Goatboy’s Warhammer 40K Meta Hotness: January 2023 – Arco-Flagellants
Goatboy here, and this week, the new hotness is the Adeptus Sororitas armies featuring Arco Flagellants. They are doing very well with the current dual-wave-style threat army.
The new Pre-LVO 40K hotness rolling under the current Meta wave of CSM/Aeldari is the Adeptus Sororitas. This is an army with something that engages you with pressure initially to keep you stuck and then brings the second punch to finish you off.
Pressure armies are not a new thing in 40K with the whole idea of getting close to the opponents army, locking them in their zone, and just crushing the primary for three turns. The next innovation in this style of build – especially with some army’s point adjustments – is creating a pressure army that basically has two waves followed by an all-comers approach to shooting. Sisters are well positioned to do this, and with the current Meta change coming after LVO – they might be just the perfect army to bring to any post-balance event.
Cheap Pressure Unit
Arco-Flagellants grant you some cheap pressure just by being able to ride in Rhinos and come out and threaten things quickly. The Rhino ride is a huge benefit as it basically allows you to control the engagement as you see fit. They are hidden well enough in a decently protected box and when you want to unless them they can vomit out like some kind of death cult cyborg assassin.
Decent Amount of Attacks
Arco-Flagellants have a decent amount of twin-linked and sustained hits 1 attacks that they can overpower an opponent with damage. They come in swinging at Strength 5, which is more than enough to murder thru some of the MSU style armies you see in CSM as well as any horde options that might pop up. Plus, you can start to stack up some +1 to wound options too, and watch as they hit a unit, throw out a ton of attacks, and wound things on a 2+.
Arco-Flagellants are Survivable
These Arco-Flagellants have an Invulnerable save as well as a 4+ FNP. This is huge on a cheap little model as you watch them crush into a unit. Then of course you can have them fight on Death as well which is a huge pain in the butt as you can be “aggressive” in applying pressure with this unit. Really the key is they are in a Rhino, hard to kill anyway, and can wreck you if they touch you.
A Sample Tournament List
The following list Colin Kay to win the Denver 40K Fight Club Jan Open this past weekend. You can see how it uses the Flagellants to pressure and then the Paragon Warsuits to clean things up as they slowly move forward and prepare to unless damage.
Adepta Sororitas
Hallowed Martyrs
Strike Force (2000 Points)
CHARACTERS
Dialogus (30 Points)
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Dialogus staff
Morvenn Vahl (125 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Fidelis
1x Lance of Illumination
1x Paragon missile launcher
Palatine (65 Points)
• 1x Palatine blade
1x Plasma pistol
• Enhancements: Blade of Saint Ellynor
Preacher (50 Points)
• 1x Zealot’s vindictor
• Enhancements: Saintly Example
Triumph of Saint Katherine (125 Points)
• 1x Bolt pistols
1x Relic weapons
BATTLELINE
Battle Sisters Squad (100 Points)
• 1x Sister Superior
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
1x Condemnor boltgun
1x Power weapon
• 9x Battle Sister
• 9x Bolt pistol
7x Boltgun
9x Close combat weapon
1x Meltagun
1x Multi-melta
1x Simulacrum Imperialis
DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
Sororitas Rhino (75 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Hunter-killer missile
1x Storm bolter
Sororitas Rhino (75 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Hunter-killer missile
1x Storm bolter
OTHER DATASHEETS
Arco-flagellants (130 Points)
• 10x Arco-flagellant
• 10x Arco-flails
Arco-flagellants (130 Points)
• 10x Arco-flagellant
• 10x Arco-flails
Arco-flagellants (130 Points)
• 10x Arco-flagellant
• 10x Arco-flails
Crusaders (25 Points)
• 2x Crusader
• 2x Power weapon
Crusaders (25 Points)
• 2x Crusader
• 2x Power weapon
Crusaders (25 Points)
• 2x Crusader
• 2x Power weapon
Death Cult Assassins (35 Points)
• 2x Death Cult Assassin
• 2x Death Cult power blades
Exorcist (160 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Exorcist missile launcher
1x Heavy bolter
1x Hunter-killer missile
Exorcist (160 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Exorcist missile launcher
1x Heavy bolter
1x Hunter-killer missile
Exorcist (160 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Exorcist missile launcher
1x Heavy bolter
1x Hunter-killer missile
Paragon Warsuits (200 Points)
• 1x Paragon Superior
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Multi-melta
1x Paragon grenade launchers
1x Paragon war mace
• 2x Paragon
• 2x Bolt pistol
2x Multi-melta
2x Paragon grenade launchers
2x Paragon war mace
ALLIED UNITS
Callidus Assassin (90 Points)
• 1x Neural shredder
1x Phase sword and poison blades
Vindicare Assassin (80 Points)
• 1x Exitus pistol
1x Exitus rifle
1x Vindicare combat knife
Using the Arco-Flagellants
Look, two-wound models who move fast, have a 4+ FNP, Shield of Faith, and can poor out a ton of attacks is a threat to so many things. I would think the only issue would be smashing into some 2+ save models. While some armies do have them, you are not nearly seeing as many of those units as you did before. Of course, with DA coming – this might be something to worry about, but it is great to see Sisters win an event and wreck shop. Go Arco-Flagellants!
