The new edition of the Horus Heresy is here, and there’s no better time to dive in to playing the terrible battles of this dark age. With a full rules revamp, a new starter set and a plethora of army books all dropping at launch, we’re diving in to give you our first impressions of the new edition, hitting the highlights of what’s new, what’s interesting and what’s worth playing in Heresy third edition.
Before we get started, thanks to Games Workshop for sending these over for review.
With the new edition starter set sure to snap up a lot of new Heresy players – and veterans keen to learn how to build their legion in the new edition – we’ve put together some starter points for building your box by your beloved legions. As we move into third edition, though, nigh on the entire range is in plastic, readily accessible and buildable without a PhD in resin engineering, so this will focus on how to get the best out of your Saturnine set. For expansion beyond the Saturnine box, go absolutely wild with whatever you like the look of – shine on, you Astartes diamond – or hang tight for our in-depth unit type guides.
Emperor’s Children
Regardless of whether you enjoy the subtle curves of Saturnine amour or the hard edges of Mark II in this box, it doesn’t (sonicly) scream Emperor’s Children. Well, at least at first glance. Your strength as a Legion relies on perfectly timed precision strikes and the deep-striking terror of the Saturnine Terminators with Disintegrators and particle shredders exemplifies this. To execute this strike, you’ll need a strong anchor on your backlines, so it’s worth building a couple of bare bones Tactical squads to fill that role.
Really your first port of call should be to add in some much needed combat potential, utilising your ability to strike that much faster than your opponent when you Charge. Assault squads can fill the basis for this niche wonderfully, either filling out your Troops slots or, if you invest in a Melee Weapon sprue you can build them either as Vets or a powerful Jumpack Retinue. As a natural progression you can utilise your Primacy Wing Auxiliary Detachment to add in a couple of squads of mobile anti-armour in Scimitar Jetbikes with Multi-Meltas.
If you’re considering a more Heretical force, your end goal is going to be building a force around fielding Fulgrim Transfigured. In the long term this will mean a heavy investment in resin characters (which is where this sub-Faction really sings), but luckily you can start slow, by picking up some Retinues (either Phoenix Terminators or plain old Tartaros are very thematic). You also easily Heretic-up your force by adding elements from the new plastic 40K Emperor’s Children, representing the post-Maraviglia corruption of those that fought alongside Fulgrim during the Dropsite Massacre.
Iron Warriors
Though oft maligned in the Lore, Iron Warriors proved to be one of the most popular Legions in the last edition and whilst your anti-armour supremacy has given way a more resilient force in this edition I’d argue it’s no less powerful. I’m sure Pertuarbo wouldn’t give two shits about being the poster faction, so it’s ironic that this box is a strong baseline for the Iron Warriors; MKII, gun emplacements and hulking warmachines wielding as many Disintegrators as possible is very IVth Legion. With the rest of the MKII you can’t go wrong with a two 10 man or one 20 man Tactical Squads, giving them the The Unfavoured Prime Advantage to just to sit on objectives, racking up the VP with Line and denying your opponent precious points from Vanguard kills from Expendable.
Your two Legion Auxiliary Detachments are interesting; the first (Ironfire Cohort) really requires you to get a brace of Arquitors to make the most of it (so maybe sit on that till they come out in plastic), whilst the other is the really thematic Hammer of Olympia detachment, with two Heavy Assault that you can easily fill out with the Saturnines from the box or some Tyrant Siege Terminators, plus a transport to carry them round in. You also get two Prime Advantages to play with which is always helpful. Outside of this you should probably get some Armour; a Kratos or a pair of Vindicators would be very on brand and shore up your Iron Without quotient, whilst a Heavy Support squad with Autocannons puts a unit on the table that you can dare you opponent to shoot before declaring Bitter Fury and blamming them off the board.
