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Most Sisters players that I meet agree that one of the most competitive builds for standard 40k is the Mechanized 3x Excorcist, 4x Rhino, 2x Seraphim, 2x Canoness build. I've been using this build (or a variant of it) for several years with a lot of success (I've even won an RTT with it). However, this list seems less than optimal in a CoD environment. I cannot make effective use of 3 Exorcists, and feel I am really lacking an assault element.

Has anyone had luck with Sisters in CoD? What do you guys feel is the most effective way to build the Sisters list for CoD?

Flamers, flamers, more flamers, and more flamers yet. SoB are uniquely suited to CoD with their comprehensive access to tons of stuff that ignores the omnipresent cover save of CoD. Add to that the fact that the enemy will be packed into ruins and such tightly, and the usefulness goes up further.

Pentinet Engines actually become useful, since their usual nemesis (the long-ranged tankbusting gun) is hampered in this environment, and they can make it through ruins without immobilizing. Sisters Repentia can be useful in CoD, as long as they continually get a cover save; out in the open or against template-type weapons, they're as bad as ever.

Lots of basic Battle Sisters. As Sutekh mentioned, utilize the flamer and heavy flamer. The Inquisition material is still second hand... The key is maximise your bolter shots, flamer templates, and 3+ armour paired with appropriate Stratigems.

I forgot - Zealots, as featured in a previous White Dwarf, (with evisorators) are amazing too...

Scarily, going freakshow has potential.  All those niggling little problems of expensive CC units that die to HB fire lessen dramatically in scale.  Penitent Engines are a scary thought in CoD.  So are Arcos, well sorta.  Even Repentia are elevated from making your opponent burst out in laughter to credible threat.

So how do those "freakshow" elements fit into the list? How do you use them? Would you drop the mechanized elements completely, or just replace the Exorcists with "freakshow" stuff?

Here's what I've been mulling over for my SoB in CoD. I'd be looking to Basic sisters with Heavy Flamers and Flamers. I'd also be considering Dominions over Seraphim, only because you might not want to risk a dangerous terrain test for a bad landing, plus a Rhino or an Immolator will be a nice piece of rolling cover with all the buildings placed the way they should be.  I might make those dominions tote some melta guns in case you have a nasty enemy unit or armor roaming around to deal with. 

Next up would be a Priest, that I would join to Celestians. I'm not normally much on Celestians, but another local SoB player likes them, but you'd also want them simply because you want access to the Arco Flagellants and the Penetant Engines and maybe Repenta, but I still think they are pricey for their points.  Zealots might be a better delivery system for those eviscerators.  Finally, I'd say Retributors with Heavy Bolters, for some high rate Cyclic firepower, unless you felt really anti-tank without your Exorcists. In that case, I'd say take some Multi-Meltas.

And, last but not least, I'd at least consider an orbital strike. That could be a nasty trick if you were dealing with a packed in enemy unit on some type of stratagem that you really needed to displace.

Having played numerous games with the SOB in CoD, a priest within a Celestian squad is bad ass. Celestians are a great choice in CoD since you need a unit that can shoot well and also have some punch in close combat to remove opponent units in buildings. The ability to have to hidden eviserators in that squad is huge. Hitting on 3's with rerolls is definitely a bonus. Retributors rock in CoD having high rate of fire guns is always helpful. My plan is soon to add Arcos into the mix. I have found value in including at least one Exorcist in the list as well as a few mounted squads. Rhinos are still useful in some missions. It allows you to move faster assuming the players have roads on their table.

Capt K

Seraphim seem well suited for CoD, except for the multitude of dangerous terrain checks they have to make. Is the Seraphim less suited for CoD because of this?

Would you consider putting Dozer Blades on Rhinos and still running a mechanized list, or switch to a mainly footslogging list?

What strategems have worked best for you?

CoD favors foot troops.  I could see Immolators, but Exorcists are greatly weakened by the plentiful cover saves.

As for trying the freakshow units, I'd go with a Repentia unit of moderate size to support a few Sisters squads and a pair of Penitent Engines to go do whatever on the flank.  Keep the Repentia back, engage or draw people out with Sisters units, burn faith to keep them alive if you have to, and charge with the Repentia.  Pwn. Repeat.  Send the Engines into the densest terrain area on the board.  Arcos suffer from the problem of just being not very good for their points.  1d6 S4 power weapon attacks just isn't that amazing to me for their cost. 

I've never been a Celestian fan, but they are better in CoD than normal.  Orbital strikes can ruin somebody's day in CoD, and if you have a inquisitor anyway Eversors are SCARY in CoD.  Even that useless special character, Inquisitor Shoot Me Please, packs punch.  The key to all of these units is to keep them screened by buildings, engage with your normal tough as nails Sister squads, and then support.  You can simply do a combined charge, but the fragile freakshow unit will take the brunt of whatever fire you take and it is a little harder to make sure the majority of the casualties fall on cheap Sisters.  Fleet takes a lot of the chance out of trying to countercharge with a supporting CC unit.  They're still fragile, so you have to keep them from getting shot.  It's just that it is much easier to preserve Repentia/Engines from hungry HB fire when buildings abound. 

Sisters strike me as one of the best CoD armies around, up there with Orks and Nids. 

A friend of mine who plays sisters in our mostly cities of death games does very well with his seraphim. He just rarely jumps them into difficult terrain. He positions them behind buildings or on roof tops where they are safe and then just charges into the difficult terrain when assaulting.

With sisters in CoD, you don't need deep strike or infiltrate, and you're always going to have at least one stratagem. I have had remarkable success with sewer rats and running a couple of very large (16-20) sisters. You need to place the sewer markers well, but popping that many bolter shots off when you arrive is pretty nasty.

Zealots, pentient engines and archo flaggelents.

Ooh, here's an idea...

Sewer Rats, Retributors, Heavy Flamers, Divine Guidance.

With the clustering of units in Cityfight, the number of dice you can be rolling to get 6's to wound could be rather nasty. Sounds like an interesting idea, not sure how well it would play out in-game, but it could be fun for the surprise value.

too bad retributors can't take heavy flamers.. the idea has merit though with dominions and flamers.