Tactica: =][= Inquisition =][=

[Nostro]

For now, this thread will discuss GK Coteaz armies; it may evolve if other Ordos codices bring the possibility to field Inquisition armies.

Disclaimer: as with all sub-lists (DE Wych Cults, CWE Ulthwë, CSM One-god, SM or Ork Bikers, etc.), the restrictions will be self-imposed so there's no use crying foul for including GKs: fielding a unit that's authorized in your codex is not "wrong", it is at worst "not fitting the theme" but that is as much you can say against it. To every player his choice.

That said, including too many GKs will detract the thread from its purpose, and such armies are best discussed in the GK Tactica.

With the number of people fielding or looking to field Inquisition or AdMech armies, I feel there's enough interest in such a force to justify an independant tactica. Searching for tactics for these armies in the GK thread isn't easy, as after 3 or 4 posts about it the discussion reverses to standard GK, or henchmen in a GK army. Still, reports in the GK thread show that Coteaz armies are workable and competitive, maybe not top-tier but on par with most other armies.

Trying to define the list is tricky, but I guess the underlying theme is "human(ish) statline with large access to good equipment and/or vehicles"; I feel we should stay away from any GK squad, bearing in mind again (see disclaimer) that if you'd like to include one for whatever purpose (staying power, CC punch, etc.) no one's there to stop you.

As to the inclusion of GK vehicles/walkers, two attitudes come to mind:
- No conversion, GK paintjob: The Inquisitor has GK assistance.
- Painting your vehicles in non-GK colours and/or converting them into some kind of AdMech equivalent.

You can see three-ish tiers in the =][=-ness of the units. Not that they really matter but it helps clarifying your thoughts on how you want to build the list, and sets a common basis for discussion:

1) Restrictive: nothing GK.
2) Average: add Rhinos, Razorbacks, Land Raiders and Stormravens.
3) Broad: add Dreadnoughts and Dreadknights.

How were these lines drawn?
- Rhinos and Razorbacks are fairly mundane tanks and Inquisition armies have a rules history of using them as transports (see WH). Land Raiders and Stormravens seem more marine vehicles, but fit as rarer options for transport and high fire-power an Inquisitor could have access to.
- Dreadnoughts/Dreadknights are marines (or corpse of) in a huge armour, turning them into non-marine thingies requires harder conversion thought/work.

So after this wall of text, let's get to the heart of the matter: what does the list look like?

HQ

Inquisitor Coteaz
Inquisitor Karamazov
Inquisitor Valeria
Ordo Malleus Inquisitor
Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor
Ordo Xenos Inquisitor

Elites

Callidus Assassin
Culexus Assassin
Eversor Assassin
Vindicare Assassin

Troops

Inquisitorial Henchmen Warband

Rhino
Razorback
Inquisitorial Chimera

Fast Attack

Stormraven Gunship

Heavy Support

Dreadnought
Nemesis Dreadknight
Land Raider
Land Raider Crusader
Land Raider Redeemer

[Nostro]

HQ

Inquisitor Coteaz

Mandatory basis for the army... but he's cheap and good for the price so it's no handicap.

You can either put him in a shooty squad to make best use of "I've Been Expecting You", while also providing protection to the squad thanks to Sanctuary and his CC abilities; or you can join a dedicated assault squad, relying on his other strengths: Hammerhand, his save and Nemesis Daemon Hammer. He greatly improves the squad and dispenses you from buying high strength attacks elsewhere in the squad (PF Acolytes or Eviscerator Banishers).

Inquisitor Karamazov

While the sight of a walking throne and triple-barreled multi-melta with a pretty nice statline is cool, he is expensive for what he brings to the table. AT weapons, though less reliable, can be found elsewhere in the army. Too slow for reliably using him as a CC hard-hitter, plus he doesn't hit this hard.

"By any means necessary" may seem good to combine with cheap henchmen (compared to losing a GK) but when that's the only troops you have, you'll have a hard enough time keeping them alive during the game without having a bearded maniac smite your own frail soldiers with a hail of fire from the skies. "Dread reputation" doesn't compensate the price.

