Horus Heresy 3e Review: Esoterist, Legacy Unit Esoterists, and the Anathemata Discipline

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. Esoterists serve the purpose of summoning or denying enemy daemon / malefic units. As such, they can be niche, but are otherwise solid. 

Background.

The Esoterist is basically a librarian that realized that they could either summon or banish daemons. They are therefore late-Heresy era eventualities and a product of the Warrior Lodges, or perhaps secret Librarian conclaves looking to thwart daemons by examining ancient lore. 

In this review, we combine together the all Legacy variations of the Esoterist unit, as well as looking at the Anathemata discipline. 

Strengths. 

Surprisingly, the Esoterist has a higher Willpower score than the regular Librarian. Perhaps that's what happens when you have to bind daemons to your will or force them out of existence? 

Anathemata Discipline - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars. Situational. If you are a traitor player, you get a way in which to summon your daemon units to the table very reliably. However, they cannot charge directly out of summoning in third edition which is a change to second edition. Therefore this is not quite as strong, but still reasonable. If you have a shooting daemon unit, it could be good. But if you have a melee unit, you could always summon them behind yourself and use your own unit as a screen?

For the loyalists, they get a reaction to seal the veil. This slows enemy malefic units by making them discard the highest die for charges, and making them have a maximum set up move of one inch. Its a bit meh and not very useful at all if your opponent is not playing malefic units. 

On top of this, you get the Void Darts psychic power. This is okay. It probably won't slay too many space marines, but then again, neither does a bolt gun on its own. Hence my thought is to think of it as a heavy bolt gun analogue with a random amount of shots. Shred and Force are nice here. 

Don't forget the Fear (1) rule here though. This is good on its own merits. And I'm certain the Night Lords will especially appreciate it. 

Weaknesses. 

Esoterists are niche. 

For the traitors, you get to summon daemons without reserve rolls which is great! But you need to invest in daemons. 

For the loyalists, you don't get much, especially if your opponents do not play malefic units. Fear and Void Darts are just about acceptable, but you'd want something more for your points really. That, and you are probably not going to be in the right position to make the most of the Seal the Veil reaction. 

Builds.

Esoterist (95 points).

The naked build is acceptable for traitors, but you need a transport solution in all probability. Moderately useless for Loyalists. 

Esoterist with Jump Pack (125 points).

Bring your jump pack friends, and summon daemons!

Esoterist with Jet Bike and Plasma Cannon (160 points).

About the only version worthy for Loyalists due to the quick movement (although admittedly, the jump pack and the outrider are quicker than foot soldiers as well). Great for the traitor player too it has to be said. 

Esoterist in Cataphractii Armour (125 points). 

Presumably you have a land raider or teleport solution to get them into place before summoning. You can then use your daemons as a screen, or use yourself as a screen for those daemons. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Librarian, Legacy Unit Librarians, and Psychic Disciplines

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Librarians are solid performers, and the psychic disciplines in third edition a mixed set. 

Background.

Most of the legions maintained cadres of battle psykers to be deployed against foes needing a bit of special attention. That all changed after Nikaea wherein the legions were ordered to stop using them and push them back into the rank and file. The Heresy turned that around once more as many Primarchs saw the benefits of their librarians and re-established their use. 

In this review, we combine together the disciplines, as well as all the Legacy variations of Librarians. 

Strengths. 

The Librarian is a character that gives access to the psychic disciplines, a force weapon, and potentially a pistol upgrade (which arguably you won't need). 

What is really interesting here are the psychic disciplines which we will go over here. 

Biomancy - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars. As a strong as ever in my opinion, and a go to option if you otherwise cannot decide. It is close combat orientated and can augment your joined unit by a strong amount. Really scary in the right hands. 

Pyromancy - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars. Nothing wrong with pyromancy, and is remains solid. You get to burn things, and at range too. Regular mortals (i.e., not space marines) will suffer at their hands. 

Telekinesis - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 Stars. Rounded Down. Telekinesis is utility territory and you will need to think how to optimize them (placing the telekineticist with a backline heavy support squad is, for instance, a great idea if you have the points). Also don't forget your psychic reactions for whole squad effects. 

Divination - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars. Honestly, its great. Very offensive and has to be played strongly, but absolutely great. 

Thaumaturgy - ⭐️⭐️ 2/5 Stars. A bit niche to my mind, but you'll be glad you have it if you ever face off against the Thousand Sons and Magnus himself. It is basically an anti-psyker discipline. 

Telepathy - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars. Push units away and stun them. Great stuff! But not as strong as it used to be in second edition, which is actually a good thing. 

Weaknesses. 

It is slightly surprising to see that Willpower=9 and not 10. 

Doubly so considering the Esoterist is Willpower=10!

I would also like to have a bit more customization available to the Librarians (ranged weapons like bolt guns being replaced perhaps?). The disciplines more than make up for this though. 

Builds.

Librarian with Biomancy and Divination (125 points).

My baseline build suggestion which must be played aggressively and probably with a retinue unit or similar tagging along. You will need a transport solution.

Librarian with Telekinesis and Telepathy (115 points).

Backline support. 

Librarian with Jump Pack, Biomancy and Thaumaturgy (155 points).
Aggressive, but with a suite of anti-psyker usage as well. Take with an assault squad. 

Librarian with Jet Bike and Multi-Melta, Divination (180 points).
Blow things up and melt enemy commanders or flag bearers.

Librarian in Cataphractii Armour, Biomancy (140 points). 

A team enhancer for your terminator assaults. 

Warpstone Flux Star Rating Explained

Since Second Edition, Warpstone Flux has been using a star rating system to describe units within the Horus Heresy (Warhammer 30k). Today, I wanted to say a few words about the rating system.

Firstly, and most importantly: all ratings are subjective.

Secondly, all ratings are subjective.

Thirdly, the first point was so good it needed repeating (see point two). Now go back to point number 1. 

