The Imperium is an unimaginably vast and complex entity, its machinery full of vulnerabilities for enemies to exploit, and not an army nor fleet exists that has the agility and independence to counter the most devious foes. While the Astra Militarum, Adeptus Astartes, and others wage war across the galaxy, there is a secretive order of investigators, interrogators, and executioners toiling in the shadows to safeguard humanity from more insidious threats before they ever see the light of day.
This is the Inquisition, and when matters require a forceful hand they mobilise elite teams of agents to meet their targets head-on – formed of levied troops, specialist assassins, and independent forces beholden to Imperial service by oaths, contracts, and debts. No two forces are alike, for no enemy is quite like another, but with an Inquisitor’s absolute authority at their back, they move heaven and earth to expunge the stain of enemies within, without, and beyond. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re thinking of starting an army of these clandestine Agents of the Imperium.
New to the world of Warhammer 40,000? This quick-fire primer will get you up to speed on the elite operatives of the Imperial Agents – what they are, how they look, and how they play on the tabletop.
Though much of their work is conducted through research, tradecraft, ritual, and subterfuge, there are myriad reasons why Imperial Agents take to the field of battle. Some missions may see them deploy in small, elite warbands to conduct covert operations, while at other times they strike with strength through teleportation or squadrons of armoured transports.
Great task forces usually assemble at the behest of an Inquisitor, but this is not always the case. Some may heed the call of a Rogue Trader owed favours centuries in the swearing, or simply aid defence forces in the last gruelling stages of a planetary invasion. Whatever the case, there is always an agenda, always some vital reason for their presence, which precludes even the contemplation of defeat.
To be an Imperial Agent guarantees no official position or place of prestige – many acolytes and bodyguards will spend their lives dearly without ever considering themselves servants of a higher justice, but all are united in their indefatigable sense of purpose and dedication to Imperial ideals. They often serve masters that avoid combat altogether, such as a naval shipmaster who must stay on their vessel’s command bridge even as landing parties battle on the world below, or a subtle Inquisitor who secures their own anonymity by doing battle through proxy henchmen.
Thus agents are invariably well trained in the arts of war, for they are expected to carry out their patrons’ whims with minimal oversight and maximum results. Troops are commonly drawn from highly trained special forces rather than the common soldiery, including the likes of the Adeptus Arbites, Imperial Navy Breachers, and hand-picked teams of Inquisitorial acolytes.
Inquisitors are notorious throughout the Imperium, and for good reason – they are invested with near absolute power to pursue their shadowy agendas and frequently wield the authority of their Inquisitorial Rosette to manipulate governments, divert armies, and co-opt entire worlds in pursuit of their goals. The worst excesses of rogue Inquisitors echo through history as entire sectors are sacrificed for the perceived betterment of the Imperium, and even the highest levels of the Inquisition itself are wracked with competing ideologies that blossom into full-blown conflict between opposing factions.
The upper echelons are dominated by the Ordos Majoris – the three great branches of the Inquisition that focus their efforts on one or another of Mankind’s most existential threats.
The Ordo Hereticus are the shield that guards the Imperial faith, ever watchful for signs of corruption and mutation – even among their fellow Inquisitors – making them feared by friend and foe alike. Their duties put them in conflict with rogue psykers and Chaos cultists, making them frequent allies of the Adepta Sororitas, who often end up seconded to Inquisitorial delegation.
The Ordo Xenos hunt the galaxy’s many alien races and watch for the telltale signs of their influence worming its way into Imperial hearts. Time and again they uncover turncoat governors lured by the T’au Empire’s overtures, or hidden Genestealer Cults infesting prominent worlds, and when no other option exists but to crush their enemies with extreme prejudice they call upon the vaunted Deathwatch – a specialised Chapter of Space Marine veterans drawn from across the galaxy and equipped to overcome every xenos horror imaginable.
Finally, the Ordo Malleus have the unenviable task of combating daemonic incursions, putting their indomitable willpower to the test against the worst horrors the galaxy can conjure. Those creatures that crawl from the warp are the stuff of pure nightmares and even a single daemon let loose upon a populated world can bring it to its knees. Inquisitors from the Ordo Malleus are among the most uncompromising and pitiless of their breed, going so far as to call upon the legendary Grey Knights for assistance when dire times warrant the attention of the Imperium’s finest daemonhunters.
On the battlefield, Imperial Agents can be deployed in one of two distinct ways – either mustering in force to fight at army strength or lending their specialist skills to other branches of the Imperium. They prize versatility above all else and are an excellent way to patch tactical holes in your army’s doctrine, be it with Deathwatch kill teams adding strength and resilience to Skitarii hunter clades, Inquisitors commanding Battle Sister missions in person, or any number of other situations.
When they take to the field as a single cohesive force, Imperial Agents mix the specialties of many different branches of the Imperium into an eclectic toolbox of offensive and defensive options. They rely on infantry, with most armoured vehicles coming from their allies in the Deathwatch and Adepta Sororitas, and excel when fighting within the kinds of fast, close-quarters engagements that aim to wipe out an Inquisitor’s targets in one fell swoop.
Combat Patrol is a game mode perfect for beginners and veterans alike, in which smaller forces clash in fast-paced, balanced games. The Imperial Agents get up close and personal with some of the best close-range shooting in the game, and they hit like a hammer thanks to the presence of a terrifying Eversor Assassin – a purpose-made psychotic killer so dedicated to the art of gory murder that they violently explode should any opponent be lucky enough to bring them down.
