Horus Heresy 2e Review: Imperial Fists Decurion Sagittar

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. Rounded down. A truly excellent upgrade for the Imperial Fists. 

Background.

This battle brother likes his autocannon. On top of a vehicle. Shooting lots and all around. A little too much. 

Strengths.

For a modest points cost, gain not only an augury scanner, but also an Illiastus assault cannon on a pintle for your Saggitar to use. 

He can shoot one defensive weapon or his pintle weapon and choose to gain skyfire or precision shots against a different target to the rest of the tank. This is extremely nice and provides strong options. And of course, he is an Imperial Fist and really likes the assault cannon.

Weaknesses.
Not many realistically.

Overall.

Well worth the points cost for the equipment price alone. The special rules make this truly impressive.

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Lord-Castellan Evander Garrius

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Although some of the rules are downright odd, Garrius is fundamentally a character to be reckoned with.

Background.

Unification veteran. Unliked by Dorn due to his brutality. Seconded to garrison duty. And then given the opportunity to prove himself (with relish) at the Siege of Cthonia. Which he sets about doing as effectively as any Imperial Fist Lord might!

Strengths.

Garrius has a praetor like stat line but with T=5. More than this though, what stands out is his equipment. The power fist is basically an AP1 S=8 with brutal 2 and reaping blow. This alone is impressive. It gets better with his volkite weapon which gives assault 5, deflagrate along with rad phage! The rad in particular is going to be amazing here. Meanwhile his armour gives him feel no pain in combat and still lets him sweep despite its bulk. He also has several nice special rules including admantium will at 3+ and relentless. 

Weaknesses.
The Unfavoured Son special rule is downright odd. He cannot be part of a detachment containing Dorn. This won't come about unless an allied player is playing Dorn! But if this happens, then he can potentially gain Fearless and IWND - but the likelihood of this ever triggering is zero (but let me know in the comments if you've had it happen?). 

The Butcher of Larissan warlord trait is not necessarily a weakness, but also comes under the category of odd here. When trailing in victory points, he gains rage. This is, of course, nice. There's also some shenanigans where he can cause victory points earned by the enemy to reduce to zero under certain circumstances and die rolls. This cannot be depended upon though. At least the assault reaction bonus is nice. Taken together, the warlord trait can be beneficial to claw your way back to victory in a game, but its just not reliable.

Naturally, he is also a pure loyalist.  

Overall.

A strong character, yet one that is also optimised for the book in which he appears. He is useful, no doubt about it, but the odd rules don't sit well for me. He's probably still worth the points when played aggressively. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Imperial Fists Additional Rules (Siege of Cthonia)

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2.5/5 stars, rounded up to 3/5 stars thanks to the new Ferromag shotgun. Leave the new warlord traits at home. 

Ferromag Shotgun.

A free upgrade for a regular shot gun. The reason to take this is the Breaching 6+ shot that you will get from it which gives you a chance at hurting terminators. Obviously this also works in conjunction with the +1 that the Fists already have to hit. Worth taking most of the time.

Warlord Trait: Unforgiven.

A loyalist only trait for those commanders who had somehow offended the Primarch and wanted to return to his good graces. It grants an immunity - of sorts - to instant death and replaces this with d3 wounds. To be candid, this is not as fantastic as it might appear since you will basically be taking a lot of those wounds regardless in a straight up fight with something a touch more challenging. In combat, you also gain fearless, but have to charge where possible. The rub here is there's no bonus reaction. Not really worth it outside of fluffy situations.

Warlord Trait: Bound by Glory.

Choose a legion and gain fearless in combat against that legion. But you cannot sweeping advance them. So maybe take cataphractii armour to seal this. The additional assault reaction is okay. Its not really that good overall.  

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Castellan

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. The rules are fine.

Background.

The unique consul of the Imperial Fists is the Castellan. In the background these are the commanders that left behind compliant worlds following the Fists' successful campaigns. On these planets they constructed fortresses from which they could command whole systems and act as a defensive construction in times of need.

Strengths.

The ability to gain an additional shooting attack with a heavy weapon is fabulous. But they are limited in choices to a heavy bolter, an autocannon, or the Iliastus assault cannon. 

Weaknesses.

There are a large number of restrictions here in addition to gaining the heavy unit type. As I read it this also includes not being in terminator armour. 

