Horus Heresy 2e Review: Camba Diaz

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. A cheap praetor with some special rules. 

Background.

A very reliable and steadfast commander who perhaps lacked the legend of Sigismund. He earned his reputation through meticulous siege actions - both on the offensive and on the defensive. Little wonder he was held in good stead by his Primarch. 

Strengths.

In short, this is a Praetor character with a few upgrades. His warlord trait is The Line Unbroken which allows him to declare its activation when on an objective. This gives counter attack and fearless until the end of the battle so long as he stays put. This is strong, and probably best used as a forward attacking force. But you know, if you need to, having that objective on the back line is reasonable if facing off against other Primarchs I suppose. 

He will also gain feel no pain when he has one wound remaining which is fluffy for Camba, and comes with an AP3 power sword - forged by the Iron Hands in some kind of lost bet - that also rends. This is okay without being amazing. 

Weaknesses.

No real weaknesses, but arguably, not a first choice master of the legion. His role is then in smaller points games where his warlord trait might make a big difference. 

Overall.

A fine choice, but just not as good as other choices that the Imperial Fists can make. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Kaedes Nex

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The Raven Guard answer to when something just needs to not be there. 

Background.

Kaedes is not a nice person, to put it ever so politely. He was, very rightly, incarcerated on the same world that Corax came to rest on when he was scattered there. Already an accomplished evil killer, somehow, Corax saw fit to offer him a second chance within the legion. He said yes, and now serves at Corax's command. But he's not liked to the point of being shunned. That doesn't make him bad at his job though. Lucky that he's a loyalist really, otherwise I could readily imagine him falling to the dark powers of chaos. 

Strengths.

A 3 wound moritat with two hand cannons that have to shooting profiles. The first provides pinpoint strikes and comes with brutal (2) concussive and pinning with sniper, the second provides a way to empty the ammo stores and comes with a whopping six shots with concussive and pinning. 

His shooting ignores most modifiers like night fighting and so on. And he always - always - attacks at full ballistic skill. This is actually a little bit insane, but there you go. He also has an uber-infiltrate rule to help him deploy where he needs to be, and a slew of other more standard special rules that include things like rampage and shrouded. Unlike many good shooting character, he is also good in close combat with rending and more brutal (2)'s helping a lot. 

Weaknesses.

No jump pack is a serious negative here coupled with the 12 inch range on the hand cannons. Yes, there are rules to help, but it remains the reason I can't give 5/5 stars. 

He's also a non-compulsory HQ and cannot be part of another unit. Hence he can and will get targeted regularly. Happily, he can also be part of a Blackshields force which makes for an interesting option. He also only get the Falcons rules if a Raven Guard. A bit pricey in terms of points cost as well, but that's okay for what you are getting. 

Overall.

I can see a lot of Raven Guard and Blackshields players wanting to take Nex. He gets some early turn kills in before perishing (assuming he doesn't get over watched back or reacted back) which is always a danger. But hey, why not just snap shot at your full BS back yourself as well?

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Aster Crohne

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. A strong centurion, but a little bit on the expensive side. 

Background.

Aster Crohne is a survivor who defies belief. A relic of the wars that tore Saiph apart, and one who was undertaking the Great Crusade prior to the rediscovery of Sanguinius himself. He stood apart from the main legion and never really rose in rank as he should have, finding himself in charge of the 94th company and the Inductii. 

Strengths.

When he loses his last wound he will be put back into reserves with one wound on a 4+. This only happens on the first time, but it is a great fluffy rule that helps him stay in the game. 

His warlord trait is directly associated with the 94th. It gives Inductii sweeping attacks as well as A+1 when making successful charge. This is in addition to the usual Fear rule that Blood Angels Inductii have and overrules (at least from reading the rules) the lack of sweeping assaults which is good news for the Blood Angels player. The additional movement reaction is solid. Aster can also join Inductii units which is obviously a good thing.

His weapon of choice is a S+1 AP=3 axe that also rends which is great for dealing with enemy blobs of tactical marines. The two hand flamers are also good, to be clear. 

The stat line is basically a consul centurion with an extra wound which is good.

Weaknesses.

Obviously as he's not a Praetor, he does not have Master of the Legion. This isn't so good. He's well suited to leading Inductii though, so that's a plus. 

We also need to acknowledge the points cost here as well. It is on the high side, and you will also need a transport for maximum effectivess.

Overall.

