Horus Heresy 2e Review: Solar Auxilia Rifle Section

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️

2.5/5 stars. Rounded down - but only just. Shoot fast, die quickly. Great for the points value when played well. But very squishy. You will need a lot of maximum sized units for this choice!

Background.

These are the mainstay troops of the Solar Auxilia. They are recruited from all over the Imperium of Mankind and are armed with some of the (surprisingly) best weapons that the Auxilia has to offer. 

Strengths.

The rifle is the star of the show here. At 30inch range, the volley shot clocks in at heavy 2, strength 3. And at 18inch range, one shot at strength of 6. Both these modes are great. Combine this with the close orders and you have an excellent basis for a unit that moves tactically and shoots rather nicely. Keep things at that 30inch range and you have a great chance with this unit.

Weaknesses.

Did I say excellent basis for a unit? Yes. But they're only human. Their leadership is weak. Their toughness is 3. They have to pack closely together and will therefore die in droves to pie plates and template weapons. Don't even think about close combat. Just take lots of rifles - that is the only way you're going to do well.

Builds.

20 Rifles, Vox interlock, Auxilia Vexilla (120 points).

This is the only viable build realistically. Forget close combat upgrades for the sergeant. Take the Augury scanner to taste (you should have that elsewhere though to be candid). You're done. Keep firing at 30inch range and avoid anything getting close. And pie plates. Avoid pie plates for the love of the Emperor. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Solar Auxilia Line Command Section

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded up - but only just. You're taking it because of the essential Vox. 

Background.

Lead from behind. Usher the rifle sections into position. Try to interpret the commander's orders. Get stuck in the middle somehow. Not a great life, but also not the lowest of the low.

Strengths.

You are going to need to take this unit because of the Vox. That're really all there is to it. This unit comes in the Infantry Tercio along with the Rifle Sections and you can get up to 3 of the latter and 1 of the command section per tercio. 

There's some options for upgrades here, but fundamentally this is a ranged unit that will have the vox for utility. They are strictly worth their points, and you have the option to have some blades in here as a deterrent. 

Weaknesses.

The stat line is poor for everyone who is not the Troop Master. These are basic humans with low leadership and average weapons. 

Builds.

10 Line Command, Command Vox, Auxilia Vexilla, Augury Scanner, Troop Master with Power Fist, Refractor Field, Melta Bombs (150 points).

A reasonable price tag and a reasonable command unit. 

5 Line Command, Command Vox (75 points).

The bare minimum. My view is to take the variant above as I doubt you'll be scraping for 75 extra points to save? Maybe?

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Vigilator Cadre

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded down - but only just.The rules are reasonably good, but the points cost is slightly high.

Background.

The more senior members of the mainstay of the Sisters of Silence can be found on the battlefield with big swords! They hunt down their targets systematically, up close and personal. 

Strengths.

These Sisters are kitted out for close combat thanks to the Execution Blade and the Oblivion Chamber rules help this through against daemons very nicely. There is some nice flexibility on builds here as well with hand flamers and needle pistols possible. I also really still like the compression tanks here. 

Weaknesses.

As with the other troops, they are expensive (compared to space marine troops) given the T=3 issue. But they wealth of extra rules does make up some ground here. Take a transport to help. 

Builds.

Vigilators x5, 5 hand flamers with compression tanks, Mistress with Neuro Lash (120 points).

I have a thing for the flamers with compression tanks. Can't lie. The Neuro Lash clocks in with S+3, which is the same as Sx2 in the case of the power fist - they are interchangable for S purposes, so it comes down to the AP, or deflagrate. 

Vigilators x10, Mistress with Power Fist (135 points).

The base line build in my opinion. Take a transport and go do your thing. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Prosecutor Cadre

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars.The rules are average on balance given the points cost. 

Background.

The mainstay of the Sisters of Silence. Foot soldiers of the black ships and used in open battle wherever and whenever required.

Strengths.

There is some nice customization that is possible here. Although they come as standard with bolt guns, there's a good case to be made for having some snare guns and other special weapons in the squad. I'd also be tempted by the dedicated transport most of the time as well. 

Weaknesses.

For the price tag, I think that this squad is a touch on the expensive side - even for T=3 troops. The price hike is due to all those special rules that they come bound up with. Of these, stubborn stands out along with fleet as being very useful. 

Builds.

Prosecutor x10, 2 Snare Guns, Mistress with Power Weapon (125 points).

