Tactica: Jump Pack Canoness (Anti Tank)

Welcome to another installment of Tactica. This time I will be talking about Jump Pack Canoness. This is sometimes referred to as the Flying Nun of Doom, for obvious reasons. She can be one of two things: Incredibly awesome, or incredibly bad. You will probably end up using atleast 1 faith point on this lady per turn after the first turn (if not the first turn).

First things first, You do not need to take a Flying Nun with a retinue of Seraphim. I personally think this is somewhat wasteful of possible contesting units/ units to destroy the enemy. I think the best possible way to take a flying nun is to take 2, and a squad (or more) of seraphim. What you want to do is first turn, send one flying nun towards one target, send another nun towards another target, and send your seraphim towards a third target (generally the toughest target, I will explain why later) Make sure that your nuns are in cover, and if possible your seraphim too.

Before I go much further on lets talk about set up:
I generally run them as Anti Tank, so lets talk about that.
With one nun you want:
Jump pack, Cloak of St. Aspira, Mantle of ophilia, Eviscerator, inferno pistol. Most people take a Book of St. Lucius, but I do not as most likely my canoness will not be near any of my other troops. I take the jump pack for obvious reasons. Cloak of St. Aspira gives your canoness 2+ armor save. I would take Evicerator so when you get into combat, you are pretty much going to destroy the tank, but also I take the inferno pistol to try to take out the tank before I have to assault it. The combo of the evic and inferno pistol almost assures me that I will destory the tank. The mantle of Ophelia is one of those things where it is only one per army. Put this on one of your canoness, this will save you from insta kills :).
For the second cannoness have her have the same things, minus the Mantle of Ophelia.
The seraphim, because they are essential for this should have 2 inferno pistols w/ the VSS w/ inferno pistol and evicerator. This will for sure blow up tanks :)
The reason for giving so much anti tank shtuff is well, its an anti tank Jump Pack Canoness post...

Now moving on to actual tactics.

Set Up Tactics:
Figure out which target you want each unit to take out. I generally have my canonesses go after rhinos/walkers/chimera, while my seraphem go after predators/dreads.
I set my units up as close as possible to their targets, while still in cover of either a rhino, or another unit, but if possible go behind terrain that blocks line of sight.

1st Turn Tactics:
Send em on out, they probably wont attack at all this turn, but the seraphim you may be able to take some shots but probably not. Your best bet is to send your phim/canoness up as far as you can that will ensure that you are able to hit next turn. If you can then throw them in cover. If they are not in cover you may want to throw a faith point on the sister with out the mantle of ophilia, and throw on some Spirit of the Martyr.

2nd Turn Tactics:
Turn two is when you should be able to jump within three inches (you hope atleast) of your target. Jump shoot inferno pistols, assault if you must. Sometimes you will destroy the target with the inferno pistol, not always though. With your phim, use your hit and run, so that you can come back next turn, and repeat. So that goes, Jump, shoot, assault, hit and run (if possible), rinse and repeat.

3rd Turn Tactics:
Destroy what ever target you are on if possible, and go after other targets, and make sure if you are doing objectives, you make your moves in the general direction.

4th Turn Tactics:
Get within 15 inches of objective if playing for that, if not, kill shtuff.

5th Turn Tactics:
Go for contesting objectives. Get their, plant your butt on the objective, and you have atleast contested it.

More to come...

In the Grand Scheme of Things...

By mid of summer I hope to have the following (due to conversions and scratch builds and shtuff...)

2 Jump Cannoness models(with many magnetizing shtuff to customize em.)
2 Regular Cannoness (with many magnetizing shtuff to customize em.)

30 Celestians
3 Rhinos
3 Immolators
18 acro-flagellents
9 Death Cult Assassins
57 Sisters Repentia and 3 Mistress

120 Sisters of Battle
6 Rhinos (maybe 12)

30 ish Dominions (yes this will possibly Include some of my regular sisters)
3 rhinos
3 Immolators
42 seraphem (for max custom stuff)
9 of something special that you will see soon, that will use the custom vehicle rules :)

3 Immolators
3 Exorcists
9 Penitent Engines

This is what I am currently working at. I plan to have between 120-150 sisters of battle by Summer time. Since I am actually carving most of the sisters of battle pieces out of epoxy putty, I will be molding a lot of it. This will help out on time. I will have WIPs up and how to stuff up for each individual type of unit. So thats a few How to stuff coming up soon.

