hopes, dreams, and fears for sisters in 8th

[Red_Shift]

The sisters deal with renegade space marine chapters and win (I'm looking at you, rainbow warriors), so they should be equipped accordingly.

[Servant of Dante]

And they can be equipped accordingly without going outside the HolynTrinity . . .

 

In any case, let's take a moment to appreciate the work Sister Sin is doing here :D

http://image.bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_12132/med_gallery_83651_12132_799599.png

(I can't properly embed the image on my phone, and i know I didn't do a great job of making the halves of the image line up perfectly . . .)

[Knight of the Raven]

The sisters deal with renegade space marine chapters and win (I'm looking at you, rainbow warriors), so they should be equipped accordingly.

Not sure about the Sisters of Battle as a whole, but the celestians certainly are used by Ordo Hereticus to deal with Space Marines they find distasteful. Then again, the drop pod assault on the Sons of Malice's cannibalistic victory feast is like the only other mention of the Adepta Sororitas dealing with Astartes.

 

Oh, yeah, and they're butchered in moments in spite of delivering a surprise attack and the (female, naturally) inquisitor is sacrificed to... the Chapter or something, I guess, but you know, intent and stuff.

 

Then again, apparently the Sisters of Battle outdo the Space Marines in Fall of Cadia, so maybe there is hope. Though it's just as likely the strike force Celestine found in a freezer behind the roasted grox stuck in the Warp or wherever hogged all the luck.

[Red_Shift]

The thing is, if I was scared rigid of another hours heresy, I would build an army of opposites to counter them. Entirely female, entirely human, still equipped as best as can be provided but with the protection only faith can provide.

[Aqui]

The sisters deal with renegade space marine chapters and win (I'm looking at you, rainbow warriors), so they should be equipped accordingly.

The Rainbow Warriors aren't Traitors (the picture in question was illustrating conflict between Chapters and factions that occurred in the Imperium in general in Rogue Trader, when Marine Chapters actually recruited from prisons and various gangs, rather than the way they do now), Edition six (I think) mentions that they fought with alongside loyal Chapters, resulting in them losing their Chapter Master. But yes, they should be able to deal with Marines a bit more effectively.

[Noeh]

surprised nobody has brought this up yet.

 

Key points from the live stream:

Power fists = -1 to hit

Transports have no unit limit just a capacity and keywords

Faction stratagems on release, with a layers mentality: Basic -> Space marines -> chapter if all your keywords share that (eg blood angels)

Drop pods are also 9" for reserves and passengers must also stay 9" away, looks like this will be the same for all DS

No way to have more than 50% reserves in matched play, want to make cool drop pod stories, just stick to narrative.

Consolidate from combat to combat is back

Defender chooses casualties,  no more closest model.

Psykers can choose there powers, or roll for them if you are crazy or just don't care....

think that is about it rules wise

 

so... any thought's on sticking 2 squads of in one rhino? 

 

Also dat powersword profile! i think celestine is going to be something like ws 3+ S 3 (+2) AP -3 in melee. meaning that she's actually going to be able to do something to termies now!

 

If the viable way to run sisters is still minimum squads, you could stick two 5 girl squads in the same rhino and get them where they need to go. You could perhaps even put two small groups of repentia in a rhino, run them up the board, and charge out in two different directions to ruin somebody's day.

[Servant of Dante]

Or . . . 2 dominion squads in 1 rhino. If they still have some sort of advanced deployment and they can share a vehicle when they do so . . . Emperor's Iridescent Armhair that would be cool :P

[Servant of Dante]

And if command squads still can do any loadout, I want to put 2 heavy flamer command squads in the same rhino, for 10d6 hits. Holy Emperor I just might die of happiness just thinking about that.

[Eddie Orlock]

Or, depending on how the scout rule is written for dominions, pick and mix and put one of each in the transports and let your dominions drag your celestian command squad up to the front. Better yet replace the command squad with a small repentia team to get them a free advance.

 

Combo-tastic, if it is legal, expect it to be banned within three years.

[Noeh]

I still really want an option for cheap units not in power armor as troops. Something like guardsmen but instead novice sisters who haven't earned their power armor. Sisters as troops is fine, but sometimes you just want a blob of people to protect the important guys on your back line.

