Horus Heresy 3e Review: Scimitar Jetbike Squadron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are nice. 

Background.

They are jet bikes. With space marines mounted on them. They hover over the ground thanks to ancient anti-grav technology. Not only do they have the cool factor, but they make for a great strike unit in the game as well.

Strengths. 

Excellent movement rate of 16 combines with 2 wounds to make a swift glass cannon strike force. 

The jetbikes carry a heavy bolter as standard which can be upgraded to Volkite Culverins (which I'm not personally fond of unless you go to a maximum squad size of 10); Multi-Meltas (to kill tanks); and Plasma Cannons (to kill infantry with pie plates). 

Upgrading the sergeant's weapon is worth it for close combat duty, but the augury scanner and bolt pistol upgrades are subject to choice. 

Weaknesses. 

The 3+ armour save isn't great, but hopefully with that movement rate, you can position yourself appropriately. 

Builds.

3 Jetbikes, 3 Multi-Meltas, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer (155 points). 

Kill tanks, and perhaps take care of some of what was being transported. Melta-cide otherwise. 

6 Jetbikes, 6 Plasma Cannons (245 points).

Plasma death!

10 Jetbikes, 10 Volkite Culverins (355 points).

Volkite means going big or going home. Take a power fist and augury scanner to taste?

 

Word Bearers Painting

A test model today: painting a Word Bearers flamer marine. 

The recipe was an under coat of black followed by a base coat of Mephiston Red. I then applied a wash of Nuln Oil mixed with Blood Angels red contrast paint (ratio of 2 parts contrast paint to 1 part Nuln Oil). This layer gives the marine a much more broody and deeper red colour whilst granting the recesses a genuinely darker shade. Highlights were then picked out using Evil Sunz Scarlet. 

For the silver parts, the base coat was lead belcher, followed by Nuln Oil, and then highlighted in brighter silver (I tested using necron dry brush which seems to work well for this, particularly for azimuthal angles). 

Shoulder pads were pure Abaddon black followed by edging in Eshin grey. Eye lenses were simply picked out in white and followed up with green contrast paint. Then came the fun part of applying the decals. I like the Word Bearers for the sheer diversity of decals available and the extensive scroll work and iconography that they come with. I've applied the legion symbol to the shoulder pad along with an Eye of Horus to denote allegiance - as if it were in doubt given the new heretical legion icon. There is scroll work on one leg and the Twisting Rune Chapter icon on the other. 

Overall this closely adheres to the colour scheme that I have always had in the back of my mind for the Word Bearers, without going metallic red, or over the top with daemonic mutations or spikes that would come afterward. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Fire Raptor

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are solid. 

Background.

A storm eagle, but sacrificing carrying capacity for more guns! The background fluff here notes that they were great against the Ork hordes that plagued a variety of worlds, and the same would be true in 30k if the Orks had a codex or army book equivalent here.

Strengths. 

AP=12, 6 hull points, and a movement rate of 18 combine to make a great flyer (which also has the stable rule). Take your Strafing Run and go hunt some enemies!

The twin avenger bolt cannon causes suppressed as well as has a massive 10 shots at S=6 and AP=3 which makes it excellent for anti-regular-marine duties. The tempest rockets are equally fine. 

The heavy bolter batteries are good and can be upgraded to autocannon batteries which I like a lot. The tempest missiles can similarly be upgraded for hellstrike - to taste. 

Weaknesses. 

New rules for flyers in third edition are also worth a re-read if you've not used them much before. 

Builds.

Fire Raptor, Autocannon Sponsons (235 points). 

Most combinations are good here, but I do like the autocannon sponsons over the heavy bolters. The damage=2 characteristic here really helps with heavier targets. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Storm Eagle

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Good rules!

Background.

Made in vast numbers on Terra and Forge Worlds like Anvilus and Galatea, the Storm Eagle is a mainstay of the legions. An orbital assault craft, it carries large numbers of Astartes into battle whilst protecting them with strong armour and prosecutes warfare with excellent weaponry at the same time.

Strengths. 

