Horus Heresy 3e Review: Aquilon Terminator Sodality

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 stars, but rounded down due to points cost. Expensive but powerful! 

Background. 

Custodes in terminator armour. They are rare, given that the Aquilon pattern was adapted for the Custodes from the cataphractii pattern to bear extra weight. They find use in Zone Mortalis type settings where the extra armour comes in very handy.

Strengths.

Starting with the stat line, these are triple wound terminators with T=6 but otherwise very similar to standard Custodes. 

They come equipped with an Infernus Fire Pike which is a S=6 template with panic - this is nice. Alternatively it can be swapped out for a Lastrum storm bolter which gives you a good range, 4 shots at S=5 with shred. I think strictly these are probably better, but I would keep some flame templates purely for the panic rule. The Adrathic Combi Destructor is also attractive with two shots at S=5, AP=2 and 2 damage and rending of 6+. The range on these is small though. 

The Solarite Power Talon grants reaping blow (2) which can be traded for a Solarite Power Gauntlet which gives S+4 and 2 damage but at I-3. Honestly, I think the terminators have staying power so I would actually be opting for several of the Power Gauntlets here. 

Weaknesses. 

The points cost makes this unit very expensive. There is a legitimate argument for having more regular Custodes over the terminators. But they do have the rule of cool regardless.

Builds.

3 Aquilon, 2 Lastrum Storm Bolters, 1 Solarite Power Gauntlet (260 points).

A bit of a basic build for me. Note the points cost already for just 3 dudes. 

5 Aquilon, 2 Adrathic Combi-Destructor, 2 Solarite Power Gauntlet (455 points).

Suitable for close range work. Probably best to teleport in with a Tribune or similar using an Arae-Shrike.

9 Aquilon, 5 Lastrum Storm Bolters, 2 Adrathic Combi-Destructors, 3 Solarite Power Gauntlets (790 points).

Fabulous full sized squad. But take a moment to pause and look at the points cost!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Shield Captain

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars. The only and the right command choice. Second only to the Tribune in terms of raw power for a non-named character. 

Background. 

Promoted by the Emperor perhaps, and very well respected by his peers at the very worst, the Shield Captain is a senior commander within the Legio Custodes.

Strengths.

The stat line is slightly lower than the Tribune which is also reflected in the points cost. Notable departures are WS=6, W=3, I=5, and A=4. There are similarly reductions in the advanced characteristics. 

In terms of equipment they have the same selection as the Tribune: either an Eternity Spear, or the Eternity Blade and Praesidium Shield. Both are viable, but the sword and shield might be slightly preferred for teleporting in?

Eternal Warrior is at 1 here and Vanguard remains at 2. 

Weaknesses. 

Appreciably cheaper than the Tribune, but once you pay for an Arae-Shrike, things start to look very tempting to just take a Tribune instead to be very, very honest. 

Builds.

Shield Captain with Eternity Sword and Praesidium Shield, Area-Shrike (225 points).

The deep strike build that I like. Swap out for the Eternity Spear if you are not deep striking (by dropping the Arae-Shrike), in my opinion for a good reduction in cost. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Tribune

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars. The scary high command for the Custodes.

Background. 

Perhaps no more than ten of the ten thousand carry this title. They are the war council of the shield-general, and responsible for the Emperor's security as well as providing war council. They do not take to the battlefield often and fight only in the most dire of circumstances.

Strengths.

The stat line is impressive on its own with only 1 less wound than Valdor and one less pip in BS. That's the only differences for the stats!

In terms of equipment though, they come with an Eternity Spear as standard. At range, this has AP=3 instead of 4 compared to the regular spear. But in close combat it shines a lot more with aflame (which is excellent here), critical hits, shred on 5+ as well as impact (this last one being the only special rule in common with the standard spear). Don't forget the Misericordia as well. 

In common with Valdor, the Tribune also has the Arae-Shrike for your deep strike tactics which is very nice. Eternal warrior at 2 is splendid, and Vanguard at 3 is fine enough.  

Weaknesses. 

Significantly cheaper than Valdor, but still as expensive as a land raider. Yet well worth the points investment I think!

Builds.

The only option here is whether to switch out the spear for an eternity blade and praesidium shield. This does mean dropping the ranged attack, but the melee attack is strictly better (thanks to shred at 4+ and duellist's edge; the loss of impact on AM is not going to be a biggie I think) and access to the shield trait could be useful. I would actually slightly favour this construction if you are at all tempted by the Arae-Shrike in the first place. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Constantin Valdor

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5 stars, but rounded down. A truly deadly almost-Primarch, but the points cost is worth evaluating. 

