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I'll be honest. I've always held a certain dislike for Battle Sisters and Death Korps of Krieg, for only one real reason.

Personality.

I'll explain what I mean. Most races in 40K vary a lot in personalities, in the race itself. There is a considerable difference between an Eldar and an Eldar, an Ork and an Ork, a Marine and a Marine, and so on, and so forth. Hell, even the Swarmlord shows surprising individuality when you consider its context and situation.

Battle Sisters and Death Korps, on the other hand, are trained to be fearless weapons from birth. Not only are the slightest transgressions punished extraordinarily hardly, they are expected to want to punish themselves- whether by Repentia, or by seeking a quicker death in battle, or whatever- in addition to this. They are given no real education over what is needed for them to function, and any individuality or, effectively, personality shown is seen as heresy. Unless you do exactly as told, say what you are supposed to say, and look how you are supposed to look, 24/7/365, you are punished. You're guided throughout, and in the case of the Kriegsmen perhaps even genetically manipulated (I don't know, the lore on that never seemed clear to me with implications and whatnot) to become a faceless, personalityless, soulless weapon.

To me, this is just not interesting. You effectively create factions that make Oldcrons seem like having deep, unique and interesting personalities. I don't get why having an army of carbon copies is 'fun'. Marines avoid this pitfall by having differences not only between Chapters, but also from Marine to Marine. They simply have enough individual freedom, albeit within borders, to develop into unique people (And having a reasonably normal childhood helps), whereas Kriegsmen and Sisters do not. Both of these armies have distinct visuals aaaaaand that's about it. Beneath the surface they have nothing.

What's so fun with being uninteresting? Or have I missed something?

There's considerable difference between a Kriegsman and a Cadian, by the way.

You could probably add the Ultramarines in your post, as all they do is fervently follow the Codex Astartes.

The Korps is just a regiment in all of the IG regiment, it just so happens its the one without much of a personality.

 Bobthehero wrote:
There's considerable difference between a Kriegsman and a Cadian, by the way.

You could probably add the Ultramarines in your post, as all they do is fervently follow the Codex Astartes.

The Korps is just a regiment in all of the IG regiment, it just so happens its the one without much of a personality.

It was the Death Korps that I was specifically referring to. I never mentioned Cadians. I am asking about Korpsman-to-Korpsman differences.

Ultramarines vary significantly from what I have seen, such as the Ultramarines novels. In contrast, no DKoK fluff I've read gives me the impression of variety.

Well, neither the Battle Sisters or the Death Korps have a real codex, so they can probably get by on being slightly less personalizable than the other factions.

(that said, I always viewed the Death Korps more as a sub-faction of the Imperial Guard than a faction of itself)

Various fluff sources say each sisterhood developed its own traditions, etc, which is obviously meant to be an attempt to notify you that you're allowed to personalize your sisterhood a bit. But it's true (or at least, my opinion) that the sisterhood is one of the less customizable "factions" of 40k.

They aren't as uncustomizable as oldcrons, though (or Death Korps, for that matter, although again, I personally view Death Korps as more a subfaction of Imperial Guard). At the very least, you can give various sisterhoods different opinions on what the Emperor will do or wants, and how to properly worship him. As well as varying tolerances with other factions (some convents might tolerate, understand, respect, or at least be willing to work with other Imperial factions or even xenos more than others. Even back during the War for Armegeddon campaign, it was mentioned that one sister's precursor was a lot more trigger happy on Space Marines than the current cannoness of an order).

Oldcrons would never work with anyone under any condition and were always the same from tomb world to tomb world in that regard.

IMHO though, if the sisters ever get a real codex, something should probably be done to ease up on the customization, if only a little. They don't even have different hairstyle options right now.

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 Bobthehero wrote:
There's considerable difference between a Kriegsman and a Cadian, by the way.

You could probably add the Ultramarines in your post, as all they do is fervently follow the Codex Astartes.

The Korps is just a regiment in all of the IG regiment, it just so happens its the one without much of a personality.

It was the Death Korps that I was specifically referring to. I never mentioned Cadians. I am asking about Korpsman-to-Korpsman differences.

Ultramarines vary significantly from what I have seen, such as the Ultramarines novels. In contrast, no DKoK fluff I've read gives me the impression of variety.

Korpsman-to-Korpsman Difference is There ID number and what Tube they came from. other then that, they are a big body of fearless Troops.
Unlike Cadians, who trooper-to-trooper might result in 1 man who wont run and 1 who will.

