+++ Sisters of Battle: Only in Death +++

[Jacinda]

I'm not much of a sig person ....  I typically have them turned off on forums I frequent.  It's a habit picked up from using crappy computers over bad hotel networks.

[Servant of Dante]

Alright, this is a bit of an unusual vow. I have a friend who loves Sisters but hasn't played in years. I offered to vow and play a unit for them and record what happened so they can write the reports for the vow. For both flavor and not costing me a bunch of points, they picked the following (we'll see how it goes )

Vow Details:

Dominion Squad Tempestus

Dominion Superior Lynata: chainsword, plasma pistol

Dominion Sister Ariel: meltagun

Dominion Sister Diona: flamer

Dominion Sister Yuko: boltgun

Dominion Sister Morinas: boltgun

Hehe. Wow. Those names are like all references XD well, the superior appears to be my friend's alterego (goes by Lynata online sometimes), and I don't know where Diona comes from, but even the squad name is a reference :P

Essentially this is my third vow, but I won't be writing the reports for the games.

[Servant of Dante]

I did play my first game on Friday. It was . . . a thing. I'll try and get my reports written up soon!

[Jacinda]

I played Saturday vs CSM.  We called it after 5 turns without counting up the points because my opponent was starting to feel unwell.  Lucky me, I now have his flu. :(

 

I'll write up the stories when I can

[Jacinda]

This is horrible and not worthy of being called a first draft.  I needed to get it down while I could still remember what happened and my flu made it hard to think or write.

 

*sigh*

1st report of Battle Sister Squad Brianna Libidine

 

 

Blessed Sister Jacinda,

 

I am both proud and humbled that the Order Diologus is interested in the way my squad preforms while enjoying the duty we are assigned.  I will relay what is allowed as accurately as I perceived the events. 

 

Recently we engaged in the pursuit of a traitor force.  We were given specific instruction to eliminate any heavy weapons of the enemy.  It was still dark when we found the enemy but we moved before they had a chance to react.

My squad and I were on the left flank.  As it turned out, the enemy was stacked heavily to the right with one squad of black legion marines in a rhino at the center of the field being our closest opponent.  I ordered our Rhino to move top speed in order to hold a strategic point halfway across the field.  It was hard to see much in the darkness but when our Exorcists fired the missiles found their mark and the Rhino we could see exploded in a brilliant flash.  The traitor marines quickly composed themselves and march in our direction. One plasma hit managed to gouge at our Rhino’s armor.

 

I ordered the Rhino into the cover of the low ruins that was the strategic objective.  My squad then disembarked and moved towards the grounded enemy. With Brother Brennan to inspire us we showed practiced precision with our volley of fire.  Three traitors died from our holy bolters in an instant.  We received support from out Retributors Heavy Bolters who fired on the marines.  Even snapping of shots from the hip they took out yet another black legion marine.  Only one marine remained and he broke and ran from the field.

 

Our joyous cries were short lived when a unit of raptors lead by the chaos warlord teleported behind us.  They barely stayed on the field but arrived directly behind one of our Exorcists. I had no time to call out a warning before the Exorcists was wreaked by plasma shots on its rear armor.  At the same time, 2 chaos spawn ran onto the field from the opponent’s side.

 

Our Retributors began to pour heavy bolter rounds into the spawn.  I made the choice to divert my squad to the protection of the remaining Exorcists and the destruction of the jet pack assisted raptors.  Our Rhino left the objective and moved to intercept us where we immediately embarked.  The remaining Exorcist was aware of the enemy in the rear and moved farther away and turned to face its heavy armor towards the raptors.  It only fired a single missile but one of the perusing raptors took the hit square in the chest.  He was dead before what was left of the corpse hit the ground.

 

The raptor squad continued after the Exorcist but could not hit it with their weapons.  They were also too far away to assault it.  However they moved at incredible speed and pulled away my squad in our Rhino.  We disembarked and moved after the raptors.  I sent the Rhino back to cover the original stragic objective on the left of the field.  We fired on the raptors putting one more down for good.  The Retributors from their elevated position also had clear view of the raptors and fired their heavy bolters.  More traitors died but the raptor’s champion and the chaos warlord remained.  Despite our best efforts, the warlord caught up with the Exorcist and destroyed it with his powerfist.