I regard this as the baseline build. I really like the snare guns for what they do on the battlefield - they are fluffy and acceptable to all players. A power axe or similar is a good idea here, but given their stat line weaknesses, I'd opt for a power sword most of the time as a threat to space marine standard saves. Take an augury scanner and nuncio vox to taste. 

Prosecutor x15, all with Assault Needlers, nuncio-vox, augury scanner, Mistress with hand flamer and power sword (275 points).

Ouch at the points cost here! The needlers are hilarious with poisoned at 3+ and assault 3. You will be causing wounds here. The hand flamer has some obvious uses too and the power sword is the icing on the cake that you will hopefully not need to make too much use of. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Sentinel Guard Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. I prefer the regular Custodian Guard Squad, but that's not to say this unit isn't great: it strictly is great.

Background.

Arguably having a greater degree of coordination than other formations, this squad is fundamentally a defensive configuration. They're still crazy deadly. 

Strengths.

They retain the Custodes stat line but have exchanged their spears for the Praesidium Shields and Sentinel Warblades. This grants them a little extra durability. 

I would advise taking some of those Solarite Power Gauntlets myself. They have "line" so hanging back on an objective is also a fine play for this unit. 

Weaknesses.

The price to be paid here is slightly less attacking potential. So what? They're still Custodes and they're still powerful. It is true though, I prefer them with spears. Just saying.  I can certainly see them doing well in boarding actions and Zone Mortalis in general though.

Builds.

3 Sentinels, 1 with Power Gauntlet (180 points).

A base line build. Take at least 1 power gauntlet in each squad, just in case!

5 Sentinels, 1 Vexilla, 2 Power Gauntlets (310 points).

A mid range unit that provides a potent threat. Expand the number in the squad to taste. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Custodian Guard Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. Nearly undoubtedly the best troops squad in the game.

Background.

Superhumans, and pumped up even more than regular space marines. They are potent to a fault, and loyal to the Emperor alone.

Strengths.

With 5's across the board, 2 wounds and 4 attacks each, these are troops that will make an impact in almost every role they need to play.

They can take more members (up to 10 in the squad) along with some upgrades like axes, and alternative spears. But even the base build is excellent. The T=5 coupled with 2+ save (not to mention the invulnerable) means that they can handle most other troops in the game, including enemy terminators. 

Weaknesses.

Arguably Ld=9 is a weakness? Loyalist only? Honestly folks, I'm struggling to identify many weaknesses for the points cost you are paying. For Line troops, you don't get much better. 

Builds.

3 Custodians, 1 with Guardian Axe (150 points).

The base build is excellent. I like having an axe in here for tackling higher toughness enemies.

3 Custodians, all with Pyrithite Spears (195 points).

A specialist unit here for tanks and dreadnoughts. I don't see much point in the Adrasite Spears myself.

10 Custodians, 2 with Axes, Vexilla with Warblade (485 points).

Several lots of this squad, and you have an army that can kill most things. However, it would be very rude to field such an army in case you still have friends at this point. Slightly smaller squads might be preferred to take advantage of Line everywhere. I like the vexilla with the larger squad.

Horus Heresy 2e Review: The Legiones Inductii

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. Rounded down. An excellent addition to the game - although some legions are better than others. We will give individual ratings to each legion below, the rating here is an overall rating that includes the pure concept of Inductii - which I'm a big fan of!

Background.

Many legions faced a serious issue during the heresy. They were losing too many men. The solution? Accelerate their induction. There are two relatively well known examples: the World Eaters inducted many at Bodt through hypnosis to believe that they were truly veterans, and the Raven Guard made ... monsters - ahem. It turns out that all the legions had need to do this though. 

General Rules.

These squads are replacements for despoilers or tactical squads, but since the men are generally "outsiders", they cannot be joined by others, have access to artificer armour, and are support squads. Otherwise, they all have some interesting rules added on that the player can make use of. 

Dark Angels. ⭐️⭐️

Drop hexagrammaton and Fury of the Legion in exchange for a tactical squad with volkites. Great for cheap and cheerful volkite rain. But really: the range is an issue here. 

Emperor's Children. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gain Perfection Embodied as a replacement for Heart of the Legion and swap chainswords for Charnabals for a small cost. The new rule provides Ld=10 for pinning and morale, but you lose draws in fights by 1. Great when tooled up with the Charnabals I think as they will get to where they need to be thanks to all those blissful drugs in their system and not caring about the world around them too much.