TiamatRoar wrote:


IMHO though, if the sisters ever get a real codex, something should probably be done to ease up on the customization, if only a little. They don't even have different hairstyle options right now.

If you're caught with a hairstyle other than the Righteous Hairstyle™ you're immediately sentenced to Arco-Flagellation. If you're lucky. And the case is extraordinarily mild.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 kinratha wrote:

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 Bobthehero wrote:
There's considerable difference between a Kriegsman and a Cadian, by the way.

You could probably add the Ultramarines in your post, as all they do is fervently follow the Codex Astartes.

The Korps is just a regiment in all of the IG regiment, it just so happens its the one without much of a personality.

It was the Death Korps that I was specifically referring to. I never mentioned Cadians. I am asking about Korpsman-to-Korpsman differences.

Ultramarines vary significantly from what I have seen, such as the Ultramarines novels. In contrast, no DKoK fluff I've read gives me the impression of variety.

Korpsman-to-Korpsman Difference is There ID number and what Tube they came from. other then that, they are a big body of fearless Troops.
Unlike Cadians, who trooper-to-trooper might result in 1 man who wont run and 1 who will.

Exactly, that is the issue. How do you get something interesting out of that?

Automatically Appended Next Post:

 kinratha wrote:

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 Bobthehero wrote:
There's considerable difference between a Kriegsman and a Cadian, by the way.

You could probably add the Ultramarines in your post, as all they do is fervently follow the Codex Astartes.

The Korps is just a regiment in all of the IG regiment, it just so happens its the one without much of a personality.

It was the Death Korps that I was specifically referring to. I never mentioned Cadians. I am asking about Korpsman-to-Korpsman differences.

Ultramarines vary significantly from what I have seen, such as the Ultramarines novels. In contrast, no DKoK fluff I've read gives me the impression of variety.

Korpsman-to-Korpsman Difference is There ID number and what Tube they came from. other then that, they are a big body of fearless Troops.
Unlike Cadians, who trooper-to-trooper might result in 1 man who wont run and 1 who will.

Well DKoK do have personality, It's in there Tanks, siege equipment and Attack strategies.

There is a rule in IA12 that lets you re-roll leadership test for the DKoK if they are by a Tank with a unique paint style.

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
What's so fun with being uninteresting? Or have I missed something?

I'll try to explain it as best I can, from my point of view.

What I find appealing about this characterisation is how dedicated, how resolved it makes them seem. Though just ordinary humans, they display a singular dedication to their cause lets them stand up and really fight well in 40K's brutal warzones. Throuh their respective mindsets, they're able to perform better than their human peers in what they do. A pretty cool example of badass normals, to use a Tv Tropes term. Some aspect of their humanity is sacrificed in order to make them better tools of war. For the SoB specifically, this mindset even lets them regularly pull off things that people (both in-universe and out!) mistake for miracles, which, IMO, is rather badass.

Another thing is that it's also a key part of what these factions are meant to be, examples of an extreme. They're so dedicated to their respective causes that any other concerns are quite sidelined in favour of focusing on said cause. Indeed, I'd say it makes sense for such groups to exist in the Imperium, no? A brutal, bloody, zealous regime is bound to have some factions like this.

On another note, in my view, one may as well complain about the Tyranids in general being too one-dimensional. That sort of characterisation is just who they are as a faction. It's okay if you don't like it, but there's nothing wrong or incorrect about others finding some appeal in it. Besides, there's plenty of others factions that have massive amounts of variation in them. If one wants varied humans, then the IG and SM are ideal.

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
to develop into unique people (And having a reasonably normal childhood helps), whereas Kriegsmen and Sisters do not.

I can't speak for the Kriegers, since I don't know their lore well enough, but this isn't necessarily true for the Sisters. We see differing personas and temperments with the Sisters, but what makes them Sisters is that their faith to their cause is still underlying all of that. You can absolutely play around with personalities with the SoB and still have them be "proper" SoB, so long as they're also kept as faithful, disciplined zealots too.

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
Both of these armies have distinct visuals aaaaaand that's about it. Beneath the surface they have nothing.

I think that's a little unfair, and a little unkind to people who like those armies. What does any army have to set them apart besides visuals? Lots of fluff, of course, the various details of what makes this faction this faction, as well as their numerous campaigns and interactions with the 40K setting at large.

