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I'm also not sure the Valkyrie is a one-stage surface-to-orbit-capable aircraft just based on the fact it's got a maximum altitude of 7 in Aeronautica Imperialis (things that can get to orbit have maximum altitude 9 (Rocket Booster)).

Even if a Sororitas Valkyrie can still operate normally for short hops at low altitude you'd be sacrificing some of the vehicle's capability and running pretty close to the load limit, plus you still can't hold a full squad, whereas if you've got a Storm Eagle variant you can run with a full twenty-model squad effectively over the vehicle's maximum combat range with enough weight tolerance such that damage to propulsion doesn't mean you're on the ground immediately.

People over in the Saving Guardsman Ryan thread on Imperial Navy dropships (more homebrew!) seem pretty sure the Valkyrie can ascend from the surface to a Navy mothership (link takes you straight to that discussion).

And most Sisters squads are 5-10 -- I think of the 20 as a "combined squad" like in the Guard, especially since only basic battle sisters can do it.

We're going to have to agree to disagree: I love the Valkyrie model & its real-world inspirations, I find the Storm Eagle/Raven series blocky and ugly and yet way too l33t.

I just don't think the game provides us enough data on maximum load to rule out 12 power armored women in a Valkyrie. To the contrary, by the current rules, an Inquisitorial Valkyrie can carry 12 Acolytes in power armour.

 SisterSydney wrote:
Another awesome Sisterized Stormraven variant from 1000 Nuns (so the Excoriator is half an Exorcist?). My problem with these is that they're too awesome: Sisters get better gear than Guard, but I have trouble seeing them with the over the top superhero stuff the Marines have. A dropship that comes in from the flank, all guns blazing with Omnissiah-induced accuracy, is a bit too much for me....

Oh come now Sisters can't have too much awesome can they? I take your point though maybe Outflank is OTT though losing the turret mounted weapons does move it towards the transport role somewhat. I did think about Relentless after disembarking but it doesn't seem that useful for Bolters anymore. The Excoriator is a scaled down Exorcist Launcher (i took most of the fluff out for the post), I prefer the Forgeworld style to the GW one so strapping one to a flyer is a bit more realistic.

To add to the Valkyrie debate Imperial Armour 1 does say that the Valk is a purely atmospheric craft though it can be sealed against hostile environments, so I don't think space based ops are in, though it is an old book so make of it what you will. As for load carrying this seems to have gone up and down over various books, it has been able to carry Drop Sentinels, Sentry Guns and Cyclops Demo Vehicles over the years when it had the Heavy Lift special rule though this seems to have gone from later editions as the Bulky rules came in, so a squad of Sisters seems reasonable. I haven't got the AM codex to hand to check further though.

Eisenhorn's Valkyrie gunship is more than capable of making orbit-to-surface, and surface-to-orbit transits with his entire retinue (and in one case also hauling Imperial jetbikes), so there is some precedent for it being an orbital transport. The only thing it can't do is make inter-planetary or interstellar transits, lacking as it does a Navigator, a Warp Drive, a Gellar Field and sufficient oxygen for such lengthy flights.

 Psienesis wrote:
Eisenhorn's Valkyrie gunship is more than capable of making orbit-to-surface, and surface-to-orbit transits with his entire retinue (and in one case also hauling Imperial jetbikes), so there is some precedent for it being an orbital transport. The only thing it can't do is make inter-planetary or interstellar transits, lacking as it does a Navigator, a Warp Drive, a Gellar Field and sufficient oxygen for such lengthy flights.

Cool where's this from Pariah?

SisterSydney wrote:My problem with these is that they're too awesome: Sisters get better gear than Guard, but I have trouble seeing them with the over the top superhero stuff the Marines have. A dropship that comes in from the flank, all guns blazing with Omnissiah-induced accuracy, is a bit too much for me....

Matter of preferences! I have to say, that is exactly what I could see. Codex fluff has it on record that their "arms and armour [are] the equal of any Space Marine Chapter", so I don't see why it shouldn't go for fliers as well. My problem is really just the visuals ... okay, maybe also that I've already seen the combination of Valk + SoB in action (in DoW), and not being convinced by any alternatives so far. Same as with the Lightning, really.

Though I have to say, Thousand Nuns (+1 for the name, btw) did create a great model there. Tacking an extra compartment onto the back does a lot to fix the "fat bumblebee" look the original has, imho. It still looks a bit weird in that it now resembles a squeezed Thunderhawk. But definitely better than the original!

