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Adeptus Arbites (by Andy Chambers, excerpted from WD 169)

The Adeptus Arbites are the keepers of the Imperium's laws and watchdogs of the far-flung empire of humanity. The Imperium is an organisation where rebellion and defiance of the Imperial will are Crimes Against Humanity. The Arbitrators are the grim and uncompromising reminder of the Imperium's presence which no planetary governor can ignore. They cannot be bought off or threatened or corrupted or negotiated with. Indeed the Adeptus Arbites goes to a great lengths to ensure that those recruited into their ranks do not serve on their own homeworlds nor anywhere within a dozen light years of home. They do not communicate with the citizenry unless absolutely necessary and only leave their great fortress-precincts on official business.

Should a planet revolt against the Imperium the Arbitrators will be the first to go into battle against the traitors. More often than not a rebellious governor will order the destruction of the Adeptus Arbites precinct on his planet as his first treachery and a great battle will break out between rebel planetary defence forces and the besieged Arbites. The one-sided struggle of a few hundred against an entire world should not last long and the result would seem inevitable but the Judges are well trained in their task and always ready.

During the rebellion of Ichar IV the Arbitrators held their precinct for twenty seven days before finally escaping via a secret tunnel and capturing four of the hive's power generators. These they held for a further six days before destroying them as the last of the judge's positions was overrun. When the Ultramarines Chapter of Space Marines arrived to crush the rebellion they found twenty percent of the planets ground defences inoperative and successfully staged a drop directly into the core hive, shortening the whole campaign by two months.

In truth the Arbitrators need only to hold out until their astropath has transmitted a message summoning help. Mobile fleets of Arbitrators stand in constant readiness to answer the call of their precincts and bring retribution upon the transgressors of the Emperors laws. Beyond them the entire might of the Imperium can be called upon with Space Marine Chapters and the Imperial Guard prepared to quell the fiercest rebellion.

Equally the Arbitrators stand ready to fight against the foes of humanity in the case of Genestealer infestation, Chaos incursion or alien attack. The well armed and rigorously trained Arbitrators make excellent troops and Squads of Judges can add vital backbone to the planetary defence forces. It is ironic that planetary governors who may have plotted against the Imperium for years are always the first to squeal for help when the Orks arrive.

ARBITES TROOPS ON THE BATTLEFIELD

The forces of the Adeptus Arbites are deliberately better equipped than those of either Planetary Defence forces or the Imperial Guard to discourage attack. Every Arbitrator is equipped with a complete suit of carapace armour. All Arbitrators also carry a bolt pistol as their standard side arm.

Beyond this basic equipment the specific armament of Arbitrator squads varies according to their mission. The most common armament for patrol groups, execution teams and snatch squads is either standard boltguns or the specially designed Arbites Combat Shotgun. Arbites shock troops are frequently deployed as heavy assault troops and carry the much feared Power maul and Suppression shield.

One member of the five man Arbitrator squad is usually armed with a special weapon drawn from the extensive precinct armouries. The most common choice is a grenade launcher as this offers the greatest tactical flexibility. Arbites squads also have access to a range of special grenade types such as photon flash, scare and choke, which are invaluable for crowd suppression and the capture of criminals, these have also proved very potent against poorly equipped opponents such as Orks and Gretchin, Chaos cultists and Genestealer broodbrothers.

Because of their heavy armour and (if armed with Arbites Combat Shotguns) their potent short ranged firepower Arbites squads are most useful at short ranges in dense terrain, either attacking enemy held positions or defending key points. They excel in street fighting where their small squad size enables them to make best use of available cover. Arbites squads are very hard to shift at the best of times and they can fight off the fiercest assaults with sufficient heavy weapons support.

• The Arbites Combat Shotgun
  • Ammo: Executioner Rounds
• Characters
• Squads
• Adeptus Arbites Wargear List

Vindicare Imperial Assassin (by Andy Chambers, excerpted from WD 189)

Across the galaxy, self-proclaimed prophets preach falsehoods and heresy, and power-crazed dissidents and rabble rousers exhort the ignorant masses to rebellion against the Imperium. These crimes obviously cannot be tolerated by the loyal followers of the Emperor...

