Horus Heresy Vol 1 Rumour Roundup.

[Mr Mystery]

RAAAAAWWWWWHIIIIIIIIIIIIDEEE!!!!

Yup, it's time I feel to arrange all the knowledge into a single thread for ease of reading, and thus digestion!

Interesting Fact 1: There IS a Mechanicum presence in this book. Ordo Reductor. It is largely ancillary however, consider it's current stage as an Allies list. Pretty fun troops. Djinn Sight - No sneaky sneaky within 24" at all (Infiltrators, sod off!) regardless of LoS. And Eldar Pathfinders may want to stay at home. How does -2 to enemy cover save grab you? T5 and 3 wounds with a 4+ save. Pretty resilient. Also, they're Jet Pack infantry (no I'm not making this up!). Standard Weapon is the Lightning Gun. 18", S7, AP5, Heavy 1, Shred, Rending. Pretty filthy! Various upgrades available, but I don't want to spoil all the surprises. If this is standard type stuff, Mechanicum armies are going to be small, but tough as old boots.

Legion Army list.

Blimey o'reilly crikey Mavis. I don't know where to start. Oh, okay. Deimos Predator (well, any heresy era Predator really) has a 4 shot Autocannon. Slightly shorter range at 36", but a welcome boost, and the default weapon.

Volkite weapons are quite the surprise. Kind of ish Imperial Tesla, but with an extra automatic hit for every unsaved wound. Pretty respectable stats, but noticably shorter ranged than most small arms. Additional hits don't generate other hits. That would be silly. But it will leave Orks and Dark Eldar hurting a lot (mmmm...AP5!)

Phosphex bombs are one shot weapons o'filth. Wherever it hits, leave the blast template there petal. It's just been set light to. Dangerous terrain for anything open topped, or with a toughness value. Oh, and once the templates final landing place has been worked out? Owning player can move it 2" in any direction, as long as it hits more models. Very, very sexy! Oh and they're AP2....and Poisoned 3+.

Jetbikes....yeah Jetbikes rock big monkey nads. Seriously. Heavy Bolter as standard, and 1 in 3 can have a Plasma Cannon, Multimelta or Volkite Culverin (45", S6, AP5, Heavy 4, and that rule I was explaining earlier...)

Now I know what you think, but I am not yanking your chain!

Over to those other lucky sods with a copy of the book, don't want to hog all the glory!

[Mr Mystery]

Oh go on then, I'll spoil you!

Noticable oddity, just pointed out to me by my chum....Tactical squads are bolters only. No special or heavy weapons...But they do get 'Fury of the Legion'. Really fancy giving something a bit of dakka? Call Fury of the Legion, and fire your bolt weapons twice. And in squads of up to 20 for a meage 300 points....that's gotta hurt. But, you can't then do Overwatch in your opponents player turn, or fire in your next turn as you reload. You can however, run, assault and otherwise act normally. Oh, and you can buy them all chainswords for 2 points each. Bit of a bargain if you ask me.

Tactical Support Squads. 5 Marines, all with Flamers. ALL can be upgraded to the usual toys, plus Volkite Calivers (diddy version of the Jetbike filthblaster...and basically just shorter ranged and fewer shots. And assault). Can be boosted to 10 special weapon toting loonies.

Breacher Siege Squad - All have Boarding Shields, and Hardened Armour (re-roll failed saves against blast and template weapons. Sheesh!)

Legion Reconnasissance Squads - More or less Scouts, but with the option to swap Power Armour for a 4+ sabve, Infiltrate and Move Through Cover). Come with Scout, Outflank, Acute Senses. Pretty naughty for a Troops choice (but like any that aren't Tactical or Assault, they don't count for your minimums!)

Rhinos can have Heavy Flamer or Heavy Bolter bunged on. Bit pricey, but the extra firepower has it's uses, spesh as it doesn't reduce your capacity.

I spoil you! I really do!

[Mr Mystery]

Want some sauce?

Legion Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer....

Twin linked Neutron Laser (las cannon on steroids) AV14 all round, and a sexy flare shield that reduces incoming ranged attacks by -1 strength, or -2 for blast weapons. Can also have Lascannon or Heavy Bolter sponsons. It's a bit tasty!

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Holy biovore balls, batman, this is a surprise.

So much "Horus Heresy only" stuff's been filtering up to 40k, I guess they decided to make up for it by introducing even more Heresy-tech. ...which I now want to use in my Chaos Marines army :P

Interesting that they've changed how special weapons are distributed throughout the army. Wonder if the Ultramarines will be a bit more modern-40k when the Heresy books get to them.

Seems like Tactical Squads are designed to favor letting off a brutal bolter barrage, then charging, which feels nice and fluffy.

Also, any sign of the Conversion Beamer in heavy weapon squads?

When you say Support Squads can be upgraded to "all the usual toys", does that include heavy weapons?

[Mr Mystery]

Honestly not sure. This list is presented as pretty standard. It also has rough head counts for each Legion.

Emperor's Children for example, one of the smaller legions? Estimated strength of 110,000, reduced to 50,000 by the end of Istvaan III...

Lots of character types, after a fashion. Centurions, the lower level HQ, can be upgraded to Chaplains, Forgelords, Librarians, Primis Medicae etc.

Moritat upgrade is good fun. Twin pistols, Rad Grenades. And chain fire. Every hit with a pistol lets you take another one. Keep going until you miss. Oh and he's BS5. And both pistols can seemingly be upgraded. Make them Volkite and positively wet yourself as a single dude confidentially wipes out a Mob of Orks single handed. In one shooting phase. Dakka to the power of WIN!!!!! Oh, but no assaulting that turn. Or shooting next turn. Turn up, blast like a loon, leg it seems to be the order of the day!

[Cow]

Any news on when this book comes out for the rest of us?

[Mr Mystery]

Afraid not. And you still can't look at my copy!

[Mr Mystery]

Oh, and Cataphractii armour isn't just pretty plate. It gives a 2+ armour, 4+ invulnerable, and swap relentless for slow and purposeful.

[Mr Mystery]

Heavy Support Squads. Heavy Bolters as standard. Everyone has one. Can upgrade, but no mixing of weapons....

I have a boner for 10 strong squads with Volkite Culverins......

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

It was good to meet the MAN OF MYSTERY!

Shame that we didn't get our game....

Wow man, wow. The Heresy book is fantastic.