Iron Warriors. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tacticals that replace Heart of the Legion with Souls of Iron. You have to shoot at the closes enemy. You get to automatically pass pinning tests. Great as an objective sitter, or to bait the enemy to use up reactions maybe. 

White Scars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Despoilers without power glaives and Heart of the Legion, but gain Proof of Valour. This is a damage mitigation roll at 5+ against WS>4. If it works, and the unit survives, have a free VP. You'll need a few of these units to really go for extra VPs, and it could make all the difference!

Space Wolves. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Despoilers without a sergeant, possible shield replacement for a pistol (probably not worth it due to loss of attacks) and chainsword for chainaxes at the minimum cost (do it). Heart of the Legion becomes Headstrong which enables a bit more range for a charge at the cost of being disordered. 

Imperial Fists. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tacticals, options on heavy bolters and autocannons, replacing Heart of the Legion with Supporting Fire wherein heavy types gain pinning once per battle. Okay I guess.

Night Lords. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Undisciplined thugs that they are, these despoilers drop to Ld=7. They have to replace their chainswords with blades that have breaching at 6+ which is nice. The Heart of the Legion becomes Unscrupulous Murderes which means in a challenge you bring in your mates to help out at I=10. However, on a roll of a 1, your mates stab you instead, because Night Lords. Take a maximum sized squad. 

Blood Angels. ⭐️

Despoilers that replace Heart of the Legion with The Revenant Legion. No sweeps - they're too busy eating after combat. Yuck. Gain Fear. Not a great rules set, but fluffy?

Iron Hands. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tacticals that have fallen back on bad habits of replacing weak flesh with better bionics. Take a phosphex if you like too. The Forbidden Augmentations gives you a 1d6 roll at the beginning of the movement phase with a 5+ resulting in 1 better WS and BS for the turn which is great! However, a 1 or 2 results in 1d3 wounds instead. Ouch. You're only going to get the best outcome for a couple of turns per game, so it is pretty random, but can make a difference. 

World Eaters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heart of the Legion for Ravening Madmen in despoilers. Fluffy - certainly. But only a very mild boost to be very candid. 

Ultramarines. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Roboute was already experimenting with what would become the codex. Tacticals that can have flamers, melta guns, and plasma guns, but drop Fury of the Legion for Inexorable. I really like this. Far too much. 

Death Guard. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tacticals with access to Alchem Flamers, and Barbaran Resilience instead of Heart of the Legion. This is a damage mitigation roll that depends on how many men you have left in the squad. Solid, but note the rule triggers according to how many men at the start of a phase, not what's left. 

Thousand Sons. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tacticals with no acess to Asphyx and gain Unattuned Practitioners. No minor arcana for you. But you can take a psychic check for breaching. Suffer lots of perils if you're not careful, but this is actually quite good!

Sons of Horus. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Deaspoilers who can upgrade to chainaxes (good!) and have Creed of Brutality (because Cthonia) instead of Spite of the Legion. This provides Rampage and Furious Charge if they are within a small bubble of another Sons unit with WS>4. A nice accompaniment? 

Word Bearers. ⭐️⭐️ 

Traitors only. Heart of the Legion gets replaced with Empty Vessels as these men get ready to be possessed. Randomly (bonuses apply) gain corrupted during the game and furious charge but also suffer wounds. Not quite worth it for me to be honest.

Salamanders. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Despoilers with WS=5 sergeant that have upgraded themselves with the relics of their fallen brothers. Access to the melta gun and dragon breath flamer is great! Spite of the Legion becomes Wargear of Heroes which gives a re-roll of 1's to hit -- another awesome win! Love these Inductii!

Raven Guard. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm mad that the fluff is not reflected here! Boo! These tacticals replace Heart of the Legion with Unchained Conviction since they're not Corax's monsters, but the downtrodden striking back. Instead of being pinned, they will fall back 7 inches. This is rather strong all things considered.

Alpha Legion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tactical squads that drop Heart for Treacherous Lure which represents mimicked signals of the enemy. They cannot be targeted for shooting attacks in turn number one. Excellent really. You just need to think about your positions. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Armiger Helverin Talon

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Background.

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

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

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

Weaknesses.

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

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

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

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Armiger Warglaive Talon

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. I really like the warglaives. 

Background.

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

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

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

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

Weaknesses.

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

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

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

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Secutarii Peltast Phalanx

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Background.

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

Strengths.

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

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

Weaknesses.

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

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

Builds. 

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

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

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Secutarii Hoplite Phalanx

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Background.

