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2014/01/17 04:08:02
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Baneblades, PENITENT TITAN, and CHURCHTANK!
As I've said before, I love the Sisters of Battle and I love tanks. Having upgunned the Heavy Support and Fast Attack slots with the Soritas Predator and Oriflamme Scout Tank, I decided to try my hand at Lords or rather Ladies of War -- plus a new Heavy Support assault vehicle for our Repentia and a whole list of liturgical wargear that only such massive war machines can carry.
[UPDATE: The final (?) versions of most of these units -- and two dozen others -- are now in my Sororitas fandex/expandnex]
Armoured Pulpit: 50 points Devout mechanics have converted one of this vehicle's cupolas or hatches into a heavily armoured pulpit from which a preacher can deliver inspiring, terrifying, and massively amplified sermons over the roar the heat of battle. All friendly, Emperor-worshipping units* within 6" of a vehicle with an Armoured Pulpit gain the War Hymns special rule. However, they may only use the "The Emperor Protects" and "Righteousness of the Emperor" hymns. An Armoured Pulpit counts as a weapon for the purpose of the Vehicle Damage table and may be destroyed by a "weapon destroyed" result. *An Emperor-worshipping unit is any of the following: - any unit from Codex:Adepta Sororitas, Codex:Imperial Guard, or Codex:Inquisition - any unit from a Space Marines detachment using Black Templars chapter tactics - any unit from an Adeptus Arbites fandex. Any other units lack the faith in the divinity of the Emperor required to benefit from these rules.
Holy Light: 25 points As the massive war machine crashes into the enemy lines, its gilded armour gleaming and its sacramental spotlights blazing, the eyes of the evildoers are dazzled by a pure white light and their ears fill with celestial music. Then the faithful charge out of the vehicle and rip them apart. [spoiler] Assault vehicles only (including open-topped vehicles). When a unit charges out of a transport with Holy Light, it counts as having assault grenades and inflicts a Blind attack on all enemies it is charging, resolved at Initiative 10.
Icon of Courage: 20 points Looming literally larger than life, these holy images of Imperial saints past look sternly down on today's combatants and forbid them to waver for an instant. Friendly units within 12" of a vehicle with Icons of Courage re-roll failed Morale, Fear, and Pinning tests.
Vox Dei: 30 points A soul-stirring, ear-splitting array of high-powered laud hailers inspires Sororitas at great distances. All friendly units within 24" of a vehicle equipped with a Vox Dei re-roll failed Leadership tests when attempting an Act of Faith.
Design notes: Except for Holy Light, whose cost is basically a big fat guess, these are all scaled-up versions of existing wargear/priests, with point costs increased to reflect increased ranges. Remember that doubling the range quadruples the area of effect and even the same range counts for more when measured from all sides of vehicle rather than from a single model!
Deliverer Assault Shrine: 200 points Ugly juggernauts converted from civilian mining vehicles, their hulls covered first with crude slabs of heavy armour and then with layer upon layer of devotional decoration, Delivers can lurch across the battlefield with surprising speed. Flamers roaring, they slam into enemy positions and drop their front ramps to disgorge Sororitas shock troops or hate-crazed Frateris. BS:4 Armour: 13/13/12 HP:4
Spoiler:
Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank, Transport)
Unit Composition: 1 Deliverer Assault Shrine
Wargear: Twin-linked multi-melta Two flamestorm cannons Searchlight Smoke launchers
Special Rules: Assault Vehicle Shield of Faith
Transport Capacity: 12 models
Options: May replace twin-linked multi-melta with twin-linked heavy bolter or twin-linked heavy flamer: free. May take items from the Adepta Sororitas Vehicle Equipment List. May take items from the Rolling Chapel Equipment List.
Design notes: Basically a pious poor man's Land Raider Redeemer, with worse armour and no Machine Spirit -- but with access to all the sacramental nasties of the Rolling Chapel Equipment List. Points cost is pure guesstimate.
Sororitas Baneblade Variants
Spoiler:
Adepta Sororitas super-heavy vehicles are moving temples of destruction. Fortunately for heretics, they are also rare. Between the Sisterhood's preference for short-range urban fighting in defense of shrines and the Ecclesiarchy's on-and-off relationship with the Machine Cult, the Orders Militant actually have fewer superheavies per 100,000 infantry than the Imperial Guard. In fact, most Sororitas "Ladies of War" are converted from the Baneblade and its variants, and they are rarely provided directly by the Mechanicum: Instead, the Sisters tend to acquire former Imperial Guard super-heavy tanks, whether by recovering wrecked ones from the battlefield, capturing them from traitor regiments, or simply "requisitioning" them from overawed Guard commanders and never giving them back.
