Editing Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Imperial Agents (section)

===Unit Analysis===

====HQ====
Easily the best section of this army, so don't be afraid to unashamedly drop points here. Everyone has their uses, especially the two special characters, which in this army Celestine and Jacobus might as well be mandatory if you want to win.

*'''Canoness:''' The Canoness is the cheapest base HQ Sisters have which in itself is quite handy, since one can never have too many Bolter Bitches running around. Seeing as how she's still just T3 with a 3+ Armor Save you '''WILL''' give her at least a Rosarius for the improved invulnerable save. Depending on what you've planned to do with her you can kit her a few different ways, but she's usually used as a supportive meatshield HQ. Generally giving her a combi-weapon or a good supportive relic is a solid option. Her AoF gives Hatred... in Assault Phase. Decent on the face of it, but Priests/Uriah already have Zealot, so what's the point? She's also Stubborn, which isn't all that important, but good to remember in a pinch (as with the AoF, pretty much only if your priests croaks).
**'''Consider the following:''' Canoness can provide valuable support, while Jacobus / Celestine (usually) steal the warlord spotlight. She's a cheap HQ choice, '''BUT''' she doesn't '''HAVE''' to be cheap. Given that she can have eternal warrior, a 3+/4++ AND an Eviscerator, she can become pretty formidable. Don't go up against big-time CC HQ's, but she could hold her own against the likes of a Lucius, for example. Or, alternatively, you could lose the eviscerator, but take the cloak and have her tank wounds (in this instance, she should NOT be your warlord). Retributors ''love'' their mistress, giving them a little extra durability that they need to make it to close combat.
***'''Alternative opinion:''' While still not the best, she could beat models '''FAR''' above her weight in the right squad. Kit her out as mentioned above (with eternal warrior and the eviscerator), but throw her in a Ecclesiarchy Battle Conclave squad, preferably in a decent transport (you'll need to do some ally shenanigans to get an assault vehicle) with 4-5 crusaders, 5-6 death cult assassins and 1-2 priests (1 of them having Litanies of Faith). the squad itself will have rerollable 3+ invuln save in the front of the squad to keep the assassins alive and (if you took a second priest) either shred, or more AP2 attacks (depending on your need). As a result, your Canoness' 4++ is now rerollable and she will sometimes have shred. Very strong indeed.

*'''Priests:''' For only 25 points, these independent characters are your cheap unit buffers. They are Zealots (Fearless and Hatred), they can take relics (litanies anyone?), and they can use War Hymns to additionally augment their unit (reroll to wound, reroll failed saves, or grants the Preacher Smash, which is hilarious, albeit for the most part impractical). Always take them, no matter what army you're running or what your plan is they can come in handy, even if you are running a single squad of basic Sisters as an allied detachment, I don't care. Take the crazy preachers. 
:The big puzzle with Priests is figuring out what wargear to take, from your rather extensive armory. There are a few stand-out options, however:
::'''Plasma Gun''': Interesting because they're the only thing in your whole army that can take a non-combi plasma. Less interesting because having your source of Fearless burn his fingers and croak is a bummer, and because Rapid Fire is not a good thing in a choppy squad. Take these if your priests are riding with a standard Battle Sister squad, since their AoF gives Preferred Enemy (pretty much eliminating any chances of Gets Hot! screwing you over), and because they generally don't want to charge anyway.
::'''Power Weapon''': If the priest is hanging around with a fighty squad - Celestians, Battle Conclaves - a little more armor-chopping power is nice to have. I'd pass on the sword, since priests are only S3, but both the axe and maul are good options. The maul is more interesting than it looks because if you use a War Hymn to gain Smash, it becomes AP2 and the Priest becomes S8, allowing the crazy preacher to squash Chapter Masters (although don't bet on it happening, it's far more likely to miss/get saved by an Invuln).
::'''Eviscerator''': Add a bit more heavy punch, fitting since it might as well be a chainfist. A good bet with Celestians, or maybe with Repentia, but expensive as it more than doubles the Priest's base cost. If you take this, Smash will never be needed.
::'''Combi-Weapon''': Always nice. For the reasons mentioned above, It'd be better to avoid combi-plasma (take it on someone with a 3+ if you really want it, or just take a real plasma gun), but combi-meltas and combi-flamers can both help out in the right circumstances (both times acting as a nice surprise for the enemy).  Combi-weapons can also be useful for non-Sisters armies and can be well worth it, since the preachers are already really good buffers for any army and can provide good weapons at a price (with their base and special gear) that's affordable.  They can also be helped with the whole "Only X in Y can take Z" weapons, providing extra options wherever you need them.
::'''Storm Bolter''': No, really. It's cheap, and it's Assault 2 rather than Rapid Fire. A nice option if you're cheaping out or if you're not sure what squad you'll want the priest to run with. Pass on the Shotgun, and definitely pass on the Autogun, but this is handy.