Amongst themselves, Sisters have plenty of personality. The public face of the Sororitas, however, is ultra-pure, ultra-righteous, ultra-faithful, ultra-hardline zealots for the Emperor, who pity you because your faith is inferior to theirs, and thus you can not truly know His Light.

This public face, of course, is based on their actual lifestyles. Inside the convents, things are not going to be terribly much different, except that more of them might speak (if they have not taken a vow of silence for a year as a punishment for failing to clean a bolter properly), rather than just the leadership units.

Especially if you are a mutant, a psyker, an alien or a heretic, all of which exist to be purged with the sacred triumvirate of bolter, flamer and melta, being abominations in the eyes of the God-Emperor.

They are members of a strict, religious order and maintain lives of ultra-puritan values, believing, as they do, that the purpose of life is to suffer. It's a penitent order, so the Sisters are always paying for some sin or another, no matter how slight.

Also, their kung-fu is better than yours, as it allows them to dodge tank shells and stuff. So... there is that. Obviously, the Emperor does take a pretty keen interest in what the Sisters have going on, since he sure seems to keep them alive through some crazy gak.

TiamatRoar wrote:
Various fluff sources say each sisterhood developed its own traditions, etc, which is obviously meant to be an attempt to notify you that you're allowed to personalize your sisterhood a bit.

Indeed. The new AS codex talks about Minor Orders a fair bit. One notable addition was that they can now be up to 1000 Sisters big, I think they wanted to emphasise this aspect, which is cool.

TiamatRoar wrote:
IMHO though, if the sisters ever get a real codex, something should probably be done to ease up on the customization, if only a little. They don't even have different hairstyle options right now.

Heresy! The bobcut is sacred.

Silliness aside, I think it fits them. As a tightly controlled religious organisation, a uniform haircut isn't exactly out of place. Though maybe they'll change it with new SoB models, we'll see.

 Troike wrote:
I think that's a little unfair, and a little unkind to people who like those armies. What does any army have to set them apart besides visuals? Lots of fluff, of course, the various details of what makes this faction this faction, as well as their numerous campaigns and interactions with the 40K setting at large.

Mind you, I did not intend to offend anyone. I just explained my observations.

Keep the answers comin'.

I imagine they are somewhat damaged mentally, a lot probably would be considered sociopaths in our world. I always got the sense that what made the astartes special is they could take this kind of indoctrination and be better for it. If you look historically or even currently people who suffer extreme trauma abuse or witness violence at an early age usually don't cope very well, they usually aren't even good at being soldiers because something is fundamentally missing, look the nations that use child soldiers today.

I personally find the death korps more appealing of the two. Mainly because it shows that when people give up their humanity, they can become weapons that the imperium needs, but not the one it deserves , to keep everything together. It really shows how low the imperium of man has fallen and how much people are willing to give to hold onto whatever semblance of the pre-heresy imperium they still have.

needs, but not the one it deserves

You got that from batman.

Ironclad Warlord wrote:

needs, but not the one it deserves

You got that from batman.

Indeed I did, still got Night Lords on the brain

TiamatRoar wrote:
Well, neither the Battle Sisters or the Death Korps have a real codex, so they can probably get by on being slightly less personalizable than the other factions.

That is if you ignore this

Not that you necessarily wrong anyways; that is the only official GW Sororitas Codex (I agree with you that the Sisters don't really have an GW codex afte 2E, they get a few WD publication), except for this:

tho this is technically labelled as a GW codex, but I'd just assume people ignore it either because it's a digital book/BL publication, or it's really, eh, smelly. (I don't know, I don't own it.)

Anyways, It's my firm opinion that the Sororitas are a very difficult faction to (no, I refuse to call them a "race" damnit) write about; they are very ridged, to the point that little background was ever given to them that the Orderrs Militants (the Battle Orders) follows an organization any different then the others; I'd imagine their beliefs might have minor deviations due to the different martyrs they are founded after, but I can't see them to be that different.

I suppose the thing is that, after the major revamp of the 2E, the SM and the IG were made to suit personal customizations -- yes codex astartes is rigid, but how many damned chapter actually follows it word-for-word? Not even smurfs themselves can keep their own damned rules straight; the IG started out with so many variants (even in the RT days), they got a Catachan codex at 3E; while the SoB army, for some reason, seemed to have become part of these two codexes af 3E:

And SoB's background became very strongly worded, and being a "faithful zealot", it seems difficult to describe them any other way them the codex says.

