Horus Heresy 3e Review: Land Speeder Squadron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are solid. 

Background.

The classic Land Speeder comes armed with an over abundance of upgrade options. This unit won't suit some legions or play styles, but it is undeniably going to shape others.

Strengths. 

The movement rate of 16 is one of the best in the entire game and whole units of these beasts will create headaches for opponents. T=5 and W=3 will keep them alive long enough to cause serious damage as well. 

Another multi-marine antigrav tank, Land speeders have solid rules like deep strike, firing protocols, and a native augury scanner (up-gradable to a second weapon). But where the real strength lies is in their upgrade flexibility. 

Weaknesses. 

Ld=8 is problematic.

Builds.

Land Speeder with 2x Multi Meltas (90 points). 

Tank hunting. You might need 2 or 3 of these depending on your opponent. Take hunter-killer missiles to taste. 

Land Speeder with 2x Plasma Cannons (70 points).

This is amazing for the points cost. 

Land Speeder with 2x Volkite Culverins (60 points).

Take a blob of 5 of these to deal with enemy infantry. Remember for volkite weapons: you want to go big!

Land Speeder with 2x Graviton Guns (70 points).

Very nice for the points. Only a couple of these needed per squad.

Land Speeder with 2x Havoc Launchers (55 points).

Sit back and take some shots at things? Take as many or as few as you desire here.

Land Speeder with Heavy Bolter and Heavy Flamer (50 points).

A meat shield for others in the squad, but also deters charges on occasion.

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Javelin Squadron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are reasonably good. 

Background.

A more heavy weapon orientated grav craft than the jetbike and similarly able to have good speed and maneuverability. These are comparatively rare constructs and valued by many legions. 

Strengths. 

Good movement rates, T=6 and W=4 make for a much more solid version of the jetbike. 

These multi-marine Land speeders have nice rules like deep strike and firing protocols to make best use of what they are. 

In terms of weapons, the combination of the cyclone missile launcher and heavy bolter is actually not bad at al. Upgrade to two lascannons for long range aggression.

Weaknesses. 

Leave the volkite culverins at home - you can't go "big" with this squad. The heavy flamers have limited utility compared to other squads. Two more heavy bolters is interesting for sheer fire power. And what ever happened to multi meltas compared to second edition?

Builds.

3 Javelins (225 points). 

Exploit the missile launcher and heavy bolter combination. Replace the missiles with 2 more heavy bolters for sheer fire power. 

Javelin with 2 las cannons (80 points).

Long range fire platform for anti-monster or anti-tank duty. 

 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Scimitar Jetbike Squadron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are nice. 

Background.

They are jet bikes. With space marines mounted on them. They hover over the ground thanks to ancient anti-grav technology. Not only do they have the cool factor, but they make for a great strike unit in the game as well.

Strengths. 

Excellent movement rate of 16 combines with 2 wounds to make a swift glass cannon strike force. 

The jetbikes carry a heavy bolter as standard which can be upgraded to Volkite Culverins (which I'm not personally fond of unless you go to a maximum squad size of 10); Multi-Meltas (to kill tanks); and Plasma Cannons (to kill infantry with pie plates). 

Upgrading the sergeant's weapon is worth it for close combat duty, but the augury scanner and bolt pistol upgrades are subject to choice. 

Weaknesses. 

The 3+ armour save isn't great, but hopefully with that movement rate, you can position yourself appropriately. 

Builds.

3 Jetbikes, 3 Multi-Meltas, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer (155 points). 

Kill tanks, and perhaps take care of some of what was being transported. Melta-cide otherwise. 

6 Jetbikes, 6 Plasma Cannons (245 points).

Plasma death!

10 Jetbikes, 10 Volkite Culverins (355 points).

Volkite means going big or going home. Take a power fist and augury scanner to taste?

 

Word Bearers Painting

A test model today: painting a Word Bearers flamer marine. 

