This artwork, Alteya created for Kevin, captures a group of Battle Sisters celebrating their first triumphant mission against a Chaos insurgency. The squad poses for a commemorative photo to honor their hard-fought victory over the heretics.
The Sisters of Battle, officially known as the Adepta Sororitas, are the militant arm of the Ecclesiarchy, the Imperium of Man’s state church, in Warhammer 40,000. They are devout warriors whose faith in the God-Emperor of Mankind fuels their actions and, in many cases, manifests as divine miracles on the battlefield. Clad in power armor and armed with an array of holy weapons such as bolters, flamers, and melta guns, the Sisters wage war with zealous fervor. Unlike the Space Marines, the Sisters of Battle are human women, not genetically enhanced, yet their faith allows them to accomplish extraordinary feats. They are often deployed to root out heresy, suppress rebellion, and destroy the enemies of the Imperium, including mutants, psykers, and heretics.
Central to their identity is their unshakable belief in the Emperor’s divinity, which grants them an unmatched spiritual resilience. This faith allows them to invoke acts of “faith and fury,” where miracles such as divine protection, bursts of holy energy, or enhanced combat prowess can turn the tide of battle. The Sisters fight in tightly organized Orders, such as the Order of Our Martyred Lady and the Order of the Bloody Rose, each with its own traditions and specialties. They are as much icons of piety as they are instruments of destruction, embodying the Imperium’s grim resolve to enforce its doctrines. Their presence on the battlefield is not only a force of military might but a symbol of unwavering devotion to the Emperor, inspiring the faithful and striking fear into the hearts of the unworthy.