The Normish's Adepta Sororitas Armor Theory

[GooseDaMoose]

Firstly (and this may come as a surpise to some) women like to look good and even in this day and age the majority of the female species dress in a way that makes them feel feminine and good. So for SoB to have armour that clearly makes them look like a woman isn't overtly sexist, it's natural.

I see. Stands in stark contrast to men, who (and this may come as a surprise to some) are generally slovenly, worrying less about how they look and more about how manly they appear with their mates so as to drive off any hint of homosexuality.

 

:)

 

The more we avoid laying out cliched sexist stereotypes in this topic, the more likely it is that I will continue to let it live.

 

Thank God there's a decent moderator here (no offence to the rest). I physically shuddered at reading Armoured Wing's reply there, get back to the 50's bro.

 

But anyway, this is quite an interesting discussion. I personally really like the current SoB armour but I also think a newer, heavier armour would look good. It's so hard to choose cuz I'd hate to see the current one go, cuz it's badass and pretty hawt :huh: but a more realistically sized armour would look good too. I refer here to the SoB that Terrible Trygon made out of a scout model = kick butt.

[Eddie Orlock]

Thank God there's a decent moderator here (no offence to the rest). I physically shuddered at reading Armoured Wing's reply there, get back to the 50's bro.

Six does a good job, but I'm not sure the Wing's comment was that paleolithic. We could have a very heavy discussion about social mores and accepted dress, but I'll refrain as I think it would violate the no-politics rules. Does the skirt make her feminine, or does being female make her inclined toward skirts?

But anyway, this is quite an interesting discussion. I personally really like the current SoB armour but I also think a newer, heavier armour would look good. It's so hard to choose cuz I'd hate to see the current one go, cuz it's badass and pretty hawt :) but a more realistically sized armour would look good too. I refer here to the SoB that Terrible Trygon made out of a scout model = kick butt.

I anticipate plastics with great trepidation. I would be hugely disapointed if they weren't sufficiently stylistically congruent as to be asthetically interchangable with my metals. Consider the old metal cadians and contrast them to the new plastics. Marines seemed to translate alright, but I think this is more a case of reverse adaption, as the really old marines don't match the prevalent plastics and the next generation of metal models was derived from them. They did a better job on the Catachans, but it's still imperfect. The more I've thought about it, the more I tend to support Jes' reluctance to have imperfect plastic sisters released as he did such a stellar job on the metals.

 

Besides, if they got canned it might open a hole for my beloved cogboys to slip in. B)

[Eltnot]

The more I've thought about it, the more I tend to support Jes' reluctance to have imperfect plastic sisters released as he did such a stellar job on the metals.

This. I'd rather get new metal sculpts than have to deal with badly done plastics. I very much doubt that this will be the case and that instead we'll see something akin to the Warrior of chaos models. I imagine that it will be a case of a set of legs, torso, head, backpack, arms that start at the elbow joint just below robes coming down from the shoulder.

[The Normish]

The more I've thought about it, the more I tend to support Jes' reluctance to have imperfect plastic sisters released as he did such a stellar job on the metals.

This. I'd rather get new metal sculpts than have to deal with badly done plastics. I very much doubt that this will be the case and that instead we'll see something akin to the Warrior of chaos models. I imagine that it will be a case of a set of legs, torso, head, backpack, arms that start at the elbow joint just below robes coming down from the shoulder.

Maybe not plastic sisters, but a plastic Penitent Engine would be spiffy.

[Inquisitor Fox]

Just thought I'd point out there's a really nice picture of more realistic powerarmor in the GW art... here's a color version someone colored and got up on the web:

 

Adepta Sororitas Wallpaper

 

I've currently got this as the wallpaper on my work computer :huh: Hopefully plastics can get closer to this style of armor!

[chaplain belisarius]

i like the pic in the witch hunter codex myself-the one with the godwyn deaz bolter and other equipment described (you know the one i mean, right?)

 

:huh:

[Inquisitor Fox]

You mean this one? (I found several things of wallpaper which is now on my flash drive.. I cycle through them :huh: )

[chaplain belisarius]

that ones good but the one i mean is in the witch hunters codex and is black and white...i love that pic...GW should make the plastic sob look like that! :huh:

[Inquisitor Fox]

Both of those links are simply 'colored' versions of what's in the Codex. The artists merely colored them in and/or set them on a background.

 

That being said, it's nice to have an army that still believes style matters. There's few models in the game that have better style than the Sisters of Battle, and most of the ones that do were made in the last year or so.

[Olgerth Istaarn]

Men don't like playing with ugly models.

Women don't like playing with ugly models.

Nobody likes playing with ugly models.

 

Now, I don't mean "ugly" as in "Nurgle ugly", but rather "utilitarian and uninspired ugly". You can put standard-issue BDU and kevlar on a Victoria's Secret model in real world, and she'll get lost in the ranks of grunts wearing the same BDU and kevlar.

 

Space Marines are big and bulky because they look good that way.

Sororitas have skin-tight armor and breasticles because they also look good that way. They could all wear BDU and kevlar and look realistic and politically correct, or we could remember for a second that we are playing with toy soldiers in a grim fantasy world, and we all want them to look striking. Striking is hard to pull off in realistic armor, regardless of gender.

