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 gorgon wrote:

 Daedalus81 wrote:
I can't wait to see what you'll have to say about the codex.

If Dakka has taught us anything, it's that complaints don't exactly end with the release of a codex and minis.

For some people it seems complaining is the major part of their GW hobby. Which is fine - it's both social and economical, so why not?

I actually don't mind Repentia. But GW should play up the grittiness on them, with scars, a super aggressive stance, battering and tear on the chainsword and tattered cloth they wear, etc.

 Melissia wrote:
I actually don't mind Repentia. But GW should play up the grittiness on them, with scars, a super aggressive stance, battering and tear on the chainsword and tattered cloth they wear, etc.

Huh, rare day when I'm agreeing with Melissia, but that would be a good idea. Make it seem like they've been fighting for quite sometime, that they've earned their scars on their path to repentance for the Emperor.

 ZebioLizard2 wrote:

 Melissia wrote:
I actually don't mind Repentia. But GW should play up the grittiness on them, with scars, a super aggressive stance, battering and tear on the chainsword and tattered cloth they wear, etc.

Huh, rare day when I'm agreeing with Melissia, but that would be a good idea. Make it seem like they've been fighting for quite sometime, that they've earned their scars on their path to repentance for the Emperor.

At least for me, Repentia should look less like this:



And more like this:


And its not a problem with "sexualization" but with the idea that sexy naked women don't reflect the crazyness that repentia should show. And is not because I have a problem with sexy naked women, Witch Elves, etc... I'm absolutely fine with that.

If they make a return, I would hope for the bottom image, the levels of madness and self-mutilation in form of scourging, blinding or being unable to speak fits right in with the madness of the setting, but I think the GW of now wouldn't go that far.

 Melissia wrote:
I actually don't mind Repentia. But GW should play up the grittiness on them, with scars, a super aggressive stance, battering and tear on the chainsword and tattered cloth they wear, etc.

Yeah. There's even hope with how the Darkoath models are scarred and are better models for it.

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:

Exactly. Because a few month ago, Sisters of Battle were not planned for release. They went from "Not planned for release" to "planned for release". Which is a great thing.

Though does mean 2019 Q3 is about earliest you should really hope for the release.

 Galas wrote:

 ZebioLizard2 wrote:

 Melissia wrote:
I actually don't mind Repentia. But GW should play up the grittiness on them, with scars, a super aggressive stance, battering and tear on the chainsword and tattered cloth they wear, etc.

Huh, rare day when I'm agreeing with Melissia, but that would be a good idea. Make it seem like they've been fighting for quite sometime, that they've earned their scars on their path to repentance for the Emperor.

At least for me, Repentia should look less like this:

Spoiler:

And more like this:

Spoiler:

And its not a problem with "sexualization" but with the idea that sexy naked women don't reflect the crazyness that repentia should show. And is not because I have a problem with sexy naked women, Witch Elves, etc... I'm absolutely fine with that.

I completely agree. They are all basically taking the walk of shame from Game of Thrones (but with chainsaws and the walk is to the enemy, and there is actually scrolls covering them up in all the places most people for some reason like to look at less than genocide, gore, murder and chopped off limbs)

Exactly, the body-horror aspect of Repentia needs to be played up.

Now that I think about it, I'd like to see Repentia scrapped as a unit and reintroduced as leaders of Adeptus Ministorum flaggelant units. I'm talking about pure Blanche body horror freakshow lead by a Sister towards glorious redemption, Joan of Arc style.

 His Master's Voice wrote:
Now that I think about it, I'd like to see Repentia scrapped as a unit and reintroduced as leaders of Adeptus Ministorum flaggelant units. I'm talking about pure Blanche body horror freakshow lead by a Sister towards glorious redemption, Joan of Arc style.

Thats another cool option. At the end of the day Eviscerators are one of the coolest loking weapons in all of the Imperium, we need more units and characters that can take and use one.

 His Master's Voice wrote:
Now that I think about it, I'd like to see Repentia scrapped as a unit and reintroduced as leaders of Adeptus Ministorum flaggelant units. I'm talking about pure Blanche body horror freakshow lead by a Sister towards glorious redemption, Joan of Arc style.

I could get behind that.

 Manchu wrote:
Yes, I took the opportunity to mention Sisters in just about every survey response. I guess I am skeptical that it took a formal analysis of a survey to get us here. I mean, GW itself was already doing the teaser jokes before that. So the alternative explanation is, GW already knew they had a Sisters "problem" but the survey indicated it was a Big Deal and caused GW to advance Sisters in the queue. So in that case, in 2017, Sisters were planned for release sometime after 2019?

