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I recently got a buddy of mine into Warhammer 40k and he immediately took a shine to sisters of battle. But with their most recent dex being a WD article and their figs being expensive and herd to get reliably I told him to be cautious about them for the time being. This got me thinking, what is the future of the sisters ATM?

As you say lots of people like them, they are hard to get hold of and cost lots of money both direct and on ebay.

It does not look like they are being deleted but rather almost ignored - they are still mentioned in supplements like Appoclaypse - but GW can't be bothered to give them actual formations. Black Library has them in a large proportion of their output.

We can but hope for a proper Codex - especially with all the extra supplements floating about - after all there is a whole suplement for a minor rebel warlord (Farsight) from a minor Xenos race.

Even with the current codex - which you have to obtain from a non official source (more great work from GW) - Sisters are quite a good army - what I would suggest is to get hold of the rules - (I can help you with this - pm me) and use some proxies, if the army suits then can slowly build up figures........

I think they're being worked on but it'll still be a while before they're released. The problem is that the entire range basically needs to be re-done and the impression I got is that the SoB are being worked in the sculptors spare time . So the best they can really hope for IMO is to be done in this edition.

Well, I wouldn't call their figures hard to get reliably.

Apart from the codex you can get everything from GW's webshop. Ebay is a good source too.

That said, some stuff has been disappearing lately (broken molds? No more metal casting?) so who knows.

"Hard to get" is not "impossible to get"

Its on the GW website, for far more than its worth, and most combined kits are gone, along with some sculpts for some of the units.

The withdrawl does mean we're heading for a squatting (unlikely) or a hugely underprinted run of a new 'dex that will provoke huge complaints and then eventually sell a lot of items.

They are indeed in the works. So sayeth the Jervis.

http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?34864-Gamesday-Germany-2013-Master-Roundup/page2

So yeah, don't worry, they're not going to be squatted. Your friend can feel free to start collecting them, he'll just have to be patient for an update.

As for collecting them, yeah, Ebay is a good source. An advantage of the Sisters is that as an all-metal army, it's very easy to remove paint from them. No need to be put off by a crappy paintjob.

They are supposedly being worked on ... since about five years or so.
I'm not holding my breath. That being said, I don't need to, either. In spite of my criticism regarding the drastic loss of options in their current rules, they are still playable, and as the others mentioned, the miniatures (which are beautifully detailed and unlike flimsy plastics lie heavy in your hand) are still easily available. The Sisters of Battle remain a very stylish army that, due to its lack of exposure, is not often seen on the tables. Should your friend decide to sign up with the Church Militant, he can be sure to field a rather unique army in your local area, which tends to be a popular thing in many circles due to bringing greater variety into the games.

Mr Morden wrote:It does not look like they are being deleted but rather almost ignored - they are still mentioned in supplements like Appoclaypse - but GW can't be bothered to give them actual formations. Black Library has them in a large proportion of their output.

They did release two Apocalypse formations in WD shortly after the new Minidex was published .. the Repentent Host and the Sororitas Purge Squadron. However, I recall Apoc just got a new ruleset, and I'm not sure the old formations are compatible with the new stuff.

As for Black Library ... "large proportion"? I find that GW mentions them far more often than BL - and in a more positive/professional light, too. The tricky thing is that with Games Workshop, their fluff is all over the place, contained in various issues of White Dwarf that hardly anyone buys anymore, or is aware of in which issue they are actually featured.

 Lynata wrote:
They are supposedly being worked on ... since about five years or so.

But have they ever said it so outright? I don't recall ever seeing such strong confirmation before, previous stuff was more vague IIRC.

 Lynata wrote:
GW mentions them far more often than BL - and in a more positive/professional light, too.

To be fair on BL, that depends entirely on the author. Sure you have books like Cain or Redemption Corps where they're portrayed quite badly, but you've also got good portrayals like The Death of Atagonis and the good ol' James Swallow books. As with a lot of BL, it'll vary.

Troike wrote:But have they ever said it so outright? I don't recall ever seeing such strong confirmation before, previous stuff was more vague IIRC.

I distinctively remember interviews from the 2011 Games Day, which is where the talk about the current 'dex just being a stopgap is from. And before that they have been saying it, too, although one could argue that earlier comments were referring to the WD release.

Dakka should still have some threads about the subject in the News & Rumours section, I think? I know I've been commenting about it back then.

Troike wrote:To be fair on BL, that depends entirely on the author. Sure you have books like Cain or Redemption Corps where they're portrayed quite badly, but you've also got good portrayals like The Death of Atagonis and the good ol' James Swallow books. As with a lot of BL, it'll vary.

Absolutely. I'm just saying that GW's own material statistically is more positive on them than the BL stuff, at least from what I have read and heard. I know it's usually perceived the other way around, but I believe this is just because so many fans have never seen all those WD articles. This is admittedly a failing of GW, though - their fluff shouldn't be so all over the place...

nope checked and the Sisters are mentioned in the new Apoc book, they are privotal in the initial battle report. However they then give them nothing.

