Horus Heresy 2e Review: Blackshields Oath: Pride is our Armour

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. The rules are solid. 

Background.

These blackshields are likely to be original Great Crusade warriors. They are the elite veterans of the legions and likely long since forgotten by their parent legions. If it were not for the civil war, they probably would still be meandering around the outer reaches of the Galaxy. But now, they're bringing their convictions back to the centre. 

Rules Evaluation. 

No troops. They don't exist here. Instead, you get one compulsory elite, and 2 extra elites slots. This, of course, calls for an all terminator army to my mind! 

But its better than that: you can pay 50 points to upgrade legion veteran squads to have Line, Heart, and Fury of the Legion. 

So take your veterans, terminators, and some auxiliary units and you now have your elite of the elite of the great crusade coming back to haunt the galaxy. I could easily imagine something like pre-primarch legionaries for this oath. 

The main issue I see here is which other oath (if any) to select. Many have narrative challenges to my mind. 

Combinatoric Analysis. 

The Eternal Vendetta: ⭐️⭐️. 2/5 stars. Appropriate and fluffy. But rules-wise is lacking in applicability.  

Panoply of Old: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. For those of you who really want to go down the road of pre-primarch legions, this combination stands out. War Hounds instead of World Eaters is an obvious one to my mind!

Only in Death Does Duty End: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. The narrative is strong here, and I could genuinely give it 5/5 stars on a good day.  

 

The Spoils of Victory: ⭐️. 1/5 stars. I really do not like the narrative here at all. It might work with some of the more, shall we say, evil legions elites (Night Lords?). I just can't quite picture it really as it is in direct contest with the ethos of this oath. 

An Eternity of War: ⭐️. 1/5 stars. Elite veterans who have turned mad. Yet are prideful of their armour. Maybe they still think the Great Crusade is in full swing? Its sadly another combination that works with the rules, but for the narrative isn't great. 

The Flesh Is Weak: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. Gorgon terminators from the Iron Hands who went a bit too far? Sure, that can work. 

The Legacy of Nikaea: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. This is what happens when you have your Thousand Sons (or others) going around the outer reaches for too long and discovering what happened back home whilst they were away. They've gone a bit mad. 

The Broken Helix: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. I freely admit to being lost with this narrative. They are veterans, but also either clones or aberrant? Are they maybe early Emperor's Children clones? There are some combinations that work here, but the narrative puzzles me. I'm sure others will have different takes.

In Disgrace All Are Equal: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. Yes, this one works nicely. Think of Dark Angels and I think the vibe here is obvious. The rules mesh nicely enough as well. 

The Taint of the Xenos: ⭐️. 1/5 stars. Those of you who care about narrative like I do will find this combination hard to stomach. 

The Weapons of Desperation: ⭐️⭐️. 2/5 stars. I want to like this more, but it strikes me that veterans should also have great arms. Perhaps they were in the cells of enemy starships and escaped? Who knows. Its an average combination at best for me. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Blackshields Oath: In Disgrace All Are Equal

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. A sort of middle-of-the-road oath that is neither intrinsically amazing, nor totally poor.

Background.

This oath is all about warbands who have simply fallen from grace. They might hail from either side of the civil war, but they are now little more than roving petty warlords. They have banded together through common purpose, but I would assume that such an arrangement is only going to be temporary. 

Rules Evaluation. 

No Warlord! What? 

Seriously: you are not taking any warlord here. There's no one in overall command! Very fluffy and appropriate to this oath if you ask me! Dig a little deeper and you'll see that its not just warlords: its HQ selections full stop. 

Instead, character types gain a bonus to their stat line (Ld, W, and one of WS, BS, or I). This is truly excellent and makes for very interesting play. I would advise deploying minimum sized units to make the most of this oath overall. But there's a price: all other models have their Ld docked by 1 pip. This is expensive if you are facing an Alpha Legion or Raven Guard force full of snipers who can take down your squad characters readily. But hey, there has to be a penalty for the boon. Apothecaries and tech marines are noted as being slightly different: they don't gain anything, and don't lose anything. 

