Horus Heresy 2e Review: Knight Questoris

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good.

Background.

The Questoris Knight is the most common form of knight in the Imperium. It saw vast use during the Heresy and comes in a variety of different configurations.

Strengths.
With 7 hull points and 13 armour on the front, they have a very reasonable stat line (although the 12 armour on the other facings will make the player think harder about positioning and angle). They are able to be configured in every manner (Paladin, Errant, and so forth). Hence the flexibility that this knight offers is good and when combined with the relatively quick movement of 10, they really do pose a good threat to most things on the table. 

Weaknesses.
Massed firepower can and will bring down knights with this chassis - make no mistake. Although it won't explode, the controlling player really does need to think carefully about optimizing the build and purpose of these beasts. 

Builds.
There are many builds available here. I'll go through some of the more common ones. 

Knight Paladin, Reaper Chainsword, Batle Cannon, Stormspear Rocket Pod (405 points).
A classic set up which is mid range and a bit of a swiss army knife able to take on many roles. I added the storm spear because why not. 

Knight Errant, Reaper Chainsword, Thermal Cannon (380 points).
Up close and personal. Tanks and heavy infantry are your targets here. Take the front mounted melta gun for added fun.

Knight Crusader, Battle Cannon, Gatling Cannon, Twin-Linked Icarus Autocannon (415 points).
Long range fire support, and anti-air to boot. 

Knight Gallant, Reaper Chainsword, Thunderstrike Gauntlet, Ironstorm Missile Pod (410 points). 
Melee knight.

Knight Warden, Thunderstrike Gauntlet, Gatling Cannon, Ironstorm Missile Pod (415 points).
A mixed bag. Good against lighter vehicles and infantry. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Armiger Helverin Talon

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. A great long range shooting threat.

Background.

Piloted by lesser retainers and wannabes, the human on board strives to one day be worthy of an entry level job in a Household. These are long range armigers and can happily sit at the back taking shots at others all game. 

Strengths.
As with the Warglaive, the stat line reads well with S=T=7, and six wounds. Perhaps the only thing lacking here is the WS=BS=4, but this is a reflection of the fact that the pilots might be veterans outside of noble lineage, but are otherwise ordinary human beings. 

The main weapons here are the Phaeton Autocannons. These pump out two shots each (four shots per model) at a truly impressive 64 inch range at S=7. Sure, the AP3 is a slight issue, but there is rending to help a little bit. There are also two types of rounds, one for ignoring cover and one for sundering. Both are excellent. 

Weaknesses.

You will need either this unit, or the Warglaive alternative, in order to field Knights. This is more of a comment than a weakness overall though and represents arguably the biggest change to the army list from first edition: specifically 2 troops choices give you a Lord of War. A real weakness is not being able to take Moirax with your knights (sigh). 

Rules wise, they can be pinned, and they can be swept after an unfortunate combat. Best to think of them as mini-monsters from this point of view perhaps. With a mere 3+ armour save as well. 

Builds.
2 Helverins, Phaeton Autocannons (400 points).
Using them in a unit of two gives a fantastic 8 shots per turn at S=7 which will prove a threat to many things on the board. Sure, a lone Helverin is also useful, I just like increasing the number of long range shots myself. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Armiger Warglaive Talon

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. I really like the warglaives. 

Background.

Some targets are rightly beneath the notice of other Knights. The Warglaives' job is to take care of these threats such as infantry trying to clamp on some melta bombs and the like. 

Strengths.
The combination of the reaper chain blade and rthe thermal lance makes the Warglaive a good proposition against a lot of units in the game. The high strength and low armour penetration combination is a winner. The heavy stubber can be swapped out for a melta gun for more melting fun if required. 

The stat line reads well with S=T=7, and six wounds. Perhaps the only thing lacking here is the WS=BS=4, but this is a reflection of the fact that the pilots might be veterans outside of noble lineage, but are otherwise ordinary human beings. 

They're going to be great against elite enemies like terminators and characters, but are likely to struggle in melee with true marine contemptors (best to shoot these!). 

Weaknesses.

You will need either this unit, or the Helverin alternative, in order to field Knights. This is more of a comment than a weakness overall though and represents arguably the biggest change to the army list from first edition: specifically 2 troops choices give you a Lord of War. A real weakness is not being able to take Moirax with your knights (sigh). 

