Warhammer: Birmingham City Centre

No trip away from home would be complete without attempting to hunt down the local Warhammer store and checking it out. Recently, it was the turn of the city centre of Birmingham!

Birmingham is often referred to as the second city of the UK (but I do know a number of Liverpudlians who would dispute this and would explicitly note that London is the second city). As such, the infrastructure for getting there is excellent. Birmingham New Street train station is one of the busiest railway stations in the UK with 36.6 million transits in 2024-2025 making it the busiest outside of London (but not the largest by any means). The Warhammer store is literally a short stroll up the road from New Street station. 

The store isn't big in the grand scheme of things, but it is well appointed and the staff were very friendly toward me (yes - I know its their job, but still, they were genuinely enthusiastic!). 

What caught my eyes the most were the window displays: one of each for Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40k. The detail of these were excellent. I was quite taken by the Age of Sigmar one myself (the reflection of me in the glass and the general light in the background also don't do the image much justice - it was superior in real life I assure you!). The Salamanders were very nicely painted in particular. 

Great job Birmingham and you certainly passed my "mystery shopper test"! 

Onward to the next store whenever it happen!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Warlord Titan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars. The titan that is the size of a child and costs like a very old used car.

Background. 

The mainstay of the titan legions. More responsibly for Unity and Heresy than the space marine legions themselves - arguably. They can lay waste to both armies and cities alike, and can do so on airless rocky moons and verdant planets alike so long as the ground beneath them can support their mass. Their only true enemy is others of their kith and kin. 

Strengths.

It is a Warlord Titan. I can't actually believe I'm even reviewing it (pinch me). It is incredible, and certainly a centre piece. 

For the Arms:

The Mori Quake Cannon has macro auspex with large pie plates, S=12, and 10 damage. This is great against knights and tanks and will rip down other titans over time as well. 

The Belicosa Volcano Cannon is similar, but has a smaller pie plate but increases the strength to 13 and has 12 damage. This is real anti-titan territory here. Macro auspex does mean anti-tank and anti-Knight and Titan duty though. 

The Macro Gatling Blaster also has macro auspex and pumps out 5 S=10 shots per turn. The damage is 5 and there is also armour bane. I would actually tend to disfavour this weapon unless you are really tank hunting or knight hunting in favour of something more anti-titan (remember the primary rule: if you are taking titans, then so is your opponent!). 

The Sunfury Plasma Annihilator is also macro auspex as you might imagine and has two modes - the maximal fire mode having power hungry. The pie plates are either big or apocalyptic. But I think unless you are going to go for maximal mode regularly, this one is really clearing out tanks and knights rather than being strictly anti-titan. 

The Arioch Power Claw has a built in Vulcan Mega Bolter which is great for shooting up tanks and knight. As a power claw, it has an impressive S=13 with 12 damage which is more than enough for taking out knights in a single backhanded swipe and will similarly hurt titans if it lands. So long as you get in range! Take a BS upgrade here. 

For the Carapace:

The Apocalypse Missile Launchers have the rule of cool and are shield breakers. They wreck 3 void shields per hit which is magnificent when facing off against other titans. 

The Laser Blasters on the carapace are also fine and give S=10, and 5 damage with armour bane. I actually prefer the missile launchers slightly for this edition. 

Weaknesses. 

As with my comment about the Reaver (etc.), I want to see the full range of weapons available at epic scale come in to being for 28mm play. 

As an aside. This is the third time I have reviewed a Warlord Titan. Here's a brief history:

Year: 2016. First Edition. Points Cost = 2750. Financial Cost = 1240 pounds sterling.

Year: 2023. Second Edition. Points Cost = 3000. Financial Cost = 1537.50 pounds sterling. 

Year: 2026. Third Edition. Points Cost = 3000 (3300 for BS=4). Financial Cost = 1741 pounds sterling.

Financial costs assume the basic body, Mars-Alpha pattern head, carapace missile launchers, and 2 volcano cannon arms). 

Builds.

Warlord Titan, Apocalypse Missile Launchers (Carapace), 2 Volcano Cannons. 

Strong anti-titan duty for stripping void shields and ripping up hull points. 

Warlord Titan, Laser Blasters (Carapace), and 2 Sunfury Plasma Annihilators.

I prefer the above build, but this one is still viable even if the plasma is not quite as good as it was in previous editions. 

Warlord Titan, Laser Blasters (Carapace), Quake Cannon, Arioch Power Claw.

Slightly up close and personal, and well worth the increase in BS here. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Warbringer Nemesis Titan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars. Another medium sized titan!

Background. 

The Nemesis has a reputation for a restless machine spirit with ghost sensor artifacts that sometimes enable it to lock on before a threat is even sensed by the crew. It is in effect a "heavy support" choice (my words) for the Titan legions and brings heavy weapons to bear in order to bring down enemy titans. Hence the name.

Strengths.

This titan is your long range firepower platform and needs to be played as such. Consider the power hungry rule carefully for the imposition of snap shots and go from there. 

For the Arms:

The Gatling Blaster gives 5 shots at S=9, AP=2 and 4 damage. This will rip through lighter tanks and really hurt elite formations given the opportunity. Armour bane is the icing on the cake.

The Laser Blaster is S=10, and 5 damage, but reduces the fire rate to 3. Armour bane here as well which means this is almost a go to weapon for anti tanks and even anti-titans. 

The Melta Cannon has S=12 and the valuable melta rule with a pie plate and 8 damage. Of course, only one shot here though. 

The Volcano Cannon is your real titan killer. With S=13 and a whopping 12 damage, it will cause serious problems. But it is also power hungry with a small pie plate. 