Background. 

If the Emperor referred to the Primarchs by numbers, then it is arguable that he cared much more for the Custodes than he ever did for his legionary "tools". And if this is true, then of all of them, Valdor would probably be his favourite one of them all and the Emperor's right hand man. Being so favoured by the Emperor Himself, Valdor has a swathe of background and toys at his disposal. Indeed, the background portrayed in Inferno is very comprehensive about his role in the conflict with the Thousand Sons and who exactly he is hence I strongly recommend reading it if you have access to it.

Strengths.

A primarch in all but name if we are honest.

His stat line is almost Primarch levels with the only "poor" entries being 5's in both strength and toughness. 

As Master of the Golden Legion he gives Fear (1) to all Custodes in his army on turn 1. He can also manipulate reserves by +1 for Deep Striking Custodes. 

His Spear came from the Emperor himself (of course!). Is it AP=2 with S+2 for close combat along with critical hit, duellist's edge, and impact on A. This is truly excellent for all your duelling needs. He could easily think about taking on Primarchs and standing a chance (on the basis he has to kill them before they kill him). Eternal Warrior at 2 will help with this and Hatred of Paragons is good too. Vanguard (3) is nice enough, but we have plenty of that in the rest of the army. The Arae Shrike is also very good in that it grants deep strike to him and his unit which is hard to get otherwise. This is probably the primary reason to take Valdor tactically at least. 

Weaknesses. 

Look, I've mentioned his S and T being a little bit low for a Primarch. That is okay.

What I think is the real negative is his points cost in comparison to simply opting for yet MORE Custodes of the troops variety which is extremely appealing set against his points cost. This is the reason why I cannot give him 5 stars. 

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Legio Custodes Rules

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 stars, narrowly rounded down. Mixed rules here with some being very good, and others less usable. 

We commence our reviews of the Legio Custodes by looking at their overall rules before progressing to individual units. 

Their Legio Tactica is "Only in Death" which means they they can never withdraw (disengage or fall back) from combat unless they are anti-grav which makes sense. Further, if they are routed, they instead gain stunned. I suspect this will not happen too often in all honesty so this Tactica is only going to activate occasionally. 

They have 5 special detachments. The war-engine one (Moritoi) gives 2 war engines but is an Apex detachment. The rest are Auxiliary and therefore much easier to take and come with a range of troops plus transport, heavy support, scouts, and assorted armour. 

For prime advantages they can select between Prefect (W+1 and Officer of the Line 2) which is great for the Shield Captain, and Hetaeron Guard can modify Eternal Warrior to a value of 2 once per army. 

Their Advanced Reaction is The Blade Splits. This is a movement based reaction that allows the player to split a unit (the split off has to have a minimum of 3 members each - hence you need to have 6 in a squad minimum to do this). Considering the small model count that this army usually has, this is really a tactical bait par excellence. Played well, it can stifle charges, change shooting arrangements, and provide a hammer or anvil where required. It also subtly encourages big units which don't make much sense given that the Custodes don't cost less points when you add more to a unit versus buy a new unit like Astartes and other units generally do. Hence I'm a bit on the fence overall about this one. 

There are no less than FOUR gambits to choose between. Raptor's Surge gives bonus attacks (up to A+3) if the enemy claims a greater outside support - not bad. World Serpent's Bane sets A=1 but D equal to the remaining wounds - probably not worth it unless you are Valdor taking on a Primarch. Heaven's Strike gives 5+ on critical hits at the expense of A/2. Might be okay occasionally. Stone's Aegis gives T+1 in exchange for wounds failing on 1s and 2s - Don't do it.

In terms of weapons, it is easy to overlook the knives that these gold giants carry around, but the AP=3 attacks at the end of a combat are going to be valuable against standard marines and mechanicum. They're worth remembering (but easy to forget). 

Guardian Spears themselves remain of quality. They are bolt guns with shred at 5+ essentially with an 18 inch range (the sentinel war blade is similar, but 3 shots but at 6+ shred and shorter range). In close combat, they give S+1 (i.e., base of S=6 for regular Custodes) and AP=2 with impact on AM (the war blades remain at S, but retain AP=2). Hence everything here is at AP=2 and I=5 in close combat. This makes short work of regular space marine legions. Fundamentally therefore, it is best to think of this army as a close combat one. You want to be as deadly as possible in melee and get there fast. 