The recipe was an under coat of black followed by a base coat of Mephiston Red. I then applied a wash of Nuln Oil mixed with Blood Angels red contrast paint (ratio of 2 parts contrast paint to 1 part Nuln Oil). This layer gives the marine a much more broody and deeper red colour whilst granting the recesses a genuinely darker shade. Highlights were then picked out using Evil Sunz Scarlet. 

For the silver parts, the base coat was lead belcher, followed by Nuln Oil, and then highlighted in brighter silver (I tested using necron dry brush which seems to work well for this, particularly for azimuthal angles). 

Shoulder pads were pure Abaddon black followed by edging in Eshin grey. Eye lenses were simply picked out in white and followed up with green contrast paint. Then came the fun part of applying the decals. I like the Word Bearers for the sheer diversity of decals available and the extensive scroll work and iconography that they come with. I've applied the legion symbol to the shoulder pad along with an Eye of Horus to denote allegiance - as if it were in doubt given the new heretical legion icon. There is scroll work on one leg and the Twisting Rune Chapter icon on the other. 

Overall this closely adheres to the colour scheme that I have always had in the back of my mind for the Word Bearers, without going metallic red, or over the top with daemonic mutations or spikes that would come afterward. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Fire Raptor

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are solid. 

Background.

A storm eagle, but sacrificing carrying capacity for more guns! The background fluff here notes that they were great against the Ork hordes that plagued a variety of worlds, and the same would be true in 30k if the Orks had a codex or army book equivalent here.

Strengths. 

AP=12, 6 hull points, and a movement rate of 18 combine to make a great flyer (which also has the stable rule). Take your Strafing Run and go hunt some enemies!

The twin avenger bolt cannon causes suppressed as well as has a massive 10 shots at S=6 and AP=3 which makes it excellent for anti-regular-marine duties. The tempest rockets are equally fine. 

The heavy bolter batteries are good and can be upgraded to autocannon batteries which I like a lot. The tempest missiles can similarly be upgraded for hellstrike - to taste. 

Weaknesses. 

New rules for flyers in third edition are also worth a re-read if you've not used them much before. 

Builds.

Fire Raptor, Autocannon Sponsons (235 points). 

Most combinations are good here, but I do like the autocannon sponsons over the heavy bolters. The damage=2 characteristic here really helps with heavier targets. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Storm Eagle

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Good rules!

Background.

Made in vast numbers on Terra and Forge Worlds like Anvilus and Galatea, the Storm Eagle is a mainstay of the legions. An orbital assault craft, it carries large numbers of Astartes into battle whilst protecting them with strong armour and prosecutes warfare with excellent weaponry at the same time.

Strengths. 

Flyers in third edition function a bit different in the sense of the combat assignments that you have to assign them. Presumably you will want a drop mission for the storm eagle given its (reduced) capacity of 16. And then remember with the FAQ/Errata that you can enter the board from any board edge ultimately from turn 2 onward. This gives you strong flexibility to drop your deadly cargo right in the middle of enemy deployment zones. 

The tempest rockers, vengeance launcher and even the heavy bolt guns are all viable. With the stable rule on the flyer, you don't even have to fire snap shots. This is great fire power all round. 

AP=12 and 6 hull points are very reasonable and the movement rate of 18 very respectable. 

Weaknesses. 

Points cost builds fast. New rules for flyers in third edition are also worth a re-read if you've not used them much before. 

Builds.

Storm Eagle, Twin Lascannons (230 points). 

The las cannons are almost compulsory given the resin you buy from Forge World! 

Most other weapons are viable: the multi meltas and cyclone make sense to replace the heavy bolters depending on your targets, and the hunter killer missiles will help kill vehicles as well. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Xiphon Interceptor

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. A speedy interceptor that has the rule of cool! Seriously, I love the model. 

Background.

A dual atmospheric and void craft, the Xiphon is an ancient craft design. Brought into the Imperium thanks to the compliance of outlying worlds, by the end of the crusade it was only the Ultramarines and Dark Angels who were still really using them. The Heresy changed this as every legion pressed them back into battle. 

Strengths. 

This is an air-to-air interceptor primarily. It does do its job magnificently though.