Rules wise, they can be pinned, and they can be swept after an unfortunate combat. Best to think of them as mini-monsters from this point of view perhaps. With a mere 3+ armour save as well. 

Builds.
Warglaive, Reaper Chainblade, Thermal Lance, Melta Gun (215 points).
I like the multiple melta threats here even if it is slightly expensive. Go hunting some enemy armour or take down some terminators before you close to destroy the rest of the unit. Not sure of the ideal number in a unit here as it will depend on your points limit for a given game. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Warlord Battle Titan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Pure win.

Background.
The mainstay of the titan legions. More responsibly for Unity and Heresy than the space marine legions themselves - arguably. They can lay waste to both armies and cities alike, and can do so on airless rocky moons and verdant planets alike so long as the ground beneath them can support their mass. Their only true enemy is others of their kith and kin. 

Strengths.
See the notes that I made about the Warhound Titan in the previous post to begin with. 

I last reviewed the Warlord Titan in 2016, at that point it cost 2750 points (now 3000 points which is still more than fair) and cost GBP 1240 - now costs 1185 before the weapons which would take it up to the region of GBP1537.50 (volcano cannons and missile launchers). As I stated in 2016, I would like you to have a good hard look at those numbers. Are you going to use it in a game? Are you rich enough not to care? Or merely display it in your home somehow and hope that your toddlers (if you have any) don't try to play with it as an equal (in size at least)? I don't yet own one myself, but have often toyed with the desire to purchase one, I will freely admit. 

With a game breaking AV=15 on two faces, a whopping 30 hull points, 6 void shields, 5++, and all the usual titan rules you've come to expect, I'm not even sure how to bring a Warlord down short of fielding one against it myself. Other than that, we get to choose two arm weapons and two carapace weapons. And yes: there is choice here. The weapons are all viable in various combinations. For the arms, I like the sun fury plasma annihilators and the bellicose pattern volcano cannons most myself. I don't like the close combat weapon (the shooting is better, and you've got a great stomp attack anyway and can't be locked in combat regardless -- even by another titan. Hence I think taking ranged weapons is better, but equally, it is the size of my own hand, and also works well in full sized games of Titanica). For the carapace, I like all options. However in second edition, we are missing the vortex option - why oh why???

Weaknesses.
None. Even the fact that it explodes magnificently upon engine death can be a strength. 

Builds.
To be clear: you can not truthfully go wrong here. These builds are merely suggestions.

Warlord Battle Titan, 2 Laser Blasters, 2 Belicosa Volcano Cannons.

Lots of ranged D class weapons to cause headaches. Big pie plates too. Nothing not to like.

Warlord Battle Titan, 2 Apocalypse Missile Launchers, 2 Sunfury Plasma Annihilators.

More dakka. I actually prefer the above build, but this one is still totally viable. 

Warlord Battle Titan, 2 Laser Blasters, 1 Arioch Power Claw, 1 Mori Quake Cannon.

Absolutely viable as well, the only issue here is the minimum range on the quake cannon if you're closing with another target? But you don't care and can shoot at something else. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Warbringer Nemesis Titan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Excellent

Background.
The Nemesis has a reputation for a restless machine spirit with ghost sensor artifacts that sometimes enable it to lock on before a threat is even sensed by the crew. It is in effect a "heavy support" choice (my words) for the Titan legions and brings heavy weapons to bear in order to bring down enemy titans. Hence the name.

Strengths.
Again, I will refer the humble reader back to the general notes that I made concerning the Warhound Titan in the previous post. 

The Nemesis comes with improved front armour (AV=15) compared to even the Reaver a whopping 6 void shields along with gatling blasters and the carapace mounted quake cannon. The autocannon batteries are not to be sniffed at either. All told this is a very dangerous titan that has an apocalyptic mega blast with the quake cannon and can take out targets with uneasy regularity. 

All this in mind, the same caveat applies here as it does to the Reaver: you're not taking it in regular games. Its either massive games, or specific Titan games. The upgrades are all good. 

Weaknesses.
None really. Maybe AV=12 at the rear needs to be thought about in terms of positioning?

Builds.

Warbringer Nemesis Titan, Nemesis Quake Cannon, 2 Gatling Laser Blasters.
Naked, and specifically for removing power armour enemies, or enemy mechanicum?

Warbringer Nemesis Titan, Nemesis Volcano Cannon, 2 Volcano Cannons.

