Warhammer 40K: Imperial Agents – Four Games Workshop Approved Uses For Assigned Agents
Games Workshop is sharing some tactical tips on how to use Assigned Agents from the Codex: Imperial Agents. Do you agree?
Generally speaking it’s a good idea to read the manufacturer’s suggested uses or instructions for a product. You’d be amazed at how many issues can be solved by reading the manual. To that end, GW has put together an article with some tips on how to best use the allies that are Assigned Agents in your Imperium army. Before we dive into those let’s do a quick refresher on how those Assigned Imperial Agents work.
Based on the game size you can include a number of units from the Imperial Agents codex. Your army also has to have the Imperium keyword as well. If you check those boxes, you’re good to go. Just pay the points cost and add them in your army list. It’s worth noting that outside of an Agents of the Imperium army the units will have a different point cost. Now that we’re all on the same page with Assigned Agents let’s get into the GW approved uses for them.
Using Assigned Agents The GW Approved Way
Precisions Strikes
Calling in an Assassin is a relatively easy way to up your army’s threat. You could opt for the Vindicare Assassin if you just want a general character-killing sniper. Or you could opt for one of the more specialized roles if you have some particular weakness to shore up. Imperial Assassins are a pretty obvious precision instrument to include.
On the other hand, have you considered dropping in a squad of Deep Striking Grey Knight Terminators? You could make the case they are also a precision instrument, especially with Deep Striking behind the lines. Drop them in near an important enemy with a bodyguard and let them go to work. I don’t care what army you’re playing — when a bunch of Grey Knight Terminators show up in your back yard you HAVE To deal with that.
Dedicated Transports Provide Good Fire Support
Games Workshop makes the case for bringing in some extra speed with the Dedicated Transport options in this book. The important things to remember are two-fold with them. 1) You have to include a unit embarked in transport at the start of the game or it can’t be deployed and will count as destroyed. 2) These Dedicated Transports don’t count towards your Assigned Agents unit limit. This is big deal for the Corvus Blackstar in particular. Those aircraft are fast and pack a punch. Not to mention the payload of units they carry. If you’ve never tried one before and you’ve got the points space for them it’s a nasty little surprise.
There’s also the famous distraction Rhino option. Although not as good as a distraction Carnifex, they can still cause problems. There’s also the Imperial Chimera you can include with other various options. Don’t discount those Dedicated Transports if you can’t bring one already!
Add More Bodies To Your Backline
This one is really for those hyper-elite armies that generally don’t have a ton of units to hold objectives. Have you considered the Voidsmen-at-Arms? This unit is only six models with an OC of 2. Dropping them on an objective in your backfield just to hold it is a really good way to use them. GW also mentions the above Imperial Chimera with a unit inside if you want something to move up to claim objectives. Both of these options are super handy for Imperial Knights in particular. It’s a well documented fact that Guardsmen make good screens for Knights. Just don’t ask how the Guardsmen feel about that job…
Reinforce The Frontline
The Imperial Agents codex has a few units inside that have a 3+ armor save. The Deathwatch are the obvious example but the Adepta Sororitas are also rocking that wonderful Power Armor. Not every Imperial Army out there needs some extra beefy bodies to support the frontline. However, some really could use the help. What’s really nice about most of these Power Armored squads is they also carry solid ranged firepower to help put a dent in things, too. So GW recommends dropping them where the fighting is thickest and/or in the midfield of the board. And again, check out a Corvus Blackstar option, too! That’s a lot of dense firepower with solid “sticking around” status vs an enemy assault.
Do you agree with GW on these tactical tips? How would you use Assigned Agents in your army?
