The Sisters of Battle, and the Ecclesiarchy in general usually form the first line of defence against any invasion against the citizens of the Imperium. Threats may come from without, as in the case of alien raiders or from within, as numerous Cults constantly try to tear apart the fabric of our Emperor's realm. The Sisters always stand guard against these eventualities and it is imperative that you, as a Novice-Canoness, understand the role you are expected to fulfil. You must also look ahead to some ridicule from the commander's of other armies, most notably from those leading our allied armies, the Space Marines and Imperial Guard. Their common view is that the Sisters exist only to stall an enemy long enough for their forces to move into position, or to deal with threats too minor for their notice but, as I will demonstrate here, your army has the capability of facing any alien invader on equal terms.

In tactical simulations, many veteran Canonesses have proved, time and again, that a well led Sisters force and readily engage any Guard or Marine army and emerge victorious, with few losses. This has caused much embarrassment in the headquarters of Guard Colonels and Marine Captains in the past. Within this document that you read now are the secrets, passed from one Canoness to another, of how to wield your army as an unstoppable fighting engine.

Battle Sisters

These will always form the core of your fighting force and whilst they do not have the genetic enhancements of their Marine counterparts, used correctly, they can be just as formidable. Whilst you will have many, many options with which to equip your girls, the golden rule is always keep it simple. When you decide to take a Battle Sisters Squad, just add a Heavy Bolter, with maybe some additional equipment for the Sister Superior. It is not even necessary to ensure that one of your Veteran Sister Superiors lead such a squad, though for more important missions, you may decide otherwise. Only take weapons such as the Heavy Flamer, Multi-Melta and the special weapons if you are expecting to meet an enemy that absolutely requires that you have this arsenal. When engaging renegade Guard tanks, for example, the need for the Multi-Melta can be proved. Otherwise, it just tends to be a waste.

Such larger squads, whilst usually rare within the ranks of an experienced Canoness, can be an awesome sight to behold, as a Veteran Sister Superior, bedecked with battle gear leads her fanatical Sisters across the battlefield, Heavy and Special weapons adding their immense firepower to the regular Bolters of the squad, as the Emperor's enemies are smitten from the planet. The reality, however, is that the smaller, less expensive Battle Sisters squads are used and they tend to keep further back on the battlefield in order to utilize the power of the Heavy Bolter, whilst the other members of the squad keep a sharp eye out for the enemy, ready to defend their position from invaders and heretics.

The Canoness and her Bodyguard

This group, whom you will lead yourself, should form the core of all your armies and, as such, should have no expense spared when equipping them for battle. There are two main ways for this squad to be used - with and without Jump Packs. Both can cause untold suffering upon the enemy, but I always advocate the use of the non-Jump Pack squad. Jump Packs are notoriously unreliable and expensive to maintain within an army and their use by inexperienced Canonesses often leaves this entire squad out in front of the enemy, completely unsupported and very quickly getting cut to ribbons by anti-personnel fire. We shall examine the relative benefits of this manner of attack at a later date, but for now, we will merely discuss the methods of using your Bodyguard squad without Jump Packs.

The best of the Seraphim can be found within the ranks of your personal Bodyguard and this should never be forgotten. These Sisters can shoot straighter and fight harder than any other type of Sister in your army. Equipped with Bolters and Frag Grenades, they can open up huge holes in enemy infantry screens. Equipped with Meltabombs, they can easily destroy tanks and heavily armed Dreadnoughts. The only problem you will face against these two targets is getting to your target without getting cut to pieces. This will be discussed in the next section. Generally, this is the only equipment your Bodyguard will ever need, and it makes their equipment relatively cheap compared to other types of squads. The only other weapon you may want to consider when fighting Marines are Krak Grenades, as these have proven very effective in cracking Terminator Armour.

Directly under you in the chain of command for this squad and, usually, for the whole army, is the Sister who is honoured with the position of Banner Bearer. Many Canonesses will eschew the flippancy of such a position, but I advise you to always take this Sister along if for no other reason than to let your enemy know who they fight. Very soon, they will learn to dread your banner flying in the army that opposes them. But there are, however, more tangible benefits as well. Whilst you yourself are quite clearly the best warrior in the whole Order, the Sister acting as Banner Bearer is usually formidable herself, lending much needed aid at times of desperation, in either accurate shooting or skilled close combat. The presence of the Banner can turn the tied when all seems hopeless and your troops are preparing to turn tail and run. This becomes very relevant when you start fielding Frateris Militia. She is also perfectly placed to be the Sister who carries the Medicus Ministorum and is usually very well versed in its use, thus freeing yourself up from such duties for more important tasks. The Banner Bearer is often honoured with a Rosarius for her valour, which is fortunate, as such a prominent individual on the battlefield is often a prime target for the enemy.