[Atrus]

That'd be cool. Something like a rallied mob, a bunch of civilians rising up to defend their homes. I'm particularly partial to the novitiate idea

[Noeh]

I feel like novice sisters would be set up alongside a much higher ranking official to learn from her example. That or typical minimum wage work type stuff. "Hey all of you. Training starts today, go wash the exorcists!" I don't think it would make any real sense fluff-wise to have them be on the front lines, but sisters aren't meant to be a horde army or an elite army. That's going to be pretty punishing without some way to absorb wounds in 8th edition.

[Knight of the Raven]

If the Sisters of Battle bring their novices to battle, they certainly won't use them like the Space Marine's neophytes. They don't even bother using something as basic yet essential as reconnaissance when they attack the city that just declared independance from the Ecclesiarchy in Faith and Fire nor the twist villain's secret stronghold, the latter of which being impossible to be handwaved away with "who needs recon against a planetary defense force that never fought once in its entire history?", so I don't see them using any underhanded tactics. They probably don't even own a single sniper rifle across the entire Adepta Sororitas.

[Noeh]

I could see novices manning longer ranged artillery or some form of faith empowering objects to bolster the other sisters on the board. Sniper rifles would be a good idea actually. I just think there's plenty of good options out there that some cheaper units could offer a benefit. BSS are great, but if you could field more elites, fast attack, and heavy support because you have even cheaper bodies on the table it would be fantastic.

[BitsHammer]

If the Sisters of Battle bring their novices to battle, they certainly won't use them like the Space Marine's neophytes. They don't even bother using something as basic yet essential as reconnaissance when they attack the city that just declared independance from the Ecclesiarchy in Faith and Fire nor the twist villain's secret stronghold, the latter of which being impossible to be handwaved away with "who needs recon against a planetary defense force that never fought once in its entire history?", so I don't see them using any underhanded tactics. They probably don't even own a single sniper rifle across the entire Adepta Sororitas.

I could see them using the Black Templar training method of a senior sister training a pupil directly.

[Servant of Dante]

If Novices did go into combat, I'd imagine they go attacked to a unit of Sisters.

 

As for a non-PA troops choice, the Frateris Militia would work.

[Noeh]

 

If the Sisters of Battle bring their novices to battle, they certainly won't use them like the Space Marine's neophytes. They don't even bother using something as basic yet essential as reconnaissance when they attack the city that just declared independance from the Ecclesiarchy in Faith and Fire nor the twist villain's secret stronghold, the latter of which being impossible to be handwaved away with "who needs recon against a planetary defense force that never fought once in its entire history?", so I don't see them using any underhanded tactics. They probably don't even own a single sniper rifle across the entire Adepta Sororitas.

I could see them using the Black Templar training method of a senior sister training a pupil directly.

 

 

This was my thought. I imagine them sitting at the back and watching the BSS's charge in. The awe inspiring faith of their senior sisters entering battle while a senior sister or a group of them gives them orders sounds very fluffy. 

[Knight of the Raven]

Is there any lore suggesting what novices sent to the military orders do before becoming full sisters of battle? Because if there isn't I'm not sure it can be considered fluffy... at least if you consider 'fluff' to refer only to official lore like most fans seem to as opposed to considering it the fans' additions to the lore.

 

The Frateris Militia is good if you only want bullet catchers who will drag the enemy down with their own bodies. Inquisitorial stormtroopers are the ones sent to bolster the Adepta Sororitas' battle lines when they're not numerous enough. Beyond that they guard the black ships and the Inquisition's strongholds across the galaxy, at least back when they still were mentioned in the lore in Codex: Witch Hunters.

[Banjulhu]

Is there any lore suggesting what novices sent to the military orders do before becoming full sisters of battle? Because if there isn't I'm not sure it can be considered fluffy... at least if you consider 'fluff' to refer only to official lore like most fans seem to as opposed to considering it the fans' additions to the lore.

 

The Frateris Militia is good if you only want bullet catchers who will drag the enemy down with their own bodies. Inquisitorial stormtroopers are the ones sent to bolster the Adepta Sororitas' battle lines when they're not numerous enough. Beyond that they guard the black ships and the Inquisition's strongholds across the galaxy, at least back when they still were mentioned in the lore in Codex: Witch Hunters.

Before joining an Order novices are raised and trained at a Schola Progenia and then just sort of get sent to Terra or Ophelia VII where they are brought into the ranks.

