Codex Sisters of Battle : Sororitas War Altar

(Greetings! Have you heard the good word?)

And so we come to the final unit in this series, the Sororitas War Altar. Built upon the venerable Baneblade chassis these mighty testaments to His immortal power are battle tank and holy relic in equal measure, I hope that you approve...

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Sororitas War Altar :

These mighty war machines date from the dark days of the Age of Apostasy, the first of them being constructed during the Wars of Faith prosecuted by Goge Vandire and his fanatical armies of Frateris Templar. Converted from heavily damaged Baneblade super heavy tanks by divinely inspired (or sufficiently intimidated) Enginseers these mighty war machines served as mobile command post, fire support platform and battlefield shrine in equal measure.

The Sororitas War Altar replaces the Baneblades turret and demolisher cannon with a battery of devastatingly powerful Exorcist launchers. A heavily armoured and power-field protected war pulpit is also mounted atop the frontal glacis plate. From this pulpit a high ranking Battle Sister or Ecclesiarchal Priest can lead a Sororitas force in their battle prayers, whilst simultaneously having access to an impressive suite of battlefield control and communication equipment.

In the wake of Sebastian Thor and the Confederation of Lights victory and the death of Goge Vandire at the hands of Alicia Dominica few of these war machines were left intact, most having been destroyed in the battle for Terra or the revolts against Vandire's regime. Those that remained were gifted to the Adepta Sororitas under the terms of the Degree Passive, with each order maintaining a handful of these mighty vehicles for use only in the direst of circumstances.

Sororitas War Altar (Lord of War) : 520pts

	BS	Front	Side	Rear	HP
Sororitas War Altar	4	14	13	12	9

Unit Composition : 1 Sororitas War Altar
Unit Type : Vehicle (Super Heavy)
Wargear : 3 Exorcist Missile Launchers, 2 Twin Linked Heavy Flamers, 3 Twin Linked Heavy Bolters, Laud Hailers, Search Light, Smoke Launchers
Special Rules : Icon of Devotion, Shield of Faith
Options :

• May replace any of its Twin Linked Heavy Bolters with Twin Linked Heavy Flamers : Free.
• May replace any of its Twin Linked Heavy Flamers with Twin Linked Multi Meltas : 15pts Each.

Special Rules and Equipment :

Icon of Devotion (Special Rule) : When a Sororitas War Altar rumbles into battle they are seen by the sisters fighting alongside them as a mobile shrine as much as a battle tank. The high ranking Ecclesiarchs and Sororitas that ride into battle ensconced within the War Altars armoured Battle Pulpit only strengthen this comparison by using their vehicles integrated Laud Hailers to broadcast battle prayers and litanies of  hatred that inspire the warriors accompanying them to ever greater heights of zealous faith.

All units from the Armies of the Imperium within 12" of this model gain the Zealot special rule.

Design Notes :

And that's the end of this series, more or less. With the addition of a Lord of War to their arsenal I think that gives the Adepta Sororitas the versatility that I currently find them severely lacking.

The War Altar is durable, like all Superheavy tanks, and carries an impressive amount of firepower in the form of its Exorcist battery and plethora of heavy weapon mounts. It's an excellent centerpiece to an army capable of shrugging off all but the most devastating attacks whilst supporting the surrounding units with both its big guns and its Icon of Devotion special rule. With its multiple Exorcist launchers it's got the potential to do a lot of damage very quickly, though the randomised nature of those weapons makes them less reliable than more mundane armaments.

As for its fluff I think making them relics of the Age of Apostasy (with their numbers very occasionally replenished by especially devout Enginseers) is a solid justification for the Adepta Sororitas having access to Baneblade chasses. Likewise stripping out most of its weapons and replacing them with those that the Sororitas regularly make use of answers any logistical questions that may be raised with regards to keeping it properly armed and supplied.

So, as I said, that's pretty much the end of this series. I've enjoyed it rather a lot and I think the only thing left for me to do before I wrap this up is ruminate on what models are available to represent the units that I've been detailing. Obviously I'll lean towards kitbashing or converting GW kits but as I've said in the past there are plenty of companies out there who make wonderful models that I'd be remiss in not pointing out to anyone who fancies giving these units a try. One of whom I may have kickstarted earlier in the year...

Until Next Time
Happy Gaming
Michael