Horus Heresy 3e Review: Lernaean Terminator Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Had a glow up compared to second edition and now a very serious option to take.

Background.

The Alpha Legion elites are hardly known outside their legion. The Lernaean terminators make it so because there are usually no survivors! Their job is to be the crushing and grinding jaws of the many headed hydra that the Alpha Legion is and are fearsome in assault. 

Strengths. 

Terminators in Cataphractii armour with WS=5, and T=5 make this unit survivable and strong. 

Significantly in this edition, they have hatred of all Legiones Astartes. They. Hate. Them. All. No favours here! They also have line (1) which makes them very valuable in principle for the Elites slot. 

Their load outs come with volkite chargers and power axes as standard. But they get a wide range of possible upgrades including combi bolters, a wide range of power weapons, lightning claws, and a choice of heavy flamer, conversion beam cannon, reaper autocannon, and plasma blaster for every 5 models you have in the squad.

Weaknesses. 

The load out has changed since Second Edition. Gone is the sergeant's venom sphere. And the larger Volkite weaponry. Boo. They also cost a lot of points. 

Builds.

5 Lernaeans, 1 Conversion Beamer (265 points). 

Sit on the objective whilst blasting things at the opposite side of the board. 

5 Lernaeans, 1 power fist, 1 plasma blaster, Harrower with chain fist (280 points). 

Sadly it is no longer an option to take an EXTRA power dagger instead of upgrading your power weapon. You only get the upgrade. However, this squad is still powerful and multi-purpose. 

10 Lernaeans, 2 Autocannons, 4 power fists, Harrower with thunder hammer (555 points). 

Getting expensive here, but this is an all round squad which can be remarkably deadly from both a shooting and a close combat point of view. Goodbye Volkite Culverins. I had already modelled you, but perhaps I can change them to autocannons?

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Exodus

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. Solid and does the job, just a bit over costed.

Background.

The Alpha Legion has an amazing marksman who seem to go by the code of Exodus. Whether there is actually just one of them that appears in multiple places, or many, is anyone's guess, but the latter probably applies! 

Strengths. 

BS=8 is amazingly high for the game and outside of Primarchs is almost unheard of. He gets infiltrate (9) to get to be deployed where you need him, and is shrouded (5+) as well as carries important utilities like venom spheres (easy to overlook) and a power dagger. 

The key item here though is The Instrument - a long range sniper rifle. This can give you 3 S=6 shots with precision at 4+ for rapid firing, or a single S=8 shot at AP=2 for when you feel confident of picking out your target - or just wanting to cause pinning to be honest. 

Weaknesses. 

Not being able to join other units is a negative. The 3+ save is weak, but you do have an invulnerable, shrouded, and smokescreen to aid survival if needed. 

The main weakness for me though is the points cost. It is very steep here and only barely offset by ability level. Yes, he can probably hold his own in a fight, it has to be said. But you really want him sniping everything. And he is not unique either, nor has an allegiance which although nice, you probably won't want two of them. I just feel other units can do this job better overall. 

Overall.

Expensive. Effective. Yet there remains other choices. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Headhunter Kill Team

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Good and playable.

Background.

The Alpha Legion might have created seeker squads in public, but behind closed doors, they developed the headhunter kill teams and took the idea to its absurd extreme. As you do. They get behind enemy lines with prized war gear and cause havoc. Take your pick of attack vectors. 

Strengths. 

Infiltrate at 9 inches is clearly the most strong asset of this squad. They want to get up front and personal as quickly as possible. On top of this, they gain hatred of commanders which means that they need to be hunting them down actively to make best use of this rule. And let's not neglect Precision at 4+. This is deadly. 

Banestrike combi-bolters at BS=5 is really rather nice - just factor in that you have a fire rate of 4 on these beasts of bolt guns and the sheer rate of fire will do the rest thanks to breaching. The power daggers are the icing on the cake. 

Worth also mentioning here (because I always forget) that Headhunters also get the Smokescreen trait. Use it. 

Weaknesses. 

