iron hands special units And characters

With very few units let's crack into it

Medusan immortals: these guys embody "hold the line" 3+ 5++/6++ and no enemy charge bonus due to shields -1str t4. These guys are a massive pain to get rid of. Can be give Volkilite charges as an upgrade which effects their next rule: they can only snap shoot instead of making sweeping attacks.

Gorgan terminators: t4 2+ 5++ -1str 4+ blind, lighting claws (upgrade) i3. Expensive but effective. These guys are terminators that hold front lines. With them causing blind getting up close and charging is great because any shots that you pass with your 2+ save for over watch will blind the opponent, letting your other wise derpy I3 go first.

Castrmen orth: 80pts 30k cronos but better. Can go in any tank you purchase. Has tank hunter and gives your army +1 vehicle damage when ramming. Also he can get out but only has 3+ 4++ so not suggested. Can be in a spartan, super heavy etc, anyone else thinking fell blade.

Autek Mor: iron father praetor with cataphractii terminator, which means slow and purposeful, no over watch. He does get +1 str & toughness (he does have -1 intitive and -1 attack) servo arm (which gives him +1 attack lol) paragon blade cause they're fun (+2 Str so he's Str 7 with most of his attacks and ap2). Also has a Volkite charger. Fearless which is nice, preferred enemy infantry so rerolling the ones that he would fail to wound on. Servo arm is Str8 i1 and on the charge he has 4 str7 ap2 (6s= ID) And because of Involite armour he can't be ID from shooting 2x toughness.

Total beast.

And that's actually all of the special characters and units for the robot space marines.

'I have seen my Lord Ferrus handle molten iron without flinching, bending it to his will with barely a concern that such a deed is beyond mortal men. Have no doubt that by those same hands will revenge be exacted upon the traitors, have no doubt that the stain on our honour will be drowned in blood, just as the ruby-hot blade is quenched by the fire.'

— Ironwrought Orzhar, Avernii Clan-Company, on the eve of the Dropsite Massacre (Horus Heresy Book 2: Massacre, page 231)

Again thanks to Warhammer 40k quotes Facebook page.

Argel_Tal

Iron Hands Troops Choices

Ok to kick off Iron Hands tactics, we bring in the fitting Tactical squad. Let me start of by saying you will probably want to be maxing out these squads to leverage Involite Armour (rhinos and transports don't get it). As you will want to be out of the melee taking extra combat weapons probably isn't the best way to spend points, and replacing your bolters is down right illogical. For the sergeant a Combi Melta is probably a good buy, as a way to have a chance to remove enemy Drop Pods. Giving your sergeants a Cyber Familiar is nice but he will only gain a 6++ (he can also reroll statistic tests but meh) which will bring you on par with SOB/Adeptus Sororitus. It should save you 1 in 6 sergents but you should only be buying this on your sergents as points filler (great of commanders and terminators). A Legion Vexillia is an excellent idea as your army has no built in morale boost rules. This wargear allows you to reroll morale checks and leadership which is great when your marines have no ATSKNF. Watch out for recons with sniper rifles they will want to execute this guy first (this guy gives LD reroll which is better statistically much better than the LD9 from the sergeant).

Assault squads, your iron hands don't kid your self, you can't use what they're good at. You can't sweep well (LD check to sweep) with them, they are part of the restricted units as of Rigid Tactics (bikes are a much better choice with t5 and -1str from shooting against them), nuff said.

Support squads: great option but they don't count towards compulsory troops so you will need to take Tacs to field these guys (can still score). With the Iron Hands rite of war support squads can swap their flamers for gravitation guns. In drop pods these guys will shred Spartans even with flare shields as Haywire isn't effected by Flare Shields as it has no Str, forget suicide melta squads. Plasma is very effective as an terminator deletion squad, but it is very expensive. The Volkite long range heavy weapon is brilliant with a range legion.

Recon squads: with sniper rifles and 3+ armour these guys are really awesome for a shooting legion. Precision shot is execellent for erasing Vexillas, Nucio voxes (for iron warriors and other ordnance armies) which are often better choices than sergeants. With rending artificer armour is rendered redundant of sergents. Also use these guys to remove special weapons in veteran squads. Like support squads these guys can't be compulsory troops. With camelon cloaks and the -1str for shooting against them and a 3+ save you can make these guys very competitive when supporting a good list.

