Warhammer Fest Online: Day 2 – Warhammer 40,000

Let’s deal with the biggest talking point first of all – give praise to the God-Emperor, as the Adepta Sororitas are back.

You may have suspected as much after the return of the Battle Sister Bulletin, but we can now happily confirm that a new codex for the Adepta Sororitas is on its way, along with a wave of incredible miniatures. Check out this video revealing what you can look forward to.

With a souped-up codex and a swathe of new models available to them, the Adepta Sororitas are set to become a full-on powerhouse army that can mix it up with all of the top factions. Let’s formally introduce the units that are getting ready to join the ranks of the Orders Militant, starting from the top – like, right at the top.

Morvenn Vahl, Abbess Sanctorum of the Adepta Sororitas

Upon her recent elevation to Abbess Sanctorum, Morvenn Vahl became the supreme commander of the Adepta Sororitas and guardian of the faith. Yet, unlike many of her predecessors, Morvenn Vahl continues to lead her sisters from the front lines. Clad in Purgator Mirabilis, a Paragon Warsuit of peerless quality, she takes the fight to heretics and the impious wherever they may be found.

Morvenn Vahl also has the honour of being a High Lord of Terra – a lofty status granted to her upon the personal recommendation of Roboute Guilliman himself. As if that wasn’t enough of a ringing endorsement, Vahl is held in such high esteem by the Adeptus Custodes that they granted her stewardship of the fabled Lance of Illumination – a legendary blade with which she can sweep aside the unclean or pierce even the foulest hide with ease.

As a High Lord of Terra and head of the Orders Militant, Morvenn Vahl’s authority is absolute. Her status puts her right on a par with other faction leaders such as Szarekh, the Silent King, Abaddon the Despoiler, and Captain-General Trajann Valoris. 

You can expect to see her leading armies of her Adepta Sororitas Sisters on battlefields everywhere soon. Not only is she a force to be reckoned with by herself, but her commanding presence makes her a serious force multiplier to boot.

Aestred Thurga and Agathae Dolan

You may recognise Aestred Thurga from our most recent Battle Sister Bulletin. As the bearer of the banner known as the Auto-Tapestry of the Emperor’s Judgement, Aestred is held in great reverence by all of the Orders Militant. Adepta Sororitas in her presence all fight harder, inspired by the knowledge that the God-Emperor’s gaze is upon them – and that their deeds in battle will be recorded by the Hagiolater, Agathae Dolan, who accompanies her at all times.

On the tabletop, if Aestred Thurga plants her sacred standard at the right place and time, the tide of a battle can be turned in an instant. These holy Sisters also serve as great additions to a Crusade force. Not only do they fit in thematically, but they come with a pair of abilities that interact well with the bespoke Adepta Sororitas Crusade rules in the new codex. Whether you’re a player or a painter, they’re perfect for your collection.

Dogmata

You’ll no doubt recognise the Dogmata, who serves as the judge, jury, and executioner of the Orders Militant, from our reveal earlier this year. She’ll soon be bringing her stern gaze, unflinching determination, and whopping great mace to the armies of the Adepta Sororitas.

In addition to being a formidable force in melee combat, the Dogmata ensures that nearby Sisters redouble their efforts when performing actions and holding objectives – a handy combination that can help you get the edge over your opponent in key situations.

Palatine

First seen way back in July last year in our Warhammer 40,000 Launch Party Preview, the Palatine has since starred in the Piety and Pain battlebox. She will be available separately for the first time alongside the Adepta Sororitas codex launch.

A Palatine is a welcome presence in any Sisters of Battle army, her Fury of the Righteous ability bolstering the combat efficiency of those under her charge.

Celestian Sacresants

To kick off the return of the Battle Sister Bulletin, we featured one of the new Celestian Sacresants, but now we can happily reveal the entire squad. 

This elite sisterhood is equipped with blessed, heretic-smiting halberds and maces, and they carry large shields for protection in the crucible of battle. Their ability to perform Heroic Interventions makes the Celestian Sacresants bodyguards without peer, helping you keep your prized Characters alive and your army fighting at optimum efficiency.