 

With our heavy weapons destroyed and the day drawing near an end it became imperative that we secure the strategic objectives along the center of the field.  The Rhino sat alone over the left most point.  I moved my squad towards the center where we fired on the spawn hiding there, wounding the spawn but not killing it.  The Retributors fired on the raptors, killing the champion and wounding the warlord. The rest of the mission forces had seen tougher fighting but our Canoness and a few surviving Repentia moved in to cover the right most objective.

 

In one last act of malice, the chaos warlord moved towards the Retributors that had given us support and fired his demonic artefact, killing them one and all with its torrential flames.  The warlord and his one remaining spawn then quit the field.  We did not give chase but secured the site and tended our wounded.

 

Ave Imperator

 

 

[Servant of Dante]

Progress noted in the progress post

I should get on writing my reports . . .

edit: have you thought about which Order Diologus the report is going to?

[Jacinda]

And now, the same battle from the Repentia squads perspective.

 

 

 

Action report:  Repentia Squad under supervision of Mistress Rhonna
Canoness Kissa Salameh, reporting

[+++++++++++planet and date redacted++++++++++++]

 

[+++++++] to the right and center.  Mistress Rhonna secured the right flank along with Battle Sister Squad [+++++].  We faced [+++++ redacted enemy forces +++++] and engaged before sun rise.  I rode with my Dominions in order to outflank the enemy.

 

Rhonna drove the Rhino Mercy of Blood across the battlefield as soon as the battle prayers began. She headed straight for the enemy’s Land Raider.  She disembarked her unit in order to make best possible haste.  The Battle Sisters working with Rhonna moved flat out beside them.  The enemy Land raider  kept pace with an accompanying Helbrute both of which headed directly towards the Repentia.  A 3^rd vehicle, a traitor rhino, angled down to intercept the Battle Sister Squad’s Rhino.  In the opening volley, Repentia Delta was struck by multi-melta fire.

 

Mercy of Blood and its sister Rhino moved to provide what cover they could for the advancing Repentia. The Battles Sister burned the enemy Rhino with their meltaguns and wreaked it.  Exorcists from our backfield exploited the advantage and killed 3 traitors as they abandoned the burning Rhino.  This set up Rhonna’s first attack.  She urged her Repentia forward onto the Land Raider.  The Eviscerators ripped into the tank, cutting weapons, tracks and hull.  A critical hit to munitions caused the vehicle to explode.  Through faith in the Emperor, not a single Repentia was harmed in the blast.  However 5 Black Legion terminators stood up from the blast crater left by their vehicle.

 

The terminators chose to fire on Mercy of Blood.  It was damaged and immobilized but remained intact.  The Helbrute fired on the Battle Sisters’ Rhino which exploded from the melt hit, wounding one of the Battle Sisters it carried.  The few marines who were still alive after the Exorcists missiles then rapid fired on the Battle Sisters. 

 

This was the scene when I arrived behind the enemy lines with my Dominions in a Repressor. Our melta volley guided by faith punched through the heavy infantry’s armor, sending 3 more traitors to their graves.  Rhonna reacted by charging the remaining two.  The chaos champion roared a challenge and Rhonna answered with a roar of her own.  The traitor hit Rhonna with a crushing powerfist blow tha sent her sprawling.  Her Repentia retaliated with a grisly display of overkill leaving only hewn limbs and spilled vicera where the terminators stood.  Taking inertia from their charge the Repentia closed in on the Helbrute.  However the crazed machine stood and fired relentlessly on the approaching women. Angel, Bronwyn and Fox fell to its flames.

 

I disembarked from the Repressor and moved to join the two remaining Repentia.  My Dominions killed the Helbrute handily with their meltaguns and the repressor finished off the last of the marines.  Before we could regroup with the rest of our forces the enemy quit the field.

 

 

Casualties include:

Mistress Rhonna – Mortally wounded; possible candidate for reconstruction, grafts or bionic prosthetic.

