Captain Joystick wrote:
*Worried Laughter*

In our inaugural Battle Sister Bulletin, we took a look at some of the concept art that inspired the development of the range’s iconography. This time, we’re taking a look at their rules development…

When Chapter Approved 2018 first hit the shelves, we asked you – our lovely community – to get your Adepta Sororitas on the battlefield and send us your feedback to help our rules team make them as fun and exciting to play as possible. And you have!

First of all, if you were one of the many hobbyists that sent us your feedback, thank you very much for your help. Now that the worldwide playtest stage is over, the rules team are now in a position to write the finished version of the codex. That being the case, any feedback sent in from today onwards is unlikely to be of use to the development process, so for now, just relax and enjoy playing games with your beta rules as normal!

Of all the feedback we received, there were three main areas in the beta codex that most people felt needed improvement.

Army-wide abilities are always an integral part of any faction’s rules, as they affect not just one, but most (if not all) of the units within it. That being the case, it’s especially important that they reflect how the army fights while giving the faction a unique edge in battle. In the case of the Adepta Sororitas, many of their units are able to manifest Acts of Faith, representing the divine will of the Emperor lending aid to his loyal subjects in battle.

In the beta rules, each Act of Faith requires a Test of Faith roll to be passed in order for them to take effect. According to your feedback, the reliance on luck for the Acts of Faith to kick in has led to some games where these rules didn’t quite have the impact that players felt they should.

The Plan: The rules team are looking to rebuild the Acts of Faith system from the ground up to ensure they are both more reliable, and can be used to impact key moments in the battle – just as acts of divine intervention should. You will be as the Emperor Himself, bestowing blessings on your units as and when they are most needed.

Exorcist Missile Launcher

The Exorcist missile launcher is a devastating weapon, as its profile in the beta codex certainly suggests.Despite having the potential to inflict a whopping 36 wounds, many of you felt that the random number of shots it fires hampers its effectiveness on the battlefield. Should you roll a low number of shots, then fail some or all of the hit rolls for your precious few attacks, it can feel a little disappointing.

The Plan: The rules team are looking at how we can make this iconic, missile-launching organ a more consistent damage-dealing addition to your army. They have a few ideas already – heretics beware!

Celestian Squads

These veteran Battle Sisters are the fighting elite of the Adepta Sororitas, acting as the loyal bodyguards and sworn protectors of senior members of their Order. Even though they can be equipped with a selection of powerful wargear, your collective feedback made it clear that they struggle to compete with the other Elites choices in the army.

The Plan: The rules team will look to add a thematic new ability or two to the Celestians to help them have more of an impact on the battlefield without sacrificing their role as sworn guardians of their Order. After all, just because Celestians are protectors first and foremost doesn’t mean they can’t dish out some serious pain!

 alextroy wrote:
Very happy they acknowledge the lack of reliability makes the Beta Faith system not work based on feedback. We all will get to be the God-Emperor of Mankind (on a budget).

Voldrak wrote:
So had a game this weekend.

My list (13CP and 7FP)


Bataillon (Conviction: bloody rose)

Celestine
Canoness - Blade of Admonition - Inferno Pistol - Warlord (Indomitable Belief)

BSS x 5 - Meltaguns x 2
BSS x 5 - Meltaguns x 2
BSS x 10 - Stormbolters x 2 - CS/PP on superior

Celestians x 5 - CS/PP
Repentias x 8
Mistress
Dialogus

Seraphims x 9 - Hand Flamers x2, CS/PP
Seraphims x 9 - Hand Flamers x2, CS/PP

Repressor
Rhino - Extra Stormbolter

Bataillon (bloody rose)

Canoness - Eviscerator - inferno pistol - Brazier
Jacobus

BSS x 5 - Meltaguns x 2
BSS x 5 - Meltaguns x 2
BSS x 10 - Stormbolters x 2 - CS/PP on superior

Exorcists - Hunter Killer Missile
Exorcists - Hunter Killer Missile

Repressor


Vanguard (ebon chalice)

Tadeus the Purifier

Imagifier
Preacher
Preacher

The list was not optimal on points as I wanted to be WYSIWYG as much as possible and I am short on stormbolter models. Nonetheless my strategy was to keep my core together for a 4++ bubble and move from there.

My game was against an IG Catachan player with a pretty standard tank list. 2 x Leman Russes, 2 x Baslisks. Some sentinels, a hellhound, ogryns, bullgryns and plenty of bodies.

My opponent had placed the table before I got to the store and there was a lot of LOS blocking terrain mid-table which should have been good for his artillerie. However I lucked out and got to chose my side of the table. I had an objective advantage and knew he'd have to come to me.

I used the terrain to my advance and blocked LOS and forced him into a combat where I tied most of his units.