From a modelling point of view, there might not even be a need to paint your models different. You just declare that they've fallen from grace! I'm thinking Alpha Legion and Dark Angels for a start. 

Combinatoric Analysis. 

The Eternal Vendetta: ⭐️⭐️. 2/5 stars. Situational. Could work with some thought, but can't say I recommend it. 

Panoply of Old: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. This one works very nicely and is consistent with the narrative of falling from grace. Would love to see some Space Wolves like this. 

Only in Death Does Duty End: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. Okay this works, but is also distinctly average. 

 

The Spoils of Victory: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Works very well in combination with both rules and your narrative. Who wouldn't like some petty space pirates ravaging the galaxy. Fallen Dark Angels might just be this. 

An Eternity of War: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. I don't mind this combination at all. I know I gave it 3/5 the other way around, but I just thought of this: raging Blood Angels who succumbed to the madness! Come on, that's worth one additional star. 

The Flesh Is Weak: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5 stars. Not one that I can get behind as a combination. Unless you're thinking necron dynasties for extra strange Iron Hands conversions?

The Legacy of Nikaea: 0/5 stars. I would love this combination to function. But it does not due to the requirement of a HQ choice. Drat. 

The Broken Helix: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. I will refer readers back to the previous blog entry for this combination. There's some strength (literally) to be had, but also strong negatives. I do like this idea though - mutants and clones cobbling together with each other because they've nowhere else to turn. 

Pride is our Armour: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. Veterans who have fallen from grace? Sure, why not. This sings to me of Dark Angels to be honest. 

The Taint of the Xenos: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. You're disgraced, so you presumably don't care about touching and using filthy xenos weaponry, right? Works for me. 

The Weapons of Desperation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Another strong narrative build can be had here I think.  

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Blackshields Oath: The Broken Helix

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Reasonable and balanced rules combined with a very attractive narrative.

Background.

What do you do when you've turned your back on everything, but you need new recruits? Space marines are carefully selected and implanted with novel organs in very select and expensive labs, let alone conditioned through expensive techniques. 

Why, you either use cloning technology (which results in drones that are mere echoes of the originals) or you use forced progenoid replication (which results in hideous mutations). 

The former is very nice for many legions, but I often think of them as being associated with the Emperor's Children. The latter is one that I associate primarily with the Raven Guard. Neither are exclusive to either legion, obviously. 

Rules Evaluation. 

You are sacrificing a lot by taking this option, including Heart, Fury, Spite, and Inexorable. 

The clones get hit for Ld and I on top of this, as well as reactions being impossible, but gain in return an immunity to pinning, and a 5+ mitigation roll. The clones are not great to be honest. But as a shambling wall of death they will get where you want them to be I suppose. 

The mutants (or aberrants as they're called) are better. They get hit for Ld and BS, but gain S+1 in return. They get another S+1 for a turn when they successfully charge which is wickedly good. You have to charge anything in range, but hey, you wanted to do that anyway. Hitting at S=6 for the standard marine is a unit killer when they get in combat. You just need to get them there. 

Combinatoric Analysis. 

The Eternal Vendetta: ⭐️⭐️. 2/5 stars. Very situational. I could understand Raven Guard and Emperor's Children being chosen here, obviously. Beyond that, I'm not so sure. 

Panoply of Old: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Very appropriate. Take some chain axes from the World Eaters for a start? Or anything that helps you out in close combat really! 

Only in Death Does Duty End: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. Feels like a steep price to pay, but I can see this working very well with Aberrants. 

 

The Spoils of Victory: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. I actually like this option, but stacked against this thought is why not just go for the sweeping advance. Its a tough choice. 

An Eternity of War: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. I like this for your mutant crazy World Eaters and similar. 

The Flesh Is Weak: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5 stars. Works with Aberrants to an extent (but why are you ripping off your limbs to replace them with bionics?). But for clones I don't see the need at all sorry. 