Repentia Angel – Wounded; remain with Repentia Squad after expected short recovery  

Repentia Bronwyn – Wounded, vow fulfilled; return to Battle Sister squad after extensive recovery

Repentia Delta – KIA, vow fulfilled

Repentia Fox 5 – Minor Injury; remain with Repentia on active duty.

 

Sisters Repentia Charlie and Echo remain fit for duty.

 

 

[Servant of Dante]

I'm not particular happy with this, but here's the report for Squad Tempestus. It has not been proofread

Hidden Content

Dominion Squad Tempestus advanced ahead of the rest of the Sisters force. To their back and right the Canoness Commander and her Command Squad were mounting an shallow sloped and overgrown stepped pyramid. Diona could just see the top of the Banner of the Order of the Valorous Heart swaying as Imagifer Cantelen made her way up the difficult slope. Squad Tempestus was moving along the edge of the pyramid, using its bulk to hide their advance toward a massive bastion just ahead. Sister Superior Lynata moved abreast of Diona, though a step higher on the pyramid. Sister Yuko led the way in front of the Sister Superior, and Sisters Ariel and Morinas followd behind with flame and melta.

Over the vox the Canoness Commander was giving her final instructions, as Yuko moved to the corner of the pyramid. Then, everything happened at once.

“GET DOWN!” shouted Sister Yuko, and Diona had just enough time to see the massive barrel of a Leman Russ Punisher bringing them into its sights before it opened fire. The air turned to lead as a wave of supersonic projectiles washed over them. Someone cried in pain, and Lynata fell onto Diona. From the corner of her eye she saw Yuko knocking Ariel out of the line of fire, just as a punisher round penetrated her armour’s power supply, causing it to detonate in a blinding flash. Diona’s helmet visor protected her from the worst of the visual and auditory onslaught, but still she lay still for a moment before rolling the unconscious Sister Superior off of her.

She almost fell as soon as she stood, and her head swam. Blood flowed from a rent in her left arm. None of the other Sisters of Squad Tempestus were moving. In a daze, Diona began toward the bastion again, but . . . the tank must still be around. Maybe . . . she turned and moved the way she had come; her vision swam. Someone was shouting over the vox, but she couldn’t make out what was said.

Her foot caught on something, and she fell to the ground. As she pushed herself back to her feet Diona saw it was a body. The Sister’s armour was fractured and rent in several places, and blood covered her face, but . . . it was Sister Alaedia! Confused, Diona looked around her. Alaedia was the organist of the Commandery’s sacred Exorcist. What was she doing here? Her eyes settled on a wreck some ways to her left. She could just make out organ pipes through the smoke and flames. Alaedia must have been thrown clear in an explosion. For a moment Diona only stared, shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she moved toward Sorrow’s Keen as best she could. Sister Pietine might still be alive.

Diona made her way around the wreck. The front half of the vehicle was a mangled mess. An armoured arm hung out of the twisted metal Her coughing from the smoke, Diona pulled herself onto the top of the vehicle, and lifted Sister Pietine from the wreckage. Half her armour was gone, and black and red burns covered her body. Was she even breathing? Hefting the battered Sister over her shoulder, Diona slowly made her way back to Alaedia. She struggled to lift the elderly organist over her other shoulder, gasping as the weight settled on her wounded arm.

One step at a time, she trudged away off the battlefield, to collapse in front of the medical tent some three hundred yards beyond. The last thing she saw as she fell into unconsciousness was a pair of Sister Hospitaller rushing out to her, Pietine and Alaedia.

I am using the Model Death rules for this unit. all but Diona were casualties in the game, and Diona fell back off the battlefield. I did my best to make them sound Sistery

Anyway, here are the rolls:

Morinas - 6 - Minor Injury

Ariel - 6 - Minor Injury

Yuko - 1 - Dead

Lynata - 5+1=6 - Minor Injury

[Jacinda]

I haven't forgotten; I just have not had a game in a few weeks :(

[Sister_Miriya]

No games here either. Had to pick up a 2nd job to make rent the last few months....

