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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.
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, 4th), Empire State Troops (4.3, 5th)
- Struggles against
- Skaven Dregs (4.2, 15th), Skirmishing Empire Archers (3.0, 14th)
- 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 9th-of-29 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. I then fired 1,800 more Sisters of Avelorn volleys at fixed distances, after moving and into cover. Those main volleys were part of the 4,080 I ran across 29 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.
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 by target. Ranks out of 29. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 1.7 | 7th | 2.5 | 2nd |
| Ironbreakers | 0.9 | 9th | 2.1 | 4th |
| Empire State Troops | 2.8 | 6th | 4.3 | 5th |
| Skaven Dregs | 2.8 | 16th | 4.2 | 15th |
| Rat Ogres | 2.5 | 5th | 2.8 | 10th |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 1.6 | 16th | 3.0 | 14th |
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 29 for cracking armour.
Sisters of Avelorn after moving and in cover
My main table is a clean volley in the open, so I also fired Sisters of Avelorn at fixed distances, after moving and at targets in partial cover. At 22 inches after moving into partial cover, Sisters of Avelorn averaged 1.47 wounds across the six targets, 2nd of the 18 units I tested this way. Standing still in the open at 10 inches, Sisters of Avelorn averaged 3.13 (6th of 18).
Sisters of Avelorn: mean wounds across all six targets. Still or moved, open ground or partial cover. n = 60 volleys per cell
| Distance | Still, open | Moved, open | Still, cover | Moved, cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 inches | 3.13 (6th) | 2.57 (1st) | 2.90 (1st) | 2.25 (2nd) |
| 22 inches | 2.13 (5th) | 1.82 (1st) | 2.22 (1st) | 1.47 (2nd) |
Ranks in brackets compare Sisters of Avelorn with the other 17 units in the fixed-distance test.
Sisters of Avelorn after moving into partial cover, by distance. n = 60 volleys per cell
| 6in | 10in | 16in | 22in | 28in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.00 | 2.25 | 1.50 | 1.47 | 1.65 |
Sisters of Avelorn into State Troops only, including full cover. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Distance | Still, open | Moved, partial cover | Moved, full cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 inches | 3.9 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| 22 inches | 3.0 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
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
- High Elf Archers140 pts · 2.9 avg short, 1.9 avg long
- High Elf Shadow Warriors140 pts · 2.5 avg short, 1.7 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Dwarf ThunderersDwarfen Mountain Holds · 3.2 avg short
- Empire handgunnersEmpire of Man · 3.2 avg short
- Ungor archersBeastmen Brayherds · 3.3 avg short
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 4th of 29, 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, 21st of 29 for holding up at range. Sisters of Avelorn 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 29 units I tested.