Horus Heresy 3e Review: Echidnax Servo Maniple

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 stars, rounded down. Useful repairs, but I want to call them Echidnas. 

Background. 

Drones that follow their master around and are helpful by automating repairs. They also have some basic battle field programming that can help with in close combat or at range when required. 

Strengths.

Weaknesses.

The drones have limited autonomy. Hence if a sniper or similar removes the commander from play, they will just sit there in the same way that rocks do for the rest of the game. Hence they can be quite vulnerable. On the other hand, they are also cheap enough to not get too upset about this possibility. 

Builds.

10 Echidnax, 10 bolt guns (120 points).

Ten members here to make the best use of the battle smith special rule which gets its maximum advantage when 9 or more members of the unit are present.

Dreadtober 2026: Saturnine Built, and Base Based

Dreadtober has progressed!

The Saturnine dreadnought has now been built and assembled. I liked the choice of parts for the dreadnought which was nice to have. Some of the bits are certainly fiddly though with the shoulder pads being one of the prime examples. I would also politely contend that it doesn't need as many bits as it is supplied with, but hey, as a veteran I don't mind that either as it gives extensive possibilities. 

I have posed the dreadnought in a slight walking (baseline) pose with the left arm swivelled to the side to point at a target and the head looking in exactly the same direction. This is a dreadnought in the middle of shooting and destroying!

As for the base from last week, I have dolled it up with some cracked surfacing. My pro tip here is to use watered down PVA glue to ensure that the cracks stay where they dry rather than peel off. Works a treat. I will put the dreadnought on to the base at a later point and come back to add some flora later on. 

So after one week of Dreadtober, I can safely say that significant progress has been made, but there is much more yet to do!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Scyllax Guardian Maniple

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

Background. 

If you drew a Venn diagram of cyborgs, robots, and servitors, then the Scyllax might sit at the intersection and be a bit mistrusted by large parts of the mechanicum for their icky origins. There are claims that over time they gain something of self-awareness despite their minimal organic components. Their purpose is as a Magi's bodyguards and a melee unit. 

Strengths.

With 5's on the stat line in most places, the Scyllax are are strong proposition for the poins cost and like enhanced marines otherwise. 

The come equipped with a combat array for AP=3 with breaching. This is made worse for opponents due to the inherent rad furnace to reduce their toughness. The phased reactor shields are interesting as well for improving the invulnerable save against attacks to 5+. 

Beyond this, there is the option to upgrade with a bolt gun. This is so cheap it is in the category of "why not". 

Weaknesses.

The poinst cost is cheap enough to not be that bothered if they grind to a halt, and they can be effective even with 2 wounds and a 3+ save in many battlefield locations and situations. Obviously stronger in close combat than in ranged shooting - they just need to get there. The "Compact" rule will help if you need to transport them. But even as abalative wounds considering their retinue status, they are useful if not outstanding. 

Builds.

5 Scyllax, 5 bolt guns (135 points).

I selected 5 members only because it gives a final number divisible by 5 when upgrading to bolt guns. Otherwise this is a pretty standard unit. 

 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Arcuitor Magisterium

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars. Lords of the Malagra give excellent bang for the points cost. 

Background. 

In effect, these are the judges of tech-heresy and lords of the Malagra. Over many years they have become as close to the machine god as possible and are known as the grandfathers of the Malagra. Magi in their own rights, they are (socially) powerful and respected. On the battlefield, they are advisors by nature and rarely in command.

Strengths.

It is worth pointing out the WS=6 in the stat line here. This is the epitome of the Malagra - ready for close combat. The rest of the stat line is similar to a Magos, but with I=4 and A=5.

A well placed Arcuitor can cause serious WS and BS issues to nearby enemy units, and this combined with their own stat line makes them a clear threat. Combined with infiltrate, and you have the makings of something quite spectacularly deadly. 

The customisation is strong here, but for full effect the character will need to be kitted out for close combat. 

Weaknesses.

For the points cost, this character is as good as it gets! Hence 5/5 stars from me. 

Builds.

Arcuitor Magisterium, Thunder Hammer, Overcharged Reactors (135 points). 

A baseline build for close combat and buffing.

Arcuitor Magisterium, Thunder Hammer, Overcharged Reactors, Melta Bombs, Rad Grenades, Rad Furnace, Flamer (190 points). 

