# Suggestions for Newbie with Sisters of Battle



## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

I just started playing Warhammer 40k when I inherited my friends Witch Hunter Army. I am learning quickly, but many of the finer touches of strategy are still very lost to me. I heard this is the place for WH40k discussion. 

Can anyone recommend some good WH tactics that can help me win against some more experienced players? Tips on which units that are great and which to avoid would also help.


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## Rahmiel (Jan 3, 2009)

With SoB you have probably noticed that you are limited a 48 inch shooting range so you want to your units mobile. Rhinos are a staple for any sisters force. The best strategy is to keep your units to a min size of ten and put them in rhinos. Rush them up and deploy and shoot everything to hell with assault weapons, then charge. Dominions and Sereaphim are equally good in this style of army. I personally tend to use Dominions for two reasons, they give me more armor and anti tank, and I have some. If you have Seraphim then use then to harass enemy infantry and rush back out harms way. Face it sisters are frail. Repentia are nice and kick butt, but they take forever to get into combat and they will get shot to pieces before they become effective. Celestians are beautiful, especially in a transport. Utilize faith points to the extreme, they have helped me so many times in a pinch situation. Exorcists are gonna be your fire ranged fire support always take two, they are bullet magnets. Penitent engines are animals def take them rush them up and get them into combat asap. WH inquisitors are for SHOOTHING. Take gun servitors and give the Inquisitor a plasma pistol (better range than inferno pistol). Give him carapace armor so that he can benefit from the mixed armor rule. I wouldn't really mess around with Storm Troopers they can't do too much that the sisters can't already. Hope this can help. If you have any more questions just post again or pm me n I can help.


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## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

Thankyou very much for the suggestions Rah. 

What you mention to me seems to coincide with other suggestions people have for WH around here, so it sounds good. I will deffinitaly use the info. 

Now I am curious about several things.

I tend to play very deffensively and I am overly cautious about sending my Rhino full of sisters straight up the front without hiding behind cover. I suppose though I need to be more aggressive and use my exorcists as cover fire for my Rhinos. 

What do people think about Retributer squads with Heavy Bolters? Personally, I like the range it enables me. Should I mount them in a Immolator aswell and leave them back as cover fire while the Immolator pushes up the front taking out infantry?

Lastly, Cannoness' seem pretty good with a Celestian squad. In that case is an Inquisitor Lord with a shooting Retinue worthwhile, and perhaps putting them into a Landraider? The Lord seems a little point heavy for what could possibly be replaced by another good squad. 

On the other hand, if I did take the Inquisitor, I could then also use my Calidus which I am excited to reek havoc with. 

Thanks :good:


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## Mivarlocht (Jan 26, 2009)

Arcane said:


> Lastly, Cannoness' seem pretty good with a Celestian squad.


Have you considered giving her a Jump Pack and moving her in and out of a Seraphim Squad? Really helpful when facing snipers as you can shift her into the unit, and then, should you be faced with the possibility of close-combat, you can move her away from the squad and allow the Seraphim to benefit from their Hit-and-Run rule.


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## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

That seems like a decent idea. I suppose it depends on what one was facing. 

I am still a little confused on the rules about shooting at independent characters. 



> 3. You can’t shoot at an Independent Character if he’s within 6" of a unit (even if
> it’s a vehicle and he’s not), unless he's the closest model at short range(12” or
> less). If he has joined a unit you may not shoot at him even if he is the closest
> model within short range.


If I understand this FAQ correctly then as long as an independent Cannoness is within 6" of any unit and is not the closest target, she cannot be fired upon.


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## Rahmiel (Jan 3, 2009)

Heavy bolters are great and your second longest range weapon. With the squad mounted in an immolator with heavy bolters you can really put out some shells each turn. As far as the cannoness thing: Celestians are really nice to shoot things up and charge. Mivar makes a good point, but I prefer to use transports so they don't get shot up. So mounted in a rhino they have a better survivability, this a defensive thing. The Shooty inquisitor is good, you can get more heavy bolters and a plasma cannon more whoop with more range. The land raider is only good in large games. N you can't go wrong with a callidus (my personal favorite).


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## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

Right, and it seems like it may be better to put the Celestians in a Rhino rather than a Immolator, to force them to pick a target instead of giving them one really juicy target. 

And I think 5th edition negates the FAQ I sighted in my previous post :hq:


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## Phenatix (Feb 15, 2009)

Hmm... When a unit disembarks in the moement phase, it counts as stationary right? So if you moved your Rhinos 12" up then let them out next turn... It still let's them move and shoot? Giving you either (x shots at 36") or (2x shots at 30") - I'm not sure if that's right? Maybe I'm reading something wrong?

^that all happens in 2 turns^

EDIT: Whoops, "them" refers to SoB Units.


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## BrotherR (Oct 10, 2008)

generally I move my rhinos in a column with the lead rhino popping smoke if not able to disembark and fire. also remember you can fire 2 figures from the top hatch. I am currently using a dominion squad w meltaguns loaded in an immolator with multimelta. this has become my tankbusting unit.

also you can take an elite inquisitor and still take your assassin


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## Phenatix (Feb 15, 2009)

Ouch... That sounds rough. Can units fire from Fire Points even if the thing moved 12"?