OFFICIO ASSASSINORUM

Ruling the galaxy-spanning Imperium of mankind requires absolute authority, and this needs to be reinforced by the use of absolute power. In its crudest form, power means armies of warriors, war machines and spacecraft, but it can be applied in many subtler ways to achieve the desired end. Coercion, bribery, threats, blackmail and murder are all weapons in the armoury of those that rule. To this end, the Imperium has developed several institutions to study, perfect and exploit these weapons to their fullest. Such ancient institutions trace their history back to the Great Crusade and the very birth of the Imperium. One such organisation is the Officio Assassinorum.

The Officio Assassinorum, or Office of Assassins, is one of the most secretive organisations in the Imperium. Its hidden Grand Master is one of the High Lords of Terra, the cabal of awesomely powerful individuals whose every decision affects untold billions of people and immense tracts of the Imperium. Only the High Lords themselves can sanction the deployment of the Assassins, for fear that their own weapons may be used against them. It is said that in the distant past the Grand Masters used Assassins to further their own ends, and a reign of terror clutched even the High Lords themselves. In the anarchic Wars of Vindication the Grand Master himself fell to the Assassin's knife. Thereafter, the High Lords took special care to control the Officio Assassinorum so that only traitors and heretics need fear it today.

THE ART OF DEATH

Individual Assassins begin their training in early childhood when they are chosen from the progeny of Deathworlds, feral societies and the most dangerous hive-cities of the Imperium. Training starts even as the ships return to Earth, with the Officio instructors testing their prospective pupils mercilessly. The weak and foolish are weeded out before they even board the ships, and as they journey to Terra the wilful and cowardly are excised in tests of determination and enforced discipline. The recruits must survive on limited food or air for days at a time. They must constantly fight each other in armed and unarmed combat, in conditions of total darkness or blinding light, zero-G or crushing weight, stifling heat or freezing cold.

By the time of their arrival there may be only a tenth of the prospective Assassins left, or sometimes none at all if the instructors deem every recruit to be unworthy.

On arrival at Earth the new recruits are divided amongst the hidden temples of the Officio Assassinorum. Their training becomes ever more rigorous as the temples test each candidate to his or her utmost limits. Days are spent battling with bone-wrenching exercise engines, fighting in deadly bouts or mastering specialist weaponry and techniques. Each temple has its own ancient ways and mysteries, each specialises in a different aspect of the art of murder. Thus, when the High Lords of Terra select their tools of death from the lethal disciples of the secretive Officio Assassinorum, they are assured of only the most finely honed and efficient living weapons.

VINDICARE TEMPLE

The Vindicare temple of Assassins specialises in vengeance and revenge killings. Vindicare Assassins practice callous, unfeeling destruction which eliminates the target with contemptuous ease. They aim to bring inglorious death to the enemies of the Emperor with a sniper's bullet, and have elevated the skills of the marksman to an art form. To complement this, the Vindicare temple emphasises stealth and evasion techniques as well as weapons training. One of the temple's maxims is that a clean kill can only be made from an excellent firing position, and Vindicare Assassins have been known to occupy a position overlooking their target for days before finally taking their shot.

The skills of the Vindicare temple are commonly used to slay those who use mob rule and rousing oratory, replying to sedition with the seemingly divine retribution of an invisible, untraceable sniper. Many false messiahs have fallen with a Vindicare bullet through their brains as they preached their credo. Rebellious politicians and revolutionary leaders who speak out against the wisdom of the Imperium constantly fear being cut down on the rostrum. When such charismatic figures die at the hands of a faceless servant of the Emperor, their followers soon become disillusioned and fearful. In this way, many heresies have been stopped with a single shot.

Vindicare Assassins are always in great demand to support Imperial forces on the battlefields of the war-torn galaxy. Overly successful alien commanders and dangerously powerful psykers often fall beneath the cross hairs of the Vindicare. In one celebrated (but carefully concealed) incident, a massed Eldar assault in the Lammas campaign was halted by a lone Vindicare Assassin hiding in a ruined habtower. The tower enjoyed a commanding view of the surrounding terrain, so that time and again the Eldar advance was stalled by a hail of deadly fire which slew Exarchs, Warlocks and support weapon crews in quick succession. Eventually the Eldar called in their Scouts to clear the tower, but when they entered it they found it deserted and empty.

• Imperial Agents Army List
• Special Rules
• Wargear
• Wargear Cards
  • Exitus Weapons
  • Exitus Ammunition
  • Stealth Suit
  • Spy Mask

Callidus Imperial Assassin (by Ian Pickstock, excerpted from WD 190)

Hidden cult leaders and rebel lords plan, scheme and plot against the Imperium, never realising that death waits for them amongst their loyal followers. Rarely do they suspect the trusted lieutenant or the harmless courtesan that ends their miserable existence, but such is the way of the Assassins of the Callidus temple.