SisterSydney wrote:Lynta, you would like J3f's Sororitized Lightning fighter.

Hum? Using a different name then?

AnomanderRake wrote:There's also the fact that running from the weight figures given by Forge World a Valkyrie is closer in specifications to a Mi-24 than a Black Hawk seeing as it weighs thirteen metric tons empty (compared to just under five for the Black Hawk and eighteen for the Mi-24), and the Mi-24 can haul about half the load of the Black Hawk on 20% more horsepower; I don't think the Valkyrie's got a lot of weight to spare.

I made the comparison based on sleeker looks and relative size - if we call the Valkyrie a Hind (which I'd otherwise agree to), what could we compare the much larger Storm Raven to?

I also don't think we can compare engine power between a real world Cold War era design and a technobabble product of a sci-fi setting. Besides, you don't really want to tell me that a weight difference of 300 kilos (using the numbers you have chosen) is going to invalidate the Valkyrie? I'm no expert on this (even though I was in the chair force), but shouldn't aircraft have a safety limit quite a bit above its normal usage?

I'm also not sure what Forge World's specs for the Valkyrie are exactly, but I know it's supposed to airlift vehicles (how much does this weigh?) - and I know that, in GW's version of the setting, the Valkyrie is capable of atmospheric insertion from orbiting Imperial Navy carriers, as this is specifically mentioned in the Valkyrie article published for WD's Liber Apocalyptica.

And then there's this bit from the old Armageddon 3 website:
"As the dropships screamed down through Skopios' thin atmosphere the sky burned with the retro-thrusters of the Elysian landers. [...] The Elysians were taking heavy casualties and Prinz ordered the survivors to retreat back to the landers and take off for orbit."

Thousand Nuns wrote:To add to the Valkyrie debate Imperial Armour 1 does say that the Valk is a purely atmospheric craft though it can be sealed against hostile environments, so I don't think space based ops are in, though it is an old book so make of it what you will.

And it'd not be the first time that someone at Forge World disagrees with some small detail the GW main studio has published. *coughvrakscough*

 Psienesis wrote:
Eisenhorn's Valkyrie gunship is more than capable of making orbit-to-surface, and surface-to-orbit transits with his entire retinue (and in one case also hauling Imperial jetbikes), so there is some precedent for it being an orbital transport. The only thing it can't do is make inter-planetary or interstellar transits, lacking as it does a Navigator, a Warp Drive, a Gellar Field and sufficient oxygen for such lengthy flights.

Eisenhorn doesn't have a Valkyrie, he has a "gun-cutter", which is closer to a small frigate than a Valkyrie.

The description of its pilot compartment (two seater, one above and behind the other), the description of its cabin (converted from housing 12 to housing 6) and its armament strongly suggests that it's a Valk.

 Lynata wrote:

AnomanderRake wrote:There's also the fact that running from the weight figures given by Forge World a Valkyrie is closer in specifications to a Mi-24 than a Black Hawk seeing as it weighs thirteen metric tons empty (compared to just under five for the Black Hawk and eighteen for the Mi-24), and the Mi-24 can haul about half the load of the Black Hawk on 20% more horsepower; I don't think the Valkyrie's got a lot of weight to spare.

I made the comparison based on sleeker looks and relative size - if we call the Valkyrie a Hind (which I'd otherwise agree to), what could we compare the much larger Storm Raven to?

I also don't think we can compare engine power between a real world Cold War era design and a technobabble product of a sci-fi setting. Besides, you don't really want to tell me that a weight difference of 300 kilos (using the numbers you have chosen) is going to invalidate the Valkyrie? I'm no expert on this (even though I was in the chair force), but shouldn't aircraft have a safety limit quite a bit above its normal usage?

I'm also not sure what Forge World's specs for the Valkyrie are exactly, but I know it's supposed to airlift vehicles (how much does this weigh?) - and I know that, in GW's version of the setting, the Valkyrie is capable of atmospheric insertion from orbiting Imperial Navy carriers, as this is specifically mentioned in the Valkyrie article published for WD's Liber Apocalyptica.

And then there's this bit from the old Armageddon 3 website:
"As the dropships screamed down through Skopios' thin atmosphere the sky burned with the retro-thrusters of the Elysian landers. [...] The Elysians were taking heavy casualties and Prinz ordered the survivors to retreat back to the landers and take off for orbit."

