White Dwarf Issue #93: The Horus Heresy

White Dwarf reviews operate differently than other Blood of Kittens Reviews. The goal with these reviews is to place a value for each issue. The rating system is one to four stars, each star represents $1 in value, to a max of four dollars. The review values are also Warhammer 40k based; Age of Sigmar dedicated issues will still be reviewed, but valued for Warhammer 40k players. It means you could see many low valued issues, with the general Games Workshop hobbyist actually valuing more. Keep this in mind when deciding if a particular White Dwarf Issue is good for you.

Contents: New Releases

As everyone is aware by now, the new Horus Heresy Boardgame Betrayal at Calth is coming out next week. This White Dwarf is a 90% showcase of that product– just one large advertisement. Now all White Dwarves are an advertisement, but this takes it to another level. If you are curious about the game you need to pick up this issue, but if you could care less save your money. The biggest value for this issue is a free pin you get for buying a hard copy of the magazine.

The Betrayal at Calth is amazing, you get 30 tactical marines, 1 Dreadnought, 5 Terminators,and two characters. On top of the miniature haul there is a fairly straight forward boardgame as well. Games Workshop made two perfect decisions with this product.

1. They left the models without any chapter markings, so you can make them into whatever chapter you want for either Horus Heresy or 40k.
2. The models unlike Space Hulk are universal, no weird bases or odd poses to cut or worry about.

The issue goes through each and every model, plus all the options you have to building them. You are not stuck with mono-builds, it is obvious GW is looking towards future releases. It is impressive, and if you are on the fence to buy, the issue will send you quickly over.

Contents: The Other Releases

The WD does take some time for a few other releases. It looks like the holiday saver box sets getting started early with the Space Marine Battle Demi-Company and Adeptus Mechanicus Battle Maniple. These sets save you a ton of money. The Space Marine set is $56 bucks off of retail and the Ad-Mech one is whopper with $70 saved! We also get another box set, the Adeptus Mechanicus Maniple. Black Library throws down three novels all about the Horus Heresy battles between the Ultramarines and Word Bearers.

We get a break from Calth with the Forge World incoming release of the Mechanicum Cerastus Knight – Atrapos. This kits is a balanced hodgepodge of other kits, but would be more impressive if it had more little details.

Contents: The Seeds of Betrayal 

These few pages are just a quick history lesson on the reasons behind the Betrayal of Calth. Most of the information almost every 40k veteran knows, but for people who don’t read the Horus Heresy novels there are interesting details. This is all important for understanding the setting for the new boardgame.

Contents: Paint Splatter

As you can imagine, this paint splatter is all about painting Calth models. The techniques are nothing new for veterans of painting Ultramarines. The Word Bearers are a cross between painting Khorne and Blood Angels, so all in all nothing new.

Contents: The Wrath of Veridia

The last section of the White Dwarf goes back, putting us through one of the missions from the Calth boardgame. You can get a feel for the simple rules used. The tokens are action markers and the dice are very Dust Warfare-ish in playstyle. There are also action cards you can play to modify dice and outcomes, the board looks very detailed and easily configurable. The game has seven missions total, and from the looks of it, I looks to play more like a Dark Vengeance starter sets than say Space Hulk. The longevity for this boardgame depends on how flexible it is for players to make alternative scenarios on the fly.

Next Issue Hints: None, more mysteries to follow…

Final Verdict

Issue #93 is above average White Dwarf only because you get free stuff, if it wasn’t for the cool pin, this WD is only a super-charged advertisement. This issued could use some exclusive Batrayal at Caith missions or rules to make it a must buy, as it stands it is only a must buy for collectors.