In case you don't want to get your Inquisitor's hands dirty, this Inquisitor Lord and Retinue will have you praising the Emperor and passing the ammunition. Since Stormtroopers and Sisters are better at shooting, this Inquisitor Lord and his Retinue can fill gaps in the firing line. This role is mainly useful in a Sisters of Battle army that needs longer range, high-AP shots from Plasma weapons. In a Stormtrooper-heavy force, the Retinue can provide heavier firepower with Heavy Bolters and Storm Bolters.

Ranged-Combat Inquisitor Lord & Retinue

• Inquisitor Lord
• (3x) Acolytes
• (3x) Warrior Henchmen (Gun Servitors or Veterans)
• (2x) Sages
• (2x) Chirurgeons

Regardless of how you fight, the Chirurgeons are always a good choice for their awesome ability to soak up 1 Wound per turn. While you may think the 24 points for two of them could be better used on other gear, Chirurgeons really prove their worth when you have at least two of them. All they have to do is save your 105-point Inquisitor once to make you glad you took them.

On a similar note, the Acolytes are still valuable to catch a bullet for your Inquisitor, though they will be better used to make the other poor bastard die for his cause. With that role in mind, Power armour isn't needed to make sure your Acolyte stays around. Carapace armour lets you take a few Wounds and still have enough points left to afford a Storm Bolter. Otherwise, another choice is to give your young and faithful charge a Bolter/Plasma Combi-Weapon. However, when wielding such a rare item, your Acolyte can't take any armour upgrade. This lack of armour is unfortunate, since your Acolyte probably won't survive all those wounds you allocate to him (especially after he draws fire from shooting their plasma shot)!

Sages are a no-brainer for this type of group, as they enhance the Inquisitor's shooting. When you have more than one of them, they help out the entire Retinue, which is helpful for making sure that young Acolyte Smith's plasma shot finds the target rather than cooking the poor lad.

Warrior Henchmen have a plethora of weaponry available to them that is well suited for longer-ranged combat. For some real "reach out and touch someone" firepower, Gun Servitors fit the bill nicely. Multi-Meltas are handy if you expect to see enemy armoured vehicles, Heavy Bolters have decent strength and enough shots to make even Space Marines pause, while the token Plasma Cannon is worth taking just for that AP2 template. If you plan on having a more mobile firebase, Veteran Guardsmen can be equipped with all sorts of Special Weapons such as Shotguns, Flamers, and Meltaguns to stay on the move and still lay down some impressive fire.

For the Inquisitor Lord, Puritans are limited to Storm Bolters or Combi-Weapons to maximize their shooting, while Radicals can take Divine Pronouncement, Hammer of the Witches, or Scourging to smite the enemy from afar. Word of the Emperor may also prove to be useful, especially for Retinues that have many rapid-fire weapons, since this power leaves the enemy helpless within prime dakka-dakka range.

A Retinue specializing in hot plasma death could be especially frightening, blasting away with six shots from Plasma Guns and Combi-Weapons (12 shots at close range) and one Plasma Cannon template – all in one apocalyptic turn.

A Retinue such as this one would benefit from a Chimera or even a Land Raider (with Retinues numbering 10 or less, of course) for transport or to act as another set of guns. The Land Raider, while being an exorbitant point-drain, is the only way a pure Witch Hunter force can take Lascannons, which are Twin-Linked, no less. The high armour value of the Land Raider may prove to be useful as well by scaring opponents into wasting shots on it rather than more fragile targets such as your Inquisitor Lord and his Retinue.

For the Inquisitor on a budget (or who came as an Elite choice) the Chirurgeons again are taking slots that could be better used on someone who knows which is the business end of a bolter. Sages could be thinned down to one or none as the Inquisitor's BS of 4 will most likely be suitable. This swap leaves you with two or three members left to fill in your little hunting party with Acolytes or Warriors as you see fit.