For the Carapace:

The Nemesis Quake Cannon is a power hungry large pie plate with 10 damage at S=12. Great for clearing the board of pesky knights. 

The Nemesis Volcano Cannon is also power hungry, but has a smaller pie plate in exchange for S=13 and 12 damage. 

Either is viable, but the question is whether you are facing tightly packed vehicles or not. If not, then the second option is really the one to go for from a purely power gaming point of view (pun not intended). 

Weaknesses. 

Not many weaknesses here at all. You get what you pay for in terms of the points cost and it is very effective.

Builds.

Nemesis Titan, Quake Cannon (Carapace), 2 Gatling Cannons. 

Take the Majoris Crew and fire aware. 

Nemesis Titan, Volcano Cannon (Carapace), and 2 Melta Cannons.

Pure armour (knight, titan) hate here. 

Reaver Titan, Volcano Cannon (Carapace), Volcano Cannon, Laser Blaster.

Yes, the power hungry rule can hurt. But it is still magnificent!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Reaver Titan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars. A medium sized titan!

Background. 

A battle titan in name, and in role. The Reaver is a most ancient design of Mars, and sees use throughout all of the Titan Legions. Considered almost holy by Martian standards, its origin has long since been lost to ancient history. 

Strengths.

As with other titans, if you are bringing one to the battle, then you should let your opponent know and plan for them doing the same. This argues for having high strength weapons. The main issue that you face here is that many weapons have the power hungry special rule. This means other weapons only fire snap shots. Let's have a look at them.

The Gatling Blaster gives 5 shots at S=9, AP=2 and 4 damage. This will rip through lighter tanks and really hurt elite formations given the opportunity. Armour bane is the icing on the cake.

The Laser Blaster is S=10, and 5 damage, but reduces the fire rate to 3. Armour bane here as well which means this is almost a go to weapon for anti tanks and even anti-titans. 

The Melta Cannon has S=12 and the valuable melta rule with a pie plate and 8 damage. Of course, only one shot here though. 

The Volcano Cannon is your real titan killer. With S=13 and a whopping 12 damage, it will cause serious problems. But it is also power hungry with a small pie plate. 

The Power Fist is treated as a ranged weapon in the third edition since you don't get titans entangled with close combat really. With S=12 and 10 damage with armour bane it can wreck lighter vehicles and knights in one hit. But you have to get up close since the range is only six inches. 

Weaknesses. 

The missile launcher on the carapace is the only choice. In previous editions it could at least be swapped out to a vortex missile or turbo laser destuctor. This really needs to be re-instated. To be very honest, I would like to see the full range of weapons available at epic scale to be implemented at 28mm scale. Including a return of the chain fist. Pretty please?

Builds.

Reaver Titan, 2 Gatling Cannons. 

Arguably a bit of a waste, but if you upgrade to a Majoris crew, then this will rip apart quite a lot of elite troops and lesser tanks.

Reaver Titan, Volcano Cannon, Power Fist.

For your titan and knight killing pleasure. But you have to move to get up close and personal. Switch out the power fist for a melta cannon or laser destructor for a better ranged option. 

Reaver Titan, Laser Blaster, Melta Cannon.

A balanced ranged option that doesn't have the power hungry rule to worry about. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Warhound Titan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars. It is a titan - enough said!

Background. 

The smallest of the true titans! It is classed as a scout as it moves quickly and can be deployed as such by the legions.

Strengths.

I'm broadly copying my notes from First and Second Edition here since they still apply. 

So let's be honest about something. If we're taking a titan, we're probably going to be opposed with titans. Therefore, I strongly would recommend that any titan is equipped with at least one high strength weapon to try to counter any enemy titans or super heavies. 

One overlooked "strength" to remember is that titans can move. Yep. Seriously. They have legs. They walk, jog and run. Remember to think about this: it is a mobile weapons platform after all.

For the weapons:

The Vulcan mega bolter is a 12 shot S=7 monstrosity that inflicts suppressive. Nice for shooting up heavier units thanks to 2 damage per shot, and the AP is 3. 

The Inferno Cannon is also S=7 hellstorm template that has panic and inflicts a remarkable 3 damage at AP=3. Clearly nice for clearing out weaker enemies. 

The plasma blast gun is S=8 pie plates at AP=2 and 5 damage which increases to S=9 and more damage with a larger pie plate is you're willing to take the power hungry rule (snap shots with other weapons). 

The turbo laser destructor is your anti-titan weapon with S=12, 6 damage, AP=2 and armour bane. It is almost an auto-include I suspect for certain types of games!

Weaknesses. 

It is the smallest class titan, so "only" has 2 void shields. You can live with this.

Builds.

Apart from weapons, the main consideration is what crew to use. I recommend at least a Senioris to increase the BS to a value of 4. 

Warhound Scout Titan, 2 Vulcan Megabolters. 

Don't bother unless you know for certain there are no other super heavies or land raiders on the enemy side. Pumping out 24 AP3 shots every turn will rapidly decimate any space marine army otherwise. No fun for the opponent in this regard (but then, you're taking a titan!). A candidate for a Majoris crew to be honest (BS=5). 

Warhound Scout Titan, 2 double-barrelled turbo laser destructors.  

Tank and titan killing weapons with a 5" blast every turn is serious business. This is the kind of titan that is ready for anything. Nothing in the game cannot be handled by it. Take it. 

Warhound Scout Titan, 1 plasma blast gun, 1 double-barrelled turbo laser destructor.

A more balanced titan (if such a thing exists! lol!), the massive blasts from the plasma gun is amazing at range and fun to play. Its also high strength and is flexible (depending on if you're facing hordes for instance). And the laser destructors are for the enemy titans to contend with.