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

Strengths.

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

Weaknesses.

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

Builds. 

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

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

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Castellax Battle-Automata Maniple

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good. 

Background.

Thought of by some as a potential internal threat should Mars ever go against its agreement with the Emperor, the Castellax were a mainstay of both siege warfare and shock troops for the Mechanicum. This worry never arose thanks to the Heresy and they were never made in sufficient numbers ever again to pose an internal threat, but their potency was never much doubted thanks to the sheer aggression of the internal machine spirit.

Strengths.

In simple terms, these robots are like dreadnoughts for the Mechanicum. They are weaker than their space marine cousins, to be clear, but still rather nasty. The stat line has W=4 and T=6 which is nice, but the WS=3 is a concern for those robots that you want in combat. The ability to configure for both ranged and melee is a really nice boon here. 

Weaknesses.

We've mentioned WS=3, but the price tag is one of you get what you pay for regardless. Hence even though they probably won't win a fight with their space marine cousin dreadnoughts, they are cheaper and they are also in the troops selection of the army list making them a very tempting choice.

Builds. 

1 Castellax, Darkfire Cannon (115 points).

I really like the Darkfire cannon thanks to the critical AP=2 component among other strengths. This build is a long range monster killer. 

1 Castellax, Siege Wrecker (110 points).

Brutal (2) is amazing here and makes up for deficiencies elsewhere. Get them into combat quickly. Take a multi melta if you must, and perhaps take a Paragon of Metal if you've not got it elsewhere?

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Scyllax Guardian-Automata Maniple

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars, rounded down. The rules are good and make for a tough addition to many army lists. 

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.

The Scyllax Combat Array allows the player to choose between two modes. The first has shred at AP5, the second drops shred but amps up to S=7 and AP=2 at the price of being cumbersome and unweildy. This is a nice combination and can fit most circumstances. Adding to this is the rad furnace which reduces the T value of enemies locked against them which is splendid. 

Weaknesses.

They are a support choice, and the Ld is not fantastic, and with WS=3, they might struggle against enemy terminators. But when they do hit, they will be slaughtering their enemies and this makes for an attractive proposition without being totally outrageous. The kraken bolter is middle of the road, but can certainly make some headway against enemies as well. Overall then a worthwhile unit given the points cost and well worth taking, but not over-doing it with. I'd be tempted by some flamers to be honest.

Builds. 

4 Scyllax, 1 Flamer, 1 Graviton Gun (130 points)

I like this set up as the flamer can help deter charges (take more if desired) and the graviton gun synergizes nicely (as would the irad-cleanser). Take more models to taste to expand the special weapons and the kraken replacements as desired (I'd personally opt for a few flamers at most). 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Thallax Cohort

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are good! 

Background.

Cyborgs that have been produced only via grim dark trauma, the Thallax retain some of their original human individuality thanks to the brain being moderately preserved. However, they have replaced most of everything else in favour of becoming shock troops for the Mechanicum.

Strengths.

The Thallax will be the mainstay troops for this army. And they're rather good as well. The stat line is solid with T=5 and W=3 all round. They come with jump packs as standard which will encourage players to shoot and skip over the tabletop with annoying regularity. Worse for us Alpha Legion players is the fact that they have an exceptionally large infiltration exclusion zone in play. Drat. Add on to this that fact that they're line and have the tools to handle mobs, tougher annoyances, and vehicles to boot, and this is a serious unit to max out on. 

Weaknesses.

Ld=7 might be an issue on occasion, and the 4+ baseline save can often be negated. The WS=3 also means that this is a shooting unit first and foremost. Don't get caught in combat against terminators if you can avoid it. 

Builds. 

3 Thallax, Melta Bombs all round and 1 multi-melta (165 points).

For things that need to be melted and a bit of a melta-cide squad really.

6 Thallax, 2 Photon Thrusters (286 points).

I like the AP=2, not going to lie. The phased plasma fusil is a slightly cheaper option that you might also like as well. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Adsecularis Tech-Thralls Covenant

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️

1.5/5 stars generously rounded up to 2/5 stars. The rules a bit poor. 

Background.

Not servitors so much as cyborgs, this is the fate that awaits the regular population of a Forge World should they offend their masters. Or, your know, when the need arises possibly as well. Simply put, these are expendable troops. 

Strengths.

Strictly worse than in first edition, their stat line is not great with WS=2 which makes them worse than human standard. The fractionally make up for this with stubborn, feel no pain, and hatred of everything. Las locks and close combat weapons are not much to write home about either.

