Horus Heresy 3e Review: Arcuitor Magisterium

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars. Lords of the Malagra give excellent bang for the points cost. 

Background. 

In effect, these are the judges of tech-heresy and lords of the Malagra. Over many years they have become as close to the machine god as possible and are known as the grandfathers of the Malagra. Magi in their own rights, they are (socially) powerful and respected. On the battlefield, they are advisors by nature and rarely in command.

Strengths.

It is worth pointing out the WS=6 in the stat line here. This is the epitome of the Malagra - ready for close combat. The rest of the stat line is similar to a Magos, but with I=4 and A=5.

A well placed Arcuitor can cause serious WS and BS issues to nearby enemy units, and this combined with their own stat line makes them a clear threat. Combined with infiltrate, and you have the makings of something quite spectacularly deadly. 

The customisation is strong here, but for full effect the character will need to be kitted out for close combat. 

Weaknesses.

For the points cost, this character is as good as it gets! Hence 5/5 stars from me. 

Builds.

Arcuitor Magisterium, Thunder Hammer, Overcharged Reactors (135 points). 

A baseline build for close combat and buffing.

Arcuitor Magisterium, Thunder Hammer, Overcharged Reactors, Melta Bombs, Rad Grenades, Rad Furnace, Flamer (190 points). 

A more maximal version. The flamer is purely for the tactical status. The rest is mainly achieved through radiation poisoning and the thunder hammer. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Magos

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. Solid choice with or without an Abeyant. 

Background. 

The Magos Dominus fill a gap between the Archmagos Prime and the rest of the army / feuding states / technocracy. They are masters of the cybernetica and build the cortex automata for the Mechanicum. Some are at the very edge of heresy themselves thanks to all the body modifications that they put themselves through, and most are eccentrics and obsessive about their technologies.  

Strengths.

As with the Archmagos, there is a glorious amount of customisation available for the Magos. I will refer readers back to the Archmagos for some general thoughts. 

The stat line here is less than an Archmagos as might be expected: 5's are everywhere, with 4 wounds and WS=4 and I=3. Intelligence is still 9 which is important for commanding Mechanicum and their cyber rites. 

Weaknesses.

WS=4 is an issue for combat, as is I=3. I therefore regard the Magos as more of a support character choice than a full-on commander. 

Builds.

Magos, Conversion Beamer (130 points). 

Very much a ranged character, but I do like it a lot. Add some rites to taste. 

Magos, Abeyant, Rad Furnace, Thunder Hammer, Melta Bombs, Rad Grenades, Overcharged Reactors (200 points). 

A close combat version. The danger here is spending too many points on a single character who is not the archmagos to be honest. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Master of Descent

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. The rules are great. 

Background. 

These Astartes are officers in the legion with a distinct talent for drop assaults and the coordination of them therein. They carry with them specialized communication devices that help them land others and then join the battle exactly at the point where they are needed. 

Strengths. 

A typical officer with WS and BS=5, 3 wounds and a 2+/5++ saving throw on the stat line. 

The Master of Descent comes with some special rules that are worth going over. The first one is a case of nominative determinism and allows the character and his unit to enter play from reserves on Turn 1. This is fairly unique in third edition (sadly). 

The Strato-Vox helps other units deep strike into play. It automatically passes reserves tests for the Master of Descent himself (i.e., guaranteed first turn deep striking). They can then successfully pass other reserves tests once on the board and bring down one unit per turn via deep strike. This is excellent and harks back to the first edition rules of drop pod assaults a little bit (I'm still sad that that army style is dead). 

Tip of the Spear meanwhile gives access to a new auxiliary detachment featuring one Praetorian Command Squad with jump packs, and two Veteran Assault Squads with primes. This is a good add-on overall and obviously encourages players to take the command squad along with the Master of Descent. 

Weaknesses. 

For the points cost, you are getting what you pay for really. I have no complaints other than I wish drop pod armies were still fully possible!

Builds.

Master of Descent, Power Fist (130 points).

A standard built. Take melta bombs to taste. 

Master of Descent, Thunder Hammer, Combat Shield (130 points). 

Looks good with other shield bearing marines?!

Master of Descent, Disintegration Pistol, Power Maul (130 points).

Gets you access to disintegration weapons whilst remaining good for melee. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Knight-Centura

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. The only command choice, but lacks build flexibility.

Background. 

Battlefield commanders from within the Chamber of Oblivion. These commanders field their own mission forces and can be responsible for many Sisters. 

