"Mystery" Codex: Imperial Agents - Playstyle Predictions

Sometimes, calling your shots pays off — revealed this Monday is the long-awaited ‘Mystery Codex’, Imperial Agents.  I penned my predictions for this reveal a long time ago, here (https://www.flipsidegaming.com/blogs/warhammer/agents-of-the-imperium-what-to-expect-in-the-mystery-codex), but now that we have some more substantive information on what’s to come, I want to dive deep and see if I can’t go 2-0 for predictions.  All of what I’m about to say hinges on what we know, alongside a few small leaks, and Games Workshops’ general balancing principles.  Without further ado, let’s take a look at the upcoming Codex: Imperial Agents, and predict the army’s playstyle!

Via Games Workshop

First and foremost, one major issue with the army that can be seen already is its Army Rule: Assigned Agents.  This remains essentially unchanged from its current incarnation, allowing some degree of ‘splashability’ of Agents in other Imperium armies, with the addition of the new Requisitioned Units category, allowing Sisters of Battle & Grey Knights to be taken as well.  This is a frightening concept, as this vastly deepens the pool of units you have to be worried about allying in, however, curiously this rule does not actually benefit a pure Agents army whatsoever.  In the reveal article, it’s clarified that you’re expected to field a fully Agents army by using the Detachments, which come as normal with abilities, enhancements, and stratagems, but you’re out of luck when it comes to an army ability it seems.  Therefore, given that (as well as the shallow pool from which Agents armies can be built), I fully expect fairly universal stratagem usage alongside powerful Detachment abilities, which can be seen immediately with At All Costs.

Via TheGoldenThrone

During your Command Phase, At All Costs allows you to bestow your entire Agents army with one of two buffs, either +1 to Hit against a specific unit (somewhat like Oath of Moment for Space Marines), or +1 OC and Leadership to units on a specific Objective, as well as a 5+ Invulnerable save with the same conditions.  These are underwhelming at a first glance, as +1 to Hit is rather mediocre compared to rerolls or +1 BS/WS, and given you select them in your Command Phase and not at the start of the Battle Round, there can be weird timing windows where the incorrect Cost is active.  That said, I imagine this being the ‘generalist’ detachment is trying to supply buffs that help the entire faction, and I have a hunch that giving something like Voidsmen At-Arms a total of 3 OC each may be good enough to swing some objectives.  This reads to me primarily as a defensive buff, and given the Navy is the only unit not included in any of the new Army Boxes, this supports the idea that the Imperialis Fleet detachmentis going to center on them, as well as something like Navigators, and perhaps Rogue Traders.

Via Rogier’s Miniatures

Next up is the Ordo Xenos.  In their starter box, as with all starter boxes, we see a contingent of Inquisitorial Retinue, something I believe to be the standard Battleline for the faction.  In addition, Deathwatch makes up the elite contingent of this faction, and it appears their current Detachment, the Black Spear Task Force, won’t be returning.  This leads me to believe some of the strategems or perhaps enhancements will be neatly added to whatever the Ordo Xenos Detachment, alongside new tools for Ordo Xenos Inquisitors, including of course Lord Inquisitor Kyria Draxus.  Also in the starter box is a set of Voidsmen At-Arms, and their associated Rogue Traders, which may be a way to fold in the eccentric, often Xenos-tech enjoying upper class of the Imperial regime.  Broadly, this feels like a detachment that’s going to focus on selecting key buffs for key targets, not unlike current Deathwatch, but I have a hunch those buffs will be broadened to include all Agents, while maybe 1-2 enhancements and stratagems will remain reserved for Deathwatch only. 

Via Rogier’s Miniatures

Next is the Ordo Malleus, led by Coteaz (the new figure for this wave), including Grey Knights, a Culexus Assassin, and the standard rank & file.  This detachment also includes a Chimera, which is likely there to assist in shifting your Inquisitorial Retinue up the board.  Immediately, Games Workshop needs to differentiate this version of the army from pure Grey Knights, which are remaining an independent faction unlike Deathwatch.  I believe this will likely come in the form of heightened Anti-Psyker abilities army-wide (perhaps an easy to access Anti-Psyker 4+/5+), or the ability to shrug off Mortal Wounds.  There’s also a chance this is meant to be the more mechanized wing of the Imperial Agents, moving your units led by Inquisitors up the board in Chimeras and other tanks, perhaps giving bonuses when you disembark.  Here, it’s most important to make the individual Grey Knights feel truly powerful compared to their main faction, so perhaps incentivizing taking fewer units, with greater strength (via limited enhancements) might be the play!  They could even lean into the bloody meatshield aspect of the Knights, “sanctifying” themselves with the blood of their lowly allies on 25mm bases.

Via Grim Dark Filthy Casuals

Following that up, we have the Ordo Hereticus, supplemented of course by the pious flames of the Sisters of Battle.  Alongside the standard inclusions, this Army Box contains a cohort of Sisters, and a box of Arbities.  This clues me in to the main shtick of this Detachment: Leadership debuffs.  The Arbities in 10th edition have been wholly centered around this, and much of the Sisters inclusion here I believe is meant to supplement that; this is a task force determined to break the will of its heretical foes, and do so by way of morale.  Forcing Battleshock, rallying your own troops, and “locking down” the opponent are likely themes here, and I believe the cop wing of the Imperium is best at home alongside their sisters in arms.

Via Warzone Studio

In terms of what hasn’t been covered, the Assassins are likely to remain as extremely solid lone operatives within the larger force, as well as superb allies.  The fact that this faction both wants to function on its own, and be a wealth of potential soup pieces, is definitely concerning, but I think Games Workshop could pull it off so long as there’s a good balance between units being powerful due to Imperial Agent detachments/enhancements/stratagems, and those independently good.  Named characters especially are worrisome, as they can’t have enhancements, so their power is likely even more self-contained.  I just hope we don’t see a situation like early 10th edition, where a single character or two becomes auto-include in the majority of Imperium forces.

Via The Comm Guild

With that, the wait begins to see more spoilers for Codex: Imperial Agents!  Do you intend to play this faction, now that it’s been brought back from the dead?  A lot of players probably have about half of an IA army already, so that might help to ease people in!  Let me know any thoughts you have in the comments below!