Horus Heresy 3e Review: Orion Assault Dropship

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. A good flying super heavy transport!

Background. 

Specifically created for the Custodes. This is a drop ship that can carry a whole load of them into the fight, precisely where they need to be and fend off on-coming attacks whilst scouring a landing zone simultaneously. 

Strengths. 

With armour values of 13 all round, this is a tough flyer that will keep going thanks to the 12 hull points. The transport capacity is a very impressive 26 with an equally impressive movement rate of 18. 

The craft comes with an Eclipse Shield. This gives a 5+ shrouded save against shooting attacks, but only once it suffers a penetrating hit. And only until it returns back to the aerial reserves. 

For amaments it sports a twin Arachnus blade cannonade, two twin lastrum bolt cannons, and two spiculus missile pods. These provide 12 S=6 shots per turn which is excellent. 

Weaknesses. 

The points cost says "Super Heavy". It has also had a bit of a downgrade compared to second edition wherein it pumped out even more shots per turn. It is still good, but it is now certainly on the core gambit side of things for your army. In other words, plan around how you will play the Dropship!

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss.

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Caladius Grav-Tank

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. The rules are average. 

Background. 

Hailing from the dark age of technology, this grav tank combines the anti-gravity technology of a bygone age with the ability to bring a strong weapon to the middle of the battlefield. A mobile weapons platform that the Iliastus accelerator cannon would later be retrofitted to other vehicles for. 

Strengths. 

Armour of 13 on the front and sides with 7 hull points makes for a strong tank with a respectable movement rate of 14. The BS is significant here with 5. 

The Iliastus accelerator cannon gives S=9 with 4 shots and breaching with is attractive for a multi-role deployment. 

The Arachnus blaze carronade gives S=10 but only 2 shots and Ordnance on damage with armour bane. Clearly this is the anti tank duty. But note that the burst fire mode is still respectable for anti-infantry. I would therefore advocate this build over the accelerator cannon. 

Weaknesses. 

The points cost is a touch high, but I can see why that is. 

The option of the Neutronium cascade projector is probably not worth it for a long range tank. 

Just beware of your rear armour which is weak. 

Builds.

Caladius with Arachnus Blaze Cannonade (225 points).

My recommendation in the general case. 

World Eaters Assault Sergeant with Meteor Hammer, Painted in Mid-Heresy Colours

This miniature has been a long time to completion. A World Eaters sergeant, armed with a meteor hammer, and painted in the mid-Heresy colours. 

Originally, I was intending to paint this one in the classic blue and white colours and let the head conversion do the work to suggest the starts of the Butcher's Nails starting to bite. I had a change of heart the more that I stared at the conversion and thought that mid Heresy colours might be something not only more appropriate, but also a bit of a different challenge to pull off. 

The reds were done in Mephiston red for the base colour and gold trim. Nuln oil was liberally washed over them and highlighting done with the red dry compound. 

Then came the fun bits that I like so much about World Eaters. Liberal application of grime and blood. Guilliman flesh and nuln oil have been applied into the recesses. Black has been sponged on in controlled amounts to suggest at least some battle scuffing or nearby explosions. Contract red has been flicked on - literally using my finger nail to do the flicking (who needs to nail varnish when you have citadel paints?). This created the underlying splatter. Then blood for the blood god in among the red flicked splatter to provide a genuinely clumpy red and gore like appearance. The decals are from the standard Forge World range: the mid Heresy legion icon on the left shoulder pad, the numeral "XII" on the right. An assault symbol on the left knee, crossed chains on the right, and a command symbol on the chest (neither of these latter three being very visible). 

From this model alone, it is easy to get a good sense of how the World Eaters became all red due to the fighting the erupted thanks to the Nails. A few more battles and undoubtedly even the rear of the white armour would become redder and redder. 

The rest of the squad will follow this same approach!

Painted Iron Hands Breacher Sergeant

The breacher sergeant follows my established method for Iron Hands painting. Explicitly: under coated in black (spray can) followed by base coating in Eshin Grey. This is followed by washed of Nuln Oil and diluted black to give it a used and matte black colour whilst retaining some highlights. The silvers are done in lead belcher with Nuln Oil shading and dry brushed silver accents. 

What I think sets this painting scheme apart from many others is the white shield. I have seen Iron Hands (and indeed Raven Guard and Dark Angels) struggle to select accent colours well. Reds, Blues, Dark abyssal hues, and others beyond have all been used. But I always seem to come back to white as being a reasonable accent for generally black armour. There was another reason for this though: the decals. A good portion of the Iron Hands decals are black. And that doesn't show on a black background of course! Hence white is a favoured accent colour here by a long way. I think this has worked very well overall. I will shortly get the rest of the squad completed. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Pallas Grav-Tank

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. The rules are solid enough. 

Background. 

The hunter killer grav craft employed by the Custodes. They're skimmers and they're rather fast and dashing. As you might expect, they are used for hit and run exercises which they are well able to perform.

Strengths. 

It is a grav tank with a movement rate of 16, 4 hull points and 11's on the side and back with 12 on the front. 

It comes with a twin Iliastus accelerator fusil as standard. Four shots at S=7 is solid without being outrageous and breaching helps. 

This can be upgraded to a Arachnus blaze cannon. This is more of a serious anti-armour option and does well. 

Weaknesses. 

For me, the points cost is probably about right to just a touch too high. This is fundamentally a weapons platform, but I can't help but think that Space Marines do this a lot better. 

Builds.

Pallas with Iliastus Accelerator Fusil (105 points).

Solid enough. Can be quite a distraction if not dealt with.

Pallas with Arachnus Blaze Cannon (130 points).

Anti-armour and effective. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Gyrfalcon Jetbike Sodality

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. Custodes on jetbikes doing exactly what you think. 

Background. 

These are custom jetbikes designed specifically for the Custodes. Not only to take their mass, but also to provide some unique functionality for them as well. They are a screening unit as well as a fast response - and the models are really nice in my opinion as well. 

Strengths.

Custodes on jetbikes are cool - and I won't be taking any questions about this at the current time. 

Movement rate of 16 ensures that they get to where they need to be rapidly and with an extra wound compared to the foot slogging variety as might be expected. 

They are armed with a lastrum bolt cannon which is very nice for the rate of fire, and a solarite power lance as standard. The lance on the charging strike is significant with S+5 (for S=10) with impact on attacks, critical hitting, and armourbane. In defensive strike mode, they are much less to write home about. Hence strike fast and early to cause damage and get out of there if you think you will need back up. 

The cannon can be swapped out for the adrathic devastator (which is okay, but not amazing) or a twin corvae las pulser which is great for the armour bane action. 

Weaknesses. 

Why has the name changed from Agamatus since the other two editions? I am unclear.

This is fundamentally an expensive unit that does exactly what you would expect. You will want to clear your target in one strike though, so my advice is to field a few more than the base unit provides. Take las pulers to taste. 

Builds.

5 Jetbikes, 2 las pulsers (370 points). 

Shoot to explode a transport (like a rhino), then charge in to finish them all off. Take more pulsers for land raider purposes.