Still, this is a reasonable HQ selection for small points games or skirmishes such as a kill team style army. Indeed, I think it would do very well in these circumstances when paired with any of the three heavy weapon options. 

Builds.

Castellan with Auto cannon (85 points).

My baseline.

Castellan with Iliastus assault cannon, melta bombs, power axe (115 points).

Slightly on the expensive side for small points games, but possesses deterrents for incoming assaults and is a bit of a swiss army knife. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Fafnir Rann

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. I rounded down. The rules are good, but not especially outstanding.

Background.

There are a number of characters in the Horus Heresy who at first glance don't feel like they belong in their allocated legion and probably should have been recruited to a different one. I have a bit of a soft spot for these kind of flavorful characters who otherwise break the generic mold: Fafnir is one of them and in this case it is the Space Wolves rather than the Imperial Fists that he should probably have been allocated to. 

Fafnir earned the moniker of Dorn's executioner and was a superlative commander for the loyalist forces during the Siege. His tally was high and he was as effective on the offensive as the defensive, and known for his sheer mastery of using twinned axes and being able to swap to axe and shield when the situations called for it.

Strengths.

Fafnir is a great close combat character. He has different attack profiles for using his twinned axes versus one axe and a shield (replacing the rampage rule with the shield master rule which give -1S to opponents as well as acting as a regular boarding shield - a really nice combination). The AP2 means Fafnir is going to be deadly to many opponents.

The executioner's tax deserves a mention here as well for its uniqueness. Any unit charging against him suffers multiple S5 hits for doing so at I=10. Few in the game is able to replicate this kind of action realistically. 

The warlord trait of +1WS is just the icing on the cake for accompanying Breacher and Phalanx Warder squads, let along taking one as troops. As if that wasn't enough, he even gets hammer of wrath combined with a good stat line. Oh, and let's not forget the additional reaction in assault. Nice.

Weaknesses. 

I guess he hasn't got more than S=4 or T=4? 

Other than that, it is important to consider how you want to use him. He really is a close combat monster that you want to get in the thick of the action as soon as possible and accompanied by breachers or phalanx warder squads. 

Difference to First Edition.

Very little. It wasn't so long ago that I reviewed Rann for First Edition, and things have not changed too much to be honest. Just missing the teleport transponder here I think? Indeed, so similar is first and second edition that I've kept the text mainly unchanged for this article.

Overall.

Well worth the points: he can wreck squads with the right timing. But beware of massed incoming fire. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Alexis Polux

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are strong and somewhat unique. I think Polux is ideal for lower points games. 

Background.

The master of the Imperial Fists retribution fleet and he who would become the founder of the Crimson Fists, Polux's name was already a known before the Heresy thanks to his giant frame and strength even for a space marine. More than this, he was also a tactical genius and well suited to void warfare.

Strengths.

The ability to redeploy one unit as a warlord trait is fine without being game dominating, and his bonus reaction during the assault phase is strong. 

As a void commander, he gives deep strike to any unit he joins in reserves and also can choose to pass or fail pinning tests. This is unique in the game and powerful. Combined with his hammer blow (S=10) strike, Polux is a powerful leader to choose without being game breaking. 

Weaknesses.

A sound choice for a HQ where the points don't allow someone like Sigismund or Rogal Dorn. No particular weaknesses here and a unique HQ choice.

Overall.

Tailor your army according to his abilities. Take a large unit into reserves with him and deep strike into position without worrying about being pinned. Arm that unit with either close combat, or a combination of short ranged firepower and close combat to make the most of things. An ideal choice for a lower points game in my opinion. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Sigismund

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. The rules are very strong. I only just rounded down to be honest.

Background.

Of all the Imperial Fists, and even the space marines more widely, there are few who are not primarchs that have their names recognised. Sigismund is not just one of a number like Abaddon, Corswain, Kharn, and company - he is unique in the background. Alone, he is preternaturally skilled and sits only a whisker beneath the primarchs themselves. He is death incarnate and undefeated.

Strengths.

Although his stat line might appear at first glance to be nothing special, the WS=7 is a massive advantage. He comes with a small slew of special rules that make him more deadly.

The warlord trait allows bonus victory points for slaying the warlord by his hand. The additional reaction is splendid, and the bonus to combat resolution for the entire army is bonkers. 