With 1 wound each and regular power armour, this unit is an expensive glass cannon. You need to think clearly about positioning, screening, approach, and then overwhelming fire power and whether you even want to get in to close combat. Which to be clear: you might well want to, particularly against other 3+ armour save units. 

Builds.

10 Headhunters, Prime with Power Fist (240 points). 

The large version of the squad for ranged shooting, and close combat (remember: I am Alpharius). 

5 Headhunters, 1 Multi-Melta, Prime with Power Fist (160 points).

General purpose squad. Precision shots can melt your chosen enemy with a bit of luck here. Swap out the multi melta for a heavy bolter to taste. 

5 Headhunters, 4 combi-melta guns, 1 multi-melta, all with melta bombs (210 points).

A risky melta-cide squad. 

5 Headhunters, all with melta bombs (150 points).

A much cheaper variant of the above. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Saboteur

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounding down. A glass cannon.

Background.

The Alpha Legion has a large cadre of specialists whose job it is to disrupt the enemy. This might be via infiltration, or assassination, or generally causing a nuisance. Little is beneath contempt for the legion if it works. 

Strengths. 

With BS=WS=5 and 3 wounds, the character is somewhat above average but nothing really to note given that his special characteristics are a little low. 

What stands out here is the equipment list and the False Colours special rule. Under this special rule, the Saboteur cannot be the target of a shooting attack or a charge. At least until the Saboteur attacks, or an enemy unit gets within six inches and passes an intelligence test. This is interesting, but it makes him a glass cannon and rather vulnerable if you do not manage to have the first turn, or get wiped out with a reaction. 

The equipment list comes with a banestrike shot gun which is a bit average, venom spheres (yay), melta bombs (useful), a power dagger (useful), as well as infiltrate within 6 inches (amazing). 

What I would suggest here is maybe buying a plasma pistol and shooting it on maximal to take something out. Mind you, the shot gun does have stun which can be nice. I think here you just need to pick out your target carefully. Something for the melta bombs to target? Something to shoot at? Something to charge at?

Weaknesses. 

Will Power = 7 feels low to me. This is supposed to be a character, not a line trooper. 

They won't last long though. They are alone and out there to disrupt or occupy the opponent's first turn. 

Overall.

Treat them as the troll unit that they are. Do not expect them to survive long. Your only job is to cause some initial damage until the rest of the army arrives - perhaps this is a squad of Headhunters just behind them (they have infiltrate 9). Equally, if you have more than one Saboteur advancing on the same target, that makes for a very interesting (if expensive) scenario. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Armillus Dynat

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded Up. Dynat is not quite the same as he was in previous editions. 

Background.

A relatively anonymous character who, in other legions, might actually be rather well known and celebrated in my opinion. Dynat is a harrow master for the Alpha Legion. He has been at a number of important engagements before and during the Heresy and likes to lead from the front. Literally. 

Strengths. 

The stat line here is similar to a Praetor. What makes Dynat stand out a little bit is the combination of equipment and special rules. 

For the special rules, his harrow master rule allows him and his (non bulky) unit to gain Infiltrate (12). This is reasonable, but a downgrade from second edition. He is literally going to be out there at the front on his own with another squad. Better make it a good squad. And probably close combat orientated?

The equipment is nice. I'm going to point out both venom spheres and phosphex bombs to begin with - these are easily overlooked but very nice. The Prince and The Prophet have had a work over in this edition as well. The Prince gets Breaching (5+) and if you get three+ hits with it, you get to thunderstrike with the Prophet. Hence there's a bit of a gamble here. You could get lucky, but The Prophet does have a better stat line except for the I-2 and A-1 penalty associated with it. S=7 and AP2 plus Damage=2 is tempting enough to just swing with it. And, to be honest, if I am Alpharius is played, then you will probably go with the Prophet in the first round regardless. 

Weaknesses. 

Oddly, Dynat's Willpower and Intelligence are a bit lower than a regular Praetor. This is a very peculiar design choice in my opinion. 

The lack of infiltrating more units is a downgrade from Second edition as well. To be clear, he is still a very reasonable threat in close combat, but I feel he is now more of a distraction carnifex, and not a very big one either. Strong enough to damage stuff, but not actually over the top deadly like characters from other legions. 