Also soon to come is some more tactica.

Best Battle Sister squad layout

If you want a tricked out awesome squad choice you do this;

Veteren sister supperior, tricked out with what ever will help you with what army you are facing.

One heavy flamer

One melta

Seven battle sisters

Rhino with smoke

This is just an awesome buinld
This is awesome

Cannoness Conversion

I found this picture on ebay. This is an awesome conversion using the living saint model and eldar swooping hawk wings.

This has made me think that I want to have atleast two converted living saints in my army to act as Jump Cannoness. Though I may not use them always, I want that ability.

I have one criticism of this piece. Swooping hawk wings, naw, go for the Pegasus wings :)

Plastic Arbites

I love Arbites, they are to me, the bread and butter of the Inquisition. I really want to get a hold of the metal arbiters from the Necromunda collection, but am rather low on the funds to buy these awesome models. So another great conversion from http://roguehallow.com/, the plastic arbite, I will be cranking these out as well fairly soon.

As it says on the website, the components are as followed:

o One (x1) set plastic Space Marine Scout legs
o One (x1) Scout shotgun
o One (x1) set plastic Space Marine arms including shoulder pad
o One (x1) Cadian torso
o One (x1) Cadian head, helmeted with chinstrap in place
o Holstered pistol, pouches, and grenades
o Green stuff

I think when I end up doing this I will follow this exact set of components. Check out the web site, it has awesome conversions including regular terminator to grey knight terminator, along with many other awesome sculpts.
(all conversions © Games Workshop)

Plastic Sisters of Battle

I saw this pic after I decided that I wanted to make Plastic Sisters and now I have something to base it off of. This is not mine, this is by a guy http://roguehallow.com/ This guy has amazing sculpts. Go check it out he is very talented.

On his website he gives the following instructions on how he built this fig:
Components:
o One (x1) c. 1998 plastic female Dark Eldar Warrior
o One (x1) Space Marine or Chaos Marine boltgun
o One (x1) Inquisition icon or Terminator Honor
o One (x1) Sisters of Battle metal backpack
o Space Marine grenades, pouches & purity seals
o Green stuff


My personal plan is to take this basic look, but use slightly different components.

What I plan on using is:
One (x1) Female Eldar body (including legs)
One (x1) Space Marine or Chaos Marine boltgun
One (x1) Space Marine backpack and covert it to the sisters of battle back pack.
Space Marine/ IG gernades, pouches, and purity seals.
A lot of green stuff.

I plan of sculpting a several heads, one similar to the helmet of the sisters of battle, several hooded heads that will be modelled after the hooded sisters of battle found in the picture on page 13 of the witch hunter codex (on the right hand side center.) I will then mold these heads and use these for every sister head in my army, as I do not like the heads that most sisters come with. I may even end up doing a full sculpt of the body, and mold that.


(all conversions © Games Workshop, this fig was converted by a Daniel at http://roguehallow.com/)

Tactica: Retributors

Retributors, 1 of 5 heavy support choices for the Witch Hunter army. Can come in a variety of different forms, each of which I will go over.

First of all lets go over why you would use Retributers:
1.) You are facing an infantry heavy army, with weaker troops (like foot slogging orcs, Imperial Guard, Tyranid, actually pretty much anything would work, but Necrons, Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, and Witch Hunter/ Sisters of Battle may be harder to deal with with retributers.) The reason for taking the retributors would be to provide many shots and hopefully more chances to wound and even kill your enemy before he/she reaches you. In this case you would probably want to take Heavy Bolters, because 12 shots from a Heavy Bolter can do a lot of damage.

