While billions of Guardsmen and [redacted] of Space Marines fight the Imperium’s wars on the front lines, a powerful yet mysterious presence safeguards it from within. Few loyal citizens would admit to having even heard of the Inquisition, let alone witnessed its agents in action, but those who have know to fear their invisible hand – for they have the ability, and more importantly the will, to destroy whole planets in the Emperor’s name.
These Inquisitors rarely take to the field in person, but should the need arise, they can draft entire armies into their service. Some latch onto larger Imperial forces and operate from the sidelines, while others assemble companies of auxiliary troops into cohesive armies – and both approaches can be found in the new Codex: Imperial Agents.
This means that Codex: Imperial Agents can be used in two distinct ways – to add specialist Inquisitorial aid to your army, or build a dedicated Inquisitorial force of your own.
Those familiar with their current rules will recognise the Assigned Agents army rule, which allows a certain number of units from the book to be added to other IMPERIUM armies. This roster has been expanded to help fill out your Ordo Xenos, Malleus, and Hereticus presence, with Deathwatch Kill Teams joining the RETINUE units.
The new Codex also features Watch Masters, Corvus Blackstars, and Watch Captain Artemis (returning to the range after an absence), so you can include a full Deathwatch contingent in any IMPERIUM army, complete with leaders, squads, and transports. Those with full Deathwatch Space Marine armies needn’t worry – they can add the Deathwatch-specific units to a Space Marine army of black-clad units like Intercessors and Terminators, melding the strong foundations and Detachments of Codex: Space Marines with themed specialists from Codex: Imperial Agents.
Grey Knights Terminators and Battle Sister squads* show up in a new REQUISITIONED category. Priests and Navigators are joining the party, too, to provide guidance in both a spiritual and very literal sense
Should you instead wish to field an entire army of Imperial Agents, the Codex offers four new Detachments which add their own Detachment rules, Stratagems, and Enhancements to the mix, allowing you to support a full Inquisitorial force with no limitations on the number of units you can take. Three of these Detachments are themed around the major Inquisitorial Ordos, while the fourth represents those forces with significant Imperial Navy backing.
The Imperialis Fleet Detachment can call upon a wide variety of support options to redeploy, avoid harm, and fight in close quarters. It’s a great way to experience the entire spectrum of an Imperial Agents army, as it has relatively few restrictions on who can be targeted by its Stratagems. This way, Assassins can fight alongside Rogue Traders, Inquisitors, and more as you wish, while Navy Breachers and Arbites enforcers single out critical objectives to secure At All Costs.
Inquisitors themselves are versatile leaders who can support a wide range of unit types, and their Blessed Wardings can now grant a 6+ invulnerable save to their unit in addition to the Command point-regenerating Power of the Rosette ability.
It’s not just rules that are new, though – those who read Arks of Omen: The Lion may remember a certain Inquisitor getting back in action after all the mess that went down around Wyrmwood. Inquisitor Lord Torquemada Coteaz has a vast network of agents to do his bidding, but when matters require the personal touch of his massive daemonhammer, he takes to the field in a huge suit of gleaming power armour.
Alongside him, three new Battleforce boxes will get you started with a diverse array of units suitable for the Ordo Xenos, Ordo Malleus, and Ordo Hereticus. They’re great ways to start out with one of the thematic Detachments in Codex: Imperial Agents, and Coteaz himself is available first in the Ordo Malleus box.
Regardless whether you send an entire army of agents out into the field or add some support to your favourite Imperial faction, you’ll be able to engage in secretive Shadow Operations with in-depth Crusade rules available to any Crusade Force that includes even a single AGENTS OF THE IMPERIUM Character. There’s a lot to cover in there and the rules are extremely thematic and fun, so we’ll return to Shadow Operations at a later date.
Finally, don’t worry Grey Knights players – this is only the first chance you’ll have to send your Terminators off on a daemon-hunting crusade. There will be a dedicated Grey Knights Codex on the way next year, but there are still a few factions to get through before the Knights of Titan start to peek their shiny battle plate over the horizon.
* Ordo Hereticus Battle Sisters also bring along their own Immolators and Rhinos.