The Sisters of Battle are the Adepta Sororitas, the armed wing of the Imperial Ecclesiarchy. They’re an all-female army of power-armoured zealots who fight for the Emperor with bolter, flamer, and unshakeable faith.
Who the Sisters of Battle are
The Adepta Sororitas, commonly called the Sisters of Battle, are the military branch of the Ecclesiarchy, the Imperium’s state church. They answer to the church rather than the Astra Militarum, which makes them unusual among the Imperium’s armed forces.
They’re all women, and they wear power armour much like the Space Marines. But underneath it they’re ordinary humans, not gene-enhanced super-soldiers. What sets them apart is conviction: they believe absolutely in the Emperor’s divinity, and that faith is a weapon in itself.
Where they came from
After the Age of Apostasy, the Imperium passed the Decree Passive: the Ecclesiarchy was banned from keeping ‘men under arms’. The church got around this by founding an all-female order, since the decree said ‘men’.
So the Sisters exist partly as a legal loophole. That irony isn’t lost on them, but they’ve long since become a genuine and respected military force in their own right.
How they fight
Sisters lean on short-range firepower. Flamers, meltas, and massed bolter fire are their bread and butter, backed up by fanatical close-combat units that hit hard but don’t last long under sustained fire.
On the tabletop they’ve got a 3+ armour save and a 6+ invulnerable save from their faith, but toughness 3 across the infantry means concentrated shooting will drop them. They’re glass cannons with a martyr complex, and they like it that way.
- Miracle Dice: a pool of pre-rolled results you can swap in for key rolls like charges, damage, or saves.
- Acts of Faith: spend a Miracle die before rolling to replace the result.
- Hallowed Martyrs detachment: units get bonuses to hit and wound as they take casualties.
Getting started with the army
The Adepta Sororitas Combat Patrol is the easiest entry point. It’s a self-contained force you can play straight out of the box, and it gives you a feel for how the army works before you commit to a bigger collection.
The range has had a big refresh in recent years, so there’s plenty of new plastic to choose from. If you like the idea of grim, devoted warriors who get stronger as they die, this is your army.
Key facts
- The Sisters of Battle are the Adepta Sororitas, the armed forces of the Imperial Ecclesiarchy.
- They’re an all-female army, founded partly to sidestep the Decree Passive’s ban on the church keeping ‘men under arms’.
- They wear power armour but are ordinary humans, with toughness 3 and a 3+ save (plus a 6+ invulnerable save from faith).
- Their tabletop rule is Miracle Dice, letting them swap in pre-rolled results via Acts of Faith.
- The Hallowed Martyrs detachment rewards units for taking casualties, fitting their martyrdom theme.
FAQ
Are the Sisters of Battle female Space Marines?
No. They wear similar power armour, but they’re ordinary humans, not gene-seeded Astartes. Their strength comes from faith and training, not bio-engineering.
What’s the difference between the Sisters of Battle and the Adepta Sororitas?
They’re the same thing. Adepta Sororitas is the formal name of the organisation; Sisters of Battle is the common nickname for its military wing.
What’s the Sisters of Battle army rule?
Miracle Dice. You build a pool of pre-rolled dice and can spend them on Acts of Faith to replace rolls for charges, damage, saves, and more.