I don't like the inferno cannon especially, but it can have its uses on smaller boards or ones where you can readily move the titan into position. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Triaros Armoured Conveyor

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. The rule are good.

Background. 

The secrets of this armoured transport are guarded well by the Mechanicum. So well, in fact, that not even the space marine legions have access to the arcana that gave them birth. They serve many roles from hermetically sealed environments, through to ramming, and being able to transport a large number of troops.

Strengths.

For a transport, AV=14 on the front is valuable, and 12's elsewhere are solid enough. With 7 hull points, they are likely to get you where you need to be, but the real sell here is the 22 transport capacity. 

The volkite calivers are good and the mauler bolt cannon backs this up with some status effects. Auto repair is strong here too, as is the flare shield. The shock ram is also an encouragement to plough through enemy formations.

Weaknesses. 

For a transport, the points cost is, of course, steep so you won't be taking too many of these in all probability. 

Builds.

The only build upgrade is whether to take hunter killer missiles and these are probably to taste for this vehicle and the army as a whole. They are cheap enough though (especially as a fraction of the tank's cost). 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Secutarii Cohort

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. The only troops choice possible for a Titan Ordinal detachment. 

Background. 

Developed in parallel to the Skitarii legions, the Secutarii share many of the ancient and near unknowable ways of old Mars. Their purpose is, simply put, to defend the titan legions. This might seem absurd at some level. But there are many threats to titans. The Secutarii are there to take care of would be ambushers and human sized targets that would simply not regularly be targeted by the building-shaking and tank-busting weaponry of the titans. Further, they are there to mop up the human sized remnants of anything the titans blow up. Like the people who are being transported in tanks or the ones taking cover in a bunker that the titan targets. They are also regularly deployed to defend a titan landing zone or just generally help with the titan legions, as required.

Strengths.

The stat line is strong for mortals (even those enhanced by the Mechanicum) with WS=BS=4. 

They come standard with arc lances and mag-inverter shields. The mag-inverter shield gives the shield trait but is also interesting for reducing the charge distance of an enemy by 1. This can sometimes make a difference. The arc lance meanwhile is I+1, S+1 with precision and shock (suppressed) which is tactically excellent, an the AP=3 is excellent here. 

This pair can be swapped out for galvanic casters. Shred and rending at bolter like range with 3 shots is very attractive and can cause damage even though the AP is a measly 6 and the S=3. I'd advise going big here. 

Rad grenades will help with all of the above, but the price tag adds up fast. 

Weaknesses. 

T=3 is a key weakness. The save of 4+ with a 6+ invulnerable is not going to keep them alive too long either. Remember to use shield (mag inverter) or smokescreen (galvanic caster) where needed too.

Builds.

Secutarii Cohort, 20 members, Galvanic Caster (315 points).

The ranged version. 

Secutarii Cohort, 10 members, Arc Lances and Mag-Inverter Shields, Rad Grenades (185 points).

The close combat version. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Secutarii Axiarch

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. The only command choice possible for a Titan Ordinal detachment. 

Background. 

Axiarchs are the leaders of the Secutarii cult within the Mechanicus. Rather than being selected on merit, they are chosen for having defended a downed titan, or having recovered one from the field -- one of the most "sacred" of tasks that the sect are called on to perform. Subject to further testing and evaluation, they are then rebuilt in armour forged from a dead titan and upgraded with protocols to replace parts of their brain. The outcome is something beyond a space marine.

Strengths.

With WS=BS=5, these former human beings have been extensively upgraded and have advanced stats to match. 

They come with an arc lance which is very reasonable, but can be swapped out for power swords (keep the lance) or arc mauls (sacrificing initiative for strength which is a rational transaction). The mag-inverter shield gives the shield trait but is also interesting for reducing the charge distance of an enemy by 1. This can sometimes make a difference. 

As a Legio Armsmen, they ignore warhorns, gain Ld+1, but suffer panic checks when their friendly titan gets toppled. 

Other upgrades are rad grenades (generally worth it) and cyber-familiars (Intelligence check bonus of 2 which might be situational, but could be worth it). 

Weaknesses. 

T=3 is a key weakness but you do have a 2+ save in this edition to make up for it which is good.

Builds.

Secutarii Axiarch, Arc Maul, Rad Grenades, Cyber Familiar (110 points).

This is the maximal upgrade version. Since you are playing with titans my logic here is that player can afford the points cost for the upgrades. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Legio Titanicus Rules Overview

The second half of Liber Questoris covers the Legio Titanicus - the Titan Legions of the Horus Heresy.

Without doubt, the Titans of the Forge Worlds were responsible for more of the Great Crusade victories than the Astartes themselves. They are deadly. They are big. And there's lots of special rules about them.

Detachments.

You can take a titan with an ordinary army as a Lords of War choice. Or you can use the special Titan Ordinal primary detachment. You only get 1 titan though, and a bunch of Secutarii and their transports. I really wanted Titan maniples against each other. Of course, that's still possible, you just have multiple single detachments. But its a bit odd. 

Profiles.

We have (typically) 4 profiles per titan. One for each region of their body: Head, Carapace, Arms, and Legs. They each have different armour values and hull points. 

Speaking of armour values, there's 2 versions: primary armour (which you will use all the time) and exposed armour (once you get to crippled status for a titan). And you also have void shields to get through first which are AV=13 and can be re-booted depending on the crew trait of the titan. War horns are also mounted on titans which can unleash terrible noises. This reduces advanced characteristics by (X) within 24 inches which is handy for forcing routs and similar. 

Damage.

