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Just as the subject line says: Are footslogging Sisters still viable or do I have to have to dig into my savings and buy a bunch of rhinos?  Here's the army list as it stands.

HQ               
Canoness - Inferno Pistol, Blessed Weapon, Jump Pack, Book of St Lucius, Cloak of St Aspira (135)

TROOPS
Battle Sisters Squad - Veteran Superior with Book of St Lucius, 9x Sisters with Heavy Flamer and Flamer (147)
       
Battle Sisters Squad - Veteran Superior with Book of St Lucius, 9x Sisters with Heavy Flamer and Flamer (147)

Battle Sisters Squad - Veteran Superior with Book of St Lucius, 9x Sisters with Heavy Flamer and Flamer (147)   
               
Imperial Guard Platoon               
Platoon HQ - LT, 2x Meltagun (60)
1st Squad - Lascannon, Plasma Gun (95)   
2nd Squad - Lascannon, Plasma Gun (95)
3rd Squad - Lascannon, Plasma Gun (95) 
               
FAST ATTACK               
Seraphim Squad - Veteran Superior with Eviscerator, 7x Seraphim with 2x Twin Hand Flamers (225)
           
HEAVY SUPPORT               
Retributor Squad - Veteran Superior, 7x Retributors with 4x Heavy Bolters (162)

TOTAL - 1308

What can I add to make it up to 1500pts?  I've got some more IG I could add (though I did want to try and stay away from the typical 'must have' Leman Russ).  Any ideas most welcome...

I think so. I'm often disagreed with. If you're asking what you could buy I would say a box of sisters and a Rhino will add a good close to 200 points. I say they're viable simply because sisters are such a great deal for 11 points with 3+ (attrition) and the BS4 bolter they really hurt infantry. And they get faith points to boot.

I would bulk the two squads up and give a squad of ten a Rhino.

An Excorsist is a great buy as well.

And just a comment I would take vets rather than those three extra Books of St. Lucius. Those guys are presumbly plunking their lascannons while everything else assaults like the hand maidens of the Emperor that they are.

Yes, foot sisters are a viable army. They're probably harder to configure than mech are, but still can work well. Just remember that you're either going to have to have enough foot sisters to cross the board under potentially withering fire, or enough firepower on your side of the board to force most opponents to come to you.

Yea, I am looking at your list thinking you have WAY too little anti tank, even at 1500. I wound drop a template from the squads and put a melta in each. I also would put in a few Exorcists, since they are fantastic.

The main trouble with all the templates is that it is really easy for your opponant to just never get hit by them. 12" charge range means that if they are clever they are outside template range on your turn, then inside and charging into you on theirs. I like having ones with squads, but I am not so in love that all the sloggers even have them. Seraphim are another matter, since they are so mobile, and even with small squads their Simulacrum lets them pop that divine guidance.

Still though, I like foot sloggers, and only partially because I don't want to paint 3-4 Rhinos. Cheaper, more faith, and larger squads that can sit for a turn and crank out decent 24" fire while enemies attempt to move forward and melee them. Of course, I usually run assassins, Inquisitors, Repentia and Penitent engines, so I am not exactly a tourney champ.

Its been about a year since I played, but my army was something like this:

Cannones, Jump pack, +2 cloak thing, plasma pistol, that sword that gives str bonus

2x SoB Troops, each with flamer and melta with vets

Seraphim. Vet with power weapon, flammer and meltas

Retributer squad (can't remember whats in it)

2x Immolators
1x Exorsist

The immolators are awseome. I'd use one to move my retributer squad around. Otherwise they'd rush in to flame everyone. Re-rolling for wounds is pure win, people also tend to target them first, so ignore the troops for the first turn or two. Seraphim I usualy rushed into close combat as soon as I could, general rule with them was, move 6", shot once, charge, kill lots, then at the end of the opponents turn, do a hit & run and recharge to get the attack bonus + being able to shoot and kill with ap1 melta. They usualy anhailited squads. Give 3+ invun saves.

Cannoness I used to hold up squads. Give +2 invun save and she will sit there all day holding up a squad, until the seraphim can come and help.

Exorsist is pure win, rolling a d6 for you missiles and watching your opponents face when you launch 6 S8 ap1 missiles at his heavy units.

