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Valorous Heart Sisters Tourney Run by Kenneth Pant

I brought my Sisters to a recent thousand point tournament. We played four rounds of games where players moved on to play against opponents who shared the same record in the next round. I fielded two squads of battle sisters as well as two seraphim squads, a break from my usual 3:1 list for thousand point games. I was allowed to field one of the seraphim squads using my sister bike conversions. Though this was mainly for the chance to get them in some pictures. All of the games were played on 4'x4' boards, with varying amounts and types of terrain. All games would last four turns. All missions were slightly modified from the book missions to better even the armies out for fighting on 4' boards.

GAME ONE:

The scenario was a modification of the "Recon" mission, players got +100 v.p. for getting units into their opponent deployment zone, up to a maximum of two units.

I deployed my Retributors on my left ready to sweep the field with their heavy bolters, while my Sororitas squads in rhino's flanked the Canoness and her bodyguards Immolator. The Seraphim squad on bikes deployed behind the left Sororitas squad and the one with jump packs behind the right. My opponent deployed his havoc squad in a large crater across from my Canoness and a rhino with his Chaos Lord and retinue just to their right. A berserker squad in a rhino deployed opposite my right and a squad of Chaos Marines deployed opposite my Retributor squad along a low ridge.

My opponent began by starting what would become a day long trend of me losing the dice roll to go first, and advanced with both of his rhino's to mid board and lade into my vehicles with his Havocs and his Chaos Marines missile launcher. The Emperor was with me as only my Retributor's Rhino was hit, immobilizing it. In my movement phase I advanced everything on my right, firing at his Chaos Marines with my Retributor's as they were the only thing besides his Chaos Lords Rhino they could see, three heavy bolters took out two Chaos Marines. My Canoness's bodyguard managed to immobilize his Chaos Lord's Rhino, keeping them away from my lines for just a little longer..

His Havoc's hit home as they took out my right hand Rhino and killed three of the Sororitas inside. His Berserkers having disembarked from their Rhino and disdainful of prepatory fire charged the battered Sororitas squad before them. They only managed to kill one Sororitas while my Sister Superior missed with her power weapon and the three remaining Sororitas took out three of the Berserkers. Wanting to get at his Havocs before they could cause any more damage I sent my Seraphim bike squad straight up the middle of the board at them. My jump pack Seraphim squad jumped to the aid of the Sororitas fending off the Berserker squad, while my still mounted Sororitas squad and Canoness turned on the Chaos Lord's Rhino.

The Retributors took out another Chaos Marine, while the left hand Sororitas squad destroyed the Chaos Lord's Rhino, leaving my Canoness's bodyguards heavy flamer and the Immolator's Inferno Cannon to deliver the Emperor's Wrath to the Traitor's as they hid in a copse of woods. Five of the Lord's retinue fell to the flames. The Seraphim and Sororitas battling the Berserker's killed four while only losing two of their number. The Seraphim bike squad raced by as they squared off before the Havoc's across the field.

The Chaos Lord and his Retinue charged the Canoness's Immolator while the Chaos Marine squad forced marched up in their support, hoping to tip the scales back in favor of the Chaos Gods. The Havoc's fired into the Seraphim bikes, taking two of them out. But the Immolator withstood the onslaught of the Chaos Lord, and the Berserkers continued their losing battle against the Seraphim and Sororitas, now only their Champion remained.

My Retributor's finally paid for themselves as they cut into the advancing Chaos Marine squad, cutting down five of them and sending them running. The combined fire of the Canoness and her bodyguard, along with the still mounted Sororitas squad and Immolator spelled the doom of the Chaos Lord and his retinue. The lone Berserker Champion hacked down two Sisters before falling to the ring of Righteous Fury surrounding him. Last were the remaining three Seraphim on bikes, their flamer cut down three of the Havoc's, and their charge cut down three more. The Havoc's broke and the Seraphim bikes wasted no time in riding them down.

We ended the game at the end of turn three, his fleeing Chaos Marine squad and his Chaos Lord's immobilized Rhino were all that remained.

