How To Play Adepta Sororitas In Warhammer 40K
Today take a look at some basics of how to play Adepta Sororitas in Warhammer 40,000.
The Adepta Sororitas is a classic faction with great flavor in Warhammer 40K. They’re an army with amazing recent sculpts and a wide variety of units, with an impressive array of infantry.
They’re an interesting army that relies on using Faith and effective short range firepower. Playing the Sororitas is no easy task, and getting into 40K at all can be daunting. So below we will offer some tips on how to play Adepta Sororitas and get started with them.
Who Are The Adepta Sororitas?
The Adepta Sororitas are also known as “the Sisterhood” or “Daughters of the Emperor“. They’re an all-female subdivision of the religious organization known as the Ecclesiarchy or Ministorum.
The Sisterhood’s Orders Militant serve as the Ecclesiarchy’s fighting arm. They mercilessly root out corruption and heresy within humanity. That includes every organisation of the Adeptus Terra.
The terms “Adepta Sororitas” and “Sisters of Battle” are commonly assumed to mean the same thing. But the latter title technically refers only to the Orders Militant, the military arm of the organization. This faction is the largest and the best-known part of the Sororitas.
Why Play Adepta Sororitas
Do you like humans who use Faith in the Emperor as a shield? How about close-range firefights? Do you like mechanical robot babies and tortured penitents?
These are ordinary women armed with the finest guns and armour using their Faith to fight superhumans, aliens and daemons of the Warp. And they win. Sound exciting? If so, then the Adepta Sororitas is the army for you.
Strengths of an Adepta Sororitas
- Army wide Faith acting as a force multiplier for key units.
- Able to field hordes of cheap, well-armoured infantry, great in a close range fight.
- A wide variety of powerful and esoteric units.
- One of the best all new model ranges in the game.
Weakness of an Adepta Sororitas
- No wide access to long ranged firepower.
- Smart play is needed to make the most of Acts of Faith.
Adepta Sororitas Army Rule
- Acts of Faith– generate and use miracle dice to perform fabulous acts with precision.
Adepta Sororitas Detachments
Hallowed Martyrs
- Rules: The Blood of Martyrs means your units get more effective as they take damage.
- Enhancements: Most of the these impact Miracle Dice, but the Mantle of Ophelia is an amazing defensive piece.
- Stratagems: Rejoice the Fallen allows swift revenge when Sisters are killed. Pity the enemy who kills just one Retributor.
Pentinent Host
- Rules: Pick a powerful Vow of Atonement each turn to enhance model with the Pentinent keyword.
- Enhancements: Refrain of Enduring Faith is a nice whole unit invulnerable save.
- Stratagems: Get a unit to last a bit longer with Purity of Suffering.
Bringers of Flame
- Rules: Fervent Purgation gives a basic buff to all of your units using short ranged Assault type weapons.
- Enhancements: The Manual of Saint Griselda is a nice and reliable way to manipulate Miracle Dice.
- Stratagems: Cleansing Flames greatly increases the damage of a close range unit, giving Devastating Wounds to Torrent weapons.
Army of Faith
- Rules: Sacred Rites plays directly into your army rules, allowing all your units to do two Acts of Faith per turn.
- Enhancements: The Blade of Saint Ellynor can generate a lot of Miracle Dice if the bearer gets into some chaff.
- Stratagems: Faith and Fury gives a units melee weapons the Lance ability.
Key Units To Know
Adepta Sororitas have a sizable unit roster and knowing what units to take can be very hard.
Leaders
Triumph of St. Katherine
This amazing centerpiece model gets to pick from a list of no less than FIVE aura buffs each turn and gives you a Miracle Dice of ‘6’ every turn. Blessed!
Saint Celestine
Saint Celestine is a Unique, flying Leader that is all about survivability. With Lifewards for Celestine herself, Healing Tears to resurrect models in her unit, and coming back to life after she herself is removed, Celestine is distinctly tougher than most other things to which Sororitas has access.
Canoness with Jump Pack
This Canoness has a new hat! Er, I mean, Jump Pack! Enjoy the mobility of a Seraphim with the utility of a Canoness!
Canoness
Your prototypical army leader. Canoness’ are an essential part of almost all Adeptus Sororitas armies. They can be tooled up to fill a variety of roles. It is possible to give them good weapons, and they greatly benefit from the army enhancements, so they can contribute in a fight while buffing her unit significantly with Lead the Righteous.