2.) You are playing a friendly game, and feel that 3 exorcists in your heavy support slots are cheesy (which they are IMO). Also exorcists you take a risk, I have played games were I role 1 or 2s the entire time. When you are shooting 3 ap 1 missiles, your chances of doing a lot of damage are slim. Then again I have played a game where I have rolled a lot of 5s and 6s, and 15-18 ap 1 missiles heading towards a deathwing termi army... well you just gotta see your opponents face :), but Its risk.

3.) You have a themed foot slogging army. I had a foot slogging themed army for a while, pretty fun. Not the most effective way of playing sisters of battle.

4.) You are playing a game against a Highly Mechanized army, ie Imperial Guard army mounted in Chimera, or Space Marines mounted in Rhinos. In this case you probably wanna take Multi Meltas, (E GASP! Multi Meltas, no one uses those! before you get all shocked, just check out the how to use it part)

5.) If you have the models and you want to use them :) (always a good reason, right?)

Keep in mind this is not the only reasons to take rets, this is just a small list of why, I am sure you can think of more ways.


RETRIBUTOR SET UPS

Looking over the codex I can see several ways of setting up retributors. I will go over several ways of setting them up. Some of these are by no means the best way of setting them up, (I believe the best set up is Heavy Bolters mounted in Immolator with Heavy Bolters.)

You have several options for retributors. You must have atleast 5 units in your squad, 1 is a Sister Superior. My first bit of advice is if you are taking any type of sister of battle squad, make sure it is faithful. It is basically a waist if you don't, 14+ points for 1 faith point, that is well worth the cost.

Here are the following upgrades for a retributor squad:
1.) Veteran Sister Superior
2.) 1-5 more Sisters of Battle with boltguns
3.) VSS replace bolt gun w/ bolter pistol and close combat weapon.
4.) If you take VSS you may arm her up with Armoury Shtuff, I will go into detail in set up what you would wanna take from armory.
5.) Frag Grenades
6.) Krak Grenades
7.) Imagifer
8.) Heavy Bolters
9.) Mutli Meltas
10.) Immolator
11.) Rhino
12.) Repressor

Now lets go through each one of these upgrades and when you want to use them.

1.) Veteran Sister Superior:
You always want to take the Veteran Sister Superior, if you are taking any sisters of battle squads make sure they are faithful, consider the 14 extra points as a requirment to field this unit, always take it, I am serious, its worth the points just to make this squad faithful, it also adds another faith point :)

The ONLY ONLY ONLY time you should not take the VSS is if this is the only faithful unit you take. ie, you have a Witch Hunter army, with Inquisition lord/s, arbites as troops, acros, assassins, or Inquisitors for elites, arbites as troops, no fast attack (unless you use a house rule that an arbite squad mounted in a repressor counts as fast attack) and You take exorcists, orbtial strikes, penitent engines, and a ret squad.

2.) 1-5 Sisters w/ boltguns:
I would use this only if you have points, and your sisters are not mounted in an immolator. This could be useful if you are tank hunting or termi hunting, and you set up your MM rets, and then use your other sisters as wounds :)

3.) Replace Boltgun w/ Bolt Pistol and Close Combat Weapon:
Why would you do this? Do not do this, won't help, as you want to keep this squad out of assualts, as they will loose.

4.)Armoury for VSS:
I would take combiplasma or storm bolter, if you take anything at all. If you take the combi plasma make sure you keep her bout 2 inches away from your other troops. If your not a fan of plasma, take Storm Bolter, but most likely this wont do much, with either of these you have a 24 inch range, the combi melta I would say take, but I would recommend you stay farther then 12 inches from your enemy.

5.) Frag Grenades:
I would avoid getting into assaults with infantry, so don't take Frag Grenades, unless facing an infantry heavy army, in which case, you may want to take them, but I would bet that if you go into combat with an infantry heavy army with rets, then the rets will be dead, so Avoid assaults with rets vs infantry.

6.) Krak grenades:
This might not be so bad of an option, using Krak a long with MM could provide a little better against vehicles, but most likely this will just be wasted points.

7.) Imagifer:
Use this only if you take a squad with 6-10 rets, For the most part I would recommend you not to take one of these, but It may be useful to assure you to get a faith test.

