Sisters of Battle? Why?

[Uhtin]

Hi all!

 

I have been thinking of starting a SoB army for a while now, then i found this forum and i wanted to ask you guys. Why did you start SoB? Do you recommend to convert my own models or buy the original ones?

 

Thanks for the answears :)

[vonny]

_{well, once upon a time, a long time ago, I started out with 40k. Having only some marines (and other aliens) from space crusade, and having really, really litle knowledge of the game or the fluff, I wanted to buy some sisters to mix in with my marines to build a pretty army out of - I just loved those original models at the time (this was even before the sisters with helmets were created, so this is quite some time ago).}

 

_{Recently, I dug up some of these sisters out of an old box standing around, paint stripped them, and started to paint them. This is very slow going though, as my painting vibe is practically non-existant at the moment :(}

 

_{But, to circle back to your original question: I went to collect sisters because of the pretty models - I went back to sisters because I still had pretty models lying about. Now, with the current quality of sculpts, my old sisters lacked some quality of sculpt and some quality of casting. I'm not sure how more recent sisters would hold up to comparison, but, yea. And from a slightly further distance than these extreme close-up photos I took of mine, they actually look pretty good still :)}

 

_{Whether I not I'd recommend going for the original models has more to do with your budget than anything else. I'll probably be sticking with repainting what I had (and buying celestine and an immolator), because I don't have the cash to buy more. But I'm still very much fond of the old design :)}

[Spacefrisian]

Just go with the original models, as most here will most likely shoot down any other well mend idea, something with being bulky and such. Yep current sisters are bulky.

[WarriorFish]

I... can't really remember the specifics. It was a very long time ago. They were different, had nice models and the faith in the Emperor stuff was cool to see on the table top. I'd got my Marines and Guard armies and I was looking for something new and being a staunch Imperial it was a match made on Terra.

 

It's only with the new DE models that I finally made the jump to something xeno, but my heart will always belong to the Imperium and Emperor :)

[Sabathiel]

I saw the sister of battle mod for dark crusade and knew they were awesome.

[Naminé]

Why?  Because I'm some kind of sadist, that's why :p

 

It started back when I first played MMO's, where I felt drawn to the classes that nobody else liked or played.  The ones everyone always said were rubbish.  The challenge of taking that class and finding out how to make it not only effective but also deadly brings me joy.  Maybe it's the thrill of exploration and discovery; I am finding and doing things with the class that no one else has.  I am creating new things that work that no one else has come up with.

More likely is the fact I enjoy the reaction of other people when they see the fruits of my labour.  "Oh why are you playing that class?  It's weak/rubbish/you must not know what you're doing."  One encounter later and they were either mysteriously silent, asking how I had done it or accusing me of cheating.  I guess surprising people is the part that makes it fun.  Challenging expectations is more fun for me then whether I win or lose. :p 

 

So when I came into 40k, I immediately felt a strong draw to the faction everyone considers to suck the worst, and the one that few people play.  Sorry to say that Sisters of Battle were/are that army.  It was only later on that I got into the aesthetic or the background of them, in fact if anything the religious thing was kind of a turn off at first.  Sure enough though, I love playing sisters.  Not just the playstyle but the huge elements of surprise I get to bring to the table.  40k is especially good because along with unplayed factions you get unplayed units, so I feel drawn to them also.  Almost every game I have tried a different list, and one thing I have learnt is that there are very, very few bad units.

 

This strange fondness for doing this caused me to get an Eldar army after playing against them for the first time (before the new codex).  I discussed the ways in which to make a powerful Eldar list with my opponent after the match, since he was starting out.  Not knowing anything about the Eldar at the time I spent some time looking into it; then bought a second-hand Eldar army and with a few tweaks, fielded it in 3 games (before the new codex arrived).  Each time I tabled my opponents by turn 3, using units that people considered crap and no one ever used.

 

Now as we all know, Sisters are not weak; just perceived to be :p  But I still get to enjoy that moment of bringing something different, something of a spectacle, and something secretly powerful to a game. 

 

That is why I play Sisters.

[Fibonacci]

Why? Because I'm some kind of sadist, that's why

I hear ya. Apparently I thought I had too much money on hand and starting a Witch Hunter army was an efficient way to remedy that

The long and short of it all is I thought they looked unique. Sometime just after 5th Edition came out I mentioned something about wanting to start a Sisters army to my gameing friends. One guy knew another guy that was selling a small army cheap and I grabbed it.

Now I'm hooked. $10 for a single meltagun, $14 for a heavy bolter ... it adds up quickly but so far I think it is worth it.