Damage adds up as you might expect by reducing hull points through penetrating and glancing hits. Glancing hits though result in a roll on the damage table but if crippled then you get 1 hull point instead. The damage table gives some negative modifiers to your next turn. But if you get down to zero hull points, the relevant part (head, carapace, arms, and legs) suffer significant problems and their armour counts as exposed. Crippled parts that are hit again roll on the critical damage table. It is here you get mortal blows to the Princeps, the reactor exploding, weapon breakages, and for the legs - the titan literally falling over (splat!). 

Tactics of Desperation.

Small units have the option of swarming the titan as an assault action. They literally climb the structure looking for minor flaws. This involves an intelligence test with modifiers based on the units type and the titan's crew. If successful, then the attacking unit can make a choice of effects to cause the titan such as stripping the armour (future attacks are against the exposed armour value for the turn) and jamming the actuators (the controlling player can't move the titan in the next turn). The swarm attack can also be to cause damage (get bonuses on the intelligence test) or to escape harm (reduce incoming damage in exchange). Of course, the mitigation cost is steep. S=8 time d6+1 incoming hits result against the unit, but if a cool check is passed, then these are only at 1 damage and AP=4. If failed, then 2 damage and AP=2. 

Engine Kill and Missions.

The missions included in the book make clear that you should tell your opponent you will be fielding a titan, and that you can't take the titan detachment outside of these special missions. That's okay. 

Different types of titan (Scout like warhouds, or Battle like reavers) are worth different victory points. But what I found really interesting with the missions is the existence of strategic objectives that only the titans can take. There are macro emplacements (AV=15, gains 5 victory points per 5 hull points lost - with an infinite number of hull points possible curiously enough! I've not seen an infinity in a game yet - this is not a great idea gaming wise I feel); communications bunker (AV=14, 20 hull points) which is worth 10 victory points and reduces your enemy reserve rolls to 6+ for the rest of the game (I like this); and a Command Post (same as the above in terms of stats) worth 10 victory points which causes suppressed for every unit in their army if they fail a cool check outside of combat. 

Warhammer World: Darkwater Jade Abbey

Although I have not actually played Warhammer Quest: Dark Water, when I visited Warhammer World it really stood out to me as an awesome display. This is the Jade Abbey setting, and the sheer verticality of the display is audacious. 

The first image shows the entire display in one hit, but with the others, I have divided them into three to get some close ups of several levels at once.

There are quite a number of stories buried within if you look closely. There are hints about previous adventurers who have tried their luck before - and failed. The abandoned weapons are the key hint. But a closer look shows that those previous expeditions have attempted to hack through various places in order to gain access. Will the new adventurers have more luck than those that went before them? I am unsure to be honest! 

As a relatively new display in Warhammer World it is certainly a welcome addition and adds such a great narrative beyond the large pitched battles that we are used to seeing. 

Zone Mortalis Journal Tactica: First Impressions

It is a rare occurrence that I manage to pick up a new release from the gaming store on release day itself. Today is one of those rare days though!

Zone Mortalis is the newest Journal Tactica for the third edition of the Horus Heresy. The book is short, of course, clocking in at 48 pages, of which some 13 pages are full page or nearly full page illustrations. Naturally, the main focus of the book is the new rules for Zone Mortalis. These in turn are based heavily on using the (older) 12 inch square tiles. That said, this one is full to the brim with new rules unlike other editions of the journal tactica which have quite a lot of lore in. This one doesn't have lore. It has rules by the bucket load, new units, missions, and everything else you might expect.

Terrain features heavily. There are ceilings all around (so you don't get to fly around in interceptors or use barrage, of course), walls, doors, corridors and tight fighting spaces. Corridors have confined spaced and you risk dangerous terrain deaths. Doorways have widths and you can get through some of your bigger models with a bit of ducking that impeded your setups and charges. Battlesmithing and intelligence tests help open doors that are otherwise closed off. 

Happily, teleport strikes are back in full here! There's a whole load of other strategems fit to use as well which we will have a look at in the future. Missions and detachments exist by the load and we'll also look at them distinctly. 

Today, I wanted to pull out 2 new rules especially.

The first is Breacher Charges. If you have a boarding shield and you are a high command or sergeant character, then you can take them for 10 points. It hits at S=10 and yields d3+3 damage against fortifications. 

The second is the advanced rule of Unknown Enemies. This heralds a return to Space Hulk no less! Instead of deploying your figures, you deploy "blips". These are 25 to 40mm bases that you simply mark with a number or rune of your choice that corresponds to an entire unit. You move these blips at the movement rate of the lowest member of your squad or unit that it represents (you obviously
need to keep track of which blips corresponds to which unit). When you are properly sighted by another unit, replace the base with a single model from that unit, and arrange the rest in coherency around that first model with no model closer to an enemy that caused them to be revealed! I actually love this rule and am looking forward to seeing how it plays out (but let me know if you've already experimented with this!). 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Acastus Knight Asterius

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. A knight that must operate at the longest range possible to get the most out of it.

Background. 

The machine spirit is said to be all consuming fire and rage. It is therefore of no surprise that only the veteran pilots in a household will bond with this type of knight. Doubly so given that it is a very long range knight and lacks any glory in melee given its armaments. It remains exceedingly rare in any given household.

Strengths.

As with the Porphyrion, the armour on the front is a fabulous AV=14 and it has 18 hull points to keep it in the game for a long while. The Ionic Flare Shield only accentuates this. And as with its sister knight, this is also a long range affair which can legitimately park at the backfield with the more vulnerable AV=11 rear armour to the board edge. 

