We have a special article for you all today – George is sharing with us how he begun on his journey to start an Imperial Cult!

When the new Genestealer Cults models were announced I became very conflicted. I had always loved the aesthetic of the GSC, particularly their rugged civilian vehicles, but had always been put off by their fluff. As a loyal son of the Imperium, I wasn’t about to join a dark cult obsessively trying to advance the wellbeing of a distant star god, where success would mean that I was consumed by the mindless beast that I had truly been serving.

Before I think too much about that last sentence and get a visit from the Inquisition, I should get back to my story.

My resolve was greatly tested at the Vigilus open day, when I was able to see the Attilan Jackals first hand. They were exceptional models that looked to have a vast amount of conversion potential. I vowed that, even though I wouldn’t be doing a GSC army, I would buy some Jackals for conversion into Astra Militarum Rough Riders. Problem solved, I thought.

And then this happened:

The Achilles Ridgerunner. Everything I had always loved about the GSC aesthetic in a sleek, fast, menacing vehicle. I knew I had to build and paint at least one of these, but how to fit them into my armies? I toyed with the idea of an Astra Militarum Tauros (an idea I have shelved but definitely not dismissed) but then a stray thought crossed my mind. As I gazed at the Ridgerunner I thought to myself: “That almost looks like a 40k police car.”

And there it was. The solution. I could return to one of my first Warhammer loves and attempt to build an Adeptus Arbites themed GSC army.

After the initial glow wore off (about 4 minutes) I realised that this left me with a number of problems.

• Is there a sensible and fluffy reason why the Arbites would be ambushing everyone?
• How can I differentiate between ‘GSC’ Arbites and ‘Brood Brothers’ Arbites?
• Can I work out how to get all of the units I wanted out of sensible Arbites based conversions?
• What about Purestrains?

Fortunately, the happy confluence of the new GSC Magos model and another of my favourite models that I have never found a place for in any of my armies gave me the answer to the first three of those questions.

I have always loved the Wood Elves, and the Wildwood Rangers kit has always sat at the back of my mind (and, I must admit, my cupboard) as a possible basis for kitbashing. But who, in the 41st millennium, would wear ridiculous capes, like intimidating hoods and have a penchant for wielding massive axes?

And there was the answer. The Inquisition. Another of my favourite parts of the 41st Millennium, thanks in great part to the excellent novels of Dan Abnett. I had always wanted to explore the Inquisition further, and they are an excellent vehicle for conversions as each Inquisitor has a wide latitude for idiosyncrasies. I decided that my Inquisitor would have a penchant for cloaks and axes.

The fluff of my army then began to write itself. One of the roles of the Adeptus Arbites is to defend the authority of the Imperium against its own forces if any local governor or Planetary Defence Force should decide to challenge the power of the Emperor. Many Inquisitors have the same role, including the Ordo Hereticus and the less well known Ordo Militum, who are tasked with overseeing the Imperium’s diverse armed forces. Should a planet rebel or begin to fall under enemy control, the Adeptus Arbites and the forces of the Inquisition might well be the last servants of the Emperor to remain loyal and keep fighting against impossible odds. Likewise, an Inquisitor might be willing to adopt unconventional fighting methods, using their own followers and the local knowledge of the Arbites to lay traps and ambushes, fighting an asymmetric war against the invaders.

And that is how the forces of self-declared Grand Inquisitor Deza and Arbitrator Metus, co-ordinator of the Capital District came to be, at least in theory. How the models for each conversion were picked and how they were then constructed and painted is a story for another day (or two, or possibly even three).

And question four? I’ll let you know if I come up with a definitive answer, although I do have a cunning plan involving [REDACTED].

Nice one George! Looking forward to seeing what you do with your culty boys – George will be sharing with us the next stage in his journey very soon!