Topic: Advice on 1000pts Sisters?

[flamebrain]

Hi all, I'm approaching my first game with some newly acquired Sisters and was wondering if you helpful folks would give my list a look over and provide some constructive criticism and maybe even suggestions as to what I should be adding when funds become available.

Canoness: Jump Pack, Book of St Lucius, Brazier of Holy Fire, Bolt Pistol, Melta Bombs
86pts

Sister Squad: 9 sisters + veteran superior, 2 flamers, auspex
138pts

Sister Squad: 9 sisters + veteran superior, 2 flamers, auspex
138pts

Seraphim Squad: 6 Seraphim + veteran superior, 2 hand flamers, Brazier of Holy Fire, Bolt Pistol, Melta Bombs
216pts

Seraphim Squad: 6 Seraphim + veteran superior, 2 hand flamers, Brazier of Holy Fire, Bolt Pistol, Melta Bombs
216pts

Retributor Squad: 9 sisters + veteran superior, 4 heavy bolters, imagifer, auspex
206pts

total = 1000pts


(This is pretty much everything I have model wise.)

Also, for anyone who plays allies, which is more effective: Sisters with allied guard or Guard with allied sisters?

Thanks for any help/advice you can give!

[Aristo]

According to advice given to my list, I'd suggest giving your Canoness and your Seraphim Sister Superiors Eviscerators instead of the Brazier of Holy Fire.
I'd also advise you drop one of your Seraphim squads to make room for other things, like an Excorsist or two. With one of those, Retributors won't be needed.
Drop the Auspex in your Sister Squads and give  the Veteran Superior Book of St. Lucius so they can use Faith. Rhinos might be a good idea too. Also instead of taking two flamers, take one and a heavy flamer.

[ravenklath]

If you feel like walking everywhere this isnt to bad you need to drop the Rets though for an excorcist (if you dont have one then i understand why you are playing with the rets)
Also drop the auspex unless you really have a problem with infiltrators in your area but you need to roll at least 18 inches and as already suggested give a book of St Lucius to every vet sister and the Cannoness so you wont have to worry so much about Ld. If you drop the Melta Bombs and Brazier off the Seraphem you should be able to afford Eviscerators for the Vet sisters they are way better plus with faith you can make yourself str 8 so you have a better chance of killing that tank as your regular sisters will become str 5 against tanks. which most imperial tanks are av 10 on the back. there are many other things i can suggest but this is it for right now im sure someone else will chime in on the rest.

[Gornon]

I would strongly suggest Rhino's for those Sisters.  Flamers are no good in a walking unit.  In addition you need some long range anti-tank.  Sisters are a strike army.  They do better hitting then getting hit.  VS a mech army, they need to knock the enemy out of their transports to get at them; if they don't the enemy will be able to pounce on the BSS and destory them. 

In addition, it is nice to be able to wreck that Vindy before it can start lobbing shots or the Hive Tyrant before it hits your lines.  I would also suggest one more scoring unit at that point level.  Battle Sisters are what does the damage in a Sister list.  I find Seraphem are the shield, while BSS are the sword.

[flamebrain]

Thanks for your responses

Yeah the retributors are there really to fill up my points and having no vehicles to draw from does slant me towards the footslogging at the moment. Would storm troopers in their place maybe be an option, giving me more scoring units at least?

I appreciate I'm a bit duffed against mechanised forces (which isn't good with most of my opponents favouring them) since I would be relying on the Seraphim to deal with any tanks though in a larger point game I would be drawing from my guard to fill up which would probably redress that balance.

Ebay willing, I will accquire some rhinos as my next purchase methinks, ol' GW just wants too much for my funds right now!

[Wombats]

Would storm troopers in their place maybe be an option, giving me more scoring units at least?

Wash your mouth out, young man!

I'll have none of that talk about fielding sub-optimal, non-faith generating units around here, thank you!

I appreciate I'm a bit duffed against mechanised forces (which isn't good with most of my opponents favouring them) since I would be relying on the Seraphim to deal with any tanks though in a larger point game I would be drawing from my guard to fill up which would probably redress that balance.

Guard is a good idea for tankbusting. 

There's nothing wrong with fielding a Battle Sisters squad with two Meltaguns its just the amount of points you could take out with flamers makes it a bit of a waste. 

I run three Jump Packing Eviscerators and two Exorcists and the Eviscerators do most of the work. 
Thats held out nicely at tournaments. 

Big problems against mechanised Eldar but then, what army doesn't if they take the cheesey upgrades?

[AfrikProphet]

what other minis do you have in your collection for sisters? that would help us out with giving you advice.

as to what I see here if you don't have any vehicles for your girls you might want to consider beefing up  the squad sizes. this will allow them to soak up some damages as they walk across the field (maybe split osme of the retributors in to the BSS squads). If you have some plasmagun toting storm troopers they might be handy walking up behind the sisters and capturing near by objectives.

Personally I like the retributors. Heavy bolter shots can be really effective against horde armies and to ebhonest its the only multi shot weapon that foot slogging sisters have access to that shoots further than 12 inches.

[flamebrain]

Well I let ebay decide between upping squad sizes and getting rhinos, the rhinos won. Thanks for all the help folks, think I'll plump for eviscerators as well. Here's hoping I can get this army off to a winning start!

[DJ-of-E]

There once was a person on this part of the forum who cried "must field 2 exorcists at all times."

That advice never lead me astray.

[Quasarcq]

I played a 1000 point game recently. I modified my 1850 list (cut out 850 points of course). The list had my Arianna build cannoness: jumpack, book, evicserator, bolt pistol, cloak and mantle.

I had two rhino BSSs. My typical build is Heavy flamer, flamer, VSS: book and combi-flamer. Or I'll swap the flamer for a meltagun.

I had to cut a few other things so my third BSSs was on foot. They got creamed by some assault marines with a jump captain.

I also had two exorcists, strange for 1000 points but they could take out half a 5man combat squad in a volley making the work easier for the rest of my sisters.

I also see a lack of books of st lucius in your build. you need a book for ever squad.
Drop one seraphim squad make the total number of the squad =8, good round number for getting that one defensive faith ability off and fairly easy for rolling low on two dice for DG or HotE if you need it.

Only Rets should ever get Auspex if you really don't know what to do with a few measly points left over.

Another tip for foot slogging: you can still run a jump cannie in a foot unit to protect her. Your enemy will most likely be advancing to you, then wham, next movement phase you jump her out, separating her from the squad to counter assault that avatar, or whatever is coming at you. If she has a mantle, then maybe she will fail one 2++, but be able to last into your enemy's combat so if she should die you will have the next shooting phase to finish of what your canoness started.

The reason for at least 2 exorcists is quite simple: d6 shots, nothing sucks more than rolling a 1, then a 1 or 2 to hit, ugh nothing accomplished here. When your exo hits a foul note it really sucks. Having multiple exorcists is just a good back up and your enemy can't focus his/her attention on just one. Just imagine being able to take out your opponent's 5-6 wound regenerating CC carnifex in a heart beat. They hate that.

There is also the brazier/combi-flamer debate. My MO is Seraphim get a brazier/evicserator combo and regular BSS VSSs get the combi-flamer. Squads that you want to shoot with should really get the extra shots... one extra S3 attack? why bother. I'm actually trying a few BSSs with Combi-flamer/brazier combos. Flame on.


And... Remember, there are no cover saves for flamers with Divine Guidance, ha, ha, ha!