Let's focus then on the real strength. They're cheap. Dirt cheap. I've not seen a full army of multiple 30 blobs of these troops, but I can see that it would be an interesting proposition for board control. 

Weaknesses.

They're not very good. Even with hatred they will struggle. But the real nail in the proverbial coffin which almost ensures that they will see no play is Ld=6. Granted, stubborn is good here, but its not enough to make up for this leadership score. And they also have the Rite of Pure Thought. Good luck.

Builds. 

20 Tech Thralls (75 points).

Keep the number to 20 in order to take the transport option. Or add on another 10 for the full blob (cost = 105 points). Very cheap. Very fragile. Could be a good laugh in the right game with the right friend though?

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Grey Stalker Pack

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Solid adaptability. 

Background.

The Terran Legion of the old Space Wolves fills the Grey Stalker packs and is somewhat looked down upon by the more Fenrisian elements of the legion. They're not as well integrated as Russ might like, but nonetheless have evolved into something unique other than pure tactical squads under his rule. 

Strengths.

Skirmish and much the same as the Grey Slayer Packs, the come with bolt pistol and chainsword as standard, along with counter attack, relentless and heart of the legion. What sets them apart is their varied load outs which is more reminiscent of 40k than 30k -- I find this aspect particularly interesting!

Weaknesses.

Tactical squads are cheaper. As with the Slayer packs: you need to make the most of the close combat nature of this squad such as counter attack and the weaponry load out. Take those rhinos and land raiders. 

Difference to First Edition.

New!

Builds.

10 Grey Stalkers, 1 Melta Gun, 1 Plasma Gun, Huscarl with Power Fist and Artificer Armour (200 points).

I really genuinely like this build. It is very familiar to the sorts of chaos space marine builds I used to play in 6th and 7th edition (not sorry!). Take melta bombs to taste.

10 Grey Stalkers, 5 Power Weapons, Huscarl with artificer armour and thunder hammer (205 points).

Close combat duty for charging out of transports. Take 2 extra power fists for laughs or tackling dreadnoughts. 

10 Grey Slayers, 2 Flamers, 2 Hand-Flamers, Huscarl with Hand Flamer, Artificer Armour, and Power Fist (200 points)

Burn time. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Grey Slayer Pack

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars. The rules are average for the points cost, although I can certainly see a case for a higher number of stars here depending on your tastes and builds. They're not as fundamental as in First Edition though which is why they're getting a slightly lower rating from me. 

Background.

The background to this Space Wolves unit sees some tweaking for Second Edition. It is now presented as an unusual evolution of the combination of Terran doctrines of battle pre-primarch, and the sheer fury of the Fenrisian approach to war which created autonomous troop units tasked with overcoming whatever target they were directed at. Tacticals still exist within the Space Wolves in second edition and we're no longer forced to take slayer packs as compulsory troops. 

Strengths.

They're nothing particularly special in the stat line, but they do come with a couple of key advantages. Number one is Relentless, Counter Attack, and Heart of the Legion. Number two is the baseline Fenrisian Axes and Combat Shields. 

Weaknesses.

Tactical squads are cheaper. Hence you need to make the most of the close combat nature of this squad such as counter attack and the weaponry load out. Take those rhinos and land raiders. 

Difference to First Edition.

Compulsory troops has gone. Warriors mettle has gone. Not going to ground has gone. This squad has had a massive overhaul in general. 

Builds.

10 Grey Slayers, 2 plasma pistols, legion vexilla, Huscarl with artificer armour, thunder hammer, melta bombs (220 points).

Very much kitted out for close combat duty here with a sting in the shooting from the plasma before charging. Put another plasma pistol on the Huscarl for laughs. 

10 Grey Slayers, Bolters with Chain Bayonets, 2 Power Fists, Huscarl with artificer armour and power fist (235 points).

Triple power fist threat combined with chain bayonets.

10 Grey Slayers, 2 Hand Flamers, Huscarl with Hand Flamer, Artificer Armour, and Power Fist (190 points)

Burn them. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Rhino Transport

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars. The humble rhino is seen everywhere with good reason: it is a solid choice worth the points. It is not arguable there are better choices, but for the points it gets 5/5 stars from me. 

Background.

The standard armoured personnel carrier of the legions is everywhere. Based on ancient STC technology and very easy to maintain and use, it is no wonder that this chassis can be found on many battlefields of the Horus Heresy and 30k more widely (and also 40k later on). 

