New Question SoB's

[Colrouphobic]

So, my main source of info comes from you guys.

I do not own the Codex SoB's, nor the later equivalent that has SoB's in it.

 

I'm not after rules, but rather some basic info and I'll be refering to things read in the Librarium for getting a bit more clarity on things:

 

 

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that a SoB force would be set out to aid a world in need. Let's say the world is tainted by xenos or chaos.

Would it be more common to see, in various degrees of taint on the world

 

Mission -> Commandery > Preceptory > Order

sized fielded or

 

Mission > Mission aided by IG > Commandery aided by IG > Preceptory aided by IG + Inquisitorial forces

sized fielded

 

Also, are the different orders more fighting certain enemies? Or in specific spaces of the galaxy?

 

What I mean, would (for example) Order of the Valorous Heart fight any enemy under the baleful gaze of the emperor or would they be prone to fight a certain enemy (like xenos, or maybe even specific xenos, or renegade IG or whathave you). Or would they be found mostly on the eastern fringes of the galaxy? or other general or specific spots of the galaxy?

 

What makes up of a SoB attack-force?

I mean, do they always field Seraphim? What auxuliary forces do they have? accompanied by munitions-departments etc?How about confessors and priests? Do the SoB's rely on their own soulwardens for this sort of thing or would there always be a member of the Echlessiarchy there?

 

What are the equivalent of chaplains/priests in the SoB's? Does Canonesses take that role?

 

I know the SoB's are privy to fire-related weaponry, be it plasma or flame, but what about melee-weaponry? Only swords? Or do they use other things, like powergloves or halberds or something? Are power-weapons even something they would field?

 

Sisters Repentia- are SoB's that committed crime and now are trying to right their wrong, right? Does this mean- die valorous in battle, or , seek death in service of the emperor, or simply "rargh, I'm so ticked off I'll just kick peoples teeth in because I did something stupid".

 

Penitent engines- whats the story of that? Also SoB's gone bad or is it just any old imperial/echlessiarchy guy or gal that got incarcarated in this big thing that hurts enemies. Or is it something like a Dreadnought but just less advanced (but deadly nevertheless)?

 

Sorry for all the questions but I'm in need of some help here. And as (I hope) you can see, I'm not after rules, but rather understanding the background.

 

I hope you can help me with this.

[Azezel]

So, my main source of info comes from you guys.

I do not own the Codex SoB's, nor the later equivalent that has SoB's in it.

 

I'm not after rules, but rather some basic info and I'll be refering to things read in the Librarium for getting a bit more clarity on things:

 

 

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that a SoB force would be set out to aid a world in need. Let's say the world is tainted by xenos or chaos.

Would it be more common to see, in various degrees of taint on the world

 

Mission -> Commandery > Preceptory > Order

sized fielded or

 

Mission > Mission aided by IG > Commandery aided by IG > Preceptory aided by IG + Inquisitorial forces

sized fielded

 

An Order Majoris (there are six of these) numbers some tens of thousands spread throughout the galaxy. Three of the Orders Majoris are based on Terra, three on Ophelia VII - all six have convents scattered throughout the galaxy.

 

These Convents are Preceptories - anywhere up to 1'000 or so Battle Sisters (not counting novices, noviciates, priests, flunkies and attached non-militant Sisters). A Preceptory is typically the largest formation of Sisters which will take the field ad one - and only then in really dire circumstances. For example, if a planet with a convent is invaded, you may bet every Sister there will stand to. However, in most cases an emmergency will be answered by a smaller number of Sisters from more than one convent.

 

In the case of a chaos or xenos invasion, the Guard will almost inevitably be involved - though a wise guard commander will not issue actual orders to a Sororitas Canoness. The Inquisition almost never fight actual wars. The Inquisition specialise in small strike-forces and whatnot. By the time a planet is actually invaded, it's already too late for the Inquisition to do much.

 

Also, are the different orders more fighting certain enemies? Or in specific spaces of the galaxy?

 

Orders Minoris have anywhere between a hundred and a few thousand Sisters (not counting assorted hangers on as above) and typically have a single convent - this limits them to one part of the Galaxy. Depending on the local bad-guys a given Order Minoris may be particularly good at fighting some specific foe, or maybe they are generalists.

