Editing Warhammer 40,000/6th Edition Tactics/Adepta Sororitas (section)

==Unit Analysis==

===HQ===
Easily the best section of our codex, so don't be afraid to unashamedly drop points here. Both special characters range from modestly useful (Celestine) to borderline mandatory (Jacobus), while even the Canoness--when kitted right--has her uses (see below).

*'''Saint Celestine''' - Went from being a trolling HQ in 5E to...something not quite as good in 6. For 135 points we get only a pale shadow of the monster she used to be. At T3 she's probably going to get crumped by another monstrous creature or executed in a challenge, but at least now that her weapon is S+2 AP3, she can consistently rip through hordes (last edition she was only wounding on a 4+). Maybe not a character killer, but mobs will cry. She still has the ability to come back from the dead (and does so with full Wounds[!]), but she can only do so once per game (and her martyrdom [see the Jacobus entry] only comes into effect when she dies for real). On the bright side, she's more likely to do so now that she just needs to pass a Leadership test to revive. Her WT allows all units within 12" of her to use her Ld10 for AoF and War Hymns. It should be noted, however, that 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.
**'''ATTACH HER TO A UNIT.''' A common enough tactic was running her around solo back with her nigh invincible 5E version. With T3 and just a Power Sword she'll generally struggle against most HQ's or units with a ton of wounds. Giving out Slay the Warlord wantonly is not the best choice. Seraphims are probably the best way to go, but she also could be useful marching in a blob of 20 girls, doing some wound tanking and making the most of her WL trait. 

*'''Uriah Jacobus, Protector of the Faith''' - Still Awesome. Now boosted to (a measly) 100 points. His banner gives counter attack and fearless with 12" and, more importantly, gives the unit he's attached to an additional AoF. Oh, and let's not forget he is still a preacher, so: HATRED, fearless (redundant, I know), prayers (on leadership 9!), AND he has the martyrdom special rule (i.e. if he dies, sisters get all hot and bothered and pass all their leadership tests for a turn). Not to pile on, BUUUT his warlord trait also makes his squad have a 5++ instead of 6++ (although this only applies if he is the ONLY HQ you are taking from the AS codex. The model with the highest leadership is always the warlord, and both Celestine and Canoness are leadership 10). The question is not whether or not you take this guy, its to what squad do you attach him (9/10 man Repentia? 20man Sisters blob?). Either way, he will not disappoint.