A more maximal version. The flamer is purely for the tactical status. The rest is mainly achieved through radiation poisoning and the thunder hammer. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Magos

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. Solid choice with or without an Abeyant. 

Background. 

The Magos Dominus fill a gap between the Archmagos Prime and the rest of the army / feuding states / technocracy. They are masters of the cybernetica and build the cortex automata for the Mechanicum. Some are at the very edge of heresy themselves thanks to all the body modifications that they put themselves through, and most are eccentrics and obsessive about their technologies.  

Strengths.

As with the Archmagos, there is a glorious amount of customisation available for the Magos. I will refer readers back to the Archmagos for some general thoughts. 

The stat line here is less than an Archmagos as might be expected: 5's are everywhere, with 4 wounds and WS=4 and I=3. Intelligence is still 9 which is important for commanding Mechanicum and their cyber rites. 

Weaknesses.

WS=4 is an issue for combat, as is I=3. I therefore regard the Magos as more of a support character choice than a full-on commander. 

Builds.

Magos, Conversion Beamer (130 points). 

Very much a ranged character, but I do like it a lot. Add some rites to taste. 

Magos, Abeyant, Rad Furnace, Thunder Hammer, Melta Bombs, Rad Grenades, Overcharged Reactors (200 points). 

A close combat version. The danger here is spending too many points on a single character who is not the archmagos to be honest. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Archmagos

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars. You will be taking one, basically. With or without an Abeyant.

Background. 

These unique individual are the high adepts of the machine cult of the Omnissiah. They have likely upgraded themselves for the purpose of war and might have gone as far as placing their remaining organic components inside the equivalent of a dreadnought. Armed and armoured with the best Forge World available kit, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Strengths.

With sixes in most places on the stat line, the archmagos is already rather powerful and maybe more powerful than a Praetor in some regards. Adding to this are special rules like feel no pain at 5+, battlesmith at 4, and firing protocols. And don't forget the ability to score victory points as well - this implies arming for at least a bit of close range action. 

The Archmagos is also highly customisable. They can take anything from the mechanicum gear and the magos gear. There's a lot to be had there:a cortex controller is almost always going to be useful, augury scanners are optional, cognis-signum is solid, cyber familiars are good, servo-arms are nice, melta bombs to taste, rad grenades are good at close range, nuncio vox is nice if no-one else has them. The rad furnace is attractive, and the machinator array similar. 

Choose from the rites as well (see here). I think players should be thinking about a couple of these regardless of anything else. Other armaments are to taste really. 

Weaknesses.

WS=5 is slightly lower than what is useful for a commander who might like to engage in challenges. 

Beware of spending too many points on the character with attractive upgrades galore!

Builds.

I'll try to provide one build per trait to give some ideas. There are obviously many more besides. And far too many permutations to list. Hence I hope it at least gives some ideas. Abeyants are the obvious upgrade here and also worth taking in any build below. They give T+1 and Command Throne to help with reactions at the price of being bulky and exploding. Worth it. 

Archmagos [Archimandrite], Overcharged Reactors, Chastise the Machine Spirit, Paragon Blade (165 points).

Trying not to spend too many points, but here we are focussed on using Cyber skills mainly. Other things like a cyber familiar are of course usable. 

Archmagos [Cybernetica], Overcharged Reactors, Cogitator Purge, Paragon Blade, Rad Furnace, Rad Grenades (190 points).

Take and hold objectives. Take the melta bombs, nuncio vox and augury scanner to taste.

Archmagos [Lacrymaerta], Fleshknit Protocols, Omega Protocols, Paragon Blade, Rad Furnace (175 points).

To take alongside your flesh and metal creations. 

Archmagos [Myrmidax], Overcharged Reactors, Paragon Blade, Rad Furnace (160 points).

Although you should go close combat, there's a case here for ranged as well - like the following.

Archmagos [Myrmidax], Conversion Beamer (150 points).

An interesting ranged option. A bit of a waste of close combat potential though.

Archmagos [Malagra], Overcharged Reactors, Paragon Blade, Cortex Controller (150 points).

This archmagos is all about positioning to be honest. 

Archmagos [Macrotek], Servo Arm, Machinator Array, Thunder Hammer, Overcharged Reactors (175 points).