 

And you know what else? I'd bet my bottom bolter round that if GW did go and make the Sororitas more realistic, their sales among both genders would drop. The only ones pleased would be screaming feminists, but those rarely play Warhammer 40K.

[*Furyou Miko]

Oi, I'm a screaming feminist, and I both play 40k and like the current Sisters models. <_<

 

Hasn't anyone considered the fact that the sisters armour has breasts on it... to make space for the Sister's breasts underneath the armour? At the current level, they aren't "ridiculously over the top", they're merely "standard issue one-size-fits-all".

 

Sisters aren't skinny little gymnasts like, say, those top-heavy Death Cult Assassins, they've got meat on their bones.

[The Normish]

I think people are kind of missing the point of my theory, that of the different Imperial armies representing different levels of gender? The armor is as it is not for any real aesthetic reason, but because it is representative of some sort of psychological aspect to the army?

On second thought, keep the conversation going, it's quite interesting.

[Warsmith Aznable]

You must never, ever say 'no' to an artist, or an artisan, you must embelish and adorn and strive to go so far beyond the grotesque that you come right round to glorious again. That, my friends, is the Ecclesiarchy, and especially, the Sisters of Battle. Seriously, they drive a church organ to war and kill people with it.

 

Seriously, best thing I've read on B&C tonight :pinch:

 

As far as what Normish was saying about gender traits, let me see if I got a handle on this:

 

1. Space Marines / big shoulders = super macho, get in your face screaming and thumping chest

 

2. Guard / regular blokes like us = just happen to have more guys there because it's completely normal for us to think about this way

 

3. Sisters / larger hip to waist ratio = irrational enough to set you on fire and still try and convince you it was your fault anyway

[NExOBLIVISCARIS]

Well the space marines can have their armor engraved (artificer armor) to provide the same protection as a armor that was created to help survive in radioactive Engine cores (Terminator Armor) So why can't the sisters have that sort of armor but in thinner amounts so that it provides the same amount of protection?

 

so in conclusion

 

so This is equal to This

 

 

As This is equal to This

[Nias Wolf]

I'd like to throw in my 2 cents. I should say that I consider myself a feminist (I'm a guy). I was raised by women, the friends that stuck with me the longest after I got sick were women, most of the people in my life are women. This being said, I've struggled with the Sisters of Battle armor for quite some time. What ultimatly made me get the Witch Hunters army was how unique it was (nuns in space with assult rifles hunting witches!?) and the increadibly heavy gothic over tones.

 

My biggest problem with the armor isn't the bust cups, this is sci-fi after all. It isn't the corsets, they're meant to look Victorian/french. I'm ok with most of it. My problem is the material it seems to be made of. Now, I understand that this is the far future, and that they don't use the same materials we use today. However, I play Order of our Martyred Lady, and it looks like my troops are running around wearing latex catsuits. Latex catsuits and leather corsets... with power cabling resembling garters... kind of fetishistic in my opinion (don't let me get started on the repentia).

 

I love the sister on the left of the cover of the current codex. She is obviously wearing metal. Even though she is wearing metal she is still quite the attractive lady without going into dominatrix (nothing against them) territory. It looks like "power armor" to me. Hopefully when the plastic models come out (would be like christmas for us conversionists) they will emulate that art style... but I doubt it.

 

Do the current models accurately represent the armor save they have? I say sure, why not. Look at the difference between Flak armor and Carapace armor. Take it one step further, use some more "futuristic" materials, and you get Sisters of Battle.

 

Interesting side note: The assassins have a black material permanently sprayed onto their skin. If the designers wanted to have some kind of skin tight latex fetish thing going on, they already have it in the assassins.

[chaplainmikey]

Hasn't anyone considered the fact that the sisters armour has breasts on it... to make space for the Sister's breasts underneath the armour? At the current level, they aren't "ridiculously over the top", they're merely "standard issue one-size-fits-all".

 

I agree with this,the armour isn't as over the top as some people seem to think.Seems to me as more of a fusion of the practical and asthetically pleasing.Looks like armour but has enough style and unique lines to make the SoBs stand out,rather than them being Space Marines that wear lipstick and have Bob style hair-do's.

 

Have to say though I'm sick of my friends looking at me like i'm perverse when i whinge that GW still haven't made plastic Sister models yet.I like the army because of thier style and difference to most other armies,not because they are all female(though it doesn't hurt :) !

 

Cheers,

Mike.

[librisrouge]

I think it that it extends to a psychological aspect of warfare (not that the other theories aren't right/don't contribute.) Often, back in ye olden' times, the idea of putting a physic on the chest plate of a persons armor was to send a message to his/her (mostly his back then) enemies. That message was simple and direct, "LOOK AT ME! I am the pinnacle of what it means to be a man(woman) and, in my perfection, I challenge you to oppose this embodiment of awesomeness."

 

By designing the SoB power armor to look like it does you are letting their enemies know that they aren't just fighting women, they are fighting the perfect woman. A woman that has contempt for the strength of their enemies and was practically born to fight this, nay every, war. Confidence is a weapon similar to terror, it weakens some enemies moral before a shot is fired. People that confident often have a good reason to be that confident.