I see their main weaknesses as statuses (which you won't get to remove in a rush) and lack of Line (they are a Vanguard army fundamentally). You should be able to cope due to high levels of advanced characteristics and just surging for a wipe out game. But beware the opponent who is faster than you with appropriate weapons to damage you (especially things like phospex, phage, and high S long range weapons). As an elite army, the loss of even one unit can and will hurt you. 

Callidus and Terrain Model Assembley

The Callidus assassin is one of those models that I have wanted to buy for a long while. The real problem is the price in literal hard currency. The model is so lacking in plastic and looks so thin that it is (was) hard to justify the expenditure in comparison to something more chunky. And if I am being very honest: something that is nowhere near as delicate. 

Not wanting to undertake lots of pinning in order to reinforce the very thin arms, legs, hair, weapons, and the rest, I came up with a bit of a different solution: add some terrain on to the base! Originally I was thinking of using Kayvann Shrike's concrete pillars that he is descending on from Warhammer 40,000. It fits thematically and would provide a nice jumping point, or something implying that she jumped off from it. In the end I came up with a different approach. I obtained some old pipework and a ladder from the now quite dated Imperial Sector terrain set. The base is, candidly, very small to fit both the assassin and the terrain on to. This is made even more problematic by the tilt of the assassin model which is angled slightly backward to the direction of travel. A bit of dry fitting and slightly forcing the issue and I came up with what can be seen in the image in the end. 

The angled leg is touching the pipework and I glued it on there. The very thin piping from both of her army is now very much protected by the pipe and the ladder. There's very little that will be breaking them. Although the arms still just outward, the pipe will also help with any wobbly model situation. The hair is a slightly different matter since if this one goes off a table top edge it may still snap. But given the work that I've put in here I think it will suffice quite well and protect the model from most problematic topples. Moreover, the miniature now looks like it was worth the money that I paid for it in terms of raw plastic used!

I intend to paint this one up in a similar approach to my Vindicare with some glitch camo effects going on. I'll see how that goes and post about it another time!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Vindicare Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. Useful, if a bit points cost expensive.

Background. 

These are the marksmen (and women) supreme. They position themselves with a good vantage point and then pick out their chosen target to be taken out at range. And that range is incredibly large. 

Strengths.

BS=7 is incredibly strong here given that it offers a 2+ to hit at range, and a 5+ critical hit chance. And it is better than some Primarchs too. 

The main weapon is the Exitus Rifle. This has a superlative range of 100 with S=7, ordnance on AP (which means AP=2 if you stay still, which you should be doing anyway) and 2 damage. It comes with precision at 2+ for your sniping needs too. My only complaint here is that it is only 1 shot which is a bit sad. But. It does interact with the Deadshot special rule nicely. As well as never making snap shots, the controlling player also ignores shrouded if they stay still, and gains access to a further rule of their choice: murderous (5+ and ignore Eternal Warrior), Shred at 5+, or Shock to provide pinning, suppressed. You're already getting pinning natively on the rifle, so I'd imagine shred and murderous are where you are at here. 

The pistol side arm is 3 shots at S=6 with precision and a very tiny range. But this also interacts with Deadshot as well. So stay still and let them come to you. If needed, the assassin's blade is your melee weapon for breaching on a 6+. Let's hope it is not needed. I think the goal here has to be to set up on as tall of a terrain piece as you possibly can without wobbly model syndrome to command a view all around. Or hog a particular firing lane if all else fails. 

The Vindicare can take out key elements of the opposition's armour if needed, ranging from sergeants, to other members of a squad who may hold valuable equipment. Hopefully this is a one-shot and done proposition. Of course, the temptation is to go for bigger game. But with 2 damage being caused, you need to think hard about your targets. Praetors can survive this. You might gamble on Deadshot's shred on 5+ to up the damage to 3, in which case you get critical hits as well. Hence you have the potential to cause 4 wounds if you're feeling good about rolling a 5+ per turn. That is certainly enough for most models short of Primarchs or lacking Eternal Warrior. But hey, no doubt the target has an invulnerable save to worry about too. 

Weaknesses. 