*'''Canoness''' - (Just had to scratch the entirety of the previous post. I apologize to the original writer but it's both outdated and just too long winded.) The Cannoness is the cheapest base HQ Sisters have which in itself is quite handy, since one can never have too many Bolter Bitches running aroung. Seeing as how she's still just T3 with a 3+ Armor Save it's generally a good idea to give her at least a Rosarius for the invulnerable. Depending on what you've planned to do with her you can kit her a few different ways. Generally giving her a combi-weapon is a solid option. See also the response below. 
**Response: (No apologies necessary! I wrote the original, but it got muddled by like six other hands). I would like to add that she doesn't HAVE to be cheap. She is NOT your best HQ option, but 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 <s>Typhus</s> Lucius, for example. Let's face it, Typhus would crump her. 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). This is a common tactic in Deathwing armies. She has 3 wounds, put her in the front of a squishier unit (10 Death Cult Assassins? Repentia? Dominions? etc.) and basically grant the unit 3 extra wounds on a 4++ save. Not as important in a quasi-blob army like sisters, but nevertheless this tactic has its place.   
*'''Sororitas Command Squad''' - HEAVILY improved in the update, if only because of a hefty price drop (80 points for full squad with Dialogus and Hospitaller, down from 115). They're quite solid of an option with the allowance of up to 5 Combi-Weapons, a lot cheaper then previous edition (WD) and they can use Heavy Weapons without requiring Retributors. Remember, though, they don't score, and they get access to the Endless Crusade AoF, which gives them Fleet, Crusader and Move Through Cover. Remember that Acts of Faith are attempted '''"before it acts during a phase"''' which is the blanket statement and ''still'' occurs before it strikes blows in the assault phase so rules as written it's not a waste since you can use it to get into assault more reliably.
**'''Sister Dialogus:''' Adds a laud hailer and can take other Relics (which could be useful).
**'''Sister Hospitaller''' - Adds Feel No Pain. Recommended if you are taking this squad.
*'''Priests''' - Only 25 points now. Take 5 of them. <s>ALWAYS</s> (Okay, fine, maybe you don't NEED 5, but what's wrong with a little hyperbole to emphasize their usefulness?). Even if you are running a single squad of basic sisters as an allied detachment. I don't care. Take 5. These guys 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).
**A note on Strategy: If you give your priest a Power Maul and have him activate The Emperor's Strength, then they've got three S5 AP2 attacks. If you choose to make them Smash Attacks, that becomes two (three on the charge) S8 aP2 Tank Hunter attacks. Both of these are at I3, which, while not great, is better than most AP2 weapons. (I'm looking at you, Eviscerator.)
**Alternate Take: Priests won't often make combat effectively enough to really abuse the combo above. The best option Priests have is still the fact that Plasma isn't available to the army outside of them, handy considering the amount of 3+ MCs of 6th.
**<s>Alternate Alternate Take: If you ally with Inquisition (you fucking should), you can take a squad of 3 Acolytes with Plasma Guns to free up your priest. Stick him in a Henchmen Squad with 4 Daemon Hosts, 1 Crusader and an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor in Termy Armour (With Psycannon and whatever weapon you want (You want the Daemonhammer.)) and pump him up to Mastery Level 1. Then, give the Priest the Mace of Valaan and a boltpistol(maybe a plasma pistol if you're feeling lucky), lump him into the Henchmen squad along with the inquisitor, and you have yourself a fairly solid CC squad, although the footslog up the field will give them some trouble. The Mace of Valaan is gonna be perma-boosted since it's gonna take a bit to actually put the Daemonhosts down, and once you get into an assault, battle hymns will help give you that boost you need to survivability, with a rerollable 4+ on the priest.</s> Problem being that it lacks transport, and it's not mobile enough to be effective. Since C:Inq has Priests by themselves, they can use their own inside of a Land Raider to make a deathstar far more effective.
*** Perhaps I'm being silly, but in a pure RAW way I don't think the Mace of Valaan benefits from the Daemonhost. The Mace says specifically that it has to be within 6' of a model with the Daemon special rule and Daemonhosts don't TECHNICALLY have the Daemon special rule (hence why they have to have a special rule to give them a 5++). It seems like it's nitpicking, but it might get in your way.

*'''Ecclesiarchy Battle Conclave''' - Pretty similar to the Grey Knights' henchmen, these are cheap(ish) choices to fill in your army's close combat hole. Now that you can't assault out of a vehicles, it takes a lot more work to use these effectively - and remember you have no grenades, so watch the fuck out. Honestly, you're better off allying them in from Codex: Inquisition and putting them in a landraider. Expensive as hell, but at least they will get into assault (in this setup, btw, I probably wouldn't take anything but DCAs. One need not worry about tanking shooting wounds with them mounted in a LRC, and DCA are just plain better than Arcos).
**'''Arco-Flagellant''' - Lost their power weapons but gained Feel No Pain and no longer OD at random. They are now 5 points cheaper, which might give them a role.
**'''Crusader''' - The meatier option. They aren't as killy as assassins but you can use them to soak up attacks with their 3++ saves and they have power weapons if you get to strike back. Worth taking a couple to soak up wounds; just remember to keep them up front.
**'''Death Cult Assassin'''-The best option. Only dual power <i>swords</i>, but 4 attacks on the charge at ws5, str4, and Init6 should allow you to kill most things just on quickness and massed wounds alone; If you aren't allying these ladies in (see above) just remember 5++ is ''not'' an acceptable substitute for actual toughness. You should then take 3-4+ with at minimum 2-3 Crusaders and 2+ Priests. Priests for their Hymns and Crusaders to tank.

