Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Outrider Squadron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5/5 stars. Rounded down. The rules are fine.

Background.
They are recon space marines. They have bikes. They are space marines on bikes. Not sure there's much more to know!

Strengths.
I may have mentioned that they have bikes. This gives them a good movement rate! Shroud as well. Hammer of wrath and firing protocols for the full trifecta.

Scouts and relentless are nice to have in there too. 

Weaknesses.
T=4 combined with W=1. They will be vulnerable. Play accordingly. 

Difference to First Edition.
Mainly neutral. Some options like melta bombs are no longer there which I find a bit crazy.

Builds.
3 Outriders, all with twin-linked melta guns (130 points).
Not very subtle, but that's also not the point. Ride up and gun down those tanks and dreadnoughts. Expendable, so don't stress too much if they don't survive. Several of these squads can be a headache for opponents. Take a nuncio vox to taste?

5 Outriders, all with twin-linked plasma guns, Sergeant with power fist (195 points).
Cheap enough to be effective and not to get too stressed about if they die easily. This is a roving plasma wall of doom with a power fist to grant a touch of combat effectiveness. 

10 Outriders, 4 Power Weapons, 5 hand flamers, Sergeant with Power Fist and Artificer Armour (305 points).
More of a close combat squad. Take power axes as a suggestion. Nuncio vox and vexilla to taste. 


Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Seeker Squad

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

Background.
Commencing our review of the Fast Attack slots are the legion seeker squads. This squad is the brain child of the Alpha Legion. Its purpose is to destroy the command structure of the enemy by placing the best shots in the legion in the right place to take out whatever sorry excuse the enemy had for a leader or priest (etc.). They come with special ammo, although clearly their use is better suited to some legions than others. 

Strengths.
With BS=5, these marines are indeed good shots. The Kraken Bolter comes with both Tempest and Scorpius rounds, both of which have their place should you need to ignore cover saves and the likes. 

What they do have that is a great combination is infiltrate with precision shots (and Marked for Death also helps too). This combination allows the squad to be very effective at their mission purpose.

More than this is the customization that can be undertaken with the unit. Multiple combi-meltas could spell doom for high value targets with the right circumstances and set up and this fundamentally makes them more than just a bolt gun squad, but a threat to many. 

Weaknesses.
The leadership is weak here. It is probably best to think of this squad as serving its purpose after round 2 has concluded. If they've survived that long and shot down some targets, then they've done well enough I would think. For a fast attack choice, they also not very fast unless you want to buy them a rhino or other carrier. You're reliant on infiltrate otherwise which will, of course, be perfectly sufficient.

Difference to First Edition.
Mainly neutral. Although note that Scorpius Rounds now lack AP2. Drat. You can take a nemesis bolter here, but other squads can do this almost as well, so I don't see much point. Chain bayonets are also interesting options. 

Builds.
5 Seekers, Melta Bombs, 2 combi-meltas, sergeant with power fist and artificer armour (175 points).
Small and a bit of a Swiss army knife style of unit ready to take on a variety of threats as needed.

10 Seekers, 10 combi-plasma (280 points).
Very much like a tactical support squad, but with infiltration and those other special rules. Its hilarious when it works well. Could be even better unloading out of a land raider. 

10 Seekers, Sergeant with power fist and artificer armour (205 points).
Something of a more basic set up that will suffice for sharp shooting enemy sergeants and the like. Might be worth taking a combi-disintegrator here for the sergeant. Take chain bayonets if you're expecting to charge in after shooting (225 points total for this instead).


Monday, November 28, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Alpha Legion Effrit Disruption Cadre

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

Background.
We interrupt the regular chain of events here to review the Effrit Stealth Squad -- for no other reason than I have been waiting for this one to come out since the Exemplary Battles in the Age of Darkness series commenced. That, and I always liked Omegon in the Black Library books being in command of this secretive cadre. 

The Alpha Legion is no stranger to infiltrating deadly squads in to position, and the Effrit are similarly tasked with missions that might be suicidal for others. 

Strengths.
Two wounds, and BS=5 makes for mixed strengths. They have good attacks in close combat, but need better AP to be fully effective in this role, while their 3+ armour save is distinctly normal. 

They do come with a variety of upgrades such as infiltrate and scouts (nice), along with a Hydra's Wail disruption array to cause Ld penalties on enemies in closer range, shroud bombs to keep them alive longer, and some banestrike shotguns which is very interesting to find here! Shred, breaching, and concussive makes for a very strong close range threat. 

Weaknesses.
More durable than headhunters, this unit suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. I feel that they need to be upgraded in one of two ways: either with the nemesis bolters for longer range work, or with the power daggers to ensure they can hold their own in the inevitable melee that will following their shooting phase. Final problem is that they are elites and thus take up a crammed slot on the force chart. 

Builds.
5 Effrit, All with Nemesis Bolters (195 points).
Exploiting the BS=5 from long range, the idea here is to set up and ping the enemy until it dies. I think this set up is actually a bit of a waste. You might be tempted to instead toy with the idea of one or two nemesis bolters instead but there's no easy way around the heavy 1 implication of these weapons. 

5 Effrit, Power Daggers, Melta Bombs, Principal with Power Weapon (200 points).
A much better proposition! Use those banestrike shot guns to whittle things down (don't forget the Wail) and charge in to mop up the rest. The power daggers shine here. The power weapon is subject to taste - the sword is nice enough, an axe gives that AP2 that might be needed (but is unwieldy) whilst a Maul gives improved S, and the lance could be great in the right scenario too. I'm torn on this aspect. Add in 5 more members for 105 points and you have an infiltrating force to be reckoned with here. 

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Wargames Gallery: Salamanders Defence

The bitter remains of a Salamanders expeditionary force defend their objective; part of a larger Forge World necessary to prosecute the war for the Loyalists. They remain in the dark about the fate of their Primarch. 