Paragon Warsuits

The ultimate expression of faith being rewarded in the Orders Militant is to be given the honour of piloting a Paragon Warsuit. The bellicose machine spirits bound within the Paragon Warsuits trust only the purest warriors of the Adepta Sororitas to take command. However, should such a union be formed successfully, the warsuit’s pilot can advance through the thickest enemy fire and engage the most fearsome foes head-on.

Each Paragon Warsuit is equipped with enough firepower to rival a Dreadnought of the Adeptus Astartes. The warsuit’s left arm is outfitted with a heavy bolter, heavy flamer, or multi-melta, which is augmented by a shoulder-mounted secondary weapon system in the form of a grenade launcher or pair of storm bolters. For melee opponents, the warsuit’s pilot wields a large war blade with which to hew through her enemies or an enormous mace designed to crush even the largest skulls in a single blow.

What’s more, Paragon Warsuit pilots train to fight as a trio, so you can look forward to adding a box (or more if you like – we won’t judge) of three of these elegant but powerful war machines to your collection.

Castigator

If you saw our Faith & Damnation preview, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the Castigator, the fearsome new battle tank of the Adepta Sororitas. Like the other tanks in the vehicle pool of the Orders Militant, this beast of a war machine is based upon a Rhino chassis. It fulfils a dedicated fire support role, and it’s much like the Space Marine Predator, with a powerful turret-mounted primary weapon and sponson-mounted heavy bolters.

The Castigator differs from its Adeptus Astartes equivalent in that it also sports a third, hull-mounted heavy bolter and either a twin-barreled autocannon or battle cannon as its turret weapon. That’s some serious firepower right there. Heretics – you’ve been warned!

Codex: Adepta Sororitas

Before we go into detail about the new edition of the codex, let’s hand you over to the design studio’s Stu Black to tell us all about it.

The Adepta Sororitas are getting their biggest and best codex ever – a whopping 128 pages that bring their lore right up to date. This sacred tome comes complete with over 35 datasheets and a suite of Crusade rules that breathe life into the Sisters of Battle on the tabletop. 

The codex also introduces rules for Hymns of Battle – inspirational verses sung by the Dogmata that venerate the God-Emperor – and Minoris convictions that give you the option to represent an Order Militant of your own creation on the battlefield.

If you’ve ever been interested in starting a collection of the Adepta Sororitas, now is definitely the time.

By the end of Act 1: The Book of Rust, the invasion of the Charadon System at the (unwashed) hands of Typhus and his Death Guard was well underway. Now things are about to, ahem, heat up.

The Book of Fire is the next chapter in this campaign, and it sees fresh forces being drawn into the escalating conflict – including the daemonic hordes of Be’lakor and the newly anointed Abbess Sanctorum, Morvenn Vahl herself.

The ramifications for all the forces involved in this narrative event are huge, and Battle Group Tarsus of the Indomitus Crusade arrives to combat the growing tide of Chaos invaders before the entire system is lost. Will Metalica hold? Can House Raven’s stronghold, the mighty Keep Inviolate, remain inviolate? You’ll have to wait to find out.

We will, however, reveal a few tidbits of new rules content to whet your appetite. First up, there are some more Armies of Renown to cater for the new arrivals to War Zone Charadon, including the Disciples of Be’lakor, which comprises both Daemons and mortals. If you love everything Chaos and want a legion led by a big, awesome Character, you might just have found your next army.

Speaking of the Dark Master, the Book of Fire includes his full Warhammer 40,000 datasheet, and if you saw our article telling of Be’lakor’s return to the 41st Millennium, you’ll know he’s an absolute beast.

Long story short, the Book of Fire is going to be rad, and it’s on its way soon.

Battlezone: Mechanicus – Charadon

Our last reveal of the day is a new Battlezone kit. With more widespread gaming now tantalisingly close after a long hiatus, what better way to get yourself ready for the wars to come than with a stunning battlefield full of terrain? And with the Adeptus Mechanicus on the verge of receiving an updated codex, and the forge world of Metalica in the thick of a major ongoing conflict, the industrial theme of this set is perfect.

With all this on the way, the grim darkness of the far future is looking a little brighter. Don’t worry, the setting is still as horrible and foreboding as always – we mean that some great new things are on the horizon. Make sure you sign up for our newsletter to be among the first to hear when the spectacular models and books we’ve shown you today are available to pre-order.

On that note, join us on Instagram, Twitter, and our Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page to tell us which of today’s reveals you’re most looking forward to.