GAME TWO:

In this scenario, players received +200 v.p. for completely destroyed enemy H.Q., up to one H.Q. unit.

This game was fought on an open field with several hedges and fences at it's center. I had to set up first and placed my Retributors in their Rhino dead center of my deployment zone so as to cover the whole field. My Canoness in her Immolator were to it's left and my Rhino mounted Sororitas squads were to the left and right. My Seraphim set up behind the Retributors and Immolator, bikes on the right. My opponent set up a Skarboyz mob on his left, his Warboss and Nobz in a truk and a Truk boyz squad in the middle opposite my Retributor's. And a Shoota boyz mob and a horde of Grotz on his right. He won the dice roll and opted to go first. Advancing all along his line, and failing to do anything but chip the paint as his numerous Rokkit launcha's pounded my Canoness's Immolator.

I advanced towards the middle against his Truks, while my Seraphim on bikes rode out to engage his Skarboyz and my left hand Sororitas squad interposed their Rhino between my Immolator and the Shoota boyz's many Rokkit launchas. The Seraphim on bikes fired into the Skarboyz, killing several. While the rest of the army poured their fire into both of the Truk's. The Trukboyz were quickly flung from their destroyed ride, and I quickly discovered their strength in not succumbing so easily to losing their vehicle. While the War boss's truk proved a far tougher nut, and withstood the salvo unscathed. As the Trukboyz had unloaded in the direction of my Seraphim on bikes, they charged them. His Skarboyz were mostly outside of 6", and I'd always rather charge Orks than be charged by them. They cut down two but they passed their Waargh test.

In the second turn his Skarboyz plunked after the Seraphim bikes as the Warboss and his retinue drove their truk forward in an attempt to get at my Immolator. They dismounted but were unable to hit the vehicle because it had moved 12" in the previous turn. His Shoota boyz moved forward and piled Rokkit after Rokkit into my Immolator, but only succeeded in immobilizing it. The close combat between my Seraphim on bikes and his Trukboyz, turned suddenly in his favor as the Seraphim only managed to kill three of Trukboyz before they were entirely wiped out.

I advanced a squad of Sororitas to hold my right and backed them up with my remaining Seraphim. My Retributor's poured their fire into the distant Skarboyz, whittling down their number and forcing them to rout. My Sororitas on my left lingered close to the center because I was admittedly intimidated by the huge Nobz figs in 'eavy armor and their Warboss. I'd only faced Orks once before (long before their Codex) and poured nearly the entire armies shots into them. With three heavy flamers, an Inferno Cannon, three meltagun's, twin hand flamers, and a bunch of bolters, pouring into them. The little fenced in field where they'd stood was all that remained to bear witness of their passing. In the assault phase my Seraphim charged his Trukboyz and managed to cut all but one down in hand to hand and get the remaining one in pursuit. His next round saw his Skarboyz headed towards his table edge and his Shootaboyz and their Grot screen advancing on my center and dead set on pouring every available Rokkit into my Immolator. They either flew wide or further immobilized it. My two remaining rounds consisted of mop up operations, a lone grot being the last to fall before the Emperor's wrath.

GAME THREE:

This scenario was a "Dusk Assault" with the first turn fought in full daylight, and the rest fought using the night fighting rules. Players would gain +100 v.p. for each table quarter they held uncontested at the end of the game, up to two.

I lost the setup dice again and set up like I did in the first game with my Retributors on my left with the rest of my army ready to advance and use them as a hinge. My opponent deployed a Falcon with 6 Fire Dragons on his right opposite my Retributors with a small squad of Dark Reapers on a hill behind them. To their left was a large squad of Scouts and with a Warlock and a Farseer and Warlock bodyguard. Opposite my center was a Wave Serpent full of Storm Guardians.

He won the dice roll and opted for me to go first. All along my line I advanced to get at him, the only ones in range were my Retributors. Having earned a healthy dose of respect for Dark Reapers their heavy bolters were directed accordingly and rewarded me by taking them out to a man, err alien. He did not move and merely poured fire into me. His scouts took out several of my Seraphim with amazing AP1 shots, but they passed their pinning test. The Falcon vaporized a Rhino and the Wave Serpent's shuriken cannons ripped the squad down to three survivors who remained behind the burning wreck of their vehicle for the rest of the game.