Horus Heresy 2e Review: Remus Ventanus

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
2.5/5 stars, rounded up. The rules are fractionally below average.

Background.
The hero of Calth and its saviour, Remus was the commander of the 4th company of the 1st chapter of the Ultramarines. He not only rallied the remains of the legion on Calth but also evacuated as many as possible, including civilians whom ultimately entered the underground arcologies. 

Strengths. 
As a praetor level character, Remus Ventanus has a stat line that is slightly lower than a standard praetor. He comes with a warlord trait that allows automatic passing of morale and Ld checks required when in the presence of an objective. This is fine, but not every game is objective based. He sports a rending power sword as well as a variety of special rules such as Adamantium Will along with equipment such as a legion standard (very handy!) and a nuncio vox. 

Weaknesses.
The lower WS than the standard praetor will hurt in the long term. This is a mildly sub-standard HQ selection that tries to make up for it with some nice equipment and special rules. I do like the adamantium will rule here. But he still falls short for me personally.

Difference to First Edition.
Nerfed. I cannot understand why. 

Overall.
Take a regular praetor instead unless you are intent on modelling a force for the Battle for Calth. 

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Praetorian Breacher Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3/5 stars. The rules are slightly above average, but they compete against other more valuable uses of the elites slot.

Background.
Before admission to the Invictarus Suzerain squads, Ultramarines typically rise through the ranks of the Praetorian Breacher squads to hone their skills a bit. 

Strengths.
Very much like regular breacher squads with the exceptions of increased WS, 2 wounds, and power swords instead of ranged weapons. They are also chosen warriors and carry a handy hammer of wrath. 

Weaknesses.
Given that this squad is also an elites choice, it competes directly against the Invictarus Suzerains for a slot in the force organisation chart. The Invictarus Suzerains will win this comfortably. As I suspect other terminators (etc) would. If they were troops, I think we'd be seeing a lot more of them to be candid. To give them legatine axes makes their points cost more than the Invictarus Suzerains in fact. Nice for hammer of wrath potentially I guess. 

Builds.
5 Praetorians, Primus with Power Fist (150 points).
The baseline. Nice for boarding actions / Zone Mortalis. Need a transport otherwise.

10 Praetorians, 5 with legatine axes, nuncio vox, legion vexilla, primus with power fist and artificer armour (340points).
A flexible squad who uses the baseline marines as ablative wounds where necessary. Again, good for Zone Mortalis, but I would honestly be looking to take Invictarus Suzerains instead. 

Friday, November 25, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Invictarus Suzerain Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.5/5 stars. The rules are very good! Almost overpowered if anything. 

Background.
These are the Lords of Ultramar and destined for higher things. They are the elite and marked for command in the future. For the moment though, they are learning everything they can about warfare from multiple angles, but mostly chopping with axes, shielding, and otherwise glittering in starlight as their armour inspires all around. 

Strengths.
In some ways, it is simple to think about these marines as being pseudo-terminators. Its all there: bonus WS, 2 wounds each, as well as a 2+ save and a boarding shield to give an invulnerable save. The 3 attacks baseline is amazing though. 

Beyond this, they give out a bubble of increased Ld to other friendly units (NB: not just Ultramarines!!) and can be a retinue squad with access to a legion standard. And they also have Line! They're an amazing squad really. 

Weaknesses.
They are not quite Fire Drake Terminators, but they are very impressive and come recommended. Think about taking a transport option though as movement is always going to be required. I doubt you will see many Ultramarine builds without this squad in some form or other. 

Builds.
5 Suzerains (175 points).
Take the "naked" squad. It is well worth it! I'm a bit mixed on whether to take the plasma pistols. The thunder hammers are great though. 

10 Suzerains, all with thunder hammers and plasma pistols (525 points).
The maximum squad! The thunder hammers can prove amazing for this squad. The plasma pistols can soften up targets and light tanks readily. In fact, I'd go as far as saying there's not much in the game that such a squad couldn't handle on a good day and with a charge. Add in the Ultramarines rite of war and you will have a good time I suspect; albeit at the price of not making many friends. 


Thursday, November 24, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Roboute Guilliman

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.5/5 stars, rounded down. The rules are very good.

Background.
His accomplishments before, during, and after the Heresy are a tough pack to pick between. Here Guilliman is presented as the leader of Ultramar, a statesman, a warrior, a leader, a wise man and intellectual, and master strategist. He is all of these things on the battlefield too.

Strengths. 
His stat line comes with the handy WS=7 for sibling battles. Re-rolling to hit rolls of 1's thanks to Calculating Swordsman on the second round of combat onward gives him yet another edge here. Sure, he is not Horus. He isn't even Russ or Ferrus. But he is certainly highly capable among his siblings. 

The armour is good enough, and the re-roll of the first invulnerable save is powerful. His weapons in melee are great - choosing between S+1 or S=10 with different special rules to help amazing, and the brutal x2 for the Hand of Dominion is going to be powerful in all situations coupled with AP=1. The arbiter is very handy as a side arm, but with AP=3, its in the territory of being okay without being amazing.

His warlord trait grants an army wide boost to Ld, as well as selection of a phase in which to play an additional reaction. Both are powerful boosts to the army. His preternatural strategy takes what Alpharius and his sons should have and makes it Ultramarines territory (yes, I'm bitter). Fleet, counter attack, furious charge, and stubborn are all there to choose between, just not on consecutive turns.

Weaknesses.
Tanks and tar pits like Vulkan might prove an issue. Horus (and Ferrus, and Russ) still whips him into submission quickly enough. But he is powerful among his brothers, and brings amazing boosts to the army. There's little not to like here. 

Overall.
Categorically one of the more powerful primarchs. His army boost in combination with the rite of war makes for some game defining moments. 