=====Special Characters=====

*'''Uriah Jacobus, Protector of the Faith:''' [[Ollanius Pius|Badass]] old guy who loves to smite heretics with his '''Twin-barreled shotgun.''' For 100 points you get a buffed up priest with a decent assault shotgun (basically an AP4 Storm Bolter). His banner gives Counter-attack and Fearless within 12" and, more importantly, he gives the unit he's attached to an additional AoF that always gets passed automatically, and can be used even if a model with a Simalacrum Imperialis in the unit died.  It also doesn't prevent the unit from using any other Act of Faith it might have in subsequent phases. 
:Let's not forget he is still a priest, so Zealot, War Hymns (on LD 9!) and for being a HQ, Martyrdom special rule. Not to pile on, '''BUT''' his Warlord Trait also makes his squad have a 5++ instead of 6++ and under 7th edition, there's no rule stating that your highest LD character has to be your Warlord. The question is not whether or not you take this guy, it's to what squad do you attach him (9/10 woman Repentia? 20 woman Sisters blob? A bunch of assassins?). If you're taking allies, consider buying him (either taken with who else you think is appropriate, or just by himself in a Delegation) and the squad you stick him with an assault vehicle. Anyway you want him, he will not disappoint.

*'''Canoness Veridyan:''' While a kickass model, Veridyan isn't much different from a standard Canoness stat wise. She carries no unique weapons outside of a bolt pistol and power sword and to top it all off, her act of faith is the same as a regular Canoness. What she does have that is unique is her special ability Clinical Precision, basically she gives precision shot and strike to ALL sister models. For a cheap 85 pts, she's not that bad of an HQ choice, but that being said, avoid putting her in melee, as she has a 6 up Invulnerable save at best, so park her in a Command Squad with Heavy Bolters near some exorcists, and get that sweet precision shot bonus. 