As for your part on the battlefield, you must ensure that you are properly equipped for anything the enemy can throw at you. The Sisters in your army all look up to you and so it is imperative that you can lead them anywhere without fear of failure. To this end, you must be able to face and successfully engage tanks, multiple assault troops and very powerful enemy characters without taking more than a few scratches on your Power Armour. I have faced many of these things myself and whilst I would not dream of advising a Canoness of what she should take with her on to the battlefield, these things being very personal, and can tell you what has enabled me to destroy the Emperor's enemies. As a Veteran Sister Superior, many years ago, I was awarded the Cloak of St. Aspira for my actions when fighting an Ork raiding party, and this is something I have treasured to this day, as it provides superb additional protection for my Power Armour.

A Rosarius is something no Canoness should be without, being as it is a sign of the Emperor's faith, though be careful when moving near any Frateris Militia squads, as you could end up blinding half your male attack force if you are fired upon. For weapons, I have a basic, but trusted Bolt Pistol and Power Sword fit, backed up by a very old Combi-Melta Gun, which comes close to ensuring that any enemy that I hit with it will go down and not get back up. If I am expecting to face tanks or Dreadnoughts, then Meltabombs will commonly be requisitioned from the Armoury, Krak Grenades if Terminators are expected.

This core group will be the most powerful thing in your army, so it must be used with care. Lead from the front, so your Sisters can see you fight and be inspired. If there is an objective on the battlefield that must be captured and held, then that is where you should march with your Bodyguard. If there is one powerful tank or Dreadnought hammering your forces, then this is where you should be attacking. Pay little mind to the danger, as the Emperor's faith will sustain you through all hardships, but have a care not to throw your life away - it is doubtful, especially if you have a lot of Militia on your side, whether your army could survive your loss. If you fall, it is not unknown for even loyal Sisters to run before a very strong advancing enemy.

Seraphim Squads

These are the best of your Sisters, those who have risen above the simple Novices and devout Battle Sisters to prove they can face any challenge on the battlefields of the 41st millennium. In recognition of this, they receive special training in assault techniques and are given the much prized Jump Packs so they can engage their enemies far more quickly.

A lot of care must be taken when fielding these troops. The surest sign of an inadequate Canoness is seeing her Seraphim wiped out before any other part of her army gets touched. The urge to get the assault troops into the thick of battle seems to be just too great for the most impetuous women to resist. As with all other parts of the Sisters army, you must be prudent with your resources. Seraphim, especially when led by a Veteran Sister Superior, can be devastating when used correctly, blowing tanks with Meltabombs, annihilating tactical and support troops, even dropping just short of the enemy's assault troops and opening up with their Bolt Pistols - their special training means they rarely miss with these weapons and they can put down an incredible amount of firepower in a short time with them.

However, as I have said, if you use the Jump Packs long range too early, you will just get your Seraphim ripped apart by the first line of troops they face.

The key here is to use cover. As a Canoness, you will quickly come to the conclusion that there are two types of cover that you can employ readily and easily. The first are the terrain features that your enemy will undoubtedly use against you for his troops. The Seraphim are a small squad who need little cover to shield themselves whilst waiting to attack and they can readily destroy or rout any enemy squad who is trying to do likewise if they charge first. The long reach of their Jump Packs should allow you to do this very well.

The second type of cover are, of course, your Frateris Militia. This will be covered in more depth in the next section, but if you can restrain your primal instincts long enough to keep the Seraphim low long enough for the Frateris to move towards the enemy, then you should find that there will always be Frateris Militia in between your assault troops and the enemy. This will, of course, confuse his targeting and your Seraphim will be well screened until they are finally ready to strike.

The ideal targets for the Seraphim are tanks, if they are properly equipped and heavy and support weapons troops who will prove completely inadequate in standing against such an assault. It is not normally wise to engage the enemy's assault troops with your own, but, as mentioned before, if you can use the Jump Packs to manoeuvre your Seraphim just short of the enemy, then their superior use of Bolt Pistols should annihilate any but the most heavily armoured of opposing squads. If you are expecting to face Terminator-equipped troops, then giving your Seraphim Krak Grenades can have a similar effect.

Frateris Militia

The Frateris Militia, whilst worthless males of the lowest order, are so often overlooked by a Novice-Canoness. It is within their ranks that one of the great secrets of continuing Sisters' victories can be found. In short, you should never, ever consider going into battle without rounding up a good amount of fanatical Frateris Militia support. Let me explain . . .

