Tactica: SISTERS of BATTLE!

[snottlebocket]

Eh, the unit is large enough that if you stuff 8-10 in front with the sergeants behind them and everyone else behind that you shouldn't have too much trouble getting everyone in with some meatshields to keep the sergeants alive. Some finicky maneuvering will be required, but entirely doable.

10 guardsmen is also not much of a shield. Not even in the 5th edition. Frankly I wouldn't feel my sarge's were save until I had at least 20 or 30 guard pushed out in front of them.

[Vaktathi]

Between being able to move dudes up every turn, FNP, possible cover, etc, I'd wager it wouldn't be too difficult to get to work, and would make a mighty fine beatstick for the sisters to operate around.

[Commisar]

We should probably get a shiney new tactica thread. All the other armys have one.

[starlight]

Linky me over and I'll try and keep the new one Spam-free...

[Spiney Norman]

So we can't assault out of stationary closed-top transports anymore? Goodbye Battle Conclave. The enemy will know what to shoot first, and despite FNP from Jacobus it won't be that hard to take down. "Counter charge" is not a viable strategy for that unit, counter-charge only works when the enemy charges you. When they don't, "counter charge" becomes "bolter fodder."

Pretty much what I thought too, I'm not sure the conclave is going to work for us now, if I do take it I'm still getting a rhino for them.

The problem is that without a conclave I'm struggling for what to do with Jacobus, the only other CC unit we have is repentias and although they would benefit from some of his stuff, they already have FNP.

Does that make Celestine the only HQ worth fielding in our codex? It's difficult to describe how sucky that is

[IcedAnimals]

I am just changing my conclaves to a 4/5 number (crusaders/dca). If the crusaders can reach my opponent then because of the high ini value of the dca they will get their pile in move right away allowing them to hide behind the crusaders. With the buff to FNP the squad is even harder to get rid of. Now instead of drive up, hope the vehicle isn't destroyed, assault. We will drive up, position the unit to avoid as much fire as possible and then assault.

Personally though even with jacobus and friends ive never viewed sisters as having a true assault element to our army. And now at 2k points we can take 6 exorcists. mmm

something else to note as well. The new FAQ allows our faith powers to effect the entire squad. That means the canoness isn't nearly as bad as she was before. She now grants stubborn, +1 ini and prefered enemy to any squad she joins. Might be good to throw her into a guard blob or something.

[Spiney Norman]

I am just changing my conclaves to a 4/5 number (crusaders/dca). If the crusaders can reach my opponent then because of the high ini value of the dca they will get their pile in move right away allowing them to hide behind the crusaders. With the buff to FNP the squad is even harder to get rid of. Now instead of drive up, hope the vehicle isn't destroyed, assault. We will drive up, position the unit to avoid as much fire as possible and then assault.

Personally though even with jacobus and friends ive never viewed sisters as having a true assault element to our army. And now at 2k points we can take 6 exorcists. mmm

something else to note as well. The new FAQ allows our faith powers to effect the entire squad. That means the canoness isn't nearly as bad as she was before. She now grants stubborn, +1 ini and prefered enemy to any squad she joins. Might be good to throw her into a guard blob or something.

Would it be dirty to convert your crusaders to carry power axes to give them a role other than ablative wounds? Basically DCAs with PWs for high int anti-power armour and crusaders with decent saves that strike last, but can kill termies. Seems like a very sweet partnership, now all I need is a good source of plastic axes

[IcedAnimals]

Thats a good point. They are specifically left open to the player to decide what kind of "power weapon" they have. So you could definitely give crusaders power axes for that very purpose.

[Commisar]

Hmm, a Cannoness with a power maul would be WS5 I5 (with faith) S5. Granted, only AP4. Seems perhaps better then S3 AP3?
Alternatively a power AXE would make her WS5 I2 (with faith) S4 AP2...

The Axe cirtainly seems like it could be an excelent option for Ordinary Sister Superiors. (though WS 3 makes that a less appealing proposition)

Celestian Superiours and Seraphim Superiors? Axe seems a good choice here also.

Also agreed re: crusaders

[Warnoober]

Flamers seem near useless now. They need to be out front to flame things and wounds are taken from the front first.

[Commisar]

Re:Flamers, well, you could tightly bunch your squad into two "ranks" with the expendables in the front row and gaps for the flamers. your mileage my vary depending on how many templates your opponent has.

[Warnoober]

Thats true i guess. Always make sure they can fire through gaps in the front line

[madd0ct0r]

On the subject of IG/Sisters allies

One that occurred to me...

Sisters and IG.

Take a fully kitted CC blob squad and straken, and Uriah Jacobus in the blob squad.