Their shots don't do anything about Invulnerable Saves. Hence you will probably eliminate targets on only every other turn more or less when combined with the 2+ to hit roll. The question then becomes if you can set up properly (with Infiltrate of 9) and make back your points cost during the game. I think you can, but you have to play aggressively and go for the big game short of Primarchs, or get rid of valuable asset or equipment holders. Three of them during the game, and you might make your points cost back. 

Hence my overall view is that the points cost of the model versus abilities is good, but still a gamble - as are most things involving dice! But it is a powerful assassin and the ability to inflict pinning from superlative range can be game changing if used well. You just have to avoid getting charged or being in close combat. So set up in the highest place possible, or screened in the middle of a friendly and possibly mostly static bunch of squads to ablate anything incoming. All of this is an art form. 

Regardless, the Vindicare, along with the Callidus, and the Adamus are my strong assassin recommendations for third edition. Largely thanks to the native AP=2.  

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Venenum Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 1.5/5 stars, rounded up due to the template weapon. Occasionally useful. 

Background. 

Masters of toxic alchemy and recruited by the Clades to become assassins by means of poisoning their enemies. They are supposedly the most successful clade of them all. Narratively speaking that makes a lot of sense. On the battlefield, this is a gross miscalculation. 

Strengths.

The toxin ejector weapon is a template with breaching and poisoned (with armour bane as well, which I found odd). At least is it S=5 which gives a nice shooting attack that could be useful. 

The poison globes are Alpha Legion inspired with a one use small blast with 3+ poisoned, and panic. The AP is 3, and the damage is 2, so it will hurt regular space marine squads at least.

In close combat the Hookfang gives rending and precision, but also the The Venum special rule. And this one is interesting. Every subsequent round, make a T test or take further wounds. The could, in the right circumstances, result in a board removal even after the assassin has been dealt with. But to make the most of it, I suspect players would have to reduce their opponent to one or so wounds remaining, which might not happen to be honest. 

Beyond this, they never suffer phage on toughness which is niche and have infiltrate and shrouded. 

Weaknesses. 

Another assassin that doesn't quite make the mark for me to be honest with readers. The template weapon is nice enough and should hurt, but I just can't see how this assassin will make their points value back. 

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Vanus Infocyte Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️ 1.5/5 stars, rounded down. It still doesn't do it for me. 

Background. 

Combine the Alpha Legion with the Raven Guard and throw in a bit Mechanicum and you have an Infocyte. These assassins are the masters of manipulating things from behind the scenes whether it be direct control, or coercion based on secrets they've found out about the target and urge them onward. After all, the best assassin is the one that gets others to do the dirty work for them. 

Strengths.

The Vanus is a battlefield manipulator (manipulatrix?). The core idea here is they they are intercepting enemy signals and modifying them. And to some extent, the rules back them up. They get access to two advanced reactions. The first (Auspectre) allows them to reposition a flyer coming in from reserves anywhere along the edge. The second (Signus Shunt) can suppress or pin a unit coming in from reserves. The first is very situational, the second is much stronger, but also needs the enemy to be using reserves. 

The laspistols are meh. The synaptic dataspikes are at least useful in close combat with rending, precision, shock, I+1 (i.e., I=6) and 2 extra attacks. This is almost better than some other clades (but not truly - whilst the Adamus is jealous, they do have helpful rules in close combat which the Vanus does not). They can also disengage at will and has infiltrate, as well as shrouded to help keep them alive. 

Weaknesses. 

I want to like them more than I do. I would really like them to be able to somehow interact with voxes across the battlefield somehow (not sure how - just to be clear). Or to sow some kind of deception more broadly (swap around two units at the point of deployment?). Then the Vanus would be well worth it. As it stands, the points cost is simply not worthwhile taking in my view, but feel free to disagree. 

I do like the model though - just to be clear!

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Eversor Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5 stars. The frenzon rage will ultimately kill them if an enemy doesn't. 

Background. 

Implanted with sensors. Beefed up on training. Administered with frenzy in chemical form. Held in a state of uncaring wrath. Drop inserted from orbit. If Khorne had an assassin it would be an Eversor. In fact, the loyalists of the Imperium are lucky to have them. I guess its just an expression of the grim dark nature of the Imperium of man. 

Strengths.

The executioner pistol has both a regular bolt pistol, combined with a needle pistol secondary which gives poisoned on a 3+ and also pinning. Combined, they can give a status and probably a wound before contact in close combat which is where the other strengths lie. 