Bonuses to charge distance and sweeping advances seem like icing on the cake, but there's even more here such as unlocking templar brethren as troops and the re-rolling of invulnerable saves against him is amazing for character killing. His sword really is just splendid for S=6 instant death and he also has precision strikes on top of this. 

Weaknesses.

Few. T=4 being the most obvious, and only available to Loyalists being the other. That said, having to get into combat with the enemy warlord for the bonus victory point will be tactically challenging, so take a transport option. Also note that he costs like a tank in and of himself. I regard the cost as worth while though.

Difference to First Edition.

Neutral. The rules are remarkably comparable. 

Overall.

There are few characters below primarchs that Sigismund cannot take on and win against. Take care against the primarchs themselves though. He is a close combat monster and has to be played in that manner. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Phalanx Warder Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are strong. Would give it 4.5/5 stars when run with the Stone Gauntlet rite of war. 

Background.

Protecting the flag ship of the Imperial Fists, the Warders are a stark bunch selected from breacher squads and known for no showing off when victory calls. For them, living until next time is victory enough. Grim. Regardless, they are essentially breacher squads with more bits and bobs added to them and a formidable alternative to the troops that the Imperial Fists player might otherwise select.

Strengths. 

Look closely and it will become obvious why this squad is a step up from breachers. In combination with the Stone Gauntlet rite of war, they can be devastating when played well. 

The lock step special rule grants a bonus pip to WS when charged and when there's at least 3 warders left. Happily this pip can also spread to others joining the unit without this special rule. Hence the conclusion here is that characters are good to hide within the squad. Even an apothecary would be good here for bonus durability, thinking build-wise.

The Shield Wall special rule grants a bonus to invulnerable saves as well whilst they are in base contact with others. Again, this rule spreads to characters joining them. This is beautiful. 

Weaknesses.

Despite all the upgrades over breacher squads, these battle brothers remain 1 wound, 3+ armour save marines. Remember this well. Regard also the Shield Wall rule and beware of large blasts that are incoming from the likes of vindicators. For goodness sake, use the Stone Gauntlet rite of war to maximally benefit this squad (and in numbers). The re-roll to invulnerable saves is tremendous. 

Difference to First Edition.

Improved.

Some will suggest that the lack of T=5 possible in first edition represents a loss. To small arms massed fire-power, I would agree. But I would counter this by suggesting that the invulnerable antics have made up for this aspect and made them much better. They're cheaper too -- and fundamentally much more viable than when released in first edition. Hence overall I'm thinking this unit has seen an improvement. Add in a leader like Fafnir and its suddenly an amazingly strong squad on both offense and defence. 

Builds.

Readers might like to contrast these unit builds to first edition here.

10 Phalanx Warders, legion vexilla, sergeant with power fist and artificer armour (260 points).

My baseline squad. I like flamers added in here for objective sitting duties. 

20 Phalanx Warders, legion vexilla, 4 thunder hammers, sergeant with solarite power gauntlet, artificer armour, whole squad with melta bombs (560 points).

Expensive, to be clear. Remove the melta bombs to make it more points cost attractive and give it to the sergeant only (515 points). Go hunt, but watch out for those big pie plates.

10 Phalanx Warders, legion vexilla, 2 plasma guns, sergeant with artificer armour, plasma pistol, melta bombs (285 points).

So much cheaper than first edition and amazingly good for raining down some plasma death. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Templar Brethren

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are strong. I think this unit is solid all round and we will see much more of it on tabletops soon. 

Background.

These brothers guard the temple of Oaths which is located on board the ancient Phalanx starship. They have access to some of the best war gear available and are generally zealous in the extreme and hone their skills accordingly.

Strengths.

I like that these brothers have a good stat line, and that they can be nicely customized. Given the new rite of war, I would contend that Templars are going to be seen more frequently on the battlefields of 30k.

Furious charge and crusader imply by default that this unit should be build for close combat. The power swords as the basic weapon is great and something to build upon. Artificer armour is the icing on the proverbial cake here.

Weaknesses.

Watch for AP2 and instant death. Otherwise, this is a very strong unit for 30k and as above, I anticipate seeing many more of the Templars in second edition compared to first.

Difference to First Edition.

Improved. The extra wound is excellent to have and cannot be overlooked. 

Builds.

5 Templars, Champion with Solarite Power Gauntlet (160 points).

A baseline entry, and something of a distraction carnifex (i.e., has to be dealt with by an enemy or it will chop them steadily enough). Take a transport. 