 

They are not like marines where you have to spend 10 years plus not wearing decent armour whist being shot before being allowed to wear the big boy armour.

 

It's more like the Storm Troopers where they pick up all their stuff on day one and are expected to learn on the job.

[Knight of the Raven]

That's what I suspected. The Schola Progenium is a military school, after all. With the training from beyond the place that makes hell look under its bed at night the franchise implies.

[Drider]

Recruitment

"It is not enough to serve the Emperor, or even to love Him. You must give to Him all that you had, all you have, and all you shall ever have. You must give yourself over utterly and entirely to His divine will and become a vessel of that will. Only then is your sacrifice fitting."

— From the Rule of the Sororitas

The majority of recruits into the Adepta Sororitas are drawn from the Schola Progenium, having been identified by the Drill Abbesses as suitable candidates from an early age. A few may be transferred from outside organisations, in particular the ranks of the servants of the Inquisition, although this is relatively unusual and only undertaken following lengthy consideration. Having been identified as a candidate for membership, the individual is shipped to one of the two convents, where she will be subjected to a lengthy and arduous regime of testing intended to gauge her suitability to join the sisterhood and to identify which of the orders she would be most suited to. Regardless of which order she will eventually join, all candidates undergo extensive instruction in the traditions of the Adepta Sororitas, and most receive at least a modicum of military instruction.

Once a sister is judged worthy to join the sisterhood and has received her basic training, the candidates are gathered in the great hall of the convent before the Canonesses and Palatines of the orders to which they will be assigned. Such gatherings range from grand ceremonies involving several thousand new sisters and taking several days and nights to conclude, to smaller events where only a handful of candidates gather in the great hall. One by one, the name of each candidate and the order she will join is announced, and the newly elevated sister will be led off to begin her vocation. Once she is assigned to her order, the sister will begin a period of even more rigorous training and indoctrination, which, it is said, will never end until she sits in death at the right hand of the Emperor.

 

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Adepta_Sororitas

 

 

 

 

[Servant of Dante]

The only place I've seen that mentions Novices being trained at a Schola as actual Sororitas Novices (rather than just another student at a Schola) is a Ciaphas Cain book, and those aren't books that I include in my headcanon (it's possible I'm missing a source here). The 2E codex certainly does nothing to contradict this interpretation, though neither does it really support it.

 

While I don't have an explicit quote to support it, given how few Sisters there are (if you follow the 2E codex numbers like I do), I tend to imagine that Novices are trained on Ophelia VII and Terra.

 

My preferred interpretation comes in part from the fluff published on the GW website for the (now defunct) Inquisitor specialist game about Sister Anestasia. It notes that she was selected to be enrolled as a Sororitas Novice at the age of 12 by an Order Famulous, and that she took her vows in front of the Ecclesiarch on Terra.

 

As far as I'm aware, there isn't a definitive answer either way.

 

Edit: Ninjaed! :D I'd like to have the actual source for that quote provided by Drider. It looks like it's saying that Sisters are in fact trained on Ophelia VII and Terra.

[Commander Dawnstar]

Edit: Ninjaed! I'd like to have the actual source for that quote provided by Drider. It looks like it's saying that Sisters are in fact trained on Ophelia VII and Terra.

I can't say if it's the original source, but that text (sans quotation) is present in the Blood of Martyrs sourcebook for Dark Heresy.

[Noeh]

Is there any lore suggesting what novices sent to the military orders do before becoming full sisters of battle? Because if there isn't I'm not sure it can be considered fluffy... at least if you consider 'fluff' to refer only to official lore like most fans seem to as opposed to considering it the fans' additions to the lore.

I meant fluffy there as in something that sounds reasonable within the canon. It's probably mentioned literally nowhere, but it sounds like something that order would do.

[Knight of the Raven]

This quote is conspicuously absent from the more reliable Lexicanum, so I'm taking it with a shaker's worth of salt.

 

If I recall correctly, the female progena who're sent to the Adepta Sororitas are so because their faith eclipses that of other graduates, and their male peers go on to become commissars. If the Sisters of Battle are only drawn from the Schola Progenia of Terra and Ophelia VII, their equals from the rest of the Imperium terrorize lead imperial guardsmen along with the men. If the Adepta Sororitas takes in everyone from every corner of the Imperium, this gives us a lore reason for the lack of female commissar model.

 

edit: ah, Brightstar gave a source.