Horus Heresy 3e Review: Blood Angels Legion Rules

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. I almost gave a higher rating. The Blood Angels are strong in third edition when built and played as intended. 

Background.

To me, the Blood Angels are almost a loyalist version of the Emperor's Children (or maybe it is the other way around to some of you?). They have a predilection for art and the finer things in life, having hailed from the wastes of Baal. Their primarch's gene-helix raised them high but at cost. Vampires in all but name, they got bogged down at Signus by the Warmaster and after a little sojourn in the Unspoken Empire, made haste to Terra to defend the throne at incredible cost. 

Armoury. 

Inferno Pistols are a very short range melta shot with S=8 and a valuable AP=2. Great for causing damage on the way in, and as an accent to a melta-cide unit. 

Blades of Perdition are power weapons set on fire basically. Aflame causes a leadership penalty when hitting a target unit and this is certainly valuable for combat purposes. Worth taking. 

The Iliastus assault cannon is similarly nice and has a place in heavy support squads, veterans, command squads, terminators, predators and leviathans. Sponsons and pintles are similarly good quality for this cannon. Overload (1) is a risk if you use it on maximal, but that's the gamble. 

Revenants is a Prime Force Organization Slot upgrade that gives Fear (1). Handy in some circumstances and often a surprise to opponents who don't regularly play against Blood Angels to remind them that they eat others' flesh. You will be causing routs with this when combined with the Blades of Perdition and the Tactica below. 

Tactica. 

Encarmine Fury returns in third edition . You get a flat S+1 in the turn you charged. This is still solid, but not as good as first edition, and equal to second edition. 

Gambits.  
Thrall of the Red Thirst lets you ignore focus negative modifiers caused by wounds lost but you don't get outside support. Its a trade off that sometimes works, but not really a top pick. 

Additional Detachments. 
Revelation Host is very specific and fluffy: you get up to 2 assault squads and 2 dawnbreaker cohorts. 

Advanced Reaction. 
Wrath of Angels allows you to get closer to the enemy that shot at you. Take a full move toward them. Its that simple. Oh, and if you get very close (6 inches) force them to take a cool test or be pinned in place by your glory or vampiric disposition (delete as appropriate). 

I regard the Blood Angels as really rather good in third edition. The combination of blades of perdition, revenants, and encarmine fury is excellent. Layer on top of this wrath of angels to get you closer, and long range support from S=6 auto cannons with breaching and heavy (FP) and you have an army that can tackle most comers. 

Building Ferrus Manus

One of my latest projects was Ferrus Manus; Primarch of the 10th Legion: the Iron Hands. Made by Forge World a considerable time ago, this is a primarch that has a number of the hallmarks of previous primarch builds in the sense of:

(a) instructions that are no longer available;

(b) when you find the instructions, they only help a little bit, and some parts amount to "put it all together!".

I have used two pins here. The first is in the rock on Ferrus Manus' left (forward) foot -- or rather the rock that it is attached to. I have pinned the rock horizontally to the other rocks after a lot of slicing away of excess resin to make it fit. It was quite fiddly, and I still might apply some green stuff before painting. The other pin, unsurprisingly, is in the haft of the hammer and into his hands to provide stability. The hammer joint is much to flimsy otherwise in my opinion. 

Other pain points included the back pack wherein I was not quite sure what slotted where and how it would hang on his back, but I got there eventually with a lot of dry fitting. And those pturges. Exceptionally fiddlesome and tough to know where and how to slot a number of them (under the shoulder pads, and some on the waist as well. 

There is also a rock that I have left off at the front so that I can model or at least make the diorama between Fulgrim and Ferrus (their bases literally join by intent to make a duel pose and diroama possible). 

All in all, slightly better to assemble than Fulgrim, perhaps on par with Angron, but not really near the modern primarch models that Forge World have released. 

Gaming Gitz: Lectio Primus Vorias

I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Gaming Gitz over the past little while to generate ideas and discussions. It is a superlative YouTube channel that I have followed for some time, so you can imagine my delight when we started talking properly about all things Horus Heresy.

When asked whether I had a character in mind who might be under-explored in a short, I eventually settled on Lectio Primus Vorias of the World Eaters: their chief librarian during the Heresy. He occupies a particularly grim position within the Legion. The World Eaters librarians were lucid enough to witness their brothers descend further and further into blood-madness (largely since they didn't take the Butcher's Nails without perishing), even as they themselves remained loyal to Angron and to the Legion’s wider cause. It is a bleak and fascinating vantage point, and, as ever with the World Eaters, it does not end well.

Gaming Gitz tells that story in Lore Told Poorly here.

A big shout out to Rafiq and the team at Gaming Gitz. If, like me, you are a something of a Horus Heresy and Warhammer fanatic, then this is a channel that I really favour and can whole heartedly recommend to you! Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@gaminggitz/featured , click subscribe, and give the team support over there with some likes! 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Araknae Quad Accelerator Platform

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are very good.

Background.

New for third edition is the massive gun platform to outshine the tarantula: the araknae. 

They are serious gun encampments that the legions used to clear landing zones, hold back enemy advances, clear the airways, and establish footholds. Handy if you, say, wanted to fight other legions on Isstvan 5. 

Strengths. 

Ten shots at S=7 per turn is very impressive. But its better than that because they come with sky fire, breaching, and rapid tracking, making for a very formidable platform. 

With BS=4 and 5 hull points, they will also stick around for a while whilst causing that damage. 

Finally, it also has atomantic pavise to provide an invulnerable save of 5+ in a bubble around it. Handy for holding a position when you have some troops on top of an objective. 

Weaknesses. 

The platform gloriously explodes on a 4+ when dead and gone. Try not to be taking advantage of the 5+ pavise at that point in time. 

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss here. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Deathstorm Drop Pod

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️

2/5 stars. I genuinely used to love death storm drop pods in previous editions, but they're not as good in third edition.

Background.

Its a drop pod. 