Drop pods are dangerous for IHs because they can't sweeping assault very well, and they will be in combat where the -1 Str shooting won't help you. Iron hands don't want to be up close.

Rhinos and other vehicles can purchase a 6+ roll, that works in the same way as IWND, but as its seperate from IWND you can get two of these rolls by including Ferrus Manus in your army. This is great but as vehicles don't benifit from Involite Armour you can't leverage this rule, use mech when you need to. You don't want to be close, making the speed of a vehicle redundant, and you can't shoot the squad out of it, also making the vehicle redundant.

That's my take on Iron Hands Troops. I recomend 3+ armour recons with sniper rifles and camelon cloaks, tactical squads with combo meltas, artifer armour and Vexillas and Tactical support squads with either suicide grav or plasma (anti vehicle/ terminator respectively) or long range Volkite.

Argel-Tal

'Rest? We were not made to rest; we go on, unflinching, unstoppable, unending in our strength. The Emperor did not make us for such mortal concerns as hearth and home, vanity or contemplation; we are his engines of war, his hammers, beating out the fabric of existence into a vessel fit for Mankind to inhabit.'
— Ferrus Manus, as quoted in Shadow of the Gorgon by the Remembrancer Czel Atternus (from Horus Heresy Book 2: Massacre, page 234)

Quote thanks to Warhammer 40k Quotes Facebook page

Primarchs!

Would you guys like me to publish my views on the Primarchs all as one group instead of a legion at some point on the future or would you like me to publish them with their child legion?

Argel Tal

Iron Hands Tactical Overview

Moving on to the 10th legion, the Iron Hands.

These guys are hard to shift. Legion Astartes Iron Hands have a rule called Involite Armour, this reduces the strenght if all shooting against them by 1, making bolters Str 3 against them. This is AWESOME. They have some pretty major draw backs; must pass a leadership check to RUN or SWEEPING ADVANCE, which SUCKS IN 30K, where you need to SWEEPING ADAVANCE. Theses guys want to stay out of charge distances and out shot the opponent.

You will want to leverage Involite Armour with with t5: Out rider Bikes, Attack bikes, Jetbikes. Unfortunately you may not take more bikes jetbikes and jump infantry that infantry squads. This SUCKS. but how ever... Put your Praetor in a bike squad and he will never instantly die to Shooting, and will be a nightmare to wound. Str 3 bolters vs Toughness 5 with 2+ 4++.

These units are the fast options your army otherwise lacks as you are building an infantry centered list. As such this army will often be footslogging if you want to be the most efficient with your legion choice and points spent.


Also your units may never voluntarily go to ground on that ap3 will kill you

Characters can pretty cheaply take cyber familiars for +1 invol to max of 3++ (Or a 6++) and it DOESNT TAKE UP A HAND AWESOME.

Your relic is awesome against tanks, especially Spartans as Flare Sheilds don't work against Grav. Assault 3 is awesome with grav, it is template so you will be up close and personal where the iron hands DONT LIKE TO BE, STAY BACK AND OUT SHOOT THEM (drop site massacre lolz). Don't let the ap3 make you think this is anti marine. This GRAVITATION NOT GRAV so it makes you take a toughness or strength test? So it's wounding marines on a 5.

It's very nice at what it does: kill vehicles.

The Rite of war is very strong, all vehicles get a 6+ IWND for FREE, any model with a Flamer may take a GRAVITATION gun for 10 points (has haywire). Tanks in reserve get outflank (nice I guess)

But the major issue is only one fast attack slot.
Take your praetor on a bike, give him a halo, and the relic (extra flavour to your choice), then take outriders, give them twin link flamers, then upgrade those to twinlink gravitation guns. 12" move T5 -1 shooting against them (can't be instant deathed by shooting strenght) and 3+ save 4+ jink with Haywire guns. CHEESE.

Also only one consul allowed other than Forge Lord consuls so no taking multiple chaplains, also if your taking this with a delegus, no more consuls unless they're Forge Lords.

Special units: Gorgon Terminators; These guys are nasty, 2+ save 5++ invol, -1 Str for shooting against them and a 5+ FNP. Also on a successful save (that includes the 2+ armour) on a D6 of a 4+ all units within 6 must test for blind. FOR EACH SAVE, NOT JUST ONCE. Friendly units can reroll the blind test.