Okay, joking aside, what I want to emphasize is that my long term readers REGULARLY disagree with my ratings, and I am certain that any new reader will also do likewise. This doesn't mean that the ratings are useless, but what it does mean is that there is a balance to be struck and I am ALWAYS OPEN TO FEEDBACK (seriously, I want the blog to be useful to the community). How do I go about achieving that balance then? Well, I try to at least be consistent, and here are my rough parameters:

5/5 Stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️). This means that the unit is excellent! I do not give 5/5 stars lightly, nor do I give them all the time. I only give them to truly outstanding units. In this context, outstanding and excellent mean at least several of the following are true. Well above par stat line. Excellent special rules. Alignment with fluff / background is exceptional. Rule of cool applies (this is where the subjectivity comes in a lot, of course). Potential for game domination, or turning the tide of a game is very high. In some cases, the unit might be "broken" in some manner, shape, or form (or put another way: you don't make friends by fielding this in some circumstances). Arguably, you NEED this unit in your army (cf., Praetors). 

4/5 Stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️). With 4 stars, the points cost of the unit is well worth while. The stat line is above what you might expect for the points. The special rules make them stand out, or perhaps the combination of special rule. There might be strong build flexibility allowing the unit multiple battlefield roles, or without builds they can take on multiple roles easily.  Whilst they are not 5/5 stars, they come very highly recommended and they represent some of the best in the game. You are also likely to come across them in both friendly and tournament play. You need to think that you will be encountering them, or that they are popular. They function well! They might also be very fluffy (which I like, and which will boost their star rating from me since 30k cares more about this than 40k). 

3/5 Stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️). These are average or typical units. If the humble tactical squad is 100 points, then this unit is also worth about the same (i.e., you pay for what you get - but note that I rate the humble tactical squad much higher than this for different reasons). They might not have many, or any special rules. They probably don't even have an invulnerable save most of the time. Their stat line is average, or typical for space marines (etc.). Nothing particularly stands out to me, or quite often: the weaknesses of the unit are offset by their strengths. They're okay. Not brilliant. Not poor. Solid performers. 

2/5 Stars (⭐️⭐️). In some way, these units are sub-par. They are not quite worth their points cost, or they are rare to field on the tabletop because there is some flaw - intentional or not. They might be over-designed or too bespoke. They could be ineffective, or perhaps even cannon fodder (which to be clear: is still useful for quite a number of builds). They probably die quickly and easily, or can be exploited. Or perhaps you only field them because they are fluffy and appropriate. You are still likely to encounter them on the tabletop in friendly games, and fluffy tournament lists. But not all the time. 

1/5 Stars (⭐️). There's something very wrong or bad with this unit. It might not be designed well. The points cost might be horribly high in comparison to its effectiveness. The stat line is terrible. The special rules exhibit major drawbacks for you in the game by making the unit less effective than anything of its ilk should be. No one plays this unit realistically outside of very friendly games, or games where you are just testing out ideas and concepts. They might not even be fluffy (if they were fluffy and just bad, I might give them 1.5 stars or 2 stars). 

0/5 Stars. I honestly don't give this rating much, if at all. If I did, this would signify unplayability. Like a combat monster who can never charge (I'm looking at Night Lords dreadnoughts in second edition shattered legions for this level of silliness and star rating). Make no mistake: if I refuse a star rating, something is terribly wrong to the point of not being able to be played rather than just being bad. 

I often use half stars. I will round up or down to get a whole integer for these to display on the blog, and half stars are therein only mild descriptions (I might as well write 3.5 stars as a 4 star minus, or similar to be honest). 

Caveat Emptor applies. I remain your humble servant, and but a fallible human being. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Cassian Dracos Reborn

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. A fluffy choice!

Background.

How often do you get to play the original commander of a legion? Almost unheard of. Just ask Angron what he did. Vulkan was a bit different. After the final battle that Cassian undertook, he was horrifically injured. But along came Vulkan in time to craft him a majestic dreadnought skin the likes of which has never been repeated. At Isstvan, it took an orbital lance to stop him and he lay vitrified in glass for a long period before he was once again released (and hence: reborn). He is not altogether as sane as he once was though. 

Strengths. 

The stat line alone of this dreadnought is nearly like a Primarch, minus the usual perks. S=T=7 with W=8 is very impressive. 

The ability to use the Scrap Code infection is very reasonable. 

Yet it is in close combat where Cassian will truly shine with 2 Gravis power fists pumping away. The drakenscale helps keep him alive, and he also gets battlesmith which helps a lot. 

Weaknesses. 

Cassian lacks in Willpower and Intelligence. This makes him vulnerable in these departments. Willpower=6 in particular could be a significant issue.

He also explodes when dead. 

Overall.

High points cost overall, but also a high command for the Salamanders Legion which makes Cassian a very interesting choice, albeit with some advanced characteristics compromised. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Pyroclast Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Solid! (Or perhaps liquid - liquid flame). 

Background.

When your Primarch has moral objections to Destroyer Squads, this is what happens. You decide to cleanse everything in pure flame instead. And with fire projectors that were specifically designed by said Primarch just for that purpose. Because death by fire is far more humanitarian than death by radiation fire I suppose?

Strengths. 

Two wounds each and armed with the Pyroclast Flame Projector (and a bolt pistol). The Projector is a template weapon with S=6 and panic, but can be shot in a focussed mode to give a melta like profile as well. This makes it incredibly flexible in terms of light tank hunting, and destroying embedded enemy troops. 

They also have some Drakenscale to help protect them and come with a native 6++ invulnerable save in addition to the baseline 2+ save. 

Weaknesses. 

Slightly pricey, but perfectly good. This squad should really have access to things like Vexillas, but in common with previous editions, it does not. 

Builds. 

5 Pyroclasts, Warden with Forge Crafted Power Fist (205 points). 

Needs a transport solution, but is otherwise good to go. Drop the Forge Crafted if you are short on points. 

10 Pyroclasts, Warden with Forge Crafted Thunder Hammer (360 points).

The fully upgraded squad. Really strong and powerful to pair up with a Praetor or similar. Nasty when fresh out of a transport to say the least. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Firedrake Terminator Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Arguably some of the best terminators around. 

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.

Strengths. 

2+/4++ is excellent. No two ways about it. 

The shields come with Drakenscale which lowers the Damage characteristic from lots of special sources. And don't forget the shield trait itself which will make them even more survivable. 

Shining here is Vanguard (4) which is very impressive. 

And with the Legacies update, you also have the full range of upgrades available once again. 

Weaknesses. 

Do you even care about Slow and Purposeful?

Builds. 

5 Firedrakes, all with Forge Crafted Thunder Hammers and Drakenshields  (250 points). 

The naked squad. Very effective. And cheaper than the previous edition. 