*'''Saint Celestine (Imperial Triumvirate):''' Talk about buffs.  While originally nerfed in the Digital Incarnation, her most recent (re)incarnation has received one of the biggest buffs in the entire game.  Coming in at twice what Jacobus costs, you do get what you're paying for, starting with Eternal Warrior, a gift from heaven considering she's still only T3, and her 5 Wounds and decent armour (2+/4++) makes her really hard to kill, even if she couldn't come back to life with all her Wounds restored!  If for some reason you still thought she was too fragile, she also comes with the Geminae Superia, Canonesses that Celestine has resurrected, though their stats are midway between a Canoness and a Celestian; the main highlight is that every Wound against Celestine is instead resolved against the Geminae Superia (making Celestine a great challenge troll).  This might be a little worrying, if one of the Geminae Superia didn't come back to life each and every turn (by default giving Celestine 14+ Wounds), and to make things better, they don't prevent Celestine from joining units!
:Do note that as she can come back once per game, and does so with full Wounds, her Martyrdom only kicks in once she dies for real.  On the plus side she only awards VP for Slay the Warlord when she's removed for real.
:For her other equipment Celestine retains her Assault 1 Heavy Flamer Master-crafted Sword, which becomes S+2 AP3 in melee so she can consistently rip through hordes with both her 5 attacks and the Geminae's combined 6, and she now has Armourbane.  While you shouldn't expect her to peel open Land Raiders (you have Dominions for that) she can and will tear apart anything AV 12 and lower, and even AV 13 isn't safe from her. At I7 she'll also strike first against pretty much anything but the big greater Daemons and some of the Dark Eldar HQs. She also gets a MEQ-killing one-shot S8 AP3 Orbital Bombardment, which is useful in the turn before she reaches combat.
:She also has some potential as a character killer once again (the Gathering Storm fluff has her kicking Abbadon's ass - with her new stats, entirely possible if unlikely, even being AP3 she has so many Attacks and the Geminae can take so many Wounds for her it's not even funny). 
:Her Warlord Trait allows all units within 12" of her to use her Ld10 for AoF [[AWESOME|and War Hymns]]. Given that normal Priests are LD7, giving you even-odds on passing the War Hymns tests and the advantages successful Hymns can give you, this is easily a massive incentive for taking her if you were already planning on a lot of Priests (as you should be).
:She's also gained Saintly Blessings, being able to bless a specific type of unit within 12" of her with a special ability (Zealot for HQ, FNP6+ for Troops or +1 if they already had it, Counter Attack and Furious Charge for Elites, Fleet and Crusader for Fast Attack, Relentless for Heavy Support and It Will Not Die for Lord of War). These abilities make her a bit schizophrenic in a footslogging list. She should be at the vanguard of your assault, but if you are marching, she's going to outrun her bubble. To get around this, you can just ally her into another army that doesn't have the disadvantage of a marching list.
:Like Jacobus, the question isn't whether or not you should take her, it's where she should be, and thanks to her blessings she can excel everywhere.  If you want her in combat, put her with Seraphim or some sort of Assault Squad (Marines with Celestine will function as a battlefield blender) and if you have a gunline, then she can still function well as a counter-charge unit.  
::Overall, she is a great unit. Outside of her strength and toughness of 3 (buffed by EW), she has a fantastic statline, wargear, and special abilities, and Celestine [[wat|even has her own Relics,]] all of which are worth it in their own way.  She's not the ''only'' way to gain access to these relics, listed below, but she's definitely the ''easiest'' way.
:*'''Ecclesiarchy Relics:''' First and foremost, these Relics '''can be given to any Character who can normally take a relic (or their equivalent), provided they're in an army that includes Saint Celestine, or are part of a Wrathful Crusade Formation/Castellans of the Imperium Detachment''' (just stick with Celestine, she's worth it and those other two include options for her anyway).
::*'''Skull of Petronella the Pious:''' Offers a 6+ Invuln save to the entire squad, and isn't worth it for the Sisters.  If given to a Priest who's put into a massive blob on the other hand, it could definitely find its use, essentially giving whichever unit you want Shield of Faith (you made sure to take that Priest as part of the Ministorum Delegation right?).
::*'''Blade of the Worthy''' Essentially a Power Sword, but if the character wielding it passes a Leadership test, it turns into Celestine's own sword, but at AP2 instead of AP3.  Absurdly good, especially on somebody like a Marine to offer [[Asterion Moloc|S6 AP2 at Initiative.]]
::*'''Castigator:''' A bolt pistol, albeit one that [[Awesome|ignores both Armour and Invulnerable saves.]]  At 15 points there's little reason not to take this, especially if you know your opponent's HQs are going to be having high Armour/Invulns.  Hell, one shot at a SS/TH Terminator could make more than double its points back.  Bonus points if you put this on an Inquisitor who joins a Jokaero to double the range the pistol normally has. It is also a good way to force a terminator captain to have a pistol for that sweet dual-wield bonus.
::*'''The Font of Fury:''' The Holy Hand Grenade of Comic Sans.  A frag grenade with Large Blast instead of Blast and with the the Bane of Evil rule, causing it to have Poisoned (2+) against all Chaos units.  While it's obviously pretty decent against Chaos units (the only exceptions being Chaos Marines thanks to their armour), it can also be worth it against other armies too, since it's still Poisoned (4+) against them, and at 10 points only it's a steal, so long as you live long enough to throw it.  Just give it to somebody wearing a Jump Pack to make sure that comes to pass.
::*'''Shroud of the Anti-Martyr:''' For 35 points you can give somebody the Eternal Warrior rule.  You're paying out the ass for this, so put it on somebody who'll be worth it. A good way to determine this is if the Shroud costs 50% or more what the model does once all of their upgrades have been added, then don't give it to them, just get another model, or beef them up some more.  Chapter Masters in particular can benefit from this greatly (just for that extra fuck you to Powerfists/Thunder Hammers).
::*'''Desvalle's Holy Circle:''' For those who hate Deep-striking.  First of all it's an Iron Halo/Rosarius (so no need to buy that for whomever you're giving this to), and secondly enemies cannot arrive within 12" of the bearer, and if they scatter into that range they automatically suffer a Deep Strike Mishap.  Awesome, and it's one of the very few ways that you can give certain models like Inquisitors Invulnerable saves.

====Elite====
Not the best selection for your army, but they're usable... kinda. Slightly improved now that the Command Squad can be taken solo though.