Besides, why was Cain and Gaunt interesting? Well, they are more human then most of the 1 page characters on the codexex (and no, Chenkov is just a very stern IG commander who just doesn't like defeat, it's just him, not his faith), so for any character to be interesting fluff-wise, either they are really hilarious, or they are really colorful (in spirit, don't show me another picture of two sisters looking slightly differently, it's was metaphor damnit!)

Ironclad Warlord wrote:
I always got the sense that what made the astartes special is they could take this kind of indoctrination and be better for it.

Astartes don't really get the same sort of indoctrination, though. They will have had normal lives beforehand and are allowed more individuality, from what I understand. The Death Korps and the Sisters don't really get those. And "be better for it" is a bit relative, really. Maybe the Astartes are better in some social regards or something like that, but the Sisters and Kriegers are certainly good at war, and that's what they've been raised for. The indoctrination achieves what it sets out to do.

Also, this thread has got me thinking, DKoK and SoB would be a pretty good team-up, wouldn't it? They'd certainly get along well, I would've thought.

 lcmiracle wrote:
tho this is technically labelled as a GW codex, but I'd just assume people ignore it either because it's a digital book/BL publication, or it's really, eh, smelly. (I don't know, I don't own it.)

Wut? That is the official SoB codex, made by GW, and GW devs worked on it. It replaces the previous SoB codex, and is indeed a Sororitas codex. It's just sold by BL because they handle digital books, they sell digital versions of other codexes too.

 lcmiracle wrote:
Anyways, It's my firm opinion that the Sororitas are a very difficult faction to (no, I refuse to call them a "race" damnit) write about;

The codexes certainly do so pretty well, as did BL's James Swallow (IMO). Dakka's own MWHistorian has also written some good fanfic about them that keeps to their more puritan characterisation.

 lcmiracle wrote:
I'd imagine their beliefs might have minor deviations due to the different martyrs they are founded after, but I can't see them to be that different.

You imagined correctly.

Variations on the theme, but all still share that SoB mindset.

 lcmiracle wrote:
the SoB army, for some reason, seemed to have become part of these two codexes af 3E:

They were only in the Witch Hunters codex, not the Daemon Hunters codex.

 lcmiracle wrote:
And SoB's background became very strongly worded, and being a "faithful zealot", it seems difficult to describe them any other way them the codex says.

And it's difficult to describe the Tyranids differently to "hungry bugs", or the World Eaters differently to "raving beserkers", isn't it? Some factions just have a more uniform charactrerisation, and that's fine. For me, it goes perfectly with 40K's grimdark, of course there'll be these extreme factions that all follow a cause so rigidly. That's not to say that they cannot be customised at all, they're just more distinct in their charactersation compared with some of the other factions.

 lcmiracle wrote:
Besides, why was Cain and Gaunt interesting? Well, they are more human then most of the 1 page characters

Why can't a loss of humanity be interesting too? What I find interesting about the SoB and Kriegers is how they've had their humanity stripped away from them so that they can be better soldiers in the Imperium's wars. What's also interesting is how they use this mindset in their battles, or how this mindset colours their interaction with other groups around them.

People don't like to admit Codex: Adepta Sororitas exists because A) it's not in print (so they have to take a kindle or something with them to use it), and B) it's powerful enough to stand on its own without Allies and kick butt, even though it's only got Marine toys but less of them.


As to the OP's question, I will admit - I like the concept of them, I like the models (not great to begin with, but they have aged well), I like the look... but every attempt to make Sisters' characters interesting and individual has ended up with them diverging slightly or questioning their beliefs on some level. People tend to define each other by their hobbies and habits, and... well, Sororitas don't smoke, drink or play games, as far as the codex comments.

That said, I think that there is room for individual personalities in the Sisterhood. A mischievous Sister might prank her Sisters by moving the mannequin in the sacristy to the other side of the room (not really heresy as she's not defaced the robes, not really rebellious because she's not moved it out of the room, and as far as we know the Creed doesn't have a directional bias, but highly amusing when the Superior goes to get her vestments and realises they're facing the wrong way). A competitive Sister might challenge their Superior to regicide or some other approved wargame on a regular basis, or she might keep count of how many heretics she's purged in any given engagement and try to get the other Sisters to tally up. There is space for individual characters in the Sisterhood, you just have to realise that they all pray the same way and wear the same expression under their helmets.

Also, Troike, Icmiracle was being snarky at Tiamat who said we didn't have a codex

Aye aye I second that!