 

Got a better (3rd) job to replace the first 2! Still recovering from everything

[Servant of Dante]

Well, I kinda forgot, myself. I still have 2 reports to write from my first game :D either way I haven't played a game that would count for this since.

[Commander Dawnstar]

Just asking for asking's sake: Could I possibly get an exception from the allies limitation?

 

I only just started actively playing 40k again last Thursday (not in early February as I had speculated here before), and now that I finally have it finished I really want to get some games in with my Sisters/Templars Castellans of the Imperium Detachment. Unfortunately for the purposes of this challenge it's well over the allies limit (about 55%-45% - blame the Land Raider Crusader) but the squad I would be tracking would definitely appear in my pure Sisters list if my opponents want games at 1,500 points rather than 2k.

 

There's no problem if you'd rather keep that limit. I'll just have to make a deliberate point to get some Sisters games.

[Servant of Dante]

I'd rather keep the ally restriction. If you find you just can't get games in using the rules as presented, PM me

[Commander Dawnstar]

Nah, that's not a problem.

 

I'll try and give some thoughts to lists without the Templars. Only the Land Raider actually did anything in my last game bar absorbing bullets and tying up Dreadnoughts (it damn near killed three tanks including the enemy warlord) so I probably shouldn't have too much trouble bringing myself down to the 25% limit if I drop them for an Inquisition contingent and bring in some units that were sitting on the sidelines.

[Commander Dawnstar]

In light of the two (two!) games I've apparently secured before the end of the week, now seems a very sensible time to get this underway.

 

Dominion Squad Incandor

• Sister Superior Selene Martak (Boltgun, Chainsword)
• Sister Evelynn Du Caine (Meltagun)
• Sister Ysolde Caltrasse (Meltagun)
• Sister Rashida Ayem (Meltagun)
• Sister Szara Ort (Meltagun)

Immolator "Blazing Edict" (twin-linked Multimelta and Dozer Blade)

 

[Servant of Dante]

I'll get the vow post updated later today. I apologize for the delay.

[Commander Dawnstar]

While I've been trying to write up a full batrep of my last game, and may yet finish, I feel that the efforts of my Dominions aren't exactly worth expressing in any great detail. As I faced a horde-based Tyranid army with Genestealer Cults allies there were very few targets that had anything much to fear from concentrated melta weaponry, and ultimately my pledged Dominion squad fell having achieved little more than a single wound on a Hive Crone. Hardly exploits worthy of song and commemoration.

 

Special mentions however go to:

• My Retributors who immolated the Magos and his escort with 22 Heavy Flamer wounds
• The two Crusaders who absorbed the entire charge of a Genestealer Patriarch and his brood at the cost of their own lives (War Hymns ftw!)
• My charmed Land Raider Crusader that added a winged Hive Tyrant to its kill tally

[Servant of Dante]

Well, if you want that game to count for the fominions you'll have to do something, though you're free to just not count that game for the dominion's vow

[Commander Dawnstar]

That's what I was thinking, yes. I'm probably going to hold off on things until they have a game where they do something at least a little more impressive.

[Servant of Dante]

I feel bad for letting this stagnate. I'm working on (finally) finishing the write ups for my first game, and hopefully I'll get a second game in today, and a third next week, just in time for the deadline . . .

 

So, would anyone want to try this kind of thing again? I don't know if Aquilanus is going to want to let me, with how this one went, but I'd like to try at some point. Might have to be next year. I think I'd do better if I limited myself to a single vow :D

 

I could also do something like this, but open to the wider B&C community. I wouldn't participate at that point, just run it.

[Servant of Dante]

Alright, here's the story about the Exorcist that exploded before I even got a turn It has not been proofread and I switched Pietine to the organist, and Alaedia to the driver.