Instead of transport capacity, it has a missile launcher system integrated inside it and had its prototype in place by the Raven Guard legion before the rediscovered of Corax..

Strengths. 

Deep strike from orbit and then immediately make 5 shooting attacks using the death storm system. Each shot is d3 shots at S=6 and causes pinning. Pinning is great! But the range of the death storm isn't so good. 

The pod is therefore excellent for a one turn pinning effort against tightly crowded enemies. But then it falls silent. Therein, the major (and overlooked strength) is to provide line blocking and funnel your opponent down attack lanes of your choosing. This tactical advantage shouldn't be overlooked. 

Weaknesses. 

I would like further shooting in subsequent turns (perhaps using the out of ammo rule from second edition), better BS, and simply more utility to bring the number of stars up. Otherwise its not going to be great in third edition beyond a one turn shock and awe tactic for anyone who hasn't seen it. But honestly: it is still great against big infantry blobs that are marching close to each other like the World Eaters. 

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss here. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Techmarine

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2.5/5 stars. Rounded up. Average rules for a utility choice.

Background.

Trained in the arcana of the Martian mysteries, the techmarines are responsible for the supply and repair of the armouries of the legions. On the battlefield, they can conduct emergency repairs to tanks which for some legions will be very useful, but for others you are probably never going to take this unit.

Strengths. 

The Techmarine brings Battlesmith (2) to the field. This is for repairing vehicles and similar and results in them gaining 2 wounds or hull points, or alternatively restoring them to their original condition by removing up to 2 statuses. 

Their stat line is average with 2 wounds and an 8 in intelligence. You can also boost your intelligence tests with a cyber familiar which is almost an auto-upgrade given the Techmarine's function. The servo arm gives you an extra wound restoration which feels really redundant, whilst the power axe is nice. 

Weaknesses. 

I think I would sooner play a threat or a distraction than such a utility overall. Often taking more offensive as opposed to the ability to repair is a superior option, but that might just be a reflection of my own play style and you might like to play more defensively and out last your opponents. 

Builds.

Techmarine with Cyber Familiar (60 points).

About the best build in my opinion. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Apothecary

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded up. Useful. But not as much as previous editions.  

Background.

Apothecaries in 30k stride the battlefield as one with their brothers. Capable of fighting and shooting just as well as any other, they also have the sacred duty of recovering gene seed from the dead, as well as keeping their brothers in the battle as much as possible.

Strengths. 

The apothecary has 2 wounds and is otherwise fairly standard except he brings the Medic rule to any unit that he joins.

Explicitly, this functions like an advanced reaction. Upon activation, you get a recovery save of 4+ for any unsaved wounds from shooting. This is, of course, very useful!

Weaknesses. 

This is certainly not the feel no pain of previous editions, but in my view it is a little fairer across the board. It is a way of not only getting rid of particularly stubborn opponents in one fell swoop by the designers, but also retains the spirit and fluff of the apothecary. He literally has to patch people up on the fly, and as such, an advanced reaction seems appropriate.

I should also mention the 3+ armour save and the general lack of upgrades - I would single out the jump pack here which is now only available to Primus Medicae (as well as bikes, jet bikes and so on). This is bad. The Narthecium is also re-purposed here: it allows recovery tests in the morale sub-phase. If successful, they get -2 to the characteristic check. This is mega-clunky and not really very good in my opinion. 

Builds.

Apothecary (30 points).

I honestly don't feel the need to take upgrades, but the odd power weapon here might be useful. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Rapier Battery

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. The rules are sound enough. 

Background.

Carrying weapons that even the super human Astartes would find too challenging to haul around, rapier batteries are a solution to battlefield long range support weapons that don't need to be mounted on vehicles (largely due to the vehicle's size and or weight). 

Strengths. 

Cheap, cheerful, and regularly useful. I genuinely don't know why we don't see more of them on the battlefield (or at least I don't see too many of them - I'm biased though). 

The Gravis Heavy Bolter Battery has an impressive 8 shots with suppressive which is can often be overlooked. This is your basic anti-horde infantry device. 

The Laser Destroyer is your standard anti-tank option with S=10, extra damage if you stay still, and armour bane. This is probably the best pick of the lot comes with an individually higher star rating of 4/5 from me. 

The Graviton Cannon comes with a slew of special rules alongside Graviton: blast, breaching, shock, and pinning. Very versatile overall, but not as specialist as other options. 

The Quad Launcher gives you barrage and large pie plates on frag, armour bane and more damage for not moving on shatter, and phosphex for an upgrade cost with armies that have siege breakers which is deadly with 3+ on poisoned as well as panic and breaching. Versatile as well. 

Weaknesses. 

You target the T=6 carrier at range only (which is a weakness for the opponent); but in close combat, you get the crew targeted. If the crew dies, then the carrier is also removed. Hence they are vulnerable to being charged and wiped out. 

Builds.

4 Rapier Crew, 4 Gravis Heavy Bolter Battery (160 points).

They might not sound or look like much, but I assure you that 32 S=5 bolts for this amount of points is significant - as is the suppression caused. World Eaters will hate you. But they already do probably. 

2 Rapier Crew, 2 Laser Destroyers (180 points).

More is probably overkill unless you are facing super heavies or similar? But hey, who am I to argue, best to be sure I suppose so take 4 if you want. 

2 Rapier Crew, 2 Graviton Cannon (120 points). 

Cheap enough to consider. Take more to taste if you are playing at higher points levels. 

4 Rapier Crew, 4 Quad Launchers (240 points).

Lots of pie plates everywhere for closely packed enemies. Upgrade to Phospex if you can and feel the need.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Heavy Support Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. Rounded Up. Pretty much a mainstay of infantry based firepower.  

Background.

Big guns never tire, and neither do these Astartes! Bringing portable heavy weapons to the battle can be critical as they can get where armoured tanks cannot, and as such every legion maintains a strong cohort of weapons and trained marines ready to take on all kinds of threats. 

