Horus Heresy 3e Review: Armiger Moirax

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5 stars. Rounded Down. The rules are excellent. 

Background. 

An unseemly tool that wasn't seen much until the Heresy. This is scout class knight able to mount otherwise restricted weaponry. Their pilots were accordingly lesser and expendable in the grand scheme of things - tainted slowly by the otherwise radioactive poison of these machines. 

Strengths.

A modified stat line from regular armigers here with a bonus pip to the invulnerable save, better leadership (or 12) and lower initiative, but 1 more attack. They are powered by a Rad Furnace. This means they cause T-1 for opponents in close combat thanks to radiation leakage. Nasty. 

There is also some great customization available here. The Gyges claw singular or paired is nasty for S+5 (or 6) armour breaker and breaching. These are excellent and come recommended. They have a built in irad cleanser as well which is a nice template weapon overall.

I wouldn't recommend the Volkite Veuglaire particularly. Despite the high S, volkite needs big numbers to make the most of it. The lightning lock is a much better prospect with a blast, breaching, shred and suppressive on top of AP=3 and 2 damage coupled with the exact same strength as the volkite. Take the lightning lock. The graviton pulsar is similarly not fully recommended. The final option of the conversion beamer is certainly interesting. Hang back and cause devastation is the way to operate these and they can be good if you pull it off. 

If in doubt though, take the lightning lock. 

Weaknesses. 

They're not a full knight. They lack armour values, and come with the standard advanced characteristics which are excellent in leadership and cool, but very much lacking in intelligence and willpower. 

Builds.

Armiger Moirax, Gyges Siege Claw and Lightning Lock (170 points).

The standard build!

Armiger Moirax, Paired Gyges Siege Claws (175 points).

Close combat only, but viable thanks to the rad furnace inside.

Armiger Moirax, 2 Moirax Conversion Beamers (215 points). 

Very much a longer ranged option. Sit back and fire. 

18 Years Blogging

I don't do these posts very often as I tend to be very forward looking rather than backward. But I'll make an exception today. Warpstone Flux has been in existence for slightly over 18 years now!

Originally I started the blog as a record of what I'd been up to in the hobby space, some painting, games reports, collections, and a whole host of other things. It has gone through expansions into Dungeons and Dragons, roleplay games more broadly (including Sequestered Industries as a spin off - check out drivethrurpg), a period where I didn't post much at all, where my mate "Eldrad" took over for a bit, being part of the From The Warp blogger collective in the very early days, infamous Army List Challenges, and lots more besides. 

It is now quite the reference manual for the Horus Heresy game and those reviews have pushed the blog ever onward to greater heights. Perhaps this is no surprise. As a veteran, my love of 40k still remains, but for me the Heresy game is simply superior now, even though there are quirks to 3rd edition that I think are a degrade compared to 2nd or 1st edition - there remains a lot to be having fun with in third. 

The image on this page is one of the first that I ever posted: a blue-in-pink horror of Tzeentch. I still own the model of this in the collection. In my opinion the Juan Diaz sculpts of this period are some of the best that have existed for chaos. This is not to say that the current range is bad - it is not. But the older miniatures really communicate something that the newer range don't: something a bit more primal. Would love to see these kinds of sculpts make a comeback in plastic to be honest! 

And over the years I've sold quite a bit of my collection too. My old Death Guard amies for instance have long since departed. I have no regrets as they've made way for newer Heresy armies. I also knew that I wasn't going to continue with 40k Death Guard in the long term as the newer sculpts were just too jovial and exaggerated compared to the older grim dark nature of chaos that I loved the aesthetic of decades ago. 

Paints have also changed. Goodbye to Goblin Green and Hello to contrast paints and everything inbetween. Now we also the newer tone pro paints too. I'm yet to road test them in a serious way; I'll have to get back to you! 

More of the same is down the line as well. I have not finished reviewing Third Edition Horus Heresy by any means for instance. There's lots more painting yet to do to establish a couple of armies and detachments that I want to complete. I might sell some too - undecided. Its half tempting to reintroduce some roleplaying game elements back as well, but I'm sticking to Heresy for just the time being so as not to dilute the strong audience. 

Speaking of which, I would likely have given up on Warpstone Flux a long while ago if it were not for the regular readers, commenters, and generous support that it has received over many years. I very much appreciate you being here, and reading to the end of this, what must be quite the tiresome read! Back to normal imminently!!

Dreadtober 2026: Iron Hands Saturnine Dreadnought Complete

Its over the line! The Iron Hands Saturnine Dreadnought is now complete. 

The key two parts of the final detailing are the battle damage and the plasma. 

For the battle damage, there is a strong scoring effect on the left hand side (as looked at) along the shoulder. The idea here is to provide depth to the wound through painting alone. Rest assured that I didn't do anything to the plastic itself. I think this pays off very well.

For the plasma, I wanted to have a sheen of reflection along the main hull of the dreadnought. I lined this up visually and applied progressively lighter blues and whites to get the effect in a modestly haphazard manner. For the weapon itself, this provided a bit of a challenge. I eventually went with the lighter blue, painted the recesses with thinned white so it would flow and then applied darker blue in select central areas to suggest mild cooling away from the core heat. I also think this has worked when viewed from most angles. 

