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So, as you all may know, Immolator spam is all the rage with SoB these days. I have tested it, however, and I just can't get over the lack of Seraphim. Seraphim are the safety net of the SoB army. Typically when playing SoB, I surround a unit with enough firepower to kill it, but I place my Seraphim within charge range in case I fail, either due to my own bad rolls or the enemy's awesome saves. Seraphim then charge in, tie the enemy up, and then hit & run on their turn, neutralizing the threat. They also isolate enemy units from support -- if the enemy has two strong units next to each other (let's say th/ss termies), I can't surround and destroy just one, because the other one will charge and take out or tie up half my army. And units like that are too tough to destroy both at the same time, usually... So the Seraphim come in with invuln saves, tie up one unit, then jump away once I'm done with the first and ready to kill the second. It's a formula that's worked over and over again. And it's something that's sorely lacking in immolator spam. Immy spam brings enough firepower to kill almost anything, for sure, but it lacks a safety net. If rolls go badly, you're done, you don't have those Seraphim available as insurance against ridiculous rolls, or to tie up enemy support units. And in my tests of immy spam so far, that has cost me a lot.

So what I'm trying to do is to create a third category -- not quite immolator spam and not quite standard mech SoB. I think the standard SoB meltagun + heavy flamer squads just don't cut it in today's mechanized climate. You have to specialize your squads, since you can't afford to have 4x Troops squads fire 1 meltagun each at a landraider. It makes a lot more sense to send 5-girl throwaway units with 2x meltas, so they actually have a chance, and you also don't care so much if they die. The target saturation and meltagun power of immolator spam is good, but the lack of Seraphim is not, IMO. So here is a list I'm considering that is my answer to the aforementioned issues:

HQ

1 Palatine w/book, power weapon, bolt pistol, frags
5 Celestian retinue w/2 meltaguns
1 Immolator w/smoke

ELITES

3x5 Celestians w/2 meltaguns
3 Immolators w/smoke

TROOPS

2x10 Battle Sisters w/flamer, heavy flamer, VSS w/book, bolter, brazier
2x Rhinos w/smoke

3x5 Inquisitorial Stormtroopers w/2 meltaguns (two units hijack chimeras, one hijacks heavy support immolator)

1 Infantry Platoon:
>1 Platoon Command Squad w/autocannon
>1 Infantry squad w/Commissar, autocannon, Chimera w/hull heavy flamer (Plan to blob up with the other infantry squad to create a stubborn static holding squad, plus some FRSRF action if the enemy gets close)
>1 Infantry squad w/autocannon, Chimera w/hull heavy flamer

FAST ATTACK

2x7 Seraphim w/2 flamers, VSS w/book, eviscerator

1 Dominion Squad w/2 meltaguns
1 Immolator w/smoke

HEAVY SUPPORT

1 Immolator w/smoke

2 Exorcists


So, what's the verdict? I came within grabbing distance of finals last year, done in by my own stupidity, but also by a lack of serious meltagun support. However, my Seraphim were instrumental to me actually getting that far, so if I can keep them, I will (not to mention it would be nice not to have to spend money to replace them).

Very solid list.

Platoon could have more HWS.

Seraphim won't survive at this points range...

Nobody really gets to shoot my Seraphim, they hide behind the tanks. The only time they die is if I screw up, or someone gets horribly lucky with a pie plate. Or of course, they often die after tying up the enemy and frustrating his plans, but that's OK. At Ard Boyz last year, they did quite well and barely died at all.