In the second round my Seraphim charged forward, bikes going after the Falcon and the others headed into the squad of scouts. The rest of my vehicles maneuvered to get close meltagun shots on the Wave Serpent while the Retributor's poured their fire into the Farseer and his bodyguard, killing one of them. None of the meltaguns managed to do anything to the wave serpent and the Seraphim on bikes were unable to wound the Falcon with their krak grenades. Meanwhile the Seraphim and Scouts close combat was a draw.

Having drawn me across the board his vehicles shot forward and above my lines, his Wave Serpent coming down to the left of my Immolator and behind a squad of Sororitas in their Rhino and the Seraphim on bikes. His Falcon landed beside my Retributors in their rhino and behind the ravaged squad of Sororitas sheltering behind their wrecked Rhino. Meanwhile his Farseer charged the Sororitas in their Rhino on my left. My Immolator was immobilized by the Wave Serpent, my Retributor's Rhino was destroyed by the Falcon, and the Farseer and his Warlocks managed to immobilize the Sororitas in their Rhino ahead on my left. The Seraphim and the Scouts close combat was once again a draw. Things looked bleak as I began my third turn. The Seraphim bikes swung round behind the Farseer and his Warlocks, while the weakened Sororitas squad turned their weapons on the Falcon. The Canoness and her bodyguard and the other Sororitas squad turned their meltaguns on the Wave Serpent. The Retributors poured their fire into the Farseer and his Warlock bodyguard. The Wave Serpent emerged unscathed as did the Farseer and his bodyguard. The Falcon would not be so lucky, as the three surviving members of the ravaged Sororitas squad turned their meltagun upon it and destroyed it. Rolling a six to hit, six to penetrate, which glanced the fast moving vehicle, and a six on the glancing hit chart which destroyed it. Furthermore all of the Fire Dragons on board took wounds from the crash and all of them failed their save. Truly, fervent prayers to the Emperor had been answered! Heartened by this show of the Emperor's Wrath, the Seraphim squad routed and ran down the scout squad.

His Warlock fired into the Sororitas squad on my left, while the Wave Serpent fired into my Canoness's Immolator with all of it's weaponry, including a few fusion guns carried by the Storm Guardians inside. Several Sororitas fell, but the Immolator was unhurt. His Warlock charged the Sororitas squad, several fell on both sides but my Sororitas routed and fell back six inches, looking to catch them he pursued and rolled a five. Too short to catch them and just far enough to enter the range of my Immolator's Inferno Cannon.

I debarked my Canoness and her bodyguard to move them closer to the Wave Serpent. The three strong Sororitas squad on my right, fresh from destroying the Falcon hurried to the left to get a shot with their meltagun on the Wave Serpent. The Sororitas falling back from close combat with the Farseer, having barely escaped destruction at his hands would also be able to fire at the Wave Serpent. My remaining Seraphim jumped around the Farseer and were set to charge the Wave Serpent with their Krak grenades while those Seraphim on bikes remained behind the Farseer, firing into him and his Warlock bodyguard. So was set the design of the Alien's destruction. The Immolator let fly with it's Inferno Cannon first, wounding the Farseer and all of his remaining Warlocks, only one would fail it's save. They were cut down as the Seraphim on bikes meted out the Emperor's Justice. Three meltaguns would bring about the end of the Wave Serpent, the Seraphim would burn a few Storm Guardians with their flamer, kill one more with their bolt pistols. As the Canoness led the charge, the Eldar were wiped out to the man, err alien.

