#alienhunters

The three major branches have lost their militant arms (the Grey Knights, Death Watch and Sisters of Battle are now their own independent deals), and the Ordo Malleus seems to have lost both the Malleus Remit* and their cover of being the internal police of the Inquisition, a job I believe has been handed over to the Ordo Hereticus. Stormtroopers have become their own formation largely independent of the Inquisition and the Imperial Guard proper (or maybe more accurately, a centrally controlled type of regiment raised by the Schola Progenium?). Inquisitorial warbands have been gutted, with the handful of remaining models being overpriced, grotesquely so after the latest price hike added some 40-80% to the price.

So, why is this joke of an organisation still a thing? When I got into this hobby they had serious clout - the most deadly Chapters in existence were bound to serve the Inquisition, and they had powerful forces besides - it lent their authority serious weight.

* The Malleus Remit used to be part of what made the Daemonhunters so elite. Essentially it gives them authorisation to do whatever must be done, and requisition whatever resources are required, to fight Chaos. A “regular” Inquisitor will in practice have similar authority as an Imperial Commander/planetary governor, the commander of an Imperial Guard army group, a Navy officer in charge of a flotilla, a marine Chapter Master, a Mechanicus Magos or a Rogue Trader, to name some of the Imperial bighsots. How successful and experienced these individuals are will tilt the table of authority one way or another - very few governors will gainsay an Inquisitor Lord with centuries of experience and many contacts, while a fairly fresh Inquisitor probably won’t throw their weight around too much in the company of marine officers unless backed by a senior member, or an Inquisitorial conclave (think interest group).

The Ordo Malleus stands separate from this. An Inquisitor from Ordo Xenos or Hereticus might petition a Chapter for assistance, mindful of marine independence and the local politics, but a representative of the Daemonhunters can outright order the Chapter Master to obey. In practice a political/careful approach is more popular, since it doesn’t alienate the Chapter and their allies, and there are layers to this, but in theory the Ordo Malleus is the most authoritative organisation in the Imperium. (A Custode or Astarte might expect obedience, but in theory their organisations are outside the Imperial hierarchy.)

HUNTERS Premieres April 11th | Syfy