Inquisitor Valeria

Kitted for close-combat, kind of oriented towards getting rid of an annoying character or MC with either her Graviton Beamer or Hyperstone Maze. The two latter are good when they work, but being one-use and too unreliably efficient, you may end-up with a squishy character only good at getting rid of basic armoured troops (or half CC specialists) with the added chance of hitting herself, as if she needed that.
A Callidus, for the same price, is a better CC character.

Ordo Malleus Inquisitor

In shooty squads: With a hellrifle, that's the cheapest servitor babysitter you can buy with also making him useful as a shooter. Terminator armour and psycannon can be another setup for a babysitter but you pay a lot for a TDA you won't use too much.

In CC squads: incinerator if you want a flamer template (consider the comparison with a flamer Acolyte or a Jokaero before you turn to him for that); usual PF or Deamon Hammer (for better supply of high strength hits compared to a Banisher or Acolyte). Maybe make him a psyker for Hammerhand and buy him a power armour to not lose too easily your points investment.

To commit completely to melee, put him in a terminator armour (think psycannon too) and make him a psyker. While Psychic Communion can come handy, Hammerhand is the best for force multiplication. With such equipment he comes a bit above Coteaz in terms of price, without the special rules but with the added 5++. So if you want a CC Inquisitor, consider Coteaz first, and if you want a second one compared to a cheap shooty-servitor babysitter, then the OMI is a way to go.

Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor

Unless you fight GK, Eldar Seer Council or another very psyker-heavy army, the wargear unique to him makes him too specialized for a standard list. Other than that, he doesn't add anything that the other Ordos can't, apart from barebones just for the sake of having a Hereticus theme...

Ordo Xenos Inquisitor

In a shooty squad: conversion beamer is nice if a bit expensive. As it needs range to come to its best, he wouldn't fit well with multi-meltas, so plasma cannons servitors and jokaero for the lascannons bring the best synergy.

In a CC squad: compared to a Malleus Inquisitor, the lack of terminator armour means the best protection is a power armour. Still, he has nice equipment that can make him worthwile compared to an OMI: needle pistol for as sure a wound as you can get, plus a Scythian Venom Talon for high toughness opponents. Sure, it's not a power weapon, but with the DCA and Crusaders you most probably would have around, it feels wasted to buy him yet another power weapon when the SVT wounds can make a difference. Digiweapons for more reliabilty.
Big plus for him: rad grenades. Either alone if you keep his cost down; or best combined with psychotroke grenades and Hammerhand in a squad with Death Cult Assassins for a scary unit causing massive damage©.

The difference in abilities mean you may want him over an OMI because it's less redundant with Coteaz.

Elites

Callidus Assassin

Polymorphine: her main asset: precise deployment, where needed the most.
The hits when she come into play plus a neural shredder shot (sadly no charge) means she can deal decent damage to a backfield static firing unit (Broadsides, Longfangs, IG HW squads, etc) that you have trouble damaging with your other units. Or possibly a very mobile unit you don't know how to harm otherwise.
To use with care, though, the potential next turn charge with C'Tan phase sword hits will be so big a threat to your target that your opponent will try to get rid of her in the next turn. She won't withstand too much fire despite the invulnerable save, so put her in a place not too exposed.
She can in dire need be used as diversion to take away firepower from your other troops, but she's expensive for a suicide unit.

Culexus Assassin

He's already debatable (read: sub-par) in a traditional GK army with psyker units all over the place, and because he can't benefit from psyker henchmen as much as we'd all like to, in a Coteaz army he's way overpriced for a handful of very short-ranged S5 shots. Wasted points.

Eversor Assassin

Very good for murdering troops by the dozen or mid-level characters, he comes at his best against MEQs. A good investment to help your CC units or take on weakened squad on his own.

Vindicare Assassin

As was most often the case, he is the easiest (caveat: not a no-brainer though) assassin to use and probably the best bang-for-bucks. He doesn't need to expose himself to be efficient, and can snipe painful characters, special or heavy weapons, or big armour without having to leg it through the battlefield.

[Nostro]

Troops

Inquisitorial Henchmen Warband

While only taking a few pages in the codex, if you start to look closer there are a great variety of units you can take, mixing guys with different strenghts to achieve the role you want to. Specialize your units, know what you want them to do or you'll end up with squads lacking focus.