===Elite===
Still not great, but now the Elites slot is usable...kinda.

*'''Celestians''' - Good news- Celestians are now only 14 points each 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. They're still not a must have, but if you're playing aggressively they will probably suit your playstyle.

*'''Sisters Repentia''' - No longer the joke in poor taste they were in third edition, but they aren't as good as the 5th update. They are a fragile unit (6++) that pumps out a frightening number of eviscerator swings in close combat. Thanks to Rage they now get +2 attacks on the charge instead of +1, and they can take a dedicated transport (!). It's not clear that a DT is the best strategy for using them, however, since they cannot charge the turn they disembark. 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, do what you did before and keep these ladies behind a moving screen of blob cover (suicide IG blob, anyone?), or give a squad Jacobus. 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 gain HATRED and the ability to re-roll failed invulnerable saves (for what little that's worth). 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.

===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, but now come with a 6++ Faith save.

*'''Immolator''' - Battle Sisters squads now have a basic unit size of 5 models, which means a basic squad can fit inside them. PRAISE THE EMPRAH! Basically this just 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 also a welcome addition. Since non-AP1/2 weapons can no longer explode a vehicle, Multi-melta Immolators are now probably the most points efficient antivehicle dedicated transports in the game.

* '''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. <s>(only two models total can fire from inside not eight)</s> War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes page 239, "Two modesl 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. Note that most tournaments won't let you use this.

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

*'''Battle Sisters''' - Basic Bolter Bitches. 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). 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 variations (note that any of these mounted in a vehicle can benefit from a Simulacrum Imperialis or dropping 1 member for a Priest).
** '''Small:''' 6 girls 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.
** '''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.

===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''' - Lose one broken unit (Celestine), gain another! Their AoF gives them Ignore Cover. So let me get this strait: 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? Well, you get the idea. One option is to give them an Immolator with Multimelta, run 18" up and melt their favorite toy. Then hop out of your ride and melt another one. Alternatively, one could make a case for a squad of ten in a Rhino or Repressor. 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. You're going to need some soaks. 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.

*'''Seraphim''' - Dangerous as all hell now. Fuck what [[Dawn of War]] thinks, these girls are the rapists instead of the other way around. Angelic Visage means they reroll invulnerable saves granted from Shield of Faith. Their Act of Faith gives them Shred, and hand flamers are now half price. Inferno Pistols are the other special weapon option, but at 30 points, half the range of real meltas, and having to get realllllly close to use them effectively (3 inches to get the melta bonus), makes them situational at best. Hand Flamers, alternatively, let them negate hordes, and along with their AoF, 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). Just remember, they're still T3, so if you're not taking advantage of LOS cover, these girls are as good as dead.

===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''' - They suffer from the crippling disadvantage of not being an Exorcist, and now that they only get access to Rending as an single use AoF, they aren't too useful against vehicles. Still a 5 Girl squad with Heavy Bolters, a Rhino and a Simulacrum Imperialis can be quite useful under the right circumstances (extra round of rending). The rest of the time they are 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.
** '''Alternate Opinion:''' 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. 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 (or even grab one, under The Big Guns Never Tire)

*'''Exorcist''' - Hoo boy- a 10 point price drop makes these the best choice for HS. With the advent of Hull Points, Exorcists have become one of the most important units in your army. A single round from one of these will negate Rhino and Chimera class vehicles' armor and they can even shave Hull Points off 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. Also, 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 mandatory if you want any chance of winning in a competitive game.
** '''Consider the following:''' Allying with the Big I gives you access to Presience primaris psychic power, which makes a friendly unit reroll all failed To Hit rolls. This is extremely useful in making your musical notes hit those high value targets. (Yeah, those Inquisitors really love them sisters.)