The neuro-gauntlet gives rending and poisoned both of which are excellent along with 2 damage at I=6 and S=5 with AP=3. Good enough to take out marine sergeants and similar as well as posing issues to the rest of the squad. The Frenzon rage gives a gambit that must be used for +3 focus but takes a wound for rolling 1's to hit. 

Infiltrate and reaping blow are good to have and shrouded and move through cover will help along with eternal warrior. 

Weaknesses. 

I think that they should have deep strike to be honest!

The self inflicted wounds from the frenzon rage will soon see the assassin leave the board to be very honest, and this makes the assassin a problem. But, at least they explode when they die and might take some with them! Its just not enough to let me give them more than 2 stars though. Sorry!

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Culexus Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5 stars. Thematic, and would get higher star rating against psykers. 

Background. 

Members of this assassin clade possess the Pariah gene, but at an incredible level. Even being near them can give ordinary people a bit of the shudders. The clade gives them the ability to switch on and off this ability and enhance it to obscene levels, whilst also training them physically to be formidable. 

Strengths.

The same stat line as Adamus, with willpower boosted to ten. 

The main weapon here is the Animus Speculum template. This comes with breaching, panic and psy-shock. At S=5 this is a good template regardless of psy-shock, but will really come into its own against enemies that can be affected by it. 

They also have limited use (3) psyk-out grenades which can be used in close combat and come with a wealth of special rules including aflame, rending, precision, and breaching. With S=5, AP=3 and 2 damage, these will slaughter regular space marine squads which is good for an assassin. 

In addition, the Culexus also has a bunch of special rules including infiltrate, anathema, ex-oblivio, infiltrate at 9 inches, and shrouded to name but a few. The unique one here is Etherium which in third edition reduces the incoming unsaved wounds by 1 (to a minimum of 1) helping keep them alive. 

I can see a strong case here for this assassin to be a backline disruptor and destroyer. Put them down near a heavy support squad and they will be able to cause havoc before they perish outside of challenges. 

Weaknesses. 

A strong combination of rules exist here, but to make the most of them, the enemy needs to be psykers or malefic. This means that they're best against armies like the Thousand Sons and certain Word Bearers builds. Outside of this, they can be a bit average. And if they were infiltrated next to a heavy support squad, they'd still make a juicy target for them, and I'd be challenging them in a challenge as a direct way to nullify most of their potential. 

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Callidus Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. Masters of confusion and thematically well done. 

Background. 

Chaos and confusion incarnate on the battlefield! In large part this is thanks to the polymorphine compound that this clade has become synonymous with. If you've ever played Dungeons and Dragons, then you'll know that this substance is the future equivalent of a polymorph self spell. The assassin use this compound and then poses as enemy commanders (or similar) to sow said chaos, revealing themselves at the opportune moment. 

Strengths.

The same stat line as Adamus, but gets better infiltration to 6 inches which is remarkable in itself. The neural shredder weapon is a template that causes pinning which is a very nice opening volley for the assassin. They also have poison blades which are short range (12 inches) with 3 shots. Nevermind its strength, it has poisoned and precision at 3+ along with breaching at 4+. It is, however, one shot only. This is a killing opening volley unlike the pinning template from the shredder. 

The main melee weapon is the phase sword. This goes at I=7 and has AP=2, along with precision, rending and a new rule which is Bypass on a 6+. If when wounding you roll the number in question, then the target gets no saves of any sort. This is quite amazing really, but might not be enough for the toughest of opponents. 

Two further rules help out a lot. The polymorphine means the assassin cannot be shot at or charged at until it has already attacked or been attacked. The only way for the enemy to do this is with an Intelligence test within 3 inches. Secondly, the assassin causes stunned when they first charge.  

Weaknesses. 

I quite like the combination of rules here as they will cause damage and can get a good part of the assassin job done. As with other assassins, they won't take out entire squads, and they are squishy with T=4 and a 4+ save (but do note the other assassin special rules to help keep them alive). I actually think this is one of the stronger assassins due to the native AP=2 (along with the Vindicare). Worth taking.

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Adamus Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. Despite being a sword master, the launcher weapon is equally valuable.  

Background. 

These assassins are the tradition blade masters of the clades. They are sword masters supreme and have a bit of martial regality about them if I'm reading the background correctly. 

Strengths.

As with almost all assassins, they have 5's in WS, BS, and I, 4's in S and T, and 3 wounds coupled with 10's in leadership and cool. The 4+ in both kinds of saves will help keep them alive a little longer too. 