Difference to First Edition.
His weapons from first edition are here, but the calculating swordsman aspect is not what it was. He's different, for sure, but here in second edition, I regard him as excellent overall. 

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Ultramarines Armoury

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

The Ultramarines are looking a bit thin on the ground in the armoury department, but what they have is reasonable enough.

Legatine Axe. For a small points cost, get rid of Unwieldy on power axes owned by independent characters. Categorically worth taking every single time! Do it. 

Argyrum Pattern Boarding Shield. 5+ and 4+ against ranged and melee is good. Pretty good, but not outstanding. Availability to any independent character is good enough. 

The Mantles of Ultramar. Artificer armour that is both battle hardened and immune to blinding is nice. The points cost is frankly a bit steep though. 

Overall.
No special consul for the Ultramarines, and not a very wide range of selections here either. I like the axe very much. The first two entries are standard for the Suzerain squads as well which illustrates their power. I've not much to say here other than its all a bit average except for the axes which are amazing for what you're getting with the price tag. 


Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Ultramarines Traits and Rites

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5/5 stars. Rounded down. The rules are very reasonable and some are above average to be clear. 

Warlord Traits.
Ultramarines return to second edition with 3 warlord traits - one of each loyalty.

The Burden of Kings. For the Loyalists, the warlord gains fearless and It Will Not Die when a wound is allocated until the end of the next turn. This is solid, but not outrageous -- the opponent can and should focus fire until the warlord is downed in a single turn preferably. The single extra reaction by the warlord is similarly good.

The Aegis of Wisdom. Friendly Ultras with line of sight can use the Warlord's Ld for regrouping and ignore the usual restrictions for post regrouping. This is excellent for the all rounder trait and I can see good use being made of this. The additional shooting reaction is fine.

Pride's Dark Power. Finally something for the traitor Ultramarines! [And please do note: in 40k, most traitor chapters are likely to be successors of the Ultramarines, so even if its not that present in the fluff, I totally support them having a traitor trait!] In short: swap the warlord's Ld for T in any phase. I would anticipate this will result in T=10 against some important shooting or close combat phase. This one can be game defining if used right. The bonus assault reaction is great. In some ways this could be the most powerful trait of all three of them. Time to show what the Ultramarines can really do?

Rites of War.
The Logos Lectora. The solo rite of war for the Ultramarines - but very apt and appropriate with the feeling of Ancient Rome. At the cost of more HQs, more Troops, and zero infiltration or deep strike, the player can gain a different boon per turn (no two on consecutive turns though). Full March gives bonus movement, but lower BS and WS. Hold Fast gives better Ld and re rolling of shooting to hit rolls, but no run and move. Retribution Strike gives bonus WS and charge range at the expense of BS. And Regroup gives Ld and reserves re-rolls. This is a tremendous rite of war that puts other legions to shame (poor Alpha Legion). Worth taking in almost any battle to be honest, but I guess the solid blocks of infantry will pose a transportation problem in the early turns and the army could be vulnerable to certain counter styles of play. 

Difference to First Edition.
Yes, there are differences here to first edition. But overall, it has the feel of first edition and will readily slot well into old veterans hands and new players alike. There's little not to like, but some warlord traits are stronger than others, and the singular rite of war is nice enough, but the restrictions can be harsh. 
 

Monday, November 21, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Ultramarines Legion Rules

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5/5 stars -- rounded up to 4/5 stars. The rules are certainly above average.

Background.
The largest of the legions (assuming you miscount the Alpha Legion) were drawn in by Horus' plan and betrayed by the Word Bearers at Calth. There followed the underworld war, the Ruinstorm, and the Shadow Crusade. Alongside this they also built Imperium Secundus along with the Blood Angels, Dark Angels, and elements of the shattered legions. When all was said and done, they crusaded to destroy Davin, push the traitors to their limits, and rebuilt the Imperium proper. Although arguably not at the forefront of the Civil War, their wider forces contributed significantly and mopped up after the event in a way other forces simply were not able to do.

Legion Rules Review.
The Strength of Wisdom grants a bonus pip to hit against a unit if they have already been targeted by another unit in the shooting phase. They have to be within a small bubble of the first unit, but this rule is very strong. To use to maximum effect, I would consider employing "tracer" units to open first first. Arguably the humble rhino has an excellent role to play here, as do regular drop pods. Don't underestimate such cheap tracer units - when adjacent to a heavy support squad this is a truly significant boon to the legion

Arsenals of Ultramar grants access to the unique wargear options from the armoury whilst Lords of the 500 Worlds provides the warlord traits. There are no unique consul choices to be found here though.

Advanced Reaction.
The Unity of Purpose is an excellent advanced reaction. In essence, when shot at, the reacting player can shoot back with not just one unit but two units at the enemy. Timing this one well has the potential to destroy enemy units. 

Difference to First Edition.
There's been a lot of clean up here. The older Rigid Chain of Command rules have had their negative points entirely removed while preserving much of what came before. Sure, the re-rolls of wounding dice are gone, as is armour penetration rolls, but the bonus to hit (which I originally had as a typo in 2015 for Interlocking Tactics) is still very strong. The advanced reaction is powerful when played well. They're doing so much better than the White Scars or Alpha Legion!

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Hobby: Iron Warriors Squad

Hobby update time!

One full Iron Warriors tactical squad. Replete with vexilla, and chain bayonets. Ready for battle! 



Saturday, November 19, 2022

Wargames Gallery: Raven Guard Mor Deythan on Alien Worlds

The Raven Guard Mor Deythan and a Consul are exploring a very strange alien world. 

What will they find lurking on this mysterious planet? Heresy, or something much worse? 



Friday, November 18, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Kor Phaeron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
2.5/5 stars. Rounded up. The rules are mildly below average - Kor Phaeron is not a full Astartes after all.