It comes armed with two twin mounted las cannons on its centreline which makes it ideal for aerial dog fights and the interceptor role (remember that in third edition fliers start in aerial reserves and must be assigned a combat role when they get on the board - interceptor is one of these. Other viable ones including the traditional strafing run!).

The Rotary missile launcher is okay as well, but your main damage is probably coming from your las cannons. 

And the craft is magnificently fast with movement of 20!

Weaknesses. 

Armour of 11 all round make this an easy target - especially on a strafing run. With 5 hull points, it will likely go down quickly, so decide your role and go for it. Equally, the points cost is attractive enough to offset these concerns. 

Builds.

Xiphon (120 points). 

The only build available!

Steam Style Review of Isstvan 3

Thanks to ChatGPT, I give you the following: a Steam style review of Isstvan 3!! 

[Emperor's Children loyalist variety]

- - 

Not Recommended.  

26.3 hrs at review time.    

Avoid unless you are extremely committed to punishing difficulty, broken command structures, and being lied to by every system that is meant to protect the player. 

The deployment begins normally enough. Standard compliance theatre. You know the routine. Then, without meaningful warning, the campaign reveals that your own commanders have flagged you for deletion, the sky turns toxic, half your faction disappears in the opening minutes, and the rest of the experience becomes an extended endurance mode against impossible odds. 

To be clear, this is not “challenging” in the satisfying sense. This is a betrayal simulator with survival-horror elements. Respawns are effectively disabled. Reinforcements do not exist. Air support is hostile. Extraction is fictional. Supply lines are gone. Mission updates consist mostly of discovering fresh layers of treachery while your brothers die around you. 

And yet, infuriatingly, it works. 

Because once the scale of the deception becomes clear, the whole thing sharpens. Every corridor matters. Every magazine matters. Every last stand becomes personal. You are not fighting to win the map. You are fighting because the alternative is to accept that everything you served was already rotten. The game understands this, and it leans into it with brutal consistency. 

Enemy variety is also strong. Arrogant duelists, frothing butchers, trench-stubborn killers, cold administrators of death. You really do get the full traitor roster, each with their own special way of making the galaxy worse. 

Boss design on the command tier is especially effective, because the real mechanic is not damage output but moral injury. 

Pros: Phenomenal atmosphere. Excellent desperation-driven combat. Strong squad cohesion mechanics, especially when everyone knows they are already dead. One of the best final-act tonal collapses I have ever seen. 

Cons: Tutorial lies to you. Faction loyalty system catastrophically bugged. No meaningful victory condition. Ends exactly as badly as it should. 

I cannot recommend it to anyone seeking fairness, closure, or competent leadership. I can recommend it to anyone who wants to look treachery in the face and still choose to fight. 

Verdict: 10/10 experience. 0/10 command structure. 

Would die on the walls again.

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Blood Angels Sanguinary Guard

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good.

Background.

These are the Ikisat who are also known as the Burning Ones. Their role is straight forward enough: guardians of Snaguinius - or on occasion of commanders who were held in favour by the Primarch or his heralds. In effect then, when a commander is accompanied by these men, he has the full backing of the Primarch as these Seraph will sacrifice themselves for the commander or Primarch to live. 

Strengths. 

More jump pack marines, but this time with 2 wounds, WS=5, and all armed with perdition weapons. 

There are a variety of upgrades available, and I think the full squad melta bombs on a full squad are an absolute steal. Paragon blades and inferno pistols all have their place as well. The best upgrade is, however, the banner. You should be taking the legion standard.

Weaknesses. 

I am a bit torn on the utility of combat shields for these marines to be honest. 

Builds.

5 Seraph, Legion Standard, Paragon Blade (235points). 

I feel there's no point to the unit unless you are taking the legion standard, and then a paragon blade comes a close second. 

10 Seraph, Melta Bombs, Legion Standard, 2 Paragon Blades, 2 Inferno Pistols (495 points).

In the realm of very costly in terms of points, but the cost is understandable. This is the ultimate escort unit minus the combat shields (20 points upgrade for that all round, so something to think over) and you should be able to pull things off by speed and positioning. 