OFFICIO ASSASSINORUM

The Officio Assassinorum is considered, by the few individuals who are even aware of its existence, to be the ultimate tool of destruction and diplomacy. In an Imperium that spans an entire galaxy, there are many who believe that they can defy its authority. Some simply crave for independence away from the Imperial cult, the Ecclesiarchy and a galaxy seemingly ruled by twelve faceless figures in the name of a lifeless Emperor. Others have fallen under the domination of Genestealers or been seduced by the promises of Chaos. This is the Assassin's battleground - the misguided and the ambitious, the foolish and the perverted, all must be purged for the greater good of humanity. No heretics can be allowed to stand against the Imperium or their foul thoughts would spread across the galaxy like a cankerous infection in the greatest civilisation mankind has ever known. Planetary rulers across the Imperium must understand that abuse of their power will result in them facing the justice of the sword and gun. Some may be able to avoid the judiciaries of the Adeptus Arbites, fewer still may be able to face off against the Imperial Guard and the Adeptus Astartes, but let it be known that none can stand against the Officio Assassinorum!

CALLIDUS TEMPLE

The Callidus temple is the most subtle of the ancient hidden temples of the Officio Assassinorum, specialising in the artful deception of the enemies of the Imperium.

The methods of the Callidus temple are those of utmost cunning and subtlety. They are often used on missions where overt interference by the Imperium will upset the intricate balance of power maintained by the High Lords of Terra. The Callidus Assassin is the ultimate tool against the over-ambitious who use diplomacy, bribes and corruption to further their position. Such individuals play a dangerous game in the corridors of power, making a mockery of the Imperium whilst appearing to do no wrong.

The techniques that the Callidus temple use to bring down a target are many and diverse, and can go far beyond that of simply killing the perpetrator. The Callidus temple undertake many covert operations which may involve an Assassin infiltrating an enemy civilisation for months or even years. Their aim is to get close to the chosen target, so that they can carry out their mission. This could range from simply influencing important decisions to eliminating the target at a key moment.

To achieve their exacting tasks the Callidus temple specialise in the use and development of the shape-altering drug Polymorphine. An injection of Polymorphine allows a trained Callidus Assassin to completely change their appearance. Under the influence of Polymorphine, the user's body undergoes dramatic changes and only a fully trained individual is able to keep these changes under control. Essentially, at a cellular level, the bonds that hold the flesh, bone and nerve cells together are broken down by the Polymorphine drug, allowing the user a brief period to literally rearrange their cell structure. They can lengthen bones, stretch skin, change the size and shape of their muscles, convert protein cells to fat cells and vice versa. Once the Polymorphine drug has done its work the cells re-establish their bonds and the trained Assassin will now be changed into a new form until another injection of the Polymorphine drug allows the Assassin to re-assume their original shape or change to that of another.

All the Assassins of the Callidus temple are trained in the use of Polymorphine. With Polymorphine alone a Callidus Assassin may masquerade as any human being they may choose, from a beautiful young woman to a crippled old man. However, in addition the Medicus Adepts of the Imperium have developed a range of surgical implants to allow Callidus Assassins to mimic members of alien races, like Orks and Eldar. The implants consist of flexi-cartilage and hardened synskin, similar to that used in the black carapace of Space Marines. When the Assassin is in normal form these implants lie dormant under their flesh and within their bones. It is only when Polymorphine is injected that these implants react to stimulants within the drug and transform into the genetically encoded shapes that allow the Assassin to restructure their body into the grotesque and hunched form of an Ork, or the lithe and graceful body of an Eldar. The most startling and horrific of these implants are those that allow a Callidus Assassin to transform themselves into the totally alien form of a Genestealer Hybrid!

Whilst using Polymorphine an Assassin must have complete control of their body as well as total empathy with the subject they are attempting to replicate. The high level of discipline required by the complex, ritualised forms of combat also helps the Assassin achieve the inner calm and total concentration required. Over the centuries, the Masters of the Callidus temple have learnt that the female body and psyche is better able to implement these changes, and by and large the female novitiates make better chameleons than the men.

