commander · Inquisitor Eisenhorn
Forces of the Imperium (40K).
An Esper token and investigation deck led by Inquisitor Eisenhorn, investigate to create Clue tokens, sacrifice them to transform Eisenhorn and deploy powerful Imperial forces with For the Emperor! effects.
The Commanders
Forces of the Imperium is an Esper Commander deck themed around the Imperium of Man from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines, Sisters of Battle, and the Inquisition. It uses the investigate mechanic to make Clue tokens that transform Inquisitor Eisenhorn, and it puts out waves of tokens while it builds toward that flip. It plays as a control deck early and turns aggressive once the board is set.
Inquisitor Eisenhorn is a double-faced card. On his front face, he's a 3/3 Human Inquisitor who investigates whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, and you can sacrifice him to flip to his back face. That back face is Cherubael, a 5/5 flying Demon that deals damage to each opponent when it attacks and returns Eisenhorn to the battlefield when Cherubael leaves play. He's a recursive threat that rewards sacrifice play and dies into a flying win condition.
Marneus Calgar is the alternative commander. He's a legendary Human Marine with ward: whenever a player casts a spell that targets Calgar, they sacrifice a permanent unless they pay three life. He draws a card whenever one or more tokens are created under your control. In a deck that generates Clue tokens constantly and deploys soldier tokens through Imperial cards, Calgar draws multiple cards per turn while being extremely difficult to target with removal.
Key Cards
Celestine, the Living Saint
A legendary Human Soldier that returns from the graveyard to the battlefield each turn if she was put there from play since your last turn. Normal removal can't keep her dead, so opponents need a real exile effect to answer her for good. Celestine also pumps your creatures when she attacks, and she's the deck's most resilient threat. Against removal-heavy pods she keeps draining opponents' resources turn after turn.
Birth of the Imperium
A Saga exclusive to this set. Chapter I creates two 1/1 white Human Soldier tokens and lets you investigate. Chapter II gives your creatures +2/+2 until end of turn. Chapter III tutors any card from your deck into your hand. One card, three chapters, and you get tokens, a combat pump, and a free tutor. That chapter III tutor is the standout: grab whatever combo piece or removal you need right as you're about to attack.
Skullclamp
Equip to a 1/1 creature, give it +1/-1, and when it dies draw two cards. In a deck that creates waves of 1/1 Soldier tokens, Skullclamp converts each token death into two cards. With Marneus Calgar also drawing cards off token creation, the deck generates four cards per token death cycle with both in play. Skullclamp is the card that turns token flood into card advantage that pulls away from any opponent in the late game.
For the Emperor!
A 40K exclusive instant. Create two 1/1 white Human Soldier tokens, then each token you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn, all at instant speed. It works on offense and defense: deploy soldiers in response to an attack, pump them, and block with a board that wasn't there a second ago. An opponent who swings into what looks like an empty battlefield walks straight into the ambush.
The Golden Throne
A legendary 40K artifact. Tap it, pay two life and a white mana, and create a 2/2 white Human Soldier token with vigilance. It's mana-intensive but provides a repeatable token generator that doesn't require spell slots. With Marneus Calgar drawing cards off every token, The Golden Throne converts excess mana in the late game into cards and board presence in one activation.
How to Play
Investigate early to make Clue tokens that fuel Eisenhorn's transformation and Marneus Calgar's card draw. Get Celestine down as a board presence opponents can't kill while you build your token army. Put Skullclamp on your 1/1 tokens to keep drawing cards, and with Marneus in play each token death draws three cards total.
You win through wide token attacks backed by For the Emperor! combat pump. Flip Eisenhorn into Cherubael and you have a flying threat that can close games on its own. Against control pods, Marneus Calgar's card advantage outlasts opponents who rely on attrition. The deck peaks when you make tokens faster than opponents can remove them and turn those tokens into cards through Skullclamp and Calgar.