 Furyou Miko wrote:
People don't like to admit Codex: Adepta Sororitas exists because A) it's not in print (so they have to take a kindle or something with them to use it), and B) it's powerful enough to stand on its own without Allies and kick butt, even though it's only got Marine toys but less of them.

I never expected people to dislike it for that. As far as I know, all codices can shine, even the new Tyranid crapdex. There's at least a little cheese in every codex, but that does not make the codex as an entirety very good. Melta dominions or something was what I've heard was the cheddar of the SoB book.

 Furyou Miko wrote:
That said, I think that there is room for individual personalities in the Sisterhood. A mischievous Sister might prank her Sisters by moving the mannequin in the sacristy to the other side of the room (not really heresy as she's not defaced the robes, not really rebellious because she's not moved it out of the room, and as far as we know the Creed doesn't have a directional bias, but highly amusing when the Superior goes to get her vestments and realises they're facing the wrong way). A competitive Sister might challenge their Superior to regicide or some other approved wargame on a regular basis, or she might keep count of how many heretics she's purged in any given engagement and try to get the other Sisters to tally up. There is space for individual characters in the Sisterhood, you just have to realise that they all pray the same way and wear the same expression under their helmets.

Ehhhh... Yeah, no. I am not an expert on these things, but from what I have seen they both respect their superiors too much and are punished too harshly for any such pranks. And regicide? That would require free time, something that it is doubtful if they have (Even when travelling in the warp, they must be praying, they must tend to their gear, and so on...)

I don't know that much about the Sisters, so I won't comment on them (I also think that a problem here is that we do not have much written about the SoB),
but I have to agree in that I find the DKoK extremely boring and very silly. They look cool, but beneath those awesome gas masks are the most boring things in all of 40k.
Grimdark is nice. Too much grimdark is silly.

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 Furyou Miko wrote:
People don't like to admit Codex: Adepta Sororitas exists because A) it's not in print (so they have to take a kindle or something with them to use it), and B) it's powerful enough to stand on its own without Allies and kick butt, even though it's only got Marine toys but less of them.

I never expected people to dislike it for that. As far as I know, all codices can shine, even the new Tyranid crapdex. There's at least a little cheese in every codex, but that does not make the codex as an entirety very good. Melta dominions or something was what I've heard was the cheddar of the SoB book.

 Furyou Miko wrote:
That said, I think that there is room for individual personalities in the Sisterhood. A mischievous Sister might prank her Sisters by moving the mannequin in the sacristy to the other side of the room (not really heresy as she's not defaced the robes, not really rebellious because she's not moved it out of the room, and as far as we know the Creed doesn't have a directional bias, but highly amusing when the Superior goes to get her vestments and realises they're facing the wrong way). A competitive Sister might challenge their Superior to regicide or some other approved wargame on a regular basis, or she might keep count of how many heretics she's purged in any given engagement and try to get the other Sisters to tally up. There is space for individual characters in the Sisterhood, you just have to realise that they all pray the same way and wear the same expression under their helmets.

Ehhhh... Yeah, no. I am not an expert on these things, but from what I have seen they both respect their superiors too much and are punished too harshly for any such pranks. And regicide? That would require free time, something that it is doubtful if they have (Even when travelling in the warp, they must be praying, they must tend to their gear, and so on...)

Well, to be honest, I was grasping a little. ^^;

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
Ehhhh... Yeah, no. I am not an expert on these things, but from what I have seen they both respect their superiors too much and are punished too harshly for any such pranks.

The sort of person who is inclined to prank may not be selected to be a Sororitas in the first place, or would have it (perhaps literally) beaten out of them.
But I think that Furyou had the right idea with the "they all pray the same way and wear the same expression under their helmet" comment. There can absolutely be individual personalities within the Sisterhood, but it's all in the context of that overarching faith and zeal. For example, a Sister with a sense of humour might manifest it with a quote such as this, found in the WD codex: "Heretics crave the clensing fire of absolution. They need not fear, for we shall deliver it to them", or with the occasional clever remark. There's also quite a nice contrast in personality with the Orders of the Sacred Rose and Bloody Rose, them being even-tempered and aggressive respectively.

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
And regicide? That would require free time, something that it is doubtful if they have

Swallow had them playing card games, now that I think of it. But nah, I agree with your thoughts on this one.

 Iron_Captain wrote:
(I also think that a problem here is that we do not have much written about the SoB),

There's plenty of fluff that, together, gives us a very clear idea of how these people act, think and live. It's just that some of said fluff is more obscure.

