I need some help with Sisters.

[Prot]

Yes, normally I am beating them over the head with a pointy chaos stick of some description, but believe it or not about a year ago they became a secondary army of mine. I've painted about 2000 points, I bought a few used pieces, lots of new ones, and a used codex.... missing the code.... index cards, and I finally have a pretty well rounded army!

 

I am not good with SoB... at all. I'm lately surrounded by marine players and I'd like to be different here if I can. The problem is I think after all these years I've discovered I'm naturally an opposite player of SoB's style. That is to say I play really elite armies pretty well. I really struggle with stuff like SoB.

 

Here's the army I want to take. Largely I confess this is what I have painted, and like the look of. Please see questions below:

 

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Hallowed Martyrs:

 

Morvenn + Paragon Warsuits (MM's/Maces) (390)

 

Retributors (flamers) + Aestred Thurga (for dev wounds - goes in flamer Immolator) (185)

Retributors (MMs) + Imagifire w/Saintly Example (survivability?) Goes in mm immolator) (190)

 

Sacresants x 10 + Hospitalier + Junith (My only true CC threat?) (320)

 

Seraphim (dual flamers)

 

Sisters Novitirate Squad (2 flamers) 

 

Immolater Flames 

Immolator MM

Rhino

 

Castigator Autocannons

Castigator Battlecannon

 

Penitent Engines x2 

 

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So how badly off the mark is this? I know there are some staples in here, but I have no idea if some of this is just... bad. The Novitiates and the Seraphim are just filler. I thik the Novitiates will take the Rhino and infiltrate with it. I intend to block with them. 

 

The problem with SoB is I still haven't played them in 11th and I'm playing in a tough crowd. Each mistake will be met with some harsh repercussions. 

 

Even the tanks.... are they good? I don't know in this edition. The only things I feel were staples for me in 10th that I feel comfortable with are:

- Movenn and friends of course.

- Sacresants. Just solid and feels mandatory but can still be easily thrown away.

- Retrubitors/Immolators. I don't see a ton of this in competitive armies... or I haven't recently anyway, but I feel like this is a strongly functional combination of units.

 

The rest... not sure. 

Any advice?

 

[Bonzi]

My generic answer is that you're playing too elite.  Too many characters in too many units that will still get picked up in a turn of melee or shooting from most armies.  Astred Thurga in 5 flamer Retributors is mostly a waste.  That's 5 T3 wounds, assuming the squad doesn't die to overwatch, you'll get one turn of shooting...maybe 3-4 dev wounds before they get swept.  That's 185 points to kill a Terminator.  Same with an Imagifire in Retributors....a 2+ 4++ won't keep 5 Sisters on their feet.  Understand that Retributors and almost every single other Sisters unit, is mostly a trade unit, at most you put a Dialogus in them so you can make any damage roll for multimeltas a 6.

 

I would pick Morven or Junith and drop the other to save points.  I would drop Astred too.  I would try to get one or two battle sisters/dominion squads into the game.  Use a Immolators to crack one unit into 2 5 sister squads for objectives.  You could leave the other squad whole and give them an Imagifire.  The buff is more potent on a bigger squad.  That gives you two tougher bricks, plenty of scoring/trade units, a some hammers in the form of the Paragons, MM Retributors, and the Castigators.

 

Biggest advice is to think of Sisters more like Imperial Guard than Marines.  You need cheap units that you're ok trading for victory points.  If you stack too many points into units, you're almost always going to be sad at how little Sisters do.

 

Use your miracle dice to guarantee charges, advance rolls, and leadership tests you can't afford to fail and to max out damage rolls on melta weapons.  Passing those five/six critical roles in each game is how Sisters win.

Edited September 1 by Bonzi

[Prot]

First off, thanks Bonzi for the response. This area doesn't get a ton of action. :)

 

Secondly, and this is my fault, I did make some changes to the list (minor ones) and then played a game against a surprisingly hard Imperial Fists army. (I won by a hair in the end but was trailing most of it).

 

Morven is... mandatory I think.  Junith... and Hospitalier in the 10 Sacresants was... wow. What. A. Brick.  

 

After my last game budging either of those units seems really hard to do. Morven and her suits held the line. They annihilated a Landraider, and some partial squad of Centurions. I honestly don't think I had another tool that could have taken that head on.

 

Junith + Sacresants: At one point I knew my opponent wanted to get his Darneth (?) and Thunder Hammer/Shield termies to break up my lines. I really only gave him one place to go; in front of Junith's squad. I did get charged, little I could do about it, but I was blown away. I literally stood there for 3.5 Close Combat rounds, and barely... I mean barely made it, but with the Hospitalier + -1 to hit + -1 to wound... I actually took down that unit. This is another case where I look at the army, the codex, and I think... what the heck other tool is there to stand up to that? 