Overall.

Not bad. Not entirely amazing either. A leader who goes ahead of the main troops and causes damage in close combat or gets a squad into place to fire on turn one. I might be tempted to take some disintegrator rifles here perhaps? Thinking out loud only in the context of the new weapons in Third Edition. Or perhaps a Rewards of Treachery squad of some sort? Lots of choices and tactics to consider with this one. 

Final note, as with Alpharius, Dynat similarly does not have a pre-defined allegiance. This is great touch once more and very welcome. 

Horus Heresy 3e Review: Alpharius

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. Rounded Up. Alpharius is once again very strong, but not in ways many people might initially guess. 

Background.

Alpharius. Omegon. Someone Else. No One. The Hydra. The Threefold Serpent. The Final Configuration. All Lies. 

Beneath the lies, the double speak, the duplicity, and the mystery is something much more. A master mind more cunning and insidious than his brothers, and one that works outside any regular framework to bring victory. Applying critical force at the weakest points whilst misdirecting everyone else, Alpharius' loyalties were never entirely certain and he operated a very flat structure to take advantage of the natural intellect of his recruits to the Alpha Legion, or perhaps the effects of his gene seed. Oh, and if you drank his blood, then you realized the full history of his plotting and ambition and will to power and survival. 

Strengths. 

Let's start with the stat line which is similar to previous editions. He has a solid WS=BS=I=7 which stands him in reasonable stead. Most are 6's otherwise which at first glance is an issue (especially S and T). He does get an extra pip in Intelligence though which I thought was very pleasing to see - if rather situational - compared to most of his other brothers. 

But let's progress quickly to the Pale Spear. This necron device (I assume it is necron and I've never heard anything to the contrary, so I'm sticking to my head canon) has been enhanced in this edition. It is AP=2 which is strong, yes. But. Here, we also get S+1 (taking his attacks up to a valuable S=7), I+1 (taking his initiative up to a very competitive I=8 against many of his brothers - you will still use I am Alpharius as your opening gambit though). Most importantly, he also has damage=2 now. This gives him more than a fighting shot. But its better. Armourbane and phage against strength combine with critical hit (5+) to truly take his close combat prowess up further notches. In short: he is no longer the outright weakest primarch any longer. He will outclass probably at least Lorgar now! Probably. Horrah! And you know what, I had a challenge recently against Angron which he won. He's still going to lose against Horus and others though. I digress - let's get back on track. 

His ranged side arm, The Hydra's Spite, remains strong with S=7 and breaching on 4+. Try not to forget that he also has venom spheres as standard too. 

Everywhere and Nowhere provides Alpharius with the means to redeploy at the start of the battle. This can potentially be game changing. But you can't go outside your own deployment zone (boo). I think having a choice on each flank is good here, but also riding up the centre is an option. Depends on your terrain configuration. 

Sire of the Alpha Legion gives prime slots to troops if you fill troop slots with tactical squads or assault squads which is appropriate. The ability to gain outflank from reserve rolls is okay, but not very powerful reserve manipulation ability, nor an army multiplier that I might have naively wanted. 

I want to briefly mention two of his traits as well. He has the smoke screen trait, which gives shrouded that can be very nice and useful. 

But. 

Get this. 

He DOES NOT HAVE AN ALLEGIANCE. You can play Alpharius as a Loyalist, or as a Traitor. Rejoice brothers! 

Weaknesses. 

Alpharius and/or Omegon are strictly better than second edition at the price of losing AP=1 on the pale spear (which is offset by other gains like 5+ critical hits) and some other special rules. The only mildly arguable negative here is that Alpharius is only minimally over-costed now. Perhaps by 10 points or so. You know what. There's not much in it. I'll say he is probably on par with his ability levels in Third Edition and not 50-100 points over costed like in Second. Yet he is certainly not the force multiplier he was in First. I miss him being a force multiplier which he honestly should be. 

Overall.

Alpharius is better than his recent incarnation in Second Edition. You can actually win against other Primarchs using Alpharius now (eternal warrior at 2 certainly helps this). I would know - I am Alpharius. Are you Alpharius too?