Run alongside your tanks. Also a candidate for a conversion beam.

Archmagos [Reductor], Thunder Hammer, Deactivate the Limiters, Unseal the Portal, Melta Gun (175 points).

Reducing things to smaller things. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Cybertheurgy

Cybertheurgy, or cyber spells, are used by models with the Cybertheurgist trait, or cyber sorcerers. In short then, these are the members of the Mechanicum who understand how to manipulate robots, electrical flows, transitors, something approaching AI, and magnetic fields (or similar). They are not warp based magic in the slightest, even though some of the outcomes might seem like they border on those results.

To activate these abilities, an Intelligence test is conducted, with a modifier for the difficulty level (as a negative). Handily, other cybertheurgists can help out if they are in the same unit to give +1 bonueses. Failure leads to feedback which is essentially perils of the warp under a new name. 

There are three common statuses to be aware of that arise from these powers. Quicken gives movement+1 and I+1 (or movement+3 if it lacks intelligence). Fortify gives S+1 and T+1 (or a chosen armour value +1). Guide gives WS+1 and BS+1.  

Standard Rites:

Programming Interrupt gives ones of the three above statuses and can make a free reaction at the cost of removing the status. This is good, and sound, and should be used. 

Cogitator Pulse removes those statuses and inflicts a feedback outcome. Also basic and very reasonable, if situational given the opponent. 

Overcharged Reactors also applies statuses, is easier to cast, and gets removed at the end of the turn. Very basic, and you probably should aim for programming interrupt given an option and some good die rolls. 

Lacrymaerta Rites:

Omega Protocols removes statuses, suffers feedback, and if any models are removed then two more S=6 hits get applied. Essentially and upgrade for Cogitator Pulse. 

Flesh-Knit Protocols gives fortify or quicken. It is a touch easier to cast than Overcharged Reactors. 

Reductor Rites:

Unseal The Portal forces an emergency disembark and inflicts a feedback. Nice, albeit short ranged.

Deactivate Limiters is essentially a long ranged version of Overcharged Reactors. 

Esoteric Rites:

Fury Of Ages is for Myrmidax and gives fortify or guide at short range and low difficulty. 

Chastise The Machine Spirit is for everyone and gives Stunned or Suppressed as well as a feedback. This is good. 

We will cover Machina Malefica distinctly. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Mechanicum Traits

Beginning the reviews of Liber Mechanicum, we first turn to the high tech arcana of the various traits - or factions - within the Mechanicum itself. Players can choose which traits they like, but there are penalties for mixing a commander of one trait with a unit from another. Further, all automata can't control objectives (unless via the Cybernetica trait), make reactions (except if someone has a cortex controller), suffer tactical statuses, or be routed. 

Archimandrite (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars). 

This is the governing and political faction, broadly speaking. Their core benefit is Cl+1 and Ld+1 which is very nice to have. Significantly, they don't suffer any penalties for joining other factions. For a small points cost, the player can also use 2 Cybertheurgic Rites per turn as well which can be powerful. Their apex detactment has troops with veterans prime advantage selected for them as well as retinues since they can summon the corse of the Forge Worlds power to the front. 

Cybernetica (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5 stars, narrowly rounded up!).

The robot controllers and creators. Any automata unit accompanied by a magos or similar can hold objectives. This one cannot be under-estimated on the battlefield. One model can also be given Paragon of Metal as a prime advantage (Ld+4, Int+4, WP+4, I+1, WS+1) and is counted as a tech priest - this is amazing really. Their apex detachment gives you yet more robots or different force organisation chart slots. 

Lacrymaerta (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 stars, but rounded down). 

The flesh and metal masters. Your battlesmiths can repair wounds to infantry, walkers, automata, as well as vehicles as normal. Or just add more tech thralls to your unit that you are already in proportionate to your battlesmith value. Interesting! The prime advantage here is for infantry: S+2 and W+1. This turns one unit into a super unit effectively. And the apex detachment is three heavy assault slots to use as Ursarax cohorts. 

Myrmidax (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars). 

This is the trait of warfare! Models get W+1 and a bunch of special rules such as battle meditation. They become champions too and therefore eligible for challenges. As a gambit, the get an additional die in the focus phase and discard the highest in exchange for a shooting attack. The apex formation are elites with only a single prime advantage. 