8.) Heavy Bolters:
This is probably the most useful upgrade for the rets. Always take 4, unless you take MM,then take 4 of those. 12 attacks are great. Heavy Bolters should target infantry squads. I would strongly recommend using the Heavy Bolter, not much else to say about it, it just works.

9.) Multi Meltas:
Most people will say with Witch Hunters, you probably don't want multi meltas. I agree for the most part. Use Multi Meltas only if you are mounted in a transport. This is so they can actually get into that 24 inch range they have. Also take these only when you are facing a highly mechanized force.

10.) Immolator:
Probably the second best upgrade (right after Heavy Bolters (HB)) You want to mount up your Heavy Bolters in an Immolator, drop the rets off at the the beginning of the game, then go infantry or tank hunting. This basically gives you an extra heavy support option.

11.) Rhino:
Take only if you are taking 7-10 sisters in your squad

12.) Repressor:
I would not recommend taking the Repressor for the rets, I love the repressor, but this is not the place for it.

Ok Now that we have gone over Upgrades, lets go over set ups:

1.) 4 Heavy Bolters and 1 VSS (w/ various upgrades) - Set this up in cover during placement. If you can't do this then move them to cover quickly. Use this squad to take out infantry. I love using these to kill my buddies Space Marines taking out an average of 2 per turn. That is quite effective seeing it is against Space Marines. You should in theory take out 1.5 space marines per turn with this set up. With Imperial Guard, you should take out around 6-8 per turn, and I believe with orks it is about this same number. I would recommend not going after termis, you probably wont do much damage.You could also add 1 sister to act as a wound.

So quick recap of this set up: Move to cover, shoot at infantry.

2.) 4 Heavy Bolters 1 VSS (w/ various upgrades) mounted in Immolator - Exactly the same as set up number 1, only you drop off the retributers, then send the immolator off on its own. You could also add 1 sister to act as a wound.

3.) 4 Heavy Bolters 1 VSS 5 Sisters of Battle- Same as 1 only try to set up as close to enemy as possible so those extra 6 attacks from bolt guns have a chance to hit at some point.

4.) 4 Heavy Bolters 1 VSS 5 Sisters of Battle mounted in Rhino - Send the rhino up to cover, drop the sisters off, and use as either cover for this squad, or use as a path denial or block somewhere. Besides that use this the same as you would option number 3.

5.) 4 Multi Meltas 1 VSS - This probably will not be effective for first 1-2 turns, use these to go deny a tank group from passing.You could also add 1 sister to act as a wound.

6.) 4 Multi Meltas 1 VSS mounted in immolator - use as option 5 but drop off sisters then use immolator freely. You could also add 1 sister to act as a wound.

7.) 4 Mutli Meltas 1 VSS 5 sisters of battle - Use like option 5, only you get more wounds, I would recommend this over option 5.

8.) 4 Multi Meltas 1 VSS 5 Sisters of Battle mounted in Rhino - use like option 7, only use rhino as cover and to get your troops up to battle, this and option 6 are probably the best ways to use Multi Melta Sisters of Battle.

These are only some of the set ups. There are a lot more but this is just some ideas for you to get thinking on how you will use this awesome unit in your own way.

HOW I USE RETRIBUTORS:

Generally I mount up squad of 4 Heavy Bolters and 1 VSS and 1 sister of battle in an immolator, then drop them off and send my immolator (with TL flamer or TL Heavy bolter) out to kill infantry.

When I first start I used 4 Heavy Bolters and 1 VSS sitting in a building laying down rounds to most of the field. I tend to place my rets in the middle of the field as this allows me to be able to hit more squads. This also gives you best Line of Sight Possible, as you are high up, and you have a wider angle you have a 180 degrees. angle to the enemy compare to placing them on the sides where that is cut to about 90 degrees.

I have found that this set up is very hardy for me. This set up also seems to be the favored way by most Witch Hunter players.

More tactica (including videos will be coming soon :) )

Witch Hunters Tactics soon to come

I am currently play testing certain units in the witch hunters list. I will be posting tactics soon, starting probably on Saturday.