5 Firedrakes, 3 Combi-Meltas, 1 Forge Crafted Heavy Flamer, 2 Chain Fists (310 points).

A different build for a different purpose and can be effective, but I think basic terminators would be better potentially?

5 Firedrakes, 4 Combi-Flamers, 1 Forge Crafted Heavy Flamer (320 points). 

Should be slightly cheaper in my opinion, but still a neat option focussing on fire! 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Vulkan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Well earned. He is an absolute underrated monster of the Horus Heresy. 

Background.

Vulkan is the good guy. The humanitarian. The perpetual. And amazingly a match for many of his brothers, whilst also being a consummate craftsman. Whilst his brothers played war leaders and planetary unifiers, he was more than happy to be a teacher and protector. He carried this over to his legion and sought to minimize the casualties he caused. This, of course, way not the way of some of his brothers. He was well liked by most of them all the same. And a giant of a man to boot. 

Strengths. 

His stat line alone with WS=S=T=W=7 is very impressive. Add on the Salamanders trait and he is not going down easily at all. 

His wargear consists of The Furnace's Heart as his side weapon which unfortunately causes panic (my only real negative) as does his flame projector, Dragon's Breath Gauntlet. Both have a high strength and are great. But the real star of the show is Dawnbringer - his hammer. Too heavy for anyone but a primarch to even lift, the arguably strongest primarch picks it up in one hand and gets S=9 AP=2 and D=3 output as well as critical hits and armour bane. This is magnificent. 

The Undying Fire gives Vulkan a gambit to regenerate lost wounds. It is basically a free +1d3 wounds. Hence you're not really facing a Primarch with W=7, you are facing W=7+1d3 when played correctly. This is super strong. 

As Sire of the Salamanders, if 4 troops fill the battlefield slots with forge crafted weapons then you get all Primes. And until the end of Turn 1, you ignore modifiers to your advanced characteristics across the army. Again, this is very strong.  

Weaknesses. 

Having a unit panic on you when you approach them just because you shot out some flame might not be the best move you can make. 

Overall.

In the high bracket for points cost, but it is fully justified. The arguably strongest Primarch can take care of most things in the game short of some of his brothers (and even then he will likely win through sheer endurance) and lords of war. It is just that panic from his flame weapons that might be an issue. But despite that, I am more than confident awarding 5/5 stars to Vulkan. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Salamanders Legion Rules

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Possibly over powered in third edition! 

Background.

Since we reviewed the bad guy poster boys for Third Edition, the next legion had to be the good guy poster boys. In all of the legions in the Horus Heresy (and Warhammer 40,000 for that matter), the Salamanders stand out as actually caring and giving a hoot about the world around them and wanting to give back and make it better. Through self sacrifice mainly. But also spending time with families on their home world. And things like that. Unfortunately, this is the grim dark and in the Heresy, they were brutally betrayed on Isstvan and became a shattered remnant of what they were: a legion named for the fire breathing apex predator of their Primarch's home world. It is arguable that without their actions subsequently that the Imperium would not be in the position it found itself in. 

Armoury. 

The third edition has some extensive options for the Salamanders including a unique prime advantage. 

Duty Before Death is the prime advantage which grants a basic feel no pain roll. This is nice, but perhaps not the best choice given their Tactica. 

Drakenscale sets D=1 for flame, plasma, melta, and volkite for commanders and champions at a reasonable points cost. Although not quite an auto-buy, it is very tempting and should be taken in almost all cases.

Forge Crafted Weapons cover power weapons, power fists, and thunder hammers for a points increase to make the weapon line better. Power weapons benefit from AM+1, power fists from D+1, and thunder hammers from AM+1. These are almost certainly worth taking. 

Forge Crafted Flame Weapons are similar upgrades, but for hand flamers, flamers, and heavy flamers. They get D+1. The points cost associated is certainly worth paying. 

Tactica. 

Promethean Endurance puts the Death Guard to shame. Wound tests fail on natural 1's and 2's. This is mind blowing and very powerful. But it gets better. Blood of Fire means they never suffer panic from flame weapons either. Combined, you have an insanely strong legion here even if you run basic tactical squads. 

Gambit.  
Duty is Sacrifice gives you a focus bonus of 1, 2, or 3, at the expense of taking the same number of wounds at AP=5, D=1. Worth playing if you know what you are doing and feel like you will save those wounds. Risky in the extreme if you are low on wounds. But if you need that focus, so be it. 

Additional Detachments. 
Immolation Covenant gives extra armour so long as they are predators or vindicators alongside support squads which is very nice. A couple of tanks here and flame units could be excellent. 

Advanced Reaction. 
Selfless Burden reacts to an incoming charge to give WS+1, S+1, and A+1. But then you suffer a 1 in 6 chance of suffering a wound per unit member at D=1 and no AP. A more than reasonable trade off. 

The Salamanders overall are a very powerful legion and this can often be overlooked. The Promethean Endurance in particular is what pushed me over the edge to give 5/5 stars to the legion. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Drop Pod

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Changes to Deep Strike limits the effectiveness of Drop Pods in Third Edition. 

Background.

Your iconic orbital insertion transport. Your marines embark on a drop pod from orbit and plummet are terrible speeds toward the ground to avoid being destroyed in mid-air and somehow survive the g-forces in operation due to either plot armour, or super human physiology. 

Strengths. 

Carrying capacity is 10 and you get to deep strike. That's it. That's all there is to know really!

Weaknesses. 

AV=12 is okay, but once on the board that won't matter a great deal. The BS=2 isn't great, but sometimes that mounted bolt gun might get a wound, so it is worth shooting. 

The deep strike rules in third edition are worth noting here. Firstly, you cannot deep strike on turn one. This is bad. Secondly, you can only deep strike one unit per turn in third edition. This is bad. 

The latter might be fixed by specific mission rules, but the whole drop pod assault army has been utterly obliterated if I am reading the rules correctly. Seriously: this is so bad.  

Builds. 

There are no build options to discuss here. You pay the flat fee and you get what you pay for. End of. The drop pod is absolutely worthwhile, but I want to still see drop pod armies. Otherwise what is the "Drop Site Massacre" all about? One coming down at a time and making it easy for Horus to blast them down? 

Iron Father Conversion

By a good margin, this is the most audacious, and slightly ridiculous conversion that I have attempted in a long while! But somehow, it has come together to create something very unique and fitting with the vision that I wanted, whilst having something of an over-the-top aura suited to a slightly older school warhammer vibe. 