Malagra (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars). 

Effectively the secret police of the Mechanicum! Cause BS-1 and WS-1 in a reasonable range to Mechanicum enemies as you radiate fear into them. Pretty amazing really when placed well. They also come with a gambit which is an Intelligence test to add a battlesmith value to one of WS, S, A, or I which will help. For the Apex detachment, there are three Arcuitor Magisterium units to gain. 

Macrotek (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars). 

Building things from cities to titans - they have the grandest of plans and visions. They can grant a 6++ to a regular vehicle just by being close to it. The Prime Advantage also gives vehicles AV+1 on the front and sides, Hull Points +2, and an increase of transport capacity by 2. This is solid without being outrageous. Of course, their Apex detachment offers 6 vehicles and you have to select the prime advantage discussed for all of them. 

Reductor (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars). 

Dissembling things - like enemy fortifications - into ash. The give S+1 to things shooting at buildings or stationary vehicles, or eliminates the use of ShieldWall advanced reaction choice when targeting a unit that otherwise could declare it. The Prime advantage is 5++ and Ld+1 which is solid. They get 3 Thallax cohorts in their Apex detachment. 

Dreadtober 2026: Not much to show so far!

Dreadtober 2026 has started! 

This year, I have pledged to complete a Saturnine Dreadnought. Largely because it has been sat in the Saturnine box for way, way too long, and I need the motivation!

As can be seen, my progress is strong and substantial thus far. The legion can almost be guessed at as well I suspect. I've just got a couple of parts to glue into place (all of them). And I'm sure it could use a few licks of paint here and there to make it more interesting and eye catching (all of them). I have zero doubt that I will finish it off in no time at all. 

I am also a raging optimist. 

Warhammer World: Terminator Helmet

I have been meaning to post this one for a long time, but it honestly slipped my mind. On my visit to Warhammer World earlier this year, I spied an Indomitus pattern Terminator helmet that I wanted to share!

The is an Ultramarines chapter helmet, in red. 

The construction of it really took my eye - so to speak. If you zoom in and look closely if you get to visit the Warhammer world exhibits, it is worth seeing some of the everyday items that have gone into this, but are otherwise cleverly disguised and integrated. The mesh and wires were nice to see. The rebreather seems like household items to my untrained eyes. And the bionic eye / targeter was very interesting to have on board there. 

Overall, a very impressive addition to the exhibits and worth taking a good look at. Doubly so if LARPing or cosplay are your thing. 

Mid-Heresy World Eaters Assault Squad Part 2 - Angry Marines Officers Looking Angry

Continuing to the second half of the World Eaters post-Isstvan assault squad, and today we have the officers, or the members that have some weapon upgrades toting around. 

The sergent (centre) has a meteor hammer which is a strong conversion from many other parts. I like the pose and the sheer forward momentum carried here. A closer look at him is already posted here. 

To the left are a pair of marines with heavy chain axes. The two handed pose is excellent with this kit and really gives those marines something hefty looking that says "World Eaters" and nearly "Khorne", without quite being there yet. Obviously they are secret loyalists. 

To the right are two other marines sporting power swords. Originally I was going to opt drectly for power mauls simply becuase they might look more intimidating. I then thought there was not a good reason that the World Eaters would NOT use power swords though. They are highly utilitarian, and frankly more welcoming of diversity, than most other legions. At least in my head canon!

The reds and whites follow the same formula as before, with a good amount of splatter from blood for the blood god and the red contrast flicking that I have been employing. Hope you like them!

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Destroyer Assault Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. A Legacies unit with great rules. [The image is wrong - it is Legacies and not Journal Tactica - sorry!]

Background. 

Shunned by many. Not use by several legions (e.g., Salamanders). Regarded as an evil necessity, and potentially dishonourable. Embraced fully by others (e.g., Death Guard). The Destroyer Squads are a remnant of the old wars on Terra and use weapons that are otherwise proscribed and leave behind a scorched earth. 

Strengths. 

Rad grenades in third edition remain an excellent option. Although small range, the phage on toughness combined with 2+ on poisoned is very strong - especially just before a charge. The key thing with the Destroyer Assault squad is to get the positioning right so that you can pull off both a rad attack at range and then close in with either this unit or another unit to finish them off with lower toughness. 