A Sororitas Baneblade Variant starts with an Imperial Guard super-heavy datasheet but adds the following special rules: Retributor Crew: Increase Ballistic Skill to 4. Rolling Chapel: May take items from the Rolling Chapel Equipment List. Shield of Faith: As per Codex:Adepta Sororitas. Sponsons of Fire: If a Sororitas Baneblade Variant takes sponsons, replace each lascannon with a Flamestorm Cannon.
Storm Queen: 560 points The Sororitas's favorite superheavy vehicle is the Imperial Guard Stormlord, because its troop bay can either carry squads of sharpshooting Retributors or be converted to hold Exorcist missile launchers or even a towering minaret for a Ministorum Priest.
Spoiler:
As Imperial Guard Stormlord (Escalationpg. 111) except
Special rule: Sororitas Baneblade Variant
Options: A Storm Queen may replace its troop bay with one of the following, reducing its transport capacity to 20 models and losing all fire points:
- Kriegsminaret: 100 points All friendly, Faithful units within 12" of a Storm Queen with a Kriegsminaret gain +1 Ld and the War Hymns special rule. However, they may only use the "The Emperor Protects" and "Righteousness of the Emperor" hymns. Shooting attacks may target a Kriegsminaret separately from the vehicle on which it is mounted: It has T:6 W:3 Sv:6++. Also, any shooting attacks are at -1 to Ballistic Skill because of the height and mast-like thinness of the minaret.
Design notes: Some IG superheavies can replace their sponson lasguns -- worth about 40 points, if you go by the cost of Predator sponsons -- with targeters to gain +1 BS. In addition, Shield of Faith seems like it should be worth at least 40 points for such a massive vehicle: Destroyer weapons may ignore it, but the majority of things fired at a superheavy won't. So +80 points total.
Flameblade: 585 points [i]This Baneblade variant replaces the original's cannon with weapons more to the Sororitas' fiery taste.
Spoiler:
As Imperial Guard Blaneblade (Escalationpg. 79) except
Replace turreted Baneblade Cannon with Inferno Gun: Template S:7 AP:3 Primary, Super-Torrent* Super-Torrent: As per Torrent, but the template may be placed 18" away.
Design notes: The Flameblade pays only 20 points for BS4, rather than 40 as for the Storm Queen, because its main weapon uses a template.
Sword of Light: 505 points This modified Shadowsword replaces the giant laser of the Volcano Cannon with the more Sisterhood-friendly Melta Cannon.
Spoiler:
As Imperial Guard Shadowsword (Escalationpg. 107) except
Replace Volcano Cannon with Melta Cannon: 72" S:10 AP:1 Ordnance 1, 10" Blast, Titanic Melta*, Primary Weapon *Titanic Melta: The Melta Cannon rolls 3d6+10 for armour penetration against targets directly under the hole in the center of the blast template, 2d6+10 against all other targets under the template.
Special rule: Sororitas Baneblade Variant
Options: A Sword of Light may not take targeters.
[i]Design notes: The Melta Cannon seems less potent than the Volcano Cannon, so I gave the Sword of Light a 20 point discount from the +80 cost I used for the Storm Queen.
Edited to allow Codex:Inquisition to benefit from the Armoured Puplit & Kriegsminaret, and to make both destroyable in combat.
This message was edited 17 times. Last update was at 2014/12/22 03:48:32
BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN
Psienesis wrote: Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.
Interesting. That being said I would like to see a Lord of War in the form of a living saint (sort of like in dawn of war). There is also a black libary novel that has a living saint taking down a baneblade.
2014/01/17 08:37:20
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
The burning pits of Hades, also known as Sweden in summer
I don't know about that really, Living Saints are buff but organical Lords of War are things like C'tan and Primarchs. That's on a whole different level.
I am okay with Sororitas Superheavies though, but I'd recommend you use the Apocalypse profiles for the main weapons (The melta cannon and inferno gun, that is.)