There are two major parts to this Iron Father conversion. The first is the left arm to give the Iron Father a Paragon Weapon in the form of a chaos warrior spear. This comes from the old school mounted chaos warriors set. Here, I have used a chaos space marine left arm and pierced it with a pin right through. The pin goes a good way into both ends of the paragon weapon or spear and gives it a long length. It looks suitably deadly, but hopefully the praetor will ditch the graviton pistol and hold it in two hands when wielding it. 

The second item to tackle was a servo arm. But I didn't really want a "usual" arm for this. I wanted something to suggest that this Iron Father has plundered technologies that he probably should have. Maybe he opened those vaults once Ferrus Manus had gone. Regardless, I've used necron parts for the servo arm. Although it is clearly sourced from a ranged weapon, the front flange of the weapon is odd looking enough that it can be interpreted as a grabber of some kind which suits the arm configuration. This also gives the suggestion of plundering those long forbidden vaults as well, with a slight nod toward the Dornian Heresy storyline as well. Illegal technology indeed!

The overall miniature is certainly the craziest that I've done in a long while. And it gave me a giggle on an otherwise dull and vexing day to pull this off. Hope you like it and feel inspired!

Unboxing: Iron Hands Praetor

I picked up the new Iron Hands praetor recently as I wanted to use it as the basis for a conversion for an Iron Father. A bit ambitious maybe, but I have a radical plan! Regardless of that plan, here are the parts fresh out of the clam pack

In essence, the praetor is a simple construction composed of legs and body supplied distinctly (which I approve of!) a choice of heads (one will be used elsewhere), and the cape with three tendrils coming off the backpack area. 

The hard parts of assembling this miniature are undoubtedly the the tendrils! It is best to put down the one that attaches to the notch in the cape first, and then layer the one that slots into it next. Wisdom in hindsight is a specialty of mine it appears, so I hope readers gain something from my mistakes! I will have to use a hair dryer to help correct this later I feel. 

Horus Heresy 3e: Rhino

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars, rounded up. More expensive in third edition than previously, but still effective. 

Background.

It is your quintessential armoured transport. In numbers they are great. Easy to maintain and easy to repair. And very much available in all your friendly STC shops today! 

Strengths. 

You have here a carrying capacity of 12. That is the main function of this vehicle. This is a full squad of ten, plus a commander, and maybe someone like an apothecary. This is about ideal. 

Oh, you will want a havoc launcher too (but I'm biased about havoc launchers, I freely admit). 

Weaknesses. 

AV=10 on the rear remains a key concern for rhinos. But. They do have auto repair on a 4+ which is very nice. Don't forget the smokescreen as well. I bet I cannot be the only player to systematically forget the existence of this one. 

Builds. 

Rhino, Havoc Launcher (65 points).

My personal favourite set up. Can't lie - I love the havoc launcher. One ping from this every turn is solid enough. A fleet of rhinos with this very cheap upgrade is more than annoying to any enemy. And you get stun as well. There's nothing not to like about havoc launchers! So good!

Rhino, Dozer Blade, Search Light (70 points).

You will need the odd search light here and there in a mechanised army, and on a rhino or two is excellent. The dozer blade is also situational, but once in a while it'll really pay off. 

Rhino, Pintle Combi-Melta, Hunter-Killer Missile (80 points).

A rhino to add to your anti-vehicle complement. Getting expensive here. Shoot the missile on turn 1 and hopefully you have more than just this one elsewhere in your army to finish the job?

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Damocles Command Rhino

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2.5/5 stars, rounded up. Its okay, but pricey and vulnerable. 

Background.

Advanced comms contained in a rhino to allow your on board commander to watch the flow of battle and better react to it. 

Strengths. 

Stat line wise, this is a rhino with a transport capacity of a measly 6. 

It does get auto-repair and some pintle bolt guns that can be upgraded. 

What shines here is the Command Vox Relay and the Mobile Command Vehicle upgrades. The former let's you manipulate reserves by +1. On a successful intelligence test, you can also apply Line (1) or Vanguard (1) to your faction on the battlefield. This is cool when played well. The latter meanwhile lets you take that intelligence test using anyone on board. Which is why you will want a smart person on board. 

Weaknesses. 

Fundamentally, it is an expensive rhino with (presumably) an expensive HQ choice inside for the intelligence tests. They will therefore either be stuck hiding in cover or on top of an objective all of the game to get the bonuses throughout, or late game charging up the field in a last moment charge for their on board men. It takes some finesse and guts to play this vehicle but it isn't impossible in third edition. Its just the fact that early game, this rhino will be a target and unlikely to survive long if your opponent knows what it can do. 

Builds. 

Damocles Command Rhino, Havoc Launcher, Search Lights (130 points).

The havoc launcher has always been a staple of my lists that run rhinos. It is cheap enough to take, and long range enough to be a mild annoyance and threat. The Search Light is more optional, but can help you sometimes at the expense of being a big bright light itself. You should probably take the search light on a very basic rhino to be honest, so you should see this as optional here. But don't skimp on the havoc launchers - take one on every rhino and you can thank me later. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Morlock Terminator Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars, rounded up. Special Request review for the Iron Hands from the Legacies.  

Background.

Even Ferrus Manus had his personal guards. These were terminator armoured men from the Avernii Clan and had responsibility to guard him in his Anvilarium and on the battlefield. They failed. However, those that were stationed elsewhere or miraculously survived Isstvan went a little bit mad on the vengeance - even more so than the rest of the Iron Hands. 

Strengths. 

If you know you will be fighting against the Emperor's Children without Ferrus on the table, then these men all gain Hatred of the Emperor's Children thanks to the Fate of the Gorgon special rule. This makes them really shine, but otherwise is highly situational. 

They have T=5, W=2, and WS=5 along with a leadership of 10 from the sergeant which is really nice. They are strictly better in the advanced characteristics department compared to ordinary Cataphractii terminator retinues to be honest. Eternal Warrior (1) is very nice to have overall and this is fundamentally why they cost slightly more than comparable squads. They are probably just worth the extra points in my opinion, but for smaller points value games where you are worried about squeezing every point of value then ordinary Cataphractii might have an edge. 