Background.
Rounding out the Word Bearers wide selection of HQ's is the Father figure of Lorgar himself. Kor Phaeron was too old to be fully elevated to an Astartes, but this didn't stop Lorgar and co from gene crafting him into an almost Astartes and gifting him some specialist equipment so that he could take his place by Lorgar's side.

Strengths.
Kor Phaeron is an ideal choice to put in an army alongside Lorgar. When done they both gain WS+1 and hatred of everything. This is brilliant. However if Kor is in the army but not the warlord he gets Ld-1 for his trouble. 

His warlord trait allows his to chant some weird stuff that affect the people and enemies around him. He gets to choose one of two modes per turn. The first option is to force pinning tests in a large bubble around him -- this is terrific and he should be built for this kind of play. The second grants fearless to his unit but damages WS and BS by 1 pip -- this is a purely defensive strategy and shouldn't be used unless there's no other choice, or an enemy is very weak (perhaps rad grenade affected?). He also comes with It Will Not Die and feel no pain which will help keep him alive a little bit longer, but that leads me directly on to his weaknesses.

Weaknesses.
His stat line is weak for a First Captain and Praetor, reflective that he is not a full Astartes. With S=T=3, he certainly is vulnerable. But his claws provide reliable AP2 and shredding, whilst his armour gives an invulnerable of 3+ in the shooting phase to try to keep him alive. He will die readily in a challenge though, so beware. 

Overall.
Worth playing alongside Lorgar for the resonant boost to both of them. As a praetor, he is weak, but still viable in low points value games. There are better choices in higher points values, so I think the only 2 scenarios I would take him are with Lorgar, or low points games to be honest. He is fluffy though, and can work with a bit of tactical acumen by getting the pinning chant done at the opportune moment. 
 

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: High Chaplain Erebus

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5/5 stars. The rules are above average.

Background.
Of all the Word Bearers, and of all the Astartes in all legions, none bears more responsibility for the Heresy than Erebus. Through him, the powers of chaos put in motion their grand scheme to bring low half the legions and the Warmaster too. Erebus was all too willing, able, and ready to take the commanding role in all of this for his perverse masters in place of the Emperor's light. 

Strengths.
The warlord trait here is called Shadow Behind the Throne. When part of a unit of any marines, he does not have to have any wounds allocated to him regardless of whatever Exodus or other marines might have to say about the matter. This doesn't apply in close combat though. Its a rule that keeps him alive long enough to serve in combat, but little more utility beyond that apart from the additional reaction in any one of the enemy phases to be chosen by the player at the start of the battle - this is a bit more powerful than the standard reaction bonus which makes up for the other component of the trait.

The player can select 3 units from the Ruinstorm army list which is probably the main reason for taking Erebus here, but his psychic abilities are nifty with Breach the Veil, and Lightning at his fingertips. His stat line is adequate (which is to say nothing special for a praetor level character) and he brings reliable AP3 at S=7 to the table for close combat. Fearless (very rare!) and hatred of loyalists round out nicely his rules. 

Weaknesses.
Realistically, he is a solid HQ choice with not much not to like. Sure, he is not providing an army wide buff, but the warlord trait does allow him to be played very aggressively in a wave of foot slogging troops to get to where is needed to unleash daemons, lightning, or AP2 as required. 

Overall.
An absolutely fine HQ choice. Play melee, play daemons, and play to eliminate the enemy. 

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Argel Tal

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

Background.
Belonging to the doomed Serrated Sun chapter of the Word Bearers, Tal gazed into the abyss and it gazed back to turn him into the lord of the Gal Vorbak. Not possessed like his brethren in 40k are, but a symbiote, his form is dominated by a large pair of wings sprouting from his back when in combat. He was also one of the first to paint his armour red -- the colour of the Word Bearers' betrayal.

Strengths.
Argel Tal has a host of special rules, not least of which is being a master of the legion. He also gains things like relentless, feel no pain, and rage which come in handy. His stat line is also very good with 6 in WS and 5's in most other places. 

His wings enable a move of 14 inches with few drawbacks (except if he runs, in which case forget shooting or charging). Meanwhile his talons are rending with AP3. Finally, his warlord trait enables him and a Gal Vorbak unit to gain a 5+ invulnerable save which is very nice.

Weaknesses.
I feel if he had one of reliable AP2, or Brutal, he would be perfect and score 5/5 stars from me. As it is, he is just short. But that is fine. He's still crazy good!

Overall.
The obvious warlord choice for any army running the Last Rite of the Serrated Sun, but otherwise he works fine even when just using a unit or two of Gal Vorbak. He is a heavy hitter with moderate staying power and some nice movement rules combined with a local boost to Gal Vorbak. There's little not to like overall. Naturally, he can only be used in traitor armies though. 

I will finish by stating that I also love the miniature for him! I'm a fan!

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Zardu Layak

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

Background.
One of the first of the Word Bearers to fully embrace the new religion after the Censure of Monarchia. Zardu is described as fiery and fervent in his beliefs, and has handily shackled a pair of unfortunate battle brothers to his own will over time -- the so called blade slaves. 

Strengths.
Zardu is a master of the legion that comes packaged with his pair of blade slave meat shields. Zardu himself is armed with an AP2 weapon that also has force associated with it. This is solid. His psychic discipline is unique in the game and gives him access to an ability to cancel reactions (nice!) as well as an assault 4, 36 inch range pinning and shell shock weapon. 

His warlord trait is mixed though. He gets to select 3 units and give them enhanced movement and S+1. But there's a downside. Those units must test Ld every turn of suffer perils of the warp. Overall its not the best warlord trait, but at least it is fluffy. The stat line meanwhile is fine for a praetor, and he comes with armour that give a bonus to combat resolution and sweeping moves. This is solid.

The blade slaves are no slouches in combat either with access to AP3 and Brutal 2. With 3 wounds each and feel no pain, they should provide good meat shield cover for most things short of vindicator shots. 