Lots of AP1 from volcanoes all round. The nasty anti-titan build. Replace the arms with melta cannons for a bit of a closer ranged threat?

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Reaver Battle Titan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Nothing not to like here!

Background.
A battle titan in name, and in role. The Reaver is a most ancient design of Mars, and sees use throughout all of the Titan Legions.

Strengths.
I will refer the humble reader back to the general notes that I made concerning the Warhound Titan in the previous post. 

Look, if you're taking a Reaver Titan, then you are probably playing either a super massive points value game of Horus Heresy, OR you are taking part in a specific tournament / titan walk event. Otherwise, you're probably using it for the most massive objective imaginable? There's void shields here, there's lots of armour, and there's three titan weapons to choose between. Take your pick. It is actually all good here - there are no bad choices. 

Weaknesses.
I'm not sure what to write here since the Reaver is just wonderful to my biased eyes! That said, see my notes below about permitted builds in this edition versus the previous one.

Builds.

All of the four weapon choices here are great. But why we are not permitted to have a carapace mounted laser in this edition is beyond me. Please FAQ this! And what about the carapace vortex??

Reaver Battle Titan with Apocalypse Launcher, Laser Blaster, Titan Close Combat Weapon
This is probably a base line Reaver. It contains a mix of D weapons, large blasts, and the close combat weapon to make sure you move the thing to take advantage of it. 

No longer valid in this edition WHY??? Reaver Battle Titan with carapace-mounted vortex missile, 2 laser blasters
Very nasty turn 1 launch with the vortex missile to take out any close clumps of things you dislike, followed up by lots of D class shots. And lots more D class blast shots every turn thereafter. Nasty. Just nasty. Replace the vortex missile with a carapace mounted double-barrelled turbo laser destructor if you like, for sustained D shots every turn.

No longer valid in this edition WHY??? Reaver Battle Titan with carapace-mounted double-barrelled turbo laser destructor, 1 melta cannon, 1 volcano cannon.
Sit back. Blast away. Replace the volcano cannon with a laser baster to taste. But beware: this is one titan that you will forget to move around.

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Warhound Scout titan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Its a titan. You can bring it to games under 3000 points. Splendid!

Background.
The smallest of the true titans! It is classed as a scout as it moves quickly and can be deployed as such by the legions.

Strengths.

I'm broadly copying my notes from First Edition here since they still apply. So let's be honest about something. If we're taking a titan, we're probably going to be opposed with titans. Therefore, I strongly would recommend that any titan is equipped with at least one strength D weapon to try to counter any enemy titans or super heavies. Admittedly, S10 is a close second, but its not quite the same. The ability to take these weapons should not be overlooked!

Titans are treated as gargantuan creatures in assault and can therefore make stomp attacks which is easy to forget when you're playing with all that shooting power. The final "strength" to remember is that titans can move. Yep. Seriously. They have legs. They walk, jog and run. Remember to think about this: it is a mobile weapons platform after all.

Weaknesses.
It is the smallest class titan, so "only" has 2 void shields. You can live with this. The reactor meltdown should also be a weakness, but in all honesty, it is fun when they go boom and Princips shout "Engine Death" - as you should. 

Builds.
Warhound Scout Titan, 2 Vulcan Megabolters
Don't bother unless you know for certain there are no other super heavies or land raiders on the enemy side. Pumping out 30 AP3 shots every turn will rapidly decimate any space marine army otherwise. No fun for the opponent in this regard (but then, you're taking a titan!).

Warhound Scout Titan, 2 double-barrelled turbo laser destructors
 D weapons with a 5" blast every turn is serious business. This is the kind of titan that is ready for anything. Nothing in the game cannot be handled by it. Take it.

Warhound Scout Titan, 1 plasma blast gun, 1 double-barrelled turbo laser destructor
A more balanced titan (if such a thing exists! lol!), the massive blasts from the plasma gun is amazing at range and fun to play. Its also high strength and is flexible (depending on if you're facing hordes for instance). And the laser destructors are for the enemy titans to contend with.

Warhound Scout Titan, 1 plasma blast gun, 1 vulcan mega-bolter
A more "standard" configuration, but one this is frankly, not as effective as the two previous examples unless you are playing full scale Adeptus Titanicus.

I cannot say I'm a fan of the inferno cannon, but can see some of its merit in flushing out power armour opponents for a swift moving war hound.

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Secutarii Peltast Phalanx

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2.5/5 stars. Rounded up. Should be better than what they are, but the points cost is an issue.