Strengths. 

Strictly inferior to Jenetia Krole, but that is to be expected. The Knight-Centura is the command choice for the Sisters of Silence. 

They come equipped with a paragon blade which is the best part of it. With WS=5 they will be hitting, but only at S=4 with critical on a 6+. 

They do cause fear though which is great, and have native precision at 6+ along with the usual hatred against malefic and psykers. 

They are also light infantry which has uses of its own.

Weaknesses. 

What really stands out to me here is the sheer lack of customization! There are literally no choices to make and no build variants. This is poor form to say the least. 

Builds.

As noted above, there are no builds to discuss. Boo. 

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: Secutarii Axiarch

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. The only command choice possible for a Titan Ordinal detachment. 

Background. 

Axiarchs are the leaders of the Secutarii cult within the Mechanicus. Rather than being selected on merit, they are chosen for having defended a downed titan, or having recovered one from the field -- one of the most "sacred" of tasks that the sect are called on to perform. Subject to further testing and evaluation, they are then rebuilt in armour forged from a dead titan and upgraded with protocols to replace parts of their brain. The outcome is something beyond a space marine.

Strengths.

With WS=BS=5, these former human beings have been extensively upgraded and have advanced stats to match. 

They come with an arc lance which is very reasonable, but can be swapped out for power swords (keep the lance) or arc mauls (sacrificing initiative for strength which is a rational transaction). The mag-inverter shield gives the shield trait but is also interesting for reducing the charge distance of an enemy by 1. This can sometimes make a difference. 

As a Legio Armsmen, they ignore warhorns, gain Ld+1, but suffer panic checks when their friendly titan gets toppled. 

Other upgrades are rad grenades (generally worth it) and cyber-familiars (Intelligence check bonus of 2 which might be situational, but could be worth it). 

Weaknesses. 

T=3 is a key weakness but you do have a 2+ save in this edition to make up for it which is good.

Builds.

Secutarii Axiarch, Arc Maul, Rad Grenades, Cyber Familiar (110 points).

This is the maximal upgrade version. Since you are playing with titans my logic here is that player can afford the points cost for the upgrades. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Tylos Rubio

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good. 

Background.

Rubio was the first to be recruited to the Knights-Errant by Garro in his quest to assemble his team of misfit, yet unquestionably loyalist cousins from across all of the legions. It was during the Betrayal at Calth that he finally agreed to join up, having been forced to use his psychic powers to save his brother Ultramarines against the edict of Nikaea. Ironically enough, Guilliman had just concluded that breaking the edict was necessary to fight the warp space aliens at the same time. But too late for Rubio. He was shunned. And left with little option but to join Garro.  

Strengths. 

The codicier comes with telepathy and divination which is a solid combination. 

Polaris, his blade, is a force weapon with breaching, AP=3 and S+1 which makes him a reasonable combat challenger. The paragon bolt gun is also rather good at range. Enhanced by his powers, these are better still. 

Weaknesses. 

I would prefer an inherent WS=6 instead of WS=5, but WP=10 is welcome. 

Overall.

Rubio is cheap enough for what you get which is why I am giving him 4/5 stars here. He is a "typical" psyker for his level (codicier) and is a solid performer. Great for the Knights-Errant, just a pity he doesn't get classed as Ultramarines like my tag here otherwise suggests!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Prosperine Sorcerer

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded down. A bespoke sorcerer with pre-defined powers at S+1. Effective enough!

Background.

Arguably reckless practitioners. These are the sorcerous cabals of Prospero. Effectively the men of these cabals are walking artillery in a psychic sense. They flick lightning bolts, fireballs, and blink tornadoes into existence to do some mighty damage and in the aftermath of the Space Wolves destruction of their home, they only got worse. 

Strengths. 

They come with a Prosperine Spirit Stave. This is a force weapon with AP=3 and initiative+1. However, the special rule here is very cool. You get S+1 on any ranged or close combat psychic weapon that you conjure thanks to the staff. 

The get access to Biomantic Slam (biomancy); Wildfire (pyromancy); and Immovable Force (telekinesis). That is all they get though. 

Weaknesses. 

They don't get the usual Arcana. They're stuck with a very limited set of psychic powers. 

It is also disappointing that there are not options for jump packs or bikes / jetbikes. [Or dare I say Discs of Tzeentch later on if you get super heretical]. 

Overall.