Other armies have a great deal of equipment that your Order simply does not have access to. Fearsome Dreadnought, Main Battle Tanks and devastating, but heretical Psykers can all pose great problems for your Sisters as they lay down a huge barrage of firepower that blasts apart your carefully prepared positions and slaughters all your loyal charges. But the wise Canoness will never intentionally allow an enemy to fire upon her Sisters whilst she can put an expendable screen of men between her and the enemy.

For my part, I am stationed on the feral planet of Janus IV. We have a huge amount of manpower to work with when it comes to facing off invaders and crushing cult-led rebellions, but the Frateris Militia we are able to recruit, have a very low technological level. However, we have found this to be almost no setback at all - it simply means we have an almost limitless source of cheap fighting material that costs next to nothing to equip for battle. Imagine our battle lines for a moment. Battle Sisters squads are placed well back, hidden in cover, ready to give supporting fire when they are needed. I lead my Bodyguard squad to wherever they are required on the battlefield, whether it is a powerful enemy that needs to be crushed, or the location of a holy relic that must be protected.

And in front of my squad there is a huge band of Frateris Militia, always more than a dozen, sometimes nearly twenty of them, strung out to cover every possible approach to my Sisters. For the whole battle, the enemy will pour massive amounts of firepower into their ranks but, undaunted, the Frateris continue to march forward, driven on by my promises of great honour in the eyes of the God-Emperor. Now imagine what we can do here on Janus IV, with the limitless numbers of men we can draw upon to field as the Frateris Militia. A huge tide of men sweep across the battlefield, fouling up the enemies plans, whilst the Sisters march resolutely behind them, fighting well, taking advantage of the enemy's confusion as we hit their ranks.

That is the goal each Canoness should strive to meet when fielding Frateris. There are, however, a number of problems. First, the Frateris, compared to well-trained Sisters, are abject cowards. They are also lazy and feckless, and must be constantly monitored to achieve any task efficiently. Once in battle, they scare easily and just a few losses from their ranks can have them running for cover, leaving your Sisters stranded in the open and vulnerable to enemy attack. The answer here is to make sure you never give them the opportunity to run. The Emperor, in his divine wisdom, has ensured that we have ample tools and relics to stop this happening. As mentioned before, the Banner Bearer can be a superb focal point on the battlefield, holding the Militia steady as their losses begin to mount. Preachers abound on Janus IV, ever since we brought the word of the Emperor to this planet, and they alone can steady the ranks of the frightened men, particularly when equipped with the Litanies of Faith. You should consider the presence of a Preacher absolutely essential in all Frateris squads. A Missionary carrying the Simulacrum Imperialis high for all to see can have a great impact on keeping your Militia fighting and will also have a similar benefit on your own Sisters if the battle starts to get bad for you. Having a Confessor leading a Militia squad can also have a great stabilizing influence, but this will be looked at later, as its use is more specialized.

Another problem is the fact that, in combat, Militia find it very difficult to pull their own weight, being the untrained peasants that they are and it can be discouraging to any commander to see huge amounts of casualties early on in the battle. This can be easily reduced by spreading your men out as far as possible, so automatic and sustained fire weaponry can only bring down a few at a time, no matter how intense the firepower. The main point to remember here, however, is that this is, in fact, their main role.

It is better that a dozen Militia fall to enemy guns and swords than just one of your Sisters succumb to the Emperor's Peace prematurely. The other point is that the Frateris' strength is not in their fighting skills, but in their numbers. In particular, pay attention to the squad that is marching in front of your own Bodyguard squad. As well as soaking up firepower coming your way, they can be a great aid when close combat arrives, distracting the enemy troops long enough for you and your Bodyguard to get their fatal blows in. Even Dreadnoughts and Chaos Lords can easily fall foul of this tactic. They will be so pre-occupied with fighting off the dozens of men surrounding them, it becomes simplicity for you to bring the Emperor's Justice to them.

As for weaponry, most of our Militia are armed only with knives and hunting bows, these being the weapons the men bring with them to battle. If you accept that they are only really screening troops and there to aid in the occasional close combat, why spend any money in equipping them further? Other good arms to be considered are swords (maybe two swords apiece, if you can spare the resources) and two handed weapons which, when used correctly, can crack even the Power Armour of Chaos Space Marines. Under the urging of the local townspeople outside our Abbey, we are currently under going trials of using the Militia on horses, as cavalry, equipped with Lances, though my own feelings on this are dubious. As an aside, any Militia you are planning to use in a primarily close combat role should also have their own banner located within the squad, as this can be a superb rallying point when they first engage the enemy, inspiring them to great acts of heroism. If they are to serve only as a screen for your Sisters, they are generally not worth it.