Strengths. 

Whole squads of heavy weapons are a mainstay of many legionary forces. Here's some notes on the heavy weapons themselves. 

Heavy Bolters give you three shots on the move, or four shots stationary at S=5 to lay down a strong (generic) layer of fire power. Often overlooked in favour of other weapons, but still viable.

Heavy Flamers are almost always overlooked. But I actually really like them. Not only do you got a lot of hits, but you have panic here as well. The only price to pay is the short template range. You'll probably want to tool up for close combat duty here as well I think. 

Autocannons are great. Seriously. S=7 with breaching and Heavy on FP provides a deadly combination and at a great range.

Missile Launchers are flexible with frag, krak, and flak (i.e., sky fire). Don't forget that frag has heavy on S here as well whilst the other two have heavy on Damage instead. Very attractive overall. 

Multi-Meltas are short range anti-armour options with heavy on RS. You need to be within 8 to get the bonus you are after. These are dreadnought hunters and lighter tank killers. Equip for close combat in all probability as well.

Plasma Cannons sit in a good spot with blasts, breaching, and overload possible. 

Volkite Culverin should be taken in good number to maximise the deflagrate effect. The range is very impressive and heavy on FP can be deadly here. 

Las Cannons are the workhorse of tank killing with armour bane and heavy on Damage. With S=9 and a mighty range, they can happily sit still and ping things every turn. 

Weaknesses. 

Once again, these are just regular marines. You get what you pay for overall (although the points cost for some weapons is slightly high), and the 5 star rating is no accident here. They are that good for what you are getting.

Builds.

10 Heavy Support Marines, 10 Heavy Bolters (200 points).

A very workable squad. 

5 Heavy Support Marines, 5 Heavy Flamers, Sergeant with Power Fist (115 points).

For close up work, and very deadly in zone mortalis. Surprisingly effective and honestly not to be overlooked (I often don't get why people hate on flamers). Take a rhino and go hunting. Take vexilla and nuncio vox to taste. You probably don't need 10 marines here. 

5 Heavy Support Marines, 5 Autocannons (150 points).

Cheap enough to take and sit somewhere dishing out lots of fire power. Upgrade to 10 members if you are playing at higher points values or just want to make sure your target is finished off, but occasionally I've found this is overkill. 

5 Heavy Support Marines, 5 Missile Launchers, Augury Scanner (135 points).

Expand to 10 members to taste (often depends on the points value of the game).

5 Heavy Support Marines, 5 Multi Meltas, Nuncio Vox, Vexilla, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer (210 points).

Kitted out for tank busting and then thinking about destroying the infantry that might be carried on board transports. I don't recommend 10 marines here. 

5 Heavy Support Marines, 5 Plasma Cannons (150 points).

Similar to the autocannons in many respects, but with small pie plates and the possibility to overload. Sit still and fire away. Expansion to 10 marines is subject to taste and points limit of the game. 

10 Heavy Support Marines, 10 Volkite Culverins (250 points).

Volkite has to go big or go home, hence a 10 man squad is recommended. 

5 Heavy Support Marines, 5 Las Cannons, Augury Scanner (185 points).

Anti-Armour. The scanner is there to prevent shrouded issues of course. If you are expecting lots of armour, expand to 10 marines, or consider multiple small units. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Tactical Support Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. An excellent choice all round for maximal flexibility, hence why I've rounded up. 

Background.

In the Heresy Days before the year 40,000, and before tactical squads routinely took special weapons, there were the legion tactical support squads. They bring to the battlefield bolt gun replacements, with options from flame units to plasma guns, and melta guns to more besides. 

Strengths. 

I will freely confess that I love the support squad and have done across all editions of Horus Heresy. The ability to take a squad of melta guns, or plasma guns, and so on and so forth is insanely good. 

When 30k was first released, I mentally compared this squad to the likes of Eldar aspect warriors (e.g., fire dragons). Indeed, this is probably the best analogy I still have. These squads are specialized, but will find use on almost any battlefield depending on what your target is exactly. They bring solutions to your perceived problems. 

Flamers are great for short range fights against enemies in cover, and causing panic is great of course.

Plasma Guns have high strength and double tap with breaching which you can overload for better breaching and strength if you wish (which no doubt you will). They lack the low AP of previous editions, so you are causing wounds with breaching here instead. 

Melta Guns are your standard anti-armour weapon. Get within 6 inches to gain armour bane and double your damage for penetrating hits. 

Volkite Chargers are assault weapons and you should take them in bulk to get the best of the volkite rule. 

Volkite Calivers have better strength and longer ranges than the chargers, but again take them in numbers. 

Rotor Cannons have poorer strength than you would like, but they look very cool and inflict suppressed which is psychologically enough for your opponent to think twice if you react with them. 

Weaknesses. 

They're just regular marines. You get what you pay for, but the points cost is more than entirely reasonable, hence the star rating at the top of this article. 

Builds.

10 Tactical Support Marines, 10 Flamers, Sergeant with Power Fist (145 points).

Never underestimate a large blob of flamers. Take a rhino and demonstrate to your opponent how powerful they actually are. Or use them in Zone Mortalis where even a 5 man squad will be deadly. Death Guard love them. Salamanders too (and they also don't panic). Take a vexilla and nuncio vox to taste. 

5 Tactical Support Marines, 5 Plasma Guns (90 points).

Cheap and cheerful plasma death. Take a transport to taste and nuncio vox and augury scanner.

5 Tactical Support Marines, 5 Melta Guns, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer, Nuncio Vox, Vexilla (150 points).

An anti-armour build with close combat capability for what may be an inevitable counter charge if you go exploding transports. 

10 Tactical Support Marines, 10 Volkite Chargers, Sergeant with Power Weapon, Nuncio Vox, Vexilla (160 points).

Get close, shoot, and probably follow up with a melee. Take a transport or figure out how to give them infiltrate for maximal effect. 