Furthermore, Flamestorm Cannons are not Lascannon equivalents. Heavy Flamers are. Given how IG superheavies can be equipped, I'd say a TL heavy flamer would seem roughly balanced compared to a Lascannon.
I should think of a new signature... In the meantime, have a
2014/01/17 13:22:05
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
1) What's the Living Saint in Dawn of War? I don't want to overshadow Celestine, and I'm a treadhead rather than a hero/monster fan, but it's a very interesting option.
2) Weapons profiles -- oops. I'm using obsolete versions, it looks like. Err, anywhere I could find the 6th edition stats besides the Apocalypse book itself?
3) Not sure about TL heavy flamer = lascanoon. Looking at the Space Marine Codex, a lascannon is twice the price of a heavy flamer (as an infantry Heavy Weapon) and TL =/= two weapons.
BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN
Psienesis wrote: Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.
The burning pits of Hades, also known as Sweden in summer
No, I fear Apocalypse is the book you need if you want the stats for these weapons. It should be noted that the Melta Cannon is far more powerful than the Inferno Gun; the former is a Reaver primary weapon while the latter is designed for a Warhound arm.
The Living Saint in Dawn of War is basically the Sisters' strongest melee unit. It gets wrecked by a Bloodthirster, but it is very nasty against many lesser foes.
I'd say TL Heavy Flamers are most equivalent to a Lascannon. A Flamestorm Cannon would both be too large for the sponson's turret and is honestly a fair amount more powerful; it is replacing the TL lascannons on a Land Raider, and IMO the Flamestorm Cannon is far better.
Besides, of course the Heavy Flamers are cheaper. High strAT weaponry is always more expensive. But if you want an anti-infantry equivalent, I insist the TL heavy flamers are closest to it.
I should think of a new signature... In the meantime, have a
2014/01/17 14:50:59
Subject: Re:Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
The reason I suggested a Living saint is cause I don't want the sisters super heavies to just be Guard Superheavy with a little extra. The living saint gives sisters a unique lord of war.
2014/01/17 22:40:32
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
1) What's the Living Saint in Dawn of War? I don't want to overshadow Celestine, and I'm a treadhead rather than a hero/monster fan, but it's a very interesting option.
A freakishly huge, actual Angel that is fairly easily defeated. Wasn't a fan.
It is best to be a pessimist. You are usually right and, when you're wrong, you're pleasantly surprised.
2014/01/17 22:49:36
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
The burning pits of Hades, also known as Sweden in summer
Necrosis wrote: Well we could also just make the Living Saint Lord of War almost as good as a Primarch but also comes with a bunch of army buffs as well.
Why? Nothing I have seen suggests that they'd be close to a Primarch in prowess. Especially considering how easy it is to drop Celestine in-game and stomp her down if she tries to rise, as well as killing the Living Saint in DoW.
Game mechanics are game mechanics, but they are like that everywhere.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/01/17 23:39:12
I should think of a new signature... In the meantime, have a
2014/01/18 00:10:49
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
Necrosis wrote: Well we could also just make the Living Saint Lord of War almost as good as a Primarch but also comes with a bunch of army buffs as well.
Why? Nothing I have seen suggests that they'd be close to a Primarch in prowess. Especially considering how easy it is to drop Celestine in-game and stomp her down if she tries to rise, as well as killing the Living Saint in DoW.
Game mechanics are game mechanics, but they are like that everywhere.
Alright let's disregard the living saint from DOW (lets not forget a land raider in that game can take on a baneblade in that game).
So then that leaves Saint Celestine who's rules have change from time to time. Alright she can sometimes be easy to take down but I place the argument that each living saint is unique from each other, that no two living saints are even similar in terms of power. In one novel we have a living saint taking down a baneblade with nothing but a sword and a few guardsmen with some lasguns. So to me having a living saint with the stats of WS 6 or 7, BS 5, S 5, T 5, W 5, I 6, A 5, LD 10, Sv 2+/4++ and having the indepent character rule doesn't seem to far out there. Not as powerful as a primarch (or a bloodthrister) but you can make that up by giving her army buffs and certain wargear ane special rules. Compared to other Lord of Wars she would be pretty inexpensive.
2014/01/18 00:55:29
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
Necrosis wrote: In one novel we have a living saint taking down a baneblade with nothing but a sword and a few guardsmen with some lasguns.
We do??? What novel is this? It isn't that Gaunt one, is it?
