Horus Heresy 3e Review: Word Bearers Legion Rules

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars, but rounded down. Good and solid rules with some outstanding entries when timed well. 

Background.

The origin of the Heresy. The traitor's traitor legion. Once held in high regard by all, and venerating the Emperor as a deity, the legion was laid low by the same man at Monarchia when he demonstrated the error of the legion's ways through a rather extreme censure. This ultimately caused them to explore beyond their faith in the Emperor and to (re)discover the chaos gods. Lorgar, his close friends, and the legion more widely spread the rot from which the Heresy would flourish and wrote their names in infamy from Isstvan to Ultramar and beyond. Welcome to the Primordial Truth that existed long before the Imperial Truth. 

Armoury. 

Burning Lore. In exchange for their very souls, high command characters can gain psychic powers. Not bad and a small points cost!

Zealous Assault gives prime slots impact (strength). This might not seem much, but trust me: this can be a game changer. 

Warpfire Weapons return via legacies. These are mild upgrades for officer weapons, special weapons and heavy weapons. They are generally interesting and give breaching and shred so are worth the cost. 

Tainted Weapons are also from legacies and give your squad sergeants phage on strength for a solid points increase. This is also generally worth while, but you need to factor in your opponents. 

Tactica. 

Unwavering Conviction is a different take on the zealotry of the legion and gives +1 combat resolution. Importantly, this stacks with other sources of resolution. Therefore your army is already looking like melee orientated and infantry heavy in the main part.

Gambit.  

Beseech the gods is solid but only applies in the first combat round. You get S+1 and A+1 if you pass a willpower check. Hopefully you will do that. Fail and you take a wound. 

Additional Detachements. 

Exalted Conclave brings you bonus troops and elites with prime slots on the troops. This is incredibly flexible and spot on for the legion. 

Advanced Reaction. 

Glorious Martyrdom is potent stuff. Once per battle a brother puts himself in the line of fire to take all incoming shots from a fire group(s). He probably won't survive. But he has sacrificed himself for his brothers and the rest of the shots go to waste. This can be game changing when played and timed well. It is really that good! Arguably one of the best advanced reactions in the game to my mind. 

The Word Bearers are actually quite a potent close combat force in third edition 30k; and one where you can also sacrifice a brother to save a squad from incoming shooting which is amazing and can be game changing. I think the Word Bearers are actually really under estimated in third edition and much more powerful than many players give them credit for! 

Emperor's Children Terminator Lord or Praetor

A conversion that I've been thinking about undertaking for a long time has finally taken shape! This model is an Emperor's Children terminator. Possibly a Praetor for 30k or a chaos lord for 40k. It could work either way (although obviously traitor aligned for the Heresy era). 

The parts used include:

Tail: Daughters of Khaine Blood Sisters (Age of Sigmar)
Body, Head, and Cape: Chaos Terminator Lord
Lightning Claws: Dark Angels
Shoulder Pads: Regular 40k Terminator

The core idea here is that this is a Lord or Praetor who is treading right down the chaos path toward the dark prince. He is clearly mutated already, but his brothers don't care and regard it as perfectly natural, or perhaps a level of perfection for them to all aspire to! 

I might use him along side the thunder hammer and storm shield Emperor's Children Indomitus terminators that I have already assembled and painted. The painting here uses the exact same formulation of my standard approach to the Emperor's Children in Horus Heresy, so he does at least slot in nicely in terms of the colour scheme, but perhaps a bit less so with the mutation! I'm reasonably content with how it turned out, but I do acknowledge that some finer details could do with touching up (e.g., the eye of Horus in the centre of the chest and some more highlighting on the tail perhaps). 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Seeker Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars, rounded up!! One of the best squads (arguably) in the game. 

Background.

An invention of the Alpha Legion which subsequently spread to other legions with the Emperor's blessings. The seekers are the best shots in the legions and gather together with explicit orders to take down the enemy command structure and are armed with weapons to do exactly that. 

Strengths. 

Infiltrate (9) is excellent here and will get you within range of almost anything. 

The seekers come issued with a Kraken bolt gun. These are impressive. Apart from the 30 inch range, they have precision and shot selector. This latter rule is to account for the specialist rounds that they carry. Every turn you can gain your choice of panic, breaching, or suppressive. This is excellent!

Alternatively, swap it out for a combi-bolt gun (which might work for a melta-cide squad). I also like to arm the sergeant with a close combat weapon that will make the enemy think twice, or at least cause some damage in a distraction carnifex style. 

