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. 

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. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Coronus Grav-Carrier

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. The rules are average for the points cost. 

Background. 

I personally have always liked the grav-craft since they were first depicted in Rogue Trader. The Coronus carries on this tradition by having the grav-craft be in use by the Legio Custodes. The wider background shows that the craft was an upgrade to the Jocasta design employed in the Unification Wars. Of course, the other grav-craft are based on the Coronus design and have improved it whilst maintaining the goal of being fast an able to deploy into zones that other vehicles might find tough.

Strengths.

As a heavy transport, it has a carrying capacity of 14 which is reasonable overall. But remember that your regular Custodes has Heavy (2). 

The movement rate is 12, which is okay. The armour is 13 with 11 on the rear and 8 hull points which means it is mid-range in terms of survival. 

On the plus side, it does have auto-repair at 3+ and is an assault vehicle with deep strike as standard which is excellent. The armaments are also very reasonable with a turret Arachnus blaze cannon (amazing with S=9 in concentrated mode!), and a twin lastrum bolt cannon which is S=6 but with only AP=4. 

Weaknesses. 

I would really like to have seen the movement rate be higher. In second edition it was 16, so this is quite a bit of a loss in my opinion. The access point is on the rear, which is also where the AV=11 armour is located. 

Don't take it for deep striking purposes if you already have an Arae Shrike elsewhere in the army as you will compete against yourself for getting your army on the board. Instead, think of it as an enhanced and very much upgraded rhino for your Custodes. I'd actually begin with it on the board to make best use of the blaze cannon!

Builds.

There are no builds to discuss.