For the points cost you pay, this is a reasonable transaction. Since you can only have a pistol upgrade, I don't think its worth talking about build here. You will need a transport solution though.

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Aster Crohne

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars rounded up. The rules are good.

Background.

In a nutshell, Crohne is a natural born survivor. Massacres, bloody battlefields, and slaughters untold, this is a marine who just gets through everything and still looks good doing so. He is also an old-timer, and therefore somewhat shunned by the rest of the legion whose methods have changed since Sanguinius took over command. Despite this, he is a loyalist through and through even if in the modern 30k scene the ninth legion seems like the wrong fit for him (it used to be a great fit, but the legion demeanour changed).

Strengths. 

An Officer of the Line (2) is attractive here as a foot slogging infantryman. His stat line is fairly typical of a consul.

He comes with 2 hand flamers which are reasonable and the Saiphan Shard-Axe which yields an incredibly strong breaching of 4+ with A+1, S+1, and AP=3. This is strong, but you just need a transport solution for him. 

As the Ghost of Saiph with a natural talent for survival, he has evens chances of coming back with 1 wound when he gets removed for the first time in a game. This is nice without being over-whelming. 

Weaknesses. 

Could do with an extra attack if I'm honest and AP=2 for more stars from me, and the lack of a jump pack might result in him not being selected too often. 

Overall.

The Shroudmaker is in good form for third edition and provides a nice choice for those wanting Officer of the Line slots at a reasonable points cost and comes with a special axe that really works to chew up enemy wounds. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Dominion Zephon

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good, and I've gone for 4 stars here due to Officer of the Line. 

Background.

With his career in the Blood Angels cut short thanks to a Xenos blade, Zephon was sent to Terra as one of the Crusader Host. His new bionic limbs didn't integrate with his remaining flesh initially. Until Land himself too an interest in Zephon. Land fixed up his bionics just in time for the siege of Terra where he rejoined his legion whole heartedly.

Strengths. 

The jump pack combined with a WS=6 makes for a potent combination for any commander. He comes with rad grenades as standard which will give him an edge where needed. 

He has two volkite 10 inch range pistols called lament and grief which can do some good damage largely through their S=6 and 6 shots total which is impressive. Meanwhile, the Spiritum Sanguis provides AP=2 and S+1 with reaping blow to make him effective in close combat. 

Nicely, he gets Officer of the Line (2) here which is amazing in third edition and the reason that I've bumped his star rating up to 4/5. This is the reason you'll take him along with that jump pack. Eternal Warrior rounds it out very nicely. 

Weaknesses. 

Costs more than Raldoron, but you do get a jump pack!

Overall.

Zephon has gone from an interesting if fluffy character in second edition, to an almost automatic include in third edition thanks to the combination of jump pack, rad grenades, effective short range shooting and solid close combat, combined with Officer of the Line and Eternal Warrior to create a commander who really does justify his costs and his place in the Siege of Terra. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Diabolist

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. The rules are average. 

Background.

Near the beginning of the Heresy, the Word Bearers were already dabbling in things that maybe they should have left well alone. The diabolists were a symptom of the dabbling; creating powers never seen before and tearing at the frayed edges of real space.

Strengths. 

The diabolism discipline comes with 2 powers and fear. The first power is hellfire which is a nice short range shooting attack with deflagrate and breaching (but a bit random since you get 1d3 shots). The second is dark channeling which boosts your friends by giving them aflame (reducing your enemies leadership by a pip) and feel no pain. This is useful and calls for a close combat style play - which no doubt you were already using. 

They also come with damned which translates as malefic if you want it to which is an odd choice mechanically. 

This is all rounded off by a force weapon and a pistol upgrade if you wanted one. 

Weaknesses. 

Overall, they feel like a limited librarian without any word bearer summonings like you'd otherwise want to have. I honestly feel the ability to summon daemons would be a better option if you are headed down this route and the diabolist will often be overlooked for better psychic command characters. I'd really only play one if I had the room on the roster and wanted that Leadership modifier against the enemy from aflame along with feel no pain. Potentially great for jump pack equipped space marines I suspect. Even so, I'm yet to see a diabolist played on the table top. Maybe you have?  

Builds.

Diabolist with jump pack (135 points).

The jump pack is to help get stuck into combat quicker and to run with similarly equipped men. 

Diabolist in Cataphractii Armour (135 points). 

Take a combi-weapon of your choice to taste. 

Diabolist on Scimitar Jet Bike with Multi-Melta (175 points).