No figures on the Tauros, approximating based on the Humvee I seriously doubt it weighs more than about two and a half metric tons (couple that with chopping off the armoured rear compartment and a Sky Talon's lift capacity is similar to the normal Valkyrie).

I'm not claiming three-four hundred kilos is going to invalidate the Valkyrie but it'd probably make it slower, less manoeuvrable, consume more fuel, and be more sensitive to getting shot (an empty or underloaded Valk might be able to fly on one engine more easily than an overloaded one, say).

 Thousand Nuns wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:
Eisenhorn's Valkyrie gunship is more than capable of making orbit-to-surface, and surface-to-orbit transits with his entire retinue (and in one case also hauling Imperial jetbikes), so there is some precedent for it being an orbital transport. The only thing it can't do is make inter-planetary or interstellar transits, lacking as it does a Navigator, a Warp Drive, a Gellar Field and sufficient oxygen for such lengthy flights.

Cool where's this from Pariah?

No, his gun-cutter doesn't appear in that book (if you've not read the Eisenhorn series, I am not going to say why it did not). The description and discussion on it is mostly in books 1 and 2 of his own series.

As to comparing the Stormraven/Storm Eagle to things we don't really have anything comparable simply because giant armoured heavy-lift vehicles/gunships of that sort are unnecessary in a military that doesn't have to move squads of seven-hundred-kilogram paratroopers.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Psienesis wrote:

 Thousand Nuns wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:
Eisenhorn's Valkyrie gunship is more than capable of making orbit-to-surface, and surface-to-orbit transits with his entire retinue (and in one case also hauling Imperial jetbikes), so there is some precedent for it being an orbital transport. The only thing it can't do is make inter-planetary or interstellar transits, lacking as it does a Navigator, a Warp Drive, a Gellar Field and sufficient oxygen for such lengthy flights.

Cool where's this from Pariah?

No, his gun-cutter doesn't appear in that book (if you've not read the Eisenhorn series, I am not going to say why it did not). The description and discussion on it is mostly in books 1 and 2 of his own series.

May have to go re-read it but while a modified Valkyrie capable of single-stage surface-to-orbit flight is believable a Valkyrie with a Gellar field capable of interstellar transport is outside the realm of possibility.

AnomanderRake wrote:I'm not claiming three-four hundred kilos is going to invalidate the Valkyrie but it'd probably make it slower, less manoeuvrable, consume more fuel, and be more sensitive to getting shot (an empty or underloaded Valk might be able to fly on one engine more easily than an overloaded one, say).

Well, if it doesn't make it too slow etc I don't see a problem. A difference of, say, 1-2 percent won't discourage anyone.

Ultimately, since we lack the necessary data, it boils down to whether we want the Valkyrie to being capable of this role, or not. For all we know this baby is flying way below capacity and, thanks to its overpowered engines, could transport an entire company of Terminators, with the only limitation being the size of its passenger compartment.
(yes, I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea - "writers fiat")

 Lynata wrote:

AnomanderRake wrote:I'm not claiming three-four hundred kilos is going to invalidate the Valkyrie but it'd probably make it slower, less manoeuvrable, consume more fuel, and be more sensitive to getting shot (an empty or underloaded Valk might be able to fly on one engine more easily than an overloaded one, say).

Well, if it doesn't make it too slow etc I don't see a problem. A difference of, say, 1-2 percent won't discourage anyone.

Ultimately, since we lack the necessary data, it boils down to whether we want the Valkyrie to being capable of this role, or not. For all we know this baby is flying way below capacity and, thanks to its overpowered engines, could transport an entire company of Terminators, with the only limitation being the size of its passenger compartment.
(yes, I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea - "writers fiat")

Calling ten Stormtroopers a "normal load" puts ten Sisters at about 130% of normal capacity.

All of this is speculation, but I honestly don't think the Valkyrie fits with the Sister's aesthetic or fighting style nearly as well as a Storm Eagle variant would.

AnomanderRake wrote:Calling ten Stormtroopers a "normal load" puts ten Sisters at about 130% of normal capacity.

Who says that 10 Storm Troopers are the Valkyrie's "normal capacity", though?

AnomanderRake wrote:All of this is speculation, but I honestly don't think the Valkyrie fits with the Sister's aesthetic or fighting style nearly as well as a Storm Eagle variant would.

Can you elaborate? The Valkyrie arguably looks a lot sleeker than the Storm Raven (fitting to their power armour), and the way it's used by the Storm Trooper regiment (as described in the Apoc Datasheet) is 100% identical to how Mounted Dominions operate with their Rhinos. The feminine name and its meaning is just the cherry on top.
I mean, obviously it boils down to personal preferences, but I just have a hard time seeing what exactly about the Storm Raven might look "Sister'ish" to anyone...