The Conversion Beam Desolator Array is interesting. As with other conversion beams, it gets stronger with distance from the target. All ranges come with massive pie plate and ordnance on damage. Strength starts at 8 and goes to 10, AP starts at 4 and goes to 2, and damage is the inverse of that. This is very impressive, and you get 2 shots as well. You really need to go long range though (42 inches and above) to get the very best out of this beast, otherwise you have really wasted your points value and your attacks. 

The Karacnos mortar has a very good range as well and brings a much smaller pie plate with phage on toughness, pinning, poisoned, and barrage. Although S=6 and the AP isn't great, it can work. The remaining volkite culverins are similarly S=6 and reasonable range for anything that gets too close. 

The auto repair is impressive at 4+ which is what really sets this knight apart and why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 3 (which I would have been tempted to due to the conversion beam range issue of needing maximum ranges). 

Weaknesses. 

Explodes! And at 4+! This is something to consider. 

For the same points cost, you can actually get a Warhound Titan. That is fundamentally the balance here and the trade off to consider deeply. 

Builds.

There are no build here to speak of or analyse. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Acastus Knight Porphyrion

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. The rules are good for this rare knight.

Background. 

What is the machine limit that a single human mind can safely interface with? Apparently it is the Porphyrion, after which you will need more minds to take care of the scout class titans. 

This is a different class of knight altogether compared to the ones thus far visited. It is not only rare, but often taken to be the symbol of a household authority itself. Its vast form means it is almost strictly a long range knight.

Strengths.

AV=14 on the front begs for the knight to be placed at the back field with its AV=11 rear at the board edge. With 18 hull points, it isn't going anywhere fast anyway.

The Neutron Wave Battery has an impressive range of 120 inches, so my advice above can remain true all battle unless you are playing on an Apocalyptic scale. With four shots at S=12 and AP=2 with 4 damage, this is impressive. Armour bane, shock from stunning, and ordnance on damage escalates things further and means you can potentially pick off other knights, land raiders, and pose a threat to titans as well. 

Added to this are the iron storm missile battery giving you a nice large blast to take care of marines and similar, and some auto cannons in case you felt you lacked in the shooting department. 

Being a colossus means it doesn't need a base, and things are measured from its hull directly. It also blocks lines of sight. Auto repair is fine, but the independent fire rule is excellent and will come in very handy here.

Weaknesses. 

Explodes!

You are also only 25 points away from a Warhound Titan itself. The points cost is incredibly high here. There's a legitimate question about whether to just get a titan instead?

Builds.

There are no build here to speak of or analyse. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Cerastus Knight Atrapos

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5 stars, rounded down. A knights knight for destroying knights and other foul xenos macro constructs. 

Background. 

Exceedingly rare. The Atrapos is typically a gift for a blood debt, or a spoil of war. They are designed to be enemy knight killers (against xenos macro-constructs) and it is considered a major honour to pilot them, although such outings are only at the command of the head of the household him or herself.  

Strengths.

The graviton singularity cannon is impressive. It has a valuable large pie plate, with AP=2, S=9, and a whopping 8 damage! 

If that's not enough, then there's also heavy on damage, armourbane, and critical hitting. 

The phase cutter also has armour bane, but is at S=12! The damage is a mere 6 though, and it has AP=2 with some small modifiers to initiative and attacks which is acceptable. 

Weaknesses. 

Explodes!

The overload on the cannon is a mild issue, but tolerable. This is made up for with a 4+ auto-repair which is excellent compared to other knights of its chassis design. 

The points cost is high here, but I think it can just about be justified. To be clear, this is a specialist knight and needs to be treated as such. You are after destroying other knights or vehicles with this, so don't waste it chasing primarchs!

Builds.

There are no build here to speak of or analyse. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Cerastus Knight Lancer

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars. An ideal knight for the points value and 5 stars too because it also has the rule of cool in addition to everything else going for it!

Background. 

The most famous configuration of the Cerastus Knights has to be the Lancer. They bring with them a legacy of war. Not for them are defensive positions, but rather their reputations are ones of destruction and conquering. They race ahead of their forces to engage enemy champions in single combat and are regarded as impetuous, yet simultaneously held in high regard.  

Strengths.

The shock lance and gauntlet shield are an iconic pairing. The shock lance at range provides 18 inch cover with 6 shots, at S=7. This also yields stun which is nice, and has AP=3 which enables you to almost single handed arc (lance?) down enemy space marine formations. 

In close combat the lance is agile and gives precision along with a much needed increase in initiative and an extra pip in strength. This enables it to take on most foes and stand a chance against them. The movement rate on the knight also means you should be able to get into position nicely. 

Meanwhile the ion gauntlet shield gives a 5+ invulnerable save in melee against penetrating hits. You also get the invulnerable save against glancing hits before any rolls are performed on the vehicle damage chart.  

Weaknesses. 

Explodes!

I genuinely like this knight. I just need to build one of my own!

Builds.

There are no build here to speak of or analyse. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Cerastus Knight Acheron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. The rules are good.

Background. 

Deployed as a sign to the enemy that they intend extermination, these knights are sinister and and spell utter death and cleansing flame. Their pilots tend to be either those of iron wills, or those damaged souls that relish the massacre, such is the machine spirit of that contained within. Few elect to pilot them.

Strengths.

The reaper chain fist is impressive. It combines armour bane with S+3 (for a total of S=12) and AP=2 with a truly maddening damage characteristic of SIX! This is an up close and personal weapon that is designed to destroy tanks and building alike. 

The inferno cannon is a hell storm template which combines shred and panic (as you might imagine) with a strength of 7. Really useful against massed foes, or just the contents of a tank transport that you just exploded. 

Weaknesses. 

Explodes!

I actually like this knight a lot more than others. But you do have to get up close and personal to get the most out of it. So you will need to think about positioning and movement more than you would with other knights since you are quite likely to expose your comparatively weaker rear armour a lot of the time. 

