30K: Lords of War and the 25% Rule

A cursory glance at The Horus Heresy might give the impression that not only are Lords of War (LoW) available aplenty, they're also much, much more powerful than anything in 40K – just look at that Warlord Titan! Sure, they're also available in 40K, but Forge World first and foremost develops for 30K, right?

Well, here's the thing: while 40K nowadays has a certain "anything goes" vibe, thanks to unbound armies and an unlimited slot for a LoW even in "bound" armies, that's not the case for 30K. So let's take a look at how 30K handles LoWs, and what you can expect to go up against.

30K: GW Horus Heresy

Miniature gaming is expensive, GW more so, and Forge World most of all (unless you live in Australia, but I digress). If you want to build a sizable army for The Horus Heresy, costs will add up fast. The Betrayal at Calth box will only get you started, and sooner or later you'll want to diversify your collection.

As expensive as GW is, everything you could get from them instead of their subsidiary Forge World is a cheaper alternative (and plastic is way easier to work with than resin). And indeed, some of GW's 40K range is quite suited for 30K – to varying degree, as we'll soon see.

So let's dive right in: all the stuff from GW you could use for your Legion army.

30K: A Shopping Guide to Forge World's Horus Heresy Miniatures

Starting or expanding an army for The Horus Heresy can get awfully expensive, and there are a few traps we'd better avoid.

We've previously talked about army building, so this post expands upon that. It's not just about what to get, though, but also when, with a little bit of why.

Remember that it all ultimately depends on your chosen Legion as well as your preferred Rite(s) of War (RoW).

I'll assume that the core of your army will be a box or three of Betrayal at Calth (BaC). Therefore, the main focus of this post will be the Space Marine Legions – but some information may still be relevant for other factions.

30K: Space Marine Legion Vehicle Units

We've previously talked about Space Marine infantry in the 31st millenium, so that leaves the vehicles of the Astartes Legions: transports, tanks, skimmers, and so on.

As Forge World (FW) is known for its (sometimes quite large) vehicle models, it's no wonder that the Legions have access to quite a lot of different vehicles, so there's quite a lot to cover.

Note that some of the vehicles are available from Games Workshop proper (GW), either exclusively or alternatively. The following entries detail when a vehicle is (also) available from GW. If nothing is noted, it's FW exclusive.

Kathaphron Grav Clade YT133 and YT137, Kataphron Destroyers

Magos Linval values Grav weaponry above all else, as it exemplifies his personal principles: use the opponent's might against them. For this reason the fast mayority of the Forge World's Kataphron servitors are of the Destroyer variety, armed with Heavy Grav Cannons.

Brotherhood of Bolts, Corpuscarii Electro-Priests

The fanatics known as the Brotherhood of Bolts are extremists even by the standard of fellow Corpuscarii Electro-Priests. Total disregard for their own well-being, the Brotherhood of Bolts is constantly at the forefront of the Forge World's battles.

Both Magos Linval and Logis Stahlman don't care for the Electro-Priests either way and just let them be, a fact that suits the Corpuscarii quite well.

News: 4th Horus Heresy Red Book announced

Well, that was fast ... just three days after I talked about the three Horus Heresy Red Books and pointing out that some armies (for instance the Solar Auxilia) don't have a Red Book yet, Forge World went ahead and announced just that: The Horus Heresy Crusade Imperialis Army Lists Red Book, featuring "the Solar Auxilia, Questoris Knights, the Imperial Militia, and Warp Cults."

This is great for many reasons: First, Forge World can properly fix some of the errors (the Imperial Militia and Cults in particular feature some glaring errors in the Black Books) and update the stats and rules if necessary. Second, it might entice more people to the non-Astartes factions (even if only as allies).

[Quick reminder in case you forgot or don't know: the "Black Books" are the huge, expensive tomes that lead us step-by-step through the history and background of the Horus Heresy, adding rules where thematically appropriate; the "Red Books" are the collected Army Lists from said Black Books, updated and corrected where necessary.]

Maniple Delta Gnux, Kastelan robots

Acting as the personal bodyguards of Logis Stahlman, the Maniple Delta Gnux is infamous among Hephaes' enemies. The orks have come to call them “da Nob Kans”, as they remind them of their own Killer Kans but with a more … regal demeanor.