BEST ARMY COMPETITION:

After the third game we broke for lunch, having displayed our armies on the battlefields we'd played round three upon, we were able to peruse the armies present. Judging them by placing a number between 1 and 10 next to our player number on their score sheet. I was impressed with the fact that their were only five unpainted figs in the entire tourney, a few Ork Skarboyz I'd fought in game two. The lowest score I gave was a seven, with two tens. One to a Tyranid army with some wonderful Lictor conversions and a sweet paint job. The other to a White Scars army, that had ten bikes and five attack bikes! Besides a squad of scouts, tactical marines in a rhino and a chaplain on a bike as well!

GAME FOUR:

This scenario was a modified version of the take and hold mission. Whichever army had a Troop choice over 50% closest to the boards center at game end would receive +200 v.p.

In the fourth round all undefeated players squared off. There were my Sisters, two Tyranid players, and a Khorne Chaos player. All those who had losses continued would play as well, with the overall scores at the end of the tourney fully in mind. We four diced to determine our opponents and I fought against one of the Tyranid players. A long time friend of mine whose army I had painted, though definitely not the one I'd given a ten for a painting score!

I yet again lost the set up dice and would end up having to go first. It was an urban board with a corner of a ruined building abutting the central square between the buildings as the objective. There were no fields of fire across the board from my deployment zone so I altered my usual set up. The Retributors would deploy behind the ruins my side of the objective and would move up and sit tight directly on the objective, hoping to hold any bugs off of it that got too close. My Sororitas squads and Canoness deployed to it's right, aiming to thrust forward past the objective and hopefully set up a defensive perimeter around the objective. With all the difficult terrain on the board, my Seraphim lingered in the rear, I'd use them as a counter-attack force specifically to knock any of the bugs off the objective.

Note that these plans were designed around my misreading of the scenario objective. I assumed that they meant closest "squad" when in all actuality only "troop" choice squads over 50% could hold the objective. My opponent deployed in typical Nid fashion with three broods totaling thirty Termagants and a ten strong Hormagant brood across his front. Two Hive Tyrants flanked a Carnifex in the second line with two broods of Genestealers to the left and right of them. Several Zoanthropes and a Biovore brought up the rear, somewhere, a Lictor was hidden.

My first turn saw my Sororitas squads and my Canoness in her Immolator plowing ahead to the objective, their combined fire managed on killing seven out of a ten strong Hormagant brood placed ahead of the Tyranid armies center. Ominously, the Nids didn't move. They'd been setup with the idea that I'd move just as I had. Hive Tyrants poured Venom Cannon shots into my vehicles, Zoanthropes fired their psychic blasts into them, the Biovores even placed their Spore Mines with pinpoint accuracy to explode on the rear of both of my Sororitas squads Rhino's. The Emperor be praised, all of it was to no avail. Those shots that did not miss refused to penetrate. Apart from the three Hormagants bounding forward in a knowingly failing assault attempt on a Rhino, the Nid's first turn was over.

Knowing that my luck wouldn't hold, I set my two Sororitas squads off after his Zoanthropes, my Immolator would move forward, targeting to the left with the Inferno Cannon and to the right with the squad hoping to take care of as many Genestealers as possible. All the vehicles moved 12" making it as hard as possible for the Hive Tyrants and that Carnifex to rip them apart, especially important as they were only inches away! The Retributors moved forward onto the objective, immobilizing their Rhino in the process, luckily they had a decent field of fire on the objective where they had ground to a halt.

The Inferno Cannon managed to wound both the Carnifex and the Hive Tyrant before taking out three Genestealers. The Canoness's squads heavy flamer roared out, failing to wound the other Hive Tyrant, or any of the five Genestealers it had covered. The Retributor's stormbolter took out one of the three surviving Hormagants and the Sororitas Rhino's waded into the Nid hoard. At close range they opened fire on the Zoanthropes. So closely packed were the Nids though that the heavy flamers couldn't help but toast a hoard of Termagants along with. It came down to the meltaguns in each squad to take out the Zoanthropes, but the heavy flamers had each mauled a Hormagant brood, the two Rhino's combined their stormbolter fire to take out a few of the third one in the center.