I genuinely don't think they had a clue and the prior "teasers" were exactly what they appeared to be - trolling at Sisters fans' expense to please the meme-numpties in Twitch chat. The survey showed them what a colossally stupid move that was, and now they're scrabbling to do some damage control. I don't know that Sisters were planned for release at all. They might have been on a list of things they planned to get to eventually, but I doubt they had a concrete release date and were probably on-course for another throwaway Codex and an edition's worth of being ignored.

I mean, we're talking about GW here, being completely oblivious is their whole shtick.

I kinda want to see Repentia wearing ministorum-supplied day to day clothing. Tattered and stained from charging about in it in a Berzerk rage, sure, but "repenting through mad charges with no armour" should need to mean "wearing a few loose strips of leather".

I see nothing wrong with the current design of Repentia sisters. They're actually pretty modest compared to what they could be.

Granted, I love Slayers from Fantasy, so I don't mind a bunch half naked warriors seeking death.

personally, im hoping for the models to get mostly a plastic update, and not to many design shifts. I imagine the recent Celestine models Geminiae are likely where they will work from.

still loaded with cautious optimism about this. i have a fair bit of metal sisters in a few states of build.but i am hoping to see some kind of render of the models to come sooner rather than later, as my concern mostly hinges on how I hope they will look. I'm trying to not get to excited until then.

as for the repentia commentary, ill just say that id prefer it if either they stay about the same or they work in even more ferocity or body horror into them. these are the slayers of 40k, wearing the cloth of their old wargear and throwing themselves body and mind frequently until death towards their oaths. this is often voluntarily to make up for a failing that sometimes is merely perceived, or not even their own. very few survive this, but some actually do return back to regular service.

it's the bit about the piece of wargear i find quite interesting, as if it's a remnent of what they once were and well "Emperor willing" as some might say, what they can be again. thus a fair few comments about changing their clothing certain colors or other details just don't seem sensible to me. if that is indeed their tattered cloth element of their once wargear, which has a certain meaning about it then id like that to stay.

I always liked Blanche's Repentia concept.

When you think of the distinct faction identity of Sisters, three things stand out above all others:

(1) all-female military order
(2) fanatical religious devotion
(3) normal humans in power armor

Repentia exist because there is inherent drama in taking away their power armor. By removing one of the most important defining visual components - in favor of constructive nudity, no less; i.e., the strongest possible contrast - the designer is emphasizing the other two points. This is an example of good design precisely because it's a simple change that vividly reinforces the overall strength of the faction identity.

Repentia are therefore a MUST as far as I'm concerned. Is there any room for sex appeal? I think so. First, because a big part of 40k is the twisted, hyper-parodic exaggeration of early modern Christian religious fanaticism, including latent hang ups about sexiness and carnality. Now this isn't a matter of cheesecake. Rather, this should be guided by the same analysis described above. The key is emphasizing contrast: the beauty of the Repentia should emphasize their brutal zealotry. If you just give them brutish physiques, you're sacrificing the drama that makes the unit a good idea in the first place.

Boring, for pretty much any reason at all, is the wrong direction.

That concept art is pretty good in general, but she still looks too well protected for a repentia to me.
Isn't the point of being a repentia is to be placed in much danger as possible to show your devotion to the emperor, and to prove that you are still protected by him? Wearing armor seems counter productive to that end.
The art with the scroll piercings seem more appropriate.

That concept art really works better for a character.

Hmmm... I absolutely fail to see how by being beauty and sexy Repentias emphasize their brutal zealotry. I understand your point about Christianity but... I don't actually see it as relevant, or as important to reflect what Repentia should reflect.

I think the mutilation reflects more how much in grace have they fall at the eyes of themselves and the Imperiums, and how crazy they are to do that willingly based in their unbreakable faith. You don't need to give them brutish physiques, the image I cropped up there shows how they are normal women, probably they where beautifull before doing all those mutilations, but beauty means nothing for them. Is all about their faith.

Hows that boring?

 Melissia wrote:
That concept art really works better for a character.

I was thinking the same. It works better for a Repentia Character that has survived a ton of time as a Repentia, and she has "passed" the repentant state, but she just doesn't consider herselff worthy of wearing power armour again.

And it's a nice concept, too. Dual boltguns and a +1s powersword, perhaps?

That concept art was turned into a 54mm model aeons ago though, becoming the first Repentia model ever:

 Galas wrote:
I absolutely fail to see how by being beauty and sexy Repentias emphasize their brutal zealotry.

