Codex Sisters of Battle : Penitent Psyker

(Is it me or does he really look like Linus Roache in The Chronicles of Riddick?)

Today I'll be continuing my series of posts expanding on the units available to the Sisters of Battle. Much like the Frateris Militia this is a unit that used to be available to the Sisters of Battle (and by extension the Ordo Malleus), but disappeared after the third edition Witch Hunters codex save for an appearance as an elite career advance in the Dark Heresy Radicals Handbook.

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Penitent Psykers :
Across the Imperium of Man men and women are taught from birth to fear the Witch, to fear the Psyker, to fear those touched by the power of the Warp. This fear is not unfounded, as an untrained or corrupt psyker can unleash horrors beyond the imaginings of most humans. The irony is however that without Psykers, without Navigators, Astropaths and the battle psykers of the Imperial Guard the Imperium would simply not be able to function. This however does nothing to endear gifted individuals to the bulk of humanity, who treat them as pariahs, to be shunned, feared, and hated.

No Imperial institution is more vocal in this regard than the Ecclesiarchy, the guardians of humanities spiritual well being having nothing but contempt for witches, no matter how useful they are. Sometimes however a Psyker will be given over to the custody of the Ecclesiarchy, this is usually the case when a renegade or witch is taken prisoner by the Inquisition or Adepta Sororitas and not instantly put to death for their crimes. Most of these prisoners are destined to die for their sins, but those who show themselves to be truly repentant are instead given the chance to prove their contrition and become Penitents.

Rarely a Psyker already in service to the Imperium will willingly give themselves to the Ecclesiarchy and become a Penitent Psyker. A lifetime of hatred, abuse and self loathing finally becoming too much to bear, with only the promise of forgiveness through penance enough to salve their tortured souls.

Bound tightly with chains of blessed silver, their faces hidden behind ornately carved Witch Cages and psy-nullification masks, they are herded into battle by vigilant minders, ever watchful for the slightest sign of corruption. In battle these tortured souls serve as psychic lightning rods, protecting the faithful from enemy witchcraft, often at the cost of their own lives. A price they willingly pay in exchange for the promise of redemption in death.

Penitent Psykers : 20pts (An Adepta Sororitas detachment may contain up to 3 Penitent Psykers. These do not take up a Force Organisation slot, and do not qualify as a mandatory HQ selection)

	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD	SV
Penitent Psyker	2	2	3	3	1	3	1	7	-

Unit Composition : 1 Penitent Psyker
Unit Type : Infantry (Character)
Wargear : Close Combat Weapon
Special Rules : Bound Witch, Independent Character, Psyker (Mastery Level 1), Sacrifice
Options : 

• May be upgraded to Mastery Level 2 : 10pts

Special Rules and Equipment :

Bound Witch : The Penitent is bound in chains of blessed silver inscribed with holy wards and prayers of detestation. These safeguards serve to keep their powers contained, whilst also generating an aura of holy power that blunts the witchery of their foes.

Despite having the Psyker special rule, Penitent Psykers do not generate Psychic Powers nor may they manifest them. Likewise they do not generate Warp Charge dice in the controlling players Psychic phase, though they do in the opposing players Psychic Phase.

Sacrifice : Years of religious indoctrination instil many psykers with a lifelong hatred of their own abilities, and indeed of themselves. Those that become penitents are more than willing to sacrifice themselves in battle to protect their keepers from enemy warpcraft, hoping that the act will purge their souls of their inborn taint.

When a unit containing a Penitent Psyker makes a Deny the Witch roll, the controlling player may elect to immediately remove the Penitent Psyker from play. If they do so then one of the Warp Charge dice used to manifest the power being denied is automatically nullified.

Design Notes :

From a gameplay perspective the reasoning behind the addition of Penitent Psykers to the Sisters of Battle's forces is to give them a way to properly protect themselves from Psychic effects. Although almost all of the models in the codex have Adamantium Will against any opponent with a goodly number of Psykers they simply won't have enough Warp Charge dice to properly defend themselves. Penitent Psykers plug that particular hole, with their vulnerability (especially to snipers and challenges) being the main balancing factor.

Well, there we are, another (to my mind) useful little addition to the Sisters of Battle Codex. I've got a few more of these left percolating around in my head, a heavy infantry unit, a pair of new Independent Characters, and maybe even some vehicles...

Until Next Time
Happy Gaming
Michael