10 Templars, Nuncio-Vox, Vexilla, Melta Bombs, Champion with Solarite Power Gauntlet (330 points).

Note the nice points cost here for a frightening mob of 10 marines ready to deploy against many other units in the game. The lack of invulnerable saves is the only problem, but that may not matter too much.

5 Templars, 4 Combat Shields, 2 plasma pistols, Champion with Master Crafted Thunder Hammer (198 points).

More for a Zone Mortalis game, but still viable elsewhere to say the least. Take a vexilla to taste.

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Rogal Dorn

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are strong.

Background.

Summoned back to Terra and installed as Warmaster in all but name, Dorn prosecuted a variety of aspects of the war for the loyalist faction whilst his father was doing goodness knows what deep in the bowels of Terra. He is portrayed as having a body of stone and being the essence of the uncompromising and determined aspect of the Emperor's soul. And one whose loyalty and duty were as breathing to other lesser mortals. 

Strengths.

The Sire of the Imperial Fists warlord trait ensures his entire army uses his leadership, and they also gain +1 to combat resolution. This is strong and will suit close combat builds nicely. Additionally the ability to choose which phase to gain a reaction within is great.

The Auric armour provides an excellent defence and grants Dorn the means to only be wounded on a 4+ regardless of anything. The fact that any charge made against him is always disordered is a nice addition here.

Weapon wise, Dorn is also doing well with his chainsword, and a S=5 assault 3 bolter. 

Weaknesses.

About the only thing that can be said here is the comparatively low(!) S=8 hits he is giving in close combat which resolve at AP=2 (other Primarchs tend to have access to either AP=1 or higher S, or both). But regardless, he is a primarch and will still slaughter enemy squads.

Overall. 

Strong without being outstanding like Horus. Dorn is also a great boon for the Imperial Fists and will certainly bring an emphatic resonance and close combat boon to the army.

Difference to First Edition.

Neutral. He's lost the ability to unlock templars as troops, but gained a different nifty defensive ability that more than makes up for it. Honestly, about the same overall. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Imperial Fists Armoury

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are strong.

Imperial Fists Armoury. 

There are a number of unique and semi-unique entries in the Imperial Fists armoury. 

Vigil Storm Shield. 

This is the 3++ invulnerable saving throw that is otherwise largely absent from Horus Heresy / 30k. The points cost with purchasing it is very reasonable, but will add up quickly if the goal is a full squad of thunder hammer and vigil storm shield terminators. Worth it for a true death star unit, and similarly for an important character. 

Teleport Strike.

The access to deep striking is a very strong rule and competes superbly well. The points cost again adds up fast here so take this only for a dedicated unit. Take a different rite of war to give everyone relevant deep strike if that's the build you're after though.

Solarite Power Gauntlet.

A power fist or thunder hammer upgrade that appeared in the first edition. Here it is a nice upgrade and worth it for characters. 

Iliastus Assault Cannon.

Exchanging heavy flamers or predator mounts for this assault 4 weapon is very tempting. When combined with some of the Imperial Fists other rules, this can be very powerful in second edition.

We will review the Castellan unit distinctly.

Difference to First Edition.

Very Neutral. There are some changes, but overall the rules are broadly comparable.

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Imperial Fists Traits and Rites

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are strong.

Warlord Traits.

Solar Marshal. A loyalist only trait, this one allows the player to improve WS against traitors and gains one additional reaction in any phase for the unit that the Warlord joins. I see this as quite powerful, but the army would likely have to be built around a death star style unit. Very viable for the Fists. 

Warden of Inwit. The ability to automatically pass morale and pinning checks in their own deployment zone (or when by an objective) is a powerful one and when combined with the additional reaction to assault is a powerful backline trait, or front line objective carrier. I can see this working well with front line shield bearing units in particular.

Architect of Devastation. Re-rolling to hit rolls of a 1 is powerful. But don't play this along with a bolt gun based unit. Use it with a different weapon. Even combi-weapons on terminators. The extra trait in the shooting phase helps with this, and perhaps argues from a strong front line shooting unit or even a support squad to take maximum benefit from it. Heck, give it to a unit that just has a high rate of shots. 

Rites of War.

The Imperial Fists are notable for having 3 basic rites.