Basically, if you can, wait for you opponent to come to you. Basic sisters are crap in close combat, so you don't want to get into close range too soon. Get rid of his heavyies with you exorsist, thin down his squads with the immolators, hold up other squads with the cannoness and rip them a new one with the seraphim and basic troops with the divine powers.

I couldn't disagree more with waiting for your opponent to come to you. In your list, what that means is you're pitting one Exorcist against all your opponent's heavy firepower. How is that ever going to end well? Even with three Exorcists, I wouldn't bank on winning a long range shooting match with most opponents.

In my sisters list I try to cram as many power armored troops into the list as possible.

A cannones with jump pack and blah balh + blessed weapon is great counter assault

at 1500 I include two exorcists, an immolator, a veterans squad and about 8 squads of battle sisters, most armed with dual melta and two squads armed with dual flamers. Some armies have lots of troouble dealing with 90 power armored models and melta guns everywhere up close, and exorcists lobbing lots of strength 8 from afar.

I had pretty good luck with this list ... the things that gave me trouble was real assaulty lists that move fast ..(blood angels and tyranids ) and super shooty lists with lots of AP weapons like battlesuit tau.

Meph

Thanks for the input, guys.

Do I not have enough anti-tank with the 3 lascannons, 3 plasma guns and 2 meltas in the inducted guard squad?  I had thought about swapping out the flamers for meltas in the sister squads.  How about storm bolters?  They would give me more shots down range.

I had considered a Celestians squad.  Is it worth giving them an Imagifer?  I don't think I've ever seen anyone use them.

How about Repentia?  They look like they could be fun.

I did want to try and stay away from vehicles of any type - who said I wasn't up for a challenge?!

They can be but to compete in a RTT or GT you need to go mech. They excell at short ranged fire fights and unless your up against a assault army a smart opponent will stand back and shoot. Rhino's give you the mobility to move into range for fire fights. It also complements your seraphim to have mech support. Rhino's also screen valuable elements from some return fire (target priority test) like exorcists/seraphim. The biggest downside to mech is escalation but it's used less and less in the tournement scene these days. Three excorsists is also a must for ranged anti tank, anti meq 3+, and bug hunting.

Mole:
3 las, 3 plas and 2 meltas for AT in 1.5k points? Nope, not enough.


Good idea.


I can see them being useful if you're foot-slogging, as you otherwise wouldn't be able to fire at 24" at all while moving. I'm not sure if that means SBs are a good idea, or that you simply shouldn't foot-slog. . . .


Imagifers are overpriced. Not worth it.


IMO, Repentia are just about the worst unit in 40k. They're expensive, fragile, have few attacks, can never take a transport, strike last and have no ablative wounds. They're CC specialists who find it difficult to get into CC and, once they're in CC, may still get killed before they can strike!

OK, so here's a new list.  I've dropped the Guard, added meltas to the footsloggers, 2 Exorcists and a Celestian Squad with an Immolator.  Not sure what to do with the Celestians though - I had considered kitting them out with melta (combi-melta for the Vet, multi-melta, meltagun and multimelta on the Immolator) but it could be a bit overkill.  Any ideas?


HQ               
Canoness - Inferno Pistol, Blessed Weapon, Jump Pack, Book of St Lucius, Cloak of St Aspira (135)

ELITES
Celestian Squad - Veteran Superior, 5x Celestians with Immolator (153)

TROOPS
Battle Sisters Squad - Veteran Superior with Book of St Lucius, 9x Sisters with Heavy Flamer and Meltagun (151)
       
Battle Sisters Squad - Veteran Superior with Book of St Lucius, 9x Sisters with Heavy Flamer and Meltagun (151)

Battle Sisters Squad - Veteran Superior with Book of St Lucius, 9x Sisters with Heavy Flamer and Meltagun (151)
              
FAST ATTACK
Seraphim Squad - Veteran Superior with Eviscerator, 7x Seraphim with 2x Twin Hand Flamers (225)

HEAVY SUPPORT
Retributor Squad - Veteran Superior, 7x Retributors with 4x Heavy Bolters (162)

Exorcist - Extra Armour & Smoke (143)

Exorcist - Extra Armour & Smoke (143)

TOTAL - 1414

unless, like me, you tend to roll nothing but 2's or 12's at the worst possible time.