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See Title. These are both units I have heard terrible things about, and thus, never fielded.
Are they really that terrible? Looking at their army pages, it seems like they'd be hell on wheels.
Penitent engines are like fragile Dreadnoughts with heavy flamers.
And Repentia.... well..... damn, I can see the problems with getting this unit into CC (though holy rage helps that quite a bit)
but once it gets into CC.... Holy crap, it would destroy ANYTHING provided it survives their attacks.
Especially with a priest in the unit, which seems to be almost necessary (a priest being needed to have them, and them being the best unit to attach to)

And if they start getting hit, and the mistress dies, and they fail the Ld test at Ld6 they charge 2d6 at the enemy. That's awesome.

no save expensive units that strike last are always going to be bad. It's nearly impossible to get the points back on the repentia. Penitent engines are similarly bad, but they can actually do damage, they just won't get a chance to very often.

If you're running penitent engines, then run all nine. This is the sort of thing where you expect to lose half of them on the way in, so whatever's left has to be impressive enough to really lay down the pain.

Repentia are not very good no matter how you slice them.

9 engines are expensive as hell though.

notabot187 wrote:no save expensive units that strike last are always going to be bad. It's nearly impossible to get the points back on the repentia. Penitent engines are similarly bad, but they can actually do damage, they just won't get a chance to very often.

They have a 4+ save.

Seriously, they are dreadful. T3 4+ Save, swinging last, cannot be transported, cannot always be controlled, cannot provide or use Faith, etc, etc, etc. The Sisters Repentia are, without question, the worst unit in the game. Even if they were half the cost, they would still be completely useless.

I agree with Sourclams on the Penitent Engines. If you field three, they will all die on turn one. Every time I have seen someone field nine, three or four get into combat and slaughter the enemy. They are too fragile for their cost (they are worth around 45-50 points), which keeps them out of pretty well everyone's lists, but if you have enough they will make it. I have also heard good things about them in Cities of Death, where the enemy cannot shoot them until it is too late.

Im sorry, if repentia were 10 points I would definetely field them in squads of 20.

edit: this would also be fluffier, as sisters probably do not consider them very valuable, especially not more valuable than sisters.

Are you referring to the fluff of how they are individuals who temporarily leave their order to undertake a penance, then return after completing it? You do realise the unit itself is not fluffy, right?

Seriously, 1/2 price Repentia, that is 205 for 20. 20 Battle Sisters are 220 points. For 15 points more you get infinitely better return. The Battle Sisters are better at shooting, assault (because they get to swing, you know), more survivable in general, scoring, etc, etc, etc. No, even at half price, Repentia are still completely worthless.

I've wondered if Repentia would be useful in Apocalypse by flank marching them into the back of a Superheavy. Nobody ever takes them, so they wouldn't be expected. I'll grant you that some other unit with meltabombs might be better, but still.

It's too bad they are so useless, because I'm painting some and a squad of some of them would make a nice centerpiece to a sea of power-armored Sisters.

Doesn't the rulebook say though that you can add a priest to a unit that isn't otherwise faithful to make them faithful? Not that a 40pt priest is worth it AT ALL, but...

Repentia wouldn't be so bad if they didn't cost so much and could take a transport but they cost too much and can't take a transport.

Pertinent Engines really are not worth taking when there are better choices like Exorcists or Immolators to take. AV10 open topped squadron really has the lifespan of a Mayfly in spring.

Now that you can load allied Repentia into Valkyries for 24" scout moves they aren't as abysmally terrible as they used to be, but I still wouldn't bother.

Only they can't enter transports...

Oh I thought they just couldn't purchase a transport. I read some article talking about using them in Valkyries and just assumed it was legal--oh well. I guess you can still give them the Scouts rule with Creed, so that's something (albeit not much).

Sisters Repentia chicks with chainsaws they are not worth it.

Penitent Engines These guys are actually quite good as walkers go they are the fastest. They get a 6+d6 Move in the movement phase and in the shooting phase you can run them for a total move of 8" to 18" (or if close enough assault them 6" for a total move of 13"-18").

Sisters Repentia are tank busting units... really bad tank busting units, but tank busting units none the less.

And they are still going to die in droves before they get to swing....

Steelmage99 wrote:And they are still going to die in droves before they get to swing....

But, oh boy, when they do--watch out! There's 2 or 3 dead marines right there. Might as well throw in the towel after that.

Penitent engines are kinda like really bad Killa Kans. Get Exorcists.

Repentia are a joke.

Penitents aren't too bad to bust out once in a while. They are fun and do a lot of damage. Against any army that struggles with atni-tank (orks, horde nids) they will practially win you the game.