Flyers in third edition function a bit different in the sense of the combat assignments that you have to assign them. Presumably you will want a drop mission for the storm eagle given its (reduced) capacity of 16. And then remember with the FAQ/Errata that you can enter the board from any board edge ultimately from turn 2 onward. This gives you strong flexibility to drop your deadly cargo right in the middle of enemy deployment zones. 

The tempest rockers, vengeance launcher and even the heavy bolt guns are all viable. With the stable rule on the flyer, you don't even have to fire snap shots. This is great fire power all round. 

AP=12 and 6 hull points are very reasonable and the movement rate of 18 very respectable. 

Weaknesses. 

Points cost builds fast. New rules for flyers in third edition are also worth a re-read if you've not used them much before. 

Builds.

Storm Eagle, Twin Lascannons (230 points). 

The las cannons are almost compulsory given the resin you buy from Forge World! 

Most other weapons are viable: the multi meltas and cyclone make sense to replace the heavy bolters depending on your targets, and the hunter killer missiles will help kill vehicles as well. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Xiphon Interceptor

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. A speedy interceptor that has the rule of cool! Seriously, I love the model. 

Background.

A dual atmospheric and void craft, the Xiphon is an ancient craft design. Brought into the Imperium thanks to the compliance of outlying worlds, by the end of the crusade it was only the Ultramarines and Dark Angels who were still really using them. The Heresy changed this as every legion pressed them back into battle. 

Strengths. 

This is an air-to-air interceptor primarily. It does do its job magnificently though.

It comes armed with two twin mounted las cannons on its centreline which makes it ideal for aerial dog fights and the interceptor role (remember that in third edition fliers start in aerial reserves and must be assigned a combat role when they get on the board - interceptor is one of these. Other viable ones including the traditional strafing run!).

The Rotary missile launcher is okay as well, but your main damage is probably coming from your las cannons. 

And the craft is magnificently fast with movement of 20!

Weaknesses. 

Armour of 11 all round make this an easy target - especially on a strafing run. With 5 hull points, it will likely go down quickly, so decide your role and go for it. Equally, the points cost is attractive enough to offset these concerns. 

Builds.

Xiphon (120 points). 

The only build available!

Steam Style Review of Isstvan 3

Thanks to ChatGPT, I give you the following: a Steam style review of Isstvan 3!! 

[Emperor's Children loyalist variety]

- - 

Not Recommended.  

26.3 hrs at review time.    

Avoid unless you are extremely committed to punishing difficulty, broken command structures, and being lied to by every system that is meant to protect the player. 

The deployment begins normally enough. Standard compliance theatre. You know the routine. Then, without meaningful warning, the campaign reveals that your own commanders have flagged you for deletion, the sky turns toxic, half your faction disappears in the opening minutes, and the rest of the experience becomes an extended endurance mode against impossible odds. 

To be clear, this is not “challenging” in the satisfying sense. This is a betrayal simulator with survival-horror elements. Respawns are effectively disabled. Reinforcements do not exist. Air support is hostile. Extraction is fictional. Supply lines are gone. Mission updates consist mostly of discovering fresh layers of treachery while your brothers die around you. 

And yet, infuriatingly, it works. 

Because once the scale of the deception becomes clear, the whole thing sharpens. Every corridor matters. Every magazine matters. Every last stand becomes personal. You are not fighting to win the map. You are fighting because the alternative is to accept that everything you served was already rotten. The game understands this, and it leans into it with brutal consistency. 

Enemy variety is also strong. Arrogant duelists, frothing butchers, trench-stubborn killers, cold administrators of death. You really do get the full traitor roster, each with their own special way of making the galaxy worse. 

Boss design on the command tier is especially effective, because the real mechanic is not damage output but moral injury. 

Pros: Phenomenal atmosphere. Excellent desperation-driven combat. Strong squad cohesion mechanics, especially when everyone knows they are already dead. One of the best final-act tonal collapses I have ever seen. 

Cons: Tutorial lies to you. Faction loyalty system catastrophically bugged. No meaningful victory condition. Ends exactly as badly as it should. 

I cannot recommend it to anyone seeking fairness, closure, or competent leadership. I can recommend it to anyone who wants to look treachery in the face and still choose to fight. 

Verdict: 10/10 experience. 0/10 command structure. 

Would die on the walls again.