There are plenty of different builds available for the Morlocks as well. We will explore a sample of them below. 

Weaknesses. 

No real models available but you will want cataphractii terminators as the base and undertake kit bashing therein. That said, I've also seen some Indomitus terminators designated as Morlocks and they look very cool as well. 

They are, as you might imagine, slow and purposeful, and therefore you ideally want a transport solution for these terminators as well. They can also only ever be used for Loyalist Iron Hands. I suppose that is not a surprise to anyone!

Builds. 

5 Morlock Terminators, 4 Graviton Guns, Augmentor with Graviton Shredder, Nuncio-Voc, Legion Standard (350points).

Already expensive, but I do like the graviton load out version of the squad who can take care of their own conditions and make it into combat as well. Take some chain fists to taste or upgrade to artificer power axes for free all round if you want. 

5 Morlock Terminators, 4 Volkite Chargers, Augmentor with Volkite Culverin, Nuncio-Vox, Legion Standard (305points).

The volkite heavy version of the above squad. Cheaper as well, but potentially less deadly at range?

5 Morlock Terminators, 3 Chain Fists, 2 Artificer Power Axes, Nuncio-Vox, Legion Standard (325 points).

Focus here is more on the close combat rather than the shooting. I actually prefer the graviton squad with a couple of chain fists if you have the points cost available, but it is getting very expensive if you do that. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Iron Circle Maniple

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars, rounded up. Superb body guards for Perturabo after he found his sons wanting. 

Background.

Perturabo found that his Iron Warriors bodyguard was, shall we say, lacking after the Battle of Phall. Released from his oath to the Emperor, he designed and released his own automata to replace those body guards. A product of his genuine genius applied to war, these machines became known as the Iron Circle and would see use as body guards and front line troops accompanying the Primarch and other Praetors of the legion into battle. 

Strengths. 

The stat line is interesting with a base of T=7 and W=4. Although their save is 2+/5++, they will suffer at the hands of lots of high strength ranged attacks coming their way eventually. So make the most of them whilst they last.

They are armed with twin shrapnel cannons which are great (don't forget the pinning aspect here - it works so well), graviton crushers (very strong and shock and armour bane are just icing on the cake), and the Karceri battle shield which halves the damage of incoming unsaved wounds. Then there is the Shield of the Iron Tyrant special rule which prevents their charge from suffering precision hits at range. This is very nice indeed. 

Weaknesses. 

Only Paragons or Command sub types can be accompanied by these robots, but you didn't expect anything less. They are really strong in conjunction with Perturabo and you need to simply choose your targets and move up to tackle them. The only problem really is with challenges since they won't be taking part. Unless you make Perturabo a coward which given his strong close combat finesse is not something you really want to do. They can handle themselves in a fair fight though. 

Builds.

The only real build option here is how many Iron Circle automata you want to include in a unit. You can have up to 6 of them in a single maniple. One is probably going to be very nice on its own, if only for ablative wounds and also ideal for small points value games to provide a decent challenge to an opponent. Two or sometimes three is about right for most other situations and you do get a points cost discount for additional ones over the first which makes my argument for 2 or 3 being the correct value stronger - at least in my opinion. 

More than that is overkill, or you are playing a large points value game (and if you are in a large points value game, just take 6 to accompany Perturabo and be done with it - if money is no object to your hobby!). 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Iron Havocs

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. An excellent choice from the Legacies list but slightly too points expensive to my mind.

Background.

The Iron Warriors raised the concept of heavy support squads to an art form. The Iron Havocs rain down heavy weapon support from range to saturate the battlefield with plentiful and deadly shots. 

Strengths. 

The major advantage of the Iron Havocs lies in them denying cover saves to their targets via the in-built Ferrum Occularis. Otherwise, they are literally identical to the main army list Heavy Support Squad option. 

They also (and almost uniquely) have access to shrapnel cannons as base which can cause pinning and also has shred. This can be powerful. 

Weaknesses. 

Firstly they are slightly more points expensive than otherwise I would have predicted. 

Secondly, I would have liked to have seen BS+1 at least for them being described as marksmen, but alas, their base BS=4 still. They don't have the equivalent of Tank Hunters from first edition either. Yet, they are still effective. 

Players therefore have to ask themselves how much they like denying cover saves to their opponents, and how much the plausibly might like Shrapnel Cannons which as a very interesting and powerful option at intermediate ranges. 

Builds.

10 Iron Havocs, all with Shrapnel Cannons, Sergeant with Augury Scanner (270 points). 

Maximum Shrapnel fire power, and the augury scanner helps with shrouded which is worth it the instant you come across shrouded in the game (trust me). Take a nuncio-vox to taste. This is possibly the only squad also worth taking a close combat weapon upgrade on the sergeant if you are thinking of a rolling wall of cannon fire? But you honestly don't want them in close combat - the weapon would just be a deterrent and probably ineffective. 

5 Iron Havocs, all with Las Cannons (210 points).

A full 35 points more expensive than a similar Heavy Support Squad. Yet for targeting dreadnoughts in cover it remains a lot more effective. 

5 Iron Havocs, all with Missile Launchers, Augury Scanner, Nunci-Vox (180 points). 

A strong squad that can tackle multiple potential targets and counters. 

5 Iron Havocs, all with auto cannons, Augury Scanner, Nuncio-Vox (205 points). 

Auto cannons remain an effective choice for the Iron Havocs as well. Tempting to increase this squad to full size to be honest - but only if you have the points available. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Tyrant Siege Terminator Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars, narrowly rounded down. An almost auto-include in an Iron Warriors force. 

Background.

The Iron Warriors may well have been a grim lot, but the Tyrant Siege Terminators knew this more than most. Hardened warriors of war, these men know the calculus and mathematics of warfare better than all and acknowledge that their fates may well end in death. Their duty is to push forth regardless of incoming fire and devastate the opponent. They break open fortresses, and generally lay waste to the battlefield thanks to the missiles that they carry with them. 

Strengths. 

As cataphractii terminators, they are slow and purposeful, but also come with firing protocols which enables them to fire their combi-bolters as well as their missile launchers. 

The tyrant rocket launchers have had an upgrade on second edition at the expense of pinning. The swarmer missile is 3 shots at S=5 with breaching. Whereas the breaker missile is 1 shot at S=9 and armour bane. Both are great.