Weaknesses. 

Seekers suits some legions more than others, of course. 

Fundamentally, these are 3+ save marines with 1 wound each. However, the points cost remains entirely reasonable for what they are able to pull off. 

Finally a warning. Don't spam multiple small units of these if you, you know, like having friends. 

Builds.

5 Seekers, Sergeant with Power Weapon, Nuncio Vox, Augury Scanner (135 points).

A basic build. Multiple ones of these will leave you with few friends. Just so I'm clear. 

5 Seekers, 5 Combi-Meltas (155 points).

Melta-cide distraction. Other squads might do this better, but I still like this set up. 

10 Seekers, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer and melta bombs, Nuncio Vox, Augury Scanner (240points).

More expensive, but the full tool kit that you'd ever need. Yes, terminators are cheaper which is why I favour multiple small units for seekers. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Veteran Assault Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars, rounded up. Once again, command squads are strictly better here, but these squads are still reasonable. 

Background.

The veteran assault squad members have to be exceptional to have such a good survival rate. In return, they get their picks from the legion armoury to take into battle with them which provides a good amount of customization possibilities. 

Strengths. 

Any member can take one of the sergeant melee weapons. Hence this is going to be a strong way to bring lots of power weapons, fists, thunder hammers, and the rest to the party. Note that chain axes are a free upgrade here. Twin lightning claws also have a case to be thought about. Heavy chain axes and chain swords to taste (or for fluff reasons). 

Combat shields might make a difference here given the base saving throw remains 3+. 

Melta bombs and pistols for the sergeant are to taste really. But given you have WS=5, you want to get into melee and remain there. Further pistols are to taste, and there is a case for multiple flame weapons or plasma. 

Weaknesses. 

Don't bother with the volkite here - there's not enough access to bother with. As with the veteran tactical squads, the stat line is only at a base level (3+ save, low advanced characteristics) despite the WS=5 and two wounds each. 

Builds.

10 Veterans, Chain Axes, 2 Heavy Chain Axes, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer (255 points).

Choppy.

10 Veterans, 10 Twin Lightning Claws (330 points)

Steep points cost. You get all power weapons for the same cost as well - NB. 

10 Veterans, Combat Shields, 10 Thunder Hammers (400 points).

Ridiculous (which is to say pretty much prohibitive) points cost, but looks very cool admittedly. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Veteran Tactical Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars, rounded up. Some customization is possible, but command squads do it better. 

Background.

Beginning our look at the Elites section, the veteran tactical squad represents those marines who have been doing the job, and doing it well, for a long time. They are afforded more deadly weaponry where appropriate and set the example by which others are measured.

Strengths. 

There is some customization available here. Disintegration weapons are a reasonable option, but you only have a 3+ save. Shotgund are great from a tactical status point of view. Volkite chargers are merely okay so long as you have them in numbers.

The double wound is nice and the BS=5 argues for medium ranged shooting attacks. Line (1) is also handy. 

Weaknesses. 

The armour save of 3+ is a problem for disintegration weapons - you would be better with a command squad for the 2+ armour save. But equally, the points cost is understandably lower here. So you get what you pay for. 

The advanced characteristics are not high either. 

Builds.

5 Veterans, 4 Disintegration Rifles, 1 Heavy Disintegrator, Augury Scanner, Nuncio Vox (140 points).

Disintegration squad. Possibly disintegrating yourself as well. 
Take combi-weapons instead for melta-cide duty if required. 

5 Veterans, 5 Shotguns, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer, Nuncio Vox, Vexilla (130 points)

Apply some tactical conditions and generally be annoying! Several of these are very annoying, rest assured. 

10 Veterans, 10 Volkite Chargers, Sergeant with Power Fist, Nuncio Vox, Vexilla (215 points).

Volkite means going big. Range means you will probably get into close combat, hence the vexilla. 

Summary page updated

Today's post isn't a very exciting post. It is simply this: I've spent some time updating the Horus Heresy third edition summary page. 

We have now reviewed 7 loyalist legions (Dark Angels and Blood Angels yet to do), and 7 traitor legions (Thousand Sons and Word Bearers yet to do). Let me know if you have a preference for the next legion in the comments below (otherwise I will choose!).

And I'm still missing some core units as well. Elites, Support, Heavy Transport, Fast Attack, and Armour are all still yet to do. Yikes! I will turn to the Lords of War last to be honest. Again, let me know if you have preferences in the comments below. 

I will get through every single unit eventually - we swear it as the oath of the moment!

And then onward to the other books!