Weaknesses.
Fundamentally, I can't help but feel there are better HQs to select. Zardu has a nice miniature and its no surprise to see him as a core character. He's just not offering much that other front line characters bring that I would favour, and the warlord trait is decidedly mixed.

Overall.
I think Zardu has his placed as the HQ of a corrupted army, and as the forefront character for a melee charge. Beyond that, I actually don't like him too much. The one time I saw him on the battlefield, I dealt with him through a combination of precision shots and pie plates. His blade slaves routed shortly after. Its a bit of a shrug from me - he is fine overall, but just not the first choice I think. 

Monday, November 14, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Mhara Gal Dreadnought

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

Background.
What do you get if you put a smashed up Gal Vorbak inside a contemptor dreadnought? The Word Bearers have conclusively answered this with the Mhara Gal. "...that which was blessed, but now stands beyond the sight of the gods" to use the official description. The dreadnought is a cursed creation with black flames flickering around it and reality itself upset by its presence. In many ways, this is punishment with life after death for the Gal Vorbak inside.

Strengths.
Its a dreadnought with extra tasty rules layered on top! Incoming fire from certain types (melta most importantly) have S-1 applied. It have an invulnerable save and explodes with a high strength and lots of hits. Daemons, corrupted, and psykers also suffer in a bubble around the dreadnought with T-1 and S-1 imposed upon them. And then there's the stat line which is a good improvement on the baseline contemptor (two extra wounds alone is great). It also gets It Will Not Die with a bunch of other rules such as move through cover that will help with movement, and rampage. 

Weaknesses.
Traitor only folks!

The low BS also means that shooting weapons are not brilliant unfortunately. 

Difference to First Edition.
The fluff about it passing through walls (and rules about reality recoiling) has vanished here. 

Builds.
Mhara Gal, with double tainted claws (240 points).
Close combat duty.

Mhara Gal, tainted claw, warpfire cannon (240 points).
Even with the low BS, the warpfire cannon is still worth taking. And I'm noting it here as it is what the model comes with - totally viable. I would not choose the other weapons though - the low BS doesn't pay off and the pure shooty version is not worth playing (a case can be made for double warpfire cannon, but I don't like it much). 

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Ashen Circle Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3/5 stars. The rules are average. Consider applying Dark Channeling to a maxed-out squad here and you will gain a lot potentially.

Background.
An echo of what the Word Bearers once were: iconoclasts who tore down not merely worlds, but also their culture and replaced them with the Imperial Truth.  Later, that replacement would be something more sinister, but they remain arguably the most representative of what the legion once was. They traditionally work alongside destroyer squads and specifically hollow out enemies who hold cultural positions such as standard bearers and eminent leaders.

Strengths.
They come armed with Axe Rakes which provide a bonus pip in Strength and the shred rule which is good. Their hand flamers are torrent and cause pinning. Deployed tactically, they can be very effective, but they don't have too much in the protective department. Aside, I do like the melta bombs as standard here. The special Scorched Earth rule provides a bonus hit with Hammer of Wrath which is handy, all at S+1 as well. 

Weaknesses.
The points cost is quite steep in comparison to regular assault squads. As a result, I almost gave them 2.5/5 stars here. I would suggest strongly to consider Dark Channeling if you're playing traitors to offset this, and for this reason, I gave 3/5 stars. 

Difference to First Edition.
Say goodbye to those power axes. Boo. 

Builds.
5 Ashen Circle, Iconoclast with Artificer Armour (135 points).
The baseline build.

10 Ashen Circle, Iconoclast with inferno pistol and artificer armour (250 points).
A bit of a max squad. This is a GREAT candidate for the Dark Channeling upgrade, and also for the Iconoclast to swap out the side arm for a warpfire pistol. See the Word Bearers Armour for more.

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Gal Vorbak Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 stars. Yes: I am giving out one of my rare top marks to the Gal Vorbak! The remnants of the Shattered Sun Chapter shine brightly in second edition.

Background.
The Shattered Sun chapter of the Word Bearers stared too hard and too long into the darkness on the ancient world of Cadia. The darkness stared right back at them. Those who survived found themselves infiltrated by the powers from beyond and not so much possessed as those who would come after them, but rather hosts who entered into coexistence with them. Their forms are able to bloat and swell, grow hideous claws, and form weapons to help them as they bound and leap across the battlefield.

Strengths.
An almighty three wounds each coupled with extra pips in S, T, WS, I and movement makes these marines very notable from the outset. They come with free tainted talons (only AP3, but with rending and murderous striking), and bolt spitters to enable them to have a versatile battlefield role. They are corrupted, naturally, so they cause fear and are treated like the daemons they should be. Alongside this are a small array of special rules ranging from rage and relentless, through to feel no pain and chosen warriors. Naturally they can only be used by the traitor side. 

For the points cost, these corrupted space marines are simply brilliant. Unless you're running loyalists, you will want to take these. Heck, even Alpharius wants to take these with the Rewards of Treachery if he needs some heavy hitting marines for close combat. 

Weaknesses.
For what they do, they are fantastic. They are fundamentally a close combat unit, but here in second edition they can chip in with short ranged fire fights as well. They also have a neat array of upgrades they can take as well. They can be used as both hammer and anvil in the right circumstances. I guess the 3+ save is a minor issue, but who cares. They also cost slightly more than first edition. Again, no biggie given their improvement here. Finally, you also want to think about how to get them where they need to be: they lack a transport option. Use the associated rite of war to cure this. 

Difference to First Edition.
They get bolt spitters! They drop plasma guns, and other things have shuffled around. They do cost more points, and they can't all have double tainted talons sadly. They're still amazingly good though. 