A fluffy character with rules to suit. He's going to be wanted as a Judicar (Centurion) to lead Inductii, but that's it. Good for small points value games that involve Inductii, but in higher points value games I would want to just be using him for his ability to slice and dice. The Blood Angels are not short of other ways of doing this though!

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Autilon Skorr

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 stars. The original delegatus, and shining brightly in small points games in second edition!

Background.

Appearing in the scrolls of honour for the Great Crusade no fewer than seven times, Autilon was the go-to man when a brand new world needed to be brought to compliance. This frequently happened with a bit of chaos and one well placed round to the head. After the Heresy broke out, he failed at the debacle at Epsilon Stranivar IX, and was removed from Alpharius' side, sent to the outer rim to try to regain glory. 

Strengths.

If you are playing small points value games, the Delegatus consul is really amazing. He provides a way to bring Master of the Legion to such games and as such, I stand by my original rating for the Delegatus here as well. 

Autilon Skorr has some special rules in comparison to the standard delegatus. Once per battle, he can make a Ld teast at a value to 10 to rally all his troops (falling back, or pinned) that have line of sight to him. This is unique in the game pretty much and can be a game winner if played right in smaller points games. 

The ability to make a reaction at zero cost every turn (even if limited to a nominated phase before the game begins) is very strong. The Feel No Pain rule that gets better every turn is also powerful. 

Weaknesses.

His S=5 AP=2 axe is not so amazing except against mortal and mechanicum troops perhaps. But it'll still hurt where he needs it to. I'd suggest burying him in a big mob of Alpha Legion troops or elites (or perhaps snipers at a vantage point in the middle of the table) and act accordingly. 

Overall.

I really liked Autilon Skorr in first edition and played a lot of games at lower points values with him. He did very well. In second edition, his rules have been tweaked, but he is still a force to be reckoned with and worth the points values. Master of the Legion is invaluable at these levels and he is a great exponent of what is possible with this, alongside potentially game changing rules. Certainly a must-take for sub-1000 points games for the Alpha Legion commander! 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Nârik Dreygur

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3/5 stars. The original Praevian returns under legacy units! 

Background.

Loyal to the Emperor now, but shattered on Isstvan and rebuilt with extensive augmetics. Dreygur survived but was tossed aside by Perturabo as any broken toy would be. Bereft of command he finally broke when the Alpha Legion nearly killed him later on and became a pseudo-Blackshield. He's complex. 

Strengths.

Dreyguy is a consul with a host of special rules above and beyond the typical Praevain in second edition. As well as being a master of the automaton, he gains some A and stubborn bonus when close to Cassian Reborn and can also be taken as a Blackshields marine rather than a loyalist Iron Warriors choice. 

He has a bunch of special equipment like his power fist that also contains haywire (very nice). The cortex controller and designator help a lot with mastering the robots around him whilst the refractor field and artificer armour makes him more survivable. 

Weaknesses.

This is not a long ranged character. Sure he has a master crafted pistol, but he really needs to be in close combat with some robots. Take some Vorax or Castellax to go with him, and get him to where you need him to be (which could be tricky). 

Overall.

Not bad overall, but a bit limited considering the wider builds possible with the Praevian consul overall. You need to get him in position and his robots to help him in close combat realistically to make the most of him. Otherwise, perhaps take a fortification where he can man some longer range weapon and simply use the power fits as a deterrent (a bit of a waste really). The ability to take those robots is great though and not to be wasted; whilst the ability to take him as a Blackshields should not be overlooked either!

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Erasmus Golg

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5/5 stars. Rounded up. Very reasonable, but stuck with a fixed warlord trait. 

Background.

A survivor of the newly found Primarch's decimation, Golg really didn't mind the brutality that much. In fact he embraced it. What he really did mind a whole lot was not being recognised for his talents. He never made it to the inner circle of Perturabo. And he is rather tetchy about it all the time. At his core, he's quite the bully. And on the battlefield too. 

Strengths.

W=4 is certainly a massive boon here. He acts as a praetor in cataphractii terminator armour and has all the pros and cons that you might otherwise associated with such armour. Interestingly he carries both a nuncio vox and an augury scanner, along with his amazing AP=2 and S=10 chain blade fist thing. 

He has a bunch of special rules including hammer of wrath (2), stubborn and relentless which are very reasonable. 

Weaknesses.

The choice of warlord trait is fixed as blood-handed. This is okay, but a choice would have obviously been better. The combi melta is excellent and makes him a massive danger to tanks in general. 

