Warhammer: Sisters of the Omnissiah - Allies Post Slate

The term ‘Soup’ tends to refer in 40k to an army composed of more than one faction, often in terms of either Chaos or Imperium, although it’s existed for nearly every army at some point in the game’s history.  Often, ‘souping’ is as simple as adding in something like an Assassin or 10-man squad of an Imperial Agent, often in forces lacking consistent Lone Operatives or objective play pieces.  In 10th Edition however, one specific combination may have just gotten quite a bit more appetizing for the forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus — Battle Sisters, and their Immolators.  I wanted to get on the ground early and talk about the ally choices for Admech post-slate, with a focus on these nuns with guns as the new meta emerges following the balance patch.

Via Imgur

First and foremost, what were Admech taking as allies previously?  In short: Very little, barring the use of an Assassin, such as the Culexus or Callidus, both competent pieces for objective play.  Yes, there were some lists taking the odd Kyria Draxus pre-nerf, or even Inquisitorial Agents, but by and large Admech preferred itself pure.  The bonuses we received from Skitarii Hunter Cohort meant there was little reason for the faction to play models who weren’t receptive of the army’s buff, nor able to use its stellar stratagems.  So, what changed, and why are Sisters now on the menu?

Via Reddit

Well, Skitarii Hunter Cohort got nuked, naturally.  Not nearly as bad as it could have been, but with point hikes to both flavors of Pteraxii and Vanguard, most of the meta lists went up around 50pts, with some chicken lists also feeling the bump on Ironstriders.  This has led many to believing that Skitarii Hunter Cohort might not be the top option anymore, even though much of its suite is still going to see play, purely because the army cannot physically go without Vanguard (or Skystalkers).  The other clear given here is the inclusion of Skorpius Disintegrators, which have gone unchanged as one of the best Main Battle Tanks in the game, able to consistently knock out any transport in 2 shots, or with 2 tanks shooting.

In order to facilitate these Tanks, as well as the now point-efficient Corpuscarii Electro-Priests, one of the main things they’re weak to — cover — has now been surmised as the next hurdle to finding a solid list.  Lo and behold, the beautiful Immolator.

The Immolator is a juiced-up Dedicated Transport for 115pts, 30pts more than our standard fare.  For that, you’re getting an extra point of Toughness, a 6+ invulnerable save, and some Twin-Linked Multi-Meltas, which help double down on anti-tank hulls in the list, alongside Disintegrators.  In addition, you receive the ability to split a unit of Battle Sisters, which seems innocuous but has massive implications for objective play.  You see, aside from having some Melta keyword guns of their own, Sisters are able to ‘sticky’ objectives, meaning you’re able to retain control even while not on the point.  Normally, we use Rangers for this role, but aside from their Battleline keyword, Rangers are decidedly…mediocre.  Not having to take Rangers means we can have just Vanguard as Battleline, and being on Sisters as well as 1-2 Immolators means we’re preferably taking a detachment that doesn’t directly benefit Admech models with too many strings attached.  Lucky for us, there’s Rad-Zone Corps.

Via Warhammer

In Rad-Zone, one of the pivotal Stratagems available is Lethal Dosage, giving a unit’s shooting Lethal Hits; this, paired with things like Marshal-led Vanguard, or Corpuscarii, allow us to throw a brutal round of hits against nearly anything, including vehicles, thanks to the rerolls via Marshals, or sheer quantity of fire via Corpuscarii.  Our 1 unit of 115pt Sisters turning into objective play pieces, essentially 2x5 at ~65pts apiece, is fantastic, as wiping 3+/6++ models in cover with small arms fire is shockingly difficult unless you’re dedicated to the task.  Therefore, our Battleline are ignores-cover Lethal Hits at midrange, our Immolators often are ignores-cover Melta at close range, and our Disintegrators are ignores-cover anti-tank at long range; you get the picture, here.  While Vanguard remain adept at being anti-infantry at midrange, Corpuscarii help double this down, and are stellar area denial pieces at either 5 or 10-man squads.

The above list is an example I’ve been practicing with in games against some local competitive players, and have enjoyed immensely.  Yes, there’s an argument to be made the Corpuscarii should instead be 2-3 5-man squads, or that there should be Infiltrators or an Enginseer somewhere in this list, but it’s more of a means to prove how good Sisters & Immolators are alongside their Martian brethren.  Rad-Zone asks so little of your Admech units, meaning you’re essentially invited to spam out allies as above, and opponents wanting to flee the radiation are incentivized to move into the midboard, where Corpuscarii & Immolators await them.  It’s somewhat fitting for the fire-loving Sororitas to so cherish the nuclear capabilities of Admech, and the overlap invites some fun conversion work I hope to attempt in the near future, as I’ve been using either software (in the case of TTS) or borrowed models to test this list at present.  You simply have too much Melta, and too much Anti-Infantry, to not be taken seriously by even a varied list.

Via Tale of Painters

There’s also the argument to playing Rad-Zone with Breachers and a single Immolator, such that half of your sisters start on the board, immediately able to sticky an objective.  That’s certainly reasonable, as the Breachers provide overwhelming covering fire, but ultimately I feel testing will be the determinant.  How many Corpuscarii, in how many units?  1 or 2 Immolators? Coteaz?  There’s lots of questions, but right now I’ll be jamming both Data-Psalm Conclave in fun games, and Rad-Zone when I really want to put the hurt on someone.

Hunter Cohort is likely to adapt, but I’d be lying if I felt it not to be a shell of its former self.  Only the niche builds that previously did well, ie 30 Rustalker ‘all-in’, have survived in any reasonable capacity, and even then I’m hesitant to say they’re having the best of times with bumped-up Vanguard.  Admech is in a good place right now, and once the dust settles, I think we’re likely due to remain untouched baring a velvet glove through the end of the edition; the initial errata fixed nearly all of our issues, and at this point we’re down to 5-10pt changes on some key units.

Via Reddit

What kind of allies are you adding to Admech following the changes?  Do you think it’s better to run pure, or take friends along?  How are you converting allied units to fit your army theme?   I’d love to hear what you’ve been thinking in the comments below!