Melta bombs and phosphex bombs are optional upgrades for the sergeant and remain great choices depending which way you are going to go. Phosphex should probably be the default though. Panic, poisoned, and breaching is a great combination with a base of AP=3. And, if you are going to commit war crimes, then you might as well not limit it to rad grenades. 

Speaking of which, taking the rad missile launcher is highly recommended and should be a default upgrade. It is an assault weapon so can be shot on the move very easily. Again, it is poisoned and phage, but just has a much longer range making for a greater threat zone. Conversion possibilities here are encouraged since I think that the rad missiles / grenade launcher should look different to the classic frag missile launcher myself (a personal opinion). A heavy bolt gun as the basis could work, but I'd encourage players to also look up the resin version of the rad grenade launcher that used to be sold by Forge World - converting an analogue to that is reasonably okay. 

For the other upgrades, I'm not tempted by the plasma pistol, nor the double volkite serpentas and double hand flamers. I'd keep it to the items above. However for the sergeant, and upgrade to a close combat weapon like a power fist or a thunder hammer is recommended. A power weapon upgrade is also viable. 

Weaknesses. 

One wound and a 3+ armour save makes this unit an expensive glass cannon. Positioning and timing your shots and charges is everything here. 

Builds.

5 Destroyers, 1 Rad Missile Launcher, Sergeant with Power Fist and Phosphex Bombs (140 points).

Yes, the points cost is expensive. Also yes: it is very effective if you can time your shots and charges correctly. Consider melta bombs if wanted. 

10 Destroyers, 2 Rad Missile Launchers, 2 Power Mauls, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer and Phosphex Bombs, Melta Bombs (275 points). 

The full upgrade suite. Very expensive. Very effective. Very glass cannon territory and a target priority for your opponent. Very much consider a terminator squad instead perhaps? I actually prefer a smaller unit if I'm honest. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Interdiction Cadres

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

Background. 

Taking up concealed positions, these cadres wait for the enemy to come to them and ambush them. Their use was probably not exactly prohibited during the Great Crusade, but used like never before during the Heresy. 

Strengths. 

Interdiction Cadres are Prime Advantages. 

Squads set up in reserve, and then activate the Concealed Positions Ambush advanced reaction in step 2 of the movement phase - which is to say when an enemy unit has finished moving around. 

A reaction point is then spent, and the unit comes in from reserves and assembles in coherency. They can then make snap shots or make a disordered charge. 

Weaknesses. 

I think I like the disordered charge more than I do the snap shots, but there are some units for whom snap shots won't be much of an issue. 

Overall.

Worth considering once in a while to spice things up. This is a strategy that can pay off well when paired with some appropriate units - but they have to sacrifice a Prime Advantage for it, and that is the pay off. There are plenty of units to choose between, but for troops, I quite like the look of some World Eaters despoilers, or Iron Hands breachers for personal reasons. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Hyperios Missile Tank

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. The rules are perfectly fine for what you get. 

Background. 

This tank is what you get when you cross a hyperios tarantula missile launcher with a rhino chassis. Its like a Scorpius with a different armament. They were used in garrisons and similar encampments after campaigns. 

Strengths. 

With armour of 12 on the front, the basic idea here would be to keep the tank stationary and fire at will, whilst protection (in some undefined manner) the rear armour of 10 if you are about it. 

Of course, you could move around, but with sky fire and rapid tracking, this is fundamentally and anti-air tank that doesn't need to displace itself. And that's the point of the tank: stay put and fire at things in the air. Of course, there's no need to dedicate yourself to that, but it is obviously what the tank was made for. 

Weaknesses. 

That armour of 10 on the rear is a concern. Players will almost invariably sit the tank with its read against a wall or similar. 

Builds.

Hyperios Missile Tank, with Havoc Launcher (125 points). 

I do love my havoc launchers to be very honest. They're not needed to be very clear. And the naked version of this tank is viable without any upgrades at all. Dozer blade if you expect to move a lot (you probably won't); search lights (maybe); and hunter killer missiles (also maybe). 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Augur Command and Control Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 stars. Rounded Down. Could be game changing, or might not.  

Background. 