*'''Sororitas Command Squad:''' With the Canoness tax gone, these ladies can now be taken on their own. Their options are a little schizophrenic, their long-ranged weapons not fitting with their assault-oriented AoF combined with decent close combat capability. That said, they are a quite solid option for shooting with the allowance of up to 5 Combi-weapons, Special or Heavy Weapons. 
:A pretty decent alternative Retributor squad, they can do the same job without sucking up one of your valuable Heavy Support slots and they can do it while buffing the units around them.  Either shooting from the back and allowing units to re-roll their AoF tests, or by popping out of cabs to burn shit with their Heavy Flamers/Combi-plasmas. If this is your plan, then you might as well give them an Immolater.
:They do have access to Power Weapons and some good melee options, so they can also provide melee prowess, though if that's your plan you have to prepare for it.  The Sisters are still only T3 so get a Hospitaller for her Feel No Pain, get some Axes to mitigate their Strength 3, get one or two Priests for psuedo-shred/more survivability, with the Sacred Banner.  If you manage to charge with them they'll each deal 4 Attacks that re-roll both To Hit and To Wound at Strength 4 AP2, while being decently tough themselves.
:The Dialogus is a bit iffy, if you're taking a lot of Retributers or using a Command Squad to back up a regular Sisters squad however then they could be worth it, though at that point you might as well base the entire squad around them.  Get a Blessed Standard, Hospitaller (she's cheap enough for durability she offers for the points to be worth it), and give the rest decent enough weapons, like Combi-weapons/Storm Bolters.
::Do note that in most cases you'll just be better off by slapping a Laud Hailer on your vehicles, it'll be more useful and cheaper than the entire squad.
:A fun way to use them is as the absolute bane of a psyker or a squad of psykers. Give all 5 condemnor boltguns and perils the living hell out of that farseer/librarian/cheese rerollable 2++ deathstar unit. Fun stuff. Obvious counterpick, but fun stuff.

*'''Celestians:''' Good news - Celestians are now only 14 points each (only 2 more than a Battle Sister, for +1 point of WS, +1 Attack and +1 LD) and get Furious Charge as their AoF. If you want to take them, you have to commit to them, and I mean fully. Want a squad of 5? Fuck you, just go get some more basic Sisters. 9 Celestians, Flamer, Heavy flamer, Combi-Flamer and Power Sword/Axe for your Sister Superior and a Priest (with a Combi-Flamer and Power Axe of his own). This is probably not going to be cheap, but it'll make your Celestians a fairly nasty close combat unit, which could easily be used for a downfield push or contesting an objective late game. If you do this, consider putting your Canoness in that unit too, and if you have a Command Squad with the Sacred Banner of the Orders Militant, keep it nearby too. A bit of a death star, but an opponent that doesn't know how Sisters work will very likely be caught off guard. They're still not a must have, but if you're playing aggressively they will probably suit your playstyle.

*'''Sisters Repentia:''' They are a fragile unit (6++) that pumps out a frightening number of eviscerator swings in close combat. Thanks to Rage they get +2 attacks on the charge instead of +1 and they can take a dedicated transport. Still no assault vehicles on Sisters though, moreover, if your opponent doesn't shoot them to death after blowing up their limo, he can assault the two you have left, thus negating your awesome charge bonus. If you're not running a Mech list or using ally shenanigans to give them an Assault Vehicle then do what you did before and keep these ladies behind a moving screen of blob cover (suicide IG blob, anyone?). 
:Note their FNP is now an AoF (although an incredible 3+); it doesn't come standard. A full squad only costs 155pts, season to taste with Preachers. You may lose Fleet, but you get Zealot and War Hymns (reroll wounds, reroll saves (for what that 6++ is worth, do note that a re-roll boosts the Save chance from 16.7% to 30.6%, which is close to the 33% chance from a 5++, and if you have Uriah Jacobus or a lucky Canoness with the right Warlord Trait, that rerollable 5++ is better than a 4++)). It might not be a bad idea to invest in Litanies of Faith, either. These bondage babes are a glass cannon and you can't really afford them forgetting their safety word. Depending on whether you gave them the Litanies of Faith or Uriah Jacobus, it might be worthwhile to toss the Mistress of Repentance at the front of the unit, as she might absorb a couple of bolter shots up front that would otherwise cost you a Repentia. Remember that each and every Repentia you keep alive to hit home with a charge will be well worth it.
:If you really wanted to fuck somebody over, you could ally in the Deathwatch, use them to help fight the long-ranged game while the Sisters and their Priest(s)/Jacobus hop in the Corvus Blackstar, although to make this work it'd probably be worth it to invest in a Skyshield Landing Pad (you were probably going to need that 4++ anyway).  Load them up, move them up, and then have them all charge out the second they're within range.  So long as you can get them to where they need to be you'll never be disappointed by their performance.