A touch expensive here to be honest, but it is still functional. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Zardu Layak

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded down. The rules are good and Zardu has a near unique power to control others.

Background.

One of the first of the Word Bearers to fully embrace the new religion after the Censure of Monarchia. Zardu is described as fiery and fervent in his beliefs, and has handily shackled a pair of unfortunate battle brothers to his own will over time -- the so called blade slaves. 

Strengths. 

A reasonable stat line much like a centurion combines with a force weapon with S+2 and enhanced D on force. The panoply of flame helps with combat resolution but the real strength here to my mind is the Binder of Souls psychic power (he also gets breach the veil). Select an enemy model with Willpower of 7 or less and they're yours in the close combat that Zardu is also part of. Handy, and almost unique in the game. 

Meanwhile the blade slaves (Anakatis Kul) come with plasma pistols and the famous blades which give AP=3 and breaching with Phage on Strength. The stat line is also attractive with T=5 and S=5. Solid meat shields for Zardu and I like the fact that they also explode!

Weaknesses. 

I never quite know what to make of Zardu and his blade slaves. They are cute little compact unit and there is some attraction in having the psychic power to control others. But if I am being truly brutally honest, there's just better HQ selections for the Word Bearers. 

Overall.

I think Zardu has his placed as the HQ of a corrupted army, and as the forefront character for a melee charge. Beyond that, I actually don't like him too much. The one time I saw him on the battlefield, I dealt with him through a combination of precision shots and pie plates. His blade slaves routed shortly after. Its a bit of a shrug from me - he is fine overall, but just not the first choice I think. Cheap enough to consider for a kill team to be clear. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Dark Emissary

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2.5/5 stars. Rounded up. The rules are acceptable. 

Background.

Eyes, ears, examples of the skills that Horus demanded of his traitorous allies, and executioners for those who fell short. The dark emissaries were sent by Horus to keep tabs on his allies and guide them along the required path.

Strengths. 

A relatively cheap command character for the Sons of Horus. The stat line has 4's and 5's in the places you might expect, with Leadership of 10 and Cool of 10 as well. 

He comes armed with a mere bolt pistol, a staff of dark authority, and a special rule called Eyes of the Warmaster. 

The Staff is essentially a power weapon with +1 for strength and critical hitting. It is okay overall without being overpowered. 

The Eyes of the Warmaster allows the character to join other factions (like other legion allies) and the leadership and cool are not lost here. This is fluffy and appropriate I think. 

In legacies, he can also be placed into terminator armour which is a solid enhancement and worth considering. 

Weaknesses. 

I want to like the Dark Emissary more than I do. He is very fluffy, but ends up being just a bit niche. Even the humble bolt pistol lacks bane strike here sadly (and the only way to get it is to exchange a bolt gun which he doesn't have - take the terminator option with the combi bolt gun and you have a deal though!). You could upgrade to a plasma pistol I suppose. 

Overall.

A cheap character. A fluffy character. He should be doing more than he is. I want a single instance of him within other traitor forces, but there's no point in doing so unless you really want to be as fluffy as humanly possible. Other characters are strictly better and do more. He's honestly a bit of a drag on resources for the third edition force organization chart. Can't see him being played as even the fluffy players will struggle to slot him in without a lot of soul searching. 

[Author's note - This is the final entry for characters from the Sons of Horus! This legion has far too many playable characters in comparison to other legions now - command and high command are bloated.]

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Maloghurst The Twisted

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. The rules are okay. 

Background.

Equerry to the Warmaster himself, Maloghurst was almost killed in earlier action which left his body shattered and earned his moniker. With little left but to serve his Primarch, he became ever more the shrewd operator and trusted on the battlefield to carry the icon of Horus and thus also became known as the Bearer of the Eye. 

Strengths. 

A reasonable stat line, but with reduced movement as you might imagine. 

He carries the Icon of the Warmaster into battle. This provides +1 to Line and Vanguard for the unit he is attached to. This is actually really nice and can pivot his use in games entirely - and possibly help to win.

Bane strike ammunition in a bolt gun and a regular issue power sword round out the character.  

Weaknesses. 

Mal's days of glory in single combat are over. Over. He doesn't have to take part in challenges. And no one would blame him. 

Overall.

The points cost here is average for what you are getting. Yes, there are some draw backs overall. But they are tolerable. He is also certainly fluffy for the Sons of Horus. No denying that. But he's probably not your first pick for a command character either. That Line +1 rule is very tempting though, even if it is kept on the back lines. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Speaker of the Dead

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Chaplain and Apothecary combined makes a unique command choice for the Space Wolves.