You need to take a lot of them though, and a priest so they really dictate the rest of your army and they're expensive models.

Actually if you ran a mechanized sisters army then the repentia could run behind a wall of armour and not get shot. That'd be pretty neat and even if someone managed to get LOS through the rhinos to them, they'd definitely get a cover save. Yes, true, once they get into cc they kind of get hosed. I think the trick is charging them at the right target. Charging repentia at a squad of chaos marines that all have 2x ccw and S4 attacks is probably the wrong choice [though even then 10 CSM with 2 attacks on average kill only 3-4]. However charging them at a squadron of killakanz, a dreadnought, a carnifex, hive tyrant etc. really brings them to light. The thing you're charging only has a few attacks [killa kanz also only kill on average 3], and you've got S6 power weapons that reroll misses if you were smart and put the priest with them.

This is of course not saying they're good nor not RIDICULOUSLY overpriced, just saying there's uses for them.
As for penitent engines, they're SO easy to kill, and cost SO many points. Compare them to a killakan and you'll see why.

And the fact that you MUST fire your heavy flamers if able. If you're not right on the enemy's doorstep, they'll remove the models from the front and rob you of your assault. Terrible rule.

Spellbound wrote:Yes, true, once they get into cc they kind of get hosed. I think the trick is charging them at the right target. Charging repentia at a squad of chaos marines that all have 2x ccw and S4 attacks is probably the wrong choice [though even then 10 CSM with 2 attacks on average kill only 3-4]. quote]

I did that once, I was short a few points so I tossed in the Repentia to my army. I've never seen anything go down like such a b**** as they did. Didn't hit jack and were taken out in two turns. You'd think having total freedom of movement and an over-sized phallic symbol chained to their hands would give them some kind of edge.

Spellbound wrote:Yes, true, once they get into cc they kind of get hosed. I think the trick is charging them at the right target. Charging repentia at a squad of chaos marines that all have 2x ccw and S4 attacks is probably the wrong choice [though even then 10 CSM with 2 attacks on average kill only 3-4]. quote]

I did that once, I was short a few points so I tossed in the Repentia to my army. I've never seen anything go down like such a b**** as they did. Didn't hit jack and were taken out in two turns. You'd think having total freedom of movement and an over-sized phallic symbol chained to their hands would give them some kind of edge.

Only twice in all my games has Repentia ever come in handy. (And I use to run them all the time till I got my second Exorcist built)

I) Once they got the drop on a Land raider that was attempting to skirt around my lines. Destroyed it and then began to peel open all the Termiys inside it across two turns without a single loss of bondage-girl life.
That move won me the game.

II) Apoc game charged a Brass-Scorpion’s rear and kaboom, charged the next BS (Was two in a row), Kaboom, right before the Banebade behind them finally took them down with every weapon it had. (My opponent didn't want to risk it after the loss of the two Scorpions)

And that was it.
Normally they all die, or are lured into a goose-chase, or are swamped by imps/grots/gaunts/etc or just simply DO NOTHING!

augfubuoy wrote:Penitent engines are kinda like really bad Killa Kans.

They are also D6" faster than kans. They are a little bit overpriced, but are speedier than any other walker, and rip it up in CC and at close range with the heavy flamer. take 9 if you can afford them $... if not, don't bother. I'd give the same advice to an ork player asking about kans.

As for the repentia, they can outflank if you take them as allies to an IG army with Creed. They can flank march in apocalypse. Their low initiative and low armor save doesn't matter when sawing vehicles in half... but without those two deployment tricks, they are too expensive to brave incoming fire.

Penitent Engines can also make somewhat good bait if you field 2 Exorcists with 3 Penitent Engines...

"What do I shoot?!! What do I shoot?!!"

If they shoot the Engines with their AT (and they will), then that's less going toward your Exorcists, and perhaps one more round you can utilize Exorcist Launchers.

OTOH, if they do ignore the Penitent Engines for some reason, then they'll probably be in CC on Turn 2!!

That scenario does not necessaryly apply. There is a huge difference in their armour values, so different weapons will be used for each. Autocannons will chew up Penitent Engines, but are almost useless against Exorcists, as an example. Similarly, a Plasma Gun will make a mess of the Engines, but is unlikely to get in range against the Exorcists. If your opponent has a selection of weapons for light armour, and a different selection for heavy, then the Engines will do nothing to protect the Exorcists. Now, the Rhinos, on the other hand, are a different story. If the opponent has a choice between Penitent Engines and Battle Sisters Squads, they will usually go for the Engines. They can do a good job of protecting your infantry, but an Immolator or two will do the same job for less points, and is more likely to do some damage to the enemy.