Hours Heresy 3e Review: Saturnine Terminator Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. I have rounded down due to the the overload danger and blowing themselves up!

Background.

I have raced ahead in the Liber to bring the Saturnine terminators review early to you dear readers since like me, some of you are wondering how to build these. Retonned to be an innovation of Vulkan who in turn gifted his knowledge to his brothers, the Saturnine terminator has long been in the lore. Here they have made a magnificent come back, although lacking the over head bolt gun (which was always odd looking, but hey, we're talking Saturnine anyway). For me, I actually LIKE the look of these new terminators and feel like Games Workshop has done a great job bringing them up to date so to speak. I also fully get why the community sees them as marmite!

Strengths. 

W=3 and T=6 is amazing. These terminators have superlative staying power and are competitively priced at 60 points each (although the usual points cost tax exists when forking out for the initial unit - the add ons are 60 points each).

The load outs are limited: plasma bombard, disruption fist (with or without particle shredder), and twin heavy disintegrator. The plasma bombard is excellent. You could use is with indirect fire with two bombard each and hold back. But I think mixing the plasma with the disruption fists is the way to go here. 

Don't overlook the shredder on the fists either. These template weapons are simply amazing!

Weaknesses. 

I want to like the twin heavy disintegrators. However, they are horrifically dangerous. Sure, they will melt to slag most things in the game. But with Overload (2), they will also melt the user as well!! Its a gamble to be very clear. And sometimes you will want to take that gamble. Two twin heavy disintegrators is really asking you to destroy yourself, so I'm not recommending that build. 

In all cases, remember that these terminators will also be fire magnets and you will need to think about them exploding as well on occasion!

Builds. 

Not too many builds here, but these are the more obvious ones. I deliberately EXCLUDE having 2 lots of twin heavy disintegrators as the risk tips the balance to early self destruction in my opinion - but for laughs I've included it at the end. This is your almost final warning!

3 Saturnine Terminators, all with 2 lots of Plasma Bombards (200 points). 

Sit back, and literally bombard your opponent off the board with near ranged impunity. A larger mob of these is massively deadly. 

3 Saturnine Terminators, all with twin heavy disintegrators and disruption fists with shredders (245 points).

High risk, high reward. There is very little that these terminators cannot handle. I would be tempted to add in extra bodies here, but haven't done the math-hammer to think about this statement in detail. 

6 Saturnine Terminators, all with Plasma Bombard and Disruption Fists with Shredders  (410 points).

Very points efficient and superlatively deadly at medium range and close up. This has to be the favoured and baseline build. A sensible build even. For sensible players! Which leads me into... 

6 Saturnine Terminators, all with 2 lots of Twin Heavy Disintegrators (500 points).
ONLY FOR LAUGHS - I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BUILD. Super expensive in terms of points cost. Legitimately could be the most deadly thing in any given game short of a super heavy of some kind. Will categorically result in blowing yourself up regularly due to Overload (2). But it WILL absolutely handle nearly everything you might be worried about. The play style would be to simply teleport into position, open fire, and hope you survive and your target does not. Hilarious overall whilst not truthfully being recommended because you are not making any friends here, okay?!