 

Some of the Orders Majoris do have specialities after a fashion, forged mostly by the personalities of the Orders' founders.. The Order of Our Martyred Lady are famous for their berserker tactics - sudden, irresistable attacks that leave nothing but ashes and craters behind. The Order of the Valerous Heart specialise in defence - especially of innocents - they will gladly give ten Sisters to save one other life. The Order of the Bloody Rose are close-combat specialists. And the Order of the Sacred Rose are, even for the Sisterhood, Masters of logic, tactics and cunning, they treat war as a science as much as a holy rite.

 

What I mean, would (for example) Order of the Valorous Heart fight any enemy under the baleful gaze of the emperor or would they be prone to fight a certain enemy (like xenos, or maybe even specific xenos, or renegade IG or whathave you). Or would they be found mostly on the eastern fringes of the galaxy? or other general or specific spots of the galaxy?

 

The Valerous Heart would, by choice, fight whichever enemy is closest to those who cannot fight for themselves. Orders generally don't care who they fight, but do care about how and why.

 

What makes up of a SoB attack-force?

I mean, do they always field Seraphim? What auxuliary forces do they have? accompanied by munitions-departments etc?How about confessors and priests? Do the SoB's rely on their own soulwardens for this sort of thing or would there always be a member of the Echlessiarchy there?

 

What are the equivalent of chaplains/priests in the SoB's? Does Canonesses take that role?

 

Battle Sisters for the most part. Celestians are very rare - legends in their own lifetimes. Seraphim are slightly more common, and seem more common still becauuse they are highly mobile and always where the action is.

 

First - every Sister is herself a member of the Ecclesiarchy. The Sisterhood are accompanied by Priests and though it's never been shown, I suspect there are some Sisters who are themselves ordained Priestesses. Militant Canonesses, though hugely pious and learned figures, as respected as bishops, are military commanders first and foremost. Canonesses certainly preach, and minister to their Sisters spiritual needs, but only when they can spare the time from prosecuting the war.

 

 

I know the SoB's are privy to fire-related weaponry, be it plasma or flame, but what about melee-weaponry? Only swords? Or do they use other things, like powergloves or halberds or something? Are power-weapons even something they would field?

 

The Sisterhood generally don't use much plasma weaponry. They consider the Boltgun, Flamer and Melta sacred, and use them because they are sacred. In mellee there's really nothing to compare with their Eviscerators. An Eviscerator is a large chainsword with a power-feild - a Sister armed with one can tear Land Raiders apart. They also use other power-weapons, chainswords and whatnot - but really, the Eviscerator is what it's all about.

 

Sisters Repentia- are SoB's that committed crime and now are trying to right their wrong, right? Does this mean- die valorous in battle, or , seek death in service of the emperor, or simply "rargh, I'm so ticked off I'll just kick peoples teeth in because I did something stupid".

 

Repentia status is not handed down on a whim - a sister has to do something very bad to end up a Repentia. Once that happens though, two possible fates await her, she may die (probably soon) in battle, and find redemption in that way - or she may, through her devotion, find redemption in life - that's not common though. The last time that happened was a Repentia called Sister Celestine. She was a Repentia who became a Living Saint during the Palatine Crusades.

 

Penitent engines- whats the story of that? Also SoB's gone bad or is it just any old imperial/echlessiarchy guy or gal that got incarcarated in this big thing that hurts enemies. Or is it something like a Dreadnought but just less advanced (but deadly nevertheless)?

 

Penitent Engines are seriously nasty. Anyone can be placed in one - however, as the name implies, the subject must be penitent. They must want to be redeemed by voluntarilly being placed into a torture-powered death-machine. Those who are not suufficiently penitent may be face Arco Flagelation.

 

Sorry for all the questions but I'm in need of some help here. And as (I hope) you can see, I'm not after rules, but rather understanding the background.

 

I hope you can help me with this.

[Colrouphobic]

That wasvery informative, if anyone wish to add on anything I'd be much grateful but thank you for the prompt answer Azezel.

[Judanas]

Most of the other questions have been answered as well or better than I could but I can help wit this one.

 

I know the SoB's are privy to fire-related weaponry, be it plasma or flame, but what about melee-weaponry? Only swords? Or do they use other things, like powergloves or halberds or something? Are power-weapons even something they would field?

 

SOB Use Bolter, Flamer and Melta. Plasma is not something they use, I imagine because it is risky weapon, even in power armour as well as not specialised enough. Anything plasma does a Heavy Flamer and a Meltagun does as well if not better.

