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So, as all I have ever read is the sisters omnibus and the Cain books, I think it's important to point out that gaze of that particular author. It was written to make Cain look good, and the sisters as pawns to distract the horde while Cain escapes. But we must remember, both are capable of super-human fluff defying feats. Cain takes down a Black Legion Captain, as in 10k years of genetic training and fighting skill, in sword to sword combat. That would mean he is either capable of or able to on command, move as fast if not faster, than an Astartes. If we are going by Fluff levels, that makes him Vegeta, basically. Not as powerful as say Goku, but still worlds above everyone else. He sees sisters as near unstoppable god-botherers that he is actually afraid of. So that makes them Freeza level. More powerful than him, but still not Goku Level.

If we go several books later, his bodyguards of "generic" space marines that accompany him onto the space hulk are cut to ribbons by basically a bunch of Radditzes. So long story short:

No, Space Sisters are not as powerful as Space Brothers, unless sometimes, they are even more powerful than 100 Space Brothers.

In this situation:

Yagirobi - Nids (Just lives to eat)
Krillin - necrons (Able to come back from death and be just as pointless as before)
Gohan - Ultra Marines( Really?)
Piccolo - Orks (Lives to fight and is always angry, plus green is best)
Tien - IG (Still human but somehow hangs with the rest)
Popo - Custodes (He "protects" god, and rarely shows up)
King Kai - Eldar.
Chi chi - Dark Eldar.
Majin Buu - Nids
Yamcha - Grey Knights

 Gert wrote:
Martyrdom doesn't require a massacre, it only requires that you die in the name of a cause. Its why enemy leaders are so often captured rather than killed in warfare so as not to give the opposing side a figure to rally around and encourage them to fight on.

This is true, which is why I didn't lead with Martyrdom...

But rather, the 100% canonical extermination of ever sister stationed at Sanctuary 101, and the 100% canonical casualty rate at Armageddon and the 100% canonical ritual extermination at the hands of the Grey Knights.

The history and prevalence of Martyrdom within the faction and the rules designed to reflect it in game are the icing on the cake, not the whole argument.

However:

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:


No, Space Sisters are not as powerful as Space Brothers, unless sometimes, they are even more powerful than 100 Space Brothers.

This is also very relevant to the discussion, and something I mentioned in this thread months ago. Because when a Sister prays and the Emperor answers, yes, she is more powerful than a great many things in the 40k galaxy, including, but not limited to Space Marines.

Which is why 40k, and this entire thread, are dumb. Why do we ask these questions? It's impossible to quantify. Also, it's completely meaningless. There is no metric for "strong" or "powerful". There is only can or cannot. Catachans can wield HBs without power armor or a mount, that makes them as strong if not stronger than an Astartes. Sisters can heal wounds that would kill a normal Astartes. That makes them as tough if not tougher than an Astartes. Guard Commissars can out fight and kill 1000 year old Black Legion Captains. That makes them at least as capable as them. A single Gen 1 Space Marine can kill an entire cabal of Dark Eldar with just a knife, before they realize he's even there.

See how fluff reduces this entire line of thinking to rubbish?Fluff is dumb.

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
Which is why 40k, and this entire thread, are dumb. Why do we ask these questions? It's impossible to quantify. Also, it's completely meaningless. There is no metric for "strong" or "powerful". There is only can or cannot.

Why are you being a killjoy Fezz? People like to discuss 40k background and unless you ignore the premise that it's all made up and a bit silly, you just suck the fun out of it like a broken window in space. If you don't want to have the discussion then just don't, it's that easy.

Catachans can wield HBs without power armor or a mount, that makes them as strong if not stronger than an Astartes.

One Catachan can do this. Just one.

Sisters can heal wounds that would kill a normal Astartes. That makes them as tough if not tougher than an Astartes.

Some Sister can do this. It's rare that it actually happens because otherwise, it wouldn't be a miracle.

Guard Commissars can out fight and kill 1000 year old Black Legion Captains. That makes them at least as capable as them.

Cain lies. That's literally his entire deal, he lies and then others lie for him because they want the propaganda.

A single Gen 1 Space Marine can kill an entire cabal of Dark Eldar with just a knife, before they realize he's even there.

Not sure that's even close to true, have you got a source for this?

See how fluff reduces this entire line of thinking to rubbish?Fluff is dumb.

Stop being a buzzkill.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

PenitentJake wrote:

This is true, which is why I didn't lead with Martyrdom...

But rather, the 100% canonical extermination of ever sister stationed at Sanctuary 101, and the 100% canonical casualty rate at Armageddon and the 100% canonical ritual extermination at the hands of the Grey Knights.

I never said Sanctuary 101 wasn't a massacre, just that sometimes the Necrons don't exterminate all biological life. There wasn't a 100% casualty rate at Helsreach because the catacombs under the Temple were filled with civilians protected by Sisters. And yes, the ritual used by the Grey Knights was technically extermination, what of it?
How many other battles have the SoB fought that they weren't annihilated in or indeed suffered little in the way of casualties? The "SoB always get massacred" thing is very much a meme and you can tell because that's what people who don't know 40k know about them.

The history and prevalence of Martyrdom within the faction and the rules designed to reflect it in game are the icing on the cake, not the whole argument.

But martyrdom isn't a massacre, it's just death with a message. If your Cannoness dies in-game but the rest of your army lives and you use the Martyr mechanics, there was no massacre because just the Cannoness died. Space Marines have a Crusade agenda to recover fallen Astartes or Relics, but that doesn't mean they get massacred all the time.

Because when a Sister prays and the Emperor answers, yes, she is more powerful than a great many things in the 40k galaxy, including, but not limited to Space Marines.

IF the Emperor answers, the Sister MIGHT get a temporary boost of power. Much more likely she prays and then gets killed.

@Gert - Read Brothers of the Snake.

@Gert:

Sorry, I seem to have misunderstood your original post. When you said "Sisters being massacred was more of a meme than fact" I assumed that you meant they rarely if ever get massacred.

Similarly, I don't mean to imply they ALWAYS get massacred- merely that it happens somewhat frequently in established lore compared to some other factions.

I haven't seen the memes in question, which likely lead to my misinterpretation of your general point.

PenitentJake wrote:
@Gert:

Sorry, I seem to have misunderstood your original post. When you said "Sisters being massacred was more of a meme than fact" I assumed that you meant they rarely if ever get massacred.

Similarly, I don't mean to imply they ALWAYS get massacred- merely that it happens somewhat frequently in established lore compared to some other factions.

I haven't seen the memes in question, which likely lead to my misinterpretation of your general point.

Not a problem chief.

Yes, just in different ways.
Space marines are stronger in sheer brute force and equipment, sisters are stronger through acts of faith.

Its like asking if eldar are on par with space marines, yes, but for different reasons.