The Legacy of Nikaea: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. This actually works despite the improbability of it. Clones with psychic powers are an interesting twist on (e.g.) Thousand Sons heritage. Psychic monsters could come from any legion, but I'd be excited to see some Night Lords heritage here. 

In Disgrace All Are Equal: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. I don't mind this combination. And with the clones the bonuses to Ld can make up for the loss. But consider this: the S bonus for Aberrants would take you up to S=7 on the charge. Wow. Or WS=5 and S=6 perhaps? Choices choices. It works well. But the overall Ld-1 hurts you even more, but perhaps Clones are the way to go here?

Pride is our Armour: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. Gain back some of your rules here like Heart and Fury? I think that's how the rules would interact anyway given you are paying 50 points for them. I'm a little lost with the narrative here though!

The Taint of the Xenos: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Works well in combination and narrative I think. 

The Weapons of Desperation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Yet another compelling choice and narrative! 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Blackshields Oath: The Legacy of Nikaea

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded down. Gain additional psychic powers thanks to not caring.  

Background.

Okay. So the Emperor said some stuff at the Council of Nikaea. Magnus, the Khan, and Sanguinius said other stuff. Mortarion chimed in. And then you're no longer allowed to channel warp powers. But you don't care any more because you went rogue and don't agree with either the loyalists or the traitors and you will use the warp powers as you see fit even if they're dangerous. Think that about covers it.  

Rules Evaluation. 

The Warp Torrent ability is gained by both characters and independent characters. This is a nice additional shooting attack to be very candid. Some S=5 bolts that also deflagrate are cool. The range is small, but it gels well with a close combat orientated force that have transports. By taking a Perils test, you can also get AP=3 which is especially tasty, but at a price I suppose. 

Finally those independent characters can pay a premium to gain access to a proper discipline. This is very handy! But you don't get lightning at all. Your HQ must be a psyker and two other characters. This is a reasonable balance that encourages you to go big. Overall then, this is a reasonable choice for your Thousand Sons wannabes, but don't choose Thousand Sons - their rules are already cool. Go for something unexpected like, erm, Imperial Fists or something? 

Combinatoric Analysis. 

The Eternal Vendetta: ⭐️⭐️. 2/5 stars. Too situational. But perhaps fluffy with Death Guard, White Scars, Blood Angels or Thousand Sons? 

Panoply of Old: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Useful depending on your choices. 

Only in Death Does Duty End: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. A little bit average to be honest. You're already risking wounds to get AP=3, you don't need more casualties. 

 

The Spoils of Victory: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. Pirate psychics could actually be really cool. Maybe they got trained by some eldar? Not sure what the narrative might be here, but there's tasty stuff to be had. 

An Eternity of War: ⭐️⭐️. 2/5 stars. This is okay. They're mad psykers that want to be in combat. There might be better choices for your psykers though. 

The Flesh Is Weak: 0/5 stars. You cannot have psykers. This combination is useless to you. 

The Broken Helix: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Psychic mutants and clones? Oh yes. This is a solid combination that I can see working really well!

In Disgrace All Are Equal:  0/5 stars. Psychic warbands not giving a hoot? Yeah, that can work! Unfortunately, you have to select a HQ, and those disgraced cannot select a HQ, so you can't have this combination sorry. 

Pride is our Armour: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Veteran psychics? Yes! This works splendidly well in my opinion. The only drawback is that the points cost is stacking up here fast with this combination. 

The Taint of the Xenos: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Psykers who have been trained by Xenos is one way of interpreting this very useful and interesting combination. I'd be tempted by this one. Especially in an Eldar direction. Some entertaining conversion opportunities are present here, along with another potential connection to the Dornian Heresy if you are tilting in that direction. 

The Weapons of Desperation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. This combination works very well as well in a narrative sense. You could imagine marines escaping from their parent legion cells or something like that?