[Eddie Orlock]

Long ago, in the misty days of yore they used to auction off damaged stock in the shops. I, ever the bargain hunter in that era, snapped up a lot for a dollar. I'd buy almost anything for a buck at the auctions. It's how I wound up with two squads each of dark reapers and fire dragons, a unit of legion of the damned, Birdmen of catrazza, the first ogre army book, and a squad of Arbites amongst other knick-knacks.

 

Eventually they released the which-hunter book with designers notes about arbites being storm troopers with shotguns and a chapter approved article about Zealots. So, I built what was comonly known as a 'freak-show' army full of odd-ball units. Being a completionist, I, of course, gathered up stuff to make most of the rest of the book over time. I wound up with sisters unintentionally in my pursuit of a rounded ecclesiastical force.

[WarriorFish]

... I immediately felt a strong draw to the faction everyone considers to suck the worst ... This strange fondness for doing this caused me to get an Eldar army

Eldar? Weak? Ah, your mistake there was listening to Eldars players. I can tell what time of day it is by what they're wailing about... "GW only cares about Spess Mahreens"? Must be 3 o'clock

I feel for anyone starting Sisters now, the best thing to do is recommend waiting until we get an update and plastics otherwise they'll spend so long sourcing the current models for reasonable prices (or not) that they won't be able to start playing until the new stuff comes out anyway. Short of getting lucky that is, as much as I'd like people to go and buy straight away (and thus let GW know there's a demand) it'd be too expensive.

[Hyphont]

I started sisters for a number or reasons.  I started playing back when the 3rd edition box set came out.  Me being the poor beggar that I was at the time, was given the dark elder.  So I was introduced into hard-mode 40k from the start.  I remember flipping through the rulebook that came with the box set, back then it was a full sized paperback, a wonderfully massive tome I keep around for the various terrain building sections they have left out to promote sales of in house products now.  I saw the sisters of battle in there, and in that rule book, it actually provided a mini codex inside it for each army so you could really start playing anything with just the rule book and some models.  I liked the models but never had the money to invest. 

 

My next army was Chaos space marines (4th edition, and no I did not cheese it out with iron warriors, I actually played a fairly fluffy Khrone themed army) and ran with that until the 5th edition made me rage quit my CSM.  Dual Slaanesh Daemon princes leading squads of Khorne berserkers? No... just fracking no.  Now at this point in my life, Direct order was a bit easier, I had a steady job that provided expendable income and I had access to a well stocked game store that actually carried sisters of battle mini's. The same store also sold me the "store" army of sisters with GW figure case for an incredible deal. I Bought out a few peoples older armies, conservative estimates put my bolter sisters alone at 70+, about 10 vets with plasma pistols and at least 8 of each other weapon option at the time(Flamer, stormbolter,  16metlaguns, heavy flamer), except for heavy bolters witch I think I have 3 or 4 of. and about 16 of the girls with the banners and icon standards. Also how I got my first exorcists and 2 Canonesses. This is leaving out seraphim and repentia.

 

All said and done it was a opportunity of rare chance that allowed me to field my girls, most of the models were table worthy painted, leaving me little work to do immediately and all for just about $200 bucks.  I dropped another $300 on a forge world =][= land raider MKIIb (pretty as it is now, useless and I refuse to repaint) 2 repressors and 2 exorcist conversion kits.  Dropped some more money on the GOOD special sisters (16 melta guns, 8 heavy flamers, 8 banner, 8 icon bearers) on direct order from GW back when I was able to get these for 8 bucks each.

 

I always liked the idea to field an all female army in a universe populated and dominated by super human mussel heads.

[WAR]

I started 40k in 1998 with the box set I wanted a second army and one of my lgs had the sister starter set so I picked it up hooked ever since

[VIIILegionaire.]

I wouldn't mind playing SOB myself. I dig the style of the army, especially the Penitent Engine and the sisters repentia. The only thing that puts me off is the cost to build one with their range as it is now. I've proxied them with my CF's and like the way they perform, possibly when they get you guys some new models in plastic I'll be joining your ranks!

[Vigrid Of Asgaror]

Sisters of Battle popped up on my radar originally when I bought the first half of their WD codex. I just happened to go out and see a WD and had some money in my pocket. So I thought to myself why not and bought it. When I read it I really wasn't interested in the SoB, I actually skipped reading their part of the magazine and later looked at a few of the pictures. I really didn't like the look of them.

 

A year later I was looking for a new army to start and went onto the GW site and looked at their list of armies. After looking through them all and struggling to find anything I liked I decided to have a deeper look at SoB. This time I was more level headed and realised that I liked quite a few of the models. A week or two later and I had bought my first group of models from GW and the a few more eBay bargains later I had the army I have now.

 

I have now read both of the Black Library books by James Swallow and own the audio book. I have really grown to love the SoB and their fluff.

 

Yes they are expensive, but they are worth it in my opinion.

