5x 10x or 15x sisters in a unit?

[Andy Tea]

So what are people's thoughts on how many sisters you should have in a unit 5, 10 or 15?

 

And more importantly why do you think that?

 

I'm currently desinging lists that have 3 or 4 units of 10 sisters each but I'd like to hear your thoughts

 

Cheers

 

Andy

[Slasher956]

My first thought is... what Order?

 

If OoOML they either 5 (die quickly and get that MD) or 15 to benefit from the +1 to hit

If BR then 10 - 15 to get in to combat /pistol range

 

Next how are you going to run them?

If mech (Immolators) then 5 strong so you can put a character in the Immolator with them.. if mech (Rhino) then go for 10s so you have the fire power once you get out.

Order generators / objective holders, then I'd look at either 5 (no upgrades) to keep 'em cheep OR 10/15 strong for staying power.

 

 

Personally I run them in 10s on foot so there are a few bodies to take a couple of wounds protecting the heavy /special weapons.. thinking of running a couple of 15 strong with heavy flamer + flamer + Simulcrum + Sis Sup with combi flamer to advance up the board following the rhino full of repentia to make opponents think about target priority.

[taikishi]

There's a VH/BR/IH successor list running around right now that runs a VH battalion with two 10-model Battle Sister squads, a 12-model Battle Sister squad, and three 10-model Seraphim squads while the BR Vanguard has a 10-model Zephyrim squad.

 

As far as Slasher's opinions, don't forget you can put two 5-model squads in a single Rhino/Repressor as long as they're all the same Order. You give up having ablative wounds but gain some flexibility as far as what disembarks where for objective pushing, etc.

 

Edit: Going to expand a little further, both because I feel it's necessary and because after re-reading my comments, I felt like my phrasing could be construed as attacking Slasher's thoughts and it wasn't meant to be.

 

In general, units should be large enough to achieve the objectives you have for the unit while also being able to build your list. Mechanized lists will generally be MSU by their nature, while foot slogging lists will want large units to absorb incoming fire while doing what it can to mitigate morale losses.

 

Order-specific:

 

Martyred Lady cuts both ways. It wants large units to take advantage of the +1 to-hit for unit losses while having smaller units provide some additional Miracle Dice

 

Bloody Rose, especially Repentia, will likely be relying on transports and Seraphim/Zephyrim to get as close as possible as fast as possible but wants bodies for the extra attacks from charging.

 

Ebon Chalice is going to depend entirely on your list and is probably the order that benefits most from MD generators, since (in theory) every other Miracle Die you earn gives you a guaranteed 6.

 

Argent Shroud is also going to depend on your list, since it's the most mobile of the Orders. Retributors that can advance and fire without penalty are probably going to want a few ablative wounds to soak fire, or distraction Carnifexes to draw it away.

 

Sacred Rose, even with transports, benefits from large units since they never lose more than one model from morale and get twice as many hits on Overwatch as the other orders.

 

Valorous Heart, like Martyred Lady, can really cut both ways. Multiple small units entrenched in terrain, especially with an Imagifier nearby, can prove exceptionally difficult to remove due to having so many targets to shoot at. On the other hand, having a number of 10-man foot slogging around an Imagifier can provide a different challenge to your opponent, especially if they have mostly single shot weapons, because of the amount of firepower needed to make a single squad go away. Also remember that an Imagifier's tale is chosen on/after deployment, so if your opponent doesn't have a lot of AP -2 weapons you can grab Tale of the Warrior, or Tale of the Faithful if your opponent has a lot of Psykers.

Edited January 24, 2020 by taikishi

[Slasher956]

@taikishi - point, hadnt thought of that (two BSS in a rhino) normally I debus all in one place

[RolandTHTG]

I had been planning on 8 models in my rhino-borne sister units. That would get them spare bodies, and still have room for support characters to jump in.

Unless I'm Sacred Rose, should I bump them up to 10 (or 5/5) and then just dedicate a character party bus to follow the convoy?

[Andy Tea]

Thanks for the input everyone.

To be honest I hadn't really thought about what order as at the moment I'm just doodling army lists.

 

Although Taikishi does make a very good point about Argent Shroud advancing and firing heavy weapons. I hadn't considered that but the idea does appeal to me.

 

I only play PL games so it's very defiantly ethier 5, 10 or 15. 8 is not an option. On the plus side all upgrades are free.

 

Maybe a few units of 5 battle sisters riding round in immolators and then some units of 10 strong dominion and retributors to ram down my opponents throat.

 

Backed up with arcoflagalents and penitent engines of course

[bkde]

It really depends what you want them to do.

 

Personally I'm a fan of 5 woman units, keep them cheap. 3 squads naked with boltguns to sit in cover, camp objectives and screen out my deployment, 3 squads with 2xSB/combiflamer to take on infantry.

 

BSS are fine, but they're still only T3 models with boltguns.

[Purifying Tempest]

If you want CP: 5 sister squads

 

If you want bigger, harder to shift squads that can take the table and protect special weapons, and not have to stress as much about morale: 10 sister squads

 

If you want to flood the table with bodies and play something like Our Martyred Lady and punish people for trying to dent your forces: 15 sister squads

 

The choice is a bit more nuanced than that, but that's the skinny of it.

[taikishi]

I had been planning on 8 models in my rhino-borne sister units. That would get them spare bodies, and still have room for support characters to jump in.

Unless I'm Sacred Rose, should I bump them up to 10 (or 5/5) and then just dedicate a character party bus to follow the convoy?

 

I personally prefer MSU for its mobility + tanks for days, but this VH/BR/IH list seems legit. If I had the models for it, I'd love to give it a try.

 

And it really depends. Since Dominions no longer scout with their transports, you can double up a Rhino or Repressor with a Dominion squad + something else and do things like scout move into the transport if you're going second, or dropping off the Dominions to take care of one target while the Repressor and other squad goes somewhere else or visa versa.

 

That may be the one "good" thing to come out of the Dominion nerf - they can now transport up with other units/support characters and lose nothing for doing so.

[Chaeron]

This has definitely had me contemplating what the 'core' numbers of Battle Sisters needed would be for most lists (and at which points level) - and it has been good to delve into the nuance of which Order and their respective role when factoring that in. I think the potential utility of the differing sizes of unit - and the fact that the models are great - means I'll be happy to have plenty, and still have a variety of possible builds.