Among the heretics that have tried to conquer Hephaes, they are known as “Wrath of Steel”. They are equipped with Power Fists and Incendine Combustors and are part of the vanguard of the Cult army.

Chief Datasmith Raymoon Steric

A true servant of the Omnissiah, Chief Datasmith Steric's mastery of the Binary language is thus that few of his colleagues can follow his monologues without pausing to grasph the meaning.

No real ambition of his own, the Chief Datasmith is content with his current task, feeling a deep kinship  to the machines he commands: two Kastelan robots armed with Heavy Phosphor Blasters.

Forge Lord Logis Stahlman, Tech Priest Dominus

Opposed to Magos Linval, Logis Stahlman would see machines win the final victory in the battle for the galaxy. He simply condones the Imperium at large, but doesn't actively support it. Contrary to most of his colleagues, Logis Stahlman prefers to get into the thick of it instead of controlling his forces from the sidelines.

He personally commands the Maniple Delta Gnux, comprising of up to six Kastelan robots. Although as of yet he wasn't successful in granting the Kastelans true autonomy in choosing their battle protocol, he claims to be able to scry their intention and implement the desired battle protocol accordingly.

30K: Space Marine Legion Infantry Units

The Horus Heresy Space Marine armies sport some similarities to their 40K brethren, but make no mistake, they are their own beast entirely.

All 20 (or rather: 18) Legions are based on the same template detailed in the Crusade Army List. They all have access to the same basic infantry and vehicle choices – but note that this doesn't mean that they all fielded the same amounts of each type. Some unit types are less favored by certain Legions, while other Legions over-emphasized other unit types. As always, it all depends on your chosen Legion.

We've talked about some infantry units when we looked at the Betrayal at Calth Space Marines. But let's take a look at all of them.

Forge Lord Magos Torx Linval, Tech Priest Dominus

One of two rivaling Tech Priests on Hephaes, Magos Linval is a loyal ally to the Imperium. Although he left his humanity far behind him, all his actions are guided by the welfare of the Imperium and its Emperor, whom he considers to be the Omnissiah made flesh. Magos Linval is responsible for the Forge World's good relationship with the local Imperial Fists, although there is no formal partnership between Hephaes and the Imperial Fists.

When the Cult Mechanicus joins forces with the Forge World's Skitarii, Magos Linval is usually accompanied by a Skitarii Vanguard squads of the Omicron Theta Vexillation.

Baron Uther Sagramore, Imperial Knight

There is no Knight World in the Audacia Sector, yet the Adeptus Mechanicus faction has access to a small detachment, sent by House Taranis, loyal to the priesthood of Mars. This detachment is permanently assigned to Hephaes, and Baron Uther Sagramore is the commander of this detachment. His non-sanctioned title of “Guardian of the Forge” makes him the inofficial fifth member of Taranis' Exalted Court, but because he's stationed far from Mars, this title is purely honorific, solely bestowed on him to designate him as the leader of the detachment.
Like most Knight Barons, Sagramore leads from the front, fighting more battles for the priesthood of Hephaes than any other Knight under his command, partly because his Knight, the Furious Flame, is always on the Forge World's priority list when it comes to repairs and maintainance.

30K: Betrayal at Calth Space Marine Legion Squads

If you took the advice on getting two sets of Betrayal at Calth (BAC), you now have plenty of Space Marines in (MK IV) Power Armour – 60, to be exact (or 62, if you count the special character, but let's ignore that guy for the moment). So what to do with them?

In 40K, we wouldn't have many options. Tactical Marines, sure, and maybe Devastator Squads, thanks to the heavy weapons in BaC (Missile Launchers and Heavy Bolters). In 30K, however, there are many things we could kit them out for. Let's take a look.

30K: Army Building in the 31st Millenium

We previously talked about what you need to get into 30K. Our upcoming series about the Space Marine Legions and the Mechanicum might help you with your decision about what faction to play. But there's still some groundwork to be layed before we can dive into the details. The Horus Heresy is a different beast entirely, and some stuff you know from 40K is not applicable. Let's take a look at how to build your 30K army, and how to customize your list (or, in other words, how to differentiate one Space Marine army from the next).