 

But in saying that, I agree, it feels too elite. I am guilty of always playing elite armies, but I do seem to do well with them. Admittedly I am not a good horde player.  But you're right, playing in this mode it cost me numbers, and what points I had left had to be put into cheap units.

 

***I should say I realised my list above in my first post was over points slightly, so I had to re juggle it, I lost the Serphim in the process, added a small 3 man squad of Arco Flag's which turned out to be okay considering my Disposition (Priority Assets I believe).

 

And to be fair the rest of list was quite mediocre. It does seem getting more than 1-2 turns out of my pair of Retributors is challenging every game.

 

Also the Novitiates were so bad. This squad has no business being pointed what it is. Intercessors are far superior in every way. I would probably never take this squad again, unless there is some magical combination I'm missing. I had taken out 1 Sisters Battlesquad, and I missed it. 2 might be ideal as you say. 

 

I will also say the Penitent Engines were also really good. Again, it's 2 models, slightly costly and feeds into my issue of elites, but they were great out of reserves.

 

As a side note, one day I'd like to try the Penitent Host. not sure if it's functional, but it looks cool on paper. Anyway, I was fortunate to get the win. I do think my opponent made a few bad moves that cost him though and he probably wouldn't do them again.

 

[Bonzi]

Morven & Paragons and Junith & Sacresants are two of the best combos Sisters have.  I think my only argument against Morven is that she now functionally costs the same as another unit of Melta Paragons and I'm not sure she doubles the output of the squad she joins.  I would say consider if two squads of Paragons would do more for you than one squad + Morven as a thing to consider.

 

Noviates are a finicky unit for sure.  Their real value is as an Infiltrating screen which can push back other scouting and infiltrating armies which is handy, but they're gonna die turn 1 almost every time you use them like that.  I've had them prove their value as a utility unit in a few games, but just as often they get turned into paste.

 

I just ran the penitent host most recently and I liked it.  I don't think it's our strongest build but it is playable.  The bummer is by turn three or four you've burnt all your special rules, but by turn 3 or 4 you're probably also out of Penitent units to use the rules on.  The other downside is how gated the strats are for the detatchment, you have to carefully read which strats affect a penitent unit vs penitent models.  The detatchment really makes Arcos and Penitent Engines shine.  Repentia and Mortifiers are also great in it.  You do need a pretty big Penitent collection to get the most out of the Detatchment.  It's also important you bring plenty of regular sisters to take points you've cleared off with the melee units because none of them are suited to siting still or holding a point or doing actions.

 

 

 

 

[Prot]

Hmm... I see what you mean about Morven's cost. It's quite big... I'm just used to using her from last edition and it's become a reflex to be honest. The thing I like about Morven is she can hit hard in CC, and hang around a bit. Most of my lists are just Sacresants, and mostly shooty stuff so it falls down quickly in CC fights, and prolonged close combat games.

 

So Novitiates, I agree you can probably make them work. I just feel they're horribly overcosted. And I don't really like the battle sisters troop either, but at least it has sticky objectives. I dunno. Going to have to just try to figure that one out. :)

 

Penitent Host does sound fun. I don't have many of the models though aside from the 2 Penitent engines in my list. I noticed at my local gaming store they have 2 copies of a very unpopular box from.... I think Christmas? It's the Penitent Host box set. Would that cover me for the detachment? I've heard the new character is good for them, and  a priest. It's a good price, but I don't need the two rhino's in it really. (I own one) Maybe a second would be good?

 

Here's from the game: Somehow the Sacresants took this down:

 

I should post a report in my other thread.... anyhow, that's how it went. I hung on by a hair but admittedly should have lost.

 

 

[Bonzi]

When I tried out Penitent Host I believe I had Intranzia Frey, a Palentine with the upgrade so she could join the Repentia, 2 Priests, 15 Repentia, 10 Arcos, 2 Penitent Engines and 2 Mortifiers as the core of all my Penitent units.  Can't remember what else I ran with them.  That detatchment is a 2 pointer and only buffs Penitent keyword.  If you don't have a lot of those units, you'll probably get more milage out of Hallowed Martyrs.

[Prot]

I see what you mean. I went through the process of creating a Penitent Host list, and the rules are good... but limited. I went and looked at a local store that still has the Penitent Host box (Christmas 2024?!) and most of what I would need is in there. 15 repentia, 10 Arcos, 1 priest (I own one), 2 more Mortifiers. (I think I'd have to buy 5 Repentia additionally... and Intranzia Frey.) It's a bit of an investment in money for sure... I may stick to what I have for right now. 

 

I have to see just how expensive this month is with Marines around the corner!