Callidus Assassins undergo years of rigorous training to use Polymorphine and become one of the living weapons of the Callidus temple. As part of this training, the Callidus temple practises innumerable ancient and secret martial arts. These arts train the Assassin in many deadly forms of combat, against which even a battle-trained foe would be hard pressed to find a suitable defence. A Callidus Assassin must move among the enemy as one of them, so choice of weaponry is always limited and in some cases the Assassin may be forced to fight barehanded. Even so a Callidus Assassin is just as deadly unarmed as when carrying the lethal but easily concealed weaponry used by the Callidus Temple.

On the battlefield, Callidus Assassins are landed behind enemy lines, where they use their cunning and stealth to infiltrate the enemy army. Usually this is done by eliminating individuals and taking their place. By disguising themselves with the recently deceased's armour and wargear and using Polymorphine to change their body, the Callidus Assassin can assume the identity of almost anyone in the enemy force. Using this technique the Callidus Assassin can get close to enemy commanders or powerful psykers, influencing their strategy and finally killing them when the opportunity arises.

• Imperial Agents Army List
  • Special Rules
• Wargear
  • C'tan Phase Sword
  • Neural Shredder
  • Polymorphine
  • Poison Blades

Callidus Imperial Assassin (by Ian Pickstock, excerpted from WD 191)

OFFICIO ASSASSINORUM

The Officio Assassinorum is one of the most ancient and secret organisations within the Imperium. It is answerable only to the High Lords of Terra, one of whom is the Grand Master of Assassins himself. The Officio Assassinorum is divided into many different temples, each of which practises and perfects its own special methods of assassination. There are many such temples, some of which are known and others that remain completely secret. An example of this is the Culexus temple with its horrifying psychic assassins. By contrast, the methods of the Eversor temple are neither subtle nor concealed and their Assassins are known and feared across the galaxy.

The Eversor is possibly the most gruesome of the many temples of the Officio Assassinorum. The Eversor specialise in shock and terror tactics, instilling fear of Imperial retribution into the hearts and minds of all who hold positions of power. Eversor Assassins are primarily used against rebel governors who have plans to move against the Imperium with a large armed force of renegades. Rather than meet this threat with a huge and costly war that will use up precious resources and probably leave whole planets ravaged, the High Lords will sanction the use of an Eversor Assassin. An Eversor rarely has just a single target. His mission will be to rip the heart out of the rebel operation, wreaking havoc and destruction. Such brutality ensures that the renegades are totally cleansed and that no would-be successors may take over. The enemy are utterly destroyed forever by the Eversor's unstoppable attack.

EVERSOR TEMPLE

In order to fulfil these gruelling objectives, the Eversor temple trains its Assassins to be utterly ruthless and completely dedicated to the Imperium. Using specialised knowledge of genetics and human biology, every single Eversor Assassin is engineered to be a super-human killing machine, their bodies driven beyond normal human capabilities by genetic alterations and advanced bionics. In addition, the Eversor temple has developed a range of combat drugs to alter the Assassin's state of mind to that of a psychopath, and push his bio-enhanced body to its absolute limit.

Each Eversor Assassin develops hyper-immuno systems to counter the toxins in the many drugs used by the temple. However, a large number of the drugs are also highly addictive. Without them the Assassin will almost certainly die, with them the Assassin is turned into an unstoppable killing machine. The inevitable result of this is that the Assassin becomes addicted to the killing itself! The only way they can be kept under control is to keep the Eversor Assassins in cryo-suspension until they are required for a mission. Each Eversor Assassin is stored in a cryo-crypt on board one of the many secret spaceships that the Eversor temple have scattered across the Imperium. These ships maintain a constant state of alert, waiting only for orders from the High Lords of Terra to unleash their deadly cargoes.

When an Eversor is selected for a mission he is transferred from the cryo-crypt to a special drop pod, where neuro links feed the details of the mission to him while he remains in cryosuspension. The pod is launched at the target planet, as remote links with the space-ship reanimate the Assassin and ready his finely-tuned body with all he needs to complete the mission. When the pod impacts, the Assassin will be fully awake and ready to begin his grim task. He will be totally unaware of the time spent in cryo-suspension - he might have spent years or even centuries in a frozen state, but to the assassin the time gap between the end of the last mission and the start of the next will be mere moments. He will be psyched up and ready to satiate his desire to slaughter the enemies of the Imperium. Cutting a swathe of destruction through the heart of the enemy, the Eversor's assault is so swift and ruthless that his foes are rarely aware that they are under attack until the doors of their sanctuary are torn off their hinges - by which time it's far too late!