As a terminator, you will also have to think about how you will get him into position. There's a certain rite of war that springs to mind about terminators though (Pride of the Legion). 

Overall.

A very reasonable warlord choice for the Iron Warriors. What stands out here though is that he can be selected for both traitors and for loyalists alike. Hence if you have a terminator squad around him, then this is a warlord you are going to like a whole lot. Fundamentally, he's an anti-tank hero that can readily double up to be a massive melee threat as well. Little not to like other than the fixed trait. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Company Command Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars, but rounded down. Great for small points value games and narrative ones but outshone by the actual legion command squad. 

Background.

Within any given legion, there are companies. These are lead by lesser commanders, but all the same, they also have company command squads. They in turn carry the banner of the company into battle which contains their victory rolls and therefore inspires the rest of the troops. 

Strengths. 

The banner that is carried not only gives a Ld=9 aura, but also grants Line to your squad so long as the banner remains on the table. This is good and calls for the unit to be capturing objectives and similar. 

There is incredible flexibility in build available - not quite at the command squad level, of course, but you can kit them out for serious close combat duty, or for more ranged duty. 

I also really like the fact that they can bring a rhino, a drop pod, or a termite into play. This is excellent. 

Weaknesses. 

You can only add a company command squad to an Optae or to a Centurion. My reading of this is that it categorically does not extend to other consul types. This is ... okay, but I would have liked all consuls having access to the company command squad.

Despite the flexibility of builds, the basic equipment lacks chain swords. Ouch. And there's no jet bikes or similar available here sadly. 

Fundamentally though, these are still veterans with no 2+ saves or invulnerable saves. They are cheap enough in terms of points cost for you not to care too much either. 

Builds.

Company Command Squad, 9 Members, Nemesis Bolt Guns, Company Standard, Augury Scanner (290 points).

A back field company command squad to stay put on an objective and ping away at distant targets. Take 2 missile launchers instead to taste for a few extra points - a nice variant. 

Company Command Squad, 9 members, Lightning Claws, Company Standard (280 points)

Get in one of those transport options and get up close and personal with the enemy. Use power weapons instead to reduce the cost - this is actually a good idea in many cases. 

Company Command Squad, 9 members, Company Standard, Nuncio Vox, 2 Melta Guns, 3 Combi-Melta Guns (260 points).

Tank hunting configuration for which you will also need a transport. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Optae

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. Great for small points value games and narrative ones. Otherwise, different choices should be made in a crowded HQ space. 

Background.

These men are marines that have risen modestly through the ranks and have been entrusted with a small quantum of command. This might be for routine tasks or low level missions. They are still well connected to the men that they have shared battles with and have won their respect and the ability to inspire them directly thanks to their (presumably) shared history. 

Strengths. 

They come with a stat line very similar to a Veteran of the legion. Their main strength is arguably the Strength of the Legion special rule which allows an automatic regroup and subsequently suffers zero restriction on charging or shooting in the same turn. This is clearly a nice boon and represents (narratively) their ability to turn their comrades around thanks to their connection to them. How often this would happen is questionable though. 

Their upgrades are a wide selection of possibilities only ordinarily seen in Consuls. As such, you could think of this HQ character as a very low level Consul in many ways. I see them as excellent for small points value games - and they can really shine there. As someone who plays smaller points games more regularly than larger ones, they really are an attractive choice to maximize the points so long as they aren't upgraded too much. 

Weaknesses. 

They are - only - veterans. They don't come with any of the usual upgrades you might otherwise expect for either consuls or praetors. This is an issue. Further, the points value can escalate quickly, so I'd advise keeping the points as low as possible to make this HQ choice work. You also need to reckon on no invulnerable saves when not upgraded.

Speaking of HQ choices, this choice occupies an entire slot on the force organisation chart that even the special rules here (strength of the legion, relentless) won't particularly make up for. You will want something different for your HQ once you go over (e.g.) 750 points, or outside of Zone Mortalis style skirmishes. 

Builds.

Optae, Nemesis Bolt Gun (50 points).

I really like this build as a back field rally-caller. 

Optae, Power Fist (65 points).

Front line. But you are rapidly entering the fuzzy area of "wouldn't a consul be better?". Fluffy for small points value games all the same.

Optae, Thunder Hammer, Boarding Shield (75 points).

Illustration of "too expensive" and "wouldn't a consul be better?".