The command and control squad are those marines who look after unit coordination. They take recon reports, battle situation reports, and make recommendations. Although usually found with Siege Breakers or Masters of Signals, they are adept enough to take their skills to where they are needed. 

Strengths. 

The stat line reads like a near-veteran marine with 2 wounds and 2 attacks each with slightly enhanced advanced characteristics. The have a bolt gun and bolt pistol each, but one model could upgrade to a legion special weapon. I would actually entertain a rotor cannon purely for suppressing purposes here. 

The main special rule is Battlefield Coordinators. This means they they can reduce the reaction point cost once per turn, but they have to be within 18 inches and pass an intelligence test which isn't always guaranteed. Hence this is a risk-reward strategy for the unit overall. To place them next to other units that need them, but also realizing that it won't always go your way. 

Weaknesses. 

The saving throw is a 3+ here hence there's a need to consider where to position them on the battlefield for maximum impact. Unfortunately with a 3+ save, that might not be the front lines unless you like World Eaters. And there's only 4 of them per unit which makes the points cost seem high. They're also retinues which merits further thought!

Builds.

Augur Command and Control Squad, 1 Rotor Cannon (90 points). 

Rotor cannon to suppress enemies, but you also need a clear plan of where to position them for maximal impact. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Master of Descent

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

Background. 

These Astartes are officers in the legion with a distinct talent for drop assaults and the coordination of them therein. They carry with them specialized communication devices that help them land others and then join the battle exactly at the point where they are needed. 

Strengths. 

A typical officer with WS and BS=5, 3 wounds and a 2+/5++ saving throw on the stat line. 

The Master of Descent comes with some special rules that are worth going over. The first one is a case of nominative determinism and allows the character and his unit to enter play from reserves on Turn 1. This is fairly unique in third edition (sadly). 

The Strato-Vox helps other units deep strike into play. It automatically passes reserves tests for the Master of Descent himself (i.e., guaranteed first turn deep striking). They can then successfully pass other reserves tests once on the board and bring down one unit per turn via deep strike. This is excellent and harks back to the first edition rules of drop pod assaults a little bit (I'm still sad that that army style is dead). 

Tip of the Spear meanwhile gives access to a new auxiliary detachment featuring one Praetorian Command Squad with jump packs, and two Veteran Assault Squads with primes. This is a good add-on overall and obviously encourages players to take the command squad along with the Master of Descent. 

Weaknesses. 

For the points cost, you are getting what you pay for really. I have no complaints other than I wish drop pod armies were still fully possible!

Builds.

Master of Descent, Power Fist (130 points).

A standard built. Take melta bombs to taste. 

Master of Descent, Thunder Hammer, Combat Shield (130 points). 

Looks good with other shield bearing marines?!

Master of Descent, Disintegration Pistol, Power Maul (130 points).

Gets you access to disintegration weapons whilst remaining good for melee. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Battlefield Assets

Journal Tactica: The Issvan V Dropsite Massacre is filled with a lot of lore about Isstvan V and what happened there when Ferrus Manus' fleet arrived. To a veteran like myself, a lot of the material is recycled and regurgitated from much older sources and does little to add anything spectacularly new compared to the First Edition black books (Book 2 and 3 in particular are worth referring back to here). 

With that said, I'm going to commence the brief review of this journal tactica with the Battlefield Assets. 

The journal makes clear that players can use them in any game - not just the legendary mission contained in the journal. The number of assets is dependent on the points value - 2 assets for up to 1500 points, and 5 assets for up to 3500 points (then 8 and 10 either side of 5000 points). Players determine the attacker and defender and this affects which can be selected. Minefields have to be away from other assets, and explosive ones go off on a 4+ to inflict a number of hits equal to the asset points at S=8 with breaching and shred. This is nasty. 

Disruption Emitter [attacker] (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 1.5/5 stars, narrowly rounded up). Reduce the advanced characteristics by one will hardly make too much of a difference. The fact the emitter might disappear makes it worse. Not worth the stupidly large 3 asset points.

Melta Minefield [defender] (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars). This is useful not merely as a threat (which it clearly is in terms of hull points), but also as a way in which to control approach lanes. Easily worth the 2 asset points. 