No formations, no special tactics etc - everyone else gets one - except Sisters who have to use the generic ones.

re BL - They do seem to crop up one or another in many BL novels - at least the authors have not been asked to ignore them...........

Actually, they seem tobe quite good in general from the cain books, just, as he would put it, humourless emperor-botherers (which is pretty much accurate), and the ones he deals with in the stories thus far (barring julien and her initiates) are tactically very different to the guard as well as inexperienced fighting 'nids, say (plausible).

I remember other people I was at that GD with passing on the "have hope" to me, but its a while back, so my memory is hazy what the specifics were, implication was rules were waiting on models, if I remember rightly, who knows what this means.

GW will eventually get around to making plastic sisters.

Then the army will be quite playable and affordable.

Nobody_Holme wrote:Actually, they seem tobe quite good in general from the cain books, just, as he would put it, humourless emperor-botherers (which is pretty much accurate), and the ones he deals with in the stories thus far (barring julien and her initiates) are tactically very different to the guard as well as inexperienced fighting 'nids, say (plausible).

They are also very different to how GW has described the Battle Sisters...

labmouse42 wrote:Then the army will be quite playable and affordable.

What makes you think that?

Battle Sisters - 3 Metal Sisters of Battle for £10.75
Price per miniature: £3.58

Space Marine Combat Squad - 5 plastic Tactical Marines for £15.50
Price per miniature: £3.10

People who can't afford SoB now will likely not find themselves in another position whenever they switch to plastics. The minis will still be expensive, you just won't get something that actually feels like it's worth that kind of money.

Future of SOB?
Simple, they don't have one. GW will continue to keep them on the back burner in the hopes we'll just forget about them. It's been 9 years since the last SOB figure was released and the unavailable WD codex is a joke. No new APOC formations and no new anything on the horizon. And when they finally get abandoned I will stop playing Warhammer.

So, I'm gonna go ahead and let my friend read all of this and have him decide. I thank everyone for their help on this and Mr. Morden, I would very much like to take you up on your offer.

 MWHistorian wrote:
Future of SOB?
Simple, they don't have one. GW will continue to keep them on the back burner in the hopes we'll just forget about them. It's been 9 years since the last SOB figure was released and the unavailable WD codex is a joke. No new APOC formations and no new anything on the horizon. And when they finally get abandoned I will stop playing Warhammer.

Little cynical there, bud.

You're speaking as if there's absoultely no evidence in our favour, and that's not true. We have a prominent dev outright saying that they are in the works, continued support (in the form of an allies matrix presence and mentions in the Apoc book). What's more, there is a precedence for an much unsupported army being uplifted, see the Dark Eldar and to a lesser extent the Tau and Necrons. A lack of support is hardly concrete proof of looming abandonment.

And the Sisters got their own pages in the current rulebook just like Marines and the Guard ...

But still, I wouldn't want to evoke false hopes and lead people down the road of disappointment if GW keeps the same approach they've displayed for the past ten years. The omission from the new Apoc book as well as the Crusade of Fire campaign supplement gives a contadictory signal as well, as if somehow one half of GW doesn't know this army exists, whilst the other has just decided to push their publicity.

What is more important than some rumours and hot air / PR-talk is that the army is still playable as it is now, it is unique and is fun as it is now, and the minis look beautiful as they are now. So, if there's a potential player interested in the army, he or she should investigate how the Sisters look now and whether or not they'd have fun with it. The potential is certainly there.

 Lynata wrote:
But still, I wouldn't want to evoke false hopes and lead people down the road of disappointment if GW keeps the same approach they've displayed for the past ten years.

But, conversely, I think the cynicism can go a bit far sometimes. There are factors in our favour, and at the very least we should keep this in mind.

 MWHistorian wrote:
Future of SOB?
Simple, they don't have one. GW will continue to keep them on the back burner in the hopes we'll just forget about them. It's been 9 years since the last SOB figure was released and the unavailable WD codex is a joke. No new APOC formations and no new anything on the horizon. And when they finally get abandoned I will stop playing Warhammer.

Jeez, take it down a couple of dozen notches man.

SOB are in the same position we have always been since 3rd edition launched. Perpetually waiting to be updated and using whatever the current book is to make do until we get our always forthcoming 'real update'.

 pretre wrote:
SOB are in the same position we have always been since 3rd edition launched. Perpetually waiting to be updated and using whatever the current book is to make do until we get our always forthcoming 'real update'.

Though a main reason for that was likely the modelling issues. They couldn't be updated to plastic, so they became less of a focus. However, the advancement of technology, as well as Jervis outright saying that they're definetely in the works, means that it's not inconcievable that they've founds solutions to the modelling issues.

 Troike wrote:

 pretre wrote:
SOB are in the same position we have always been since 3rd edition launched. Perpetually waiting to be updated and using whatever the current book is to make do until we get our always forthcoming 'real update'.

Though a main reason for that was likely the modelling issues. They couldn't be updated to plastic, so they became less of a focus. However, the advancement of technology, as well as Jervis outright saying that they're definetely in the works, means that it's not inconcievable that they've founds solutions to the modelling issues.

