With any wargame, picking your first army is a big decision (and sometimes a big investment). This guide aims to help you make the right choice for you so you can enjoy and get the most out of the Horus Heresy in the way you want to play.
Things to consider before picking a legion
When it comes to picking which legion to start with there are a few things you will want to consider –
The lore and background of the legion:
Probably one of the most important factors that goes into picking the right army. Think about which legion’s lore resonates the most with you. There’s a wealth of material to inspire you between Black Library and the Horus Heresy sourcebooks. 30k encourages narrative-driven play, and there’s nothing more satisfying than using specific parts of the lore as the basis for a fun modelling project.
How the legion looks:
If you’re playing Horus Heresy 2nd Edition you’re going to be painting a lot of marines, so you better pick a legion who’s colour scheme you enjoy painting. Army painting can be a bit of a slog at the best of times and you don’t want to get knee-deep into a project and realise you hate the scheme, so find something you’ll enjoy from the first marine to the hundredth. Of course, the look of your legion isn’t just about the paint scheme, but also how you model them and there are plenty of opportunities for characterful upgrades, kitbashes and conversions for the various special units unique to each army.
How the legion plays:
Before you pick your legion it’s important that you think about what kind of playstyle most appeals to you. Now pretty much any legion can play any style, but different legions definitely lean more into certain strategies. Love close combat? Then you might want to consider Blood Angels, World Eaters or Space Wolves. Are you shooting heavy or mechanised warfare? Iron Hands, Death Guard or Iron Warriors will be more your bag. Hurtling across the battlefield at breakneck speed then White Scars are a good choice and so on.
Budget:
Now you can definitely build any 30k army on a budget with clever list building and some creative kitbashing, but if you’re planning to go for something a little more exotic or make heavy use of legion-specific units from Forgeworld then it can get pretty pricey pretty quick. Of course, certain legion rites of war push you towards utilising these models (Achean Configuration for example). So that is something you will want to factor in.
Power level:
Now this is probably the least important thing to consider for me (why do you think I play Thousand Sons?), but I know the overall strength of a legion is important to some players. No one wants to invest a large amount of time and money into an army that struggles in every game. I will say that the gap between the best legions and the worst is much, much narrower in 30k than 40k which is geared towards competitive play.
With these factors in mind, let’s take a look at each legion and why you might (or might not) want to pick them.
The Loyalist Legions
The Dark Angels
Background
The Dark Angels, first among the Emperor’s legions and led by the enigmatic Primarch Lion El’Jonson, were a bulwark of loyalty during the Horus Heresy, despite harbouring their own internal schism hidden from the Imperium’s eyes. Their strategic brilliance and the Lion’s masterful tactics were offset only by the clandestine conflict within, as a faction within the legion succumbed to the very betrayal they fought against, setting the stage for a legacy shrouded in secrecy and dark legend.
Playstyle
In second edition the Dark Angels stand out for their strategic versatility, thanks to the unique sub-types available from the six Hexagrammaton Wings.
- The Stormwing bolsters bolter firepower, ideal for a classic infantry-heavy force.
- The Deathwing enhances the lethality of sword-armed Astartes and rams from vehicles, perfect for those seeking close-quarters combat superiority.
- The Dreadwing provides increased resilience against high-powered weaponry, offering a broad defensive benefit suitable for various playstyles.
- Ironwing supports a mechanized approach, improving the accuracy of vehicle weaponry and rewarding lists filled with tanks and heavy guns.
- The Firewing offers a situational advantage, particularly potent against character-laden enemy units.
- While the Ravenwing is tailored for rapid movement and bike unit survivability, enhancing their speed and defensive capabilities.
Each wing provides Dark Angels players with the tools to craft an army that aligns with their preferred tactics, from massed infantry formations and swift assaults to indomitable armour columns and swift-moving outriders.
White Scars
Background
The White Scars, known for their swift hit-and-run tactics and love for speed, were led by the fiercely independent Primarch Jaghatai Khan during the Horus Heresy. Embodying the nomadic and warrior traditions of their homeworld, Chogoris, they remained loyal to the Emperor, valuing honour and the thrill of open warfare. Their role in the Heresy was marked by rapid deployments, striking at the enemy’s weakest points with lightning assaults before fading away. This guerrilla warfare approach was a stark contrast to the more direct methods of their fellow legions, reflecting the Khan’s philosophy of war as an art form, not just a matter of brute force.
Playstyle
In the 2nd edition of Horus Heresy, the White Scars Legion excels in lightning-fast warfare, encapsulating the essence of rapid strikes and unparalleled mobility on the battlefield. With the “Swift of Action” rule-enhancing movement and offering strategic advantages in seizing the initiative, they are a force capable of dictating the pace of the game from the outset. The “Chogorian Panoply” grants access to unique wargear, further tailoring their units for speed and precision strikes. The option to upgrade Centurions to stormseer consuls instead of librarians under “The Lords of the Storm” emphasizes their distinct psychic warfare capabilities, aligning with the lore of Chogoris. The “Sons of Chogoris” rule allows for specialized warlord traits, reinforcing their hit-and-run tactics.