Optae, Jump Pack, Power Weapon (75 points).

Similar to the above comments really. Combat Bikes and Jet Bikes are in a similar range. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Endryd Haar

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Excellent!

Background.

A World Eater presumed dead. Haar came back from the outer reaches to discover the depth of the betrayal and went a little bit crazy. Lacking the butcher's nails, his fury is more cold and numbing, yet somehow righteous in my head canon. Everything a World Eater praetor could have evolved to if the nails and Angron and the betrayal had not got in the way. He's now a Blackshield, and a very good one at that. 

Strengths. 

His stat line is a praetor's, yet he also somehow gets T=5 which is amazing. 

Let's talk about his power fist though - the Terrawatt pattern power gauntlet. It comes with brutal (2) as the baseline, but also the Charged Attacks special rule which allows him to gain Sx3 at a price of halving his attacks (rounded up). This is going to slay a lot of enemies in a straight up fight and be outright dangerous to vehicles as well. 

His Warlord Trait is Fangs of the Emperor which grants Scouts to 3 infantry units that also lack bulky. This will enable early deployment board control when played correctly and hopefully line up some early charges where needed. The extra assault reaction is okay. 

He also gets relentless along with hatred of the World Eaters and battle hardened which makes him an incredibly attractive praetor for any Black Shields force. 

Weaknesses. 

Very few realistically beyond not being able to be taken by other forces I suppose. 

Overall.

Love this character! Superb praetor for the Black Shields and a near "must include" if you're playing them. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Shadrak Meduson

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. A great Praetor level character for the Iron Hands or Shattered Legions. 

Background.

Witnessing the devastation of the Betrayal from orbit, Meduson made his escape and re-forced the remnants of the Iron Hands, Raven Guard and Salamanders into a new fighting force. They became guerrillas, deploying behind enemy lines and fighting as a flexible force that took advantage of each of their legion's strengths. 

Strengths. 

The warlord trait here is really strong when you pull it off at the right moment. In short, once per game you can give your Iron Hands or Shattered Legions army Furious Charge and Hatred of traitors. All you have to basically do is line up 2 or more charges and it is probably going to be worth it. The extra movement reaction is a bonus.

As well as being able to flip-flop between Iron Hands and Shattered Legions rules, he comes with a rending bolt gun and a power sword from the days of the Storm Walkers that has S+1 and breaching (at a base of AP=3) which can be deadly. 

Weaknesses. 

WS=5 is okay, but not great. But more fundamentally, who would play a Shattered Legions army under the current rules? Great as an Iron Hands character otherwise! 

Overall.

A great character, but I'm still crying about the Shattered Legions rules in second edition. Play him as an Iron Hands master of the legion and he'll do well enough for the points cost that you are paying. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Hibou Khan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded up. A traitor turned loyalist with nice rules.

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. 

The stat line is reasonable and is basically a centurion. The equipment is standard, except for the Breath of the Storm which is an excellent AP2 two handed blade. It comes with a range of special rules such as Breaching and Murderous Strike that would make him competitive in many situations. 

The warlord trait grants Rampage (2) which is very nice along with a reaction that doesn't go away upon his death (it just transfers from movement to assault). He can also join the Shattered Legions, but you won't want to do this. 

Weaknesses. 

The Karash rule will stop him joining other units, but as a leader of the Mazan, he's a potentially good choice. 

Is he worth the points cost though? I'm on the fence a bit. The Feel No Pain helps here, but outside of a dedicated Mazan force, you probably won't be taking him (sad face for the Shattered Legions here too). 

Overall.

Won't be seen outside of very fluffy and specialist builds which is a bit sad for me to say. Indeed, I've never seen him on the battlefield yet - would be interested to hear if you have?

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Tybalt Marr

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Tybalt Marr is relentless in hunting down the Shattered Legions, but his rules are quite good against others as well!

Background.

The Either. The Hunter of the Iron Heart. Tybalt Marr was charged by Horus himself to take down the Shattered Legions and the remains of the Massacre at Isstvan. He did this very relentlessly and almost saw off Meduson himself. But didn't quite. He came to despise the Iron Hands as well as respect them eventually, and proved that the Shattered Legions could not act with impunity. 

Strengths. 

Tybalt Marr is a praetor with some nice special rules and equipment. Let's briefly talk about his equipment first. The Culling Blade is an AP=2 fleshbane affair with murderous strike to boot. It is quite a character killer when in the right position and can equally devastate entire enemy squads. His stat line is on par for a praetor so there's no real complaints here.