10 Tactical Support Marines, 10 Volkite Calivers, Augury Scanner, Nuncio Vox (200 points).

Longer range so you can sit back and ping your enemy. 

5 Tactical Support Marines, 5 Rotor Cannons, Augury Scanner, Nuncio Vox (110 points).

Great to support a command character, and can be expanded to 10 members if you feel the need. Imperial Fists love these. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Word Bearers Procurators

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. I'm a bit torn on this unit overall.

Background.

The Procurators are a little bit like apothecaries in other legions. Except that they also harvest organs and parts from the nearly dead in order to advance the dark rituals of the legion. And that they have a squad of wannabies around them. In other words: desecration of the fallen to summon chaos daemons of the warp.

Strengths. 

For every 5 models, you can upgrade one of the wannabies to a Procurator which gets you the Narthecium and Medic rule. This is a must. 

In turn, this also gives you the flesh harvester rule. With this, you get one harvest point for every consolidation move you make (or 2 for a paragon). Should you survive the battle, these get converted into victory points at the end. This makes for a great strategem which I've seen pulled off once. Basically, you pick a weak looking opponent and eliminate them, then go hide hoping that the extra point will see you gain victory! Or try to repeat this on a series of weaker targets where you are assured of victory. 

I'd take the power weapon on the procurator every time, and I'd also consider the upgrades for the 1 in 5 in the rest of the squad. Probably power fists. Possibly a warp fire pistol even. 

Weaknesses. 

The procurators will categorically be a high value target for your opponent. The chances of you harvesting and then surviving the rest of the battle are very slim. Rest assured if I were the opponent, I would be targeting this unit. But therein is also a strength, it allows you to move the rest of your army into position. So you can almost thing of this unit in two different ways: a unit that is capable of winning the tide of a battle with extra victory points, and one that is a complete distraction to your opponent once it harvests for the first time. The 3+ save is also a weakness for a squad costing this much. 

Builds.

8 Procurants with 2 Procurators; 2 Power Fists and 2 Power swords on the Procurators. 

(265 points on foot / 320 points with jump packs).

This is the basic layout. Sure, pistols like the warp fire pistol are viable instead of power fists here, but I still like this build. 

Warhammer Glasgow

I was in Glasgow this week due to travels. As per usual when I visit a location, I do try to make an effort to find and navigate to the local Warhammer / Games Workshop store. 

Sadly, my travels were also immediately after the very large fire that affected Glasgow Central Railway Station. The image captures what I saw on the day along Union Street where both Warhammer Glasgow and the train station are located. 

Union street (visible in the image) was physically roped off by the emergency services. In the background of the image is the aftermath of the fire with one of the buildings adjacent to the railway station destroyed and the fire services still spraying the scene with water. The Warhammer store (and the railway station itself) is on the left obscured by the van with the red and yellow chevrons. 

Hence this post is a shout out to Warhammer Glasgow. I hope you manage to regain access to the store soon (I know from Facebook you still haven't regained access), and I hope to visit again at some future point in time. Best wishes from Warpstone Flux and your would-have-been mystery shopper. 

Tyranid Infestation Part 2/2: Smaller Pieces

The second and final part of the duology of painting the Killzone expansion: Tyranid Infestation is today looking at the smaller pieces of terrain. These are markedly different from the towers that I showed yesterday in the basic sense of the vertical nature of the towers is wholly missing, and there's a bit more red flesh showing through on many of the parts.  

That said, I followed the same approach here overall. My goal was to give the lower parts a darker colour with the uppermost surfaces being lighter and drybrushed with eldar flesh. This has worked throughout, except for the tree-like vine (middle left) which retains the "notch" approach used on the towers, but obviously going much more horizontal here. 

The reds are taken up with the surfaces of the lower two elements in good quantity, and also the brain-like structure at the top left. Blood for the blood god has again been applied selectively to give a slick and immediate look to some parts of these elements. 

I wasn't a fan of the spike tower at the top right - glueing that together and painting it was an exercise in trying to not stab myself. But now that's its done, I can at least appreciate the look of it.

These pieces really complement the towers in a good way and provide items that some models can just about see over the top of, but will provide cover for almost every infantry sized model standing behind them. Best not to poke them too hard if you ask me though, I think they might retaliate, or there's probably something living inside them still!

 

Tyranid Infestation Part 1/2: Towers

I bought the killzone expansion for the Tyranid Infestation terrain. And I am very pleased with this purchase indeed. These pieces are really rather fabulous. Not only are they nicely detailed, but they glue together superbly well and can be arranged on the gaming table to excellent effect. 

The first batch of terrain that I painted up was the towers. These only have a few parts to them each (and the tallest twin towers sits on another piece of the terrain on its own). 

The painting here is straight forward in some regards. The undercoat is corax white. I've then applied two base coats, both using contrast paints in red and stone coloured. 

The the stony colouring, I've gone back into the recesses with a much darker contrast paint set to give them a gradient. Every notch starts out dark and works its way brighter as the eye takes you upward. This creates a very organic look to the terrain and makes it look evolved over centuries rather than quickly during a tyranid invasion. I've also applied some dry brushing in eldar flesh to the upper most surfaces and upper notches to really make the contrast as strong as possible.

The reds are supposed to be a bit fleshier in places. As well as the contrast paint, I've worked darker reds and blacks into the recesses, some dry brushing of lighter reds, and selective application of blood for the blood god to give it a subtle slick look. 

Overall this produces the desired result: terrain that doesn't look overtly "tyranid" in some regards and would look entirely in place on a desert planet for instance. Or maybe Murder. With the Megarachnids that proved to almost doom the Blood Angels, Emperor's Children, and Sons of Horus. At least that's where I'm going with this particular terrain in the back of my mind.

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Sons of Horus Reaver Aggressor Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are quite good considering the jump packs. Much like their on-foot analogues, their flexible builds mean you can have access to lots of deployment options. 

Background.

