Horus Heresy 3e Review: Fulmentarus Terminator Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. Rounded down. The rules are very good indeed.

Background.

One day, Guilliman looked around and deigned to notice his brother, Perturabo and his Iron Warriors. He saw his Tyrant Siege Terminator Squads and decided that it looked good. And in a very none-40k move decided to adopt it. And make it better. Because that's the kind of thing that went down in 30k. Innovation. Sharing of ideas. And so forth.

Strengths. 

These are cataphractii terminators fitted with missile launchers on their top. These missiles take two forms: a high rate of fire splinter missile at S=4 that suppresses opponents, and a lower rate plasma missile at S=7 for breaching at 5+. Both of these types of missiles are good for what they are doing. 

The come with the peritarch targeter. This enables them to remain stationary and have BS+1 which is awesome. That, and shrouded can also be ignored. Also awesome!

They are, of course, slow and purposeful, but also have firing solutions which enables them to shoot their combi-bolters as well as their missiles. 

Weaknesses. 

These terminators are not Tyrant Siege terminators. They aren't really equipped for heavy anti-tank or anti-building demolition work. Sure, a light tank like a rhino is a viable target, but they are more fundamentally anti-infantry in nature due to the missiles that they are taking.

There's also a subtle issue here between wanting to remain a static long range squad, and more melee squad with the option to take power weapons at the expense of the (unique) peritarch targeter. This is a fundamental issue and rate of exchange to deal with. With movement = 6, you will probably want to favour a static line up. 

They are also a support squad. 

Builds.

5 Fulmentarus (290 points). 

Naked is probably the right way to go here. 

5 Fulmentarus, 4 Chain Fists, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer (340 points)

Sacrifice the peritarch targeter entirely in favour of close combat tools. Here I have selected chain fists to provide an anti-vehicle threat (which remains anti-infantry too) as well as the ever useful thunder hammer. This squad doesn't want to stay still - there's no point. Advance quickly as possible and accept you are BS=4 with no anti-shrouded capability. The cost is steep. 

10 Fulmentarus (565 points). 

Remember that extra bodies are cheaper than a brand new squad and you can see the reason for expanding (this generally applies throughout the Horus Heresy game and has been in place since first edition). Yes, this is a very expensive squad now, but 40 suppressive missiles at BS=5 will take care of many things. And 20 breaching S=7 missiles at the same BS is frightening for many units to face.