Background.

Blood soaked priests of the Cult of Morkai which represent the Fenris death-wolf, it really is a wonder that the Emperor permitted such near heresy given what the Word Bearers already believed in and he sought to wipe out. Regardless, the speaker of the dead combines the role of the Chaplain to prosecute wars with inspiring rites, and also the role of the Apothecary thus serving as a field medic. 

Strengths. 

As befits this dual role, the character comes with both a narthecium and a crozius arcanum. The also have the Medic rule on a 5+ which is fairly standard. They shine in the advanced characteristics department with a cool of 10 and leadership of 9 which befits their station. The rest of the stats are quite good overall. 

Weaknesses. 

There is very little customization beyond what armour they might wear or what bike they might be mounted upon. Otherwise, they are certainly worth their points cost to my mind and want to be played very aggressively. 

Builds.

Speaker of the Dead with Jump Pack and melta bombs (125 points).

I went straight to the jump pack option here, but a foot slogging version is also fine if you have a transport solution.  

Speaker of the Dead in Terminator Armour of your choice, Combi-Flamer (130 points). 

Terminator variation.

Speaker of the Dead on Jetbike with Multi-Melta (150 points).

Getting more expensive here, but the fast movement remains very attractive and the character would presumably be well embedded in a similar squad.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Caster of Runes

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Great psychic powers peculiar to the Space Wolves. 

Background.

They may protest that they are channeling the heart of Fenris all they like. The truth is that they are just as much a psyker as the Thousand Sons are. Except they lie about it. Does this make them worse?

In other news, Sanguinius was a mutant, but we all agree to look the other way, don't we? I'm sure this will all hold until it doesn't.  

Strengths. 

The caster of runes gets immediate access to the unique Rune Casting discipline. This grants Wrath of the Death Wolf, and Stormwrought. The former is a template weapon that inflicts stun (it's basically cone of cold for anyone dungeons and dragons familiar). This is actually really strong due to the condition, and S=6. The latter is a psychic reaction that reduces incoming shots to snap shots - this is similarly powerful.

The character is, otherwise, a psyker, and can also have access to Biomancy, Divination, and / or Telekinesis. My recommendation is to take Rune Casting, and possibly one of the others depending on the points cost you have available. 

A force staff and frost axe come as standard. 

Weaknesses. 

I actually really like this character!

Overall.

The points cost is a little more than a standard librarian, but you do get a useful Will Power of 10 for the price as well as the frost axe upgrade and the ability to choose access to the rune casting discipline - and why wouldn't you choose that? The discipline is quite powerful really and very flavourful to the Space Wolves. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Geigor Fell-Hand

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. Average fare. 

Background.

It is now Third Edition. And I still have the same problem about this guy's name. I can't help keeping on calling him "Gregor"! Maybe it is the fault of Game of Thrones?

Anyhow.

Geigor is a Thegn of the Space Wolves who has a bit of a history with the Thousand Sons. When fighting alongside them, he lost his war pack and thought to himself that he had been betrayed by his allies. At Prospero, he therefore went a bit zealous with the orders from the Warmaster to execute them all.

Strengths. 

Officer of the Line (2) is valuable here, and he comes with the fell-hand which is a fancy power claw that has breaching at 4+ and shred at 5+. This is nice. 

The stat line is otherwise what you might expect except for Ld=10 and 9 in will power (probably from fighting the Thousand Sons). 

Weaknesses. 

He is distinctly average, but a nice Space Wolves upgrade on the usual Centurion. Is he worth the extra 25 points or so? Possibly. Just about. 

Overall.

A Space wolves upgrade for a Centurion. You will likely end up taking him in Third Edition over a regular Centurion, just because. Equally, that's all he realistically is. Get him into combat with equal footing enemies and he should do okay. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Stormseer

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. I have rounded up! I'm going out on a bit of a punt here to suggest that Stormseers are actually really good indeed!

Background.

It is fitting that one of the "big three" that established the librarians have their own consul for psykers to bring to the battlefield. Combining old shaman like belief systems and the librarian training has yielded spectacular results for the White Scars in the form of the Stormseers who are valued as much for their psychic wrath as they are for their wise counsel to the Khans. The believe they are bringing forth a sliver of power from Chogoris, rather than necessarily being out-and-out warp power users. I can see parallels to the Space Wolves here. 

