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Hello you fine chaps, tis I, the fantastic Benny Badmen come seeking lore help!

After finally taking my dirty Space Marine chapter to the chopping block, basically taking a freaking hacksaw to 1/3 of the damn thing, I've finally finished. So now I'm moving onto another project while chipping away at an Eldar Craftworld. You all dropped some fantastic information in regards from where to start and begin... Albeit, it'll be months before I finish the damn thing.

ANYWAY! As the past speaks for itself, you people usually know the finer details then this dirty scrub.

So I've done my research on them and one thing keeps striking me; why are they so limited? You think them being such a huge aspect especially since it's a military branch, there would be more variety for them. I'd think they'd have some form of actual tank, maybe a variant of Leman Russ tank or something but they don't, which is just bizarre... To me, anyways.

Would it be forgiven to expand on their current in the vehicle department, maybe using modified guardsmen vehicles to fit their theme or is that out of the question?
Sororitas Unit List

Is there any information lingering about that properly describes the numbers an ordinary Order Militant usually has? I know there are different Shrine Worlds and other related places where one to a few hundred sisters will protect but a definitive number would be fantastic!

Regarding Orders Non-Militant, I've noticed there's quite a bit that differ immensely; sometimes it's like night and day. Would it be out of the ordinary for a sector, with a rather imposing Ecclisiarichal presence, to have ten, maybe even twenty Orders Non-Militant?

Here's an example of one such Order Non-Militant that seems a little out of the norm, but hey, that's just me: Order Vespila

Lastly, and my personal favorite; Abhumans. What I'm thinking of is regiments mainly comprised of Abhumans while ordinary humans usually play the role of officer within said regiment or Tempestus. The idea is similar to slavery, as in Abhumans are simply employed by Imperial Forces to play meat shields, slave labor, that sorta thing. You'll rarely see a Mongrel, basically a blend between Beastmen and Human, where a commissars jacket or be a licensed doctor. Humans, genuinely pure humans have more value because, well, they don't deviate from the normal human strain. As such, there's a certain benefit to being a human within the sector.... So, would that be possible or am I talking out my here?

Thanks for any comments in the future and please, for the love of whatever god you believe in, don't call the Inquisition. (Sooo much heresy)

The Sororitas are far more hardline than most other Imperial organizations when it comes to abhumans and the like. It is one of the tasks of the Sororitas to perform "genetic purity sweeps" through the worlds where they are found. Those deemed to have strayed too far from baseline humanity are purged. Thus, you don't see Ratling or Ogryn Sisters, nor Felidae. Those are all considered mutants by the Sisterhood.

The Orders are broad classifications of the "mission parameters" of a given group of Sisters. So, in your example of a sector with a high Ecclesiarchal presence, it may have several of these Orders represented. Making things slightly more confusing is the fact that they also call a given group of Sisters an "Order" as well. So you might have an Order Militant in a sector that is called "The Order of the Argent Blade", which is supported by an Order Hospitaler, "The Order of the Merciful Flame", facilitating the operations of an Order Dialogous, the "Order of the Quill".

In most cases, though, you will have only single examples of these sorts of units in a given region of space. One Preceptory of an order of Sisters Militant, one Commandery of Sisters Hospitaler, and so on. One might consider an Order of Sisters to be thematically similar to a Chapter of Space Marines, though there is far more mobility between Orders for Sisters than there is Marines between Chapters (which is virtually none, apart from the Deathwatch).

The Lexicanum article breaks the organization down pretty clearly:

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Adepta_Sororitas#Structure_and_Hierarchy

 Benny Badmen wrote:
Lastly, and my personal favorite; Abhumans. What I'm thinking of is regiments mainly comprised of Abhumans while ordinary humans usually play the role of officer within said regiment.

This used to be a thing back in Rogue Trader days (and maybe 2nd ed). Imperial Guard armies could use Beastmen as troops and they were described just as you say, cheap throw-away fodder to clear a path for the real humans. So it's in no way impossible if the local branch of the Ecclesiarchy can wrap their heads around it - as I recall the rationale before was that being a mutant/abhuman was a sign of your sins but you could gain redemption by fighting (and dying) for the Emperor. You'll probably get some nasty tension between the Sororitas and the local Administratum over the issue which could make your setting even more alive. Or dead if the SoB decide to purge the mutants and mutant-kissers. :-)

So I've done my research on them and one thing keeps striking me; why are they so limited? You think them being such a huge aspect especially since it's a military branch, there would be more variety for them. I'd think they'd have some form of actual tank, maybe a variant of Leman Russ tank or something but they don't, which is just bizarre... To me, anyways.

The Exorcist is pretty damn close. Whilst it looks like it should be an artillery vehicle like a whirlwind, it has heavy frontal armour and it's a decent match for the Astartes Predator.

Remember that the Adepta Sororitas aren't exactly a front-line military; I mean - they are, and one of the most elite ones in the Imperium, too. But they rarely go off to full-scale war by themselves. Internal purges, yes, of a world's population or even (when they're feeling confident) of an astartes chapter. Or accompanying a War of Faith.

But because they only really exist as a legal 'cheat' to allow an organisation sworn not to maintain a standing army to maintain a standing army, it's in the Ecclesiarchy's interest not to draw attention to this by equipping them beyond their traditional capabilities.

The Sororitas' wargear is just as ritually significant - probably more so - than the equivalent wargear in Astartes service. They don't just grab extra stuff and paint a fleur-de-lys on the side of it. If they need long range siege artillery, or big-ass battleships, or whatever, you'll generally find it provided by the guard, or the navy, or the Inquisition (directly or indirectly).

There's nothing wrong with a guard regiment (or tempestus regiment or whatever) being assigned to support them.

Is there any information lingering about that properly describes the numbers an ordinary Order Militant usually has? I know there are different Shrine Worlds and other related places where one to a few hundred sisters will protect but a definitive number would be fantastic!

Regarding Orders Non-Militant, I've noticed there's quite a bit that differ immensely; sometimes it's like night and day. Would it be out of the ordinary for a sector, with a rather imposing Ecclisiarichal presence, to have ten, maybe even twenty Orders Non-Militant?

Depends on the sector, but generally you'll find that only one or two orders turn up in a given easily-traversable region (like a sector). There is no maximum size for an order - minor orders may only be a single convent somewhere, but the bigger orders simply create a new preceptor or commandery alongside the existing ones whenever you get a new area of responsibility assigned to them.

The best example is (unsurprisingly) the Order Of Our Martyred Lady - it's the only one we have any detailed novels covering - Fire & Faith and Hammer & Anvil.

A Major Order, it's based at Ophelia (along with two others). But it has enough members to field an army capable of taking a fortified city on Neva (admittedly an important cardinal world), plus enough to re-occupy Sanctuary 101 (approximately a short company by astartes or guard terminology) from far enough away that they didn't really know what happened. A major order is likely to have dozens or more preceptories across the galaxy - the equivalent of several guard regiments of troops.

How many in a sector? Depends. The 'biggest' recognised subdivision is Preceptory, which is implied to be multiple company equivalents (as the Commandery is a company-analogue).

In Legion of the Damned, a cemetery world has a couple of dozen. Vraks had the same. You'll probably rarely find a world with a 'cardinal' without a sororitas mission, but hundreds or more will only occur where there's something really important - a sector cathedral with dozens of saints and the sector synod, for example, or a critical nexus of pilgrim routes.



Disposable abhuman regiments are definitely a thing. As noted, suicidal beastman units are a good way to buy you time to extract units you give a damn about from the battlefield.