Horus Heresy 2e Review: The Battle for Beta-Garmon - Overview

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️

1.5/5 stars. Rounded up. A mixture of flaws and highlights that I will explain in the review below. 

Background.

I have been postponing publishing my review of The Battle for Beta-Garmon for some time. Part of the reason for this is that I wrote to Games Workshop to complain about the book and wanted to hear their response. I have now given them sufficient time (over a month) and there has been zero movement. So here we are.

The good.

The background to the battle itself is very good. There are loads of little bits of detail that lore-mongers will genuinely like - myself included!

Rules for the Blackshields are amazing. Highly recommended and so tempting that I might make an allied detachment of Blackshields for fun. I'm stoked!

The reasonable. 

New rules for other legions are good (e.g. Hibou Khan, Company Command Squads and so forth). 

Similarly, the new rules presented for the Solar Auxilia (and the legion auxilia) are solid. I don't have any complaints, and there's some nice and flavourful things that players can now do with legion auxilia that I think are really good. Tempting to have an allied detachment of them too - but not right now.

The flaws.

Shattered legions are simply not playable. In fact, the designers themselves don't recommend their own rules for play! Its mind blowing that this has happened. I am so incredibly disappointed with the new rules for the Shattered Legions that I can never see myself playing them now. Even though I've got a really nice set of Salamanders, Raven Guard, and Iron Hands all made and ready. 

In the printed book that I received, the page numbering is hopeless. Two sections are mixed up, and the internal referencing is legitimately appalling. How could this have happened? I am utterly dismayed at the quality control. Yes, mistakes happen, but for a company as large as Games Workshop to go ahead with such a flaw is not a good look, even if it does happen once in a while. 

Overall.

This is really a book that I had such high hopes for. It could have been utterly superb. And parts of it certainly are superb! The background, the missions, the blackshields are all superlative. I want more of this. But it is hard to overstate how incredibly sad I am about the Shattered Legions rules. Its obvious that some of them haven't really been thought through (e.g., Night Lords flaw trait sticks out like a proverbial sore thumb) and the checking every phase for changes in unit composition is a book-keeping hellscape (yes - I tried it). At this point I really must tip my proverbial hat to Alan Bligh once more. His untimely passing is sorely missed for Second Edition. First edition did it better by orders of magnitude. The page numbering was just the killer for me and pushed me over the edge to complain directly to Games Workshop. I wrote to them about these top two issues. 

They responded to my quickly to state that they have forwarded my message upward in the chain of command. 

I have heard nothing since. 

I would very much like to have a book that doesn't have the page numbering and cross referencing flaws. That would be my minimum. I could accept the Shattered Legions if it looked like it had been play tested. It really is a mess though. It needs simplification and I look forward to a future FAQ for the Shattered Legions that will make them much more playable and eligible for competitive environments and casual games alike. Almost no one is going to be playing Shattered Legions outside of masochistic small points values engagements. And I do love casual small points value narrative play myself as my long term readers will certainly know, but these rules push me beyond the will to field my Shattered Legion forces. It is possible, but no thanks. Might as well select some Blackshield rules and apply them to the Shattered Legions forces to be quite honest. Sorry to sound so negative folks. Let me finish on an upbeat note then. The Blackshields are back with a vengeance in second edition thanks to being super fluffy and narratively compelling! We will be reviewing the rules contents of this book in due course in a lot of detail. 

Wargames Gallery: Iron Warriors Assemble!

A bit of a "glamour shot" of my growing Iron Warriors force before action. Not included are the tanks and more recent additions (this was taken several weeks ago in fact). 

Still a bit of work to do before this primary detachment is declared "done"! I'm getting there now though! 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Expurgator Cadre

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars. Rounded up - just. A very reasonable entry for the final unit in the Sisters of Silence army list.

Background.

Purge with fire. Keep the knowledge of what you did secret. Or, you know, take to the open field with those heavy flamers. 

Strengths.

This is the equivalent of a heavy weapons squad for the Sisters of Silence. There are four main options, the default heavy flamers (reasonable enough), adrathic destructors (excellent), snare cannons (okay, but you should take the other options for the slot), and Vratine missile launchers (good). Take some compression tanks for the heavy flamers if needed and you have a nice squad that can be taken for a ride in an Acquisitor to get into position for a solid turn of firepower output. 