It's the simple trick of upturning assumptions. Female physical beauty is often associated with frailty and daintiness, perhaps especially in the Christian tradition. The idea of a woman who is both conventionally good looking and fit (that is, not "masculinized") at the same time that she is ready to go hand-to-hand with daemons is interesting. (A male example would be how James Bond is a bit of vain dandy even while doing badass stunts.)

 Galas wrote:
I understand your point about Christianity but... I don't actually see it as relevant, or as important to reflect what Repentia should reflect.

Sisters are 100% psycho-level hyperbole of "gothic" Christianity (generally meaning, post-Reformation anti-Catholic propaganda in England). Basically, almost nothing is more relevant to their style/idiom.

 Manchu wrote:
When you think of the distinct faction identity of Sisters, three things stand out above all others:

(1) all-female military order
(2) fanatical religious devotion
(3) normal humans in power armor

Repentia exist because there is inherent drama in taking away their power armor. By removing one of the most important defining visual components - in favor of constructive nudity, no less; i.e., the strongest possible contrast - the designer is emphasizing the other two points. This is an example of good design precisely because it's a simple change that vividly reinforces the overall strength of the faction identity.

Repentia are therefore a MUST as far as I'm concerned. Is there any room for sex appeal? I think so. First, because a big part of 40k is the twisted, hyper-parodic exaggeration of early modern Christian religious fanaticism, including latent hang ups about sexiness and carnality. Now this isn't a matter of cheesecake. Rather, this should be guided by the same analysis described above. The key is emphasizing contrast: the beauty of the Repentia should emphasize their brutal zealotry. If you just give them brutish physiques, you're sacrificing the drama that makes the unit a good idea in the first place.

Boring, for pretty much any reason at all, is the wrong direction.

Couldn`t have said better myself.

 Manchu wrote:

 Galas wrote:
I absolutely fail to see how by being beauty and sexy Repentias emphasize their brutal zealotry.

It's the simple trick of upturning assumptions. Female physical beauty is often associated with frailty and daintiness, perhaps especially in the Christian tradition. The idea of a woman who is both conventionally good looking and fit at the same time that she is ready to go hand-to-hand with daemons is interesting. (A male example would be how James Bond is a bit of vain dandy even while doing badass stunts.)

But thats not what Repentia represent. Thats what a normal Sister of Battle hero should represent. Repentia are here to represent the madness of the Imperial Cult and religion in general, how absolutely faithfull and loyal women, for the most insignificant of failures, that many times aren't even real failures or sins, are willing to sacrifice and throw themselves at the hands of death, without any care for their personal security or their own life, just seeking forgiveness at the eyes of their God.

Repentia are here to represent the worst of the Imperial Cult just like Archo-Flagellants.

Of course you are entitled to your oppinion, and I don't think you are objetively wrong. We just have diferent visions with whats more important to the feel of Repentia, each one with their own reasonable reasons for that.

 His Master's Voice wrote:
I'm talking about pure Blanche body horror freakshow lead by a Sister towards glorious redemption, Joan of Arc style.

I think this is where some male models (i.e., Frateris Militia) could come (back) in - which is a very different role from Repentia. Repentia are not hopefuls who couldn't/have not yet made the cut (that's more of a Space Marine design concept) but rather fully fledged Sisters who are taking a mature, informed step toward even greater devotion.

Aren't Frateris Militia forbidden by the degree passive? They would be men under arms, wouldn't they?

 Galas wrote:
But thats not what Repentia represent. Thats what a normal Sister of Battle hero should represent.

As you can see from my three-point list above, this is what all SOB represent. Repentia reinforce that faction-wide identity by showing the same theme from a different angle. I think the point is, it's not the power armor that makes these women so dangerous and effective. It's the women themselves. So the fact that they have feminine bodies is a key part of that. And because we're talking about action heroes in 28mm, I think "feminine" is indicated by something fairly conventional, just as "masculine" means something very conventional in this genre, at this scale.

 Galas wrote:
Repentia are here to represent the worst of the Imperial Cult

I completely disagree there. I think they are close to the pinnacle of religious purity, at least from the POV of their own world. But yes, as you say, we can agree to disagree on this point.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Aren't Frateris Militia forbidden by the degree passive? They would be men under arms, wouldn't they?

As a standing military unit yes. As a mob of devoted faithful whipped into a frenzy by the Ministorum and/or the awe-inspiring example of the Sororitas, no.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Aren't Frateris Militia forbidden by the degree passive? They would be men under arms, wouldn't they?

Thye are just Imperial Citizens helping out - not an offical military maintained by the Chruch. Thats fine - like Crusaders are just special bodyguards.