Excitement has reached fever pitch, and great ships laden with loyal(ish) Space Marines hover above the black sands of Isstvan V. It’s almost time for planetfall, and in just one week, you’ll be able to pre-order the phenomenal Saturnine boxed set and get ready to join the fight. Let’s see what’s happening until then.
Age of Darkness: Saturnine
The new edition of Warhammer: The Horus Heresy is almost upon us, and what an incredible way to start it off. The Saturnine boxed set is packed full of beautiful new miniatures, gaming aids, and rules. Saturnine sets the stage for a new era of the Horus Heresy by focusing on the apocalyptic betrayal known as the Dropsite Massacre, where brother turned on brother and the Warmaster’s plans were laid bare.
This box contains a whopping 50 brand new miniatures:
A Praetor clad in Saturnine Terminator armour
A Centurion wearing MkII Crusade-pattern power armour
40 Legionaries in MkII Crusade-pattern power armour
Six hulking Saturnine Terminators
A massive Saturnine Dreadnought
An Araknae Quad-Accelerator Platform
Two sets of Disintegrator weapons, that can be used to turn the Legionaries into Veterans
You also get the full 352-page Age of Darkness Rulebook, which contains all the core rules for the game as well as over 100 pages of background information on the conflict and its factions. A 48-page Introductory Rules and Miniatures Construction Guide takes you through constructing your miniatures and gives beginners a taste of the game, and two 4-page folding reference sheets ensure that everyone has quick access to key rules.
20 six-sided dice, a six-sided Scatter dice, templates for 3” blasts, 5” blasts, and Flame weapons, a plastic range ruler, and 40 Tactical Status and Objective tokens provide you with tools for use on the tabletop. Also included is a transfer sheet containing 1172 decals focused on the iconography of the Salamanders and Iron Warriors. It’s a comprehensive package, and the perfect way to jump right into Warhammer: The Horus Heresy with almost everything you need to play from the get-go. This product will also be available as a range item, replacing the existing Age of Darkness box set.
Age of Darkness Rulebook
If you already have more miniatures than you can reasonably fit in your house, or just want an extra copy of the rules to carry with you, the Age of Darkness Rulebook will also be available separately. This comprehensive guide to the game’s rules will teach you everything you need to know to play games set in the Age of Darkness, as well as present reams of background lore and some incredible artwork to illustrate this most pivotal of time periods. You will be able to pre-order it in hardback next week.
Age of Darkness Liber Army Books
In addition to the core rules, you’ll need an army list to draw your force from – and that’s where the Liber books come in. Each contains a wealth of game rules and unit profiles to help you construct your perfect army, from wargear options and unique Detachments to points costs and Advanced Reactions. Each major faction has their own book, with the Legiones Astartes split into Loyalist and Traitor halves, as follows:
Liber Astartes – Loyalist Legiones Astartes Army Book
Liber Hereticus – Traitor Legiones Astartes Army Book
Liber Mechanicum – Forces of the Taghmata Army Book
Liber Auxilia – Solar Auxilia Army Book
Liber Questoris – Knights and Titans Army Book
Each of these essential books will be available to pre-order in hardback.
Journal Tactica: The Isstvan V Dropsite Massacre – Part One
The first expansion for the new edition of Warhammer: The Horus Heresy takes us back to Isstvan V for a closer look at the infamous Dropsite Massacre, introducing new perspectives on this dynamic battle and three new units for Legiones Astartes armies to try out on the battlefield. This 48-page softback book also includes a new Legendary Mission evoking the struggles of the first wave to attack Horus’ stronghold, so you can see how your own forces would have fared in the Urgall Depression.
MkII Tactical Squad
You’ll never hold the line without dependable hosts of Space Marines holding down the fort, and as luck would have it, new reinforcements are on the way. The MkII Tactical Squad contains 20 multi-part plastic miniatures clad in vintage Great Crusade-era power armour, with several weapon options for the sergeant and full compatibility with existing Special, Heavy, and Melee Weapons packs.
Carta Galactica: The Imperium of Man
Would you like to know exactly where in the galaxy are the hot spots that everyone is fighting over? Perhaps you don’t know your Isstvan from your Inwit, and need to brush up on your geography before sending your warriors out to die in far-flung battlefields. The new Carta Galactica map is here to help, this time focusing on the domains of Humanity during the Age of Darkness,
The map is mounted on heavyweight poster paper and includes loads of information on the goings-on of Humanity’s struggle. It’s a great way to brush up on your knowledge of The Horus Heresy, and looks excellent spread out on your wall too.
The End and The Death Volume II
The Warmaster’s shields are down and Sanguinius prepares to plunge a blade into Horus’ chest in the second instalment of The End and The Death, available to pre-order next week in paperback format. Many challenges await the Great Angel as he makes his way towards the inner sanctum of the Vengeful Spirit, not least a Warmaster hopped up on the energies of the Warp – and one of the greatest duels in the Horus Heresy canon is about to go down.
The Vengeful Spirit Map
First seen printed in The End and The Death Volume II, this awesome map details the inner workings of the Vengeful Spirit – Horus’ personal flagship – and is a must-have for dedicated Horus Heresy collectors. It is printed on cotton and wrapped in a faux-leather cover that includes its own metallic pendant, so it looks just as good from the outside as it does unfurled.
This week on Warhammer+, the Questing Nights team get together for the second episode of their Warhammer Quest campaign, playing the original version of the game from back in 1995. This time, they crack out the full Lair of the Orc Lord expansion and attempt to stop a growing Waaagh! before it overwhelms the civilised world.
Ed shares the Painting Desk with ’Eavy Metal painter Paul to discuss his process for painting entire armies to a competition-level finish, while shining a spotlight on his incredible Iron Ravens Space Marines. And finally, on Weapons & Wargear, we delve into the history of the iconic boltgun.*
Here at Warhammer Community, we’re rounding out our coverage of the new edition of Warhammer: The Horus Heresy with a few more peeks behind the curtain.
* This episode was previously announced as being released last month, but was slightly delayed.