BIO-KILLERS

Recruits for the Eversor temple are invariably chosen from the youngest of the available novitiates. This is because only a body which isn't fully developed is able to accept the many genetic alterations that the novitiate will undergo. The process of becoming an Eversor Assassin is arduous and long, the extensive testing, genetic manipulation and drugs turning each Assassin into a living, breathing experiment. At first, results from training exercises are assessed to determine which alterations would be most suitable. After that the real experiments begin...

The masters of the Eversor temple and the Medicus Adepts are constantly developing and adapting a special programme of genetics, bioimplants and chemical boosters to enhance the Assassin's body far beyond what a normal human could achieve. The Medicus Adepts make the most of these adaptations when an Assassin is chosen for the Eversor temple.

The novitiate Assassin undergoes endo-skeletal restructuring, increasing his stamina and aerobic performance and allowing him to fight for days without tiring or the need for rest. Muscular hypertrophy enables the Assassin to explode in a fury of hyperactivity, speeding up his cerebral functions and combat reflexes. In order to cope with these changes the Assassin is given a second heart. Not only does this give the Assassin extra survivability should one heart be damaged in combat, but when the Assassin is really driving his body to the limits, both hearts can kick in. This ensures that he can maintain the excessively high heart-rate demanded by his enhanced biochemical body, without seizing up.

If the trainee's body survives all of the implants and modifications then the novitiate's cerebral cortex is also enhanced. The brain is fitted with genetically coded lobo-chips. These chips amplify the Assassin's state of mind, turning a mere dislike for the enemy into raging hatred, or the wish to serve the Imperium into determination to complete his mission at any cost. Adrenal ducts are implanted, speeding up the brain's higher functions, and allowing the Assassin to make complex calculations and tactical decisions in seconds. The adrenal ducts are also able to feed the brain, allowing the Assassin to work briefly in a hard vacuum.

The process of turning a normal human being into a bio-enhanced killing machine is not without its dangers. Many Assassins have died on the operating table or, more often, from some unforeseen side-effect of their many complex bio-enhancements. A lot of the side effects are known to the Medicus Adepts and can be countered by glandular implants that constantly feed the necessary counter-active agents into the Assassin. However, every Eversor Assassin is fatally flawed by his inability to totally stabilise his body. Whilst the Eversor lives he can keep everything under control using his hyper-immuno system and advanced cerebral cortex. These enable him to constantly re-immunise himself and maintain safe levels and combinations of chemicals within his body. However, should the Assassin's hearts stop or his brain fail, the chemical concoctions inside him will react at a rapidly accelerating rate. As the dead Assassin's control over his body deteriorates, he spontaneously combusts with quite horrifyingly explosive results!Imperial Agents Army List

• Imperial Agents Army List
  • Special Rules
  • Wargear: Insert Cards
    • Eversor Combat Drugs
    • Executor Pistol
    • Neuto-Gauntlet
    • Sentinel Array

Inferno: Battle Report of alternate scenario for Gehenna Campaign from Fires of Gehenna scenario booklet in Titan Legions - Imperium Legio Metialic vs. Ork Waaagh! Hargluk (Follow-up Stomp an' Smash! Battle Report in WD 188)

Imperial Airpower

• The Rediscovery of Flight
• Airborne Assault
• Organisation
• The Thunderbolt Fighter
• Marauder Fighter-Bomber
• Thunderbolt and Marauder Epic Army Cards

Ordinatus: Imperium

• The Adeptus Mechanicus
• Centurio Ordinatus
• Special Rules
• Dispersion Field
• Golgotha
  • Hellfire Missiles
• Armageddon
  • Nova Cannon: Insert Template and Plasma Power Counters
• Mars
  • Sonic Disruptor
• Insert: Epic Army Cards

• Background
  • The Discovery of Kalamata
  • An Improbably Peace
  • The Warnings of War
  • The Attack on Deltrana Hive
  • The Final Battle
• Scenarios: Eldar vs. Imperial Forces
  • Scenario 1 - The Attack on Deltrana Hive
    Campaign: Titan Repairs
  • Scenario 2 - Battle for the Spaceport
    Campaign: If Eldar win, campaign ends in Eldar Victory
  • Scenario 3 - The Final Battle