Because it's not Cataphracti armour they can over watch. They can also take gravitation guns as special weapons in addition to the normal special weapons. Everyone has power axes but can take lightning claws so eat blinded enemies (they are I3 normally though). They still have to take a Leadership to run, just shoot with these guys and do point denial. They won't want to charge you, they won't really want to shoot you, (Move these guys ahead of your main army so they don't blind your own units (facepalm)). Also that FNP is here to stay agaist shooting, your opponent will need a las cannon or better to get rid of it because if Involite Armour (the -1 Str for shooting against them).

It is important to remember that that rule only effects legion astartes, therefore not your tanks and other vehicles.

Which legion do you guys want to see next?

As I am coming to the end of my Word Bearer focus (still have special unit tactica to do) I would like to know which legion you guys would like to see me cover next. Could alternate Heretic, Loyalist if you guys would like.

Let me know in the comments below which legion you want to see me cover next.
Cheers Argel Tal

Ps: if there is anything you would like me to cover tactics, combo or unit wise in the future based on what's been uploaded in these posts let me know in the comments below as well.

Pps: if you have any epic quotes from Horus Heresy books about your favourite legion or quotes you like feel free to email them to me and I will try to add them to the blog when I feature the appropriate  legion.

Erebus focus post

Erebus, the first dark apostle, destinies hand, corrupter of Horus Lupercal

At the price of 195 search lights Erebus appears to have a low statline, nothing overly remarkable as a CCQ character. This is how ever not his role in your army. Erebus is both a Diabolist -giving you access to Dark Channeling- and a Chaplin -filling the extra character requirement-. 

Erebus allows you to take demon allies without needing to take the special rite of war, while he would instantly fill the requirements for it, this allows you to take an orbital strike or angels wrath or pride of the legion with Demons. This is great in larger point games, giving you mass Tzenntch summoning or Khorne ap3 juggernauts and bloodletters.

As a burning law psyker, Erebus has access to either biomancy or telepathy. Biomancy can bring him to strength 9 with smash (+3 for the power, +2 for the crozius) giving him ap2 or he can get 7 attacks on the charge (+3 from the power and +1 for charging) at strength 6. -1 toughness for enemy units makes tactical squads very tasty and the relentless 4+ FNP makes your tacticals total beasts: Rapid fire charge with Dark channeling for rerolls, strenght 5 or fear and 41 attacks (you are taking additional close comabt weapons right?) Combined with Adamatium will Erebus actually gives his squad 4+ Deny The Witch against mastery level 1.  

Other biomancy witchfires are pretty neat with ap2, one of which can heal your unit (see my unit combo later for how i use this, but generally heal himself or near by HQs). 

Telepathy has one of the best Primaris powers: psychic shriek. Rolling on Telepathy is mostly going to make your enemy weaker: LD checks to fire overwatch, (amazing when it goes off) move, shoot and counter charge you after your unit disembarks. Telepathy also has a power which lowers enemy units Leadership, but this power risks the unit breaking morale and running away from your assault ready units. This power is best used on heavy support squads, and other back field infantry units who are close to the board edge. This power can be used to make expensive squads to run off the battle field, costing your opponent those units and wasting those points. Regular opponents will then deploy further away from the board edge to prevent this, which only brings them closer to your assault army. 

With 3 wounds and artificer armour you can use Erebus to potenitally tank ap3 wounds from the squad, this is risky but can pay off in an expensive squad.

By putting Erebus in a squad, the sqaud no longer benifits from 50% of the Dark Channeling table (hatred and fearless (zealot)) as he gives out that rule passively. In the veteran squad I run Erebus with they also have furious charge, negating the dark channeling result. I dont rate the demon 5++ and fear rule as they count as destroyed as the end of the game and most importantly they no longer score. 

I run Erebus in a Phobos landraider (the only assault land raider) with a veteran squad with power swords and furious charge (dark channeling is no longer need in my opinion so i give them all melta bombs instead) and Hol Beloth. This unit is a bit of a death star but it only comes with standard 3+ armour. I use this unit to ERASE power armoured units and warlord units. Do not ever use this unit agaist 2+ amour, ever. 