The Adamus comes with a needle spine blaster which can be shot like a bolt pistol, or like a launcher (one shot only). The launcher gives 3 shots at S=6 with a range of rules that are extremely valuable once the assassin closes in with their blades. These include phage on toughness, as well as breaching and precision to try to ensure that you cause some damage on the way in. 

The Nemesii Blade has had a glow up compared to the previous edition and is now natively AP=2 with critical hitting and shred. This should pose a threat even to terminators - doubly so if they have had their toughness reduced through phage. 

The Nemesii Grenades are a defensive measure to provide a disordered charge when the assassin is moved against. And if the charge move is completed, then count that charge as going over dangerous terrain too This is quite nice.

Death's Artisan gives access to the Mirror Form gambit (but why have 2 names for it!). The player MUST select this gambit though and anything that prevents this is over-ridden. This means always hitting on 4+ regardless of WS comparisons. The assassin can always strike back in the round they are reduced to 0 wounds even if they don't have the advantage. 

Weaknesses. 

Nice in one-on-ones with a good chance (well, at least 50% perhaps) of hitting, although wounding with S=4 may be a worse problem unless you used phage earlier. AP=2 will certainly help with them being deadly though. Infiltrate and shrouded will help you get to where you need to be early in the game too. But with T=4 and 3 wounds with a 4+ save, there is vulnerability to massed incoming fire (bit of a waste given the rules and reactions possible) and challenges against Praetors will certainly be entertaining and deadly quickly. 

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Divisio Assassinorum Rules

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. The assassin rules are middle of the road average. 

We begin our examination of the Liber Custodes by starting at the end for a change. And for this Liber, that means the Divisio Assassinorum - the assassin clades. 

As with all units in this volume, assassins are forced to be loyalists in terms of their faction. Indeed, the entire book might as well as have the word Loyalist in the title to be maximally descriptive. 

The assassins themselves can never be a detachment or army on their own. They can only ever be taken by using the Clade Operative prime advantage. If a loyalist army does this, then they gain 3 support slots that can only be filled with assassins, and only once in a prime detachment. 

Whether this is worth doing or not is dependent on many factors. 

In a large game, they're probably not worth it in my view. A single assassin is unlikely to be taking out a squad of terminators. However, in lower points games where one-on-one match ups are a bit more valuable and impactful, they can do extremely well. I would therefore recommend them for narrative play and up to (e.g.) 1500 points to play around with. Although the sacrifice of the Prime Advantage is steep to purchase them in such games as well. 

They all come with a Divisio Tactica called Nemesis. This means that any incoming shots are snap shots unless made by the closest unit. This gives the assassin a bit of breathing room to operate in, but doesn't make them invulnerable. Yet they remain vulnerable to volleys and precision shots by the same token. This ties in with their fluff: they wear a body glove which helps them disguise themselves against their background - hence my recent paint scheme using a glitch camo approach for my Vindicare. All of them are also heedless - they can never take or contest objectives. Their personal missions are beyond such petty concerns! Their advanced reaction (Tactical Displacement) also helps keep them going by moving them in response to incoming fire. 

Overall then, the rules for assassins get a middle of the road 3/5 from me. We will look at the individual assassins in the next suite of posts. For me though, I can already state the I like the Vindicare, Adamus, and Callidus best out of the selection, and these are the ones that would fill the detachment slot(s) for me personally. Albeit for different reasons (Adamus for straight up one on one fights - but you should have other options in your army I would suspect, Callidus for absolute mayhem on their first turn that others would find hard to replicate, and Vindicare for long range sniping if you are not playing Exodus or similar). 

Salamanders Fire Drake Conversion

One of the only options that a Salamanders Fire Drake terminator can take is to replace their shield with a (forge crafted) heavy flamer. There are no resin parts for this, so a conversion is the only way forward at this point in time. 

Sitting in my bits box collection was a heavy flamer from the older chaos space marines range. I decided that I would use this for several reasons. This first is that it looks more ornamental than a regular flamer and that communicates "forge crafted" more readily than other alternatives. Secondly, what if this were a traitor Salamanders anyway (shudder!)? And thirdly, there's also the rule of cool. So I went with it.

