Bonzi

Personal opinion but I think you could do away with the face altogether. Just leave a void in the hood and paint it the darkest black you can manage. Death shouldn't have a face. I don't know if that solves and of your other problems though. I think the scythe is the hardest change if you want to remove the action from the model. That handle is modeled into the flapping robes behind the head as an attachment point. Very hard to change that.

The rules for all the units are mostly ok. I like the utility of the Geomancer. I think if he went down 5 or 10 points he would be much more interesting. The Crawlers seem like another side grade of the Canoptek bodyguards we already have. I would have liked to see them be a more interesting inclusion than they are. Again probably 5 or 10 points overcoated. The Macrocytes are a fun utility unit, but at their size and toughness, their cost is absurd. They would be more interesting as Canoptek battle line in a larger squad (the probably should have had the Crawlers rolled into their unit instead of separate). As they are? These guys shouldn't break 50pts. A sneeze will pick them up from the board and their buffs are good but very conditional. If you can get the buffs off, the unit is at risk of immediately getting picked up. I wouldn't bother taking these guys when we have better cheaper options for utility like Tomb Blades, Death Marks, and Flayed Ones. The best part of these units is the hope that they show where Necrons might get future Canoptek units.

The upshot is, even if their 40K rules are meh, they're still a great unit to mix into your regular Sisters/Dominions squads to give more character to individual squads. Especially true for Crusade when they may help represent upgrades a squad has earned.

The Sanctifiers unit has scads of flamers built into it for 40K. I'm not sure KT limits translate into 40K. For 40K, there new moto seems to be a rule for every weapon on the sprue.

Well that is Sisters lane. At least these will have a 3+ armor save unlike the Sanctifiers. The article today indicates they are Witchhunter Celestines so they're armed with null weapons and and condemnor bolt pistols. If that gear holds true to what we already have it will mean a unit with a 4 or 5+ FnP vs psyker attacks and devastating wounds with anti-psyker 2 or 3+ with precision. Hopefully their 40K rules give them a bit more width in their abilities beyond beyond being a nightmare for T. Sons and Grey Knights.

They look so good that I'll buy them regardless of rules, but I do hope they bring something interesting to the army for 40K.

Modifiers can't exceed more than +1/-1 in total. In this instance indirect fire will impose a -1 to hit and the target will gain cover, so +1 to their save not to exceed a 3+ save. Heavy grants +1 to hit if the weapon has not moved. So indirect fire + heavy cancel out and leave you at a 5+. If you are shooting indirect fire and have not moved and your or the target grants a +1 to hit based on yield, that's a -1 and +2 to hit, putting you at a 4+. Shooting direct with heavy and with a yield bonus is 2+ to hit, but the modifier limit again puts you at a 4+ to hit. So 50/50 hitting at best and indirect fire will cancel out your AP -1. At max 10 dice shot with max hit bonus will get you 5 hits, assume 3+ to wound vs most infantry targets means 3-4 wounds with no rend....you're probably killing 1 Marine per mortar. My assumption is that the units special rule isn't shown which may make targeted units move slower or remove cover. These mortars are probably utility units, not straight damage output.

I do like the Crusade. I had hoped this edition would see Crusade expanded and improved in the books but honestly it was mostly a copy paste from the previous edition. Natchmund Gauntlet was a fantastic book but the wave reinforcements were needlessly complicated. I personally think some of the deep strike mechanics in Natchmund were testbeds to make deep strike and reserves more interesting in the next edition.

Well, 3 year vs 6 year is a distinction without a difference if we have to eat an index every three years. Don't get me wrong, they did a decent job on the indexes....but that's a punishment cycle for whoever is the last three dexes of the edition. I already think GWs sales of the late dexes are gonna suffer after what they did to World Eaters and Guard last edition....here's your book...and it's no longer relevant.

I hope and pray to the emperor that we don't go index again. I'm sick of the dex grind and don't want to reset to index again. That said, I think the writing is on the wall that when Sisters do get their new dex, miracle dice are gone. GW has learned the dice substitute mechanic does not balance well.

I don't know as I would assume sisters will get much of a point change in November. We are on the last few dexes for the edition and decent odds has them announcing the next edition early next year. Unless an army is massively underperforming I wouldn't expect the next point balance to be revolutionary because by November we will be in the end game of the edition.

Don't forget our humble Dialogus. Turning any miracle dice used for her unit into a six is great tech for getting use out of low roll miracle dice. That plus a one off removing battleshock from a unit within 12" is great given how cheap she is points wise. Double value for the Detachment that lets units use two miracle dice.

Rule of cool is just as important as viability in a lot of ways. If a unit makes you happy, make sure to get it into your list. Win or lose, a rule of cool army always wins. It also helps with motivation for painting models. I love the shear utility of Seraphim. They're great utility/action units, they're dangerous on overwatch, and great harassment. Put the cannoness in one squad and Celestine in the other. Guaranteed fun.

If you're running the Army of Faith detachment, I'd say the biggest thing you're missing is another squad of Seraphim/Zypherim. Most of the strats for that detachment key off of being area of effect if a jump squad is nearby. With only one squad your opportunities are limited. Some melee punch wouldn't be terrible. If you want to win melee you'll probably need arcos. If you just need to slow down melee threats 5 man Sacresants or Penitent engines will do well. I like Mortifers because they come with twin heavy bolters which is a lot of Dakka and makes them a good utility unit that can do actions, shoot well, and can threaten weakened units. Personally I love Exorcists as an iconic Sisters unit and an amazing model...but this edition they've never done anything but disappoint me. D6+2 shots on damage D6 weapons....it's guaranteed to break your heart every time. GW has really over priced these guys because of their indirect fire. Another Castigator will do more damage and improve the rest of your army more, for fewer points.

I ran the Sisters out against some Space Marines after the latest balance patch. I would say with the new changes we now at least have two good detachments in Martyrs and Champions. Zephrim feel better without the miracle spend for their abilities. Retributors now are at least a neutral choice rather than being bad. I don't understand how Castigators got a points drop rather than the Exorcist. Generically I would say we should be closer to that 50% win rate that they kicked us down from.