Builds.
5 Gal Vorbak, 1 power fist (290 points).
Hard hitting with plenty of potential rending on the charge. Swap out one bolt spitter for an extra tainted talon to gain 1 more attack each and turn them into a bit more of a close combat focused squad for the same points cost. 

10 Gal Vorbak, 2 Warpfire Blasters, 2 power fists (600 points).
Very expensive here. Potentially vulnerable to large blast high strength attacks. My thought would be to run minimum size squads instead since there's not points cost gain to be had, and thus you should think of this build as illustrative only. Spend 300 points each for 2 units. This unit is a flexible one. Swap out the blasters for melta guns if you are after anti-tank potential. A very flexible choice. 


Friday, November 11, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Lorgar

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3/5 stars approximately. Both the original and transfigured versions of Lorgar are fine, but at the lower end of the power spectrum of primarchs. He shines with his psychic abilities and army buffs though. 

Background.
Lorgar Aurelian and his Word Bearers had cause to turn traitor, but no one could have particularly seen just how far he would fall, how fast, and how many he would also be taking with him along the way. Once creating compliant worlds out of faith to the Emperor, our orator of the word was rebuked and spat out with devastating results for him, his legion, and half the other legions to boot. His is the original guilt for the entire civil war. 

Strengths.
To be clear from the outset, Lorgar's strengths do not lie in his stats. They instead reside in his psychic abilities and the buffs he can bring to the army. His personal retinue gains fearless and feel no pain, and he can grant this to a nearby unit once per game on top of this. Played right, this is terrific. 

His armour provides an increase save against psychic attacks should you need it (probably when facing Thousand Sons or rival daemon armies most likely?). His side arm is tasty with haywire and graviton rules attached to it, while his maul has the Brutal (2) rule attached to it which makes up for his otherwise lackluster statline (more on that in one moment). 

He can also be upgraded to his Transfigured state for a modest points cost increase. This gains him access to being tainted, other psychic powers (hello daemon summoning!) as well as the ability to take daemon allies (finally!). 

Finally his warlord trait is a strong one with adding +1 distance and using his Ld for all units that draw a line of sight to him (the bonus assault reaction is great as well). His sons truly listen to his words!

Weaknesses.
His stat line is the worst in the game out of all the primarchs that I've seen. Even good old Alpharius who has been nerfed into the ground in second edition has a better A, WS, and BS than Lorgar. Equally, Lorgar does have Brutal (2) which Alpharius lacks, and this makes up for a lot realistically. 

Overall.
There's a lot to like about Lorgar in second edition. Continuing with the Alpharius comparison, Lorgar is actually worth his points cost in either his regular or transfigured forms. Sure, he's not going to beat his brothers in a duel (maybe except Alpharius), but the point is that he is a buff, and to be played aggressively against selected targets. 

Difference to First Edition.
A lot of things have been shuffled around here. The Lorgar Transfigured in particular provides access to daemon allies consistently for this legion which is very different to first edition. There are other shuffles and changes, but the outcome is about the same give or take. Lorgar remains worth his points and works well played aggressively against targets other than his brothers. 

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Diabolist

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

Background.
Near the beginning of the Heresy, the Word Bearers were already dabbling in things that maybe they should have left well alone. The diabolists were a symptom of the dabbling; creating powers never seen before and tearing at the frayed edges of real space. 

Strengths.
Gain the psyker rule for a small points cost increase (and notably significantly less than becoming a Librarian consul), but also gain the corrupted rule (that shouldn't bother you if you're playing Word Bearers). They gain Diabolism for this which grants them psychic lightning along with A Dark and Terrible Power (choose your charge distance and gain 3x Hammer of Wrath, as well as increased S and T! -- truly magnificent for close combat), along with Hellfire (an amazing S=7 template weapon). This character is very much a close range and close combat character and needs to be played as such.

Weaknesses.
No psychic hoods here, but you can grab a force weapon which is good news.

Builds.
Diabolist, with Force Weapon (100 points).
A baseline build to accompany a close combat squad and give it a power up in the deadly department.

Diabolist, Force Axe, Jump Pack (120 points).
More of a solo artist potentially.

Diabolist in Cataphractii Armour, Thunder Hammer, Grenade Harness (130 points).
I trust that you don't have any friends left at this stage. Force axes work in place of the thunder hammer of course, but I just like the thunder hammer here on the charge. 



Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Word Bearers Armoury

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 stars. The rules are good. Of note here is that the Word Bearers have one of the better stocked armouries out of all of the legions, and in broad terms the options are attractive. 

Burning Lore. For a bit of an investment, your praetors can gain the corrupted type, along with access to being a psyker with the diabolism discipline. In general, this will be worth doing. 

Dark Channelling. For units and dreadnoughts, they can be upgraded at the same cost as Burning Lore so that they also gain the Corrupted sub type. Being able to cause fear along with being immune to fear, and functionally having the fearless rule is great. I suspect this calls for large squads to make best use of the rule though. It is also a solid counter to Night Lords play styles. 

Tainted Weapons. These weapons replace power weapons to obtain murderous strike at 6+. This is not quite worth it given the points cost increase, but can be nice when it gets pulled off. 

Warpfire Weapons. These are direct swap outs for plasma weapons for a small points cost. It removes gets hot, reduces S by 1, and gains pinning. This upgrade is a middling one and its selection will depend on your own playstyle preferences.

Boltspitters. Not much to report here realistically. The heavy 6 on the greater boltspitter is nice I think. 

Difference to First Edition.
I like the Word Bearers armour in this edition. It feels better and more refined, with plentiful options to mull over. Tainted weapons in particular are much better in the sense of not dropping their AP, but I'm still not that tempted by them. 

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Word Bearers Traits and Rites

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.5/5 stars, rounded down to 4. I really think the Word Bearers have some of the better traits and rites of war in the game. Unless you're playing loyalists, in which case look for rites of war elsewhere as there is no joy here for you! 

