The Warhammer-community team brings us a 9th ed 40k faction focus on Imperial Agents!
If you’re a fan of the myriad branches of the Imperium’s military infrastructure, then today, you’re in for a treat! To guide us through the units available to the Agents of the Imperium and how they’ll operate in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000, we’re welcoming the guidance of Adam Solis. Let’s see what we’re dealing with…
Who Are They?
The Imperium of Man includes many different institutions, from the largest, widely known military and bureaucratic wings to other smaller, more secretive and sinister organisations. Those who serve among the latter include feared lords of the Inquisition, eclectic Rogue Traders, and even expert killers of the Officio Assassinorum. Known collectively as the Agents of the Imperium, they serve Mankind through cunning, guile or, should the situation demand it, the full might of the Imperium’s military power.
How They Play in the New Edition
To help us better understand the many roles that can be performed by the Agents of the Imperium in the new edition, we sought out Las Vegas Open judge and US gaming guru Adam Solis for his guidance. Over to the man himself…
Adam: In the new edition, your Agents of the Imperium will be able to do a lot more on the battlefield. The new actions mechanic will allow Inquisitors to perform other duties alongside bringing judgment to the enemies of the Emperor. Meanwhile, your Assassins will be able to use the new terrain rules to better take advantage of the battlefield to eliminate the Imperium’s enemies.
With the changes to how you build a Battle-forged army, many players will be looking to retain as many Command points as possible, while making sure they don’t lose their Detachment’s Chapter Traits or Doctrines, etc. Fortunately, any Imperium army can include one Agent of the Imperium unit in a Battle-forged Detachment without losing their powerful Faction abilities. If you want a larger force, you can either add a Patrol Detachment for the Inquisition at a small cost in Command points, or add in an entire Execution Force if you’re aiming for EXTREME assassination!
The Agents of the Imperium have a couple of neat tricks that you can utilise to mess with your opponent’s battleplans. First up is to take an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor with the Psychic Veil power, as it’s perfect for protecting your Ordo Xenos units.
If you want to drain your opponent of Command points – and who doesn’t? – then the Callidus Assassin is for you. Her Reign of Confusion ability can cause your opponent to spend extra Command points early in the battle. This can deter your opponent from even playing a Stratagem just to save Command points!
Key Units
The Agents of the Imperium have a number of powerful and tricksy assets up their collective sleeves, but there are three in particular that Adam reckons will be excellent additions to almost any Imperium army…
Vindicare Assassin
Adam: The Vindicare Assassin’s ability to target Characters is invaluable, especially when considering the nature of many of the Purge the Enemy secondary objectives. They’re arguably the best of the four for taking advantage of the free Priority Threat Neutralised Stratagem (which earns you a Command point for assassinating a Character, or two in the case of a Warlord). But even should you feel that he’s the wrong Assassin for the job once you’ve seen your opponent’s army, you can simply switch him out for a better fit with the Shadow Assignment Stratagem.
Inquisitor Greyfax
Adam: Inquisitor Greyfax can ignore the Look Out, Sir rule when targeting enemy Psykers or Daemons, and her condemnor boltgun can even inflict extra Damage against her quarry – she’s called a Witch Hunter for a reason! Her ability to attempt to deny two psychic powers per turn is also very helpful when against a Psyker-heavy army.
Acolytes
Adam: This low-cost unit can have a huge impact in the game. Their Loyal Servant ability allows them to take a wound for nearby Inquisitors. This is especially useful for protecting your Inquisitors while they perform Actions.
Thanks, Adam! How do you plan on using your Agents of the Imperium – as an army in their own right or allied assets to your wider collection? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K.
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