In addition to this the sergeant (a.k.a. Siege Master) can be fitted with an omni-scope. This device renders cover saves ineffective. This is amazing for out-shooting a stubborn group of backfield ranged enemies when you really need it. 

Weaknesses. 

Honestly, there are not many draw backs beyond the points cost. They do have T=5 and W=2 to make up for this and come very highly recommended. So much so that they are pretty much auto-includes for almost any Iron Warriors all-comers force lists. 

Builds.

5 Tyrants, Siege Master with Omni-Scope and Grenade Harness (315 points). 

The baseline build and very effective.
Given that upgrades to chain fists are free, you can toy around with a few in a squad just to take on anything particularly heavy in close combat if you feel the need. 
Consider also the occasional combi weapon (graviton, distinegrator, and flamer are all nice for different reasons, and the overlap between them can be powerful. I'll illustrate this in the final build below). 

5 Tyrants, 5 Pairs of Lightning Claws, Siege Master with Omni-Scope and Grenade Harness (365 points).

Getting very expensive here. You will need a transport solution to make the most of this build.

10 Tyrants, 3 Combi-Distintegrators, 3 Combi-Graviton, Siege Master with Omni-Scope and Grenade Harness (650 points).

An almost fully upgraded squad. The overlap of disintegration and graviton is amazing here not least due to the special conditions that they can inflict. Choose your targets wisely. I actually really like the disintegration option here in third edition. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Warsmith

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. A perfectly good high command choice. 

Background.

The Iron Warriors had a lot of men that were very capable in the siege department. The Warsmiths were at the front of this skill set. Equally adept with robots or war machines, their skills rivalled the mechanicum. Perturabo himself bestowed the rank of warsmith on the most skilled practitioners. 

Strengths. 

The stat line itself is attractive with WS=6 and 5's in many other places short of Strength. Naturally, Intelligence here is also high. This helps tremendously with the Battlesmith rule to repair the kit on the move.

The equipment is attractive with a cognis signum (also intelligence based) to help with barrages. The cortex controller allows reactions where they might not otherwise be (hello robots). The servo arm is nice as it provides an extra hull point or wound back again. And the graviton crusher is very cool and appropriate for close up work. 

Weaknesses. 

There are hardly any options here in comparison to the regular praetor. Hence this is why I'm not giving 5/5 stars to the warsmith. It would also be nice to have a dedicated way to take robots alongside the warsmith (i.e., Lord of Automata) which almost makes the Iron Hands Iron Father a superior choice despite the strong similarities otherwise. 

This said, I am also reviewing the Warsmith in Power Armour option here as well which DOES have more build options [Legacies unit] at the price of a slightly worse stat line.

Builds.

Warsmith (165 points). 

The naked terminator option is strong. I'd place him with some barrage weapons if possible. But otherwise some Tyrants Siege terminators is also an option. 

Warsmith in Power Armour, Paragon Blade, Shrapnel Bolter (158 points). 

A nice build, and the shrapnel bolt rounds are very attractive. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Perturabo

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Perturabo returns with an excellent stat line and weapons to back it up.  

Background.

The Lord of Iron is almost as tragic as Kurze or Angron. Such a keen intellect, but no use for it on Olympia which was already an advanced civilization. Such a drive to build and make things, turned to destroying and pulling down fortifications. And a rebel home planet that he went back to and sorted out but felt that his father would never forgive him and therefore fell to the traitor cause. He is one that probably should not have fallen if he had better relations with those around him, better council, less brutal twisting of his fine mind, and just a touch of TLC; but that's the price that was paid. All I'm saying is that the Emperor could have just given him a hug and a pat on the head once in a while and he'd have been perfectly loyal. But no. That was too much. 

Strengths. 

As an upgrade, Pertruabo can take Forge Breaker - a desecrated version of Ferrus Manus' weapon of choice. This is worth it. The only real difference is D=2 here instead of D=3. But since you will be facing other primarchs who have Eternal Warrior (2) like Perturabo, this doesn't matter in all probability. Take. This. Upgrade. [It is also modeled on the resin miniature after all].

The stat line is powerful. T=7 with A=6 is very impressive. Add to that the Logos providing him with 2+/4++ and he's good to go. His ranged weapons are provided by the Logos Array and features 6 ranged shots with shrapel technology from Olympia at an impressive 30 inch range. They also shred and cause suppression. Now, if you do that math-hammer on these ranged shots, you are likely going to be taking out 4 standard (3+ armour save) space marines per turn. This is simply great. But if you haven't taken Forge Breaker, they also double up as point blank shots in melee. You don't want them though. You want Forge Breaker. Trust me. The AP=2 and D=2 from Forge Breaker is the deal clincher for me over the point blank Logos Array. 

His individual gambit in challenges calls on his men to simply gun down anyone foolish enough to challenge him. He won't waste his time like that. These are only snap shot though. This is good if you have some nearby plasma or melta shots that you want to expend on an enemy sergeant who is the fool for challenging Perturabo, but not another Primarch since you are giving up your own attacks to use it. Only use it for the foolish opponent really. 

Sire of the Iron Warriors grants prime slots to breachers and tactical squads if they fill up the primary detachment. Which they might well do in a fluffy manner. His influence is far reaching with his other ability which makes the army entirely expendable on Turn 1! Fluffy, and funny at the same time! Perhaps not as strong as other force multipliers out there, but its fine. 

Weaknesses. 

Perturabo is a strong primarch with no real weaknesses. As you would expect. 

Overall.

The points cost is right, but you will be wanting Forge Breaker as your upgrade. No excuses. Pay that extra points cost. Then figure out a transport solution. 

Perturabo is great at medium to close range with his Logos Array shots, and excellent in close combat. He really excels with the Forge Breaker in hand and can handle his brothers if you need him to in the main part (but many of the tougher primarchs will be a close call). 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Iron Warriors Legion Rules

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. The bad guy poster boys for third edition, and they return with vengeance. 

Background.

Grim. Decimated. Arguably unloved by their gene sire. But also sturdy. Unrelenting. Pragmatic. Masters of machine and siege. Bitter through being used as little more than chattel and garrison troops. They brought their fury to both sides of the war and eventually conducted the most epic siege of the war: that of Terra itself. 

Armoury. 

Plenty of carry over from second edition here!

Graviton Crushers. Exchanged from a thunder hammer for free, there's probably little reason not to take this upgrade on commanders or champions to be honest. The addition of shock is nice and armour bane comes as standard.