Weaknesses.

T=3.

Builds.

Expurgator x5, Heavy Flamers with Compression Tanks, Mistress with Power Sword (120 points).

Take a transport and go flame some stuff.

Expurgator x5, All with Missile Launchers, Augury Scanner (170 points).

A backfield unit. 

Expurgator x5, All with Adrathic Destructors, Mistress with Power Sword (195 points).

This will need a transport but is massively effective when you get in range to shoot. Yes, this unit is expensive, but it is worth it when you get to blast things. 

Painted Iron Warriors Spartan Land Raider

This tank has been hanging over me for years silently pleading to be painted. The task is now done to a tabletop standard! Featuring quite a few decals, some hazard stripes, and otherwise plenty of silver and black, the Spartan land raider is unmistakably Iron Warriors.

I would be lying if I said I enjoyed painting all the rivets. I started with a few and then realized my mistake! Oh well, at least it shows some attention to detail if nothing else! Very happy with how it has turned out and I might well add on some more weathering (there's quite a lot at the lower edges of the tank, but thinking that the tracks could do with some as well potentially). Job done to a good enough standard regardless. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Sanctioner Cadre

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars. Rounded down. Love this unit and I'm not sorry!

Background.

Snipers on the open field. And executioners when working alone; seeking to take out those psykers whom the Sisters have earmarked as being too dangerous to take in alive.

Strengths.

Think of this as a cheap sniper squad, and you have the right idea. They come armed as standard with nemesis bolt guns which they fire with BS=4 and therefore makes them highly attractive. These can be swapped out for Vratine Nemesis Bolt guns which gives you access to psy-shock at the cost of a pip in strength. If you're facing a psychic army like certain builds of Word Bearers, Thousand Sons, and similar, you're just going to make your friends cry. I'd be tempted to slot in an augury scanner to round out the unit, and if you're feeling that they're going to be too far forward, then take a power sword on the Mistress for a bit of added self defence. 

Weaknesses.

T=3.

Builds.

Sanctioners x5, Augury Scanner (95 points).

The base build. Can't go too wrong with this as the battlefield role is clear, obvious, and the points cost so very attractive.

Sanctioners x5, all with Vratine Nemesis Bolt Guns, Augury Scanner, Mistress with Power Sword (130 points).

Your anti-Thousand Sons build. And look at the points that it clocks in with. Still very attractive!

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Termite Assault Drill

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. Its amazing that the termite comes as a standard fast attack slot in the Sisters army list. 

Background.

Tunnel through the ground and then burst upward with righteous fury! Great for assaulting any fortified positions that the enemy might have going! Great that is can also scatter enemy forces upon emergence without waiting for their cargo to deploy. 

Strengths.

Most of this review is identical to the Legion list, but of course here the Termite comes with the Chamber of Vigilance rules. 

Termites provide an underground alternative to deep striking units in to play. One of the chief advantages here is that the player can cause them to erupt near enemy units and score hits on those units at a significant strength (but AP=4). 

Unlike drop pods, the termite can continue to move after launching its deep strike (subterranean assault move) and fire its weapons and so forth. 

I genuinely like this manner of assaulting and it works well if you have just one of them, and perhaps use it in conjunction with more traditional deep strike units to create an underground and overground pincer movement. Maybe that's just me though (I've had good success with this using my Alpha Legion). 

Weaknesses.

Rear armour is 10, and do carefully read the subterranean assault rules if you have more than one of these units as you will see that the enemy can take control of your deployment on an unlucky roll.

Builds.

There are only 2 upgrades to consider - the replacement of the two sets of twin-linked bolters with either twin-linked volkite chargers, or heavy flamers. Candidly both of them work nicely against nearby enemies - and why wouldn't you have nearby enemies if you've emerged on top of, or close to them! I kind of like the flamers ever so slightly better as I think in some situations you can score more hits, but also they act as a nice defensive arrangement as well. Equally, the volkites have the superior range for after that first turn after emerging I guess. A tough choice really. Points cost effective overall in the main part for me.