Sisters of Silence
- "That's their function...aside from the fact that they fight like bastards. Got the pariah gene in 'em."
- --Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves, on the Sisters of Silence
The Sisters of Silence were an elite, all female order created by the Emperor of Mankind to man the Black Ships and round up a planet's renegade psykers.
History
As stated, the Emperor formed this all female army at the beginning of the Great Crusade as a counter-measure against untrained psykers, which had increased at the start of the Age of Strife. To do this, the Emperor ensured that they were all pariahs, human beings with no presence in the Warp. As such, the psyker's abilities would have no effect on them, but would be cancelled out when they got close enough to them. In one of his odder decisions, the Emperor explicitly had the Sisters take literal vows of silence upon becoming full Sisters. They could communicate via several sign languages (including Astartes battle-sign) but would not speak a word upon completion of their training. To ensure communication between other branches of the Imperium of Man, Sisters in training would serve as communicators.
The Sisters of Silence are also consummate warriors, trained to the same levels as the Space Marine Legions and using similar wargear, such as bolters and power weapons, as well as being covered in SoB-like power armour, albeit with no armored helmet or other head protection aside the massive jaw-like collar that hides their mouths, which leads to a lot of deaths from headshots during the burning of Prospero. As a military force they are formidable; during the Burning of Prospero they were deployed to augment the Space Wolves and the Adeptus Custodes. While this was more because the pariah gene would neutralize the Thousand Sons psyker abilities, they were more than capable of fighting with the Astartes. They would also in turn augment the Custodes, the Imperial Fists, the Blood Angels, and the White Scars during the Siege of Terra, where the pariah gene became a boon fighting the Daemons unleashed.
After the Horus Heresy
The fate of the Sisters of Silence following the Horus Heresy has not been completely documented yet. What is known is that the sisterhood was either abandoned, exiled or betrayed by the Imperium after the internment of the Emperor on the Golden Throne, and as a result the sisters had given up their vow of silence.
They refuse to recognise the Imperium in its political form as of M32, seeing it as a corrupted simulacrum of what the Emperor actually intended, but they still acknowledge the Emperor as the focus of their loyalty. Thus when their services are required again in the War of The Beast they accept the calling and return to Terra, where they are granted an audience with the Emperor in his sanctum on the throne; a privilege that not even the High Lords are afforded.
Also, according to a GW response to a question as how to field the Sisters (and custodies) they stated that both still exist. Now as to what the Sisters of Silence do is up for debate. But as it seems, they still exist. A common rumor is that they be added into the upcoming Sisters of Battle relaunch. If so, that would be an interesting revision; on the one hand, the Sisters of Battle, despite being designated witch-hunters, were lacking in the anti-psyker department. On the other hand, The Sisters of Silence, much like the Space Marines, are big believers in the Great Crusade era of the Imperium and likely won't mesh well with the Ecclesiarchy.
Tabletop
Official crunch here if you want your ministorum wax seal.
They count as Armies of the Imperium
| Pts | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Sv | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sister of Silence: | 15 each | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 3+ |
Default squad size 5, max size 10.
Wargear:
- Bolter
- Knife
- Psyk-out Grenades: S2 AP-, Blast, causes Perils if it hits something that can generate warp charges. Also count as defensive grenades if charged by something that can generate warp charges.
Special Rules
- Bane of Psykers: Re-roll all to-hit and gains Precision Shots/Strikes against things that can generate warp charges
- Psychic Abomination: Anything capable of generating warp charges 1) doesn't if standing within 12 inches, 2) manifests warp charges on a 6 only, 3) suffers -3 Ld
- and any Blessing or Malediction cast on a unit (friend or foe) gets nullified if the SoS get within 12" or vice versa
- Fear
- Fearless
Upgrades:
- One Sister can become Sister Superior (Character, +1 A) for 10 points
- Any model may swap Boltgun for:
- Flamer for 2 points
- Executioner Greatblade (S+1 AP2, two-handed) for free
Formation: Null-Maiden Task Force
Composed of 1 to 3 squads of Sisters.
So long as two squads of Sisters are on the table, enemy players generate 1 fewer warp charge dice per turn. So long as three squads of Sisters are on the table, enemy players generate 2 fewer warp charge dice per turn.
So after yeas of speculating if GeeDubs will even give them rules at all we get... Sisters of Battle, essentially. At least in terms of statline. That wasn't too surprising overall, given they were never Astartes. Hitting at Ap2 with three attacks each on the charge can deal some respectable damage, even hitting at only Strength 4 under most circumstances. Though at a mere T3 with 3+ and none of the 6++ their successors got, they usually won't withstand whatever desperate fire the enemy will throw at them to keep them the fuck away from their psykers. That being said, the amount of fire this 150-180 point squad will attract against an army with psykers might make them well worth it on its own.
Gallery
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Being in a Dreadnought does not make you safe from these Chicks.
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Even these Bastards are having a hard time dealing with them.