*'''Arco-Flagellants:''' Puts out 4 S5 attacks per turn (that unfortunately allow armor saves) and has Feel No Pain. Good for being used as beatsticks against low-armor units, such as Orks or lesser Daemons and they can glance most vehicles to death on rear armor in a heartbeat. 
:Note that they're they're insanely squishy (no armor, and FNP on T3) and only I3.  You can mitigate this somewhat by taking them as part of a Delegation (you were going to use that Priest anyway) since now they get 6++ followed by FnP, but you're still going to either want to screen them, or give them a transport.  They are cheap as hell for what they offer though, so don't feel bad if some of them die.  Think of them as the lighter hitting version of Repentia, while those girls can deal with the heavy armour, these guys are better for the lighter stuff.
:There's a bit of a question on which is better at killing, Arco-Flagellants, or Death Cult Assassins.  The answer is that Death Cults are better at killing MEQs (though just slightly), Arco-Flagellants are better at killing everything else.
:Also note that they can be used to great effect in a Ecclesiarchy Battle Conclave, since that way you can pair them up with Crusaders so that they essentially have a 3++ save.

*'''Crusaders:''' Crusaders come with power swords and storm shields, and are ridiculously good for how much they cost (they also wear Flak Armour, for what it's worth).  Useful only as a screening unit, use them to suck up wounds that would otherwise be unsaveable. Not so good for offense, but soak heavy fire and power weapon attacks like a sponge, while offering a good cover save to anyone behind them (your opponent can't get rid of them, or anyone hiding behind them).
:With 3++ and power swords these guys will almost always win combat with [MEQ]s, making them incredibly useful against most armies. A unit of 8 With an Eviscerator Priest with plasma can provide a very strong unit. Make sure not to forget that priest, though: the save re-roll will significantly extend the life of your bullet sponges.

*'''Death Cult Assassins:''' A very odd choice in an army that already has the Sisters Repentia, and surprisingly similar, even if there's a few base differences.
:For starters, no FnP Act of Faith, instead they get a guaranteed 5+ Invuln.  Already they're tougher to kill than the Sisters, though that could easily be mitigated by Jacobus (who was probably going to join that squad anyway).
:They carry two Power Swords instead of an Eviscerator and Rage, which means that they still get the same amount of attacks on the charge, but at I6, S4, AP3 instead of I1, S6, AP2.  In addition these girls get a bonus Attack over the Sisters if they're charged, or if they make it to Round 2.
:The Death Cult Assassins are WS5 instead of WS4, and this is what finally sets them apart.  Sisters Repentia can be really worth it as a hard-hitting hammer, but the Death Cults are simply better against the right targets, anyone with I3 and WS4 and lower with 3+ saves or worse (so basically humans and many xenos) is going to be minced by the Assassins (they can also deal with MEQ's better, provided the MEQ's have unwieldy weapons), while the Repentia could lose some models to their attacks and not be as effective, especially in subsequent rounds.
:Do note that if you're making a list that includes both Arco-Flagellants and Repentia, that you might as well get more Repentia, unless you are very confident you can deliver the Death Cults to exactly where they need to go, but don't waste an Assault Transport trying to get them there, save that for your Repentia.
:Tactical Note: Think of these girls as Imperial Harlequins with half the cool shit Harlies get. They're a glass cannon unit that will utterly delete the right squads if they get into close combat (Incubi and Striking Scorpions come to mind). Your problem lies in getting them there, something the Ministorum Assassins don't have an effective means of doing. Instead of picking up the DCAs here, look down at the Inquisitiorial Henchmen warband which can pack the swordwhores in a land raider along with the priest you were going to take anyways and crusaders to shield them, not to mention flamer toting Acolytes who can soak up wounds with 4+ or even 3+ saves and punish enemies who charge you with overwatch. Just don't charge through difficult terrain because these ladies don't carry frag grenades.

====Dedicated Transports====
Getting your meltas/flamers into position is priority, so running anything less than full mech infantry is a dangerous gambit, unless of course you run blob squads with Preachers, thereby making them Fearless. On vehicles we get smoke and Shield of Faith standard, so extra armor can be safely ignored. Dozer blades are always welcome point sinks, though by no means mandatory.