Night Lords
This box is a very static force on paper so at first glance it might not scream VIIIth Legion, but there’s some decent stuff in here. Firstly you’re going to need some mooks in midnight clad to sit on objectives, and whilst the Saturnine brutes could definitely do with more flayed skin and the trophies of past battles before they enter the fray, they offer a solid mid-range gunline with which to build your force. Outside this, your Legion Tactica (+1WS when fighting units with Statuses) and your Reaction (bravely running away from charges) really inform your playstyle; you want units that can take the right fight at the right time.
Probably the first thing you should pick up is a special weapon sprue. This’ll give you enough Rotor cannons to equip a decently-sized ranged Terror squad or Tactical Support squad so you can cheaply lay down Suppressed on the unit you’re setting up a charge on. Other things you might want to consider are a Siege Breaker to give some Quad Launchers Phosphex, a Volkite Deredeo or, if you’re in the market for out of stock resin, the Arquitor Bombard with Graviton-Charge cannon (though again maybe wait for the inevitable plastic kit.) Obviously don’t get too carried away, you don’t want to sacrifice too much damage dealing for Status meme-ry.
To actually do the dirty work and flay some hides, you can’t go wrong with a brick of two Terminators that you can make Atramentar and bewilder your enemy by turning up wherever is least convenient. Remember there’s no charging out of Deep Strike anymore, so remember to bring some guns as well; Contekar with volkite cavitors might work well here. To bulk out your combat threat Assault Marines or Despoilers built using the MKII and the combat weapon sprue are fantastic cheaper shock troops to harass your enemy (make sure you bring Rhinos for the Despoilers, Turn 1 charges are a real possibility if your opponent doesn’t Reposition out of charge range). Finally get some mobile anti-tank in the list with some multi-melta scimitar jetbikes and you’ll be taking scalps in no time.
World Eaters
As the XIIth you want to remember your ABCs. Always Be Charging. Everything about your Legion is about getting into combat as fast as possible (+1 Attack on Charge, Charge the unit that shoots you, free Chainaxes), and this box really needs some extra bits to set yourself up for that kind of playstyle. First off you’re going to need a decent source of Chainaxes, and until the MKII assault drops, the best plastic source is going to be through the 40K World Eaters range; worth picking up for the odd conversion here or there anyway. Otherwise a combat sprue or two and some Rhinos (Land Raiders if you’re feeling fancy) gets you a solid backbone. Assault Marines are definitely a must as well. Also have a scan through the AoS ranges and see if you can find any weapons you like the look of to represent Caedere Weapons; Rampager conversions are super easy and give you a very strong (if fragile) melee threat to throw at your opponent.
Whilst the Saturnine Dreadnought isn’t the most World Eaters, you’ll definitely want some decent ranged threat whilst you push your entire force up the board; otherwise consider a Vindicator or Kratos with melta blastgun to help you smash through your opponents lines. The Saturnine Terminators with their Praetor are also a surprisingly good choice; whilst they can’t charge out of deep strike, banging them down in the middle of your opponents army and daring them to shoot at you with a unit in charge range is too much to resist. But if you want to go a more traditional route you’ll want a couple of leaders so they can pick up Chain Brothers and dominate any combat they’re in.
If you’re planning for a late Heresy force using the Hereticus rules, you really don’t need to change much, MKII still works perfectly for them; Horus isn’t giving them the good stuff willingly. If you want to take advantage of your Sons of Bodt detachment you’ll definitely want to pick up some Apothecaries; sticking them in any big unit of frothing berserkers can potentially deny the effectiveness of your opponents big shooting threats. Just remember you’ll have to save your reactions for it!
Death Guard
Death Guard love the Heavy rule, and can always gain its benefits if they move less than 4”. This is great on massive Tactical Squads, allowing them to benefit from Fury of the Legion even if they shuffled forward. Best place to get next is a couple of the new Rapier Kit or one of the Heavy Weapons boxes.