The Inquisitor’s Hand is led by Preacher Teguen, a zealous member of the Adeptus Ministorum carrying a vindictor – the murderous spawn of a chainsaw and a flamethrower – whose roaring weapon and fiery oratory do their best work in close combat. A team of Inquisitorial Agents shadow her with a wide assortment of powerful weapons, shredding lightly armoured foes at range with the gun servitor’s heavy bolter before dedicated melee specialists hack and slash alongside Teguen in close combat.
The team is rounded out by two 11-man Vigilant Squads from the Adeptus Arbites, who act as a perfect follow-up to your front-line assault with an ability that boosts their Wound rolls against damaged targets. Their short-ranged shotguns are perfect for the smaller battlefields of Combat Patrol, where range is less of a pressing issue, and the BATTLELINE keyword means they’re your primary solution for any objective scoring the mission might require.
All you need to deploy the Inquisitor’s Hand is a few dice, a ruler, and the downloadable rules below – the Core Rules show you how to play the game, the Combat Patrol Datasheets provide a balanced army that’s ready to play, and the Combat Patrol Missions give you some thrilling objectives to fight over!
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Teams of Imperial Agents are drawn from the entire span of the Imperium, and the clandestine nature of their operations means a lack of identifiable uniform is often a plus. They are therefore one of the most open and exciting hobby projects around, as every individual squad can have their own look and feel, and an eclectic mix of colour schemes is entirely on-theme.
When Inquisitors are better served by a unified presence, such as when an unruly official needs a spot of light intimidation to remember their loyalties, they frequently adopt a traditional black and red palette that echoes the dark and bloody work they often undertake. This is especially helpful for those who want to ease into painting with a simple, achievable colour scheme, and the Warhammer 40,000 Painting Team have put together a list of paints to give your Combat Patrol exactly that.
In contrast to the human agents they work beside, the Deathwatch and Grey Knights Space Marines have particular colour schemes that rarely change across their many appearances. This is a great way to add some more consistent, codified elements to an otherwise visually eclectic army, and you can find all sorts of inspiration for these troops on boxes of Deathwatch Veterans and Grey Knights Terminators.
Once you have a few Combat Patrol games under your belt and you’re ready to grow from a handful of plucky agents to an elite force of deadly operatives, you might be wondering where to go next.
Your first stop is Codex: Imperial Agents – the essential companion to the faction, containing plenty of background lore and a showcase of gorgeously painted miniatures, as well as rules for 26 different units and plenty of different ways to play them. Together with a copy of the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book, you’ll have all the rules you need to start playing full-size games of Warhammer 40,000.
The Combat Patrol provides both a solid infantry backbone and a few heavy hitters, which crucially fit into all three of the detachments designed around the Ordos Majoris. This means that you can customise your nascent army in any direction with a few key additions, such as building towards an Ordo Hereticus Purgation Force with squads of tough and versatile Battle Sisters – exceptional marksmen clad in power armour and carrying a wide variety of lethal weapons.
The Immolator armoured transport serves as both a fast delivery system for small squads of Battle Sisters and a flexible fire support tank that can be outfitted to destroy either swarms of cannon fodder or heavily armoured vehicles. The many anti-psyker missions the Ordo Hereticus are sent on also makes them a great home for a Culexus Assassin, an unstoppable killing machine that proves especially deadly to psykers and sorcerers of all kinds.
Meanwhile, Ordo Xenos Alien Hunter detachments are formed around a core of Deathwatch Veterans led by the discerning eyes of their Watch Masters. These are the best of the best, each Space Marine a hero of countless battles, and their vast array of equipment makes them the ultimate customisable unit for ranged firepower, melee dominance, or a bit of both as a treat.
They are often ferried into battle in one of the best aircraft soaring through Imperial skies – the Corvus Blackstar. Not only can it transport a full 10 Veterans about their business and drop them anywhere on the battlefield, but it also possesses a serious arsenal of guns, missiles, and cluster bombs to make sure it can wipe out anything threatening the landing zone.
Finally, teams of Ordo Malleus Daemon Hunters often come up against the raw power and maddening influence of Greater Daemons, and only Grey Knight Terminators have the strength and will to send them screaming back to the warp. Their signature teleport strikes often bulldoze priority targets before they know what’s happening, with a storm of nemesis force weapon attacks and storm bolter shells, while the presence of a banner-wielding Ancient and an Apothecary make them seriously self-sufficient.
When a particular enemy Character absolutely has to die, look no further than the Vindicare Assassin. They put up serious contention for the best marksmen in the entire game of Warhammer 40,000, and can easily execute enemy leaders with a single shot from their massive exitus rifles.
Rogue Traders can be found almost anywhere there is profit to be made, and whether it suits their pursuit of wealth or not, many end up drafted into the Inquisition’s schemes thanks to their influence, combat skills, and near limitless resources. Even the most taciturn are possessed of an adventurous spirit that draws them to the battlefield for a spot of excitement and danger, and they invariably surround themselves with hand-picked specialists, astropaths, and all manner of aides to ensure their survival.
The individualistic nature of Inquisitors, coupled with their dramatic and often dangerous missions, makes them prime candidates for a good story and some of the finest Black Library works ever published follow their adventures across the stars. The saga of Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Eisenhorn is one of the most well-known and highly regarded stories to come from the 41st Millennium, and Eisenhorn: The Omnibus by Dan Abnett is the perfect way to approach not only the background of the Inquisition but also that of Warhammer 40,000 as a whole.
These tales also intertwine with the story of Inquisitor Gideon Ravenor, a former pupil of Eisenhorn whose own trials and tribulations eventually put him in stark opposition to his mentor’s methods. Ravenor: The Omnibus – also by Dan Abnett – presents a very different look at the Inquisition, and a fascinating series to continue your adventures among the Imperial Agents.
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