After months of leaks, rumors, and a PR marketing campaign the place writer Video games Workshop determined “fuck with it, let’s have some enjoyable” by making a tongue-in-cheek ‘fansite,’ the brand new version of Horus Heresy has been proven off finally.
In the event you’ve been following Horus Heresy Third Version gossip, the ultimate product could not come as a shock. As suspected, ‘Saturnine’ is the subsequent core field and contains a lineup of brand-new Terminators with shoulder-pads to make ’80s children nostalgic, a previously-unseen – however huge – Dreadnought, and a core rulebook that revises present mechanics with out reinventing the wheel.
Based on Video games Workshop’s reside stream reveal, we will anticipate to get our arms on the set this Summer season. (If I needed to guess, I might assume July based mostly on earlier launches for the present Warhammer 40K/Age of Sigmar editions.) And to be frank, I am unable to wait. I’ve spent a very long time circling Horus Heresy, however the brand new version’s guidelines are sufficient to tip me over into full “take my cash” mania. It is like a blast from the previous; this can be a grittier, extra granular wargame that is very harking back to the Warhammer I performed rising up. Simply take a look at the brand new ‘Tactical Standing’ mechanic, which breaks down how items react to sure circumstances. The ‘Suppressed’ situation implies that your troops are pinned down and disoriented by enemy hearth, whereas ‘Routed’ reveals that they have been so battered they should fall again. Equally, the Management stat has now been divided into different classes (Management, Willpower, Cool, and Initiative) that present a greater sense of your warriors’ strengths. These with a excessive Cool rating are in a position to hold calm underneath nice stress, for instance.
This getting-into-the-weeds mentality units Horus Heresy other than the sooner, extra streamlined Warhammer 40K, and I dig that. In a lot the identical means, I like how grounded its focus is. There are many massive personalities on these battlefields (simply take a look at the House Marine leaders, the Primarchs), however extra focus is positioned on the rank and file. The troopers within the trenches.
The narrative it is chosen appeals in a lot the identical means. This version places the Dropsite Bloodbath of Istvaan V entrance and heart, and this can be a cataclysmic occasion within the lore the place a number of House Marine legions have been decimated after being lured right into a lure by traitors. That is why the Salamanders have loved the highlight for Saturnine, forming half of the containers’s drive; they have been badly affected by this occasion, turning into one of many ‘Shattered Legions’ who by no means actually recovered. It is extremely thematic.
Naturally, there’s nothing to say you may’t use those self same fashions for various legions. Whereas they’re dolled up in Salamander and villainous Iron Warriors colours for the Saturnine art work, they’re usable in any military. Which is simply as nicely, as a result of the brand new items are notably attention-grabbing. The Saturnine Dreadnought is likely one of the most harmful items to stroll the Horus Heresy battlefield thus far, there is a huge defensive cannon you may activate foes to devastating impact, and people new Terminators pack an additional punch because of their capacity to dual-wield extremely heavy weaponry… and, you understand, attributable to being virtually impervious. You get fewer of them because of this, however I really feel like they will be straight-up car killers.
Questioning the place they got here from? Lore-wise, there is a good cause we’ve not seen or heard of those in Warhammer’s already-expansive canon; Saturnine gear is historical tech that is fiendishly troublesome to make, and was solely found out by Salamanders Primarch Vulkan. As a result of he is a crew participant, he distributed the plans for Saturnine armor all through the Legions simply previous to the Heresy. Contemplating how they’re now getting used towards him, I believe he is regretting that exact act of charity.
I am positive we’ll get extra particulars within the days to come back, and it will be attention-grabbing to see how this compares to The Horus Heresy 2nd Version starter set. Nonetheless, it doesn’t matter what, I will be there day one. God dammit, Video games Workshop – you bought me once more.
For one thing to play till then, why not take a look at the finest board video games?
