First game of Horus Heresy 2.0

[Pictors Studio]

We played our first game using the new Horus Heresy rules.

I really liked them.  We just used the basic rules and no special rules for either Legion. 



We had about 1700 pts a side, both sides were made up of the minis that come in one of the new boxed sets, so they both had 40 marines, 10 terminators, a spartan, a dreadnought and a praetor (although you get two praetors in the box)

We played Prospero, but that didn't really affect the way the rules played in anyway.



They simplified things from 7th edition 40K, but still have a solid system.  It is more complicated than 3rd edition but I'm okay with that if they keep things moving more in a narrative direction rather than introducing new rules.



There didn't seem to be too much focus on either shooting or close combat, both had their roles.  I suppose as people dive more into the lists they will come up with some super powered combinations but I'm not all that interested in that.  Right now it seems like a pretty good system to tell the stories I want to tell on the tabletop.



The figures that come in the box are just beautiful.  The Spartans are amazing.  Every bit as good as the Forge World one from what I can see.  The new dreadnought is also amazing and super posable.  I was able to get my VIth Legion one running with a clawed hand extended. 



I bought the two "codexes" for the traitors and loyalists.  I hope that is pretty much where they leave things as far as army books are concerned.  Sure we need a mechanicum one and one for the rest of the stuff out there, like daemons, cultists, Custodes and so on, but each faction gets one big ass book and then that is it.

After that I'd like to see any expansions be campaign books covering various campaigns or battles from the Heresy.  I'd love to see them really keep their focus on the narrative.  They almost did that with Titanicus and the campaign supplements.  I'd like to see something like that only more so.




I can't wait to dive into a proper game but probably won't get around to it until next week sometime, I'm unfortunately working 72 hours this week.

[DivisMal]

Looks really nice. I was put off by the price tag, but at least you get a lot of toys in the box. And they’re beakies. I cannot praise GW enough for that.

Rulewise, it’s really 3rd edition + extras? Well that’s not too bad.

[Pictors Studio]

I bought four of the starter sets because they are such a good deal. 

There are some changes to the game from third.  Charging is a random 2d6 roll instead of straight 6".  There are a bunch of special rules now beyond the three or four that 3rd had.  You can run instead of shooting, which was something only models that had fleet of foot could do in 3rd.  Running isn't a random d6 but is done based on initiative. 

But if you know 3rd, getting into HH 2.0 shouldn't be much of an adjustment. 

It is simpler than 7th edition 40K.  They got rid of the psychic phase which is nice as psychic stuff was WAY too complicated in HH 1.0. 

We actually just used 3rd for HH before now with a few rules slipped in from HH 1.0. 

[Ray Rivers]

Nice! 

Did you scratch build the large pyramid?

[Spinal Tap]

That terrain!!

Especially the pyramid - outstanding.

[DivisMal]

I bought four of the starter sets because they are such a good deal. 

There are some changes to the game from third.  Charging is a random 2d6 roll instead of straight 6".  There are a bunch of special rules now beyond the three or four that 3rd had.  You can run instead of shooting, which was something only models that had fleet of foot could do in 3rd.  Running isn't a random d6 but is done based on initiative. 

But if you know 3rd, getting into HH 2.0 shouldn't be much of an adjustment. 

It is simpler than 7th edition 40K.  They got rid of the psychic phase which is nice as psychic stuff was WAY too complicated in HH 1.0. 

We actually just used 3rd for HH before now with a few rules slipped in from HH 1.0.

Thanks, Pictor.
That sounds really great. Let’s see if I can get hold of such a set later in the year. Tempted I am.

[Pictors Studio]

Thanks!  Most of the terrain was bought from commercial suppliers.  The temple ruins are actually GW.  The large pyramid was for the game Vor: The Maelstrom.  It was for the Pharon. 

The terrain has been built over about a four-year period from 2016 to 2020.  I haven't really added much new stuff to it since then.  If I need anything more for that board it will be more of the tiles that make up the surface.  Although I would like to build some bigger structures eventually. 

While something like this is a bit beyond my capabilities:

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2016/11/16/studio-showcase-burning-of-prospero-display-board/

It would be nice to incorporate a few elements from that into my games. 

[eilif]

Great Table and Armies. Interesting to hear the rules compared to third editition also

[AdmiralAndy]

FlyLordsofTerra did a Horus Heresy supplement for 4th ed, was 80+ pages. So depending which version of 40k rules you like, there's Horus Heresy options aplenty.

[Pictors Studio]

The 1.5 rules were based on 7th edition, which were a bit of a mess, although nothing like what 9th edition has become.  Because of that we used 3rd for our games with a few special rules ported in.  Another reason for that was because no one was likely to be buying the rules from Forge World and they certainly wouldn't be buying them from our FLGS so I didn't do too much with HH and jumped more into Titanicus when that came out.

I did run the odd HH game using 8th edition rules and 3rd, but they were more like spectacles set up to draw people into miniature gaming in general than for the store's products in particular.

Now that it is out as a main game system I'm reading the rules and we will play them pretty much as written.  Especially with the simplifications they have put in (I'm looking at you psychic phase.)

[Brummie]

Really nice board.

I also treated myself to a box and am tempted to get another. All my 30k minis have gone into being Thousand Sons, but the big transfer to plastic has me tempted to make another legion.

Nice to know the rules are more simplified. I was put of trying over what I heard about the game previously.

[Pictors Studio]

I started out with World Eaters and built a force that could fight itself for Istvaan III games.  That is my favourite battle of the Heresy.  Then I slowly built up some other Istvaan III forces, mostly IIIrd and XVIth Legion as loyalists to fight alongside some of my World Eaters against Angron and the rest of the XIIth. 

I did Prospero after I did the World Eaters as the terrain and battle are just so cool and the forces are so different from each other in character without being completely opposite.

My first five White Scars and their Rhino were both finished yesterday and that will be what I do with the bulk of the figures from the four boxed sets I bought.  I'll probably do a squad for my World Eaters, Sons of Horus and Thousand Sons and then do most of the rest as White Scars.  If I have any left over, which I probably will, they will become Red Scorpions for a Badab War thing. 

[steders]

That’s a great table. I’ve wanted to do a prospero game for ages. This might help spur me on.
I’ve bought a couple of boxes of the starter and the 2 codex's.
Im not sold on the rules yet. Need to have a go at them.

[sir_shvantselot]

Thanks for sharing this. I thought box and wondering how to do Space Wolves.

[Pictors Studio]

Here are some vehicles I've done this week.

A couple for my VIth Legion guys.










There are a few anachronisms on them, but I'll fix them by and by.  I don't mind that they aren't deimos pattern, I figure that most of the patterns of vehicles have existed somewhere and that some Forge World was making slight variants on anything going. 


Then I did one for my XVth Legion.




And my new White Scars are starting off with a decent ride as well. 




Speaking of, here are the first 5 of the Vth.