Last week, I finally led my Adepta Sororitas in their first game of Warhammer 40k. I played with a friend who started at the same time as me, we were excited to field our entire collection, so we played with an unregular 1060 pts.
This is the first battle report, hopefully many more are to come! For this game, I only have one picture to show, but I will take more pictures from future games. I think, these battle report would also deserve a different layouts, but we’ll see if I find the time and motivation for that.
Forces Deployed
The daughters of the Emperor - Adepta Sororitas
My army was comprised of everything I had assembled at this point.
3 Arco-flagellants, 5 Repentia, and a Penitent Engine on the penitent side. Cheap units to draw my opponent out of position and hopefully get a few charges.
An Exorcist to deal with the dreaded Ballistus dreadnought and a Rhino to bring those Repentia into battle.
A Battle Sister Squad to hold my home objectives, led by a Canoness and an Imagifier. And finally, my airborne detachment, one squad of Zephyrims led by a Canoness with jump pack, and two squads of Seraphims.
Sons of Macragge - Ultramarines
The ultramarines brought a Ballistus and a Gladiator, 5 Terminators with an Archivist, 5 Infernus, 5 Heavy Intercessors in their gravis armor, a Lieutenant In Phobos armor, and 10 Assault Intercessors led by Titus himself.
Set up
We played with the Hammer and Anvil deployment, Scorched Earth for the primary mission, and the Martial Pride twist.
Primary mission: Scorched Earth: you gain 5VP (Victory Points) per objective under your control up to 10VP per turn. One unit can burn an objective, if your unit is alive at the end of the opponent’s turn, you gain 5PV if the objective was in the no man’s land or 10PV if it was in the opponent’s deployment zone.
During the deployment, I tried to hide everything to make sure the Ballistus and the Gladiator could not have a line of sight on one of my two tanks on turn one. All my flying units stayed in reserve.
I got the initiative, and we started the fight.
Turn 1
Do not overcommit sisters, the emperor will give us an opportunity.
- Canoness Elira, on the vox comms
Adepta Sororitas
Secondary missions for this turn:
- No prisoner: Each time an enemy unit is destroyed gain 2VP.
- Sabotage: Action on a terrain feature out of your deployment zone, if alive at the end of the opponent’s turn, gain 3VP if the unit is no man’s land, 6VP if the unit is in the opponent’s deployment zone.
Not a great start for the sisters. 3 Arco-flagellants were sent in a terrain feature of the no man’s land to try Sabotage or at least force my opponent to commit one of his squad to deal with them. The Exorcist opened the hostility by firing a battery of missiles at the Ballistus, giving him a few wounds. Small victory.
Ultramarines
Secondary missions for this turn:
- Recover assets: Action to make in both deployment zone and in the no man’s land. 3VP if made in two areas, 5VP if made in three.
- Overwhelming force: Destroy an enemy unit in range of an objective marker, gain 3VP.
The Ultramarines struck on the flank where I was trying Sabotage, the Lieutenant in Phobos armor positioned himself to have an easy charge if it was needed but the Infernus marines advanced and vaporized the flagellants. The Zephyrims made a deep strike behind the enemy lines, ready to punish those who stayed behind.
Score
Adepta Sororitas 0 - 6 Ultramarines
Turn 2
It’s your opportunity to gain your repentance, sisters!
- Repentia Superior Vyloris, moments before the charge
Adepta Sororitas
Secondary missions for this turn:
- Behind enemy lines: 3VP if one unit is in the opponent deployment zone at the end of your turn. 4VP for two units.
- Defend stronghold: 3VP if you control one objective in your deployment zone.
It was time for the penitents to show if they truly wanted to earn forgiveness. On the right flank, The Repentia left the Rhino and moved behind a cover, ready to make a charge on the Lieutenant in Phobos armor and the Infernus Marines. The Rhino then moved in the center to screen the rest of my troops from the gladiator. On the left flank, the Penitent Engine advanced to shoot and charge the Assault Intercessors led by Titus. One squad of Seraphims dropped from the sky to help him.
During the shooting phase, the flamers or the Seraphims and the Penitent Engine only killed two Marines, but the Exorcist, with the help of the Rhino Hunter Killer Missile, managed to finish off the Ballistus dreadnought.
Miraculous penetration. Faith and munitions remain high.
- Sister Ignatia, Exorcist’s gunner
Middle of the Adepta sororitas turn 2 movement phase
The Repentia charged, killed three Marines and left the Lieutenant in Phobos armor with one wound before getting all killed in return. The Rhino charged the Gladiator, Tank shocking him to deal a few wounds. On the other side, the Penitent Engine did not do better and killed two Marines before being destroyed by the swift response. In the backline, the Zephyrims and the Canoness charged the Heavy Intercessors, but their armors were too strong, and only two of them died while two sisters fell from their overwatch.
Ultramarines
Secondary missions for this turn:
- Extend battle lines: 4VP if you control one objective in the no man’s land and one in your deployment zone. 2VP if only the no man’s land.