He has a special rule (warlord trait) that once per battle he can undertake a shock assault and force every unit in a large range to take a pinning test. This is really amazing - and when done right can turn the tide of an entire battle. That said, you'd better have something to reduce the leadership of enemy squads handy if you can since most units can be expected to pass this outside of mortal forces. 

Weaknesses. 

Hatred of shattered legions is fluffy and appropriate. However. You will almost never play against shattered legions, so it is a waste realistically. Yet another reason that Shattered Legions being unplayable is a terrible thing in second edition. 

Overall.

Worth the points overall and the warlord trait is amazing when deployed at the right moment and your opponent has some unlucky die rolls! Very fluffy as well. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Horus Aximand

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Little Horus comes the the Heresy wracked with haunted guilt about the side he has chosen, and armed with Mourn-It-All which is fantastic. A very fluffy choice for the Sons of Horus! 

Background.

Little Horus looked exactly like his gene sire in appearance. He chose to follow the same into Heresy and became a traitor, but was never too sure about his choices. He became wracked with guilt about it, and sought to justify his choice to himself repeatedly, ultimately fighting on Beta-Garmon. He also has a knack for staying alive despite the most grievous wounds. 

Strengths. 

Purely from a points cost point of view, Little Horus is about right for what he brings. He is fundamentally a praetor with a stat line to match. He has a few special rules which are worthy of mention.

His warlord trait let's him return to the game with +1d3 wounds when he first "dies", but not against instant death and similar. 

Mourn-It-All is a very nice blade with a valuable AP2 along with bonus S, and a few special rules which make Little Horus great in close combat against even elite enemies. 

The Castigatus close combat shield on the surface looks good with a 5+ invulnerable save that reflects back attacks at S=4 if he successfully saves with it. But that's about it. It is more of a draw back if you ask me. 

The Haunted special rule is exceptionally circumstantial and represents bonus victory points if Loken is on the opposition. Two bonuses if Horus Aximand does the deed up close and personal. Honestly, it won't happen outside of a narrative game, or that once in a while 3 sigma event!

Weaknesses. 

The warlord trait obviously only effects himself, rather than being a force multiplier. 

The shield should probably just be dropped. He can do better realistically, and it hampers him having two close combat weapons.

Haunted won't happen most of the time unless its forced.

Overall.

Very fluffy! Little Horus is worth the points, and is particularly effective in close combat. You need to get him there. And you need to face off against Loken if you can! It won't happen, but hey, when it does its a dream narrative! 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legiones Consularis: Overseer

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Very fluffy for your narrative in case you want to have a marine lead a group of mortals. 

Background.

Sometimes the legions decide to incorporate some mortals in their strategies. They might be a way to earn favour with mortal forces and bring honour to them. It might be the case that the mortals have gained a ceremonial honour. Perhaps they are bringing extra forces to simply bolster their own. In all cases, an Overseer from the space marine legions is put in charge of them on the battlefield. 

Strengths. 

The is a HQ choice and an upgrade for a consul. As such, they have all the usual selections for such HQs excepting for bikes and jet packs and similar. 

The can gain a power maul, or a power lash for some additional points. This is somewhat over priced, but is fluffy. The power lash in particular is an interesting option that doesn't occur else where and grants AP3 with shred and reach, albeit at S=3. Given that you are probably not going to get into combat so much as do a lot of shooting, this upgrade is probably not quite worthwhile in my opinion other than to illustrate the new models that Forge World / Warhammer is about to bring out (at the time of writing!). 

Their primary purpose is to be able to take a tercio of 1-3 Solar Auxilia Rifle Sections, or 1-3 Imperialis Militia infantry squads. The Overseer joins these and grants them their Ld characteristic and the tercio gets the aligned special rule for the space marine legion in question. The marine also gains the aligned special rule too which is interesting. They further cannot be allocated wounds unless there's no one else left. 

Weaknesses. 

Precision shots are going to be an issue here I feel. Regardless, this is a great way to have a small retinue of mortals join a space marine force if you don't feel you want to invest in a full allied detachment. 

Builds.

There are lots of viable builds for consuls here, but I would recommend overall to focus on shooting since you probably won't be aiming or wanting to get into combat. As such figure out if you are a moving force, or a static one, and choose a ranged weapon accordingly for your overseer. Also select your power weapon if your Overseer model displays it!