[derpasaurus]

I first discovered SoB with Dawn of War: Soulstorm on PC.
I found an army of pretty much only women! I had originally thought in the grim darkness of the far future, there are only dudebros, so this caught my eye. I played the campaign with them on a whim and found I really enjoyed the aesthetic. A bit later I realized almost everything in the army set something else on fire. Bonus points.

 

I set about to begin playing 40k not long after beating Soulstorm and Dawn of War/expansion pack. I originally wanted to do a sisters army based on my experiences with Soulstorm. I was cautioned that they were terribly expensive, and another army I had my eye on whas Chaos Marines. So since I could get a box set for Chaos for about the cost of a single troop choice of SoB, my first army became Night Lords. Some years later I decided I was ready for a new army and broke down, started ordering Sisters. It's been .. 2 years since I've done anything significant to my Night Lords, so I guess you can say I'm hooked.

On the table they're great. I love the look, I love the army composition. (heavy light mech spam gogogogo) I love how nearly every unit in the army can burninate, how mobile they are, how Celestine is the biggest trololo in the game.  I love how NO ONE IN THE UNIVERSE plays them. I think I'm the only person in my entire city with a sisters army. It kinda makes me feel special. We have like 2 blood angels, 5 chaos (including me), 2 dark angels, 3 or 4 guard, some tyranids, tau, eldar, and only me with the "Classy Ladies."

edit:
Also, added bonus, the Sisters board here is infinitely less hateful than the chaos board. :D

[RookBartly]

I started back in 01 with my first army of Ultramarines.  The local store had a few boxes of Battle Sisters but I wanted the Ultramarines because they were the easiest to learn with being ok at pretty much everything but after a while of playing that army I got tired to seeing an army of all dudes.  Everyone's army at the store was all dudes.  So I decided to get a squad of Battle sisters and paint them up like my other marines and just fielded them like normal marines.  Then after that I got another squad of them... then another...  Before I knew it I had several squads and decided to grab a cannoness to play it as its own army.  I read the rules at the time for them (Back in Chapter Approved) and I thought they would be awesome to play.  Before I knew it I had a full army.

 

Since then I have aquired Tau, Chaos Maines with Daemon allys, and Tyranids but I always come back to my girls.  I love the fluff with them and they are NOT PLAYED BY ANYONE ELSE!  At the store where I live now has several marine players, a few tau, a TON of Tyranid players... Pretty much at least 2 people for every army except Sisters.  We even have Dark Eldar players.

 

Plus I love when I go to tourny's in new places and they see my army they go 'Wait, why are you playing that $#%^y @$s army.  My army can do everything yours does but better.'  Followed by them seeing Repentia and reading the stat line and blowing them off as 'garbage' just to see thier nice landraider take 16 penatrating hits and about 5 glances from a single assualt attack or a whole mob of termies going by-by in a single round after I assault them...

 

 

MAWHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHahahahhahahaa.......cough...cough....hack..hack.......

[Knight of the Raven]

I like women better than men.

[Eddie Orlock]

Also, added bonus, the Sisters board here is infinitely less hateful than the chaos board.

I've been working on an Iron Warriors host lately. There's a reason I didn't invoke them as an easy ETLII vow.

[PureFodder]

Similarly to Namine, one of the big draws of the SoB was the challenge of playing an army that's widely considered to be an underdog and therefore a challenge to play with. 

 

I came back to 40k in 6th edition and put together an IG army for the same reason (in my defense my experiences of IG were from 2nd edition where IG were poor). Once the IG were complete, I wanted a new project, and SoB fit the perfect balance of being a challenging army to play, different from most other armies, able to ally with my existing IG (so I could slowly introduce them as I collected the models), and most importantly, not being Space Marines (my local meta is very SM heavy)!

 

I've found the SoB to be very successful in typical friendly club/store games due to a combination of some strong units (such as Celestine, the Dominion melta-rush and the ever useful Exorcist) coupled with the fact that most people don't really know the strengths and weaknesses of most SoB units, so they often target the wrong units and allow a Repentia/PE rush to hit home. Obviously against experienced tournament players you can expect to receive a good face-stomping though.

 

Overall, I've found the Sob to be a fun army, both for myself and most opponents (who usually appreciate playing against a different army type) and certainly not as under-powered as many people seem to think. If you buy models gradually using ebay and only buying bargains, you can put together a full army for much less than you might expect.

[WarriorFish]

Good to read all these stories, turns out it was a great idea to reflect on how and why we started collecting Sisters especially in these dark times.

 

What's all this about the Chaos forum though? I thought hate was sort of the Chaos thing?

[VIIILegionaire.]

Also, added bonus, the Sisters board here is infinitely less hateful than the chaos board.

Don't judge us lol! We are chaos after all, if we don't make Hater of the Year, then we're not doing something right!