I mentioned the use of the fanatical Confessors before and, indeed, this is something that any Canoness should consider if such a personage is present for the battle. Skilled in whipping up mobs into a frightening frenzy, a Confessor can lead a squad and ensure that they never run from the enemy once in battle. This squad should be used as your first wave of attack, as they will be very eager to meet the enemy and so should not be restrained for too long. The ferocity of their attack, whilst lacking any real skill, can bring down many type of frontline troops, especially when equipped with Flails or two handed weapons. If they succeed in their charge, then the enemy's plans will be shattered very quickly, leaving the rest of your army to fight relatively unhindered. If they fall to the enemy's guns, then it is of no great loss, and it will provide a further level of screening as the bulk of you army moves into position.

As a last note on the Frateris Militia, whilst it is true that the vast majority of them are worthless in the eyes of the Emperor, occasionally you will find one man within those ranks who distinguishes most admirably when fighting the enemy. I have heard many stories of lone Frateris facing down ferocious enemies and triumphing and I have personally witnessed a Militiaman engage ever-growing numbers of Hormagaunts in an attempt to hold off a Tyranid invasion of our world. It is unfortunate that many of these men do die in their moment of glory, but the very few that survive should be made into Preachers immediately, perhaps even sent back to Terra, to be trained as Missionaries.

The tales of such men who make it into these hallowed ranks further serves to pull more men into a Frateris squad when you need them for combat. One final piece of advice, on this note. If you notice a Frateris squad about to get decimated by the enemy, allow them to retire when there are just one or two men left within their ranks. Generally, we have noticed that each Frateris squad comes from just one village, and so allowing a few to return when they can spread the word about another victory when fighting with the Sisters has a practical application.

Our Armoured Vehicles

As a Canoness of one of the Sacred Orders, you will find, time and again, that you lack any great amount of armoured support compared to some of the enemies you may face. Your first reaction may be to place a request for help to your local Imperial Guard Captain, but Imperial politics may prevent you from doing that. Besides, as you grow more comfortable with leading your Sisters into battle, you will realize that such embarrassment originating from these requests for assistance is not necessary at all. Your Sisters have all the tools they need to face the enemy. I have already described how your other troops can deal with enemy armour, but it is worth taking a look at our own armoured vehicles.

The first is the Rhino, your dedicated APC, though any Canoness who places her Sisters within it after the battle has started is usually proved to be very foolish. Once the Rhino has unloaded your Sisters during deployment, it is best used as either mobile cover for those same Sisters or as a weapons screen for your other tank, the Immolator, in the same way as your Frateris should screen your Bodyguard squad.

The Immolator is a surprisingly weak vehicle, considering it has the same chassis as a Predator or Whirlwind, and many Canonesses may, at first, dismiss it. But, once used, its presence is guaranteed in every battle thereafter. The twin Heavy Flamers in its turret can fry massed ranks of troops in one blast, or concentrate its burst, so even heavily armoured troops such as those in Power Armour or even Terminator Armour may be slain. The only problems that readily manifest themselves are that the Immolator must get close to the enemy to use its firepower effectively, and this means bringing it close to enemy heavy weapons and assault troops. Using a Rhino as a screen, as discussed above, can help, but you may find it very difficult to pull together the resources needed to field both a Rhino and an Immolator in the same army. You may even find it difficult to fund special upgrades on the Immolator, such as Ablative and Reinforced armour, defensive devices that Space Marines and Imperial Guard take for granted.

So, another tactic has to be found. If you do not want to lose your Immolator in every battle you fight, you must learn to become adept at using the tank with great cunning. Every piece of cover must be utilized to throw off the enemy's aim or block his line of sight altogether. Only when ready to strike should you rush out of cover, burning enemy squads left, right and centre and causing huge gaps to appear within the enemy's ranks. Your initial targets should be any assault squads that start to move near the Immolator, but this tanks will also do a fine job of clearing away any screening forces the enemy chooses to employ, the Ork's Gretchin, for example. In this, you will typically find it superior to a Heavy Bolter in anti-personnel work. The rule to remember is that it usually pays to delay an attack. Do not strike with the Immolator, simply because you can. Wait for the Frateris to advance a little further towards the enemy, thus blocking off assault attempts. A wise enemy will notice this and send something to engage your immobile tank and this is something to always watch for. If assault troops are rapidly approaching your Immolator, then that is probably the time to act. Tailor your firing for the target you are engaging and purge the Emperor's enemies with fire!