Background.

If the Hoplites are the anvil, then the Peltasts should be the hammer. They are a ranged unit and are employed regularly by the titan legions and by the Forge World to which the legions might be tied. 

Strengths.

The BS=4 is key here - they shoot like marines and need to be kitted out as such. Sadly their basic weapon - the galvanic caster is a bit naff and should be swapped out. 

The arc rifle is a good option and comes recommended. The radium carbine with Assault 3 and Brutal 2 is solid at shorter ranges even if the strength is low. 

Weaknesses.

You will really want to swap out the galvanic caster. This costs points if you go for the arc rifle and this is where things get expensive. They also lack Line.

The good news, such as it is, is that the Peltasts can be modelled by Skitarii -- which this unit is in all but name. 

Builds. 

Secutarii Peltast Phalanx, 20 members, 9 with radium carbines, 10 with arc rifles, Alpha with radium pistol and rad grenades (335 points). 

Take an augury scanner to taste. Very expensive realistically. To cut down on the points cost just opt for radium carbines all round? I do like those arc rifles though - the S=6 hit is impressive enough, but its just very expensive. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Secutarii Hoplite Phalanx

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded up. Solid enough troops for the points cost.

Background.

Upgraded and with lots of defensive kit to ensure that they survive, this Phalanx marches at the feet of titans and is specifically recruited to be an anti-infantry force. 

Strengths.

Stat wise, the only attraction here is BS=4, otherwise they're rather raw human mechanicum creatures. What sets them apart are the defensive capabilities. They come with a standard 5+ invulnerable save, feel no pain, and the ability to re-roll 1's. But the Kyropatris field generator is where the action is at. They reduce the strength of incoming fire by 1 when there are 10 or more models on the field. This is strong and ultimately means they will be tougher to remove than an opponent might otherwise want to commit to. The arc lance is icing on the cake, and through the Axiarch, you have probably selected for preferred enemy as well. Nice.

Weaknesses.

You have to take them in large blobs to get the most out of them. Sadly they don't have the Line keyword either which really sucks, otherwise they'd be very good. 

Builds. 

Secutarii Hoplite Phalanx, 20 members, Alpha with radium pistol and rad grenades (265 points). 

Take an augury scanner to taste. I don't really like the idea of swapping out the arc lance for a power weapon as we lose the BS=4 ranged attack for a WS=3 melee, but it could be a nice deterrent. Whatever you decide, keep to 20 members to maximize the shield generators abilities. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Secutarii Axiarch

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded up. The only HQ available, and not too bad either!

Background.

Selected from Secutarii who have recovered a fallen titan from the enemy, and other less obvious methods, these individuals are thoroughly "upgraded" to become war leaders. This means in turn that they can call upon all manner of battle data to optimise plans. 

Strengths.

The points cost is very attractive here, and there's really no need to go overboard with the upgrades either. The key rule is provided by Binaric Strategems which can grant other Secutarii special rules. To be honest, players will want to take preferred enemy of infantry out of all of the options to turn their forces from distinctly average meat shields into something with a bit more teeth.

The stat line here is reasonable with an impressive BS=5 and 3 wounds, along with A=3. They're like a space marine without artificer armour in many respects. They can also be played as such. 

Weaknesses.

With WS=4, you won't last long against the more elite of the various legions in melee, but you can pack a punch with the right units to help you out here. 

Builds. 

Axiarch, power fist, rad grenades (80 points).
A distinctly entry level build that can pack a good punch in close combat.

Axiarch, augury scanner, photon gauntlet (80 points).

A bit more of a ranged AP2 option?

Axiarch, arc lance and mag-inverter shield, rad grenades (85 points).

Take master crafted on the arc lance perhaps? Not sure. But this is a nice configuration as well. 

Infernal Master: Alpha Legion Style

A bit of a conversion from the weekend. This is the Thousand Sons' Infernal Master miniature from the plastic range being used as the basis, but with added Alpha Legion resin parts to convert the legion's loyalty.

The shoulder pad is a direct Mark 4 Alpha Legion resin piece from Forge World that I had lying around. The head meanwhile is one of the newer heads - Character Heads Upgrades Set 1. Obviously, I have also converted parts of the miniature in addition to this to remove some obvious Thousand Sons trappings such as the scarabs here and there, and to remove the warp flame backpack bits which really didn't communicate the Heresy vibe that I wanted them to. I've also covered the bit holding the cape on with green stuff to actively get rid of the final Thousand Sons' heraldry. I intend to use a decal to go over the top of this when it has been painted up eventually. 