On average, the henchmen are all pretty frail and don't compensate for that with numbers like IG can do. You only have 6 squads, pick them well and keep them alive.

- Arco-flagellant
Impressive strength and number of attacks for its price. The low I and no PW get him tough competition from DCAs; FNP might keep him alive long enough. Useful against lightly armoured troops, your best anti-ork in CC. Strength is also nice to keep walkers from having a field day if they can catch your squad.

- Banisher
In itself not impressive, he gets better with the eviscerator. A bit expensive for its resilience, a few of them in a CC squad can come handy to keep your men from being mauled by a walker, and provide a mild threat to tanks.

- Crusader
Bargain price: compare him to the cost of a similarly equipped acolyte. Too few attacks to be the real damage dealer in a squad, but still able to hurt now and then. His main selling point is his shield, meaning a few Crusaders are must-takes in CC squads to provide survivabilty, from shooting or in CC.

- Daemonhost
Belongs in a CC squad if anywhere. Sure, good S&T and cheap price point, but he's unreliable. With the low A, the CC buffs don't seem so impressive, while the shooty buffs are ok. You can't count on him to do what you want him to when you need that. If we could take more squads, I'd advocate fielding some, but I feel we're too limited in our choices to allow ourselves the whacky randomness, however fun and potentially good.

- Death Cult Assassin
Upgraded stats where you need them for CC, and power weapons to boot. A no-brainer for a CC squad, they are the ones who kill stuff. Only downside is frailty, mix with Crusaders.

- Inquisitorial Servitor
Discount heavy weapons, thanks to mindlock. Probably worth it on their own (though unreliable), totally worth it with an Inquisitor in the squad. Factor in the cost of a barebones inquisitor and they're still good for the price.

- Jokaero Weaponsmith
Good force multipliers:
- in an acolyte squad for the HF on the move or the MM to threaten vehicles and high T/low S creatures
- with servitors to turn the squad into a heavy weapons platform

In a CC squad, the upgrades are next to useless (they either buff an absent shooting, bring a 5++ to a model that already has it or better, or improves a non-existent armour save), if you want him it's for the heavy flamer. One or two flamer Acolytes or a HF shot from a Chimera should be better though.

Chance to get an upgrade according to the number of Jokaero in the squad:

#Jokaero--------1 up---------2 ups-------at least 1
-----1----------75,9%--------5,6%--------81,5%
-----2----------85,2%-------11,1%--------96,3%
-----3----------79,2%--------8,3%--------87,5%
-----4----------66,7%--------3,7%--------70,4%
-----5----------42,1%--------0,0%--------42,1%
6 or more give you nothing.

Other stats, answering the question: "I want this upgrade; with X Jokaero, how much chance do I have to get that particular one?". Not exclusive: you may get this one alone, or another on top, it depends. That may interest you if for instance you have a heavy weapons setup, how likely are you to get the "Improved Gun Sights" upgrade?

#Jokaero--Improved Gun Sights--Reinforced Armour--Penetrating Ammunition--Augmentative Energy Fields
-----1----------21,8%---------------21,8%---------------21,8%----------------21,8%
-----2----------26,9%---------------26,9%---------------26,9%----------------26,9%
-----3-------------------------------31,9%---------------31,9%----------------31,9%
-----4----------------------------------------------------37,0%----------------37,0%
-----5--------------------------------------------------------------------------42,1%


- Mystic
Lack of deepstriking units in a Coteaz list make his ability rather useless.

- Psyker
One or two in squad not yet maxed-out and it's a cheap pie plate, may replace or come on top flamer/heavy flamer guys.
Three to five make for an extra long-ish range weapon in a shooty squad.
Six (AP1 and IDs T4 models) and up to commit the squad completely to dishing a scary assault pie-plate of doom; eight psykers tops the power's capacity but having more mean you can take a few casualties and still remain S10 AP1.

Probability of a single psyker unit passing its Ld test and landing either a direct hit or scattering 2" or less = 37%.
Probability of at least one of 2 psyker units passing its Ld test and landing either a direct hit or scattering 2" or less = 61%.
Probability of at least one of 3 psyker units passing its Ld test and landing either a direct hit or scattering 2" or less = 75%.

