Review: The Horus Heresy boxed set comes highly recommended

The truth is that anyone who has good fortune must have a Space Marine. The trouble is that, lore-wise, Space Marines aren’t the only brutally violent and expansionist species in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. So while they’re the most popular army, they need enemies like the Tyranids and the Eldar out there in the marketplace. So some poor person can purchase them and build them. Then they will paint them up and then send them off to their deaths. YourSpace Marines

What if all the players could play Space Marines at the same time? GW might be able sell more Space Marines. The good people in the world could then buy even more Space Marines.

There is no limit to what you can do. That’s the concept behind The Horus HeresyThis game, which was released for the first time in 2012, is now supported by 60+ novels from The Black Library. A decade later, a reboot for GW’s sub-franchise is on the way. Polygon had a chance to check it out, and good news: It’s awesome.

This is the flagship product Warhammer: The Horus Heresy This is the luxurious, new boxed set. Age of Darkness. Space Marines fans will receive 52 multi-part plastic Space Marines. 42 are new. Fans of the franchise will immediately recognize the “beakie” helms of their Mark 6 Corvus pattern power armor — a throwback to the original Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Cover The franchise was founded in 1987.

Image: Games Workshop via YouTube

Also included in the boxed set is Age of Darkness RulebookThese include rulers, templates and other necessary tools. This army is complete with support units. These include a large tank and a huge stompy bot. While thematically it’s all set up to make two small armies, Age of DarknessThe equivalent to one small army. It’s pricey — $299, in fact — but it’s got everything you need to field a competitive force right out of the box. Games Workshop included datasheets that are faction-agnostic for each unit, so you can build an army list immediately. That’s right, spreadsheets aren’t just for space games, kids.

Image: Games Workshop via YouTube

One of the most important features of The Horus Heresy that always put me off was the materials used to create the bulk of its miniatures — resin. For miniatures that are durable, resin is better than polystyrene. But it’s not the preference of most hobbyists. Resin miniatures have to be washed in soap and water before they can be assembled, and cleaning them — removing stray bits of flashing and the little nubbins left over from when they were manufactured — requires things like metal files and lots of patience. This can also make miniatures a little more costly.

The new all-plastic model line does away with the need to care for resin models and feed them. This model also eliminates much of the unnecessary frippery that can make painting an army of soldiers a tedious task. Warhammer 40,000This is so frustrating. The bulk of the Marines in this box don’t have little wax seals hanging off their shoulder pads, or delicate filigree on their shoulder pads, or raised icons on their shoulder pads. Like Rick Priestley and the gods, they have just one shoulder pad with a flat top and one shoulder pad.

As a side effect, there’s also less of an impediment to learning the game. Although each of the 18 new factions offers unique and exciting special tactics, units and abilities, their core armies remain the same. It’s genetically engineered super soldiers firing armor-piercing rockets out of assault rifles all the way down. Everyone leaves happier because the bolters go brrr.

Due to the breakneck pace of the annual release schedule, I’ve only been able to assemble and partially paint the included Spartan Heavy Assault Tank. It’s my first time putting together a piece of GW armor since the 1990s, and I’m here to tell you that it’s been a tremendous experience so far. Everything fits together like a glove with some Tamiya extra-thin cement, and while tank enthusiasts will gripe about the road wheels not spinning independently and the tracks themselves looking like they’ve been pulled taught by a taffy machine, it works for me. To make it easier to paint, the thing can easily be divided into five separate parts. It has been clearly considered that magnetization is an optional option which lets you swap out weapons when needed. There’s even a hollow section along bottom of the hull to place a bit of ballast in there to give it more heft on the table.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

Is it possible to have perfect balance in the 18 faction rules? That is something I do not know. Competitive meta-layer Horus HeresyThe most complicated construct in gaming is play. These manuals can be expensive and are among the most extensive in all of Games Workshop’s products. But opening up Warhammer: The Horus Heresy- Age of Darkness feels like turning the page in a great novel by Dan Abnett and falling right onto the plains of Istvaan V. I’m hooked, and I’m excited to see where this franchise goes from here.

Warhammer: The Horus Heresy- Age of Darkness Games Workshop provided a retail copy for review. Vox Media is an affiliate partner of Games Workshop. They do not have any influence on editorial content. Vox Media can earn commissions for products bought via affiliate links. Find out more. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.