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Blackshields Oath: The Flesh Is Weak

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Replace your flesh with metal. Because either the war demands it, or you've discovered forbidden (necron?) technology. Bonus marks for the rule of cool. 

Background.

In the very long war, you're going to find that your flesh is (sic) weak. You will therefore need to replace it with bionics. Or maybe forbidden technology from those Forge Worlds you conquered. Or those necrons that you totally didn't wake up. Seriously, this has so many interpretations its wonderful. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of DORNIAN HERESY Iron Hands arise because of this. You know you want to do those delicious conversions. I certainly am tempted!

Rules Evaluation. 

Infantry and cavalry becoming automata might not seem to be so great, but you get a delightful 5+ feel no pain roll to make matters better. However, you also have to shoot and charge the nearest opponent if you can. This is actually fine, and you don't have to take on opponents that you cannot hurt which makes things much better. But no psychic powers either, oh well. 

Augmetic transport bays in your rhinos and so forth also have their capacity increased. This is very beneficial for larger blobs to get where they are needed. I see this as a mobile infantry force which you point at things and go click, backed up with dreadnoughts as well potentially. 

Combinatoric Analysis. 

The Eternal Vendetta: ⭐️⭐️. 2/5 stars. Average combination that is weighed down by being very situational. There's probably better ones, but I suspect you will want Iron Hands here potentially?

Panoply of Old: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. More Iron Hands stuff here? I'm just guessing. 

Only in Death Does Duty End: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. You are already robots. You might as well make it even better by being programmed for eternal war duties! Glory to the Tenth! Wait, what?

 

The Spoils of Victory: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. Pirate robots! Those survivors from Isstvan went wild...

An Eternity of War: ⭐️⭐️. 2/5 stars. Not a combination I can get along with. 

The Legacy of Nikaea: 0/5 stars. You cannot have psykers. This combination is useless to you. 

The Broken Helix: ⭐️⭐️. 2/5 stars. Aberrants and clones that maybe ripped off their mutations and replaced them with bionics? The perfect merger of Emperor's Children and Iron Hands? I don't know where I'm going with this argument, but rules wise you don't need another damage mitigation roll via clones, but bionic monsters could work. 

In Disgrace All Are Equal: ⭐️⭐️. 2/5 stars. Automatons shouldn't really care that much about petty warlords. Unless they're full of scrap code! Hello bizarre Word Bearers combinations!

Pride is our Armour: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. Maybe you love being automatons and are proud of this fact. Obviously gorgon terminators who went too far. This Oath really is Iron Hands heavy isn't it. I really should try to think of other things. 

The Taint of the Xenos: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 4/5 stars. Necron automatons! Dornian Heresy Iron Hands! 

The Weapons of Desperation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 3/5 stars. Desperate robots? Alright, I can dig that. Things got out of hand on that Forge World. 

Dreadtober 2024: Completed World Eaters Leviathan

The World Eaters Leviathan is done!

I genuinely love the final stages of painting World Eaters. To some it might seem like I've ruined a particularly crisp and nice paint job. I disagree. I set out wanting to have a battle worn and bloodied leviathan. The only way to achieve this is with weathering. And blood. For the blood god. The weathering features two toned grey and black speckles using a sponge applicator. I've made chips using silver inside of significant wear and tear to emphasize this aspect. The blood has been both painted and sponged on in a consistent manner to hopefully show some up close and personal work. This features most prominently on the chest (close range fire I suspect), and on the shins (he kicked his foes, clearly). There's a lot less blood on the rear of the miniature for obvious reasons (don't turn your back on your foes!), but the weathering features both wear and tear as well as explosive impacts on the rear. 

And for reasons I am unable to explain adequately, gravitons are green. Too bad. I've decided. 

Hope you've enjoyed following along with my Dreadtober leviathan project! I'm really pleased with the outcome here and I hope you've enjoyed seeing the progress week after week! Very glad I did this, and even happier with the end result. 

My original plan was to sell this miniature on eBay, but now I'm not sure!