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Solar Auxilia Lifeward Section

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️

2/5 stars. Over-priced compared to space marines. 

Background.

The only job of a lifeward section is to preserve the life of the Marshal. They seemingly do this by prevent mutinies, and by throwing themselves in the way of adversaries (by accepting challenges). They are otherwise the finest mortal fighters and well armed within the Solar auxilia. 

Strengths. 

I like the 3+ save here along with the refractor field. The WS=4 and BS=4 is similarly attractive. 

They are chosen warriors and a legatine retinue which basically means your Marshall can take them. 

Unfortunately, that is where the positives cease.

Weaknesses. 

Got to be honest, the upgrades are all tilted toward close combat, but they are ultimately not going to last long with T=3 and S=3 against space marines. They are also rather expensive when you look at the points costs for the upgrades. I think a non-upgraded lifeward section is useful for bodies in the way of the Marshal, but that's about it. There's no "good" ranged option which I would like to have here, and the close combat builds won't last long - you are throwing away points that are better spent elsewhere to be candid. Sorry folks!

Builds.

10 Protectors, Command Vox, Cohorts Vexilla (235 points).

Basically, these are extra bodies to put in the way of harm for the Marshal with the fundamental upgrades of a banner and a Vox. QED.

10 Protectors, all with Plasma Pistols, Command Vox, Cohorts Vexilla (285 points).

Best I could do with a ranged option. Too expensive though. 

10 Protectors, Command Vox, Cohorts Vexilla, 2 Thunder Hammers, 3 Power Weapons, Melta Bombs (300 points).

Too expensive to invest in. Sorry. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Clade Vanus Infocyte Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️

1.5/5 stars. Rounded down. Doesn't work 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.

There's a whole lot of special rules here. The first one - the Auspectre - protects you from infiltrators at a 18 inch radius. This is very nice. They can also get an interceptor attack as an advanced reaction, but they're firing las pistols. 

The Noospheric Interloper means you can take a leadership test to inflict wounds on robots. And then inflict some more potentially if you eliminate that first robot. Great, if a bit situational.

The Sympatic Dataspikes are a melee weapon that is actually really nice - well worth it. But you're probably not going to get close enough before getting squashed. 

The Autotomic Servo Limbs grant hit and run once per battle should you need it. I can't think it would be needed unless you're charged and somehow survive.

Weaknesses.

Who cares if an interceptor fires las pistols? I can't name many off the top of my head, but I'm sure there must be some that would fear two las pistols. The range is not good either. 

I love the idea of this assassin being toxic to tanks, but in all honestly, he or she or they are never going to pull this off against an alert opponent. 

I'm sorry to say this is another assassin that is not going to see much use on the tabletop outside of very fluffy narrative games. This is fine, of course, but I wish the character was more similar to what the books portray. 

Builds.

There are no builds available to discuss here. I don't regard this assassin as playable in the game. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Clade Venenum Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️

1.5/5 stars. Rounded down. Almost might and could be useful. But missing the mark very widely. 

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.

At first glance, 3 wounds and a tonne of special rules seems great. But once you start picking some of them apart, it becomes apparent that this is yet another assassin that won't last terrifically long, but might take down a couple of standard marines if you're lucky. 

The template toxic ejector is actually useful. With poison and rending, it might well cause wounds! But its just far too close range for comfort and even a little return fire will probably do for this assassin. 

Being immune to rad phage and similar is great. 

The hook fang that they use will kill standard marines thanks to the AP3. Hence this is an assassin that is potentially useful in melee. They also cause additional wounds if there's an unsaved one on successive turns which is very helpful for a narrative.

Weaknesses.

If you are so close range that your toxic ejector fires, then the return fire - even by bolt guns - will see you off. 

In melee, even with the high initiative, you are not going to survive against space marines for long. At least you will take out a couple on a good day before they get you. The Venem special rule for repeating rules will hardly apply. But who knows. If you manage to scratch Abaddon (good luck), then it might plausibly be a good use of your assassin. 

In addition to this, the rad phage immunity from the unnatural conditioning is hardly going to matter much, and the poison globes will also not matter. A smart opponent will destroy this character at range, or via a shooting reaction. Even with a standard tactical squad (which costs less than this character).  

Builds.

There are no builds available to discuss here. I don't regard this assassin as playable in the game. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Clade Adamus Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️

1.5/5 stars. Rounded down. I am unconvinced this one works, but I like the concept. 