Hours Heresy 3e Review: Contemptor-Incaendius Dreadnought

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good.

Background.

Contemptor dreadnoughts with jump packs specially manufactured by the Mechanicum on Baal's first moon under the treaty of Anvillus. Being blunt: some dreadnoughts have jump packs - get over it. 

Strengths. 

Let's just revisit the core premise here. It is a dreadnought. WITH A JUMP PACK. 

In third edition, this amounts to a few things. It has a base move of 8. It can deep strike. It also has a special rule of a boost pack which enables it to gain the anti-grav type during a Rush. Hence not quite what an infantry man with a jump pack would be. But that is okay!

The paired talons of perdition weapons are solid and come with aflame 2 as well as AP=2 and are hitting at S=9. This is excellent. The melta and assault cannon upgrades are worth considering too.

Weaknesses. 

You are getting what you pay for, and it is expensive to be clear. But consider the cost of a regular dreadnought - let's say invariably 170 and above - combined with a dreadnought drop pod which would be 100 points, and you can see that the price here isn't actually bad at all!

Builds.

Contemptor-Incaendius Dreadnought, two melta guns (220 points).

I like the melta gun replacements for the heavy flamers as they provide excellent threats. 

Contemptor-Incaendius Dreadnought, two Iliastus assault cannons (230 points).

Slightly longer range threat as you close the gap for close combat. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: The Angel's Tears

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good.

Background.

There exist a range of attitudes toward destroyer units among the legions. There are those that simply do not use them (Salamanders) to those that regularly use them without remorse (Death Guard), and various shades of shunning, and occasional use in-between. For the Blood Angels, they use them, but only when Sanguinius calls for it. These then are the Angel's Tears: Destroyers for the Blood Angels, also called Erelim, and part of the First Sphere like the Crimson Paladins. They have given up their names and identities whilst they serve in this manner.

Strengths. 

Destroyer assault squads with twin volkite serpentas and rad grenades. 

The vanguard (3) rule is excellent here and might swing games. Firestorm ensures that their volleys are not snap shots either. 

Upgrades include the Erelim grenade launcher that has poisoned and phage on toughness which is excellent. Legacies give further options including rotor cannons for causing statuses and Iliastus assault cannons. 

Weaknesses. 

Expensive given that they only have 1 wound each and a 3+ save to keep them alive. Very much glass cannon territory if not played intelligently. 

Builds.

5 Erelim, Arch-Erelim with thunder hammer (165 points). 

The baseline entry. 

5 Erelim, Arch-Erelim with inferno pistol and thunder hammer, 2 rotor cannons, 2 assault cannons,  (230 points). 

Note the use of the inferno pistol here. I'd like melta bombs here too, but can't seem to get them in Third Edition. 

10 Erelim, Arch-Erelim perdition weapon, all with heavy flamers (365 points). 

The anti-horde build. It won't make you many friends, but it is very nice. 

10 Erelim, all with Iliastus pattern assault cannons (450 points).

Dakka till you drop. Again, you are not making any friends here. The price is too steep realistically as well. 

10 Erelim, Arch-Erelim with power fist, all with Erelim grenade launchers (365 points). 

 I really like this build as well. Might get you slightly more friends for being fluffy, but don't count on it.

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Dawnbreaker Cohort

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are great.

Background.

The Dawnbreakers are the elites of the assault squads for the Blood Angels. They are known for accompanying Sanguinius himself in dawn raids as they sprinkle down from the skies to liberate long long human colony worlds from xenos and tyrants alike.

Strengths. 

High movement, WS=5 and armed with the falling star power spear. This does impact (SM) and breaching whilst bringing AP=3 to the table. You can exchange this in Legacies with a pair of equinox blades to get an extra attack which might be attractive, but I'd value the spears higher. A couple of perdition weapons might also be desirable for the Aflame rule here. 

