Adepta Sororitas; the army, the models, the codex, what they need and what we want.

[DrBored]

Having had sisters from before Codex: Witchhunters and been rather ....'ahem' disappointed with their recent rules, I've taken it upon myself to write my own Sisters codex. I'm in the process of updating it from 6th to 7th but it near complete, when it is i plan on sending it to GW to show them what a Sisters codex could/ should be.
If anyone, or indeed the Bols community at large would be interested in reviewing it id be happy to post it to get any constructive feedback.

An quick example of one of the units: the Penitent engine.
When one of the Ecclesiachy’s own fails in their duties so badly that even Arco-flagellation isn't enough they may get interred into one of the soul destroying machinations of a vile Penitent Engine. Made locally from salvaged parts no two Penitent Engines are the same, the ‘pilot’ is mounted exposed on the front; their sins and guilt evident to all. A multitude of wires and chemical injectors are implanted into the ‘pilot’s’ spines and when they are not ripping through the ranks of their enemies lances of pain and images of guilt shoot directly into their brains reminding them of their sins. Part torture device, part battlefield monstrosity the Penitent engine is a giant conglomeration of an Arco-flagellant style ‘pilot’, Servitor parts, dreadnaught sized weaponry, a multitude of scrap-yard machinery and an unshakable faith in the God-Emperor. The cogitator abilities and repair function of its Servitor parts along with its ‘pilots’ tortured drive to repent means that the Penitent Engine will keep functioning well past when it should have been destroyed. Penitent Engines have been known to strive forward to enact the will of the God-Emperor even when riddled with blast holes and their limbs a twisted mess of Plas-steel and shredded hydraulic tubing dragging behind them.

Heavy Support

Penitent Engine Squadron………………………………..…….60 points

WS BS S I A F S R HP
Penitent Engine 4 2 5 4 4 11 11 10 3

Unit composition:
• 1 Penitent Engine
Unit type:
• Vehicle (Walker, Open topped)

Wargear:
• 2 Dreadnaught close combat weapons
• 2 Flamers (one on each arm)

Special rules:
• Fleet
• Move through cover
• Rampage
• ‘Battle Frenzy’
• ‘Unstoppable Rampage’
• It will not die

Options:
• The squadron may include up to an additional two Penitent Engines: ………… (+60pts per model)
• Each Penitent Engine can be upgraded with a: -Rosarius …………… (+25pts per model)

-‘Unstoppable rampage’: Penitent engines ignore any crew shaken and crew stunned results on the vehicle damage tables.
-‘Battle-Frenzy’: for every unsaved wound a Penitent Engines inflict in close combat the Penitent Engine immediately makes an extra attack. These attacks do not generate attacks in the same way.

(If the army contains a Confessor as one of its HQ choices then Penitent engines can be taken as either Elites or Heavy support.)

If tried to stick to the concept of the unit while making it more fearsome and ...more intense. I also deliberately avoided increasing its armour values or giving it abilities like scout, Deep strike or infiltrate as i felt that they took away from intent of the unit. With the fluff that I've given it above i imagine many conversion models for Penitent engines.

I don't think it needs IWND or an Invul save.

I think it just needs options to take either two heavy flamers (base) or two Melta Guns (+5 points per), and maaaaaybe something like Zealot and/or Crusader.

[helline9]

Thank you for your feed back.
As a vehicle zealot wouldn't work (other than re-rolling to hit which it doesn't need or is probably a bit too OP) and crusader doesn't give it much advantage either (that it isn't already getting from Fleet/ move through cover).

Probably the main problem with the Penitent engine is keeping it alive, it is literally the easiest vehicle to kill in the game (killer kans, Sentinels & Land speeder storms, which are the closest things too it, are all harder to destroy for one reason or another). The fact that it has to get into close combat to be effective makes it even more exposed. ...thus the reason for MTC, IWND & option for invul save.

As for the metaguns, i thought about that but when it can carve anything it can catch into tiny pieces what would the meltaguns be for? Don't get me wrong giving it weapon options other than the flamer would be interesting but meltaguns have short effective range which it already achieves through close combat and any longer range weapon choices like heavy bolters/ autocannons etc would be conflict with the idea of the units purpose.

[Halollet]

What they need and what I want... hmmm..

A lot of anti-psyker rules and equipment.

Like a relic that any psyker in range that rolls doubles when manifesting a power suffers perils of the warp.

Anti-psyker grenades

New elite unit, Witch Hunter Squad. Unlimited Condemer boltgun shots with the sniper rule! Infiltrate and stealth with a 4+ save.

Sister scouts would be another troops option. 4+ save, infiltrate, and still take 2 weapons, etc.

I also like the "cultists" idea. 4-6 points a piece, lasguns, las pistols/CCW, options for flamers/storm bolters.

I think Acts of faith should be universal and able to fire off every turn. Or have some that are universal and others have specific.

Retributors should have an act of faith that allows them to have skyfire that turn. BS 4, skyfire multimeltas are scary!

Cannoness could have a bunch of acts of faith that super boost the squad that she's with. And also huge bonuses to fighting psykers in challenges. Like gains perfered enemy, armourbane, and flesh bane against psyker characters.

Shield of faith could also give them a 4++ save against wounds and glancing/penetrating hits caused by psychic powers. Including attacks from force weapons.

Someone mentioned Repentia as troops with an HQ choice selected. Yes please!

Repentia with more weapon options would be good too. A mix of chain weapons and I5 would make it really neat to play. Allow them to take 2 chainswords or a heavy chainsword or an eviserator for different point costs.

Allow sisters to take a land Raider Redeemer.

Make the Immolator a fast vehicle.