Things that worked well:



-Ebon Chalice Imagifier - I had to keep her out of sniper LOS since she was my vessel splasher. Turn one she did +1 to hit and got me a solid shooting phase that killed a hellhound, a sentinel and gutted a few guard squads. Turn 2 everything moved +3 inches to stay mostly out of LOS. Turn 3 everything fought twice, after charging, and decimated his infantry units.

-Seraphims - I used their stratagem twice, it was ok, but they did not have any optimal targets. They acted as a solid thread to his basilisk and leman russes however as he had to focus them down or risk getting tied. I dropped them on turn 2 and 3 and was able to keep the pressure up. Second squad even managed a charge on a sentinel and piled into a leman russ mitigating his shooting for a turn. They did their job.

-Repentias - Kept their ride out of LOS and moved them center of the board. This gave them optimal threat capacity and their charge turn 3 was devastating. They got to fight twice at 4 attacks each. Supported by sisters and a few characters they cleaned 5 bullgryns, 4 ogryns, a command squad, 5 rattlings and several guardsmans. I was really happy with them. Second time fielding them and they obliterate anything they touch if you go twice with them. Make sure to multicharge units that cannot overwatch back to maximize their potential.



I need to work on optimizing points and unit composition, but this was still a fun game.


Things I would change:

Repentia stratagem. The mortal wounds are near useless since they generally overkill what they touch. Besides they have so much potential, you do not want them dying in close combat. Give them a stratagem where they can get a 4+ feel no point until their next turn and I will spend that command point every time instead.

Spirit of the martyr - Its ok, but would be better if you could use at any point during your movement phase. I would like to be able to vessel this one and possibly heal multiple units, tanks etc. The restrictions on movement however means you're rarely in a good position to use this one.

Command Points VS Faith points. - I ended the game with 0 CP, but still had 2 FPs left by the end. I would allow Sacred Rites to work both ways while your warlord is alive. Transforming a FP into a CP and vice versa would give a lot more tactical flexibility. I cannot see that stratagem ever being used otherwise.

Vessel is a crutch of a stratagem. Too much works around it. Why not scale it from the Faith Points themselves? 1 FP and you get to target a unit, spend 2 FP and you get a 3 inch bubble around the unit and for 3 FP you get a 6 inch bubble cascading act of faith? It would give value to have more faith points and make some order convictions and Sacred Rites much more interesting.

 Jancoran wrote:

The Imagifier still triggers an Act of Faith on a unit on a 4+, even though its Simulacrum Imperialis is useless to anything but itself, correct? Do you then expend a point or is this free? I'm not 100% clear on it, but it seems like it would still be free.

Q: If I am using the beta Adepta Sororitas codex, but I include
an Imagifier from Index: Imperium 2 in my army, which
rules should I use for its Simulacrum Imperialis ability - those
printed in Index: Imperium 2 or the updated version of that
ability printed in Chapter Approved: 2018 Edition?
A: If you are using the beta codex, you should use the
updated Simulacrum Imperialis rule as printed in
Chapter Approved: 2018 Edition: ‘Add 1 to the result of
Tests of Faith for a unit whilst it includes a model with a
Simulacrum Imperialis.’

Voldrak wrote:

 Jancoran wrote:

The Imagifier still triggers an Act of Faith on a unit on a 4+, even though its Simulacrum Imperialis is useless to anything but itself, correct? Do you then expend a point or is this free? I'm not 100% clear on it, but it seems like it would still be free.

Not according to the FAQ for chapter approved.

Q: If I am using the beta Adepta Sororitas codex, but I include
an Imagifier from Index: Imperium 2 in my army, which
rules should I use for its Simulacrum Imperialis ability - those
printed in Index: Imperium 2 or the updated version of that
ability printed in Chapter Approved: 2018 Edition?
A: If you are using the beta codex, you should use the
updated Simulacrum Imperialis rule as printed in
Chapter Approved: 2018 Edition: ‘Add 1 to the result of
Tests of Faith for a unit whilst it includes a model with a
Simulacrum Imperialis.’

So basically, your Imagifier is a character that can carry a Simulacrum and you have to use the new rules for it.

That means that the passion which would normally trigger on a 5 does so on a 4 on her. If she is Ebon Chalice, then she triggers on a 3. It's useless if she's by herself, but with Vessel of the Emperor it can be very powerful.

Without vessel, she's an expensive, and useless, 50 points character.


Adendum: She's actually more expensive than 50 points since you have to dedicate a force org for her unless you want more of your forces to be ebon chalice. In my case she cost 150 points since I got her in a vanguard detachment. It could be done cheaper, but not by much.

 Captain Joystick wrote:

The rules team are looking to rebuild the Acts of Faith system from the ground up to ensure they are both more reliable, and can be used to impact key moments in the battle – just as acts of divine intervention should.

*Worried Laughter*

 John Prins wrote:
Didn't one edition have AoF happen on Leadership tests?

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:

 John Prins wrote:
Didn't one edition have AoF happen on Leadership tests?

Else it was “Roll above number of models in unit” or “Roll below number of models in unit”.