Ironclad Warlord wrote:
I imagine they are somewhat damaged mentally, a lot probably would be considered sociopaths in our world. I always got the sense that what made the astartes special is they could take this kind of indoctrination and be better for it. If you look historically or even currently people who suffer extreme trauma abuse or witness violence at an early age usually don't cope very well, they usually aren't even good at being soldiers because something is fundamentally missing, look the nations that use child soldiers today.

Absolutely no one in the world of 40K would be at all relateable to someone from 21st century Earth. The nature of the 40K setting makes it more or less dehumanizing, especially in the factions represented on the tabletop. None of these people, not the Eldar, the Dark Eldar, the Space Marines, the Tau, the Sisters of Battle, none of them, would get on well with someone from our cultures. We are too radically different, and they would look at us as heretics for having dared to dream of bettering one's lot in life.

"Know Your Place", as the Imperial saying goes.

Troike wrote:The sort of person who is inclined to prank may not be selected to be a Sororitas in the first place, or would have it (perhaps literally) beaten out of them.
But I think that Furyou had the right idea with the "they all pray the same way and wear the same expression under their helmet" comment. There can absolutely be individual personalities within the Sisterhood, but it's all in the context of that overarching faith and zeal. For example, a Sister with a sense of humour might manifest it with a quote such as this, found in the WD codex: "Heretics crave the clensing fire of absolution. They need not fear, for we shall deliver it to them", or with the occasional clever remark. There's also quite a nice contrast in personality with the Orders of the Sacred Rose and Bloody Rose, them being even-tempered and aggressive respectively.

Maybe. I could see there being pranks amongst Battle Sisters of the same squad (since these are usually formed around a group of Novitiates taking vows at the same time, so that they will be in the same squad with the same women until either they are martyred or move to other Orders), maybe even one pranking their immediate Sister Superior, but probably not much outside of that structure, as these squads are something of a basic family unit. Of course, the Sister doing so would be in a lot of trouble should she be caught, but, then again, I am told that's half the fun. I could also imagine such things in the Orders Non-Militant, where they are not so constantly training for war.

That's another thing I think people forget about the Sororitas. The Battle-Sisters are just one aspect of the entire organization, just like Ordo Malleus is only one part of the overall Inquisition.

Well, the divisions of the Adepta Sororitas are rather more... formal than those of the Ordo Malleus.

Ordo Malleus is a title an Inquisitor takes. Sister Dialogous is a mission a Sister dedicates herself to.

Well... not exactly, but also sort of the same.

I mean, Sisters can and do move between the Orders. You might take vows as a Sister Hospitaler, but then transfer into the Orders Pronatus twenty years later, or after ten years in the Hospitaler, you decide to take up a flamer and bolter and join the Orders Militant to directly combat the forces of Chaos, which is a sickness that infects the Imperium.

So we talk a lot about what it takes to be a Sister of Battle, as that's the table-top representation (in the main), but there are other Orders that are not so focused on the physical combat prowess of the individual. You might have a girl from a planet that has some sort of environmental condition (lets say harsh winds that bear silicate matter, causing hereditary eye issues... so she's really near-sighted) that makes her a *great* member of the Orders Dialoguous, but not so much with the bolter drill.

Or a Sister from an Order Militant is grievously wounded in a battle, but survives. They rebuild her with augmetics and such... but her new body is simply not a combat model, or its requirements make it a liability on the battlefield, so she transfers to the Orders Pronatus, because she can sit in a building and guard relics or study relics or whatever, she just can't be out there running, jumping, and kicking heretics in the face.

Inquisitors, too, can move between the Ordos as their interests change. A Inq might start out as a witch-hunter, tracking down all kinds of heretics and traitors.. and, over time, comes to really hate the daemons that often drive these recidivist cults, and so moves from Ordo Hereticus to Ordo Malleus to fight the daemon directly.

That's a pretty good explanation of things, actually.

All I meant is that Inquisitors are Inquisitors - there's functionally no difference in the skills between a Malleus and a Hereticus inquisitor, except that the Malleus might know a bit more daemonology.

Yeah, the Malleus and Hereticus and etc distinctions are informal.

Externally to the Imperium, of course. Internally to the Inquisition, well, things get a lot less clear.

Externally to the Imperium, an Inquisitor is an Inquisitor. Who cares what kind of silly pin or sigil he's wearing, he's freaking terrifying and you need to do exactly what she says.