Warlord Traits.
The Word Bearers continues the main theme of the legions being able to pick between three main Warlord Traits.

Enslaved by Darkness. Starting with the Traitor only rite, the Warlord has to be Corrupted and in turn gains a variable bonus. This is one extra pip in S and T in the first three turns, no bonus in 4 and 5, and a negative pip in the final turn. The bonus movement here is welcome and encourages a direct and hard hitting play style for the early turns. The controlling player needs to consider how to make the most of this by (e.g.) deep striking or similar to where he's needed. The turn 6 penalty is not really that bad since most HQs are usually dead by then anyway. Hence this is a remarkably strong warlord trait, even if he's also treated as a daemon for any relevant rules.

Unswerving Devotion. Automatically passing the first morale or pinning check per turn is strong and the bonus to shooting reactions is good too. Another great trait, and this time for either side of the civil war. Well worth taking and placing the HQ in a large blob.

Iconoclast. One bonus attack against a character, or unit with vexilla, or legion standard is very handy. The bonus strength against buildings and terrain pieces is unusual, yet also fluffy and circumstantial. The extra assault reaction is nice. This one is above standard once again - I like it. 

Rites of War.
The Dark Brethren. For the traitors, this one portrays the corruption in the legion close up. Choose a target enemy and when it is destroyed, the player gains 1 point of Favour of the Dark Gods. This point is immediately spent to provide S+1, WS+1, and movement increases. The downside is that if the army doesn't score an unsaved wound on the sacrifice per turn, they take a perils of the warp. I find this rite to be very strong, exceptionally fluffy, and overall a great portrayal of the legion. Take it for your traitor cause and be happy!

Last of the Serrated Sun. The second rite of war is also a Traitor one and focuses on the Serrated Sun chapter which gave birth to the Gal Vorbak. Speaking of them, take them as troops. Take dreadclaws for them too (wow!). Give your other infantry drop pods in place of rhinos (also wow!). The only price here is no movement=0 units, and no allies. Another strong rite to be honest, but not the rolling amazement of the Dark Brethren.

Difference to First Edition.
Honestly, I genuinely like what I see here. The Dark Brethren rite has been re-written extensively from First Edition and I approve very much. No more daemon allies for the Dark Brethren though. Too bad. But I assume in a future rules release this will be possible anyway via making them allies. The Serrated Sun rite is about the same give or take. In summation, these traits and rites are a really nice selection and the rules are very strong overall. 

Monday, November 7, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Word Bearers Legion Rules

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
2.5/5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars. The rules are average but some are certainly below par.

Background.
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.

Legion Rules Review.
True Believers. The Word Bearers return to second edition with a minimum leadership of 6 (ever) and the ability to win tied combats by 1. Both of these facets are not very good on paper compared to other legions. They will come up a few times per game in all likelihood though. 

The Arms of Colchis grants access to the wargear, while Priests of Forgotten Gods enables both the selection of Diabolists as a consul upgrade and the Burning Lore upgrade for praetors. Disciples of Lorgar grants a selection from the appropriate Warlord Traits. 

Advanced Reaction.
Glorious Martyrdom. This is a curious advanced reaction and when timed well is simply superb and potentially game defining. When they are the victim of a shooting attack, they can sacrifice one member of the unit (no saves) and the shooting ends there and then. Doesn't affect blasts or templates admittedly, but still amazingly good.  

Difference to First Edition.
In First Edition, the Word Bearers all got a slightly different bonus to Ld thanks to that variation of True Believers. Cut Them Down is absent here even from the Traits and Rites (no more re-rolling low rolls on sweeping advances - sigh). Equally Charismatic Leadership is also gone. On balance, I feel they have had a nerf compared to First Edition. With that said, their new advanced reaction is tasty!

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Iron Warriors Painting Scheme for Horus Heresy

Following on from earlier, this post is about how I am going to go about painting Mark 6 Iron Warriors for the Horus Heresy era. 

I am going to split the painting into a small series of steps. The first step is to undercoat using lead belcher spray. In a fundamental way, this is a deviation from the "official" games workshop approach to heresy era Iron Warriors. For me, it simply works better. 


Following the undercoat, the next step is to go over the lead belcher spray with some ordinary lead belcher paint where needed. This might not be all of the model, but I do apply a thin watered down coat all over regardless. In addition to this, I apply black to both shoulder pads along with the gun casing and the joints between the armour (e.g., rear of the knees, back of the hips, etc., where the piping can be seen between the armour plates). This step is important since we are not using a black undercoat here. Finally for this model, I decided I would have a bit of a crack at some hazard stripes. Hence one of the lower leg greaves also got a black base coat. This it depicted in the top left corner.

The next step (top right corner) is to apply some brighter silver highlights. I have elected to use Rune Fang Steel for this step, although other choices are possible. This has been applied to the helmet, as well as the studs and nubs wherever they appear.

In the lower left, I start to bring the paintwork together by applying Nuln oil generously to the joints. I also apply yellow to the hazard stripes to start to mark them out in more detail. 

The forth step is to complement the Nuln oil with some highlights. For the shoulder pads and other black areas, I have edge highlighted using Eshin grey. I have also added chips (most obviously at the top of the hazard striped greave) using more rune fang steel. I've tried not to over do this, but some wear and tear is good to have and exploit for Heresy era miniatures I think. It is certainly the vogue style regardless!


In the final step, I have added black within the chipped areas and generally attended to details such as the green crack grenades and red eye lenses highlights. Blood for the blood god rounds out the chain bayonet to give more authenticity. The base is done using some of games workshop's technical paints, and the grass is standard fare from hobby railway scenery. Highlighting using eldar flesh dry paint ties in the lower parts of the feet and the surface of the base to make for an interesting colour contrast with the general worn silver colour of the marine. 