*'''Rhino''' - It's a Rhino. You've seen it elsewhere and you know what it does. They've gotten 5 points more expensive, it also has Shield of Faith to compensate, which is definitely worth it.

*'''Immolator''' - Battle Sisters squads have a basic unit size of 5 models, which means a basic squad can fit inside them. PRAISE THE EMPRAH! Basically this means immo-spam is back; twin-linked multi-meltas add reliable tank-busting, leaving your Sisters to tool up with flamers for the wall of death. Mercifully, they now get a 5-point price drop, searchlights and free multi-meltas now. And the Laud Hailer is a welcome addition, since you'll usually stick Dominion in here. You WANT that AoF to work. The new draft FAQ also gave it a single fire point: that's not much, but it's better than a sharp stick in the eye, and you never know when that one shot will make the difference. Don't forget it if your Immolaor gets charged when there's still a unit inside it.
:Don't forget that like the Rhino, Immolaters have Shield of Faith. Given how close they're going to get to their enemies that 6++ could come in handy, and if you're up against Psykers you're definitely going to appreciate Adamantium Will.

* '''Repressor (Forge World)''' - Under the latest Imperial Armor, it's a 75 point Rhino with AV 13 front, a free Dozer Blade, a Heavy Flamer and enough room for 8 models to shoot out of. (War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes page 239, "Two models may fire out of the top hatch. '''In addition there are three firing points on either side of the troop compartment, each of which may be fired out of by a single passenger.'''") This is a pretty solid model for units that can fire at full capacity out of it (8 girl Retributor squads, maybe a Dominion squad), if you're willing to put in the points, much less the Pounds. Now has Shield of Faith too. 
:Oddly enough the Repressor is better suited for your allies rather than your nuns, providing excellent cover for something like a Deathwatch force to hide inside and take shots out of, and they can also make mean battlefield bunkers (because you might be playing the Vestal Task Force, and be unable to take the real fortifications, or you might want more mobile but still affordable bunkers).  If you're worried about the Line of Sight issues, you could always ally in an Inquisitor, as depending one what army you're up against it's possible for the Inquisitor to give the embarked unit Split Fire.
:Note that most tournaments won't let you use this, though attitudes toward Forge World do seem to be liberalizing somewhat.
::Also note that this vehicle has not been available for sale since August 2015. They need to redo the mould and who knows when this will be done.

====Troops====
Troops are troops, you know what they do. You only have 1 option, Battle Sisters, but you have a lot of different variations on that with which to work.

*'''Battle Sisters''' - Basic Bolter Babes. Their AoF gives Preferred Enemy on assault or shooting. Come stock with Bolters, Bolt Pistols and Grenades. They therefore CAN be used as Assault troops, but that's a risky tactic at the best of times, so only use it against really weak CC opponents, or if you sprung for a Priest (which you probably should have). They can also take a Heavy Weapon and a Special Weapon (or two Specials) at 5 models, which is a big advantage and makes them one of the few Troops choices to be able to carry a Heavy Flamer. With a basic squad size of 5 and a multitude of options, there are a lot of viable builds for how to use them. Here are a few basic setups and most of these can benefit from a Simulacrum Imperialis and a Priest. If your opponents tends to be very heavy on monstrous creatures and vehicles as opposed to leg infantry, consider trading the usual flamer/heavy flamer duo for a pair of meltaguns, or stock up on Dominions instead of buying them special weapons.
::'''Dirt Cheap:''' 5 girls with no transport and no upgrades, or at most, a single Heavy Bolter. This option is only useful so that you can spend a huge whack of points elsewhere, for example, if you're taking two Combined Arms Detachments to get a ton of Dominions or the like. Still, five of them castled up behind an Aegis or in a ruin can camp on a backfield objective while providing harassing fire with their Heavy Bolter.  Spring for a different fortification with attached Heavy Bolters and the whole squad can easily pull their own weight.
::'''Small:''' 6 girls or one priest and his battle harem in an Immolator with either a Heavy Flamer for improved Infantry burning or a Multi-Melta for emergency tank hunting. This squad will benefit the most from either a pair of Flamers or a Flamer and Heavy Flamer, as their job is to drive the enemy off an objective.
::'''Medium:''' 10 girls in a Rhino. This is best used with a Flamer and Heavy Flamer, as these can be fired out the top hatch without penalty. This squad is quite good at grabbing early game objectives and holding them against opposition. Consider a storm bolter on the Superior for a little extra dakka while you close the gap.
::'''Large:''' 20 girls on foot. What special/heavy weapons you give this squad is dependent on what you want to do with them. Some squads will be good at forcing less numerous enemies off objectives, in which case they should take Flamers and Heavy Flamers, whereas others will be good at hanging back behind an Aegis to hold an objective, in which case you might make good use of Storm Bolters and Heavy Bolters to maximize your fire output, either way this squad really benefits from a Priest. A 20 girl squad with a Priest is going to be nigh impossible to shift.