Necrosis wrote: The reason I suggested a Living saint is cause I don't want the sisters super heavies to just be Guard Superheavy with a little extra. The living saint gives sisters a unique lord of war.
If you want a superheavy that's entirely SoB, look not further than this:
Spoiler:
The box on the right, specifically. Sorry for the small size.
Order of the Righteous Armour - 542 points so far.
2014/01/18 00:56:08
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
Troike wrote:If you want a superheavy that's entirely SoB, look not further than this:
Spoiler:
The box on the right, specifically. Sorry for the small size.
I'm having a hard time reading that.
BrotherHaraldus wrote:She seems to have a statline roughly on par with a C'tan Shard.
A C'tan Shard is not a LoW.
LoW isn't just the stat lines is also their rules. A C'tan Shard doesn't have the Independent character rule which is what can seperate a Lord of War from other characters.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/01/18 01:01:07
2014/01/18 01:20:08
Subject: Re:Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
Troike wrote:
We do??? What novel is this? It isn't that Gaunt one, is it?
It is the Gaunt one, where the Living Saint is like a 19 year old girl who, for a very long time, just sort of pretends to be a Saint. And then is one. Though I think it was just "a tank", not a Baneblade.
It is best to be a pessimist. You are usually right and, when you're wrong, you're pleasantly surprised.
2014/01/18 01:24:02
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
Like the one in that amazing picture from Codex:Witch Hunters, yes. (Anyone have the file to embed?)
Those are awesome, but they make an Imperator Titan look low-key. They'd stretch the limits of Epic, and in 40K the onyl way to represent them on the tabletop would be to have another entire tabletop for the Assault Cathedral model.
By contrast, my writing up a poor man's Land Raider, three Baneblade variants, and a bunch of churchy bits to stick on them seems positively underpowered.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Also: I don't want a giant, glowing Living Saint as a Lord (Lady) of War because it's out of character for the Imperium in general and the Sororitas in particular. Even the Space Marines aren't superheroes, and a huge part of the Sisters' appeal is that they're ordinary human beings with extraordinary zeal. Giant glowy superheroes are fun, but they're appropriate for factions like Eldar and Chaos. The Imperium is about human-sized heroes -- even a 7" Marine is human-sized -- and giant, crude machinery holding the line against a universe of magic and nightmares.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/01/18 03:37:48
BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN
Psienesis wrote: Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.
Also also: any comment on the things I did write up, especially the vehicle upgrades that turn tanks into rolling chapels with pulpits and icons and mega-laud hailers to buff nearby troops ?
BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN
Psienesis wrote: Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.
24" is maybe a bit too much for the vox dei. After all, it'd mean that with two of those you could make pretty much your entire army re-roll their AoF. I think either the price should be doubled or the range decreased to 18".
1400 points of EW/MW Italians (FoW)
2200 points of SoB and Inquisition (40K)
1000 points of orks (40K)
Just starting out with Ultramarines (30K)
Four 1000-2500 point forces for WHFB (RIP)
One orc team (Blood Bowl)
2014/01/18 18:57:21
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
That's a good point. A single 24" radius bubble is 48" diameter, except you have to add the width of the tank base so it's actually an oval maybe 54" on its long axis and 52" on the narrow. You're right, two of those cover most of the gaming table....
BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN
Psienesis wrote: Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.
Also, I'd love to see some kind of titan-sized penitent engine. I have no idea if such a thing exists in the fluff, but some kind of rusty metal behemoth with dozens of penitents bound to it doesn't sound out of place in 40K
1400 points of EW/MW Italians (FoW)
2200 points of SoB and Inquisition (40K)
1000 points of orks (40K)
Just starting out with Ultramarines (30K)
Four 1000-2500 point forces for WHFB (RIP)
One orc team (Blood Bowl)
2014/01/18 22:52:25
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
Oh, boy, that would be seriously fethed up... Let's make that!
How would it work? In a standard Penitent Engine, the Penitent is the pilot. In a super heavy PE, what do you use the extra penitents for? Crazed thrashing does not good gunners make, though maybe the thing has flamers and blades scything every which way.
BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN
Psienesis wrote: Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.
Armoured Pulpit: I tink that units from the following should also benefit:
Inquisition Codex should also benefit - likely all but Deamon hosts? Inquisitors are usually true believers
Same with Grey Knights? again not Deamon hosts?