Celestians just need a 2+ save; they all have artificer armour. Give them bolter, bolt pistol, and CCW as base equipment. Allow 4 models to take weapons like power weapon/fist, storm shield, lightning claws, special weapons, heavy weapons, etc. Make them tough and versatile. Now that's an elite choice!

Have a Psykerhammer, like a daemon hammer, but works against psykers!

I like the 0-5 Hospitallers in the army. Don't make them characters but allow them to give the unit feel no pain.

Have Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors as an HQ choice. Maybe can't count as warlord?

Or maybe have some other the other Ordos availible. Like Order Sicarius (that could enable 0-1 assassins), Ordo Scriptorum that gives mission bonuses.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

[Andrew Thomas]

What they need and what I want... hmmm..

A lot of anti-psyker rules and equipment.

Like a relic that any psyker in range that rolls doubles when manifesting a power suffers perils of the warp.

Anti-psyker grenades

New elite unit, Witch Hunter Squad. Unlimited Condemer boltgun shots with the sniper rule! Infiltrate and stealth with a 4+ save.

Sister scouts would be another troops option. 4+ save, infiltrate, and still take 2 weapons, etc.

I also like the "cultists" idea. 4-6 points a piece, lasguns, las pistols/CCW, options for flamers/storm bolters.

I think Acts of faith should be universal and able to fire off every turn. Or have some that are universal and others have specific.

Retributors should have an act of faith that allows them to have skyfire that turn. BS 4, skyfire multimeltas are scary!

Cannoness could have a bunch of acts of faith that super boost the squad that she's with. And also huge bonuses to fighting psykers in challenges. Like gains perfered enemy, armourbane, and flesh bane against psyker characters.

Shield of faith could also give them a 4++ save against wounds and glancing/penetrating hits caused by psychic powers. Including attacks from force weapons.

Someone mentioned Repentia as troops with an HQ choice selected. Yes please!

Repentia with more weapon options would be good too. A mix of chain weapons and I5 would make it really neat to play. Allow them to take 2 chainswords or a heavy chainsword or an eviserator for different point costs.

Allow sisters to take a land Raider Redeemer.

Make the Immolator a fast vehicle.

Celestians just need a 2+ save; they all have artificer armour. Give them bolter, bolt pistol, and CCW as base equipment. Allow 4 models to take weapons like power weapon/fist, storm shield, lightning claws, special weapons, heavy weapons, etc. Make them tough and versatile. Now that's an elite choice!

Have a Psykerhammer, like a daemon hammer, but works against psykers!

I like the 0-5 Hospitallers in the army. Don't make them characters but allow them to give the unit feel no pain.

Have Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors as an HQ choice. Maybe can't count as warlord?

Or maybe have some other the other Ordos availible. Like Order Sicarius (that could enable 0-1 assassins), Ordo Scriptorum that gives mission bonuses.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Forcing Perils would be counterintuitive; I'd lean towards more DtW buffs, as well as relevant Pariah rules (counting as Psykers for DtW purposes and/or directly penalizing psychic tests). I would try to avoid anything that directly parrots another Codex. I still believe that you should play toward a short-ranged tactical bias, as this faction tends to pursue its targets into tighter areas than armies like Tau or AM would really be comfortable in.

[Harley]

Forcing Perils would be counterintuitive; I'd lean towards more DtW buffs, as well as relevant Pariah rules (counting as Psykers for DtW purposes and/or directly penalizing psychic tests). I would try to avoid anything that directly parrots another Codex. I still believe that you should play toward a short-ranged tactical bias, as this faction tends to pursue its targets into tighter areas than armies like Tau or AM would really be comfortable in.

But DTW cannot be buffed for non-offensive powers, so Adamantium Will is useless against most Psychic forces.

Sisters need better ways to actually KILL enemy psykers such as "force" type weapons and instant death dealing. Currently they just have no good way of killing Daemon Princes except massed melta shots which are useless if the Prince is flying.

[Andrew Thomas]

Forcing Perils would be counterintuitive; I'd lean towards more DtW buffs, as well as relevant Pariah rules (counting as Psykers for DtW purposes and/or directly penalizing psychic tests). I would try to avoid anything that directly parrots another Codex. I still believe that you should play toward a short-ranged tactical bias, as this faction tends to pursue its targets into tighter areas than armies like Tau or AM would really be comfortable in.

But DTW cannot be buffed for non-offensive powers, so Adamantium Will is useless against most Psychic forces.

Sisters need better ways to actually KILL enemy psykers such as "force" type weapons and instant death dealing. Currently they just have no good way of killing Daemon Princes except massed melta shots which are useless if the Prince is flying.

Emphasis added to demonstrate how I'd deal with blessings/conjurations, e.g. forcing 6s for all close psychic tests.

Also, as I said before, an Act of Faith that granted full BS Snapshots could easily deal with flyers. Of course, they could give Seraphim the option of using Skyfire, as that isn't a huge stretch. I just don't see Force weapons, in of themselves, being used en masse by Sisters, as they really aren't a Psyker-heavy list. Now, invulnerable save hosing is an established theme for them, so autowounding daemons is probably still their primary method for dealing with them, although again, tactical bias is important in getting the feel of the faction right, so there shouldn't be obvious solutions to foes they aren't actively fielded against.

[Harley]

It would be great if jump infantry could have a skyfire mode if they don't use their jump mode in the movement or assualt.

[daboarder]

It would be great if jump infantry could have a skyfire mode if they don't use their jump mode in the movement or assualt.

they should straight up be allowed to assualt fliers...would be so cool

[This Dave]

they should straight up be allowed to assualt fliers...would be so cool

Somehow I see that as an Ork rule rather than one for the Sisters.

[Andrew Thomas]

Somehow I see that as an Ork rule rather than one for the Sisters.

idk, nigh-suicidal tactical decisions are just the thing I'd expect from an army of zealots.