as long as a single hit roll is successful.

Doing this can slow down an entire army as units stuck behind the ones with halved movements will be trapped. Now, your opponent is locked in his deployment zone, cant run away from you, and can’t fire overwatch on whichever units you want to charge. Plus, you have scouts sitting on Objectives, scoring you points, and killing characters.

This is the Raven Guard “traffic jam” list and it is a really nasty one. Particularly against gun lines, and can absolutely cripple armies in objective games where reaching far flung objectives are important. The inquisitor also gives the centurions something they’ve always lacked. An Invulnerable save!

Conclusion

That’s everything for the new core rules that came in this month’s White Dwarf, there is some really awesome stuff in here that can work well with a lot of imperial armies. These guys would also make a very cool addition to deathwatch, Grey Knight’s, or Sisters of Battle.

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