Agreed with Lynata.

In terms of load, we know from Codex:Inquisition that a Valk can carry 12 people in power armour without any issues that affect tabletop play. (Maybe you lose operational range, but commanders make that tradeoff when they load aircraft all the time).

In terms of aesthetics:
Big, blocky, armed to the teeth, & tough as the Hulk: Marines
Smaller, sleeker, specialized in one nasty weapon, & tough as a bitch: Sisters

Storm Ravens/Eagles are the former, Valkyries/Vendettas are the later.

Plus, aren't both Storm Troopers and Sisters trained at the Schola ProgwhateverIcan'tspellthatium?

 AnomanderRake wrote:
As to comparing the Stormraven/Storm Eagle to things we don't really have anything comparable simply because giant armoured heavy-lift vehicles/gunships of that sort are unnecessary in a military that doesn't have to move squads of seven-hundred-kilogram paratroopers.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Psienesis wrote:

 Thousand Nuns wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:
Eisenhorn's Valkyrie gunship is more than capable of making orbit-to-surface, and surface-to-orbit transits with his entire retinue (and in one case also hauling Imperial jetbikes), so there is some precedent for it being an orbital transport. The only thing it can't do is make inter-planetary or interstellar transits, lacking as it does a Navigator, a Warp Drive, a Gellar Field and sufficient oxygen for such lengthy flights.

Cool where's this from Pariah?

No, his gun-cutter doesn't appear in that book (if you've not read the Eisenhorn series, I am not going to say why it did not). The description and discussion on it is mostly in books 1 and 2 of his own series.

May have to go re-read it but while a modified Valkyrie capable of single-stage surface-to-orbit flight is believable a Valkyrie with a Gellar field capable of interstellar transport is outside the realm of possibility.

Yes, that's what I'm saying. His gun-cutter (whether it is or is not in actuality a Valkyrie... as far as I recall, it is never given a pattern designation, only ever referred to as "gun-cutter") lacks the ability to make inter-stellar or inter-planetary flight... but is able to be stowed in the landing bays of Chartist ships and a Rogue Trader's yacht, so it is definitely not the same size as even a light frigate void-farer. It's small (as Imperial vessels go), and, as I mentioned up-thread, the descriptions we're given on it strongly implies that it was, at the very least, inspired by the look of the Valkyrie/real-life Apache attack helicopter.

I'm afraid Eisenhorn's ship is a dead end if we don't know what it started life as, let alone how heavily modified it is.

As for material that explicitly refers to Valkyries, it sounds like we've got some official sources specifically saying they can't reach space on their own (e.g. Aeronautica Imperialis) and some specifically saying they can (e.g. Forge World's Elysians book). There is no canon!

At the very least, Navy will have motherships that can go down into the upper atmosphere where the air's real thin to drop or pick up the Valkyries if they can't reach space on their own. So I'm not going to worry about this overmuch.

The space-worthiness (or lack thereof) of the Valkyrie would be an issue only in the rarest of circumstances. Even if it's not really capable of space flight, you could catapult-launch the thing out of a void-faring transport ship nose-first into the upper atmosphere and then kick the thrusters on to make it down to the 13,000 meter mark (its listed operational ceiling).

Basically, throw it at a planet like a fething dart.

Well, you'd have to make sure it didn't burn up on (re)entry into the atmosphere..... and of course there's the question of getting back to the ship.

It's a Valk. It's Sisters. It's probably fire-proof. It's also miraculous that the damn thing flies at all, I'm sure the Emperor can hand-wave it through re-entry. It'd also be descending out of the skies absolutely surrounded in a halo of flames.

 Lynata wrote:

AnomanderRake wrote:Calling ten Stormtroopers a "normal load" puts ten Sisters at about 130% of normal capacity.

Who says that 10 Storm Troopers are the Valkyrie's "normal capacity", though?

AnomanderRake wrote:All of this is speculation, but I honestly don't think the Valkyrie fits with the Sister's aesthetic or fighting style nearly as well as a Storm Eagle variant would.

Can you elaborate? The Valkyrie arguably looks a lot sleeker than the Storm Raven (fitting to their power armour), and the way it's used by the Storm Trooper regiment (as described in the Apoc Datasheet) is 100% identical to how Mounted Dominions operate with their Rhinos. The feminine name and its meaning is just the cherry on top.
I mean, obviously it boils down to personal preferences, but I just have a hard time seeing what exactly about the Storm Raven might look "Sister'ish" to anyone...