Pietine shifted her stance in front of Sorow’s Keen’s keyboard. It was never entirely comfortable standing on a moving vehicle, and one that was firing missiles no less, but once she lost herself in the music of the battle, she would hardly notice it. What to play? This was certainly not a normal situation, the traitor marines had arrived seemingly from nowhere, and with the heretic guard and ultramarines, of all things, about to descend upon them, everyone was a little on edge. Regardless, the trouble was, what exactly to play? As the organist of the detachment’s sole Exorcist, she would lead her Sisters in song and prayer while they fought, and, in a way, that fighting was itself a prayer, and a song.

She settled on Pacili’s Litany of the Torch, a classic defiant hymn written just after the Reign of Blood. The hymn began on a strong, sustained chord, one that every Sister would recognize. The pipes behind Pietine began their melodious droning at her command. Twelve bars later, every Sister on the field took up the chant.

Lux et ignis,

Dominus inimicos tuos contra nos stare,

Confidunt in virtute sua,

Dominus, in te speramus.

Vitam et mortem,

Da fortitudinem tuam nobis,

. . .

As the hymn gained momentum, Pietine prepared Sorrow’s Keen for combat, pulling stops on her control panel to tie the vehicle’s missile launcher into specific intervals on the keyboard, making it to fire in precise harmony with the music. As the servitor prepared the first volley of missiles for launch, the Sister surveyed the battlefield, glancing down every so often to check a particularly tricky set of chords as she came to them. Sister Alaedia would select the actual targets for the ordinance, but Pietine liked to have an idea of what they were shooting at.

Her eyes lock on to the barrel of a Leman Russ Vanquisher just as it fires, straight at Sorrow’s Keen. Pietine bows her head to protect her eyes from the blast, but keeps playing as the shell takes a chunk out of the vehivle’s front armour. The damage does not appear to be too seri-

A blinding flash of energy impacts with the hull, in the same spot the Vaquisher shell had hit. Pietine’s began to widen, not a second later the front of the tank ripped itself apart, sending the Sister flying. Darkness overcame her as she struck the ground.

It was dark when Pietine awoke – no, there was a bandage over her eyes. She tried to move, but even lifting her arm was an effort. Her armour had been removed, and she was lying in a bed. This must be the field hospital. Some Sisters of the Order of the Eternal Candle had been assigned to their Commandery. She called out – her voice sounded rough, and she didn’t form any intelligible words.

Someone put a hand on her shoulder, “You’re safe here. The fighting is over.”

“What . . . happened,” she managed to say, each letter an act of will.

“Sorrow’s keen was heavily damaged. The entire front section is destroyed, though I have been told the missile assembly is relatively undamaged.

Pietine tried to nod, and instead found herself fighting to remain conscious as her head swam. Insatead, she asked, “Alaedia?”

The Sister, it had to be a Sister, standing over her paused for a moment, “her condition is more serious than yours. She will recover though, most likely,” the woman continued hastily, “Sister Diona found you and pulled Alaedia from the wreckage, and carried you both here. It was quite impressive she was conscious at all.”

“I will thank her”

The Sister said nothing for a moment, though Pietine imagined she was nodding, “you need to rest now. Emperor willing, the bandage can come off your eyes in a few days, and you can be on your feet, at least a bit, in a week or two.”

This time when Pietine nodded she lost herself to unconsciousness.

no, neither of them died.

[Servant of Dante]

Only in Death is officially closed, as the deadline has passed. No completions.

 

So, even though this didn't go great, I'd like to try something similar at some point. I personally will be limiting myself to a single vow if that happens. :D

 

Again, let me know if you'd be interested in giving this another go. It might have to wait till next year in any case.

[Commander Dawnstar]

I really appreciate you doing this, Dante, even if it didn't work out so well <3

[Servant of Dante]

I'll probably try again regardless, the only issue will be convincing the mods to let me :P

[BitsHammer]

This seems like a neat idea I am saddened to have missed. I haven't had a lot of game time during the winter (live on he opposite side of town from my FLGS with no car and ice everywhere all winter meant no boking or walking the eight or so miles to get a game in), but I like this idea.

 

That said, there are only 30 days in April, not 31.* Otherwise the initial post looked good!

 

 

 

*I spent just shy of eight years basically being the equivilant of a Adepta Diagolous and doing paperwork, such things kind of catch my eye. Sorry.