Builds.

There are no build here to speak of or analyse. 

Thousand Sons Terminator Praetor Conversion

Tackling my first miniature of the Thousand Sons today and I opted to do things the hard way. I really should have started with something more routine! Too late!

This is a Praetor (or perhaps Centurion). I was originally going to make this a simple kit bash and go for a pair of lightning claws. But no. I had to do things differently! Instead, we have a chain fist (tartaros style) accompanied by a combi-disintegrator (from the regular marine range), legs from the chaos space marine range and the core resin from the Thousand Sons range. The shoulders are from the newer cataphractii range and have slotted over the tartaros arms quite nicely to be honest!

Perhaps the hardest point of the miniature was attaching the resin torso to the plastic legs. They really don't want to fit together thanks to the upper outer thigh armour on the legs. Hence, I have torso at a bit of an angle to the legs and pinned on the inside. This works since it looks like the marine is looking down the combi-disintegrator to take a shot, or is otherwise presenting less of a target area to other incoming shots. 

I like this guy overall, he had a certain dynamism about him that the Thousand Sons terminators often lack (for good reason) and can easily imagine him being a sorcerer as well. I like the disintegrator option here for fun and think it might have flexibility. Of course, a force weapon should almost have been the default option, but the chain fist is interesting for different reasons. This is an up close and person praetor who wants to take on your dreadnoughts and isn't afraid to conjure up some psychic might to help along the way. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Cerastus Knight Castigator

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. Great against massed lesser foes. 

Background. 

The Castigator is typically piloted by those venerable scions of a Household who can be relied upon to hold the line and to conserve ammunition when required. The machine spirits of these machines are stoic but no less able than the more impetuous ones in other knights. These knights are favoured by households who face multiple and lesser foes.

Strengths.

The Cerastus class knight comes with the auto repair, explode, and vanguard you might expect and layers this with an ion shield 13 armour on the front, 12 hull points, and a rapid movement of 14 which is one of the stronger points for this class overall in my opinion. 

The Castigator itself comes with the castigator bolt cannon which shoots out 10 shots every turn at S=6 and has AP=3. Ordnance on damage and suppressing fire is good here. Overall a great weapon for regular marines, or mechanicum or mortals. The tempest warblade has reaping blow and is aflame. With AP=2, it is deadly in close combat and will see off terminators quite nicely. 

Weaknesses. 

Explodes!

Honestly, I should like it more, but I actually prefer other Cerastus knights. The number of shots here has also decreased compared to second edition which is sad. 

Builds.

There are no build here to speak of or analyse. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Questoris Knight Styrix

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. The rules are good and a glow up from previous editions!

Background. 

The Styrix apparently did some really nasty and bad stuff during the Age of Strife. Accordingly, their machine spirits are perfectly capable of reducing even the iron will of the typical noble householder to madness that forces them to conduct massacres. They are therefore held in low regard and a bit of a stain of dishonour.

Strengths.

As with the Magaera, this is like a regular questoris knight in the rules department ... except better auto-repair and a flare shield instead of an ion shield.

The graviton gun and the irad scourer are very handy for short range work. But the real attraction is the Hekaton Siege Claw. Doubling strength (which means S=16 - wow!), armour breaking and breaching at even odds each, and pinning via shock is amazing! The AP=3 is good as is the 3 damage. 

Rounding this off is the Volkite Chieorovile. This gives 5 lots of S=7 shots at a great range along with shred and deflagrate of course. Ordnance is on FP which is okay. The 2 damage per hit is strong. Arguably one of the best Volkite weapons on the market, and it satisfies the "go big" rule for Volkite without needs more of the same. 

I actually like this knight a lot more in third edition than any of the previous editions, and that's saying something. It has had a glow up, certainly. 

Weaknesses. 

Explodes!

And the points made about the Questoris Knight apply here as well. 

Builds.

There are no build here to speak of or analyse. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Questoris Knight Magaera

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. The rules are good.

Background. 

A rare knight chassis combined with weapons of ancient provenance make for the Magaera to be a top shock knight in the Questoris Knights army list.

Strengths.

Much like a regular questoris knight in the rules department ... except better auto-repair and a flare shield instead of an ion shield.

The weapons consist of a lightning cannon which is nice for anti space marine duty, a phase plasma fusil which is also nice for breaching, and an irad scourer for your toughness phage antics. 

Weaknesses. 

Explodes!

And the points made about the Questoris Knight apply here as well. 

Builds.

There are no build here to speak of or analyse. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Knight Questoris

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. A unit with a lot of customization and good rules. 

Background. 

The Questoris Knight is the most common form of knight in the Imperium. It saw vast use during the Heresy and comes in a variety of different configurations.

Strengths.

With 10 hull points and 13 armour value on the front this is a great basis to build a specific and dedicated knight out of. 

They can be configured in every manner you would want (paladin, errant and everything else) which gives them excellent battlefield possibilities. 

The base movement of 12 is also good here and an improvement over second edition. I like that they also have Vanguard (2) here as well. 

Weaknesses. 

Rear armour value of 11 is a mild issue and represents a mild debuff compared to second edition - but you also have to factor in the increase in hull points overall. Massed firepower against such knights can represent an issue. Explodes is also a mild risk. 

Builds.

There are many builds available here. I'll go through some of the more common ones. 

Knight Paladin, Reaper Chainsword, Battle Cannon, Stormspear Rocket Pod (415 points).

A classic set up which is mid range and a bit of a swiss army knife able to take on many roles. I added the storm spear because why not. 

Knight Errant, Reaper Chainsword, Thermal Cannon (420 points).
Up close and personal. Tanks and heavy infantry are your targets here. Take the front mounted melta gun for added fun.