Everything here is an estimate, I don't actually know what the Valkyrie's maximum load is, I just know that barring wacky and somewhat incomplete information about the Sky Talon a Valkyrie is normally deployed to carry a ten-man squad of Guardsmen which is slightly over one metric ton.

Elaborating on the aesthetic/fighting style the Sisters of Battle use boxy Marine tanks, not (slightly) more streamlined Guard tanks, my assertion that the Storm Eagle would be a more consistent-looking plane is drawn entirely from that fact. The Sisters of Battle are a close-ranged shock-troopers sort of army, who you'd expect to have a shock/assault transport like the Storm Eagle rather than a utility/fire support transport like the Valkyrie. There's a lot more precedent lorewise for dropping people with Jump Packs (read: Seraphim) out of a Storm Eagle than there is for dropping them out of a Valkyrie. The Storm Eagle's top-mounted rocket-launcher setup looks at least somewhat like an Exorcist to me, which ties it aesthetically to the range better.

The name is a point easily subject to change (I've been using the designation "Erelim dropship" out of MrSako's 5e Inquisition book to tie into the Hebrew angel ranks naming setup for my hypothetical Storm Eagle variant). The Storm Eagle is a lot less wonky-looking than the Stormraven, which I think helps cut down on the issues with the weird boxiness not meshing with the simple lines of the tanks and the more elegant armour, and describing the Valkyrie's operation as not unlike the Dominions' doesn't mean a lot when one considers Fire Warriors in Devilfish, Guardians, Dire Avengers, and Fire Dragons in Wave Serpents, Guard Veterans in Chimerae, and yes, even Sternguard in Storm Eagles can and do operate the same way.

The question of whether using Marine vehicles is "too awesome" in this case and a lot of the aesthetic problems are sidestepped by heading over to the Storm Eagle from the Stormraven; it's a dedicated primary-role assault transport/bomber that does one job very well instead of the Stormraven's wacky Ward shenanigans of doing every single thing better than the competition, and it's got a more streamlined and less bizarre hull construction than the Stormraven.

The Valkyrie, by contrast, is a gunship first and a transport second, it's got no precedent for arming with any classic Sisters weaponry excepting the heavy bolter where the Storm Eagle can run a multi-melta, the access points are cramped and look to be designed with smaller and more flexible carapace- or flak-armoured infantry in mind, it's got an inelegant and weirdly complicated hull structure with plenty of flimsy bits to contrast with the simpler look of Sisters' Rhino-chassis tanks and the Storm Eagle, unlike the Storm Eagle the Valkyrie's role as a single-stage surface-to-orbit plane is debatable and it may require a more extensive supply chain/supporting transports/whatnot behind the battlefield (not ideal for an organization that is supposed to have restrictions on their military hardware), and the Storm Eagle, unlike the Valkyrie, can carry a full-sized squad of Battle Sisters.

Much of this is subjective, but that's a summary of all the points that make the Storm Eagle a more logical choice to base the Sisters' transport off of in my mind.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also a quick appended observation on scale: the Space Marine video game had Guardsmen, Valkyries, and Space Marines shown next to each other on a rather different scale from the miniatures, since it's my only source on comparing the size of people in power armour to a Valkyrie that's not hard-to-see pre-mission cutscenes in Winter Assault or the notoriously not-to-scale miniatures range I would observe that putting five Space Marines and a power-armoured Inquisitor on a Valkyrie the way Relic did the cutscenes was a pretty tight squeeze and they took all the furniture out of the interior to do it, lorewise assuming you can fit fourteen Sisters of Battle (counting the door gunners) into a Valkyrie's hull compartment is a bit of a stretch to me.

I wouldn't call a Leman Russ "streamlined" - certainly not more than the Rhino chassis, anyways. It's also worth pointing out that the official designation from Games Workshop is "Valkyrie Assault Carrier", not Valkyrie Utility/Support Transport, and from what I can see this is the role it is being employed as.

Weaponswise, if you complain about the Valkyrie's rockets, then I'll just have to point at those twin-linked lascannons on the Storm Eagle's wings. Not that I actually see this as a problem, for with the Exorcist's missile launcher we have a precedent for Sororitas deviating from the Trinity when it is obvious that it can't fill the role (which is also why I have no problem with lascannons on a Sororitas Lightning).