- Display of might: 4VP if there are more units from your army than from your opponent’s army within no man’s land.
The enemy approaches sisters, we will make them pay dearly for our lives. Avenge us.
- Canoness Velatrix, leading the Obscura Vultus, a Zephyrim squad.
The Assault Intercessors moved back to deal with the flying enemies in their deployment zone while the Gladiator finished the Rhino and killed a few sisters further back.
During the fight phase, Titus and his Marines killed all the Zephyrims and the Canoness, but with Spirit of the Martyr, they fought one last time, with way more success than previously. Two Heavy Intercessors and most of the Assault Intercessors died with them.
Score
Adepta Sororitas 12 - 24 Ultramarines
Turn 3
Press them, press them! The emperor protects us!
- Imagifier Sylana, following Canoness Elira in the midst of battle
Adepta Sororitas
Secondary missions for this turn:
- Recover assets: Action to make in both deployment zone and in the no man’s land. 3VP if made in two areas, 5VP if made in three.
- Assassination: 5VP if you destroy a character unit.
At the end of Turn 2, the situation was looking bleak, but the heroic death of the Zephyrims gave us hope. The Exorcist finally left his hiding zone, and destroyed the Gladiator with his missiles and the help of some meltas shots from the battle sisters close by, before charging the Lieutenant in Phobos armor and crushing him under his weight.
The last squad of Seraphims joined the fight, and both flying units shot Titus’ unit, leaving him without any bodyguards. As the tide started to turn, a squad of Terminators teleported on the left flank objective.
Enemy reinforcements on our left! Complete the mission, we will hold them back.
- Canoness Elira
Ultramarines
Secondary missions for this turn:
- Establish locus: Action to make in the opponent deployment zone or the no man’s land. 2VP if in no man’s land, 4VP if in the opponent deployment zone.
- Marked for death: Your opponent picks three of his units to be your Alpha targets. You design one of his units to be your Gamma target. 5VP if you kill one of the Alpha targets or 2VP if you kill the Gamma target.
The storm bolters of the Terminators killed a few sisters and they charged to finish the rest of the squad off. Thanks to the Imagifier, the sisters resisted a bit, and the two characters managed to survive.
Score
Adepta Sororitas 25 - 39 Ultramarines
Turn 4
Target eliminated. Armored threats removed. Glory to the God-Emperor.
- Sister Ignatia, Exorcist’s gunner
Adepta Sororitas
Secondary missions for this turn:
- Extend battle lines: 4VP if you control one objective in the no man’s land and one in your deployment zone. 2VP if only the no man’s land.
- Display of might: 4VP if there are more units from your army than from your opponent’s army within no man’s land.
The Exorcist sniped Titus with his missiles and the last remaining Marines from the Infernus squad with his heavy bolter. The last Seraphim squad burned down the remaining Heavy Intercessor and took control of the objective in the enemy deployment zone.
Ultramarines
Secondary missions for this turn:
- Tempting target: Action to make in both deployment zone and in the no man’s land. 3VP if made in two areas, 5VP if made in three.
- Area denial: Destroy an enemy unit in range of an objective marker, gain 3VP.
The Terminators mowed down the two characters with their storm bolter, and when one of them revived through a Divine Intervention, they charged her and made sure she stayed dead this time.
Score
Adepta Sororitas 43 - 49 Ultramarines
Turn 5
The sacrifice of our sisters will not be forgotten, they bought us the time needed to accomplish our mission. They will be honored.
- Sister Nyssala
Adepta Sororitas
Secondary missions for this turn:
- *Engage on all fronts *: 1VP if presence in two table quarters, 2VP if three table quarters, 4VP if four table quarters.
- Establish locus: Action to make in the opponent deployment zone or the no man’s land. 2VP if in no man’s land, 4VP if in the opponent deployment zone.
The Exorcist and the Seraphims burned down their objective for the Scorched Earth Primary mission.
Objectives destroyed. Evacuation authorized.
- Seraphim Superior Riennolis
Ultramarines
Secondary missions for this turn:
- Bring it down: 4VP if a monster or vehicle is destroyed.
- No prisoner: Each time an enemy unit is destroyed gain 2VP.
The terminators burned their objectives as well.
Score
Adepta Sororitas 73 - 59 Ultramarines
Conclusion
So many voices silenced, and yet the world demands more. We will not waste what they bought with their blood.
- Seraphim Superior Riennolis
This concludes the game on a 12-8 for the Adepta Sororitas.
What was interesting for us in our first game was how bad we were at reading the game. At the end of turn 2, both of us assumed the Marines would win and that I was cooked. But the number of units of the sisters and most importantly their presence in enemy territory allowed me to do almost all secondary objectives in the late game despite not being able to handle the Terminators.
We will play a rematch soon enough, and the outcome might be totally different. Maybe I’ll have a few more troops to choose from instead of playing my entire collection!