Graviton Mace [Legacies]. Officer and Sergeant wargear for a very reasonable amount of points means this is also an almost automatic upgrade in many circumstances.  

The Unfavoured. The ability to make a unit Expendable is actually stronger than it sounds for a prime advantage for a unit. It is also very fitting for the Iron Warriors and surprisingly effective when combined with objective sitting or front line assault. Take your pick!

Shrapnel Weapons [Legacies]. Yes it should be been in the Liber. No, that's all I'm going to say. Any unit in the Iron Warriors can exchange their bolt pistols and bolt guns for shrapnel versions for a small points cost increase. The benefit of this is to cause pinning which cannot be overlooked. A few units upgraded like this are fine to take, but it remains true that sometimes you will want the pure fire rate of the regular versions. The cannon adds shred to this and appears under the Heavy Weapons Options (added on) for the legion, as well as sponsons and pintles where appropriate. Certainly worth considering for a heavy bolter heavy support squad. 

Tactica. 

The Bitter End is fluffy and appropriate and enables the Iron Hands warriors to ignore negative modifiers to Panic, Pinning, Stun, and Suppressive special rules (i.e., Leadership and Cool tests). In third edition this is nearly unrivaled. 

Gambit.  
Spiteful Demise arises since Perturabo instructed his men that death was not an excuse for incompetence. If you lose your last wound, you get to hit back with one S=6 D=2 attack that also has breaching. This is a great way to take your opponent out simultaneously or at least inflict an added bit of damage. Play when you are about to perish yourself. It requires a bit of finesse and timing, but when pulled off can be very impactful!

Additional Detachments. 
The Ironfire Cohort is a reasonable way to add in armour and support slots, at the expense of the armour slots having to be Arquitor Bombard units. I think this probably won't see too much play unless you are a fan of the Bombards?
The Hammer of Olympia is almost a "must" for Iron Warriors running Perturabo (sometimes) or a Warsmith (you will often want to). The added heavy assault and troops are great, but the added Prime slots can swing even harder in your favour here - especially Tyrant Siege Terminators.

Advanced Reaction. 
Bitter Fury can be activated when one of your units is shot at. It gives you an increased rate of fire (+1) at the expense of Overload (+1), and even the models that were killed by the incoming fire still get to shoot back. Powerful and impactful when played at the right time on the right squad. 

Overall, I am really, really liking the Iron Warriors in Third Edition. They are a slogging, non nonsense, shooting army that can also cause severe damage up close and personal when needed. The combinations of Shrapnel, Graviton, Hammer of Olympia, and the Tactica and Gambit are brilliant, but the oh so fluffy Unfavoured has to be a stand out for your strategies here. Choose wisely and time your advantages well, and this army can really perform.

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Tartaros Terminator Squad (and Tartaros Terminator Siege Squad)

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. As iconic as Cataphractii, but bizarrely split between 2 types of unit. 

Background.

The most advanced form of terminator armour was the Tartaros. It does not sacrifice the mobility of power armour, but instead adds the durability of terminator armour to create something new and formidable. 

Strengths. 

T=5 and W=2 alone make it attractive. The combinations of builds is excellent here, but restricted by the two variants, as below, which is a frustration. But you can work with this. They are just as expensive as Cataphractii though, so take advantage of the lack of Slow and Purposeful. 

Weaknesses. 

In comparison to the Saturnine and Cataphractii armour, the Tartaros variant lacks the 4+ invulnerable save and "only" has a 5+ one. In exchange, you get a better movement rate slightly, and a lack of slow and purposeful. It is a pity that sweeping isn't a thing in 3rd edition to be honest, but you can chase down your opponent at least in this build. 

What makes me slightly antagonised is the fact that there are two different entries for this squad. There is the regular terminator squad in the Libers. Then there is the Siege terminator squad in the legacy list. More than a bit infuriating for folks carrying over builds from second edition. 

Builds. 

5 Tartaros Terminators, 1 Plasma Blaster, 4 Combi-Weapons (200 points).

Take a mixture of plasma, flame, graviton, and melta to your taste on the combi weapons. You now have your terminator-cide squad all set up and ready. [Side note: flamer causes panic; graviton causes pinning; a mix of these is strong in third edition.]

10 Tartaros Terminators, 8 Pairs of Lightning Claws, 2 Heavy Flamers, Grenade Harness (395 points).

Heavy on the lightning claws, but you need a transport solution here. 

5 Tartaros Siege Terminators, 1 Plasma Blaster, 2 Chain Fists, 2 Thunder Hammers, Grenade Harness (205 points).
A personal favourite set up, now moved to Siege variant. 

5 Tartaros Siege Terminators, 5 Reaper Autocannons, 1 Thunder Hammer, Grenade Harness (240 points).
New for this edition - Siege Terminators get as many heavy weapons as they please. Might as well go big on the reaper autocannons here and see what you can do! I actually quite like this concept and am tempted to build a squad like this. But maybe not yet. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Indomitus Terminator Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Not nearly as popular as Cataphractii, Tartaros, or even Saturnine now. But they have 2 key niche builds. 

Background.

Not as advanced as Tartaros. Not as protective as Cataphractii. Not as old as Saturnine. A compromise. A new design. And one that would ultimately last the next ten millennia due to lack of rare parts and being easier to produce.

Strengths. 

A break in to usual scheme of things to talk about an explicit Legacy unit that is criminally under used. You still get W=2 and T=5 here along with a tartaros like set of special rules. 

But let me be perfectly honest. There are 2, and only 2 reasons to take this squad over either Cataphractii or Tartaros. Those are:
(a) Storm Shields; and

(b) Proteus Assault Cannons. 

If you are not taking either of them, take one of the other terminator variants. End of. 

Weaknesses. 

Salamanders and Imperial Fists have special units that directly compete with the uniqueness of Indomitus terminator armour. Blood Angels if you count the Crimson Paladins too. Hence those legions should probably not bother full stop.

Builds. 

Two and only two builds here should be considered. 

5 Indomitus Terminators, 5 Thunder Hammers, 5 Storm Shields (230 points).

The thunder hammer plus storm shield combination nets you a 4+ invulnerable save and this squad is fundamentally the reason to take Indomitus terminators. It is the only way to get this kind of set up outside of dedicated units like within the Salamanders with regularity. Take with a transport or Warmonger teleport option and aim for objectives. 