An evolution of the despoiler squad mixed with assault squads, with Horus' name and the Cthonian ganger background writ large across it. The Reavers are individuals clubbed together in their own squad which is a war band in and of itself as you might expect of their Cthonian origins and specialize in hit and run tactics designed to decapitate the enemy. 

Strengths. 

Chain axes and bolt pistols as standard coupled with WS=5 a nice complement of attacks and 2 wounds each. 

The squad features a high level of flexibility in builds and can take lots of sergeant weapons and pistols if you have the points value available, along with special weapons to boot. 

Weaknesses. 

The armour save of the reavers remains at 3+ and means that they are vulnerable to the more elite shooting and melee attacks of other units. 

Builds.

10 Reavers, 1 Nuncio Vox, 1 Vexilla, 3 Power Weapons, 2 Thunder Hammers, Sergeant with Lightning Claws (370 points).

A go-to build, but quite expensive points wise. Given WS=5, I think this is a squad that should be focused on melee. Sure, you can go melta-cide if you wanted, but I still like this one. 

Perfection

One of the issues with the older Forge World models is that the instructions for building them come in one of two flavours:

(a) Step 1: assemble everything.

(b) The instructions are online at this (now no longer existent) web address. 

I feel Angron was a case in point for case (a). Fulgrim is a case of (b), although also partially (a) as well. There are, however, some repositories for the instructions. Only because some very kind hobbyists had the foresight to download the relevant pdfs and make them subsequently available. 

Regardless, here is the perfection of Fulgrim in all his assembled might. 

There are hard parts here, to be clear. I have to pin Fulgrim's narrow triangular standing point where his foot meets the ground into the main part of the resin base to provide stability. The fiddly little bits at the bottom of the leather straps in the shape of the legion symbol were a royal pain. The other hard part was the cape. I had to pin that to the main body as well due to a poor fitting that no quantity of heating or re-shaping would cure. Otherwise, this model was actually okay after a lot of dry fitting. Well, okay, there were serious issues that I suspect a beginner would not appreciate in the slightest. Now that it is done, I am more relieved than anything!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Sons of Horus Chieftain Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good. 

Background.

Chieftain was a term taken on by the gangs of Cthonia to designate and grant honour to an individual who showed loyalty. Now within the Sons of Horus, the same title has carried over and marks individuals such as squad leaders out as worthy. They are sometimes assembled into squads themselves to safeguard a leader. 

Strengths. 

WS=5 and 2+/5++ is a strong combination with 2 wounds each. 

They come with bane strike bolters, boarding shields, bolt pistols and the ubiquitous chain swords. They are marked out by the special rule "Honour above all else". This grants +1 to wound for the entirety of the squad when one of them is engaged in a challenge. This is excellent! And it really calls for this unit to get into combat as swiftly as possible. 

The upgrades are all worth thinking about: chain axes are solid enough, power weapons handy, and power fists great. The ability to take the legion standard is an almost auto-upgrade. 

Weaknesses. 

Not too many weaknesses realistically for what you are getting, but the points do escalate quickly. 

Builds.

5 Chieftains, 2 Power Fists, 2 Power Weapons, Legion Standard (225 points).

Something of a baseline build to provide access to whatever tools are required in a situation. 

10 Chieftains, 2 Power Fists, 8 Power Weapons, Legion Standard (410 points).

A fully upgraded squad. Nice and deadly and not merely there to serve as ablative wounds for a character. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Diabolist

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. The rules are average. 

Background.

Near the beginning of the Heresy, the Word Bearers were already dabbling in things that maybe they should have left well alone. The diabolists were a symptom of the dabbling; creating powers never seen before and tearing at the frayed edges of real space.

Strengths. 

The diabolism discipline comes with 2 powers and fear. The first power is hellfire which is a nice short range shooting attack with deflagrate and breaching (but a bit random since you get 1d3 shots). The second is dark channeling which boosts your friends by giving them aflame (reducing your enemies leadership by a pip) and feel no pain. This is useful and calls for a close combat style play - which no doubt you were already using. 

They also come with damned which translates as malefic if you want it to which is an odd choice mechanically. 

This is all rounded off by a force weapon and a pistol upgrade if you wanted one. 

Weaknesses. 

Overall, they feel like a limited librarian without any word bearer summonings like you'd otherwise want to have. I honestly feel the ability to summon daemons would be a better option if you are headed down this route and the diabolist will often be overlooked for better psychic command characters. I'd really only play one if I had the room on the roster and wanted that Leadership modifier against the enemy from aflame along with feel no pain. Potentially great for jump pack equipped space marines I suspect. Even so, I'm yet to see a diabolist played on the table top. Maybe you have?  

Builds.

Diabolist with jump pack (135 points).

The jump pack is to help get stuck into combat quicker and to run with similarly equipped men. 

Diabolist in Cataphractii Armour (135 points). 

Take a combi-weapon of your choice to taste. 

Diabolist on Scimitar Jet Bike with Multi-Melta (175 points).

A touch expensive here to be honest, but it is still functional. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Ashen Circle Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded down, just. Average rules. 

Background.

An echo of what the Word Bearers once were: iconoclasts who tore down not merely worlds, but also their culture and replaced them with the Imperial Truth. Later, that replacement would be something more sinister, but they remain arguably the most representative of what the legion once was. They traditionally work alongside destroyer squads and specifically hollow out enemies who hold cultural positions such as standard bearers and eminent leaders.

Strengths. 

Movement of 12 is nice to have here of course, and combined with the weaponry, they are a great close range squad.

The hand flamers give you panic which should be taken advantage of. Whether to upgrade this to an inferno pistol for the Iconoclast is a bit of a personal decision, but I have the feeling other squads do melta better, so I'd err leaving it at home (even so, I'm still torn since AP=2 and S=8 is excellent). Phosphex bombs are a personal taste choice overall, and plasma pistols are probably out-shined by the inferno pistol here. 

The axe-rakes give S+1 which makes the squad quite deadly against enemy space marines alongside critical hitting. Phage on movement is a strange design choice, but certainly fluffy I guess?