The Stone Gauntlet. Although slightly changed, this rite should be familiar to players of first edition. It centres around Phalanx Warder squads and gives them Line, along with shield bearing units gaining solid bonuses. Although they cannot deep strike, this is a solid rite to take.

Hammerfall Strike Force. Another rite of war that will be instantly familiar to first edition players. Again Phalanx warder squads are troops here and infantry can gain deep strike and as a result shrouded as well. Works very well, and will be a staple on battlefields galore.

Templar Assault. This one is new. It centres around Templar Brethren. They gain Line and a nice buff when they disembark, but this one is for loyalists only. Interestingly, this encourages building an army around the Templars. Take with a close combat warlord!

Difference to First Edition.

Slightly improved. Some things have changed and wordings have been updated. But there are solid if not mind-blowing additions here that will diversify army builds for the Imperial Fists. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Imperial Fists Legion Rules

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. I rounded up for once. (The rules are strong). 

Background.

The Imperial Fists were withdrawn to Terra close to the end of the Great Crusade. This became instrumental in several future facets: they launched the retribution fleet at the commencement of the Heresy, they battled enemies and their primarchs in places like Tallarn, and ultimately took part in the successful defence of Terra. Indeed, without their withdrawal at the end of the Crusade, it is doubtful that the Imperium would stand. 

This is a legion drilled in the use of bolt guns and other shooting weapons. Their rules reflect this and their character more broadly.

Legion Rules Review.

Discipline and Resolve. Gaining a +1 to hit with bolt weapons and auto weapons is a great advantage. Of course, the Iliastrus assault cannon is an auto weapon which makes this even more attractive. 

Vaults of the Phalanx gives access to the wargear options, Lords of the Imperium meanwhile allows a new type of consul upgrade, while Sentinels of Terra gives access to their warlord traits. 

Advanced Reaction.

The Best Defence is the Imperial Fists bespoke advanced reaction. It allows them to charge at a unit that gets close to them during the movement phase as if it were the charge phase in their own turn. I see this as a strong boon. 

Difference to First Edition.

Neutral. The +1 to hit was originally a gain in BS, here it is a pure +1 to hit. The extension of this to auto weapons does make this impressive, but other units have lost out a bit such as the loss of tank hunters from the heavy support option. I regard the Imperial Fists as a great mid range shooting legion with builds and units that can help it focus on longer range shooting, as well as close combat when it matters and a good range of HQ choices. The phrase "all comers" legion springs to mind here.

Horus Heresy Review: Fafnir Rann

Background.
There are a number of characters in the Horus Heresy who at first glance don't feel like they belong in their allocated legion and probably should have been recruited to a different one. I have a bit of a soft spot for these kind of flavorful characters who otherwise break the generic mold: Fafnir is one of them and in this case it is the Space Wolves rather than the Imperial Fists that he should probably have been allocated to. 

Fafnir earned the moniker of Dorn's executioner and was a superlative commander for the loyalist forces during the Siege. His tally was high and he was as effective on the offensive as the defensive, and known for his sheer mastery of using twinned axes and being able to swap to axe and shield when the situations called for it.

Strengths.

Not messing around here: Fafnir is a great close combat character. He has different attack profiles for using his twinned axes versus one axe and a shield (replacing the rampage rule with the shield master rule which give -1S to opponents as well as acting as a regular boarding shield - a really nice combination). The AP2 means Fafnir is deadly to almost any opponent short of Primarch and other notable commanders. 

The executioner's tax deserves a mention here as well for its uniqueness. Any unit charging against him suffers multiple S5 hits for doing so at I=10. Few in the game is able to replicate this kind of action realistically. 

The warlord trait of +1WS is just the icing on the cake for accompanying Breacher and Phalanx Warder squads, let along taking one as troops. As if that wasn't enough, he even gets hammer of wrath combined with a good stat line.

Weaknesses. 

I guess he hasn't got more than S=4 or T=4? 

Other than that, it is important to consider how you want to use him. He has the unusual option (outside of Night Lords) of taking a teleport transponder for 10 points -- this is a nice way of making use of him short of a land raider.

Overall.

Well worth the points: he can wreck squads with the right timing. But beware of massed incoming fire. 

Horus Heresy Review: Huscarl Squad

Background.