10 Indomitus Terminators, 2 with Assault Cannons, Thunder Hammers / Chain Fists to taste (385 points).

The proteus assault cannon is the second reason to take this squad. You can only have 1 per 5 men though. Hence a full squad of 10 is required to take 2 of them. Thunder Hammers and Chain Fists are the same cost, so perhaps take an even spread, or slightly heavier on the thunder hammers. Good hunting. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Cataphractii Terminator Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Iconic and almost quintessential 30k squad. 

Background.

Heavy protection combined with the ability to wield heavy weapons at the price of slowing its wearer. The trade off in protection versus movement is one that is central to the choice of terminator armour outside of Saturnine weaponry. 

Strengths. 

You are paying for a 4+ invulnerable save here at the expense of a movement limit, and slow and purposeful. That is the core trade off. 

In third edition, you get T=5 as standard along with 2 wounds each which makes them even more durable. I am surprised how "cheap" they are in terms of points cost. 

Weaknesses. 

Slow and purposeful and slower movement, but presumably you don't care. Also the rule of cool applies, so you really don't care. There really isn't too much of a strong downside, but I'd recommend thinking about transport or teleport options where you can. 

Builds. 

A selection of builds here, some more what I personally like and own, some that I've seen, and others that I just like. 

5 Cataphractii Terminators, 1 plasma blaster, 2 chain fists, 2 thunder hammers, grenade harness (205 points). 

One of my "go to" squads. I use this with my Iron Warriors regularly. Or exchange the plasma blaster with an autocannon for just a small extra sum?

5 Cataphractii Terminators, 4 with Twin Lightning Claws, 1 with Heavy Flamer and Power Fist, grenade harness (210points).

Another one of my Iron Warriors favourites. With the added bonus of panic thanks to the flamer in third edition! 

10 Cataphractii Terminators, 2 Reaper Autocannons, 5 combi-plasma, 2 thunder hammers, grenade harness (405 points). 

Very points efficient and superlatively deadly at medium range and close up. This has to be the favoured and baseline build. A sensible build even. For sensible players! 

12 Cataphractii Terminators, 12 Volkite Chargers, 12 Thunder Hammers, Grenade Harness (485 points).

Even in third edition, if you are going with volkite: go big or go home. Here I've taken the new squad maximum of 12 terminators. The thunder hammers are hilarious in numbers as well. You now just need a transport or teleport solution. 

5 Cataphractii Terminators, 5 Combi-Meltas, 5 Chain Fists (250 points).

Distraction Carnifex territory combines with a melta-cide attitude. Good hunting to you. 

Disintegrator Squad

We're now calling them disintegrator squads. Sorry, I don't make the rules, that's just the way it is herein!

Any how, here are the members of the disintegrator squad of 5. There's 4 standard rifles, and one heavy disintegrator. These marines will become part of my Salamanders shattered legion detachment. I'm very happy with how they turned out! One head is from the resin upgrade set which I rather like. 

Only now I need to purchase some more White Scar spray paint to get the undercoat done. Hopefully I have more than enough Warp Lightning contrast paint left to get them up to a good standard - the contrast paint works wonders for the Salamanders in my opinion!

Hours Heresy 3e Review: Saturnine Terminator Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. I have rounded down due to the the overload danger and blowing themselves up!

Background.

I have raced ahead in the Liber to bring the Saturnine terminators review early to you dear readers since like me, some of you are wondering how to build these. Retonned to be an innovation of Vulkan who in turn gifted his knowledge to his brothers, the Saturnine terminator has long been in the lore. Here they have made a magnificent come back, although lacking the over head bolt gun (which was always odd looking, but hey, we're talking Saturnine anyway). For me, I actually LIKE the look of these new terminators and feel like Games Workshop has done a great job bringing them up to date so to speak. I also fully get why the community sees them as marmite!

Strengths. 

W=3 and T=6 is amazing. These terminators have superlative staying power and are competitively priced at 60 points each (although the usual points cost tax exists when forking out for the initial unit - the add ons are 60 points each).

The load outs are limited: plasma bombard, disruption fist (with or without particle shredder), and twin heavy disintegrator. The plasma bombard is excellent. You could use is with indirect fire with two bombard each and hold back. But I think mixing the plasma with the disruption fists is the way to go here. 

Don't overlook the shredder on the fists either. These template weapons are simply amazing!

Weaknesses. 

I want to like the twin heavy disintegrators. However, they are horrifically dangerous. Sure, they will melt to slag most things in the game. But with Overload (2), they will also melt the user as well!! Its a gamble to be very clear. And sometimes you will want to take that gamble. Two twin heavy disintegrators is really asking you to destroy yourself, so I'm not recommending that build. 

In all cases, remember that these terminators will also be fire magnets and you will need to think about them exploding as well on occasion!

Builds. 

Not too many builds here, but these are the more obvious ones. I deliberately EXCLUDE having 2 lots of twin heavy disintegrators as the risk tips the balance to early self destruction in my opinion - but for laughs I've included it at the end. This is your almost final warning!

3 Saturnine Terminators, all with 2 lots of Plasma Bombards (200 points). 

Sit back, and literally bombard your opponent off the board with near ranged impunity. A larger mob of these is massively deadly. 

3 Saturnine Terminators, all with twin heavy disintegrators and disruption fists with shredders (245 points).

High risk, high reward. There is very little that these terminators cannot handle. I would be tempted to add in extra bodies here, but haven't done the math-hammer to think about this statement in detail. 

6 Saturnine Terminators, all with Plasma Bombard and Disruption Fists with Shredders  (410 points).

Very points efficient and superlatively deadly at medium range and close up. This has to be the favoured and baseline build. A sensible build even. For sensible players! Which leads me into... 

6 Saturnine Terminators, all with 2 lots of Twin Heavy Disintegrators (500 points).
ONLY FOR LAUGHS - I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BUILD. Super expensive in terms of points cost. Legitimately could be the most deadly thing in any given game short of a super heavy of some kind. Will categorically result in blowing yourself up regularly due to Overload (2). But it WILL absolutely handle nearly everything you might be worried about. The play style would be to simply teleport into position, open fire, and hope you survive and your target does not. Hilarious overall whilst not truthfully being recommended because you are not making any friends here, okay?!