Harbingers of Truth causes a modification of the firepower to +1 during volleys. This is quite sweet really! And Vanguard of 3 is the icing on the cake. 

Weaknesses. 

With only a 3+ armour save, they will die fast with one wound each, but they do get to deep strike which is good. 

Bitter duty means that they're probably not going to be joined by their local Praetor sadly. 

The points cost increases quickly here in comparison to other squads to be very honest.

Builds.

5 Ashen Circle (125 points).

You really don't need any upgrades for this. 

10 Ashen Circle, Iconoclast with Inferno Pistol and Phosphex Bombs (250 points).

The fully upgraded squad.

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Mhara Gal Dreadnought

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good. 

Background.

What do you get if you put a smashed up Gal Vorbak inside a contemptor dreadnought? The Word Bearers have conclusively answered this with the Mhara Gal. "...that which was blessed, but now stands beyond the sight of the gods" to use the official description. The dreadnought is a cursed creation with black flames flickering around it and reality itself upset by its presence. In many ways, this is punishment with life after death for the Gal Vorbak inside.

Strengths. 

A dreadnought profile mixed with dark blessings to create something a bit more deadly. 

Explodes and Fear are nice to have, but the real question comes down to which upgrades to take. 

I like the Warp Fire Cannon. The blasts coupled with 2 damages, breaching and shred is excellent. 

The baseline burning warp fire template is nice for causing panic and probably something you should keep. The tainted claw is similarly great hitting at S=10 with AP=2 and 3 damage. I don't feel any need to upgrade to gravis bolt cannons. Melta cannon might be interesting, lascannons are okay, but you want to be close range for combat, and the same issue raises its head for the autocannon. Hence it is between the warp fire cannon and the melta cannon for me. Given that the model is sold in resin with the warp fire cannon, I really recommend that. 

Weaknesses. 

Not many. It is malefic as you might expect. Just a pity that it cannot take 2 tainted talons or 2 warp fire cannons in third edition. 

Builds.

Mhara Gal with Warp Fire Cannon and Tainted Claw (210 points). 

I genuinely think that this is the build that you should be running. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Gal Vorbak

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. Rounded down, but only just. The rules are very good and worth the points cost.

Background.

The Shattered Sun chapter of the Word Bearers stared too hard and too long into the darkness on the ancient world of Cadia. The darkness stared right back at them. Those who survived found themselves infiltrated by the powers from beyond and not so much possessed as those who would come after them, but rather hosts who entered into coexistence with them. Their forms are able to bloat and swell, grow hideous claws, and form weapons to help them as they bound and leap across the battlefield.

Strengths. 

Three wounds with 5's elsewhere make the Gal Vorbak a force to be reckoned with. 

They come with tainted talons as native which give AP=3, breaching, shred, and phage on strength which is excellent. Sure, AP=2 would be nicer, but that wasn't there in previous editions either. 

They come with bolt guns which gives them tactical flexibility, along with Vanguard (3), and Fear which is great. 

Weaknesses. 

The 3+ armour save is a slight issue, but you do have feel no pain to help with that. 

They are also Malefic. This might or might not bother you depending on the type of Word Bearers army you are playing. Of course, they are traitors only. 

Builds.

5 Gal Vorbak, 1 Power Fist (260 points).

A typical baseline build. 

10 Gal Vorbak, 2 melta guns, 2 power fists (550 points).

A maximal squad.

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Zardu Layak

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded down. The rules are good and Zardu has a near unique power to control others.

Background.

One of the first of the Word Bearers to fully embrace the new religion after the Censure of Monarchia. Zardu is described as fiery and fervent in his beliefs, and has handily shackled a pair of unfortunate battle brothers to his own will over time -- the so called blade slaves. 

Strengths. 

A reasonable stat line much like a centurion combines with a force weapon with S+2 and enhanced D on force. The panoply of flame helps with combat resolution but the real strength here to my mind is the Binder of Souls psychic power (he also gets breach the veil). Select an enemy model with Willpower of 7 or less and they're yours in the close combat that Zardu is also part of. Handy, and almost unique in the game. 

Meanwhile the blade slaves (Anakatis Kul) come with plasma pistols and the famous blades which give AP=3 and breaching with Phage on Strength. The stat line is also attractive with T=5 and S=5. Solid meat shields for Zardu and I like the fact that they also explode!

Weaknesses. 

I never quite know what to make of Zardu and his blade slaves. They are cute little compact unit and there is some attraction in having the psychic power to control others. But if I am being truly brutally honest, there's just better HQ selections for the Word Bearers. 

Overall.

I think Zardu has his placed as the HQ of a corrupted army, and as the forefront character for a melee charge. Beyond that, I actually don't like him too much. The one time I saw him on the battlefield, I dealt with him through a combination of precision shots and pie plates. His blade slaves routed shortly after. Its a bit of a shrug from me - he is fine overall, but just not the first choice I think. Cheap enough to consider for a kill team to be clear. 

Praetor Challenge: Iron Warriors vs World Eaters

Today's Praetor's Challenge is brought to you by the Iron Warriors and the World Eaters legions. It is the Worlds Eaters to play and the question is as usual: what is the optimal (or most characterful) choice/s possible?

Iron Warriors:
10x Tactical Squad (sat on an objective). Sergeant with power fist.
3x Cataphractii Terminators (2x twin lightning claws, 1 with reaper autocannon and chain fist).
1x Cataphractii Terminator Praetor (1 wound remains, twin lightning claws).
1x Contemptor Dreadnought with las cannon and power fist (2 wounds remain). 

World Eaters:
5x Tartaros Terminators (all with twin lightning claws); two of them have 1 wound remaining. 
1x Tartaros Terminator Praetor (paragon blade); two wounds remaining. 
5x Tartaros Terminators (3 with chain fists, 2 with power mauls); two of them have 1 wound remaining. 