The primary issue here is that the part needs to be shaved with some precision to make it flush with the shoulder and billowing drake skin comes down from the shoulder. This is straight forward if you can get hold of a good looking bit of resin to clip. Here I have used Right Arm Part B (hope that makes sense for anyone wanting to follow this pathway). I clipped off the hand and shield attachment, of course. Essentially getting rid of the elbow as well in order that the plastic heavy flamer could then be pinned into position.

My strong recommendation here is to do lots of dry fits and judgments by eye by holding the bits up against each other and seeing where to slice. I went slowly and took off less than was needed at each slice, slowly progressing toward a natural joint. Largely because putting back on bits that had too much chopped off it a severe problem! In terms of conversions, this is a reasonable one to execute, but it did require precision and patience. 

The base meanwhile is supposed to be lots of accumulated battlefield debris. Maybe from the drop site that they fought in. I like the outcome here, but haven't yet painted it. I have the rest of the squad to build first!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Veteran Breacher Squad

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

Background. 

One of the main reasons that I bought the Journal Tactica on release day was to see the full extent of the Veteran Breacher Squads. These are offensive line breakers for Zone Mortalis or otherwise elite reserves for the legion, and rarer than the other veteran squads available. 

Strengths. 

Space marines with 2 wounds, 2 attacks, and WS=5. They come native with a 3+ armmour save and a 5+ invulnerable save which makes them almost ideal for Zone Mortalis short of a 2+ armour save - but that is what terminators are for and there is some worth in considering the relative points cost against that. 

Veteran (3) ensures that they will be on point to swipe at your enemies and get on top of their tactical objectives. The Leadership and Cool of 8 is also reasonable here. 

Players will want both the vexilla and the nuncio vox as the basic upgrades. 

As with other Veteran squads, the customization for this unit is really where it shines. The humble bolt gun can be swapped out by any member of the squad for a variety of options. 

Chainswords and Chainaxes are clearly nice to have here, and the chain axe in particular is very well suited to certain legions (looking at you Space Wolves and World Eaters) but all legions can have them. The Astartes Shotgun is nice for stun, but perhaps little else. It might be worth taking a couple per unit if you are so inclined. 

Volkite chargers are fine so long as you take them in number! Always with volkite: go big is the rule of the day. 

The melee swaps are good as well: charabal sabres are reasonable, but I'd honestly spend more points and take a power weapon, power fist, or lightning claw here instead. Or maybe a mixture of them all depending on your points value you have to spare. 

The one in five swaps are also tempting. The flamer is strong for Zone Mortalis, and perhaps more broadly as the Medusan Immortals show. Graviton is excellent, the las cutter also has its place. The melta gun likely calls for a more specific set up. Speaking of which, the sergeant can also have melta bombs (yes for specific builds), disintegration pistol (reasonable if you don't mind dying too), and a thunder hammer (yes!). The Vexilla and Nuncio Vox are automatic upgrades here as well. 

Weaknesses. 

The basic 3+ save is a mild concern offset by the invulnerable save. 

The points cost can also build up rapidly here and I advise watching how it might compare to a naked set of Tartaros Terminators at least. 

Builds.

5 Veterans, Vexilla, Nuncio Vox, 1 shotgun, 1 graviton gun, 2 power weapons, thunder hammer and disintegrator pistol for the sergeant  (195 points). 

An all purpose squad for throwing out statuses and taking on many comers. It is very expensive though. 

5 Veterans, Vexilla, Nuncio Vox, 1 shotgun, 1 flamer, Sergeant with thunder hammer (165 points).

A cut back version of the above with a flamer instead. 

10 Veterans, Vexilla, Nuncio Vox, 9 Volkite Chargers, Sergeant with thunder hammer (308 points).

Lots of Volkite. 

10 Veterans, Vexilla, Nuncio Vox, 2 Melta Guns, Sergeant with thunder hammer and melta bombs (310 points).

The melta set up. I'd suggest a couple of shotguns here as well just in case. And chain axes too because why not. 

10 Veterans, Vexilla, Nuncio Vox, 10 Power Weapons (355 points). 

Very expensive compared to raw terminators, but they do have the rule of cool it has to be said. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Veteran Despoiler Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. Extensive customization is available. 

Background. 

Elites and veterans who just love to get up close and personal. The veteran despoiler squad is armed with a breadth of tactical flexibility according to the background which ensures that they can be found in the thick of the battle - or highly prized for boarding actions in Zone Mortalis. 

Strengths. 