Graviton Snares [defender] (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 stars, rounded up). Causing pinning, this is also a great minefield. Much like the melta minefield, it also controls approach lanes. AND it is only 1 asset point. 

Frag Minefield [defender] (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars). Similar to the above as a way to control approach lanes, this one is a blast marker that gets placed on any model on a roll of a 1 on 1d6 (so not every model will get hit). S=5 with AP=5 hits result. Strong and has the potential to take some marines down that want to cross it. Also probably a bit of a default choice. 

Contingency Device [defender] (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars). Remotely triggered corrosives and viruses! The triggering is awkward though: suffer and panic, and take an intelligence test. Seems a bit unnecessary - just trigger it. Everyone gets hit within a 6 inch radius with S=7, AP=4, 2 damage, shred and breaching. Ouch.

Forward Ammunition Drop (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars). Your miniatures must be using S=5 weapons or less without things like blast templates or heavy. Gain S+1. This is great!

Strategic Cogitator Array (Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars). Request new orders. On a roll greater than the battle turn, select a secondary objective in play and increase the victory points by 1. Neat, but possibly situational. 

Overall, these are fluffy. But if I am being brutally honest, some of the assets and dangers of the battlefield presented in the First Edition Black Books are simply just better and much more extensive!

The Tyranids Last Home was The Magellanic Clouds - An Updated Argument

Back in March 2012 I posted a small hypothesis about where the Tyranids might actually have come from.

My argument then was fairly simple: the Tyranids were explicitly extragalactic, yet the various Hive Fleets appeared to be attacking the Milky Way from rather different directions. In particular, some of them appeared to be arriving along the plane of the Galaxy whilst Leviathan was doing something rather different and coming up from below it. 

My suggestion was Galactic Cannibalism. I argued (rather vaguely) that the Tyranids had originated in one of the satellite galaxies associated with the Milky Way: the Large Magellanic Cloud, Small Magellanic Cloud, or Sagittarius Dwarf. Their interaction with the Milky Way could then potentially account for Tyranid populations arriving from apparently different directions. Fourteen years later, I think I had part of this right and part of it wrong. 

The original post is here: Tyranids from Galactic Cannibalism? 

First, a bit of astrophysical housekeeping. The Hubble expansion argument in the original post isn’t especially relevant here. The Magellanic Clouds are members of the Local Group and are gravitationally interacting with the Milky Way. Treating their separation as though it were simply increasing according to Hubble’s Law isn’t appropriate. Likewise, the idea that destruction of a satellite galaxy could simply scatter Tyranid populations around the Milky Way is a little too convenient. Sagittarius is being tidally disrupted. The Magellanic Clouds are a more complicated dynamical system and I wouldn’t make quite the same argument now. 

So let me modify the hypothesis. The Tyranids came from the Magellanic Clouds! 

Or, more precisely, the Large and/or Small Magellanic Clouds were the last galaxies consumed by the Tyranids before they turned their attention to the Milky Way. There are several reasons why I rather like this version. The first is Hive Fleet Leviathan. The modern Tyranid background has doubled down considerably on the strange geometry of Leviathan. It isn’t simply another fleet entering through the Eastern Fringe. Leviathan is enormous, with tendrils detected throughout the Imperium, and Imperial observers conclude that these tendrils are attacking from below the Galactic plane.

The Fourth Tyrannic War makes the point even more strongly. Tyranid fleets are now appearing in Segmentum Pacificus, on the western side of the Imperium, having emerged from beneath the Galactic plane. This changes how I think about the old problem. We don’t necessarily have Hive Fleets arriving at the Milky Way independently from several completely different external galaxies. Instead, Leviathan appears to represent an enormous Tyranid distribution beneath the disc which is intersecting the Galactic plane in multiple places. 

Now look at the Magellanic Clouds. The Large Magellanic Cloud lies at Galactic coordinates approximately l = 280.5 degrees b = -32.9 degrees and the Small Magellanic Cloud at l = 302.8 degrees b = -44.3 degrees. In other words, both are substantially below the Galactic plane.

That isn’t proof of anything of course! Half of the extragalactic sky is below the plane! But it is interesting. If we wanted a nearby extragalactic location from which a vast Tyranid swarm could approach the Milky Way from beneath the disc, the Magellanic system is sitting in exactly the right general part of the sky. 