====Fast Attack====
Fast Attack units are the scalpel of a Sisters force. Each of the units is designed to do precisely one thing and do it well. Since they do opposite things, you're going to want one of each (at least) at all but the smallest points levels.

*'''Dominions:''' Super-aggressive Sisters! They have access to Special Weapons (i.e meltas), they have Scout and their AoF gives them Ignore Cover. So let me get this straight: STR 8 AP1 Armourbane Scouts that Ignore Cover? Seriously?! If you're not giving them 4 meltaguns, punch yourself in the face right now. Eldar Serpent spam? Mmmm... delicious space elf tears. Tau suits sitting in a forest? Bend over, you're getting a lesson in MY Greater Good. Leman Russ line castled up behind an Aegis? You get my point. Give them an Immolator with Multimelta, run 18" up and melt their favorite toy. Then hop out of your ride and melt another one. 
:You could have a squad of ten in a Rhino or Repressor, but 10 Dominions, 4 meltas and a Rhino cost 210 points in total; For roughly the same cost you could get 6 dominions in an Immolator, with 4 meltas, a Veteran Superior with a combi-melta and a Simulacrum Imperialis, plus either a Storm Bolter or Dozer Blades for the Immolator. 
:These death stars are going to be priority target number one for any opponent whose head isn't firmly lodged up his own rear end, so you're going to need some soaks (Sisters who haven't been upgraded with weapons to take the Wounds for those who have). 
:Don't forget that since they can Scout they can also Outflank; if you're deploying first, take advantage of this - an opponent who knows about Dominions can easily counter-deploy his tanks somewhere safe. Outflanking plays hell with that strategy. Any other use of them is essentially a waste, as they're your only source of Melta Weapons that can reliably get close enough to make proper use of them. 
:It goes without saying that taking Flamers is a legendarily bad idea. Taking a whole pile of Storm Bolters isn't ''quite'' as thunderdumb, but again, it's an expensive way to get them and the cost is loss of a weapon that ends up ignoring both cover and armor. Don't be a bonehead. 

*'''Seraphim:''' Fuck what [[Dawn of War]] thinks, these girls are the rapists instead of the other way around. Jump pack Sisters, they have Hit & Run, their AoF gives them Shred and Angelic Visage means they reroll invulnerable saves granted from Shield of Faith. The slight rewording of Acts of Faith in Imperial Agents means that they now have Shred in the Assault Phase as well, which makes them a lot more useful. Hand flamers are now half price and Inferno Pistols are the other special weapon option, but at 30 points, half the range of real meltas, and having to get really close to use them effectively (3 inches for melta bonus, max 6 inches) makes them situational at best. 
:Inferno Pistols might still be worth it even if you don't want to hunt vehicles however, Shredding S8 AP1 is nothing to sneeze at and if you upgrade two Sisters you get four shots out of them, plus one more from the Superior's plasma pistol if you really wanted that TEQ squad/Monstrous Creature gone. 
:They can also Deep Strike, and Hand Flamers combined with AoF will be the bane of all horde armies out there as you are able to hop into position from reserves and cover them in templates with rerollable wounds. 
:Just remember, they're still T3, so if you're not taking advantage of LoS cover these girls are as good as dead. They still do some good damage to MEQ's through volume of wounds alone, moreover between their dual pistols giving them an extra attack and Hammer of Wrath they can be decent at finishing off a unit they just shot at in combat (unless it's a dedicated close combat unit, in which case you should bolt).
:Something you shouldn't rule out entirely is Hit and Run. Sure, their Initiative kinda sucks, but you're running them with St. Celestine, right? Hers most certainly does not. Most opponents will be hard-pressed to wipe more than a few Seraphim in one assault phase (Angelic Visage and Shield of Faith mean that even power weapons aren't sure-fire), so burn them, jump in and pound them, then rabbit away. Almost nothing can stand up to very much of that, and with Celestine's initiative, you almost certainly won't get swept. Just make sure to take a power weapon on your Superior to take maximum advantage of this.