Suddenly... 5 sergeants and 1 commissar with 4 power weapon attacks each+45 guardsmen each getting 3 attacks on a charge/counterattack, rerolling misses on charges, Ld10 stubborn, Feel No Pain, and Furious Charge...and Faith points.

yay. zealots are back.

or lose straken, and take a primaris psyker + vets in a chimera = inquisiitor

oh hey - we can take enginessers now - which is handy as apparently they've got much better. PE with an engineer runnign behind them?

[Ixe]

Personally though even with jacobus and friends ive never viewed sisters as having a true assault element to our army. And now at 2k points we can take 6 exorcists. mmm

Wh-whaaa!? THAT is kind of important as to our army's viability. Although I can't see making any friends that way...

I'm not sure how the new FoC works though, I'm holding off on buying the new rulebook because I assume they'll have a starter rulebook with the Dark Angels starter set, and my Dark Angels could use some reinforcements... Who knows when they'll release the info on that, though? Not until most everyone has succumbed to temptation and purchased a $75 hardbound rulebook, probably.

[IcedAnimals]

flamers do seem to have gotten the short end of the new wound allocation. Using them for overwatch purposes seems decent. But you could very well have two flamers only put out two hits. Melta guns still seem to be king.

[IcedAnimals]

Ixe it is good to see you back in here! Always nice seeing some of the older sister players poping back up in the tactica thread because of the new rules. For clarification on the FoC charts. They say "at 1999 the FoC becomes a limiting factor" and then go on to say in any game of 2,000 points or more you can take an additional FoC. Which gives access to a second allied FoC as well. However the allies have to be from the same book as any other allies you take. So at 2k points we could field something like the following and have what, 100 points to spare?

Celestine, Jacobus+friends, 4 units of sisters with special weapons and rhinos, 6 exorcists. Perhaps take a fortification to put in front of your exorcists such as the aegis defense line and throw a quad gun into that for some anti air. Something else to note, I never use to take melta bombs on my battle sister squads. But now they are a really good choice. The fact vehicles can be hit on 3+ even after moving and that you can use it against monstrous creatures is a nice buff. Being able to use a str 8 ap 1 for just 5 points seems like a decent choice. Too bad we cant use them in close combat against anything else haha.

[Purge the Heretic]

Our local horde players are very experienced and know their coherency rules well and i'm lucky if i get can more than 2 units under one flamer template, and at that point shooting 2 shots with bolters at 12" compared to a template at 8.25 is pretty neglige and huge hordes of orks and tyranids are going to have a hard time finding any cover anyway so I don't bother with flamers; and the rest of our opponents are either mech or +2 armies. I can always find a use for a melta gun, a little harder to find a use for a flamer all the time, at least with my groups.

That is what tank shock and funneling is for, bunching the enemy with your empty transports.

[IcedAnimals]

So I decided to field a unit of 3 penitent engines today. The massive buffs to both rage and squadrons have completely fixed the unit in my opinion. Getting a potential 9 str 10 ap2 attacks on the charge per engine seems really good. Not to mention the bonus attacks we get for inflicting wounds. A single glance can no longer stop us, half the pen chart has no effect on us. We are more likely to get a cover save with the cover save requirement. Anecdotal evidence sure but they performed well enough that I am seriously considering fielding a unit of them instead of that extra exorcist in my lists from now on.

[shade3413]

Penitent Engines are certainly at the top of my personal list of units I -hope- have become viable with this new edition. I too think they certainly look promising to field; still a little on the weak side but no longer made of glass. My only engine will see some play beside my foot sisters in the near future.

[WallWeasels]

So I decided to field a unit of 3 penitent engines today. The massive buffs to both rage and squadrons have completely fixed the unit in my opinion. Getting a potential 9 str 10 ap2 attacks on the charge per engine seems really good. Not to mention the bonus attacks we get for inflicting wounds. A single glance can no longer stop us, half the pen chart has no effect on us. We are more likely to get a cover save with the cover save requirement. Anecdotal evidence sure but they performed well enough that I am seriously considering fielding a unit of them instead of that extra exorcist in my lists from now on.

How exactly do they ignore most of the chart? :O

On the prospect of taking 6 exorcists, I am not sure I'd ever want to feel that dirty. I have a feeling the moment you do that, you'll get someone taking 6 manticores just to remove all fun from the game entirely :P

This is one of the times I really wish sisters didn't (for god knows why) get increased to 12pts per model past 10. At least with the "rhinos are less effective" changes it might make squads over 10 seem plausible...but since a new squad only costs 5 more points it just seems pointless in terms of special weapon efficiency. Repentia got a buff but still not sure on them really. The 50 man blob squad does sound pretty hilarious with jacobus though.

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