The Warhammer Community recently released the first in what promises to be an exciting series of publications on exemplary battles. Contained within this first release: The Battle of Pluto, is a new unit for the Horus Heresy game, the Huscarl Squad.

These Imperial Fists marines have risen through the Phalanx Warders and are considered to be very hardy and therefore charged with the shielding of Imperial Fists battle components. They are unsung heroes of the Imperial Fists and have a "singular nature" in the service of Dorn. 

Strengths.

They are Cataphratii terminators that carry storm shields, along with a power weapon of their choosing. This automatically ranks them as high quality and a solid investment. The ability to upgrade with power gauntlets of the Solarite flavour is superb, and the grenade harness rounds them all off nicely. 

In addition to this, the teleporter transponders mean that they match the Night Lords for the ability to get where they need to be. This is uncommon in the Horus Heresy and should not be overlooked. 

Other special rules grant them bonus WS if they are charged and have 3 or more models remaining (this extends to characters joined to the squad) and they can replace a legion command squad as a retinue if required (certainly recommended for consideration from me!). 

Weaknesses.

Fundamentally, these marines are still single wound terminators with a moderate leadership value. Models that are able to pump out enough shots to force saving throws, and those with AP2 or other means (e.g., Fear) are going to cause the squad problems. With this in mind, it is important to remember the price tag attached here which is moderately steep, but very reasonable for what you get. Its just a pity they don't have 2 wounds each really as otherwise they could compete with the Salamanders terminators. 

Finally, without any ranged weapons, it is important that these marines get to where they need to be in the game as soon as possible. Teleport in by all means, but then watch out for faster armies who will run rings around them (White Scars). 

Builds. 

5 Huscarls, all with power axes. (275 points).

This is actually the baseline squad and it will serve very well as a teleport in and make a mess of a backline squad, or hold a critical line against the advancement of enemies -- just as Dorn intended.

10 Huscarls, 5 Solarite Power Gauntlets, 2 Power Axes, 3 Power Swords, 1 Grenade Harness (535 points).

Probably only for legendary battles where a Primarch is involved given the points costs here. Regardless, this squad really will hold a good line against most comers, particularly when paired up with the likes of Dorn himself. Good luck, and don't take and fear tests from Night Lords. 

The Battle of Pluto: Hydra’s Devastation

Fresh out of the Warhammer Community today is the first in what promises to be a high quality series of releases for the Horus Heresy: Exemplary Battles in the Age of Darkness. In this case, it is The Battle of Pluto: Hydra’s Devastation. This particular release centres around the battle of Hydra and is one of those very notable battles in the Heresy that hasn't received as much attention as it might otherwise deserve -- and hence the release.

Here, we get to grips with the Alpha Legion tearing into the outer solar system defences around Terra. Arranged against them are the forces of the Imperial Fists. These events are covered in the Black Library release Praetorian of Dorn. The release is a solid 12 pages long (10 not counting the covers) and gives us a new campaign to fight that consists of 3 individual battles, along with a new unit: the Huscurl Squad. All this set with a good amount of background material and lore that would make some of the earlier writers of the black book series proud, I would like to believe.

The so-called "legendary battles" themselves are entertaining. The first one (A Spear in the Void) represents the Alpha Legion making a surgical strike on Hydra with the Imperial Fists defending. The second (Maelstrom of Carnage) deals with the aftermath of the first game and is effectively a Zone Mortalis game. Whoever won the previous game is the attacker here and must push on into enemy territory to either damage things further, or to kill off the remaining forces (also depends on your point of view I guess!).

The final game is "Nucleus of Destruction" and represents the clash between Dorn and Alpharius at the culmination of the Battle for Hydra. The outcome is decided by who kills the opposing Primarch. All told, this is an interesting series of connected games that can feature in a connected campaign for the dominion of Hydra. 

We will review the new Imperial Fists unit in a distinct post. 

About the only thing that I can say I'm slightly down on is that fact that this publication might not end up in physical publication format. But that's life. And I'm very pleased to see the Horus Heresy line get some quality attention like this. It certainly bodes well for the future. Bring on the second edition of the game!

Dorn's Dawn

The past few days have seen a rush of announcements of various types coming out of Games Workshop and its associated branches. One of them in particular grabbed my attention, and that of plenty of other Heresy fans: the imminent release of a finished Rogal Dorn model for 30k.