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.

The ranged weapon is great! The needlespine blaster can pump out a deadly array of shots which will certainly destroy things. 

The blade itself is okay overall - a bit like a power sword with rending. 

Weaknesses.

I think I have a fundamental problem with the special rules. On the one hand, the Death's Artisan special rule must always issue a challenge - this is okay in principle. They can then stat match WS and I to their opponent. This is also fine, but honestly, they're going to die quickly with a save of 4+. They're too squishy for this kind of thing. Much better that they are not issuing challenges at all and just killing things.

Then there's the odd interaction with decapitation strike. You can forgo your usual attacks for a single AP 1 attack with murderous strike at 2+. This is great. But if you're matching the WS, it only has a 50/50 chance of even hitting. It is a massive gamble. But its also one you're going to probably have to take given you have AP3 with your sword otherwise and you're squishy. But the strike is also unwieldy, so you're probably dead anyway if anything else is striking at initiative with (e.g.) lightning claws, or Emperor's Children in general. 

Hence overall, despite being a swordsman, you're actually better off being a very close range pistol wielder. And if you try to be a swordsman, you're probably going to be wiped away quickly, unless you face a softer target or one that goes as slowly as you do? But then the enemy will have more attacks in all probability. Wiped out either way. Grim. 

Builds.

There are no builds available to discuss here. I don't regard this assassin as playable overall. Apologies. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Clade Eversor Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded down. The only assassin worth taking to be candid with you.

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 luck to have them. I guess its just an expression of the grim dark nature of the empire of man. 

Strengths.

At I=6, these assassins are going to be striking before anyone else gets a look in. But when combined with the tactical displacement special rules, they also move very far indeed. In tandem with infiltrate and scout, its an assassin that will work (even with an escort). 

The Frenzon cocktail will increase their attacks by 3, at the price of causing a (savable) wound on 1's to hit. Use it on your first charge to take out a critical target or unit, and then choose whether to use it again. 

The executioner side arm is nice in the sense it provides and option between a bolt pistol and a needle weapon. The latter causes pinning which is tasty. Meanwhile you get a choice between a power sword or a neuro-gauntlet. Fleshbane, shred and rending are a great combination if you don't fancy the power sword. You're basically paying S-1 for those extra rules whilst maintaining AP=3. Hence you can even chase 2+ armour saves occasionally. But really: this assassin is made for taking out marine squads. And it can certainly do so with ease. I'd be tempted to charge it at a heavy support squad or tactical support squad for full effect. 

Weaknesses.

The extra wound compared to other assassins is nice to have here, but they are still squishy. You're also going to have to play tactically around incoming firepower when you charge. My thought is to ensure you get another unit to charge first at the target.Oh, and then they die, they also explode, just for added measure, thanks to biological overloading. Yay?! 

Builds.

There are no builds available to discuss here. This is, however, the most functional assassin for the points cost being paid and comes recommended by me. Its also very grim dark for the loyalists among you.

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Clade Callidus Assassin

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️

2.5/5 stars. Rounded down. I want to like it more. 

Background.

The narrative is that this individual can be the cause of chaos and confusion on the battlefield thanks to the polymorphine potion. 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 then poses as enemy commanders (or similar) to sow said chaos. 

Strengths.

The polymorphine substance itself means that the assassin cannot be targeted by shooting, charges, or similar until he/she/it/they have shot. This is, of course, awesome! However, balance this up against the ranged template weapon and players will immediately want to use it. The syanptic disruptor removes all saves on a natural 6, which although unlikely, has a reasonable chance with a template. 

Similarly the phase sword also removes saves and damage mitigation. But it is only at S=3 - but notably has AP=1. 

What really stands out is the reign of confusion special rule that forces the enemy to re-roll a successful seize the initiative roll. This can be great, but let's be honest: the odds of this happening in the first place are not fantastic. 

Weaknesses.

Run around the board and use your phase sword until you are tempted to shoot at things? Sure. That'll work a little bit. But it isn't great since you want to be using your neural shredder template. 

What I do find interesting is the whole seize the initiative thing. Imagine a loyalist Alpha Legion recon rite of war combined with this. It could - potentially - be glorious, at the expense of making no friends. 

Builds.

There are no builds available to discuss here. I really like the Callidus, and wanted to give more stars out of five, but unfortunately not able on this occasion. Maybe on a good day I would give 3/5 stars?