The “Chogorian Brotherhood” Rite of War transforms their fast attack units into core troops, ideal for harrying and flanking manoeuvres, while “Sagyar Mazan” enforces a thematic playstyle of honour-bound warriors seeking redemption through combat, enhancing their resilience and aggression. These rules collectively forge the White Scars into a legion that thrives on speed, manoeuvrability, and surgical strikes, forcing opponents to contend with a fluid and relentless foe that can strike from unexpected quarters with devastating precision. However, the limitations on heavy support and fortifications under these rites of war underscore a reliance on mobility over static firepower, encouraging players to engage in a dynamic and aggressive playstyle.
Space Wolves
Background
The Space Wolves, known for their ferocious and unruly nature, were led by the formidable Primarch Leman Russ, often dubbed the Emperor’s Executioner. Their legion, drawn from the fierce warriors of Fenris, upheld a reputation for unmatched valour and a disdain for convention. During the Horus Heresy, they remained staunchly loyal to the Emperor, with their role characterised by a series of brutal engagements where they sought to bring traitors to heel (the burning of Prospero foremost among these). Renowned for their close-quarters combat prowess and their use of shock tactics, the Space Wolves’ approach to war was primal and unyielding, often operating independently from the wider strategic imperatives of the Imperium.
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Imperial Fists
Background
The Imperial Fists, steadfast and unyielding, were commanded by the dutiful Primarch Rogal Dorn during the Horus Heresy. As the praetorians of Terra, they epitomized the virtues of discipline and resilience, specializing in siege warfare both defensive and offensive. Their role in the Heresy was pivotal, fortifying the Imperial Palace and serving as the last line of defence against the traitor legions. With their indomitable will and peerless fortifications, the Imperial Fists’ legacy was one of stoic endurance and unwavering loyalty to the Emperor, holding fast against all odds and embodying the unbreakable spirit of the Imperium.
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Blood Angels
Background
The Blood Angels, led by the angelic Primarch Sanguinius, were renowned for their martial elegance and the tragic flaw that ran through their gene-seed. Throughout the Horus Heresy, they remained fiercely loyal to the Emperor, with Sanguinius epitomizing the nobility and heroism of the Astartes. Known for their artistic and cultured nature, which belied a berserker fury in battle, the Blood Angels were instrumental during the Heresy, particularly in the defense of Terra, where Sanguinius stood by the Emperor’s side, before being struck down by the traitor Horus (spoilers). Their ability to combine brutal close-combat prowess with a noble warrior ethos made them one of the most feared and respected legions during this epochal conflict.
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Iron Hands
Background
The Iron Hands, led by the mechanically-minded Primarch Ferrus Manus, were known for their implacable strength and affinity for technology during the Horus Heresy. Embracing the machine over flesh, they harboured a philosophy that strength lay in augmentation and weakness had to be purged. Their tenacity in battle was as much psychological as it was physical, often engaging in warfare that exemplified their belief in the superiority of the machine. The legion’s role in the Heresy was marked by tragedy, with Ferrus Manus falling early at the hands of traitors during the Drop Site Massacre on Isstvan V, an event that deeply scarred the legion and set the tone for their unforgiving, relentless nature in warfare. Their approach to combat was uncompromising, favouring overwhelming firepower and advanced wargear to crush their foes.
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Ultramarines
Background
The Ultramarines, commanded by Primarch Roboute Guilliman, were paragons of order and tactical warfare during the Horus Heresy. From their homeworld of Macragge, a planet exemplary in governance and efficiency, they exemplified the structured approach to war. Celebrated for their organizational capabilities and versatile tactics, the Ultramarines’ involvement in the Heresy was characterized by a series of decisive engagements that leveraged their logistical superiority and well-disciplined troops. Their methodical and calculated manner of warfare allowed them to execute complex strategies that could adapt to various combat scenarios, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become the Codex Astartes principles of Guilliman’s later reforms.
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Salamanders
Background
The Salamanders, led by the compassionate and stalwart Primarch Vulkan, were distinguished for their unwavering humanity and mastery of the forge during the Horus Heresy. Hailing from the volcanic world of Nocturne, they were known for their resilience, exceptional craftsmanship, and the use of flame and melta weaponry in battle. In the fires of the Heresy, the Salamanders’ role was as defenders of the innocent, often prioritizing civilian lives where others would not. Their enduring nature made them formidable opponents, though their numbers were fewer than other legions. Despite the trials of the Heresy, their commitment to protect and serve the Emperor’s people never wavered, defining their legacy as one of sacrifice and unbreakable spirit.