What are the world eaters going to chase: a praetor kill? the objective under the tactical squad? finish the dreadnought? And why?

Internet kudos points (worth nothing but bragging rights!) await!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Argel Tal

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good. With a slightly better stat line I'd go even higher. 

Background.

Belonging to the doomed Serrated Sun chapter of the Word Bearers, Tal gazed into the abyss and it gazed back to turn him into the lord of the Gal Vorbak. Not possessed like his brethren in 40k are, but a symbiote, his form is dominated by a large pair of wings sprouting from his back when in combat. He was also one of the first to paint his armour red -- the colour of the Word Bearers' betrayal. He was also best buddies with Kharn of the World Eaters and had lots of fun fighting alongside him. 

Strengths. 

Those wings are fantastic and grant Tal an impressive movement rate of 14. With 5's in most other places and WS=6, he is a close combat monster all told. His daemonic talons slice at AP=2 and 2 damage each, although there's no S bonuses or anything else to speak of here (the talons are noted to be psychic though!). But he still has Krak and Frag grenades which is nice. 

The special rules are reasonable, especially feel no pain at 5+ and fear. Naturally, he can also deep strike. 

Weaknesses. 

Classed as Malefic, he's not going to be joining the regular rank and file of the legion of course. 

Overall.

You want to play him aggressively. Perhaps with malefic assault marines for company. Or other of his Gal Vorbak. He is Master of the Legion, so could also be taken as your overall daemon friendly commander if you went down that route. You would have to think carefully how you are going to handle heavy tanks in such an army though. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Erebus

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good. With a slightly better stat line I'd go even higher. 

Background.

If there is a singular figure that blame for the Heresy can be attributed to, then Erebus would take it. It was he who counselled Lorgar that if the Emperor didn't want adoration and worship then there were other beings - true gods - who did. When Lorgar trod the path to damnation it was he that again counselled caution and planning rather than diving head first in to rebellion, declaring for the darker powers immediately and spreading the word of the Primordial Annihilator to the Galaxy. And it would be Erebus who became the architect of Horus' downfall as well. But on top of this, he is also a servant and a puppet of the Dark Powers. Little more than a pawn to be used by them as their plans came to fruition (albeit through him).

Strengths. 

He is a native psyker with anathemata (so take some daemons in your roster!). Uniquely, he can actually take the daemonic manifestation auxiliary detachments - plural - natively. I strongly feel Lorgar should also have this to be very honest. And why can't Magnus either for that matter? Oh well. Erebus is it. For this reason alone he is worth taking. Naturally, he can also join Malefic units which is great for him! 

The Crux Malifica is a psychic weapon with phage on strength (which a lot of the legion has access to) and comes with S+3 at AP=2 and 2 damage. This is fantastic. The plasma pistol at this point is almost decorative. 

The stat line is reasonable with 5's in WS, BS and I and solid advanced characteristics. 

Weaknesses. 

Sure, he isn't quite Abaddon or similar. He's more like a psychically enhanced command unit than a native high command one (Praetor's WS is strictly better!). But summoning lots of deamons whilst attached to Gal Vorbak or similar is an attractive prospect to be very honest. 

No master of the legion is also an issue here. 

Overall.

Fluffy, deadly, and a very valid choice for the Word Bearers. What is not to like? Oh yeah. He is Erebus. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Kor Phaeron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2.5/5 stars, rounded up. The rules are okay but he's not a full Astartes. 

Background.

Kor Phaeron is the Father figure of Lorgar himself. He was too old to be fully elevated to an Astartes, but this didn't stop Lorgar and co from gene crafting him into an almost Astartes and gifting him some specialist equipment so that he could take his place by Lorgar's side.. 

Strengths. 

The Patriarch's Claws grant shred and AP=2 which is great. But not so much due to his innate S being only 3. The digi flamer is excellent though and a real surprise to most. 

He comes with the special rule of Dark Oratory. In shouting range he can grant a unit hatred of loyalists (handy) or give them Cool+2 and Leadership+2 which is similarly solid enough. 

With Jealous Command you gain W+1 and leadership goes up to an impactful level of 11. 

Weaknesses. 

With only 3's in S and T, Phaeron is vulnerable in a way that almost no other high command figure in the heresy is. 

Overall.

Fluffy, certainly. Useful, certainly for assured hatred of loyalists. Worth the points? I'm on the fence. He S and T are real issues, so only the most ardent player is going to play him as the high command option, otherwise he would be circumstantially useful against loyalists. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Lorgar

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. As with previous editions, Lorgar is not one of the most powerful Primarchs, but he certainly can still pack a punch if you underestimate him. 

Background.

Lorgar Aurelian and his Word Bearers had cause to turn traitor, but no one could have particularly seen just how far he would fall, how fast, and how many he would also be taking with him along the way. Once creating compliant worlds out of faith to the Emperor, our orator of the word was rebuked and spat out with devastating results for him, his legion, and half the other legions to boot. His is the original guilt for the entire civil war. 

Strengths. 

With 6's across the board, Lorgar's stat line is nothing to write home about. His cool of 11 is reasonable though. 

Devotion (his side arm) is impressive with S=8 combined with shock and pinning thanks to being a graviton weapon. Don't forget to fire this one. Meanwhile Illuminarum is impressive by granting S+2 and 3 damage along with phage on strength (which frankly Lorgar needs to be competitive), critical hitting and reaping blows. He can and will cause damage in close combat, but his brothers will generally be a match for him. Even Alpharius. 

He comes with Hatred or Loyalists as standard which will help him against loyalist primarchs at least. He also has access to the Anathema Discipline which means you should be thinking about what daemons to take in an army list along with Lorgar so he can summon them at a convenient time. You will need how to think to include daemons in your force chart though.

Through the Power of the Word, he is able to join Malefic units, and as Sire of the Word Bearers, bonus prime slots arrive through tactical squads and despoilers which is fitting. Everyone also passes leadership tests on the first turn in the Word Bearers that accompany him. This is nice. 