Alongside this, they come armed with grenade dischargers (frag and krak) which are a great shorter ranged weapon for when they charge in.

And charge in they are very likely to. They have deep strike natively as you would expect with jump packs. They also have Set the Sky Aflame. You cannot be targeted by interceptors over 12 inches away when you deep strike. This is very strong indeed. 

Rounding this off is the fact they have a 2+ save and 2 wounds each which explains their higher points cost, but they are still worth it. 

Weaknesses. 

Not many, but I would recommend a character being attached to them.

Melta bombs for 25 points for the entire unit are good for larger units, but not as great for smaller ones. 

Builds.

10 Dawnbreakers, Melta Bombs, 3 Perdition Weapons (315 points).

A baseline build (you could go smaller) that is effective and strong. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Crimson Paladins

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are rather good.

Background.

These men are the guardians of the halls of the Primarch, also known as the Keruvin. Like others in the first sphere, they give up their identities and adopt new names. In battle, they are the "anvil" (not my words, I emphasize, but their role is not dissimilar).

Strengths. 

Terminators with power swords and power shields. They are very likable and the miniatures have the rule of cool.

The Coriolis pattern power shield is an interesting one. It reduces the wound characteristic of incoming blows by 1 to a minimum of 1. This is excellent. Moreover, when they are outnumbered, they gain feel no pain. This is bumped to a maximum of 4+ when more they are outnumbered by more than a factor of two. 

Native deepstrike is also impressive, combined with Line (1) and WS=5 plus the ability to take different upgrades thanks to Legacies. 

Weaknesses. 

I like the models, and when well painted, they OBVIOUSLY survive longer. I won't be taking any questions on this point. Not sorry. Love the models and sculpt. 

They will need to either use that deep strike more seriously, or have a transport solution. Unless you're just holding a key walkway or objective or similar. 

Builds.

5 Paladins, Exemplar with grenade harness (230 points). 

A baseline build for pure close combat. 

10 Paladins, Examplar with grenade harness, 2 Iliastus Assault Cannons, 2 Chain Fists (490 points).

Maximal build with good ranged fire power. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Aster Crohne

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars rounded up. The rules are good.

Background.

In a nutshell, Crohne is a natural born survivor. Massacres, bloody battlefields, and slaughters untold, this is a marine who just gets through everything and still looks good doing so. He is also an old-timer, and therefore somewhat shunned by the rest of the legion whose methods have changed since Sanguinius took over command. Despite this, he is a loyalist through and through even if in the modern 30k scene the ninth legion seems like the wrong fit for him (it used to be a great fit, but the legion demeanour changed).

Strengths. 

An Officer of the Line (2) is attractive here as a foot slogging infantryman. His stat line is fairly typical of a consul.

He comes with 2 hand flamers which are reasonable and the Saiphan Shard-Axe which yields an incredibly strong breaching of 4+ with A+1, S+1, and AP=3. This is strong, but you just need a transport solution for him. 

As the Ghost of Saiph with a natural talent for survival, he has evens chances of coming back with 1 wound when he gets removed for the first time in a game. This is nice without being over-whelming. 

Weaknesses. 

Could do with an extra attack if I'm honest and AP=2 for more stars from me, and the lack of a jump pack might result in him not being selected too often. 

Overall.

The Shroudmaker is in good form for third edition and provides a nice choice for those wanting Officer of the Line slots at a reasonable points cost and comes with a special axe that really works to chew up enemy wounds. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Dominion Zephon

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good, and I've gone for 4 stars here due to Officer of the Line. 

Background.

With his career in the Blood Angels cut short thanks to a Xenos blade, Zephon was sent to Terra as one of the Crusader Host. His new bionic limbs didn't integrate with his remaining flesh initially. Until Land himself too an interest in Zephon. Land fixed up his bionics just in time for the siege of Terra where he rejoined his legion whole heartedly.

Strengths. 

The jump pack combined with a WS=6 makes for a potent combination for any commander. He comes with rad grenades as standard which will give him an edge where needed. 