 

Melee weapon wise, power weapons are common as are chainswords. They two things you will see a lot of in the Sisters that are not common elsewhere are Eviscerators and Blessed Weapons. An Eviscerator is a chainsword as big as a person with a power field installed. This gives a Sister enough power to tear through Terminator armour or a Land Raider without trouble, something someone with only human strength rather needs. Blessed Weapons are a varied sort, no two the same. They are objects of holiness that make exceptional weapons not through high craftmanship or power fields but because they sear and destroy the enemies of the God-Emperor with thier blessings.

 

In addition, the latest Dark Heresy book has introduced a new Sister of Battle melee weapon that might make it to codexes eventully. Flame Hammers. Imagine a Thunder Hammer, how they explode in shockwaves. Now replace the shockwave with fire. I can't say for certain much about them (Australia has to wait forever for it) but the person I spoke to described them as 'Rocket Hammers that Explode Fire'.

 

If you can get your hands on it the latest Dark Heresy Book, Blood of Martyrs, has a lot about the Sisters as it is a book primarily about them.

[Azezel]

In addition, the latest Dark Heresy book has introduced a new Sister of Battle melee weapon that might make it to codexes eventully. Flame Hammers. Imagine a Thunder Hammer, how they explode in shockwaves. Now replace the shockwave with fire. I can't say for certain much about them (Australia has to wait forever for it) but the person I spoke to described them as 'Rocket Hammers that Explode Fire'.

 

If you can get your hands on it the latest Dark Heresy Book, Blood of Martyrs, has a lot about the Sisters as it is a book primarily about them.

 

I have Blood of Martyrs and I haven't seen that weapon.

 

I think what you may be refering to is either a Brazier of Holy Fire which is in the Codex, a burning torch which can function as a flamer and a mace, or, from Blood of Martyrs the 'Baptismal Mace' - which seems to be similar to the Brazier, only instead of fire it's filled with flesh-eating acid.

 

 

In any event, Blood of Martyrs is at best, questionably cannon, so I didn't provide any information from it. There are certainly some things in that book that are just flat-out wrong. For example it states that all Living Saints are female, and uses Ophelia IV and Ophelia VII interchangably.

 

 

EDIT - oh, and the Sisterhood do use plasma weaponry, just not very often. Plasma pistols are very rare, but they are far, far more common than Inferno pistols, so if a Sister wants a lot of firepower in a small weapon a plasma pistol is useualy the only choice. Sisters will also employ combi-plasmaguns from time to time, but again, it's rare.

[Algesan]

That wasvery informative, if anyone wish to add on anything I'd be much grateful but thank you for the prompt answer Azezel.

 

Using Dark Heresy fluff (the RPG), a bit of trivia surfaced in looking over the lists. While there are many militant Sisters (the SoB you see on the tabletop), the other nonmilitant Sisters also can stand in the line of battle. Right before the split into different paths (Militant, Hospitaler, Famulous), the last rank has all the skills available for any Sister to put on power armor, take up a bolter and kill the heretic for the Emperor.

 

So a SoB battle force could consist of a hospital (run by a Hospitaler Canoness) and include some Celestian, Seraphim, some Vet NCOs, etc. as Militants. To flesh out the battle force, the lower ranking Hospitaler Sisters would fill out the Battle Sister squads.

[Chengar Qordath]

That wasvery informative, if anyone wish to add on anything I'd be much grateful but thank you for the prompt answer Azezel.

 

Using Dark Heresy fluff (the RPG), a bit of trivia surfaced in looking over the lists. While there are many militant Sisters (the SoB you see on the tabletop), the other nonmilitant Sisters also can stand in the line of battle. Right before the split into different paths (Militant, Hospitaler, Famulous), the last rank has all the skills available for any Sister to put on power armor, take up a bolter and kill the heretic for the Emperor.

 

So a SoB battle force could consist of a hospital (run by a Hospitaler Canoness) and include some Celestian, Seraphim, some Vet NCOs, etc. as Militants. To flesh out the battle force, the lower ranking Hospitaler Sisters would fill out the Battle Sister squads.

There's also some Black Library fluff to back up the idea that non-militant sisters still have a solid grounding in the combat arts. I'm pretty sure Hospitalers or Dialogi could not compare to their more militant brethren in a fight, but they know how to fire a bolter with reasonable accuracy, but I don't see them serving on the frontlines in anything other than desperate circumstances.