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## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

BrotherR said:


> generally I move my rhinos in a column with the lead rhino popping smoke if not able to disembark and fire. also remember you can fire 2 figures from the top hatch. I am currently using a dominion squad w meltaguns loaded in an immolator with multimelta. this has become my tankbusting unit.
> 
> also you can take an elite inquisitor and still take your assassin


I thought only Marines could have two fire from the point on top. Otherwise, I was under the impression that Sisters could only have one.


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## BrotherR (Oct 10, 2008)

there is no army restriction. A rhino comes with 2 fire points which is the top hatch. any army can fire from the fire points. as for firing after moving 12 I go with the type of weapon. Say I moved my immolator 12 inches I would be unable to fire the multimelta but my melta guns are assault guns so I am able to fire them. So far noone has disputed it and I can find nothing to say I can't.


PS I looked in the rules discussion and supposedly on page 66 of the BRB it says no firing from fire points at cruising speed(for rhinos over 6 ") so I stand corrected.


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## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

They must have added an additional fire point in 5th edition then because all my 4th edition books state that the rhino has only 1 fire point, at least the inquisitorial or battle sister one...


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## Sephirros (Feb 6, 2009)

Yeah I was curious on the Fire point issue as well. Why do Space Marines get to have 2 fire from a single point and yet no one else can if you go pure RAW? It would seem to me to be just the opposite since SM guys are friggin hulks, try crowding them around a tiny firing port compared to some svelte little nuns with guns.


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## Tai (Dec 26, 2008)

you can't assume that WH should have a strategy that makes their rhinos invincible, or ANYTHING they have for that matter. dont be scared of charging 12 inches with 3 rhinos and just popping smokes. they may take some hits, but the next turn, you'll have 30 sisters rolling out using 4-5 faith points (rending bolters + flamers?) with your exorcists laying down some cover. focus on 2-3 enemy units per turn, and with some luck you'll simply overrun your opponent at midrange

as said before, they are frail, and dont expect to win combat all the time, even with seraphims. some pistols just dont match up to a power fisted space wolf

also on that note, i would advise against putting the canoness in your seraphim squad, becuase they'll lose their hit and run special rule, which is ESSENTIAL. you leave combat after your opponents assault phase, then assault again your turn to benefit from a faith pointed flamer charge, as well as the extra attacks from charging. if you want a super unit in there, take St. Celestine, because she can hit and run as well


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## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

I agree about the Cannoness. The question with her then becomes what unit is she better to put with, Celestians?

But then I have been thinking, what about an Inquisitor Lord with a Plasma/heavybolter retinue as the HQ, and just have them sit back and take shots.


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## BrotherR (Oct 10, 2008)

I apologize I am wrong the rhino and immolator both only have 1 fire point it is the chimera that has 2. Sorry if I mislead anyone.


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## Inquisitor Einar (Mar 6, 2009)

I generally field my cannoness as a 1 woman assault force. 
Cloak of st.Aspira + faith = 2+ invulnerable save, works wonders against just about anything. Give her a mantle of ophelia to soak up the first unlucky 1 you roll against some instant kill attack. ( rapid firing plasma squad, or a lucky lascannon )
Blessed blade and she assaults with 4 attacks at str 5, and is nearly unkillable in close combat by anything. Ties up units nicely and you can martyr her when you need 2 more faith points ( around turn 4, when she's racked up a nice kill score )

This is my usual setup for her:
Cannonnes
Jump Pack
Mantle of Ophelia
Cloak of st Aspira
Blessed weapon
bolt pistol
frag grenades
melta bombs

in 5th ed. an IC with a jump pack gets the 'skilled rider' and 'relentless' skills for free when they have a jump pack, so you can reroll dangerous terrain checks and get an extra die on difficult terrain checks. A very nasty surprise for your enemy when you jump 12 inches straight into cover/terrain and assault him.
She can also deepstrike because all jump packers can in 5th ed.

As for inquisitor retinues, I've yet to come up with an effective retinue that can do something and also is worth it point wise. While the models are all very cool, and you can customize very well with them, in the end, it's all just too darn expensive.
The only thing that I've found that is removetly worth it, is an inquisitor with 3 heavy bolters and a couple of accolytes with bolters and carapace armour.
Usually I stuff my inquisitor with my stormtroopers as something to soak up 2 extra wounds in that squad to protect those 2 plasma guns I have in there. And to be able to field a callidus and a landraider.


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## runewizarddd (Dec 3, 2008)

IC's automatically get Move Through Cover, not Relentless, and they get both MTC and Skilled Rider even if they don't have a jump pack (p. 47). You have the right rule, just not the right name for it.

That setup on the Canoness is very expensive points wise, though it is very powerful. I run her without the mantle or jump pack, but that's because I also run her as an extra HQ for my SM force, and she ends up cheaper than any of the SM HQ choices.


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