Adeptus Titanicus may have had a slow start and a steep cost. But GW has definitely come a long way. Here’s an honest look at their Heresy-themed game.
Originally released in 1988, Games-Workshop brought Adeptus Titanicus back to its fans at the end of 2018. In the form of a new gaming system, Adeptus Titanicus: The Horus Heresy. The delight of grizzled gamers everywhere rattled their dusty Epic-scale models in storage lockers everywhere. I was only a few years old when the predecessor of Epic came into existence, so Adeptus Titanicus circa 2018 was not on my radar.
Dipping the Toe into Titanicus Waters
Fast forward to my group’s regular game night. Lucky me, I was the only person to show up…aside from our host Dan. After twiddling our thumbs for about an hour and shooting the grimdark breeze, Dan had the idea to introduce me to his newest passion: Adeptus Titanicus! Thankfully, Dan diverted his energy normally dedicated to the Horus Heresy (30k) into Titanicus and provided two fully painted Legios to battle with. We played a game with basic rules with mirror match god-engines; 1 Warlord, 1 Reaver, and 1 Warhound. It wasn’t until that night that I realized I’ve always subconsciously wanted to command an agile Warhound Titan into flanking maneuvers to kill its larger cousin machines.
Each machine had its own strengths and weaknesses that a skilled Princeps could field to outmaneuver, outgun, or survive engagements. Our battle ended with both of our Warlords hammering away at each other as they closed the distance. My engine fought off his striding Titan while immobilized and was able to destroy the machine from afar before it approached close enough to cause mortal damage from its detonating plasma reactor.
The Ins & Outs of the Game
The best aspects of gameplay remind me of a mix of Warhammer 40k (old and new), Necromunda, and Kill Team. Blast and flame templates are back for those old school 40k players that have missed them since 7th edition. Players roll-off at the start of each battle round to compete for the initiative. The command consoles for each titan make the player question every decision in regard to their reactors and adds a wildcard factor with the possibility of the machine spirit taking control. Each hot reactor has the chance to cause self-inflicted damage tying into each titan’s death becoming as cinematic as a Final Fantasy cut scene.
The game is played on a 4’x4’ table and can increase with larger battles. A 1500 – 2000 point game plays well on such a board as you’ll typically have around half a dozen god engines striding around that point threshold. The free space is utilized though with command consoles as they tend to take up a large portion of room; requiring expert organizational skills and all of the required accessories.
The Upfront Cost is What Pushes Potential Players Away
The biggest obstacle to the game is the initial cost of getting started. I highly recommend playing an introduction game with a friend or at your FLGS so you can get a feel for the game mechanics and see which Titans or Legio fit your playstyle.
There Are Ways to Save…But the Cost is Still High
Titanicus Battlegroup
Titanicus Rules Set
Typically, getting a Titan Battlegroup and the Ruleset is the best bundle with the total buy-in being $230.00 before tax or applicable discounts. This option offers you 1 Warlord, 1 Reaver, and 2 Warhounds, plus all the other resources you’ll need. All you would have to get to supplement your game would be terrain, a board (both of which shouldn’t be hard to find if you have an LGS), and any other models you want to field.The Titan Battlegroup is a rare commodity nowadays as it is no longer in production since its first run. So if you see one at your local store snatch it up before it disappears to another Princep’s hobby bench.
The newest option would be to purchase the Knight Household Battleforce for $130 instead, but this would be better as a supplemental purchase after testing your mettle with Titans and Knights alike.
Another option would be to split a Grandmaster Edition box set ($290.00) with a friend in order for each of you to get 1 Warlord, a trio of Knights, the ruleset with a set of extra dice, and terrain. The lingering issue would be having to purchase another rulebook if sharing was not an option.
If the Grandmaster Edition was the way you were leaning, you could get a reasonable buy-in value of $145.00, but your models would lack the versatility compared to the Titan Battlegroup in your ability to utilize maniples and diversify weapons.
Fast forward to now, Titainicus has a new starter set that combines the rules and usable units all into one:
Game Depth & Additional Supplements
Former obstacles to be aware of were the fact that a lot of accessories were not offered or available for purchase until recently. For example; Titanicus-specific dice could only be purchased via a ruleset ($60.00) or a Grandmaster Edition box ($290.00). Carapace weapons for Warlords and Reavers were extremely limited in what was offered (apocalypse missiles or turbo laser destroyers). Knights came with one of each ranged weapon and did not include missile pods.
Forge World’s Warlord quake cannons and macro-gatling blasters were extremely challenging to purchase since they were always out of stock in minutes. With the rising popularity of the game though, GW has corrected these grievances for the community by releasing products to end these community hindrances.
After you play your initiation game and decide to go full stride with Adeptus Titanicus; start slow and wait for the options and kits to improve to expand the game to its full potential. I hope you see you on the battlefield Princeps!
White Metal Games is a miniature painting commission service based out of Knightdale, North Carolina. They specialize in producing custom models for any range including wargames (i.e. Warhammer 40k), board games, roleplaying games, historical figures, and display dioramas.
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About the Author: Caleb Dillon