The Death Guard Auxiliary Detachment is the Reaping Host and is a great one for fitting these units in, coming with two Troops slots, a Support Slot and a Heavy Assault Slot, allowing a Prime Benefit on the Troops slot.
The Heavy Assault slot is the next place to go, and you can’t do better than slapping down a big unit of Cataphractii to brawl in the mid-board. Even though they don’t do fantastically with the Legion special rule, a Centurion in Terminator Armour with the Barbaran Resilience Prime Advantage is an absolute nightmare to shift, gaining an extra Wound and Eternal Warrior (2) to guarantee you only take a single damage a time from anything that isn’t a Primarch. If you do need to fight one of those, he can use the Gambit Steadfast Resilience to get his Toughness equal to his opponent’s Weapon Skill. Good luck trying to kill this guy. Mine leads a massive unit of Grave Wardens instead Terminators with their Assault Grenade launchers and Death Clouds.
The next step in Death Guarding is grabbing some PHOSPHEX. Get a Siege Breaker, and fill out a Storm Assault detachment with chemical warfare chucking Rapier Batteries and Arquitors; the Panic (3) they lay down is disgusting.
Thousand Sons
Honestly I don’t think there’s a bad pick here. All of the non-Vehicle models in the army being Psykers opens up a lot of options for you to build the legion force you want. That said, I think the Saturnine box will leave you somewhat lacking in a few places for a full 3000 point list.
While any Command unit is a Psyker, I think Librarians will still be a great choice for Thousand Sons. Like your Praetors, they’ll be coming in with a mighty 10 Willpower, but in addition will have a choice of up to three total psychic disciplines (two base, one Prosperine Arcana) so you’ll likely want a cool suitably esoteric model to represent one. The Thousand Sons Librarian model from Forge World is gorgeous, top 5 of all time for sure, but maybe a kitbash from some 40k Exalted Sorcerer bits your friends have left over will do depending on your taste for Tzeentchy influences. This guy could also double as a Prosperine Sorcerer if you so wish.
Another area you may be lacking in somewhat is reliable long-range anti-armor. While laser destroyer rapiers are going to be the new King Shit anti-armor option for Astartes, you may also consider an Arachnus lascannon Deredeo dreadnought (with Boreas missiles.) It might not be the most potent anti-armor pick (only being S10 if it doesn’t move), but being able to lean back on its Psyker abilities helps it be a bit more durable than your average bear. You could also consider a squad of multi-melta scimitars to fill out the Fast Attack choice in your special Prosperine Convocation detachment. Or take a Xiphon. Planes are cool, all my homies love planes.
Lastly, and also as a way to fill out more of that Detachment, you could consider a Land Raider or Spartan in the Heavy Transport slot. Throw some Vets or Terminators in that bad boy to move up the table a bit quicker and in relative safety. Grab a Sekhmet Terminator set to load into said transport and you’re off to the races.
Sons of Horus
Known for their brutal shock assaults and spearhead strikes, Saturnine is a fantastic starter box for a Sons of Horus army. Anything in Saturnine armor is a great anvil to provide your force with devastating mid range firepower; with the combination of Death Dealers and Implacable Advance means these boys will be Volley Firing their plasma bombards, twin heavy disintegrators, and particle shredders at FULL Ballistic Skill. The rest of the men in the box can form a mix of Tactical and Veteran squads to hold your Objectives. Whilst giving your Vets disintegrators isn’t a bad choice, picking up a special weapon sprue and giving them volkite chargers is a great move combined with Death Dealers. A couple of Rhinos to ferry them around the board is another great move.
From there you’ll want to build your hammer, leaning into a thematic elite focused list using your Auxiliary Detachment, Supremacy Cadre. This gives you easy access to more Prime Advantages and, more importantly, access to Elites without needing an Apex detachment. Both your Legion units slot into this Detachment very nicely and are great units for taking the fight to your enemy. Rather than buying the resin kits they’re very easy to convert; with a combat weapon sprue, some bits from your special weapon sprue (and if you’re feeling fancy, legion heads) will easily get you started with Reavers, and a Cataphractii box can be easily run as Justaerin if you paint them black and give them a top knot or two. These units really demand decent transportation so you’ll want a Land Raider to get them up the board and into the fray.
