The Warmaster has made his bid for Terra and the galaxy’s most brutal civil war is back in full swing. The Age of Darkness boxed set is available right now, alongside an arsenal of other releases for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy.
Eager generals who’ve spent the last few days frantically painting their armies will already have played their first games by now, and we’re getting stuck in ourselves with the first part of a huge Loyalist vs Traitor edition of Battle Report.
We got the low-down on the preparations for this brutal clash from aspiring Praetor Simon Grant.
Simon Grant: In this battle, Ben Galler and I are both fielding armies comprising the contents of the Age of Darkness boxed set, and each led by one of the two Praetors. There are a few nuances between the two sides when it comes to wargear and weapon options – but with the exact same units at our disposal, it’s about as even a match-up as you can get.
I’m taking charge of the Imperium’s valiant defenders with the Imperial Fists,* while Ben has thrown in his lot with the Warmaster, fielding the dread Sons of Horus. We’re using the Dominion mission, with three pieces of terrain in no-man’s land serving as the objective markers. It’s all about controlling the middle ground – a recipe for a good scrap if ever there was one!
The Imperial Fists are nothing short of devastating with boltguns in hand thanks to their Discipline and Resolve, so I’ve definitely got the edge when it comes to firepower. The Sons of Horus, meanwhile, are Merciless Fighters, giving them a significant edge when it comes to melee.
I’ll definitely be looking to soften up Ben’s forces at range before it comes to that, so I’ll be sure I can handle anything he can throw at me in the Assault phase!
I’ve been a fan of the Horus Heresy game (and the earlier editions of Warhammer 40,000 upon which the rules were first based) for many years, so the new edition was fairly straightforward to pick up. The introduction of Reactions is a seriously big deal though, and they have a massive impact on the game.
I plan on making good use of the Return Fire and Overwatch reactions in particular – Ben will come to fear the wrath of my firepower in his turn as well as my own! At least, that’s the plan…
With such powerful forces at our disposal the game could swing either way, but suffice it to say you’ll probably never see another Battle Report quite like this one. Hopefully it’ll inspire you to play out your own mighty clashes in the Age of Darkness!
Thanks Simon! Take it from us – today’s episode of Battle Report is one of the best yet, and it’s only the first of two parts. Citadel Colour Masterclass also drops today with a wicked tutorial on fantastic smoke effects,** while the history of the 41st Millennium continues in the Warhammer Vault with two more Psychic Awakening books available today.
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* Who you can learn more about in last week’s episode of Loremasters – only on Warhammer+!
** Which Simon and Ben are definitely going to need after the havoc they cause.