The Big Red Book has been updated for the first time! Come check out what’s new in our compete Horus Heresy Red Book review!
The Horus Hersey Red Book contains rules for 13 Legions, it’s a big resource. A lot of people already have this book but I want to go over the changes and why you might want to consider buying it. First off, this is in a smaller, codex size, versus the huge campaign books.
The Horus Heresy Legiones Astartes: Age of Darkness Legions
is a 131 page hard back book that collects together and updates the Space Marine Legions appendix entries from the first five of Forge World’s Horus Heresy books. It is intended to be used alongside its companion book, The Horus Heresy Legiones Astartes: Crusade Army List.
You will need a copy of The Horus Heresy Legiones Astartes: Crusade Army List and the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook to use this book. £32
It’s got the good-looking graphics and the silver leaf foil. I’m not going to do a deep dive in but I’m going to go over the new things. If you don’t have it, this is an auto-buy IMHO.
There are 13 in here and another three in Horus Heresy Book Six: Retribution (Blood Angels, Dark Angels, White Scars.) that can be a bit of a Catch-22 because those three legions aren’t in this book. If you play a legion up to book 5, they’re in here though, so that FIVE books you don’t need to carry with you.
Emperors Children: get +1 initiative on the charge, Shriekers give -1 WS to units who aren’t fearless. Phoenix Terminator’s get WS5, the sergeant gets +1 attack. The Cacophony is now Heavy 2; that’s a top 5 Hersey unit for looks alone.
Iron Warriors, get the Iron Circle, The Primarch’s personal guard robots, they’re MC’s and he can join them and make a squad to make things D-E-D. Ded. Iron Havoc’s are now +1WS and they can take Autocannon’s; that’s their thing.
The Imperial Fists: the shield wall confers +1WS and not initiative. Dorn’s Chain Axe is now a Reaping blow and not unwieldy. Some of the older legions are pretty dialed in.
Night Lords: get a 5+ cover save, talent for murder which +1 to hit and wound. Terror Squads give precision strike; keep an eye on that. Sevatar got his FAQ’s put in here.
Iron Hands: nothing new.
World Eaters, I’m a bit surprised here because they where the first, now get Blood Lust on a 4+ and must always consolidate towards an enemy they can harm. Can’t get a felblade to get them off target. Should a unit fail the moral check on a 4+ they don’t flee but get rage. A fundamental change to how they play. Incarnate Violence, re-roll to wound rolls of 1 unless they’ve performed a disordered charge.
Ultramarines: No changes.
Death Guard: Lots. Re-roll dangerous terrain test regardless of what the terrain is. The sons of barbarous confers a 4+ Feel No Pain now. Power Sythes, lose unwieldy, two-handed and gives reaping blow. Grave Warden Toxin: Poison 3+. Deathshroud can now be taken as an elite, HQ, or command squad for a Terminator Praetor, or Mortarian who’s Scythe is also now not unwieldy as well. Witchspite is 4+ malediction denial.
Justarians just got two wounds and is a stock troop, that’s a unit you need to immediately take a look at. Generally, two wounds make a unit badass.
Word Bearers: No Changes
Salamanders: Firedrakes go up to 2 wounds as well.
Raven Guard: Mor’deythian, just went up to 135. Mmm. The Dark Fury’s now have the Talons by default for 175 with the +1 initiative bonus and the 5+ cover save when they arrive via deep strike and the chooser of the slain gets precision strike.
Alpha Legion: The Saboteurs Sabotage attack got Ap3 versus units with a toughness value or AP2 versus vehicles. They can no longer take a job pack. Headhunters replace preferred enemy with precision shot.
That’s all I could find in the new Legion Astartes book. Hopefully, if you’re a Heresy player this helped out.
Check out the Twin Red book to this one: The Heresy Crusade Book (for all Legions)
Changes to the Heresy – New Red Book REVIEW
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
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About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