Although "easy" in some respects, this approach does take time, but I find it a lot quicker than starting out with a pure black undercoat. The lead belcher spray really speeds things up in this regard and the overall result is one that is not only table top ready, but looks visually pleasing as well in person. 

Iron Warrior

Iron Warriors Battle Brother in Mark 6 Power Armour. 


Took my time with this one as it was a test model following in broad terms the Games Workshop suggestions for painting Iron Warriors but with the critical difference of starting out with a lead belcher undercoat rather than a black one. The outcome is very pleasing here and the only steps left to do are some tidy up and application of decals. 

I will post a fuller painting scheme later on today!


Friday, November 4, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Termite Assault Drill

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

Background.
The termite provides a way for the commander to launch an underground assault on both fortified positions and xenos subterranean creatures (the latter being the reason they were invented allegedly). This is great in essence and can scatter enemy forces upon emergence without waiting for their cargo to deploy. 

Strengths.
Termites provide an underground alternative to deep striking units in to play. One of the chief advantages here is that the player can cause them to erupt near enemy units and score hits on those units at a significant strength (but AP=4). 

Unlike drop pods, the termite can continue to move after launching its deep strike (subterranean assault move) and fire its weapons and so forth. 

I genuinely like this manner of assaulting and it works well if you have just one of them, and perhaps use it in conjunction with more traditional deep strike units to create an underground and overground pincer movement. Maybe that's just me though (I've had good success with this using my Alpha Legion). 

Weaknesses.
Rear armour is 10, and do carefully read the subterranean assault rules if you have more than one of these units as you will see that the enemy can take control of your deployment on an unlucky roll.

Difference to First Edition.
Fairly similar overall. Note the capacity of 12 here just like the rhino. 

Builds.
There are only 2 upgrades to consider - the replacement of the two sets of twin-linked bolters with either twin-linked volkite chargers, or heavy flamers. Candidly both of them work nicely against nearby enemies - and why wouldn't you have nearby enemies if you've emerged on top of, or close to them! I kind of like the flamers ever so slightly better as I think in some situations you can score more hits, but also they act as a nice defensive arrangement as well. Equally, the volkites have the superior range for after that first turn after emerging I guess. A tough choice really. Points cost effective overall in the main part for me.




Thursday, November 3, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Dreadnought Drop Pod

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

Background.
In hindsight, I probably should have combined the review of the Legion Drop Pod with this one: the Legion Dreadnought Drop Pod. They both have the same purpose afterall: dropping into place a unit - in this case a dreadnought - and being recoverable after the battle.

Strengths.
Well, as per previously, the strength lies in the ability to deep strike your chosen dreadnought into your desired location on the battle field. 

Presumably you will then disembark your dreadnought and start to slay things around you (or at minimum shoot them up a bit). That's all there is apart from the twin linked bolt gun that it comes with, along with a collective shrug for the defensive capabilities.

Weaknesses.
BS=2.

Builds.
There are no builds available here! The points cost is obviously more expensive than the regular drop pod, and this needs to be considered since it is the same price as a tactical squad. For this reason, I almost gave the unit 2.5/5 stars, but at the last moment shied away from doing so since I have had good success with this unit.

Difference to First Edition.
Not much different. 


Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Drop Pod

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3/5 stars. Solid enough rules. 

Background.
Drop directly into the combat zone. Recover later on when you're able. The drop pod is a staple of many army lists in both 30k and 40k. It does what it does, and there are no frills attached. 

Strengths.
Deep strike your unit into position. Get out and start battle. There's nothing more to it apart from a twin linked bolter.

Weaknesses.
That twin linked bolter? Has a BS of 2. That's all I've got. 

Builds.
There are no builds available here! The points cost is cheap enough to make whole armies out of this approach to combat, and as such comes recommended. Indeed, even having 1 drop pod can be beneficial. 

Difference to First Edition.
Not much different. 

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Firedrake Terminator Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 stars. See - I sometime do award 5/5 to some units on the odd occasion! Here, this is a somewhat unique unit in the game thanks to the thunder hammer and storm shield set up they can take (among others). The points cost is high, and I almost didn't give full stars to the unit due to the cost. The honest reason I gave full stars here is because I simply hate facing off against them! 

Background.
Discipline, self sacrifice, the Promethian Cult, a singular focus, and the elites of the legion combine to make arguably one of the best units in the game. I despise facing off against full thunder hammer and storm shield set ups. And it is because of this that I really respect them. (Also on the odd occasion proxied them for a Rewards of Treason unit in true Alpha Legion style as well - not sorry). 

Strengths.
Much has already been said of this unit. They are WS=5, double wound, and 2 attacks base terminators in cataphractii armour. They come with power weapons and combi bolters as their base set up, but can be upgraded in a number of ways, the most popular of which I've already repeatedly noted above! 

In addition, they can be used as a retinue, and have a wonderful re roll to hit of pure 1's in close combat which makes them a greater force to be reckoned with. Take a land raider to taste and you have the makings of a genuine death star unit with amazing staying power that "It Will Not Die" only enhances.

Weaknesses.
Apart from the somewhat expensive points cost (points sink?) this is an amazing unit. 

Builds.
5 Firedrakes, Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields all round (325 points).
The build that I don't like facing off against, as well as the Rewards of Treason target for the same reason. Add more members to taste and take that land raider (or deep strike if possible). Master craft the squad leader's weapon if desired.

5 Firedrakes, 3 combi-meltas, 1 heavy flamer, 2 chain fists (310 points).
A bit of a tank hunting variant with some ranged fire power. Master craft a chain fist to taste. 

5 Firedrakes, 4 combi-flamers, 1 heavy flamer (280 points).
For those that just like lots of fire. Use the baseline power weapon (possibly as a power axe?). Great as a cover unit for something else behind them and for making enemies scramble out of cover. 

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