Palatine
The Palatine is a lower ranking Sisters Leader than the Canoness, but is very effective in her own right. I recommend attaching her to Sacresants, where Fury of the Righteous and Rapturous Blows will be especially brutal.
Ministorum Priest
The Priest is an interesting Leader choice with a somewhat limited choice of units to join. Those that are joined greatly benefit however, with Righteous Smiting and Zealot making any a vicious combat threat.
Battleline
Sisters Squad
The backbone of an Adepta Sororitas army will be its Sisters Squads. As the primary Battleline selection available to the army, the efficient Sisters units pack power armour and boltguns standard, but can have the flamers and meltas Sisters know and love. They form the solid backbone upon which your army functions, gaining Miracle Dice for your army when holding objectives.
Novitiate Squad
Units composed of inexperienced Sisters looking to gain battlefield experience with their Impetuous Fervour. Due to their Kill Team origin, they have many interesting upgrades.
Other Units
Paragon Warsuits
Sisters equipped with might Paragon Warsuits, this unit brings strong melee and strong shooting to bear, while being one of the more durable units available to the Sororitas. Righteous Paragons gives them flexibility and means they won’t be bogged down.
Zephyrim Squad
These jump-pack wearing wearing, close combat wielding Sisters are fast and mean business. This unit is a great alternative to Repentia for those who like to keep their Faith and angelic looks – and still retain solid armor. The Zephyrim can zoom around the tabletop quickly, and make quick work of enemies in melee with potent power swords once they get there. You wanted to Always Be Charging with Zephyrim, due to their Embodied Prophecy.
Celestian Sacrestants
Elite close-combat oriented Veteran Sisters, the Sacresants greatly benefit from being joined by a Leader, especially the Palatine, due to their Sworn Protectors rule.
Retributor Squad
Sisters Squads with heavy weapons! They are one of the few long-ranged options in the army (and the sole choice for infantry!), Retributors rarely fail to make an impact with appropriate target selection. Some things can only be solved with four multi-meltas! When in doubt, burn em out!
Repentia Squad
When Sisters break the rules, they’re stripped of their armour and given large two-handed Eviscerator chainswords. They’ll have to use them to atone for their failures in the crucible of combat. While their disciplinary structure may be questionable, no one can question the effectiveness of Repentia. They’re experts at removing enemy units in close combat– if they can make it there in one piece.
Penitent Engines
So you are a Sister army on the go. What on Terra will you do with all these heretics you have been capturing? You cannot just burn them all (well… maybe). You have to do something so they can be valuable and contribute. Well just strap that chap into a whirring death-robot. Problem solved!
Arco-flagellants
The lobotomized Arco-flaggellants are an interesting choice and horde-clearers extraordinaire who greatly benefit from having a Missionary or Preacher attached.
Exorcist
The Exorcist missile tank provides one of the army’s sole sources of long range heavy firepower (besides the Castigator), and it is highly efficient.
Sample Starter Army (2K)
Army: Adepta Sororitas
Leaders
Canoness . 1 Model. She is equipped with: plasma pistol; power sword; rod of office
Battleline
Sister Squad. Ten Models. They are armed with bolt pistol; boltgun
Sister Squad. Ten Models. They are armed with bolt pistol; boltgun
Other Units
Repentia Squad. Ten Models. They are armed with a penitent eviscerator
Paragon Warsuits. Three Models. They are armed with bolt pistol; multimelta; 2 storm bolters; Paragon war blade
Zephyrim Squad . Five Models. They are armed with: bolt pistol; power sword
Penitent Engines. Two Models. Every model is equipped with: 2 Ministorum heavy flamers; 2 penitent buzz-blades.
Penitent Engines. Two Models. Every model is equipped with: 2 Ministorum heavy flamers; 2 penitent buzz-blades.
How To Play Adepta Sororitas
The Adepta Sororitas are a complex army that favors a dynamic playstyle. They rely on their Faith, over-lapping buffs, and overwhelming precision to work. Concentration of short range firepower and exacting close combat is a must. They should use their efficient infantry to engage enemy units, while elite forces engage and destroy the enemy on their terms. Individually their units can seem weak. But they are as strong as their Faith, so they can overwhelm an unsure enemy with key dice rolls. They are a challenging to play, but rewarding army.