The accompanying video that went alongside the announcement on the Warhammer Community webpage captured the real essence of this model for me. In the video, the designers talk about Dorn effectively being the new Warmaster -- the Imperial Loyalist Warmaster -- following the fall of Horus Lupercal to chaos and sedition. This is ultimately the essence of what I also see in Rogal Dorn as well.

The pose of the model is in contrast to Horus though. Where Horus is depicted as the conquered of worlds, atop a marble staircase with his weapons at the ready to do some damage, the pose of Dorn here is that of a true master surveying the battlefield before him. To me, it looks like the battle is already over and that the outcome (should it have ever been doubted) was in Dorn's favour. At his feet lie the dead sons of the Night Haunter. I'm not sure what battle this is supposed to be in the background detail, but it certainly feels like an epic scene and aftermath. I could easily imagine that the rest of the battlefield is filled with the dead corpses of Dorn's enemies, whilst his loyal sons are helping their own recover dropped bolt guns from the field and escort wounded brothers to the medical bays. Hence, this pose is not dynamic, so much as inspecting, and even introspective, of the scene. What is Dorn thinking here? Is he pleased? Or is he feeling terrible at having to carve out the traitors that he once called loyal and numbered at brothers?

Other aspects that I like about this are the breeze catching the cape as it gusts uncaringly across the battlefield and the incidental details on the scenic base. Whilst I might have thought that Dorn's miniature would be a dynamic affair, I am actually pleased with how it has turned out ultimately. Not every Primarch needs to be captured in the moment of battle. This one of Dorn has the feel of a chess piece King. Check mate.

[Image sourced from, and copyright by, Warhammer Community.]

Warhammer World: Imperial Fists of Horus Heresy

Today, some Imperial Fists from the Horus Heresy era that were snapped at Warhammer World. They were part of the special display dedicated to the Heresy that happened much earlier (and is now not there). I'm posting it here for posterity, and as a bit of a painting guideline. Enjoy!

Warhammer World: Battle at the Phall System

As one of the early conflicts in the Horus Heresy, the Battle at the Phall System was also one of the most important in some ways. A clean victory here may have meant that Horus could have swept in to the Sol System with relative celerity and emerged triumphant. History would dictate otherwise.

These pictures were taken in the special exhibition at Warhammer World (nope: I'm not there today for the Forge World weekender - but am certainly very pleased to see all those lovely new models being released!). The board is essentially a modified zone mortalis construction with a huge number of Iron Warriors and Imperial Fists contesting a large space craft. There's some lovely little gems in there in you look closely. The last image is a gem in and of itself: the Imperial Fists `docking' with the Iron Warriors craft!

Hope you like the photos.

Warhammer World: Parade Grounds

The Galaxy is a large place. On some worlds, an Imperial muster is bound to take place, and it seems that this exhibit demonstrates that on a very grand scale. This diorama is of a parade ground for the Imperial Guard (or Astra Militarum as they're now known). 

The mighty Hammer of the Emperor marching and rolling forth is being overseen by a combination of senior ranking officers of the army, as well as the Imperial Fists chapter of the Space Marines. If you look closely in the pictures, you will even see an Imperial Fists rhino parked at something of an odd angle to the side of these proceedings. I like this touch in particular -- the presence of the Sons of Dorn shows some connection to the Imperial Army that I'm not quite sure of (are they being subservient to the Army, or are they in command of the Army? I could not make up my mind on which way around the chain of command went from just looking at the display - so let me know if you have an opinion). 

All around the diorama are the impressive vehicles and walkers of the Army. Of course, there is also the Imperial Guard themselves. If you scour the pictures carefully, you'll see that they are for the main part marching in exacting lock-step with each other. This is an impressive bit of posing guardsmen on a very large scale that takes the breath away. 

In the background to all of this are large scale weapons that are pointed at the skies. Such macro cannons are indicative of a very fortified world (like Cadia!) that I was particularly pleased to see. I think my only criticism is some of the plain steel walls at the back of the diorama -- they've simply attached some cogs and pillars to the front of these, but I might have liked to have seen some segmentation on the chrome-looking pieces. 

There are plenty of other "Easter Egg" style things in the pictures as well. For instance the hanging flags are particularly good and (to me) even scarily reminiscent of war reports that I have seen on television in our own world. 

Very impressed with this diorama -- full marks for layout and execution. And bonus points for being intimidating and reminiscent of real musters.