Praise be to the Emperor!

We have won a great victory against his enemies this day, but only by the narrowest of margins. Although the enemy has been driven from the field by our righteousness and unshakable faith in the Emperor, we have also suffered greatly. Almost all of our armored carriers have been destroyed or immobilized. But surely, had it not been for the Cannoness' wise decision to use these machines to carry us into battle, many more of our number would have been lost and their ultimate sacrifice would have been in vain.

It took a while for me to see the reason behind the use of Hunter-Killer missles on all our vehicles. Even though we are not as skilled as the Adeptus Astartes in the use of these weapons, we are able to bring more and thereby compensate temporarily for our lack of long-range weaponry. Rarely have I not seen a salvo of these missles turn the tide by bringing down scores of enemy vehicles or at least force our opponents to hesitate in their deployment.

But the true strength of this armored tactic lies in the use of numerous vehicles to bring the purifying flame of the Emperor to our enemies. The Immolator Main Battle Tank has indeed earned its reputation as being the most fearsome weapon in our arsenal, but this "fame" has also brought it the special attention of enemy anti-tank units. This can be exploited however, by fielding them as decoys to bring enemy attention away from our Rhinos. Should the enemy make the folly of ignoring the Immolators, the inferno cannon will send all but the most fearless foes running into crossfire. Since almost all units number no more than the maximum passenger capacity of the Immolator, it can also be used to pick up the survivors of stricken troop carriers and bring them to the fight once more. The decision to make extra armor plating and smoke launchers a standard requirement for all vehicles has also proven to be an effective way to keep our armored forces moving during battle.

As effective as these machines have proven to be in the field, they are made even more potent by the brave sisters who pilot them. Many a battle has been won by the decision to ignore the risk of crossing over difficult terrain in order to bring our weapons to bear or take over a strategic location in the battlefield. Our Retributor squads have tallied the sharpest increase in casualties inflicted ever since they were armed with heavy flamers and embarked on Rhinos.

Not too long ago, the Canonness had also noted our foes' increased usage of highly potent infantry assault units and newer weaponry. To offset this new threat, she had requested the assistance of the Officio Assasinorum. The most notable of these were the agents of the Callidus and Eversor Temples. Callidus Assasins caused confusion among the ranks of the enemy as well as neutralized key components in the enemy strategy like powerful HQ units while Eversor Assasins were effective in liquidating scores of enemy infantry as well as heavy and elite support, most notably, that Eldar abomination known as the "Wraithlord". Even though they would sometimes commandeer an Immolator to transport them to their target, she saw this as the will of the Emperor because it increased their effectiveness in combat even more.

However effective these tactics may be by themselves, they would not amount to anything but defeat if not for the cunning strategy and skillful use of battlefield terrain. The Cannoness had always carefully studied the mission details and set specific objectives to each unit before committing them into battle. And because vehicles can quickly turn into impassable terrain, the utmost care should be taken when deploying our own forces especially in dense areas. Once the over-all plan has been established, it must be executed without pause or deviation. Should the mission require forces to be kept in reserve, a more conservative approach is taken until sufficient reinforcements arrive. I have noted the consistent effectiveness of concentrated firepower upon smaller enemy units and using lures to bring them into pre-designated kill zones.

The Cannoness had also recognized the numerical superiority of our foes because of our dependence on mechanized infantry and has ordered the strict avoidance of hand-to-hand combat unless absolutely necessary. Once the enemy's ranks have been thinned out, she would lead us and the Seraphim into the melee herself with her master crafted weapons, rosarius and the Cloak of St. Aspira. 

Things have changed little since she was elevated to Prioress. Now that I have been appointed as the new Cannoness, I recall with vivid clarity my mentor's words before we would go into battle...

"There is no dishonor in acknowledging one's weakness. Our strength lies in our humility as well as our faith. Because of this, we shall always be victorious."