====Heavy Support====
If Fast Attack is the scalpel of a Sisters force, then Heavy Support is the sledgehammer. Don't expect subtlety or specialization here, all of these units are designed to just bludgeon the enemy into submission. On the plus side, they're quite versatile and both Retributors and Exorcists can probably find use against any enemy, regardless of their setup.

*'''Retributors:''' Heavy weapons Sisters, they're unfortunately not an Exorcist. Their AoF gives Rending, so they're able to cope with medium vehicles to a degree and punish anyone who has armour that beats their Heavy Bolters (and with the amount of shots you should get, Rending will come into play decently enough, especially if you ally in an Astropath to give them Prescience). A Simulacrum Imperialis is definitely useful here (extra round of rending), and the rest of the time they'll be stuck on chewing up light infantry duty. 
:They are also your only real hope of dealing with Flyers without getting an Aegis, Allies or Forge World (12 Shots can probably cause the odd bit of damage here or there). 
:You can also take 4 multi-meltas and giggle about how they rend, but that's not an exceptionally efficient choice.
::'''Consider the following:''' While still not an Exorcist, a large squad (7-10, possibly with a Priest) in a Rhino with Heavy Flamers can be a truly scary squad in certain playstyles, especially extremely aggressive ones. You could get a lot of mileage out of 4 Rending Heavy Flamers (two can fire out of a Rhino). Against small squads you could often wind up with more hits than there is in the squad and against large ones you can often just flat out ignore their armor saves with the flamers. They'll take careful use, but they can be devastating if used right, especially if they can contest an objective.  Also, if you're looking for a good transport to make full use of those rending Heavy Flamers, try a Taurox, or better yet, a Taurox Prime.  2 fire points on each side, plus a relatively small model size means you can unleash all four flamer templates with relative impunity. Or you could grab a Repressor (if you have the money) and get an extra Heavy Flamer shot (it's unclear if a transport gets the benefits of an Act of Faith).

*'''Exorcist:''' Hoo boy, far and away the best choice for HS. With the advent of Hull Points, Exorcists have become one of the most important units in your army, as they're armed with one of the best guns in the game. A single round from one of these will negate Rhino and Chimera class vehicles' armor and they can even shave Hull Points off of AV13 and 14(!), especially when taken in pairs and castled up. 
:Aside from vehicle rape, they can find a use against almost every type of army. They knock MEQs and TEQs on their ass (especially if they're counting on FNP to save them), are magnificent at knocking giant T6 monsters down to size, and a single round from them has been known to reduce Nobs/Battlesuits/Tyranid Warriors to tears. Remember to bring your lucky die though, as the gun shoot d6 shots, which is a little random at times. 
::Don't forget that your Exorcist Launcher is turret mounted, meaning it has 360 degree arc of sight, which can be useful if you're trying to avoid exposing your rear/side armor. 
:Taking 3 is ''almost'' mandatory if you want any chance of winning in a competitive game.

*'''Penitent Engines:''' Apart from having quite an interesting looking model, this walker suffers from being stuck in Heavy Support. If it was in Elites they might be an awesome choice (six of these and a squad of Repentia? Good times). The walker has 3 attacks and with 2 CCW and Rage it pumps out 6 on the charge, though 4 attacks base is still nothing to sneeze at, and it's worth remembering that these attacks come in at S10 AP2.  Granted they're only at I3, but that's still faster than a power fist. It has two heavy flamers on top of all this (in case some brainiac decides to charge ''you'' first!), but with its slow speed, Rhino-class armor and open top walker status the chances of things going [[Just As Planned]] are virtually non-existent. It's also competing for vital Heavy Support slots, and with Exorcists being an option there's little use for them. 
:If you really want to use them, then target saturation can help get these guys where they need to be. If your opponent focuses on them, everything else gets to do its job. Since no opponent will focus on them (unless he's a moron), you have a decent chance of getting at least one into CC to cause havoc and this is especially the case if you ally in guard. A Leman Russ squadron (or flack tanks) combined with 2 Exorcists will give your opponent enough other things to worry about to potentially justify running some penitents.  
:Still want to try these? Take nine in a low point game and watch your opponent shit a brick.