Less was also more for the base. I only added a couple of very minor green shrubs to finish the base off and stuck to the otherwise cracked earth established a few weeks ago. 

Very pleased overall and I hope readers like the outcome as much as I do!

Happy Dreadtober to everyone celebrating!!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Thanatar Siege Maniple

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

Background. 

More a mobile artillery platform than an actual combat unit, the Thanatar is a force to be reckoned with. Other than the plasma weapon originating on Ryza, little more is generally known about their backgrounds save rumours about where the Calix variant hailed from (within the sects of the mechanicum itself).

Strengths.

Incredibly, the toughness and strength is 8, with 10 wounds, combined with a 2+ and 5++ saving throw. Importantly, the BS is 4 here, even though the WS is only 3. Firing protocols and firestorm are nice too.

The basic armament are shock chargers and twin mauler bolt cannon. The latter pumps out 6 lots of S=6 for both pinning and shred each turn. Very respectable. 

You also have to select one of two configurations.

The Cavas configuration provides a plasma mortar. This is a nice large pie plate with ordnance on range, breaching and barrage for S=8 and 2 damage, but only at AP=4. 

The Calix configuration gives a Sollex heavy-las and graviton ram. Of course, the graviton ram is nice in close combat with armour ban, AP3 and 2 damage. Given the base S=10 for these attacks, it will be collapsing rhinos with ease. The heavy las is also S=10 for 2 ranged attacks. Ordnance on damage, shock, suppressed, and armour bane all rolled in with native AP=2. 

The choice between them is therefore whether you want significant cover fire, versus something a bit more targeted and close combat orientated. Both are viable. 

Weaknesses.

WS is three, but presumably you don't care. They also explode, so watch out. 

Builds.

Thanatar Cavas (225 points). 

Sit back and fire.

Thanatar Calix. (245 points).

More focussed hits and close combat potential. But you have to get there with a movement rate of 6. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Castellax Battle Maniple

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

Background. 

These robots have long featured at the forefront of the Mechanicum's armies. So much so, that some in the Imperium saw them as a sleeping threat should Mars ever decide to break away from the deal struck with the Emperor. The Heresy quashed that in short order though.

Strengths.

The stat line is strong with 6's in both S and T which immediately makes these robots incredibly strong. When combined with 4 wounds and 3+ save, they suddenly become a big problem for opponents. 

Special rules include firing protocols, firestorm, and a phased reactor shield which will improve their invulnerable save against ranged attacks. 

They come armed with 2 bolt guns (upgrade to flamers possible, but not required), mauler bolt cannons (4 shots at S=6 with shred and pinning which is very nasty when done well), and shock chargers which can be upgraded to power blades (which depends a little bit on taste to my mind). 

Weaknesses.

WS and BS are only three, but players will be fine with this overall in all probability (and good die rolls). They also explode. But hey, that's the territory. 

Builds.

2 Castellax (100 points). 

I genuinely see little case for the upgrades, but perhaps the flamers might be nice on occasion. Given the movement rate though, I think of Castellax as a fundamentally ranged unit, so stick with the bolt rounds?

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Thallax Cohort

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

Background. 

Cyborgs that have been produced only via grim dark trauma, the Thallax retain some of their original human individuality thanks to the brain being moderately preserved. However, they have replaced most of everything else in favour of becoming shock troops for the Mechanicum.

Strengths.

The stat line has 4's where it matters and a 5 in toughness. Double wounds, attacks, and I=3 with reasonable 3+ save and 6+ invulnerable. They have deep strike natively thanks to the jump pack which also enables a movement rate of 10. 

Thanks to Aegis of Pain, they cause fear when they are modified with statuses which is an interesting option. 

The basic armament is a lightning gun which gives S=5 and 3 shots which also causes suppression and shred. Nice. Upgrades include the always useful multi-melta, a photon thruster (S=8 armourbane armour breaker and suppressive with a vital AP=2) or a phased plasma fusil (breaching at S=5 with three shots - which is okay).

Chain bayonets for the lightning locks are entertaining, melta bombs for the unit are fine for dedicated units, and one praetorian should be taken merely for the leadership boost. 

Don't forget the Reductor advantages here. They are significant. Wall breaker really turns them in to tank and fortification destroyers with ease, whilst the prime advantage boost the invulnerable save to 5+ and increases the leadership by a further pip. It is well worth taking the Reductor apex detachment merely for this and kitting out your thallax accordingly. 

Weaknesses.

In all honestly, for the poinst cost, what you are getting is worth it. 

Builds.

6 Thallax including 1 Preatorian, 6 Multi Meltas, Melta Bombs (250 points).

A melta build. Can also be a distraction carnifex. Doesn't need extra models really. 

9 Thallax including 1 Praetorian, all with lightning guns and chain bayonets (208 points).

Tactical flexibility here.

6 Thallax including 1 Preatorian, 6 Proton Thrusters (220 points).

A slightly longer ranged option for your armour busting enjoyment. 

6 Thallax, including 1 Praetorian, 2 Proton Thrusters, Melta Bombs (190 points).

Mixed threat.