The idea here is to portray a marine who has or soon will succumb to full chaos affiliation but otherwise heralds from the Alpha Legion. As the legion would later discover, no man can be master of chaos, and as the civil war within the Legion was fought, sides were chosen and lines were drawn between its twin masters despite their otherwise erstwhile unity. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Archmagos Anacharis Scoria

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Really great rules!

Background.

The disaster that was the Xana Incursion by the Loyalists saw the otherwise cast down archmagos released. This was a bad thing. In the aftermath, he came to rule Xana and turned it into probably the first Warp powered Forge World that would haunt the Imperium proper for many decades later. 

Strengths.

Oh boy. This guy has it all. Including a scorpion like appearance. 

His stat line is impressive with almost a primarch level of stats falling short in only the WS, BS, and S departments (arguably A as well). His melee hits at S=9 regardless with AP2. To be clear he is not quite on par with the primarchs, but he comes close enough. If he had Brutal he would be a great contender, but he falls short. 

The special rules that he has covers all manner of cybertheurgic arcana along with items like Eternal Warrior, IWND, battle smith, fear, and firing protocols to name but a few.  His warlord trait - Forbidden Protocols - allows units in a small range of him all able to make reactions - including those robots. This is fairly unique and whole strategies - if not armies - could be built around this rule.He also gains a bonus movement reaction.

Weaknesses.

Points cost. This is massive. Despite the flexibility that he offers, the points cost is creeping up very high although he is still worth taking. Just wish he was on the same level as primarchs myself, but he isn't. 

Overall. 

Something of a traitorous Swiss army knife that opens up all manner of play styles. You are probably taking him for melee along with giving robots reactions - build accordingly. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Archmagos Draykavac

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. Rounded down. Note quite in the excellent tier, but close.

Background.

An archmagos who was fairly unheard of at the start of the civil war, all that would change at the onset of hostilities. On the Forge World of Cyclothrathe, he conquered using his forces, added to them, and committed all manner of atrocity along the way. A traitor through and through. 

Strengths.

What stands out to me here is his melee ability to inflict 2d6 wounds at AP2 minus the toughness characteristic thanks to his liquifractor. This is simply nasty and will melt away enemy characters with unbridled ease. 

His cruel taskmaster trait is a bit average in the sense of letting you pass a Ld test by removing a single model. He can also be taken as a troops choice in a Questoris army which is kinda neat, and worrying for any loyalists out there. Meanwhile his djinn skein grants BS+1 to a unit he joins which is solid but the stand out is to re-roll deep strike scatter when he can sight the intended landing spot. This is fairly unique in the game!

He comes with a host of mechanicum special rules like battlesmith and so forth and is, of course, a Cybertheurgist. I like the preferred enemy: infantry rule on him as well. He really will melt away strong opposition given the opportunity. His stat line backs this up with a rather solid array of figures which can be boosted in the T and W department by purchasing him an Abeyant upgrade which to my mind is worth the points cost increase for the stats alone. 

Weaknesses.

Not too many realistically. He is a HQ traitor choice and will certainly liquefy enemy troops and characters given the opportunity. You just have to get him into the right position on the battlefield is all. 

Builds. 

Worth taking the Abeyant upgrade in my opinion for the stat line boost alone. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Ordinatus Aktaeus

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded up. Expensive, but the rules are good.

Background.

This is the Imperial Mole - a massive transporter that burrows underground. It can then emerge behind enemy fortification lines and disgorge its deadly content. Effectively a siege engine with its lineage traceable to terraforming activities. 

Strengths.

With an impressive 42 person transport capacity, this super heavy mole will carry what you want. With 14 hull points, AV=14 on the front and 13 elsewhere, and subterranean assault, it will also carry them to where you want them to be without much danger of getting lost or blown up along the way. 

There's also an interesting weapon that causes a permanent immobilization to create a short range "earth quake" of sorts. This pulses outward depending on the game turn and can grant pinning as well as hitting vehicles on their lowest armour value. Interesting to use late on if the Mole is in position. 

Weaknesses.

The points cost is very large here, but it will certainly do its job. The firepower is distinctly average though. 

Builds. 

There are no upgrades here, hence no build to discuss.