- Warrior Acolytes
Most CC builds are overpriced, other henchmen do that better; CC equipment is there if you need to bring a special weapon in the squad and still want your guy to deal damage in CC. A PF may be viable compared to a Banisher with eviscerator: for almost the same price, you lose 1D6 on penetration rolls but get the possiblity to buy better shooting weapons or protection.

Shooty builds are more obvious choices, trying to emulate an IG vet squad (lower BS though): seven storm bolters and three meltas provide very decent firepower. Carapace armour is good to protect from small arms fire, while power armour is expensive for the lowly statline you want to protect. They are the henchmen that benefit the most of Joakero upgrades, the four are good.

Other than a squad built around them, they are useful for bringing a melta/flamer in a CC squad, or plasma guns to a shooty one.

Rhino

Cheap, but doesn't compare to other options. Unless you can't scrap the points, you'll get out of the front AV12 and heavy weapons of a Chimera for your bigger squads.

Razorback

Main downsidess are the lack of firing points and the low capacity, which make it questionable as a transport for an army in which the squads will rarely count that few models.
It has a better use as a light tank, when bought for a squad that doesn't need it (if you either intend to footslog or have bought them a Stormraven or Land Raider). Fortitude enhances this role.

A possibility for a very accurate lascannon: they can be a decent source of long-range AT if that's what you lack, but there are usually better AT options elswhere.
With standard heavy bolters + psybolts, it's a dirt cheap gun platform. Assault cannons make the shooting scarier but are expensive.

Inquisitorial Chimera

The default transport choice for this army. Good front armour and good weapon loadout. The basic settings is good, you might want to switch the hull weapon to a heavy flamer for CC squad transports.

It is a valuable protection for a squad and with the five firing points can be turned thanks to the passengers into a heavy weapon platform (servitors and jokaeros) or mobile bunker (melta and/or flamer acolyts).

Fast Attack

Stormraven Gunship

Rather expensive for its survivability and hiding possibility, it's still a worthy transport option for your main CC squad if you want to be in assault quickly.
Indeed a gunship, but don't go overboard, if the price comes too high you'll find a Land Raider to be better thanks to its survivability.
Psybolt ammunition is expensive here, so only worth it with the standard weapon load-out. Add Hurricane sponsons if you really want to make the most out of your upgrade, for an infantry mauler Stormraven. The sponsons cost much for their efficiency though.

Most weapon options are free so down to your personal preference or need to see how you want to equip the Stormraven. Multi-melta seems the default choice for the nose gun. Typhoon launcher costs too much.

Heavy Support

Land Raider

As usual suffers from the conflicting transport/gun platform roles it can have. No firepoints so useless for a shooty squad, and you don't want to use him for an assault squad as you decrease its firepower and don't have frag assault launchers.
Do you really want to pay that much for two lascannon shots, however accurate and durable? Other Land Raiders are more useful.

Land Raider Crusader

The best of the three to transport your main CC squad; frag assault launchers help.
Psybolt ammunition are a mandatory for the price, and the multi-melta too cheap not to take.

Land Raider Redeemer

Another option as CC-delivery. The Flamestorm Cannons are trickier to use than the LRC's Hurricane Bolters because of the range, but can deal more damage. Psybolt less mandatory but still too cheap not to take, ditto for the multi-melta.

[Nostro]

Placeholder for unit or wargear summary, III.

[igwarlord]

you might want to change your mind about land raiders and storm ravens being all SM
remember the old witch hunters book ONLY inquisitors got land raiders. And inquisitors had to travel ALOT and its fastest to fly.

[Rombo Baak]

Yeah, I Can imagine an inquisitorial SR and already have a couple inquisitorial LRs.

[sun tzu]

Interesting thread.

I only wish the codex had more options for running GK free than just Inquisitor Coteaz. (I don't like running named characters)

I used to run a Inquisitor based DH list with the old book so i have a large number of Inquisitorial stormtroopers and Chimera's.

Will be keeping a eye on this thread.

[bebe]

I also think that dreads as War Robots works. Especially with Fortitude (auto-repair). Very Admech if you ask me.

