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Horus Heresy: New Tactical Statuses Explained

3 Minute Read
Jun 5 2025
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Games Workshop is talking shop about the Tactical Statuses in the new edition of The Horus Heresy. Don’t get pinned and routed!

On top of the return of the advanced characteristics there are four Tactical Statuses coming to the game. We’re getting a better idea of what they do and what those new plastic token counters will be used for.

via Warhammer Community

“In the new edition there are now four Tactical Statuses in play, each applied by a different type of weapon or battlefield effect – there are more ways to dominate the battlefield than simply killing the enemy.

These are: PinnedSuppressedStunned, and Routed. “

Horus Heresy Tactical Statuses

Those descriptions do an okay job of explaining what the new statuses are. But there are shorter explanations from GW that sum them up.

  • Pinned stops units from moving.
  • Suppressed makes unit shots inaccurate.
  • Stunned disrupts reactions.
  • Routed is basically the old Morale* rules.

*Like when a unit that has lost combat or suffered 25% casualties in a single phase and are routed. These units move towards their battlefield edge and can even run off their table.

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Additionally, various weapons will also be better at applying these Tactical Status effects. As an example, the Rotor Cannon is great for pinning units. Flamer weapons are better at causing units to become routed thanks to the Panic (X) special rule it has.

We still don’t have the exact rules for these Tactical Statuses but these are enough to go off of. We also know these will require checks using the Advanced Characteristics to remove them.

“In addition to their unique effects, Tactical Statuses all apply a cocktail of common drawbacks to the unit they affect. Charges become Disordered, troops fight last in most combats, and they are unable to capture objectives. Units test on their Advanced Characteristics – Cool for Pinned, Suppressed and Stunned, and Leadership for Routed – at the end of their turn to see if they recover.”

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There are more to these Tactical Status effects but these are just the tip of the iceberg. WarCom is going to be showing off the new weapon characteristics later this week. For now, you can theorize which weapons will do what.

The new edition is coming soon! Are you ready for Saturnine and the new Tactical Statuses?

Author: Adam Harrison
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