Knight Crusader, Battle Cannon, Gatling Cannon, Twin-Linked Icarus Autocannon (415 points).
Long range fire support, and anti-air to boot. 

Knight Gallant, Reaper Chainsword, Thunderstrike Gauntlet, Ironstorm Missile Pod (425 points). 
Melee knight.

Knight Warden, Thunderstrike Gauntlet, Gatling Cannon, Ironstorm Missile Pod (435 points).
A mixed bag. Good against lighter vehicles and infantry. 

Word Bearers Flamer Squad Painted

Built as a tactical support squad with standard flamers, this is a Word Bearers unit that means business. Well suited to close up work in the tight confines of capital ships, I see this unit as a zone mortalis asset overall. I'm looking forward to getting a copy of the new zone mortalis book when it comes out as the 1500 points limit is very appealing to a player like me who actively enjoys the list building trade offs that have to happen at these points levels - they're much more interesting than the take a primarch or not choice in higher points value games to be very honest!

The painting follows my standard approach for Word Bearers, but also has a bit of a bits bash in here. The sergeant has an old school chaos space marines range helmet for instance that I have chosen to pick out in silver. Because why not. 

The bases also work to pick out the industrial close combat nature of this squad. Decals round out a very uniform approach for the models and overall I am quite pleased with how this unit has turned out overall. 

Warhammer World: 1995 Golden Demon

In 1995, this diorama won the Golden Demon open competition. 

The plaque reads:

Imperial Thunderbolt by Dave Andrews - 1995.

Dave's workshop diorama, with his scratch built Thunderbolt, won the Open Competition in the 1995 Golden Demon. 

And honestly, I love it!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Armiger Moirax

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5 stars. Rounded Down. The rules are excellent. 

Background. 

An unseemly tool that wasn't seen much until the Heresy. This is scout class knight able to mount otherwise restricted weaponry. Their pilots were accordingly lesser and expendable in the grand scheme of things - tainted slowly by the otherwise radioactive poison of these machines. 

Strengths.

A modified stat line from regular armigers here with a bonus pip to the invulnerable save, better leadership (or 12) and lower initiative, but 1 more attack. They are powered by a Rad Furnace. This means they cause T-1 for opponents in close combat thanks to radiation leakage. Nasty. 

There is also some great customization available here. The Gyges claw singular or paired is nasty for S+5 (or 6) armour breaker and breaching. These are excellent and come recommended. They have a built in irad cleanser as well which is a nice template weapon overall.

I wouldn't recommend the Volkite Veuglaire particularly. Despite the high S, volkite needs big numbers to make the most of it. The lightning lock is a much better prospect with a blast, breaching, shred and suppressive on top of AP=3 and 2 damage coupled with the exact same strength as the volkite. Take the lightning lock. The graviton pulsar is similarly not fully recommended. The final option of the conversion beamer is certainly interesting. Hang back and cause devastation is the way to operate these and they can be good if you pull it off. 

If in doubt though, take the lightning lock. 

Weaknesses. 

They're not a full knight. They lack armour values, and come with the standard advanced characteristics which are excellent in leadership and cool, but very much lacking in intelligence and willpower. 

Builds.

Armiger Moirax, Gyges Siege Claw and Lightning Lock (170 points).

The standard build!

Armiger Moirax, Paired Gyges Siege Claws (175 points).

Close combat only, but viable thanks to the rad furnace inside.

Armiger Moirax, Moirax Conversion Beamer, Lightning Lock (190 points). 

Very much a longer ranged option.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Armiger Warglaive

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. The rules are good. 

Background. 

Piloted by lesser retainers, distant cousin, prisoners on occasion, and wannabes, the human on board strives to one day be worthy of an entry level job in a Household. Some targets are rightly beneath the notice of other Knights. The Warglaives' job is to take care of these threats such as infantry trying to clamp on some melta bombs and the like.

Strengths.

The stat line is identical to the Helverin. With 7's on the stat line for Wounds, S and T, the Warglaive also reads well and has a vital 4 in both WS and BS which is an improvement compared to the last edition. The 3+ save is distinctly average whilst the 6+ invulnerable is just going to be a lucky save once in a while. They're not immune, but they are fleet with 10 in movement which should help get the positioning correct for you.

Armaments are a heavy stubber (which is okay I guess), the thermal lance (which is S=9, 4 damage at AP=2 and comes with melta which is impressive; and also heavy on the strength which can be a massive boon). It also has a reaper chain blade (reaping blade is nice, but shred at 5+ is better. S+1 hits at AP=2 and 2 damage is actually really nice and presents a clear and present threat to most terminators in the game). 

Weaknesses. 

They're not a full knight. They lack armour values, and come with the standard advanced characteristics which are excellent in leadership and cool, but very much lacking in intelligence and willpower. 

Overall.

I would advocate that swapping out the heavy stubber for the melta gun is the upgrade you want to go for here if you are thinking about some light tank busting action. I like the Warglaive - and perhaps even a tiny bit better than the Helverin thanks to the chain blade which can cause some serious problems for opponents. Well worth the points. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Armiger Helverin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. The rules are good. 

Background. 

Piloted by lesser retainers, distant cousin, prisoners on occasion, and wannabes, the human on board strives to one day be worthy of an entry level job in a Household. These are long range armigers and can happily sit at the back taking shots at others all game.

Strengths.

With 7's on the stat line for Wounds, S and T, the Helverin reads well and has a vital 4 in both WS and BS which is an improvement compared to the last edition. The 3+ save is distinctly average whilst the 6+ invulnerable is just going to be a lucky save once in a while. They're not immune, but they are fleet with 10 in movement which should help get the positioning correct for you.