[Finn]

Indeed, and since I'm aspiring to use the book as Adeptus Mechanicus, I'm not terribly fond of his psychic nature, really. Wish I could just take a barebones IQ with some kind of "commander upgrade" that did the same thing as Coteaz instead. It can cost comparable points, for all I care, I just don't want to be that guy who runs yet another Coteaz list.

[Nostro]

There, summary for the "most inquisition" units are done. Still need to dig through the GK thread to get a bit of internet wisdomon LRs, SRs, DNs and DKs (well, apart from the obvious Psyfleman).

It's indeed annoying to have to take Coteaz, I would have loved to be able to equip two inquisitors as I wanted for my HQs. A big part of the fun of Inquisitors and Henchmen is the customizability of your units, like in the old days . I really like IHWs and the number of different units you can bring to the table, you wouldn't guess that by looking at the single page devoted to them in the army list, but when you stop being distracted by the shiny silver armour, you enjoy an entry that could easily have been split into three or four, seeing the options. Different builds are viable, not too many no-brainers or too much junk.

As to LRs, good point made towards their availabilty to Inquisitors. SRs, I re-read both fluff entries (DA and GK) and it indeed seems to be the kind of ancient, test or secret stuff you could see used by Inquisitors.
Dreadnoughts and Dreadknights on a battlefield without any GK don't seem likely, but everybody loves walkers: war robots are cool and fit the theme.
Judging by your answers, it seems the list in the OP is a good definition for this Tactica.

Finn, I just noticed your AdMech Tactica, I hope they'll feed each other with ideas rather than turning into duplicates, but I feel they're different enough to avoid that.

[bebe]

I may be wrong but Coteaz's Glovodan Eagle was a gift from the Adeptus Mechanicus was it not? He has strong admech ties.

[Axel]

Interesting thread - I will surely lurk around here and see if I can add the odd scrap of usefull info.
I would say that Landraiders are at least as Inquisitorial as Rhinos, though. I would build these as Inquisitorial vehicles, though, not as Grey Knight support (especially when I use Dreadknights and -noughts. The GK should be much too rare to show up in any Inquisitorial catfight.

[Finn]

Finn, I just noticed your AdMech Tactica, I hope they'll feed each other with ideas rather than turning into duplicates, but I feel they're different enough to avoid that.

You were far more thorough about yours. I feel outmatched, sir .

[Commandojimbob]

Just a quick note on what is turning into a really nice tactica (and appreciate you have started an Inquisition based one). I have skimmed at the moment but did notice that you say for Psykers that the more you have the more you can with stand wounds / perils and maintain a S10 Ap1 pie plate - but actually if you get perils the whole unit feels the effect, so unless you have an Invulnerable save from Jokero enhancements, the whole unit will get wiped out .

Also i agree that Stormravens and Landraiders do have a place as requisitionable modes of transport that the Inquisition (especially Coteaz with his resources) could get hold of.

[bebe]

Be aware too that Psykers really do not fit in as henchmen in an ad mech force. They wee used as navigators and communication experts by ad mech but that's it. They were not loved by the ad mech hierarchy.

Now for an ad mech dedicated cc unit I would suggest:

"This chariot shall guide me to the front"

HQ - Xenos Inquisitor. - Rad Grenades - Psychostroke Grenade - Force Sword - Hammerhand (Psyker Lvl 1) - Power Armour. 93 (Archmagos Explorator)

+

TR - 9x Henchman Squad - 5x Death Cult Assassins - 3x Crusaders - 1x Meltagun Acolyte. 134 (Protector Explorator Assault Cadre)

+

FA - Stormraven Assault Carrier - Twin-linked Multi-Melta - Twin-linked Assault Cannon. 205 (Armoured Chariot of Omnissiah)

OXI is far better suited to the role than a Malleus Inquisitor. Hammerhand and Rad are the key justifications for him but psychostroke are some fun at times. This unit has been a hammer for me. I use an identical load out with Coteaz as well. I never take a single SR.

Henchmen are the meat of your force. They carry your melta weapons and they have your Weaponsmiths. Chimeras are actually pretty durable transports. But you need to have some cc to take out units trying to tie up your shooty squads and Dreads( Styges pattern war robots).

[Rombo Baak]

Psibolt ammunition on SRs costs 20 points...