There is then the big piece of Tyranid lore that didn’t exist when I wrote the original article: the Pharos. The epilogue of Pharos established that the destruction/overloading of the Pharos during the Horus Heresy attracted the attention of the Tyranids. At that point they were drifting in the intergalactic void. The Pharos flare effectively told them that there was something worth eating over here. At first sight, that seems to kill my 2012 suggestion. If the Tyranids were happily living in the Large Magellanic Cloud in M31, they weren’t drifting around in the intergalactic void waiting for the Pharos to go off. 

But there is a much cleaner version. Suppose they had already eaten the Magellanic Clouds. They consume their way through one or both galaxies, exhaust the useful biomass, move out into the surrounding void, and enter whatever passes for dormancy in a Hive Fleet. Then the Pharos lights up. Suddenly there is a beacon coming from the next major galaxy. Dinner. This even works reasonably well in terms of distance. The Large Magellanic Cloud is around 163,000 light years away. The Small Magellanic Cloud is around 200,000 light years away. There are approximately ten thousand years between the Horus Heresy and the arrival of the major Tyranid invasions in M41. A very crude straight-line calculation therefore requires an effective velocity of order 16-20 times the speed of light. Which obviously doesn’t work in real physics. Fortunately the Tyranids aren’t using real physics. Narvhal bio-ships create compressed-space transit corridors which allow Hive Fleets to cross interstellar distances faster than light. A journey from the Magellanic system to the Milky Way over that sort of timescale therefore causes no particular difficulty within the established setting. 

There is one consequence of this idea that I particularly like. The Magellanic Clouds should still be there in M41. Tyranids don’t eat stars. An observer in the Milky Way would therefore still see the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds hanging in the southern sky. From a distance they might look entirely normal. But send a ship there and things could be very different. Billions of stars. Planetary systems intact. Rocky worlds still orbiting their suns. And almost nothing alive. World after world reduced to sterile rock, stripped of atmosphere, oceans and accessible organic material. An entire pair of dwarf galaxies that constitute the Tyranids’ previous meal. There is also a potentially testable version of all of this. Take the canonical locations where Leviathan’s tendrils enter the Galactic disc and try to reconstruct their approximate three-dimensional approach vectors. Then compare those with the real direction of the Magellanic system. Games Workshop’s Galactic cartography obviously isn’t accurate enough for precision astronomy. But the test doesn’t need to be precise. If the Leviathan vectors consistently occupy the Galactic hemisphere and broad direction containing the Magellanic Clouds, the idea becomes rather more interesting. 

If they point everywhere beneath the disc, the correspondence is probably coincidence. So my revised hypothesis for 2026 is slightly different from the one I proposed in 2012: The Tyranids didn’t necessarily originate in the Magellanic Clouds. The Magellanic Clouds were simply the last galaxies they ate. Afterwards they moved into the void. 

Then somebody turned on the Pharos. Oops.

Assault Destroyer Conversion

How easy is it to turn a chaos space marine raptor into something approaching a Horus Heresy era assault destroyer marine? That's the question that I started out with several weeks ago after raiding the (frankly too large) bits box. 

This marine is built out of a number of kits. Obviously the raptor provided the basis and I've shaved off the chaos growths on the back of the jump pack along with most other things that are too heretical to mention. The right arm comes from the ancient chaos space marine range. The left arm from the more modern assault marines. Shoulder pads from the same along with the "first born" space marine range (I still don't like the term even despite the recent controversy). Grenades at the groin cover up the blank part where I shaved off the chaos star. 

I should probably add a chain sword, but otherwise I think this is done. The helmet seals the deal and makes it look a lot more Heresy era. My intention here is to paint this one up in Thousand Sons colours and see how it looks. Recommendations for paint scheme approaches welcome!

Summary Page Update

Although this post is short, I have been working behind the scenes to update the Horus Heresy Summary Page. This now includes the entirety of Liber Custodes (i.e., Legio Custodes, the Sisters of Silence, and the Diviso Assassinorum). Additionally, the Zone Mortalis journal tactica has been added.

That brings to a close the Liber Custodes reviews. 

Next up will be another Journal Tactica, followed by the long-awaited Liber Mechanicum in due course. Lots more to come! 

And Dreadtober is approaching as well!