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:

 John Prins wrote:
Didn't one edition have AoF happen on Leadership tests?

3rd edition, but only for characters not in a unit. Else it was “Roll above number of models in unit” or “Roll below number of models in unit”.

 Giantwalkingchair wrote:

Just hoping they are listening to good ideas. Don't want to be a victim of sisters being forced t o be horde to make more sales.

PuppetSoul wrote:
I think that's why most of us hate the Beta Codex: because it makes Sisters' most competitive build a slow, tedious, gimmicky horde army.

 pretre wrote:

PuppetSoul wrote:
I think that's why most of us hate the Beta Codex: because it makes Sisters' most competitive build a slow, tedious, gimmicky horde army.

I don't know that you can really speak for 'most of us' on this one.

 Jancoran wrote:

PuppetSoul wrote:
FOOT SISTERS really only works with Bloody Rose, because it causes the Sisters to become a melee swarm that has to be respected: letting it reach you and succeeding on a Passion makes it the equivalent of getting caught by multiple squads of Choppa Boyz, and everything short of T8 goes down to weight of dice.

Taking an Ebon Chalice Imagifier in a patrol of a non-Order character (Celestine, Uriah, etc.) and a single MSU BSS squad fulfills the only purpose Ebon Chalice serves: fielding a target for Vesseling Passion.

 Giantwalkingchair wrote:
Anyone got any advice for vs GSC? Had a bad game against them recently (first time against them) and wasn't expecting the amount of bs. Bikers in my deployment zone turn 1 popping an immo and then moving back into their own deployment again. Blob squads loaded up with stupid amounts of hand flamers popping up 3" away and completely annihilating multiple sister squads. Abominable or abberants or whatever they're called and their reducing damage by 1 (that was a rude surprise after using blessed bolts on them).

I think I responded okay, inexperience vs them considered, had the sense to get rid of or lock down the bikes pretty darn quick and throwing exos into the goliaths while they were a ways off so as to avoid their auto explode nonsense and 12" heavy flamers *salt*
Unfortunately I couldn't recover as I was playing reactive (and my dice were doing their thing by being ice on the table).

Short of deploying further back in my zone and creeping forward to stay out of bike shenanigans range and using the exos to pick off things and taking a vindicare to deal with characters, not sure what else to do.

PuppetSoul wrote:
Dialogus do not have the Order keyword, therefore sticking Indomitable Belief on her does basically nothing (same for half the relics). The only characters who can carry Indomitable Belief or the Brazzer and have it function are the Canoness, Mistress and Imagifier.

Taking multiple Dialogus is pointless.

Simulacrum is bad on anything other than an Imagifier, especially for Ebon Chalice. You already succeed on most rolls on a 2, and you can't succeed on a 1. You also can only use the +1 invuln strat once per game, so you can't get multiple stormshield squads. The only one that really benefits from it is The Passion, and that is only a real threat on the characters or if you're Vesseling it, meaning either way it'd be targeting a character.

TPT really only works with Bloody Rose, because it causes the Sisters to become a melee swarm that has to be respected: letting it reach you and succeeding on a Passion makes it the equivalent of getting caught by multiple squads of Choppa Boyz, and everything short of T8 goes down to weight of dice.

Taking an Ebon Chalice Imagifier in a patrol of a non-Order character (Celestine, Uriah, etc.) and a single MSU BSS squad fulfills the only purpose Ebon Chalice serves: fielding a target for Vesseling Passion.

 Giantwalkingchair wrote:
Anyone got any advice for vs GSC? Had a bad game against them recently (first time against them) and wasn't expecting the amount of bs. Bikers in my deployment zone turn 1 popping an immo and then moving back into their own deployment again. Blob squads loaded up with stupid amounts of hand flamers popping up 3" away and completely annihilating multiple sister squads. Abominable or abberants or whatever they're called and their reducing damage by 1 (that was a rude surprise after using blessed bolts on them).

I think I responded okay, inexperience vs them considered, had the sense to get rid of or lock down the bikes pretty darn quick and throwing exos into the goliaths while they were a ways off so as to avoid their auto explode nonsense and 12" heavy flamers *salt*
Unfortunately I couldn't recover as I was playing reactive (and my dice were doing their thing by being ice on the table).

Short of deploying further back in my zone and creeping forward to stay out of bike shenanigans range and using the exos to pick off things and taking a vindicare to deal with characters, not sure what else to do.

 Giantwalkingchair wrote:
Anyone got any advice for vs GSC?

 Jancoran wrote:
LOVED those Sniper Pistol guys. Wow. so good. Definitely will see more of those in lists I'm sure. It's like 65 points of "why wouldn't you".

PuppetSoul wrote:

 Jancoran wrote:
LOVED those Sniper Pistol guys. Wow. so good. Definitely will see more of those in lists I'm sure. It's like 65 points of "why wouldn't you".

Helen Kellermorphs. The best part is they're not even 65pts: only 60.