Space marines with 2 wounds, 3 attacks, and WS=5. These are veterans who want to be in close combat to get the most out of them. Ld=8 and Cl=8 round out the advanced characteristics. 

Instead of Line, the veterans have Vanguard (3) which all but ensures that they want to be charging and denying the enemy any objectives. 

Players will want both the vexilla and the nuncio vox as the basic upgrades. 

Beyond that, there is serious customization to be had here. Any model can have a legion sergeant melee weapon for their chain swords. This gives free chain axes at a basic level, but a squad full of power weapons is highly tempting as well - despite the obvious points cost implication. Pairs of lightning claws are also nice here too. 

The chainsword and bolt pistol can also be swapped out for heavy chain swords and heavy chain axes all round. The World Eaters thank you. Otherwise, you can have combat shields or legion pistols. Both are viable, and I particularly commend the hand flamer here for Zone Mortalis. 

Disintegration pistols are interesting here too as options, if you want a real glass cannon build at short range. 

Weaknesses. 

The basic 3+ save is a concern. 

Builds.

5 Veterans, All with Twin Lightning Claws, Vexilla, Nuncio Vox (165 points). 

Effective so long as you get in combat.

5 Veterans, Combat Shields, Power Weapons, Vexilla, Nuncio Vox (175 points).

Invulnerable saves and power weapons are great. 

5 Veterans, 2 Disintegration Pistols (1 on sergeant), 2 hand flamers, 1 power fist and 4 chain axes, Vexilla, Nuncio Vox (155 points).

Very much recommended for Zone Mortalis. 

5 Veterans, 5 Heavy Chain Axes, Vexilla, Nuncio Vox (140 points). 

World Eaters and Space Wolves will like this thematically. But every legion can take it regardless!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Auxilia Combat Technician Section

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 stars, rounded down. The rules are valuable for the Combat Decryptor in a Zone Mortalis game, but will be wasted on other battlefields.

Background. 

These mortals are combat technicians who don't usually see contact with the front lines as their specialisms are likely too valuable to be risked. But when they are called forth, they provide non-Mechanicum-sanctioned means to interrogate vox transmissions and ensure their cohorts advance without technological interference.

Strengths. 

The reason to take this unit is the Combat Decryptor. In short, this device gives the unit battlesmith and Intelligence=9 for the purposes of making the Bypass Cogitator Zone Mortalis Advanced Reaction. This in turn opens and seals doorways and is a superlatively valuable part of Zone Mortalis play. Hence this unit is probably going to be vital to the Solar Auxilia in such scenarios, but wasted in most other battle spheres. 

Weaknesses. 

They are very mortal here with T=3, 1 wound each, a 4+ save, and very poor leadership of 6 (or 7 for the Prime). 

That said, they are cheap enough. My recommendation is multiple small units and to use them early, and perhaps as a screening unit later on. 

Builds.

5 Technicians, all with las rifles and blast chargers (35 points). 

Cheap and cheerful. Take multiple squads of these depending on the points value of your game. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Veletaris Raider Section

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 stars, rounded down. The rules are quite good.

Background. 

These are Veletaris who have access to unusual close combat weapons that ordinarily are not contained within the Principia Bellicosa. Perhaps they grabbed them from the elites of the rogue traders or similar. 

Strengths. 

The customisation here is interesting. Indeed, there is even a designers note suggestion conversions using regular Veletaris storm sections with added Necromunda weapon bits swapping. 

The standard breaching shot gun is solid at S=5 with stun, but it is a short range weapon fundamentally. This can be swapped for a boarding shield and storm maul instead. This might be a good thing to help keep them alive a little bit more (even against bolt gun fire) whilst the shock maul gives a valuable breaching at S+2 (i.e., S=5). Shield wall advanced reaction might be a good thing to have in Zone Mortalis too. 

The vox interlock is almost a given, and the vexilla may be wise to also take. 

Weaknesses. 

With T=3, one wound, distinctly average leadership, and a 4+ saving throw, the unit is not going to last long if you don't play wisely. The points cost is reasonable though, but can add up with the shields. 

Despite the name, the breaching shot gun does not providing breaching!!

Builds.

10 Raiders, Vox Interlock, Vexilla (95 points).

The breaching shotgun build. 

10 Raiders, Vox Interlock, Vexilla, All with power mauls and boarding shields (135 points).

Probably what most players will ultimately go for. I actually like the look and feel of this unit, even if they aren't going to last long compared to space marines.