I'll believe it when I see it. Don't get me wrong. I love Sisters and I have played them for 15 years. I will continue to play them. I just don't put any stock in any rumors (no matter how official) of updates because I have heard it all before. If you want to play sisters, don't wait. Just play them.

It's more disturbing that a number of models are no longer available at all (seraphim sergeants for instance).

I'm kinda happy that they got rid of PP/PS Superior for Seraphim. She was such a bad model. lol

I miss the Combi-Canoness.

Maybe a good way to do this is:

If you were going to build a 1000 point SOB army for a new player that he was going to order from GW TODAY, how would you do that? What would you have him buy? Why those choices?

edit: I'm asking these questions because I can't answer them as I've never played SOB. This is usually how I answer similar questions to myself.

Troike wrote:Though a main reason for that was likely the modelling issues. They couldn't be updated to plastic, so they became less of a focus. However, the advancement of technology, as well as Jervis outright saying that they're definetely in the works, means that it's not inconcievable that they've founds solutions to the modelling issues.

If GW really wanted to, they could just continue selling the current miniatures. As mentioned above, they wouldn't get much cheaper anyways even if they switch to plastics. Or they could just do plastic versions of their current minis and keep semi-fixed postures and can this ridiculous "we want flowing robes" stuff if this is really what has been holding the army back for Emperor-knows-how-many-years.

I find it much more plausible that nobody in the studio actually wants to take proper ownership of them. Andy Hoare used to be the driving force behind them. Now that he's gone, Sisters are put aside. Maybe that'll change some day, but I'm not willing to bet any hopes on it. Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment. Better to get used to playing them like they are now - the lack of support may keep a lot of new players away, but that doesn't make them any less cool.

Shandara wrote:It's more disturbing that a number of models are no longer available at all (seraphim sergeants for instance).

Huh? I thought the ones that were missing a month ago have returned by now?
I was thinking it was just a matter of re-stocking. Is this really something more than the usual temporary disappearances?

godswildcard wrote:If you were going to build a 1000 point SOB army for a new player that he was going to order from GW TODAY, how would you do that? What would you have him buy? Why those choices?

I know I'd recommend the "wrong" things, so I may have to abstain. The Canoness is so cool, but with her current rules I really wouldn't feel good at recommending her in lieu of one of the OP-SCs to anyone who isn't a fluff-loving masochist. :/

godswildcard wrote:
Maybe a good way to do this is:

If you were going to build a 1000 point SOB army for a new player that he was going to order from GW TODAY, how would you do that? What would you have him buy? Why those choices?

edit: I'm asking these questions because I can't answer them as I've never played SOB. This is usually how I answer similar questions to myself.

Celestine - 115 - $20
Battle Sisters Squad x2 - 7 Sisters ea, 1 Melta, 1 Flamer, 1 Superior - 140 - $72.3
Rhino (Search)(Immolator Kit) x2 - 36 - $37.25
2 Exorcists - 135 - $57.75 ea
Dominions - 2 Sisters, 2 Melta, 1 Superior - 90 - 43.55
Immolator (Dozer, Search and TLMM)- 86 - $37.25
Retributors - 1 Superior, 4 Heavy Bolters - 85
993 Points

Purchase:
Celestine - $20
3 Immolators - $37.25/ea or $111.75
2 Exorcists - $57.75/ea or $115.5
4 Superiors - $12.25/ea or $49
16 Sisters - $17.25/3 or $103.5 (2 extra)
6 Specials - $9.90/ea or $59.4
4 Heavies - $14.00/ea or $56

Total = $515.15

Personally I love my Sisters army. I have loved them since they used the PDF army list we had before Witch Hunters. I love the metal models and the Exorcist is one of my favorite models GW has ever put out.

That being said, SoB are by no means a "tournement" army. They face an uphill battle in almost every fight. Their basic Battle Sisters squad is overcosted in my opinion (125 pts for 10 S3T3 models? yes they have power armor but the stat line does not warrant 125pts). And 20pts for a heavy flamer is rediculous.

But they are my girls, I will keep playing them as long as the game is around. They are a very characterful army and the Living Saint is still one of the best special characters out ther.

tremere47 wrote:
That being said, SoB are by no means a "tournement" army. They face an uphill battle in almost every fight. Their basic Battle Sisters squad is overcosted in my opinion (125 pts for 10 S3T3 models? yes they have power armor but the stat line does not warrant 125pts). And 20pts for a heavy flamer is rediculous.

Umm, Sisters have done well since 6th launched at tournaments. 2nd General at Nova was Sisters/GK. I just got 2nd at a four round locally here (only losing to the first place) with Sisters/Guard and won another 4 round local last year with Sisters/Wolves. They have some very points efficient units that lend themselves well to competitive play. BSS are spendy, but make for good solid scoring units.

edit: People always underestimate SOB, but they have a tendency to surprise you.

SOB are surprisingly good. Not great, but they can hold their own. I only hope the codex creep doesn't get worse.