Sisters of Battle

A set of fully painted Sisters of Battle miniatures.

In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Sisters of Battle, also known as the Adepta Sororitas, are an all-female army of warrior-nuns attached to the state church of the Imperium of Man. They focus on hunting and destroying heretics, often working alongside members of the Inquisition. The heraldic symbol of the Adepta Sororitas is the Fleur-de-lis.

In the tabletop miniatures wargame, the Sisters of Battle are a playable army.

Gameplay mechanics

The latest ruleset for the Sisters of Battle is available in the Codex: Adepta Sororitas, which was published as an e-book.

Many units possess an ability called an Act of Faith. Once per game, a unit may employ this ability to grant herself and her comrades a particular buff for one turn, provided she passes a Leadership test.

The Sisters possess no psykers among their ranks, but they are allowed to use psyker auxiliaries.

The Sisters of Battle are not superhuman like Space Marines, but they do wear power armor and wield similar weaponry. They have a fondness for flame weapons, as they see great symbolism in "cleansing fire", which orientates them towards short-range combat. In the later releases a so-called Holy Trinity of bolter, flamer, and melta became a staple of their weaponry.^[1]

Overview in fiction

The Sisters of Battle were officially founded in 36th Millennium by the Ecclesiarch Alexis XXII as Ordes Militant.^[2] They were formed in the aftermath of a coup d'état by the previous head of the church. After the usurper was deposed, the Imperium decreed that the church could no longer maintain any "men at arms". The wording of this decree left a loophole permitting an all-female force. Most Sisters are orphans who were abandoned to the care of the church.

The Sisters are led by an Abbess and are organized into Orders. There are Six main Orders and a host of smaller orders. As the militant arm of the church, they are tasked with suppressing witchcraft and heresy, and guarding the Imperium's shrine worlds. They often work with the Inquisition, as their responsibilities overlap.

Inspiration

The Sisters bear a resemblance to several knightly orders from Medieval Europe, such as the Templers and have a strong Gothic feel. Many of their heroines have the personae and attitude of Joan of Arc (especially in Martyrdom and Sainthood). Being an elite army of female zealots, they also bear some resemblance to the Fish Speakers from Frank Herbert's Dune universe^{[citation needed]}

The design of the models themselves have a strong fire motif. They also take the Gothic appearance of the Imperium to the extreme: the Exorcist tank is shaped like a pipe-organ on treads. Forge World produces alternate versions of their tanks, which have a more "military" and less gothic look.

References