Their armaments are two lots of Phaeton Autocannons. With a 30 inch range they are powerful and you get 3x2 shots with them as S=7 with Ordnance on range. Breaching is the icing on the cake at 5+. They will take out regular marines with ease and challenge terminators to remain upright. Against their own kind though is where they will shine quite a lot. The heavy stubber is just the icing on the cake really. 

Weaknesses. 

They're not a full knight. They lack armour values, and come with the standard advanced characteristics which are excellent in leadership and cool, but very much lacking in intelligence and willpower. 

Overall.

There are no builds to discuss here other than replacing the heavy stubber with a melta gun. Since you are long ranged this is not advised. This is a long range pesky construct that fires annoying shots all game long if they are not targeted and focused against. I actually like them!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Knight Household Ranks, Vows, and Advanced Reactions

Continuing the overview of the Liber Questoris Knights section, today we look at the Household Ranks that Knights can have, their Vows that they can take, and their advanced reactions. 

Ranks. 

All ranks are a function of Prime Advantage slots. As such, the basic knight army roster gives you 4 knights all with prime advantages. 

Seneschal (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars). One per army, penetrating hits against you get -1 damage and counts as the Warlord for Slay the Warlord purpose. You are probably going to take it regardless. It probably pushes you toward Acastus due to AV=14 on the front perhaps, but any knight is viable. 

Lord Scion (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars). Also one per army, you get two repair tests for them in each status phase rather than one. Very handy. 

Scion Arbalester (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars). Move no more than half of your usual distance and benefit from any Heavy or Ordnance rule still. Really handy, but one per army and probably wants to be on one with a weapon that takes advantage of Ordnance (on damage) such as neutron wave batteries against tanks or castigator bolt cannon against elite infantry. 

Scion Aspirant (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️ 1/5 stars) gives you expendable (1) as well as a negative modifier for the auto repair rule. Meh. A fluff choice. BUT it unlocks the armiger detachment. 

Scion Aucteller (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars) is one per army and gives precision at 5+. This is ideal for close combat knights and undoubtedly will suit a Lancer. 

Scion Dolorous (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars) is similarly one per army and gives Fear. Don't underestimate this one - it can be awesome. 

Scion Implacable (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars) gives the fire storm special rule. Handy but not outrageous, and one per army. 

Scion Martial (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5 stars) offers nothing. Presumably take it if you have no other options remaining that are not better than Aspirants. BUT it unlocks the Support banner detachment (more knights!). 

Preceptor (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars) gives you battlesmith at 2 (and Int=8). Its okay actually and once per army.  

Scion Uhlan (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars) is also once per army and gives fast (2) and impact on attacks. Great for close combat closing out. 

Vows. 

Taken during the core mission sequence, vows can give bonuses when conditions are met.

Vow of Execution gives +2 for Slay the Warlord so long as it is also a High Command slot. This is excellent!

Vow of Slaying gives Giant Killer +2 points against Lords of War. Situational. 

Vow of Resolve gives +2 for Last Man Standing. A nice one to take for more backline units, certainly.

Vow of Alacrity is +2 for First Strike so long as you do it in turn one. This is about focus fire and can pay dividends if you have set up nicely.

Advanced Reactions.

Stomp does what you might think if an enemy gets too close during movement. Small blast marker, and S=hull points, at AP=3 and 2 damage. Can be very good against regular marines and non-marine armies.

Rotate Ion Shields gives +1 to your invulnerable save at the front when shot at, but you get -1 to the same save for the rest of the turn. Its a gamble, but can be good if you know you're not going to take more hits. 

Joust! charges in when you are charged at. No special bonuses apply any longer for successful charges. Of course, you have to be charged by another knight. Very fluffy!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Knight Armies and Familia

Our next book we will review in the Horus Heresy series is Liber Questoris.

This Liber covers both Knights and Titans, alongside some ground troops and others which we will come to in due course. 

We will start with the Knights themselves and in the article have a look at both army construction and Familia that we can give to the Knights.

Knight households are an entirely different kind of army to regular space marines or the Imperial army. The first choice that a player faces is what Questoris Familia to declare themselves for. There are three choices: Imperialis, Machanicum, or Mendicant (which is to say: freeblades). These give different Tactica, Vows, and Advanced Reactions. 

Imperial House (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars) gives you a Baronial Court which provides a free Mesnie Detachment, and removes the 0-1 restriction for Lord Scions. Their vow (more on this another day) is Dominion which gets you more victory points the first time you score with Vanguard (this is good!). The advanced reaction is Rallying Call which allows army wide repair rolls (this is excellent). 

Mechanicum Vassals (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars) gives a free automat talon, removes the 0-1 Preceptor limit, and gets +2 victory points the first time you score thanks to the vow. Their advanced reaction is rad purge which is strong thanks to poisoned 2+ and phage on toughness. Nice for clearing out a zone around you. 

The Freeblade Company (Warpstone Flux rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars) gives free Armiger talon and you get free household rank prime advantages as if everyone had a prime slot. If you win combat first, then you also get +2 victory points as part of your vow of belligerence which encourages strong close combat play. The advanced reaction is Valorous End which is a bit of a Pyrrhic victory moment. Explode yourself and roll 6's as part of that explosion. Might be useful. 

Army construction is also modified here as you might imagine. Sure, you can still take a Knight as a Lords of War choice, but you can also field dedicated detachments which is easier to show in the image below (reproduced here under fair use). 

We have 4 knights as the core Knight household detachment, and other additional detachment which are dependent on you prime advantage selections. We shall look at household ranks in the next article.