GW’s new Legacies of the Age of Darkness PDF (read Legends) keeps Horus Heresy units legal, but for how long? Get the details on what’s changing and how it impacts you.
Originally published in July 2025, updated on August 4th, 2025, with the latest Horus Heresy Legacies rules published for Horus Heresy.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy’s new edition has hit the shelves, but the conversation online is anything but smooth sailing.
While the Saturnine box set drummed up plenty of hype, the community has picked up on a troubling pattern: a massive list of units that Games Workshop had marked for death.
With that, the release of Saturnine has flatlined, leaving GW scrambling to pick up the pieces with the new Legacies of the Age of Darkness PDF.
So what’s going on here? Let’s break this down and see how it affects your current and future collection.
What’s in the New Horus Heresy Approach?
This is the roadmap for Horus Heresy digital downloads.
Games Workshop dropped the Legacies of the Age of Darkness PDF, and it’s basically a resurrection spell for a whole lot of units you thought were retired.
Games Workshop says Horus Heresy is a narrative wargame first and foremost. The rules now mirror the boxed set contents to make it easier for newcomers to build armies straight from the sprue.
Smaller books, fewer weird wargear combinations, cleaner army lists… sounds tidy, right? Maybe that’s he perfect approach for 40k, not HH!
But here’s the catch: that means a load of units and beloved customization options aren’t included in the new Liber books.
Players immediately noticed after the leaks that units like Tartaros Terminators with power fists, Destroyers with jump packs, and even some of the more obscure consul types were missing.
This has left long-time players wondering: “Where does my carefully converted army stand now?”
The Legacies PDF: Quick Fix or Long-Term Bandage?
The answer, at least in the short term, is the Legacies of the Age of Darkness PDF. GW promises this hefty document will let players keep fielding most of their existing collections, everything from Veteran Breachers to obscure consul variants, and these rules will be “legal” at their own campaign events.
Both types of Unit may be freely used in any Horus Heresy Battle, and this category does not affect their availability as part of an Army or Detachment or the Rules for their use during a Battle.
But here’s the thing that’s raising eyebrows:
- These “Legacy” rules aren’t integrated into the core Liber books.
- Historically, GW hasn’t supported Legends-style content long-term.
- Many players see this as the first step toward quietly sunsetting these units.
Horus Heresy: Legacies of the Age of Darkness PDF
This is just Legion Astartes list, there’s plenty more…
The Legacies of the Age of Darkness PDF is official here, but the timing is kind of rough. This thing landed well over a week after the official launch of the new edition, which really makes it feel more like a rushed afterthought cooked up in response to community pushback, not something born out of foresight or support for local stores sitting on now-invalid stock.
Regardless, we’re talking new Consul variants with jetbikes and jump packs, classic fan-favorites like Rylanor and the Caestus Assault Ram, and an arsenal of Legion-specific wargear that lets you kit out your dudes with everything from alchem flamers to phoenix rapiers. Every Legion got something spicy, yes, even the Salamanders.
All of it’s officially legal for matched play, so you can actually bring these units to events without getting side-eyed by TOs.
Community Reactions: Confusion, Frustration… and Cynicism
The Warhammer community isn’t pulling punches. Here are some sentiments that keep coming up:
“GW launches a new edition by invalidating existing armies through wargear changes and deleted units, all while their webstore remains out of stock on key kits.”
“Heresy players came for customization, rich backstory, and the freedom to kitbash within the rules. This feels like GW tightening the rails so hard they’ve run roughshod over the fun.”
“The missing products, confusing rules cuts, and oddly timed Legends drop feel like they’re scrambling to patch over a misstep — just to get folks to buy Saturnine and move on.”
These aren’t isolated gripes. Veteran players, the folks who spent years building beautifully converted collections, feel like GW forgot why Horus Heresy even caught fire with that audience in the first place.
Why This Approach Feels Off
Heresy has always attracted hobbyists who love converting models, creating unique warbands, and playing with historical drama baked into the lore.
This new “streamlined” approach risks stripping that creative freedom away in favor of tidy boxed sets. Generally, people play 40k, and then move to Horus Heresy when they want to get deeper into the conversion and kit-bashing side of things.
It’s clear GW wants to guide new players into the game easily. But long-time hobbyists aren’t asking for that, they’re asking for the tools to keep telling their own Horus Heresy stories.
The Legacies PDF softens the blow, but many worry this is just GW setting the stage for phasing these units out entirely. If they follow their usual Legends playbook, expect minimal support, no points updates, and a slow march toward irrelevance.
So… Should You Panic?
Short answer: Not yet.
The Legacies PDF keeps your armies legal and playable, at least for now. And GW says these units will be allowed at their own events. That’s better than outright deletion.
But let’s call it what it is: a stopgap. If your army relies heavily on these units, expect to live in a bit of limbo going forward. And if you care about customization, kitbashing, and using the breadth of Horus Heresy kits… this shift means keeping a close eye on how GW handles these “Legacy” rules.
Final Word: Keep Hobbying, Stay Informed
Horus Heresy players love the game for its depth, complexity, and the sheer joy of building something unique. This move feels like GW trying to sell a simpler, plastic-driven experience while slowly pruning back that creativity.
So while this isn’t a complete disaster, it’s not exactly confidence-inspiring either.
Get that Legacies er Legends PDF when it drops, check your collections, and maybe think twice before diving headfirst into an all-new Saturnine army.
Because if there’s one thing we know about Warhammer, it’s a long war… and your wallet’s always caught in the crossfire.
See the Leaks About the Liber Books
It’s really not a stopgap if they eventually take them out though, which precedent tells us will happen to at least 90% of what’s in the “legacy” pdf at least for a handful of editions. I was literally reading this thinking about that phrasing lol. What’s the point in pretending like GW doesn’t just bin the significant majority of legends? It’s been the status quo for over half a decade now, ever since the indexes. It doesn’t really matter what name they give the rules, we’re all aware that there are tiers of validity to GW.
I’m happy with 2nd edition and the ridiculous money I spent on it, which I’m not having GW make obsolete. I also don’t like the ridiculous shoulder pad design of 3rd.