Strengths. 

The stat line is what you might expect for a psyker librarian with Willpower = 10 and reasonable stats elsewhere. 

What sets the Stormseer apart from Librarians elsewhere is access to the Stormcalling psychic discipline, and this is the reason he gets 4.5 stars from me. There are 2 powers here. The first is Unseen Bolt which is a 36 inch range 5 inch blast with barrage, stun, AND force at S=4. I think this is incredibly powerful to put stun out at such range. 

The second is Call of the Wind. This gives you an increase in move equivalent to your initiative. That's 5 extra inches assuming you cast it on yourself. 

When you add on a jump pack or similar, this starts to be a pretty wild tactic, in addition to the usual White Scars shenanigans. 

Weaknesses. 

Cheap enough to afford and play without regret to be very honest. You can, of course, take other psychic disciplines, but Stormcalling is very good indeed, so I focus on that discipline alone in the builds below. 

Builds.

Stormseer with Stormcalling (105 points).

The standard stormcaller! Take with a bunch of veterans or similar to get where you need to be fast. Take terminator armour for 125 points instead where appropriate. 

Stormseer with Stormcalling, Jump Pack (135 points). 

A very swift proposition with an assault squad or other jump pack squad. Dangerous as well. 

Stormseer with Stormcalling, Jetbike with Multi-Melta (165 points).

Lead your jetbike units to victory with celerity. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Hibou Khan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The traitor turned loyalist is a good choice.

Background.

A Terran born Khan, Hibou naturally gravitated to Horus thanks to involvement in the Vth legion warrior lodges. He resented the legion's growing influence from Chogoris and when the rebellion started, he threw in with Horus along with a number of other Khans (it is easy to forget just how divided the White Scars were when the Heresy began). He then sought contrition but his primarch cast him out to seek his own absolution with the Sagyar Mazan which would bring him into the orbit of the Shattered Legions. 

Strengths. 

A solid stat line including WS=6 and modest points value make Hibou Khan a middle range choice for a command character.

His special rule is Seeker of Atonement. As you might expect, he wants to atone for believing in Horus. To this end he gets a special gambit that allows him to stay alive longer than he should just to kill a few more traitors. In short: a 50/50 chance to prevent being removed as a casualty. This is good, and a last minute gambit, but has potential to swing an encounter without being overwhelming. 

He carries The Breath of the Storm, which give a vital I+1 and S+2 to make him fairly deadly. Critical hits and breaching is the icing on the cake. 

Officer of the Line (2) is similarly powerful and makes Hibou a strong choice. Combined with Expendable, and you have a great deal here. 

Weaknesses. 

For the points cost, you can't really go too wrong. The combination of expendable and officer of the line really leans hard into the Sagyar Mazan which is the way to build around him. 

Overall.

A great character, and leader for the Sagyar Mazan. A character that screams deny the opponent. You just need to build part of your army around him. And remember to take some units that might not be so expendable if you are so inclined. Very fluffy and very nice overall as a close combat character.  

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Remus Ventanus

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. A very useful Officer of the Line for the Ultramarines.

Background.

Remus Ventanus of the Ultramarines made a name for himself on Calth. Gathering the remnants of the 4th to him, he allowed the surviving tech-priest to finish regaining control of the orbital defence grid and then went straight on the rally the Ultramarines in an impressive fight back against the Word Bearers. In the later underground war, he became known as the Saviour of Calth and his name rings through the background history of 30k because of it.

Strengths. 

Officer of the Line (2) already cuts Ventanus out as noteworthy. Although his stat line is nothing special, he comes with a host of special weapons and upgrades. 

The Icon of Calth provides S+1 to the unit he is with which is very impressive. 

The Vox Interlink is a +1 for reserve tests which is nice. 

His weapon, Phaeton, is okay with A+1 and breaching combined with duellist's edge. 

Weaknesses. 

The points cost is too high for me to award 5/5 stars, and to be honest I almost gave 3.5 stars here due to that reason alone. 

Overall.

A very reasonable choice for the Ultramarines and to obtain Officer of the Line. His stat line is nothing impressive, but he does have almost a Swiss army knife worth of tools to bring to the table along with melta bombs and other items. He needs a transport in all probability, but he is very versatile overall. And that is also his weakness: a lack of focus. But since this is Ultramarines we are talking about, there isn't really a true emphasis beyond tactical flexibility. And Remus Ventanus is an exemplar of that.