Horus Heresy 3e Review: Venatari Sodality

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5 stars. I want to like it more, but I just feel other options in the army are superior. 

Background. 

Custodes who have proven themselves in the Blood Games (which seems to be a game of tag designed to test the emperor's defences) can take up the mantle of Venatari. So long as they also have an aptitude with the flight technology of their power armour as well. Typically found in the rafters of the Imperial Palace, they swoop down from high to the battlefield to pick their targets. 

Strengths.

I like the models and I may be in a minority to say that. 

The attraction here is the movement rate of 14 combined with the potential to deep strike in or outflank. Firestorm also means that they don't have to make snap shots for volley attacks which is good. 

For equipment they come with the Tarsus Buckler as standard which gives S-1 to incoming volleys or overwatches against them. This is very nice. The Kinetic Destroyers are excellent with breaching at 5+ and S=7 with 3 shots, but at very close range only. They can certainly whittle down an enemy squad before a charge. Or, upgrade to the Ventrum Lance and have a good close combat attack with AP=2 and S+1 with precision and a very limited shooting attack at S=5 to cause stun. And the Neutronium Cascade Mines are an interesting option with S=9 and 3 damage with a slew of special rules including armour bane and detonation to help with destroying tanks or immobile structures. 

Weaknesses. 

Melta bombs are gone and effectively replaced with the Neutronium mines. They're okay, but I did prefer the melta bombs. 

I'm not sure what this unit should do. The base build is a close range shooting option. The melee version is fine, but I prefer a guardian spear for all round purposes. 

Builds.

3 Venatari, Neutronium Mines (195 points).

Distraction carnifex territory or maybe neutronium-cide anti-tank. Difficult to tell. Eliminate a rhino and shoot the transported squad I guess. 

3 Venatari, all with lances (165 points).

Perhaps a better all round build, but lacking in shooting. Again, very much a distraction carnifex that an enemy has to deal with or it will cause some damage. I prefer this configuration. Add Neutronium to taste.