Thats my take on Erebus of the Word Bearers. Thanks for reading.

Hol Beloth focus post.

As a follow up on my preveious post I thought I would do an expansion on the Word Bearers unique character Hol Beloth. Let me know in the comments if you would like more of these expansions/indepth character posts. Cheers

Going straight into it: At weapon skill 6 he is on par with enemy praetors, (he also shares most of their stats (won't write them out for legal)) with 5 attacks, (two specialist weapons and 6 attacks on the charge) he is a total beat stick. With a mastercrafted power fist he will be instant deathing enemy praetors (he has tainted weapon but we aren't going to speak of that). Also in addition he also ignores the first wound he takes including instant death; this means that charging at an enemy praetor he could take any instant death hits from the paragon blade on his 4++ and then ignore one if it goes through. Embeding him inside a veteren squad would be an effective deathstar, as in a challenge the praetor would be removed (powerfist KO), leaving your intitive 5 -furious charge my choice of veteran tactics; you choose a special rules you give to the vets*- power swords marines to erase the retinue. 

Because he doesn't count as a chaplin or a diabolist you wild need to take an additional character. My preference would be Erebus as he would give out dark channeling as well as counting as a chaplin. This would how ever stop you from taking any relics. So no nayante blaster shennagins or lovey void sheilds. Over all give him a veteran* squad and an assault vehicle (maybe take an apothecary). 
He also confers weapon skill 5 to all friendly Word Bearer units once per game, nice bonus when combined with dark channeling and our better sweeping assaults. This is unlikely to effect more than 3 units in 2000 pt or lower games but that could be enough to swing the game back in your favour.

Previous statement retracted, Hol Beloth is a powerful HQ choice, who doesn't count as any of the Word Bearer consul types. As such you will need to take an additional character who fills those slots. I say take Erebus as he gives dark channeling which could give you Str 6 power swords or rerolls in the first turn of combat on your veteran squad (5++ and fearless is good but Erebus gives that out anyway)

Inside a land raider Phobos with armoured ceramite (ignores the extra D6 from Melta) and frag grenade launchers (just in case) this unit is brutal. Erebus could potentially roll endurance from Biomancy (pretty much always roll on Bio with this unit combo) for FNP relentless and Eternal Warrior (or you could get -1 toughness which is ridiculous and could counter out not getting +1 Str on dark channeling). This unit would erase marines, HQ and retinues and seriously threaten Monsters (not including Wraith Knights because they are just Arghhhh Wraith Knight 'nuff said, why GW? why?) 

Hol Beloth would be a serious contender for my favourite HQ available (at the least for the Word Bearers). 
If you would be keen for more character focuses let me know in the comments. 

Some thing divine, fallen into sin: an angel as envisaged by dæmons.
Quote from: Betrayer by Aaron Dembski-Bowden pg 149

Word Bearers Characters over view

Following my insights on general tactics for Word Bearers, there are some things I didn't cover but I will cover them here.

Word Bearers must take a second compulsory HQ choice who must either be an un-upgraded captain (no consul choice) or a consul Chaplin. This can make Word Bearers hard to run at lower point games: with 10man squads as minimum you cannot add characters to rhino units, as such you will need to buy them special units or forgo rhino transports.

Any WB character (including sergeants) can take tainted blade. Never take these. Full stop, just don't. Instant death on 6s ap- Str: user for 10 POINTS ARE YOU CRAZY, NEVER TAKE THESE. Just buy power swords, deny challenges and cut through normal marines.

WB also gain access to a special type of Consul: Diabolists. These guys have the demon rule (5++ so no need for refractor field). These guys give you access to the Dark Channeling table which is nice but is expensive. Also they can't take bikes or jetbikes.

Our characters are neat because they count as Diabolists and Masters of the legion so we don't need 3 HQ to take our formation. Erebus is also a Chaplin and the two above so is super (but you still need one more HQ). They most give you access to Demon allies without taking the rite of war/formation (which is nice but you should be investing in your marines until you get over 2000 pts). Most unique characters are also psykers. Erebus has ML1 Biomancy and telepathy, as does Kor Phaeron. Zardu Laylak is Mastery Level 2 and can take powers from Pyro or maelefic (which he can use without fear of perils because of Demon).

