An Inquisition Force?

While otherwise busy today (shuffling models to calculate the required box size for shipping cartons), i noticed my WIP shelf for Warhammer 40,000. Amongst the myriad Imperial Guard units, and scatter of Ministorum and Ork units, sit a bundle of 10 Inquisitors, some Daemonhosts and Acolytes. I know it's been nearly 2 months since their updated, stand-in army list, but it got me thinking about whether it would be possible to build a Tournament legal force using only Inquisition units.

For those unaware of what I mean, the guidelines for a tournament force limit the number of detachments a player can include and the number of times a datasheet can be selected (other than Troops and Dedicated Transport units). The current limit on both is one, plus one for every 1,000 points or part thereof. 

The Inquisition really isn't designed for competitive mono-dex lists, having only 5 units, apart from Special Characters: 2 HQ and 3 Elites. There are no Troops, Fast Attack, Heavy Support, Flyer or Dedicated Transport units, so we're stuck with Vanguards or Supreme Command detachments. They also have a rule that an Inquisition detachment can only include 1 Inquisitor, so there goes any use of a second HQ slot, and the Supreme Command detachment. Thus, this is not a small undertaking. 

Assuming we're looking at a normal tournament, we're probably looking at 1500-2000 points. Let's hope 1500, for reasons that'll soon become evident. At that we can have 3 detachments, and 3 of any datasheet, and need 3-6 HQ and 9-18 Elites. As we only have Inquisitors as HQ, and a maximum of 1 per detachment, and 3 Elites options, and a maximum of 3 of each, we'll be filling the compulsory slots only, and going in with 6 Command Points, which is pitiful. 

Daemonhosts are single models with fixed kit, coming in at 25 points each, so 75 points for the maximum 3. Jokaero are also single models with fixed kit, 18+4 means 22 points each, so 66 for the maximum 3. We've filled 6 Elites slots, but, because we only have 6 models, 137 points. 

The remaining 3 Elites slots will go on Acolytes, at 8 points each. Luckily, they come in units of 1-6, so, if we max the unit size, 48 points a unit, 144 points for 3 such units. They come with a laspistol and chainsword each, but, thankfully, for this exercise, can upgrade those to a 5 point plasma pistol and a 16 point Thunder Hammer each, adding 21 points to each model, 378 to the unit. So, our "powerhouse" of 18 Smash Guardsmen comes in an 522.

So, that's our compulsory Elites slots filled with the maximum we can take, 659 points and 24 models. We now need to add a trio of HQ, who will all have to be Inquisitors. 

Having maxed out everything so far, we're still at less than half our points, so we need the most expensive HQs available. Under normal circumstances, this means looking at the Special Characters, since they've special abilities that push them up compared to generic options, but we're limited to 1 of each. Here, however, the most expensive is Karamazov at 115. The other 3 Special Characters are all cheaper than the Ordo Malleus Inquisitor in Terminator Armour. The Terminator can take a Combi-melta and a Nemesis Daemon hammer, totalling 33 points each, taking them to 124 each, more than Karamazov, so we'll take 3 to fill out the rest of the force, 372, all-in.

So, we've used every slot we can, with the most expensive options available, and we have 372 points of HQ and 659 points of Elites. 1031 points all in, with 27 models and 6 Command Points. We're 469 points short. 

We can fill 95 points of that by adding an Assassin using the Operative Requisition Sanctioned Stratagem, taking us down to 4 Command Points, but dragging us up to 1126 points. If there's a Tournament running at 1150, this could be a fun loony force to use, but, at 28, with only 4 Command Points and very limited range, it's got little to no chance of winning. Apart from the Assassin, only the Inquisitors have a 24" range that isn't Heavy, and only they can get to deploy closer than that (by teleporting in on turn 2).

The idea of 3 Daemonhosts, 3 orangutans and 18 Guardsmen with thunder hammers running forward to secure a landing site for their 3 lords to teleport into does appeal, however. 

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