Strengths.

Look. Let's be honest here. It only has AV=11 on the front and sides. But for the points cost and added movement rate, it represents good value. And for this reason alone it gets 5 out of 5 stars from me. 

Weaknesses.

No one would deny that there might be better transport choices. No one could argue that others provide better armour. And of course, rhinos exploding are never pleasant. 

Difference to First Edition.

Improved. Better movement rate. Better capacity - now upgraded to 12 compared to before - and therefore able to carry a full tactical squad plus regular HQ selection, and maybe an apothecary or similar. There's little not to like!

Builds.

Rhino with Havoc Launcher (50 points).

This is my personal favourite build. The long range threat of the havoc launcher is great, and it stands to do some reasonable damage over the course of a battle, particularly if several such rhinos are being used.

Rhino with Dozer Blade and Search Lights (45 points).

Players often ignore the benefits of both the dozer blade and search lights. I can almost guarantee that after a game in which you use search lights for the first turn in night fighting you will value that extra few points you spent. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Scout Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. The rules are great and make for a cheap and cheerful squad.

Background.

Wearing lighter recon armour instead of power armour, these marines specialize in the disruption of enemy lines and resources. In the background, they are stated as being some of the more experienced members of the legion which I personally find interesting and a contrast to the usual 40k line of them being trainees. 

Strengths.

Infiltration, slightly higher movement than power armour, and move through cover is the trade off for a worse armour saving throw, otherwise they are fairly similar to the recon squad that wears power armour.

Weaknesses.

I guess the key here is to not expect them to last very long against meatier opponents. That said, they are cheap and they could be bought in bulk for some real cheap disruption work. Being a support squad is arguably another drawback here, but if you're into buying scouts, then this won't matter too much to you. I think scout squads are very under utilized in 30k myself, but that's just a personal opinion. 

Builds.

5 Legionaries, 5x Nemesis Bolters (115 points).

Such a cheap squad, yet still effective. The idea is to set up somewhere that has line of sight and pin your opponents at will. Sure, you have a 4+ save, but you still have a BS=4. Place in cover to offset the saving throw loss where possible. This is the default build I would think. 

10 Legionaries, 9x chain bayonets, Vexilla, Nuncio Vox, Sergeant with Power Fist (158 points).

Infiltrate and disrupt the enemy with the equipment before charging in at a target to cause melee mayhem. Nice points cost but feel free to take a power weapon instead of power fist to taste. 

10 Legionaries, (Chain Swords to taste), Vexilla, Nuncio Vox, Melta Bombs all round, Sergeant with Power Fist and Combi Melta (200 points). 

Cheap and cheerful! Enjoy the melta bomb threat that you pose!

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Reconnaissance Squad

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. The rules are great.

Background.

When you need your space marines to be a bit sneaky and stealth behind enemy lines and otherwise be the eyes and ears of what is going on, the recon squad formation is what you need. Specializing in gathering information and executing sudden strikes, this is the first of two squads in the troops selection that routinely bring infiltration to the table. 

Strengths.

Infiltrate alone is worth the points cost here and is the reason for me giving the squad 4/5 stars as the rating. The customization is similarly good and should not be overlooked -- there are a variety of roles this this squad can carry out with ease. 

Weaknesses.

They are a support squad, but unlike others actually have Line. Shroud bombs are a neat addition, but I would wager most players forget to use them (well, I should say that I always forget to use them, so that's more a comment about myself than the rest of the meta I suspect!) -- but their use is very straight forward in this edition which is good. 

Builds.

5 Legionaries, 5x Nemesis Bolters (135 points).

New for this edition are nemesis bolters, and I am personally a big fan. Add in the infiltrate rule and we suddenly have a unit that is much more worth taking than snipers in first edition were. Several of these squads will pin down your enemies very effectively and they are highly points cost efficient with a massive threat range. 

10 Legionaries, 9x chain bayonets, Vexilla, Augury Scanner, Nuncio Vox, Sergeant with Power Fist (208 points).

Infiltrate and disrupt the enemy with the equipment before charging in at a target to cause melee mayhem. Nice points cost once again here. 

10 Legionaries, (Chain Swords to taste), Vexilla, Augury Scanner, Nuncio Vox, Melta Bombs all round, Sergeant with Power Fist and Combi Melta (250 points).

The purpose here is to serve as both meat shield, and opportunist melta bomb squad to target some armour.