Horus Heresy: Saturnine Highlights – Hypes & Gripes
Games Workshop has showcased many new things coming in the next Horus Heresy edition. Let’s hit the highlights and lowlights.
In case you’ve been disconnected from the internet and missed all the news there’s a new Horus Heresy edition coming soon. Not only will there be a new edition, there’s also a new starter box coming. It’s called Saturnine and it’s loaded to the gills with the goods.
Games Workshop also held a preview and also released a recap of the majority of the highlights:
What I wanted to touch on were the things I’m most excited about and also a few concerns a I have. Let’s start off with the Hype-building goodies.
Horus Heresy Saturnine Hypes
Let’s start off with the obvious: the new miniatures* in the box. There’s 50 miniatures in the box as well as dice, tokens, templates, and all the stuff you need to dive into the new edition. This box is also sticking around for the edition — stores will be able to carry it and new players can use this as a launching point. Plus, because all the miniatures are new, even veterans can find a use for this box.
I also like the new tokens for the Tactical Statuses. These are great ways to track the new status effects in the game. They make it easy for both players to see what’s happening visually and it should cut down on confusion.
I like the new lore that is being added to the game as well. Sure, we know what happens. But I think the Saturnine set helps expand out more corners of the Horus Heresy. The Saturnine Tech in particular adds a new dimension. It’s neat that it’s a callback to the earliest editions of Warhammer and that GW found a way to incorporate it. I also appreciate that GW found a way to explain why it’s so rare, too.
I really like the Dreadnought in particular. It’s MASSIVE relative to the other Horus Heresy units. I think that’s a good thing to help it stand out.
Again, the miniatures* are really selling the hype for me. I even like the new weapon platform and the re-introduction of the plastic Fellblade (which is coming later).
*But not all of them. Keep reading.
Horus Heresy Saturnine Gripes
Okay, now on to the not-so fun part. These are the things I’m a little concerned about. I’ll fully admit that personal preference and bias is shading my concerns. But that’s all I’ve got to go on since I don’t have the box in hand. My first gripe is the new Saturnine Terminators.
I have no problem with the character or the Dreadnought in the Saturnine style. In fact, I think those are really good uses of the massive oversized shoulder pads. And hey, I get it — there’s even lore supporting why those shoulders are so massive. At the same time…I’m still not sold on the look. Personally, I like the look of the Cataphractii and Tartaros pattern more.
There are elements I do like about the Saturnine Terminators. The torsos are cool and I like how bulky they are overall. That said, I’m also concerned about the Space Marine inside. How do they fit in there exactly?
Okay, enough of about aesthetics. Here’s one concern I do have that relates to the actual gameplay. The new Advanced Characteristic Tests.
I mentioned this before and I think overtime this will be mitigated. However, I’m still concerned that these checks might actually just add a bunch of extra rolls/time to the game. It’s not a big deal for casual play but I do worry about it for Tournament/Matched play. All those extra dice rolls will add time. Also, the Advanced Stats were removed from the previous editions for a reason…
Maybe GW did find a way to speed things up. And I do like how the Advanced Stats do add some more uniqueness to each unit. So it’s not all bad. I’m just going to have to see them in action before I can really tell if it’s a change I like or not.
Horus Heresy Coming Soon?
The new edition is coming soon. I think it’s a great introduction point for new players and an enticing option for veteran players. I don’t think there’s anything bad (overall) in the box either. I’m a little worried about the box price though because it is so packed. Let’s not forget there’s a full sized rulebook in there, too!
While there is lots to be hyped about I do have those concerns. Unfortunately, I won’t really know for sure how I feel about the new edition until I get to play it. But the good thing is that I actually do want to play it. And I think that’s a good sign.
How are you feeling about the up coming edition of the Horus Heresy?