He has two volkite 10 inch range pistols called lament and grief which can do some good damage largely through their S=6 and 6 shots total which is impressive. Meanwhile, the Spiritum Sanguis provides AP=2 and S+1 with reaping blow to make him effective in close combat. 

Nicely, he gets Officer of the Line (2) here which is amazing in third edition and the reason that I've bumped his star rating up to 4/5. This is the reason you'll take him along with that jump pack. Eternal Warrior rounds it out very nicely. 

Weaknesses. 

Costs more than Raldoron, but you do get a jump pack!

Overall.

Zephon has gone from an interesting if fluffy character in second edition, to an almost automatic include in third edition thanks to the combination of jump pack, rad grenades, effective short range shooting and solid close combat, combined with Officer of the Line and Eternal Warrior to create a commander who really does justify his costs and his place in the Siege of Terra. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Chapter Master Raldoron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are solid, but crying out for a jump pack!

Background.

All the legions have their legends - especially the duelists and close combat brothers. Eidolon and Lucius for the Emperor's Children. Corswain for the Dark Angels. Sigismund for the Imperial Fists. Even the Alpha Legion has something of a duelist in Dynat. Raldoron serves an equal purpose for the Blood Angels and his name is writ large in the annals of the Great Crusade. 

Strengths. 

WS=7 is strong for a non-primarch named character. The rest of the stat line is very reasonable and praetor levels. 

He comes with the Encarmine Warblade which gives AP=2 and a valuable 2 damage with S+1, impact on AM and also critical hitting. This will cause some serious damage. 

The has Archein of Wisdom which enables him to learn from his enemies (as a gambit). This gives you a bonus for your focus roll equivalent to the number of successful hits made against you last strike step. This is very nice for taking the focus win!

Weaknesses. 

Not many realistically for what you are getting here. I would recommend a transport solution since he sadly doesn't come with a jump pack and this is the biggest negative here. 

Overall.

Very reasonable for the points cost!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Sanguinius

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Excellent!

Background.

Much can be said about the Primarch's background. He has a fame that is the equal of Horus, and arguably should have been selected as the Warmaster over Horus, not that he actually cared for that role or accolade. He had the gift of foresight, much in the same way as some of his brothers (e.g., Night Haunter), not that that helped him too much. He also has wings and was not considered a mutant to be destroyed. He was glorious. Enough said.

Strengths. 

I want to pause first and just note to readers the movement rate of 16. This alone is impressive. Factor in WS=8 and you have a serious contender for top threat level in the Heresy. 

The rest of the stat line isn't actually that impressive with 6's literally everywhere else (12 in leadership of course, and 10 in the other advanced stats). But his weapons make up for this. 

The Blade Encarmine gives S+1, critical hitting, and impact (AM). Or you can swap it out for the Moonsilver blade (duellist's edge at 1) and the Spear of Telesto (S+3, AM-2, IM-1 with armour bane and shock for suppression). You can't really go too wrong either way to be very honest except that the Moonsilver blade is only AP=3. I'd actually favour the spear simply due to making his relative strength 9 and taking the negative modifiers against. 

The side arm, Infernus, is quietly great as well with 3 damage at AP=2 and melta. 

As a gambit, he has Angelic Descent for turn 1 only and when he charged (which you should be able to pull off with that movement rate). You gain a bonus equal to the Bulky rule of your enemy for the focus roll. This is excellent and potentially a winner against his brothers!

As sire of the Blood Angels, he gives prime slots when 4 troop slots are assault squads. That should be no surprise. You also get a deep strike reserves modifier of +1 once per turn which is very nice indeed.  

Weaknesses. 

T=6 is distinctly average territory for a Primarch. You will therefore need to win fights before you are killed. With W=6, you should be able to hold out, and with the focus bonus from the gambit you should be going for a big kill or similar on turn 1. He is a bit of a glass cannon perhaps, but can get the job done very well (hence my weakness comment here isn't actually much of a weakness, but I wanted to write something anyway). 

Overall.

High points cost relative to other primarchs, but also very much worth the cost. 

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.