Weaknesses. 

As a primarch, he is undoubtedly one of the weakest. He will likely lose challenges against most if not all of his brothers, even with Phage and Hatred running. The WS=6 holds him back, and I=6 won't cut it all of the time. Illuminarum is powerful, to be clear, but landing those blows in the first place (due to WS=6) is an issue against many of his brothers. 

Overall.

I like the possibility of Lorgar being able to summon daemons mid battle. This is very fitting and shouldn't be overlooked as a possibility to help him directly in combats. Just don't expect to win against his brothers too often, and his points cost is actually not too bad overall. He is still a primarch, and able to waste entire lesser units on his own, after all. Choose your battles well. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Word Bearers Legion Rules

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars, but rounded down. Good and solid rules with some outstanding entries when timed well. 

Background.

The origin of the Heresy. The traitor's traitor legion. Once held in high regard by all, and venerating the Emperor as a deity, the legion was laid low by the same man at Monarchia when he demonstrated the error of the legion's ways through a rather extreme censure. This ultimately caused them to explore beyond their faith in the Emperor and to (re)discover the chaos gods. Lorgar, his close friends, and the legion more widely spread the rot from which the Heresy would flourish and wrote their names in infamy from Isstvan to Ultramar and beyond. Welcome to the Primordial Truth that existed long before the Imperial Truth. 

Armoury. 

Burning Lore. In exchange for their very souls, high command characters can gain psychic powers. Not bad and a small points cost!

Zealous Assault gives prime slots impact (strength). This might not seem much, but trust me: this can be a game changer. 

Warpfire Weapons return via legacies. These are mild upgrades for officer weapons, special weapons and heavy weapons. They are generally interesting and give breaching and shred so are worth the cost. 

Tainted Weapons are also from legacies and give your squad sergeants phage on strength for a solid points increase. This is also generally worth while, but you need to factor in your opponents. 

Tactica. 

Unwavering Conviction is a different take on the zealotry of the legion and gives +1 combat resolution. Importantly, this stacks with other sources of resolution. Therefore your army is already looking like melee orientated and infantry heavy in the main part.

Gambit.  

Beseech the gods is solid but only applies in the first combat round. You get S+1 and A+1 if you pass a willpower check. Hopefully you will do that. Fail and you take a wound. 

Additional Detachements. 

Exalted Conclave brings you bonus troops and elites with prime slots on the troops. This is incredibly flexible and spot on for the legion. 

Advanced Reaction. 

Glorious Martyrdom is potent stuff. Once per battle a brother puts himself in the line of fire to take all incoming shots from a fire group(s). He probably won't survive. But he has sacrificed himself for his brothers and the rest of the shots go to waste. This can be game changing when played and timed well. It is really that good! Arguably one of the best advanced reactions in the game to my mind. 

The Word Bearers are actually quite a potent close combat force in third edition 30k; and one where you can also sacrifice a brother to save a squad from incoming shooting which is amazing and can be game changing. I think the Word Bearers are actually really under estimated in third edition and much more powerful than many players give them credit for! 

Emperor's Children Terminator Lord or Praetor

A conversion that I've been thinking about undertaking for a long time has finally taken shape! This model is an Emperor's Children terminator. Possibly a Praetor for 30k or a chaos lord for 40k. It could work either way (although obviously traitor aligned for the Heresy era). 

The parts used include:

Tail: Daughters of Khaine Blood Sisters (Age of Sigmar)
Body, Head, and Cape: Chaos Terminator Lord
Lightning Claws: Dark Angels
Shoulder Pads: Regular 40k Terminator

The core idea here is that this is a Lord or Praetor who is treading right down the chaos path toward the dark prince. He is clearly mutated already, but his brothers don't care and regard it as perfectly natural, or perhaps a level of perfection for them to all aspire to! 

I might use him along side the thunder hammer and storm shield Emperor's Children Indomitus terminators that I have already assembled and painted. The painting here uses the exact same formulation of my standard approach to the Emperor's Children in Horus Heresy, so he does at least slot in nicely in terms of the colour scheme, but perhaps a bit less so with the mutation! I'm reasonably content with how it turned out, but I do acknowledge that some finer details could do with touching up (e.g., the eye of Horus in the centre of the chest and some more highlighting on the tail perhaps). 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Seeker Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars, rounded up!! One of the best squads (arguably) in the game. 

Background.

An invention of the Alpha Legion which subsequently spread to other legions with the Emperor's blessings. The seekers are the best shots in the legions and gather together with explicit orders to take down the enemy command structure and are armed with weapons to do exactly that. 

Strengths. 

Infiltrate (9) is excellent here and will get you within range of almost anything. 

The seekers come issued with a Kraken bolt gun. These are impressive. Apart from the 30 inch range, they have precision and shot selector. This latter rule is to account for the specialist rounds that they carry. Every turn you can gain your choice of panic, breaching, or suppressive. This is excellent!

Alternatively, swap it out for a combi-bolt gun (which might work for a melta-cide squad). I also like to arm the sergeant with a close combat weapon that will make the enemy think twice, or at least cause some damage in a distraction carnifex style. 

Weaknesses. 

Seekers suits some legions more than others, of course. 

Fundamentally, these are 3+ save marines with 1 wound each. However, the points cost remains entirely reasonable for what they are able to pull off. 

Finally a warning. Don't spam multiple small units of these if you, you know, like having friends. 

Builds.

5 Seekers, Sergeant with Power Weapon, Nuncio Vox, Augury Scanner (135 points).

A basic build. Multiple ones of these will leave you with few friends. Just so I'm clear. 

5 Seekers, 5 Combi-Meltas (155 points).

Melta-cide distraction. Other squads might do this better, but I still like this set up. 

10 Seekers, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer and melta bombs, Nuncio Vox, Augury Scanner (240points).

More expensive, but the full tool kit that you'd ever need. Yes, terminators are cheaper which is why I favour multiple small units for seekers.