9th edition 40k has done a good job at making Space Marines feel average, so if you want to play Astartes the right way, play Horus Heresy!
Rules creep in the 9th edition has made the golden boys of Warhammer 40k a little less than stellar, and the new books are constantly the strongest. Horus Heresy is always ready to accept you into its loving arms if that’s getting you down!
You just have to be willing to learn.
Horus Heresy Is The Better Way To Play Space Marines
We’ll admit, Horus Heresy isn’t for everyone. But then again, no game is. Horus Heresy might be perfect if you’re a Space Marines player tired of seeing cheesy screens and watching your over-costed models getting swept off the board.
Of course, if you play Xenos, then you may have already lost your interest, and we highly doubt they’ll ever add Xenos races into 30k. At that point, it would just be a reskinned game of 40k 7th edition – booooooooooooo!
The players who love Space Marines (Chaos or Loyal) can use most of their models (unless you’re Primaris only, but that is a lot of armies now) from 40k in Horus Heresy.
Another positive thing is that the playing fields are usually even because 90% of the other factions in the game are also Space Marines. If there’s an FAQ affecting a certain unit, it’s usually for ALL Legions-ish. At first, this may sound like there’s no flavor to the game, but you’d be mistaken.
Which Space Marines Legion is Right for You In Horus Heresy?
You have to remember that in Horus Heresy, there aren’t any Chapters. Some Legions are all led by their Primarch. These Legions have fluffy rules that are completely exclusive to their Primarch and themselves. Plus, with the new rules, they are more flavorful than ever (hopefully).
Another bright side to the game is that almost every single Primarch has a model, and you can field them on the tabletop already. There’s no waiting and hoping for your Primarch to get a model like 40k. (This was one of the main reasons I got into the game). So which legion is best for you? Whatever one tickles your fancy as they are all viable for the most part!
The Biggest Complaint of the Game is 7th Edition 40k Rules…
One of the instant comebacks to “hey you should play heresy” is “I HATE 7th, NO THANKS. 8/9th EDITION OR DIE”.
Even though the game may run on what appears to be updated 7th edition rules, it’s NOT 7th edition. Especially with the new rules, things are streamlined and should hopefully be easier to get into while keeping that awesome older flavor of the game.
However, as someone who plays both 40k and 30k, I can say that 30k’s rules already look to be more thought out and the games are always turning around.
Click Here To Get The New Sci-Fi Ruler Miniature!
In 9th edition 40k, we’re in a meta where we have a pretty good idea of who’s going to win by turn two, maybe three (and quite often turn 1). You can expect games of Horus Heresy to draw out as both sides will have a fighting chance to win until the final round ends.
AP Mechanics Make Marines Feel Accurate Lore-Wise
When you get hit with something in 40k, your save gets modified by whatever the AP is. For example, if a Space Marine gets hit with a -2 AP weapon, his 3+ goes to a 5+. That’s DRASTICALLY reducing your unit’s survival.
In the previous edition of Horus Heresy, AP worked totally differently. As long as a weapon’s AP characteristic doesn’t meet or exceed your unit’s armor, they get their full, unmodified 3+ save. That is HUGE because your Marines are able to shrug off a lot more punishment.
An AP-2 weapon in 40k would be along with the AP4(ish) lines in 30k. So since it didn’t match your armor, you still get to roll a fat 3+ and watch your Marines shrug off shells left and right.
Rumors are this hasn’t changed, but they have not been confirmed yet…
Things are Moving to Plastic
Even though this probably means a scale increase (which looks to be the case, check it out here), it means an easier hobby experience and more choices! Especially with the game moving to GW’s mainline, there will be much more support. Not only in terms of keeping rules updated but also constantly more models and kits. Which is fun if you want more to hobby on and easier to get into if you don’t already have a large force built up.
If you missed the latest few previews from GW, you could get all caught up on those from our coverage below:
- 4 New Plastic Horus Heresy Starter Box Sets
- All the Horus Heresy New Models & Rules
- Horus Heresy Legion Rules
- Horus Heresy Weapon & Unit Rules
- Horus Heresy Starter Set Revealed
- Horus Heresy Weapons Packs & New Expansion Boxes
- New Plastic Kratos Heavy Assault Tank & Deimos-Pattern Rhino
Here’s the most up-to-date list of new Horus Heresy Rules & Product Leaks. Click on the gallery above to see new Horus Heresy models and rules rumors!
What do you think about if Horus Heresy is the better way to play Space Marines? Will you be playing in the new edition?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