To round out your force you’ll want some heavy firepower; a brace of Predators will give you a decent mobile firebase whilst a Kratos can easily form the tip of the spear, prioritizing its targets when smashing into enemy lines. For the cherry on top, why not get yourself one of the seven unique HQ choices and you’ll be sieging Terra in no time.
Word Bearers
With their added combat res, their Impact (S) Prime Advantage, and the gnarly special units they can bring to the table, Word Bearers want to be in melee this edition. You will still likely want some thick bricks of True Believer Tactical Squads with the generic Traitor Prime Advantage, at least 15-20 man, with or without chain bayonets. But if you want to spring for Despoilers instead, grabbing a melee weapons box could definitely be a good route for you.
Filling up your Exalted Conclave Detachment with those squads can leave you open for picking up a unit or two of Gal Vorbak, Vets, or Seekers. Obviously the Gal Vorbak are the more flavorful (and cool) choice, but you would have be getting more bang for your Melee Weapons box buck building Vets. If you don’t feel like getting the resin Gal Vorbak (though you should be cause those models are amazing), you can always pick up the Possessed kit for 40k as those models are also fantastic and what I use in my army.
Picking up some Rhinos or Land Raiders to help move your zealous boys up the table may also help, up to 6 Gal Vorbak or a full 10 man vet squad fitting inside a Raider with a character or two, or up to a terrifying full 10 man unit of Gal Vorbak fitting in a Spartan. Live your best “Death of Hope” life and fill those bad boys up with terminators instead.
The Word Bearers don’t have any particularly obvious choices for anti-armor, so you can take your pick to taste. Taking a First Strike detachment would let you take some Land Speeders with grav guns or meltas or lascannon Javelins and while still leaving space for an Ashen Circle squad.
Alpha Legion
MKII doesn’t strike many people as especially “Alpha Legion-y”, but you still have a lot of room to expand from this box. First and foremost, Seekers! These guys are definitely one of the stronger picks for Astartes Infantry, and the Alpha Legion leans into them by having a special detachment designed just for them and Headhunters. Keeping their 1 in 5 multi meltas from last edition, a couple squads of Headhunters alongside your Seekers is a match made in snakey heaven. Either pick up the Heavy Weapons box with multi-meltas, heavy flamers, and plasma cannons or swap with a friend for a couple. For the Seekers’ Kraken Bolters and Headhunters Banestrike bolters, either find some third party scope and suppressor bits somewhere or make some suppressors yourself with some small pieces of styrene (personally I think the Umbra pattern bolters from the MKVI kit looks more “sleek” for a sniper style weapon, but do you booboo.)
You’ll want some kind of melee counter-punch since your boys are probably not going to have a lot of it themselves. You could absolutely go with generic terminators or pick up some MKVI assault squad boxes to make Assault or Veteran Assault squads, but I think Lerneans might be the pick here. They can still contribute to scoring with their Line (1), remain useful at reaching out and touching stuff with their optional conversion beamer, and Hatred (Astartes) with WS5 means they are punching above their weight against other marines in combat; a great all-rounder unit.
To round it out you could throw in some esoteric Predator choices to taste or perhaps some Sabre tanks or Javelins, and you’ve got yourself a nice Alpha Legion force for relatively cheap. The force will have more anti-armor than it looks due to the multi-meltas and conversion beamers you’ll be packing.
Final Thoughts
These are just our suggestions for building out your Saturnine Box for the Traitor Legions, but honestly these are just the tip of the iceberg as far as what you can do with this game! Be sure to check out our other content to see more in-depth reviews of units, mechanics, and other Heresy goodness!