Zardu give nearby Word Bearers (12") +1 to combat resolution, and once per game may reroll to cast a power. He is possibly the best choice as of now (will be the compulsory HQ, followed by the extra HQ) as he is cheaper than Erebus and gives out a nice buff bubble. Finally he gives you +1 on your roll on Dark Channeling which means you are more likely to get Demon (not super but nice, hatred or +1 Str is better).

Kor Phaeron is not so good but fluffy. Don't take him unless you want to do a campaign or something.

EDIT: I will be doing a focus blog post on Hol Beloth.

Word Bearer HQ are for supporting your army not for going face to face with other chapters beat stick HQ CQC monsters.

Next post will be synergy, units to take/not to take and combos.

Word Bearers Tactica & Insights part 1) infantry and legion rules

Ok so starting with my home legion; The Word Bearers. The greatest of heretics (and mortal enemies of my grey knights). In the system they are a close combat orientated legion (but do marine well at other things out side of CQC), their legion rules giving them rerolls to sweeping in CQC, 3D6 morale and selecting the lowest 2. This is huge as there is no And They Shall Know No Fear in 30k, meaning your large 20 man units can be swept in on round of close combat. This makes Word Bearers a strong Legion. Their drawback is they have to take a second compulsory HQ choice (meaning 2 compulsory HQ), who must either be an un-upgraded consul or a Chaplin.

Their unique units are Flamer wielding jet pack marines, a nice anti horde but not the best against marines as they still only have 3+ armour. Also we have 2 wound mega possessed, who are very powerful in combat but they can never score and need an assault transport to be effective. We also get a possessed contemptor dreadnought who works really well against psykers and demons (both of which we use and have so be careful).

Extra close combat weapons/chain swords are all ways excellent and will pay for them selves in one round of CQC. With our better morale legion Vexila aren't that useful. Nucio voxes are good if your deep striking with pods (legion ones are special will cover this later) but as WB aren't going to be investing in barrages weapons (you're not an iron warrior) they often won't be effective for you.

Sergeants should be taking artificer armour to reduce combat loses and power swords to maximise enemy casualties, don't challenge with them as they won't be able to make use of their power swords against* artificer armour sergeants. Melta bombs are always a yes, combi-weapons not so much: individually they aren't effective.

With special characters and diabolists we gain access to a random d3 table granting: hatred and zealot/+1str or finally the demon rule which grants a 5++. Arguably the best is +1 Str, 5++ is nice, and hatred is better than demon. Demon also counts as destroyed at the end of the game and can no longer score. Demon confers fear but with legion morale being 9 normally this is not something to count on but is very nice when it goes off*

Very brief over view of Word Bearers for those deciding on their legion. Will be doing a tactical squad blog later. 

That was the moment the sky tore open. Stormclouds formed from the ghosts of a hundred murdered worlds began to rain blood on the dead city below. 

Quote from Betrayer by Aaron Dembski-Bowden pg 379

Taking the plunge, new blog: Forge World Horus Heresy general insights

I'm new to this blogging thing but I'm taking up the mantle. I will be posting general insights on the Horus Heresy game system, and also some legion specific tactica and insights. My Horus Heresy armie are Word Bearers & Emperor's Children so the majority of the posts will most likely be centered around them, but I intend to shed my insights on my brother legions, and those foolish loyalist.

After playing War Hammer 4000 for a while, I decided to check out the Forge World Horus Heresy line. I am not a "power player" and prefer a challenge with the armies I play. I also have a larger interest in Games Workshops Lord Of The Rings line, as such I prefer tactical games over facing WraithKnights and the sort. That is what drew me into Horus Heresy (could go into a massive tangent but that's for another time), this system is -in my view- very balanced as for the most part each, combatant wields the same weapon as his enemy. 

I've found that you have two manners in which to play Horus Heresy; either the mighty sledge hammer, or the precise scalpel. Each legion is tailored to a particular play style, as such you chose your legion based on your preferred play style. Your choice of units in your list may also reflect this. 

Each legion has its own special units, special characters and a unique "formation" which gives bonus but incurs restrictions to your army.

First post complete, later posts will be general tactica, legion tactica. 

All of the legions, characters, game system and related aspects are the copy right of Forge world, Games workshop. I claim no legal anything. 

All feed back is more than welcome. Join me brothers in this crusade.