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High Elf Realms · 150 points

Are Sisters of Avelorn good?

Sisters of Avelorn are good, particularly against armour and on the move. They were the third-best unit I tested against heavy armour, and they held up better than most after moving into cover.

By DaveUpdated 2026-09-242026 Rules & ErrataHow I test

Quick answer: it depends what you point Sisters of Avelorn at

Role
Mobile anti-armour archers
Good against
Knights of the Realm (2.5, 2nd), Ironbreakers (2.1, 3rd), Empire State Troops (4.3, 4th)
Struggles against
Skaven Dregs (4.2, 10th): weakest ranking
Range
Loses some damage at range (65% kept)

Mobile anti-armour archers is the job Sisters of Avelorn did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 7th-of-18 overall average.

How many simulations I ran

I ran 120 volleys with Sisters of Avelorn: ten fresh volleys at each of six targets, at both long and short range. Those volleys were part of the 2,160 I ran across 18 shooting units, and these were the Sisters of Avelorn results.

I stripped the Sisters of Avelorn tests back on purpose, with no terrain, no magic, no characters and nobody deciding anything for the other side, which isolates the unit but is not a real game. With ten volleys per result, Sisters of Avelorn (3.2) and Dwarf Thunderers (3.2) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. Read the Sisters of Avelorn results as a guide to roles and matchups rather than a forecast.

3.2Avg wounds, short range (7th of 18)
2.1Avg wounds, long range (8th of 18)
65%Of short-range damage kept at long range
2.1Short-range wounds per 100 points

My verdict

I think the Sisters’ stationary numbers undersell them. In my movement and cover test they did more than three times the damage of Empire crossbows, which is exactly the situation they suit.

Best and worst targets for Sisters of Avelorn

Sisters of Avelorn: mean wounds per volley by target, long and short range 0 2 4 6 8 Knights Knights, long range: 1.7 wounds 1.7 Knights, short range: 2.5 wounds 2.5 Ironbreakers Ironbreakers, long range: 0.9 wounds 0.9 Ironbreakers, short range: 2.1 wounds 2.1 State Troops State Troops, long range: 2.8 wounds 2.8 State Troops, short range: 4.3 wounds 4.3 Dregs Dregs, long range: 2.8 wounds 2.8 Dregs, short range: 4.2 wounds 4.2 Rat Ogres Rat Ogres, long range: 2.5 wounds 2.5 Rat Ogres, short range: 2.8 wounds 2.8 Skirmish Archers Skirmish Archers, long range: 1.6 wounds 1.6 Skirmish Archers, short range: 3.0 wounds 3.0
Mean effective wounds per volley. Axis shared across targets.

Sisters of Avelorn by target. Ranks out of 18. n = 10 volleys per cell

TargetLongRankShortRank
Knights of the Realm 1.7 6th 2.5 2nd
Ironbreakers 0.9 7th 2.1 3rd
Empire State Troops 2.8 5th 4.3 4th
Skaven Dregs 2.8 10th 4.2 10th
Rat Ogres 2.5 5th 2.8 9th
Skirmishing Empire Archers 1.6 11th 3.0 8th

Range and armour

At long range Sisters of Avelorn kept 65% of their short-range damage. Their best long-range target was Empire State Troops (2.8).

Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Sisters of Avelorn averaged 2.3 wounds at short range. That puts them 3rd of 18 for cracking armour.

After moving, and in cover

At 22 inches after moving into partial cover, the Sisters averaged 1.47 wounds across the six targets, more than three times the crossbows’ 0.43. Standing still at 10 inches in the open, they averaged 3.13.

I ran this Sisters of Avelorn test separately, at fixed distances, so compare it with the other moving units rather than the main table.

How I set up the test

10 models could shoot in every matchup. My method page has the full setup.

How do they compare?

Other High Elf Realms shooters

Similar overall damage

Compare all 18 shooting units

My conclusion

Based on these results, I would use Sisters of Avelorn for cracking armour and shooting on the move from cover, and not for a static gunline job that crossbows did better at 10 inches, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.

FAQs

What are Sisters of Avelorn best at shooting?

Empire State Troops: Sisters of Avelorn did 4.3 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Ironbreakers, at 2.1, but that still ranked 3rd of 18, because every unit struggles there.

Are Sisters of Avelorn better at long or short range?

Short range. Sisters of Avelorn kept 65% of their short-range damage at long range, 14th of 18 for holding up at range. They averaged 2.1 wounds at long range against 3.2 at short range.

Are Sisters of Avelorn good against armour?

Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Sisters of Avelorn averaged 2.3 wounds per short-range volley, 3rd of the 18 units I tested.