[bebe]

My mistake. I wrote that from memory. I'm still in the midst of building and testing my final incarnation of a 1750 list. I corrected it. Still it's a solid unit. I just ordered the pig iron heads for my skitari -

http://www.pig-iron-productions.com/...prues-c-4.html

Here are some nice looking jokaero models -

http://www.rovingbandofmisfits.com/2...atures-simian/

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/mi...-city-one.html

Check out dr. red and cybermonkey. We should discuss modeling too, no?

[GodlessM]

Well the one thing that stands out here is that despite the obvious preference for this thread to have as little as possible to do with the Grey Knights themselves, the Dreadknight is included as an Inquisition option, when it couldn't be farther from the truth.

So since bebe mentioned modelling, if one msut use a Dreadknight in an otherwise Inquisitorial force, model it like the Sisters' Penitent Engine.

[Sekhmet]

Here's my take on some "standard"/cookie-cutter units:

Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, rad grenades, psychotroke grenades, hammerhand, power armor, force sword, combi-melta, maybe 3 servo skulls if points allow
If Coteaz wasn't required, you'd take two of these.

7 Death cult assassins, 4 crusaders, ordo xenos inquisitor listed above in a chimera for counter-assault, or storm raven/land raider for offensive use
Essentially one of, if not the most killy assault units in the entire game. Hammerhand makes the DCAs strike at S5, rad grenades make them strike at S6 for all intents and purposes, and psychotroke grenades can pretty much make you win the combat by itself. Putting them in a land raider crusader or redeemer negates their lack of frag grenades. Maybe swap out a DCA for a meltawarrior, although a land raider or storm raven transport can often fire a multi-melta at enemy transports with PotMS.

6-8 Psykers + one more henchman in a chimera
S8-10 AP1 assault large blast template? Yes please. One more henchman so if the entire squad is fried by a perils, you still have a scoring unit and you didn't give up a kill point. I'd suggest a daemonhost (poetic and useful for the 1/3 chance of a shooting attack, T4, and 5++ save), a crusader (more expensive, guaranteed 3++, useless otherwise), or a warrior (cheap).

2 Jokaero, 10 warriors with 3 meltaguns and 7 storm bolters in a chimera
2 jokaero give you the best upgrades, storm bolters let you make use of those upgrades very well, as do meltaguns. 24" meltaguns are frankly amazing, as are rending storm bolters.

3 Plasma/multi-melta servitors + 2 jokaero + Coteaz in a chimera
Anti-deep strike firepower, the unit also has the advantage of an inquisitor to guide the servitors.

3 Warriors in a razorback with psybolts (and free twin-linked heavy bolters)
Stupidly cheap scoring mech spam, but only worth it in lower point games.

If you want to stay in theme, I'd suggest taking a storm raven for the DCA squad and a few land raiders for other important scoring squads, while buying them psybacks as gun platforms.

[Nostro]

I would say that Landraiders are at least as Inquisitorial as Rhinos, though. I would build these as Inquisitorial vehicles, though, not as Grey Knight support (especially when I use Dreadknights and -noughts. The GK should be much too rare to show up in any Inquisitorial catfight.

Also i agree that Stormravens and Landraiders do have a place as requisitionable modes of transport that the Inquisition (especially Coteaz with his resources) could get hold of.

Those added to previous replies made me remove a tier and put them with Rhinos and Razorbacks.

[...]you say for Psykers that the more you have the more you can with stand wounds / perils and maintain a S10 Ap1 pie plate - but actually if you get perils the whole unit feels the effect, so unless you have an Invulnerable save from Jokero enhancements, the whole unit will get wiped out.

Corrected, thanks.

Well the one thing that stands out here is that despite the obvious preference for this thread to have as little as possible to do with the Grey Knights themselves, the Dreadknight is included as an Inquisition option, when it couldn't be farther from the truth.

So since bebe mentioned modelling, if one msut use a Dreadknight in an otherwise Inquisitorial force, model it like the Sisters' Penitent Engine.

Very true, hence the need of modelling if you prefer your fluff right. If use them out of the box, nothing wrong though, you still have a legal army list.

While I prefer my list without DNs/DKs, I think it's better not to rule out players who include Psyflemen in an otherwise completely inquisition list, they'd still have valuable tactical input to bring here.