*'''Penitent Engines''' - <s>The little engine that could has now hit a new low </s>. Not so sure about that. It "only" has 3 attacks, but with 2 ccw and rage it pumps out 6 on the charge and 4 base is nothing to sneeze at, though the loss of Battle Frenzy is a hit to both it's damage output and fluff. Do remember that it still has 2 Heavy Flamers, as well. Still, 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. Even with a 5 point decrease in price, its not your best option. 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. 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.  If it was in Elites they might be an awesome choice(six of these and a squad of repentia? good times), but as is? Nah. Still want to try these? Take nine in a low point game and watch your opponent shit a brick.

*'''[[Avenger Strike Fighter]]''' - What's that? [[Forge World]] made a flyer for the Sisters? Now the Horse(Wo)men are riding. 150 points of pain, this guy comes with an hull-mounted Avenger Bolt Cannon (36" S6 AP3 Heavy 7), 2 wing-mounted lascannons and a Defensive heavy stubber (36" S4 AP6 Heavy 3, Skyfire) watching its own back. This guy is pure awesomesauce. Field two against an [[Warhammer 40,000/6th Edition Tactics/Imperial Guard/Elysian Drop Troops|Elysian Drop Troops]] player and watch him cry. It can take 3 types of missiles/bombs to deal with any enemy, and the Armoured Cockpit rules lets you shrug off Crew Shaken/Stunned with a 4+. Too bad it comes with a 12-10-10 armor. Strap a pair of Missile Launchers to it's wings and watch it be able to handle both infantry (Missile Launchers, Stubber and Avenger Bolt Cannon) or Vehicles/Flyers (Lacannons and Missile Launchers).

===Fortifications===

*'''Aegis Defence Lines:''' These are a must for many armies, mostly because they combine a neat cover save with a Skyfire weapon at a low cost. Now, all Battle Sisters have a 3+/6++ save, so the cover save usually isn't ''that'' valuable. Still, you have no other Skyfire options in the Codex, plus the gun inherits the Acts of Faith of the Sisters manning it. [[Awesome|Yes, that means Quad-Gun with Rending (Retributors) or Icarus Lascannon with Ignores Cover (Dominions).]] 

* '''Skyshield Landing Pad:''' Besides the questionable utility of [[Boreale|multipal sihmultenius defensive deep strikes]] you don't actually have any useful deep striking options. <s>Why are you still here?</s> Might be usable if you stick your Exorcists there to enjoy a 4++ save.

* '''Imperial Bastion:''' Even in 6E sisters can't make a viable gunline. Giving up this much mobility is going to leave you outgunned and outclassed by armies that are actually good at shooting.

* '''[[Fortress of Redemption]]:''' Investing this many points in a fixed structure as Sisters should qualify you for the Darwin awards. But sure if you have the cash and points to drop and want to make believe that yours is the ''good'' [[Robin Cruddance]] 'dex be my guest.

===Super Heavy===

As will all Imperial factions, you may take up to six [[Imperial Knight]]s as a Superheavy detachment. Alternatively, if you're playing Escalation you have a choice of a Marauder Bomber, Marauder Destroyer, Warhound Scout Titan, or Reaver Battle Titan as a Lord of War. However, note that this is only provided for by the Forge World update, so your group may not agree to let you use them.

*'''Paladin Knight''': It's a big walker with two big anti-MeQ battle cannons, a couple of heavy stubbers, and a 4+ invuln save on one facing of your choice (chosen at the start of your opponent's shooting phase, you may chance the shield's position each turn). There's really not a lot you can do wrong with this guy, just plop him down and start ripping things up. It's longer range will probably help Sisters out more.

*'''Errant Knight''': Mostly the same as the Paladin, but trades the two battle cannons for a single melta cannon: S9 AP1 large blast Melta. Great for cracking heavy armor and TeQs, but fewer pie plates per turn means it has a ''slightly'' harder time with horde armies. Honestly, you're probably better off with the Paladin. Sisters are pretty fixed for mid-ranged and melta weapons, what they don't have is long range stuff.

*'''Marauder Bomber (Forge World):''' Coming soon.
*'''Marauder Destroyer (Forge World):''' Coming soon.
*'''Warhound Scout Titan (Forge World):''' Coming soon.
*'''Reaver Battle Titan (Forge World):''' Coming soon.