Horus Heresy 3e Review: Zone Mortalis Advanced Reactions, Reserves, and Detachments

Zone Mortalis Advanced Reactions

(1) Take Cover.
This is an obvious advanced reaction in many ways. When you are shot at, players can use this to gain the Shrouded special rule. This is only at 6+, so it is debatable how worthwhile this is, but it might help once in a while.

(2) Bypass Cogitator. 
A more interesting one to use in the movement phase where an enemy comes within 8 inches of a battlesmith. The battlesmith then closes or opens doors up to his battlesmith number if an intelligence test is passed. This is interesting in the context of Zone Mortalis and encourages players to take battlesmiths just for the boarding action use here. 

Reserves.
These work exactly as you might otherwise expect and brings online all the different flavours used over many years. This includes Reinforcements (own board edge), Forced March (like reinforcements, but more likely to succeed at the risk of being pinned when they arrive), Encirclement (deploy on the opposing player's edge), Flanking Force (side edges), Mass elevators (you need an elevator platform in play), or Teleport Strike (deep strike as you might expect, with the usual risks). 

In addition, a prime advantage can be selected to buy teleport transponders for anyone wanting to risk a teleport strike, which is generally worth it if you can manipulate your rolls to avoid a result of 1 and destroying your own unit!

Detachments.
There are 3 detachment that players can use instead of their normal primary force. 

Zone Mortalis Strike Force has 8 slots: high command, command, heavy assault, and troops. This is nice and very welcome for the general player.
Zone Mortalis Bulwark the same number, but this time: high command, command, war-engines, support, and troops. I actually like this one a lot!
Zone Mortalis Linebreaker also has the same number with: high command, command, heavy assault, troops, and elites. 

Of course, players can expand these in the normal fashion to include auxilliary, apex and other detachments. 

Overall, these rules are nice and streamline and I quite like them.