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.


Let's start with the Rhino and its derivates, the Predator, the Vindicator, and the Whirlwind. All of these, with the notable exception of the Whirlwind, are available from Forge World. That variant is known as the Deimos Pattern, and it was the most prevalent during the Heresy. But it wasn't the only pattern available. Personally, I prefer the Deimos Pattern for 30K, but you could very well integrate other patterns – just do it sparingly.
Note that the Twin-Linked Lascannon, one of the weapon options of GW's Predator, isn't available in 30K; just stick to the Autocannon in this case. Also note that the Whirlwind Scorpius from Forge World is a different option on the Force Organization Chart (the standard Whirlwind is one of three artillery tanks, available as a single option), and is in most cases much more effective.

Then there are the Dreadnoughts. While the Contemptor is everybody's darling in 30K (and rightfully so), the non-Contemptors are available for Legion armies. Just stick to the standard Dreadnought and ignore both the Venerable and the Ironclad.

Another appropriate model from GW is the Land Raider in what is called the Phobos Pattern. While Forge World offers the MkIIb Land Raider, the GW Land Raider fits very well. (Personally, I like the old school Proteus, but these aren't Assault Vehicles ... while they have their uses (Breachers, I'm looking at you!), the standard Land Raider will serve you well.)

Whether the Land Speeders are era-appropriate or not is debatable, I'd say they are, seeing as Forge World isn't offering an alternative. Don't confuse them with the Javelin Attack Speeder, that's a different vehicle.

There's no question about the Drop Pod, however. While Forge World offers some variants, the basic Drop Pod has to come from GW proper.

And there you have it. Apart from various bits you might already have in your collection (for instance: MK VI Power Armour), that's about all you can use without having to argue with your opponent (30K players are sticklers for fluff, as it should be). Just don't use the GW stuff exclusively, or your 30K army will look way too 40K.

EDIT: The Space Marine Bikes (and Attack Bikes, specifically) coud also be used from GW, as the Outrider Bikes are just a variant.