Imperial Assassins
I like the variant IG Superheavy variants but I almost feeel they should be unique units with the Delverer (although I also kinda prefer the name Deliverence) as the best they can normally do.
A Penitent Titan woud be fun - although the Mechancius would hate it!
I AM A MARINE PLAYER
"Unimaginably ancient xenos artefact somewhere on the planet, hive fleet poised above our heads, hidden 'stealer broods making an early start....and now a bloody Chaos cult crawling out of the woodwork just in case we were bored. Welcome to my world, Ciaphas."
Inquisitor Amberley Vail, Ordo Xenos
"I will admit that some Primachs like Russ or Horus could have a chance against an unarmed 12 year old novice but, a full Battle Sister??!! One to one? In close combat? Perhaps three Primarchs fighting together... but just one Primarch?" da001
I have no idea at all if this fits with the lore, but I'm going to suggest it anyway:
What if there was a penitent engine-titan (penititan?) with several penitents bound to it, like one for each flamer, one for each insanely brutal close combat weapon and then a few with lame jobs such as operating the legs and power distribution and the like. Now, what if in the head of said penititan, there was a penitent psyker overseeing the whole process through some form of telepathy or mind control? I'd make for a logical explanation to how it functions (well, "logical"), and it would explain how the whole thing would be able to work with completely immobile crew stuck to separate areas.
But then again I'm relatively new to 40K, and it's quite likely that somewhere some institution of something (still having a hard time remembering what every adeptus somethingus does) forbids psykers from being put into penitent engines or somehow the penitent engine messes with the psyker's mind in some way that psychic powers become unusable...
1400 points of EW/MW Italians (FoW)
2200 points of SoB and Inquisition (40K)
1000 points of orks (40K)
Just starting out with Ultramarines (30K)
Four 1000-2500 point forces for WHFB (RIP)
One orc team (Blood Bowl)
2014/01/19 01:35:10
Subject: Sisters of Escalation, Ladies of War: BS4, Sv6++ Sororitas Superheavies with priests on the top
Armoured Pulpit: ...
Inquisition Codex should also benefit - likely all but Deamon hosts? Inquisitors are usually true believers
Same with Grey Knights? again not Deamon hosts?
Imperial Assassins
Good point about the Inquisition. I'd been thinking of them as too cynical to be affected , but they're equally likely to be religious fanatics, and whether they're cynical or not they still grew up in an Emperor-worshipping culture (well, almost all of them, some do get recruited from really weird places).
Same, I presume, for Assassins. Though some may be too crazy to benefit ...
Grey Knights, I just don't know the lore well enough: do they worship the Emperor as God (like Black Templars) or "merely" revere him as the greatest human who ever lived?
2. Penitent Titan
A Penitent Titan woud be fun - although the Mechancius would hate it!
...
What if there was a penitent engine-titan (penititan?) with several penitents bound to it, ...Now, what if in the head of said penititan, there was a penitent psyker overseeing the whole process through some form of telepathy or mind control? I'd make for a logical explanation to how it functions (well, "logical"), and it would explain how the whole thing would be able to work with completely immobile crew stuck to separate areas.....
Yes. Yes! The Imperium has all sorts of psykers, from chaos subversives to sanctioned servants of Imperial organizations to Inquisitor psyker-lords, and the Ecclesiarchy has a major role policing them. It makes horrific sense (i.e. perfect sense by Imperial standards) that when a high-ranked psyker falls, his or her penitence must be more spectacular then that of the sinful priests and Sisters who are put into the ordinary Penitent Engines.
So, yea, let there be a fallen psyker of high degree - a Primaris, an Inquisitor - and let there be put upon his head the Crown of Pain, and let him be bound inside the steel skull of the Titan Penitent. And into the limbs and body of said Titan let there be bound as many penitents as there are places for, and into the skull of each let there be implanted such devices as may connect them unto the psyker. Thus his will shall rule their wills, and their pain shall all be his pain, yea, even as they die in battle, one by one by one, let each death be a death for him who deserves death a hundredfold.
BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN
Psienesis wrote: Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.
Order of the Righteous Armour - 542 points so far. 
1400 points of EW/MW Italians (FoW)
1000 points of orks (40K)
Just starting out with Ultramarines (30K)
Four 1000-2500 point forces for WHFB (RIP)
One orc team (Blood Bowl) 
