(Image credit: Games Workshop)
After a prolonged period of leaks, rumors, and a playful PR campaign by Games Workshop featuring a humorous ‘fansite,’ the much-anticipated new edition of Horus Heresy has finally been revealed.
If you’ve been keeping tabs on Horus Heresy Third Edition buzz, the result may not come as a surprise. As expected, ‘Saturnine’ is next in line, presenting brand-new Terminators with nostalgic shoulder-pads, a formidable unseen Dreadnought, and a rulebook that revises mechanics without a complete overhaul.
During Games Workshop’s live stream, it was shared that the set would launch this Summer. My guess? July, in line with previous launches forWarhammer 40K and Age of Sigmar editions. Frankly, I am eager with anticipation. I’ve hovered around Horus Heresy for some time, but the new edition’s rules finally pulled me into the “take my money” frenzy. This release is a nostalgic trip back to the more detailed wargames I loved. For instance, the ‘Tactical Status’ mechanic provides a granular view of units’ reactions. ‘Suppressed’ indicates a squad under enemy fire, pinned down, while ‘Routed’ signifies a retreat due to sustaining damage. Additionally, the Leadership stat now includes categories like Leadership, Willpower, Cool, and Initiative, offering a deeper understanding of your warriors’ attributes.
This detail-oriented approach sets Horus Heresy apart from the quicker, streamlined Warhammer 40K, and I resonate with it. I appreciate the focus on ground-level action amid prominent battlefield personalities, like their leaders, the Primarchs.
The narrative follows a similar path. This edition spotlights the Dropsite Massacre of Istvaan V, a pivotal event where legions were betrayed and decimated, with the Salamanders taking center stage. They were heavily impacted by the event, becoming one of the ‘Shattered Legions’—forever changed. It’s a truly thematic exploration.
Of course, the models can represent different legions, despite the Salamander and Iron Warriors’ colors on the Saturnine artwork. This flexibility is great, especially since the new units bring so much excitement. The Saturnine Dreadnought is among the most formidable to date, featuring a massive cannon for devastating attacks, and the new Terminators wield heavy weapons, enhancing their lethality. Although you get fewer of these new units, they’re likely to become formidable vehicle destroyers.
You might wonder about their origins. Lore-wise, it’s understandable why these haven’t appeared prominently in Warhammer’s expansive canon. Saturnine gear is ancient and hard to reproduce, unlocked solely by Primarch Vulkan. His altruistic spirit led him to share Saturnine armor plans before the Heresy, a decision he might now regret given their current adversarial use.
We’ll certainly get more updates soon, and it’ll be intriguing to compare this with the Horus Heresy 2nd Edition starter set. Regardless, I’ll be first in line at launch. Damn it, Games Workshop, you’ve ensnared me again.
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