The Nid player was incensed. He only had one Troop choice, some Genestealers, over 50%. This was where I discovered my misreading of the game objectives, and knew that my own Troop choices, though snug in their vehicles. Had put the bulk of the Nid army in between the objective and themselves. Not to mention their fall back corridor. His Carnifex took off at a run towards my Retributor squad on the objective. His Hive Tyrants both squared off against my Sororitas squads Rhino's. Apart from a well placed Biovore shot that took out the Immolator's Inferno Cannon the Tyranid firing phase left my army unscathed. The assault phase wasn't any better, neither Hive Tyrant managed to roll the needed six to hit my fast moving Rhino's.

Not wanting to give the Nids the chance to tear apart my vehicles in hand to hand, I kept moving them forward. The Immolator ran aground on some rough terrain where a Hive Tyrant and the remaining Genestealer brood waited to rip them out of it. My Sororitas squads divided their fire between the Biovore, which one of them destroyed, and the Hive Tyrant to my left, where the squad managed to wound it once. My Canoness and her bodyguard directed their fire on the Hive Tyrant closest to them on my right, managing to wound it once. I moved both of my Seraphim squads up to be of more use on the next turn, I was sure to need them. My Retributors fired into the Carnifex bearing down on them, causing two wounds.

The Lictor finally made it's appearance, just my side of the objective in the open, where my Seraphim on bikes were. One of his Hive Tyrants managed to blast open one of my Sororitas Rhino's with it's venom cannon. The surviving Sororitas piled out of the wreckage less than five inches from the Nid board edge. The other Hive Tyrant failed to harm the other Rhino with its venom cannon and we moved to the assault phase. The Carnifex charged the Retributor's Rhino, penetrating it four times, and only managing to further immobilize it or destroy it's stormbolter. The Hive Tyrant that had failed to take out the Rhino with it's venom cannon wasted no time in doing so in it's assault. The Lictor made short work of four of the five Seraphim on bikes, the last one quickly routing. My Sororitas squads were now out of their Rhino's and completely surrounded.

I moved up my remaining Seraphim squad to join the Sororitas squad in the middle of the board, facing off against the Hive Tyrant that was still smashing their Rhino to a pulp. The Retributor squad fired once again at the Carnifex and managed to take it's last remaining wound. The Canoness directed her squad to fire on the still full strength Genestealer squad and was lucky enough to wipe them completely out along with a few Termagants. The Sororitas squad closest to the Nid table edge then took out the remnants of a Genestealer brood in the shooting phase. Their assault on a termagant brood would be a draw. The other Sororitas squad and the remaining Seraphim squad then directed their fire on the Hive Tyrant on my left. With a meltagun, plasma pistol, heavy flamer, flamer, along with several bolters and bolt pistols, the great Tyrant fell.

Then the Seraphim squad and Sororitas squad assaulted the other Hive Tyrant. Two Sororitas fell to it's powerful onslaught, but the Righteous Fury of my Sisters left the Tyrant nowhere to hide, and it too fell. The sweeping advance of these two squads would bring the Seraphim in contact with the other Termagant brood. And all of them out of range of the Lictor. The Tyranid's last turn saw his Lictor move for cover and his remaining Termagant broods fall in hand to hand to my Sisters squads. All in all a very bloody affair.

TOURNAMENT END:

After the fourth game was over, the points were tallied. The Worst General Award went to the player with the worst ratio of Victory Points for and against. The Best Sportsmanship Award was a wash, as basically everyone who participated had a great time and everyone had exactly the same score, perfect tens all around! So it became a Judges Choice Award, and was awarded to the player who played with the most enthusiasm and exuberance. Wouldn't you know it went to an Ork player! The Best Army Award went to the Tyranid player that I had given a ten score, with the amazingly converted Lictor's and excellent paint job. Best General went to the Khorne Chaos player who had beaten the Best Army Tyranid player in the days fourth round. And my Sisters brought me home the Best Overall Award, I had the highest overall Victory Points ratio for and against, and was only two points behind the Best Army Award winner. My prize for the day was a Space Wolves Battle force box, which I am currently working on with a brand new player to get him up to one thousand points. I'm helping to paint yet another army, and bringing another player into the 40k community. The best prize of all.