As far as its size is concerned, I've always perceived it as 40k's version of the Bell UH-1 helicopters we know and love from a hundred Vietnam war movies (well, a hybrid between the UH-1 and the Mi-24, really), and if you can squeeze 15 guys into one of those, then I see no problem with squeezing 10 girls in power armour into a Valk. Especially as its official transport capacity is listed with "12" in the IG Codex.

The Space Marine videogame was made by different people, which might already suffice to explain possible deviations in vision - but I suppose it's also worth pointing out that a Space Marine is quite a bit bulkier than a Sororitas.


After having taken a look at the Storm Eagle, I also notice it's designed to carry 20 Space Marines (which probably means it has room for 30-40 Sisters), which may seem a bit excessive - especially if we were to use it for quick Dominion strikes.

Not saying I couldn't see it happen, but personally, I was looking for a fast and nimble means of transportation, not a ponderous flying fortress carrying an entire demi-company of troops. The more I think about it, though, I might actually end up advocating both (I do like it a lot more than the ugly Storm Raven), but then again we could just as well take the Thunderhawk while we're at it.

As for the rest, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree! As I said, writer's fiat - one could spend a day conjuring reasons for why the Valkyrie would be a bad choice, just as one could spend a day coming up with reasons for why it's the perfect fit. Same for any other flyer. Lack of detailed information and canonicity means it boils down to personal preferences.

I've homebrewed up some platoon- and company-sized dropships for the Imperial Navy for those seeking to land a lot of troops at once. These are very much big boxes with wings, though, relatively lightly armed for their size, with lots of carrying capacity.

As mentioned, most of my points are subjective and if you think the Valkyrie's more in-character that's your perogative, I'm going to keep working out the Erelim (I'd build a model if there were Sisters of Battle models I didn't loathe, I love the helmets but "power armour" and "leather corset" aren't synonymous in my mind).

Please keep working on your flier -- the more homebrewing the better!

As for Sororitas armour, the "power corset" look is more in some of the artwork than on the models.

The eighty-dollar-per-squad price tag and the moulded breast armour don't help much either. I'll let you know if my search for alternate models proves fruitful.

Would it help if you think of this zippered, studded "corset" as a dust cover? As the Repentia Mistress (and some pieces of Codex art) shows, there is an array of overlapping, interlocked fins that allow greater ventral mobility (compared to the rigid Astartes plating), but that might well be at risk of collecting dust and battlefield debris.
Now, it seems clear that the out-of-universe reason was indeed the corset look, but I think it helps to realise that it may have a practical use besides simple "decoration".

Anyways, if you don't like the miniature design, I have a feeling this could explain why you'd dislike the Valkyrie as a possible transport option - assuming you have your own mental image of how Sisters ought to look like?

 Lynata wrote:
Would it help if you think of this zippered, studded "corset" as a dust cover? As the Repentia Mistress (and some pieces of Codex art) shows, there is an array of overlapping, interlocked fins that allow greater ventral mobility (compared to the rigid Astartes plating), but that might well be at risk of collecting dust and battlefield debris.
Now, it seems clear that the out-of-universe reason was indeed the corset look, but I think it helps to realise that it may have a practical use besides simple "decoration".

Anyways, if you don't like the miniature design, I have a feeling this could explain why you'd dislike the Valkyrie as a possible transport option - assuming you have your own mental image of how Sisters ought to look like?

Stick the shoulder pads and the helmet on a smoother classic-image-of-Joan-of-Arc-esque breastplate closer to the new Tempestus Scions' torsos and you're most of the way towards what I'd want to see.

So, after giving it a thought, I too realized that maybe the Chicken chassis is not the way to go. Yeah, let's say that the SoB pilot model looks pretty darn ridiculous in the oversized cockpit of the Storm Talon .

On the other hand, I still stick to my opinion that the Valkyre isn't a good choice either. It is only slim when compared to the Storm X design, otherwise, it is so blocky you could use it in a riot to knock policemen out.

At the end, it leaves me with one choice for a SoB flyer: the Aquila Lander. This was proposed before and now count me in that camp. It has some nice Sister-y features (like the cupola) and it is canonically established that the elite of the IoM uses it as a transport craft. Oh, and it is already a FA option for a SoB army. All it needs is a BS4, Shield of Faith, a transport capacity of 12 models and the removal of the multilaser/autocannon weapon option.

But I have no idea for the gunship/interceptor.