Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: World Eaters Traits and Rites

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3/5 stars. The rules are average.

Warlord Traits.
The World Eaters have a choice of 3 warlord traits. 

Blood Hunger. Available only to traitors, this trait is a bit vampire like and grants an extra wound when an enemy is killed by them, with a cap of 6. In return, they are compelled to charge the closest enemy and gains a movement reaction. This is a reasonable trait, but by no means game defining and calls for a melee death star unit around the HQ choice.

Cloaked in Blood. Thanks to the stains left visible on their armour and their reputation, this warlord imposes Ld-2 on enemies in close combat. Like the above, there's also a bonus movement reaction. I like this one a lot as it helps with sweeping enemies aside. Would suggest something like a tartaros terminator squad escort here.

The Butchers Claws. Seems fitting perhaps for loyalist elements (but not exclusive to them), this marine can channel the rage generated by the nails in their skulls. They get S+1 in addition to the Violence Incarnate rule (NB: the rules as written need a touch of better wording here, but I think its obvious myself that they don't got A+1 as well which I've heard people interpret this one as). The bonus assault reaction is good. This is a generic trait which I think is good for almost any warlord, but again not game defining either. 

Rites of War.
Berserker Assault. Enhanced running moves, charge rolls, and Ld bonus to pinning make this almost a default choice for World Eaters. Having rampagers as troops is nice and predators as fast attack is superb. Having negatives of compulsory charges against nearest targets and no allies is a pitiful price to pay for such bonuses. Obviously here this army is about a wave of berserkers backed up by fast moving tanks to provide covering dakka. This does not exclude things like contemptors by any means, and will provide a quintessential World Eater play style.

The Crimson Path. With the nails digging deep, this rite grants the amazing ability to ignore the first wound caused per phase. This is terrific and army defining. Access to It Will Not Die for characters outside of their deployment zone calls for commander led charges, and rampagers gaining line is very strong. The limit of having more infantry than others and only one heavy support is fluffy and in line with expectations. This rite is fairly exchangable with the above, and provides a similar play style that enemies will need a lot of pinning attacks to prevent. Choose the other rite if you're worried about pinning?

Different to First Edition.
Look, it has been so long since the World Eaters were published in Betrayal that I think that most comparisons will be flawed given the iterations they have had. I think the present rules here are good, but not amazingly good. Fluffy, without being game defining. This is why they get 3 stars from me. 




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