Horus Heresy 2e Review: Blackshields Oath: The Spoils of Victory

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars, rounded down. I like these rules and there's some terrific combinations to be had!

Background.

Having abandoned their oaths of allegiance, these warbands exist for the sheer plunder! They're in it only for themselves and have become little better than pirates that prey on those who have what they want. I actually really like this premise and it suits potentially a lot of different styles. 

Rules Evaluation. 

By sacrificing sweeping advances throughout the army completely, roll 1d6 when you would otherwise would have made such a sweep. On a 4+, you gain 1 victory point. i.e., you are not chasing them down, so much as plundering what they left behind! Very fluffy. And, in all probability, something that can change the course of an entire battle potentially. Assuming that you can play it right. It might not happen all the time - to be clear - but doing such sweeps often enough can pay massive dividends. Let alone think of the cool conversion opportunities there might be for true space pirates! I'm anxious to see a skull and crossbones on the battlefield myself. Don't let me down, chat!

Combinatoric Analysis. 

The Eternal Vendetta: ⭐️. 1/5 stars. Doesn't work for me in a narrative sense since you've eliminated your previous oaths already in favour of being pirates. Sure, you might have a particularly despised enemy, but I'd steer clear of this. 

Panoply of Old: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Obviously they started their thefts by stealing from another legion's barracks. Perhaps their own?

Only in Death Does Duty End: ⭐️. 1/5 stars. Another combination that is oath-bound, versus having abandoned oaths. Doesn't work for me from a narrative perspective. 

 

An Eternity of War: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. This goes really well! Lots of breaking of oaths and not caring! Equally, you want to be in combat all the time so there's a need to think about how to accomplish that. 

The Flesh is Weak: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. An average combination, but has some really cool conversion possibilities. Pirate automatons are just cool.  

The Legacy of Nikaea: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. If you like pirate automatons, then why not pirate psychics? Sounds good to me. 

The Broken Helix: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Pirate clones and monsters. I really like this!

In Disgrace All Are Equal: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Disgraced pirates? Yes. Absolutely yes. 

Pride is our Armour: ⭐️. 1/5 stars. Doesn't work with the narrative really. Pirates are unlikely to be the most renowned veterans of their legions adhering to the old ideals. But who knows. Maybe this could work in extremis?

The Taint of the Xenos: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Pirates that use Xenos kit? Yes! This really works as well! Give me those awesome conversions! 

The Weapons of Desperation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 5/5 stars. Another excellent combination of pirates using desperate weapons! Loving this. No wonder they are scavenging from other forces when they sweep. They just want weapon upgrades! A brilliant narrative combination.