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Raven Guard
Background
The Raven Guard, led by Primarch Corvus Corax, were masters of guerrilla warfare and stealth tactics during the Horus Heresy. Originating from the bleak, fortress-world of Deliverance, they specialized in rapid strikes and infiltration, avoiding direct confrontation in favor of hit-and-run attacks that sowed confusion and fear among their enemies. Their role in the Heresy was marked by subterfuge and surprise, often striking from the shadows where least expected. Despite suffering grievous losses during the Dropsite Massacre of Isstvan V, Corax and his legion remained undaunted, their resilience and unconventional warfare tactics enabling them to wage a persistent, shadowy war against the traitor forces, exemplifying the guerrilla doctrine that would frustrate and foil their adversaries throughout the conflict.
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Traitor Legions
Emperor’s Children
Background
The Emperor’s Children, led by the perfection-obsessed Primarch Fulgrim, were a legion that epitomized excellence and martial prowess during the early days of the Horus Heresy. Initially fiercely loyal to the Emperor and proud bearers of the Palatine Aquila, they were known for their strict discipline, exceptional skill, and pursuit of aesthetic perfection in all things. As the Heresy unfolded, the Emperor’s Children fell to the corrupting influence of Slaanesh, which twisted their quest for perfection into a descent into hedonism and excess. Their role in the conflict became one of tragic irony, as their heightened senses and quest for ultimate experiences led them away from the Emperor’s light, turning their extraordinary capabilities towards a war of indulgence and torment, making them as infamous for their artistic slaughters as they were once venerated for their battlefield excellence.
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Iron Warriors
Background
The Iron Warriors, under the iron-clad command of Primarch Perturabo, were the unyielding siege masters of the Horus Heresy, renowned for their grim determination and mastery of warfare’s harshest arts. Drawn from the bleak and unforgiving world of Olympia, they were characterized by their stoic nature, mechanical efficiency, and a penchant for enduring the bloodiest sieges without faltering. Their role in the Heresy was marked by the brutal efficiency with which they dismantled fortifications and held the line against insurmountable odds, often being used as the blunt instrument in wars of attrition. Betrayed by the Emperor’s perceived lack of recognition, Perturabo led his legion into treachery, turning their formidable might and engineering prowess against the very Imperium they had helped to build.
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Night Lords
Background
The Night Lords, commanded by the terrifying Primarch Konrad Curze, were the sinister agents of fear and punishment during the Horus Heresy. Originating from the dark and crime-ridden world of Nostramo, they were notorious for their terror tactics and psychological warfare, sowing dread in the hearts of their enemies. In the Heresy, their role was one of moral ambiguity; they were the Emperor’s executioners, enforcers who imposed a brutal order, often leaving atrocity in their wake. Their fall to treachery was driven by Curze’s own nihilistic vision of justice and a grim destiny he believed inescapable. Striking from the darkness, the Night Lords became the very embodiment of fear, using their enemies’ terror as a weapon as effective as any blade, a grim reminder of the Imperium’s fragility in the face of such relentless darkness.
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World Eaters
Background
The World Eaters, led by the ferocious Primarch Angron, were the embodiment of wrath and martial bloodlust during the Horus Heresy. Known for their savage close combat tactics and the use of the Butcher’s Nails – cerebral implants that heightened aggression at the cost of sanity – they were the speartip of many brutal assaults. Originating from the gladiatorial pits of Nuceria, Angron’s legion became synonymous with berserk charges and uncontrollable fury on the battlefield. Their role in the Heresy was characterized by a trail of butchered foes and devastated worlds, with Angron’s rage leading his World Eaters into the bloody embrace of the Chaos god Khorne. As they descended into madness, the World Eaters left a legacy drenched in the blood of friends and foes alike, their every act an offering to the Skull Throne.
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Death Guard
Background
The Death Guard, commanded by the Primarch Mortarion, were the embodiment of resilience and endurance amidst the toxic miasmas and war-torn battlefields of the Horus Heresy. Hailing from the poisonous fens of Barbarus, they were relentless warriors who thrived in environments that would cripple others, their legendary toughness making them nearly impervious to poisons, toxins, and diseases. During the Heresy, their role was defined by their indomitable march, the inexorable advance of their infantry that no filth or fire could halt. Mortarion’s fall to the influence of the Plague God Nurgle saw the Death Guard’s resilience twisted into a morbid parody; they became vectors of pestilence and decay, their once-stoic nature corrupted into a dreadful tenacity that served the ends of entropy and rot, spreading contagion and despair on countless worlds.
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Thousand Sons
Background
The Thousand Sons, led by the sorcerous Primarch Magnus the Red, were the arcane scholars and psyker-warriors of the Horus Heresy. Originating from the enlightened world of Prospero, they pursued knowledge and the mastery of the warp, their practices steeped in mysticism and spells that could bend reality. During the Heresy, their role was one of tragedy; Magnus’s well-intended warning to the Emperor about Horus’s betrayal led to the fateful destruction of Prospero by the Space Wolves. Following this catastrophic event, the legion’s surviving members were driven into the arms of the Chaos God Tzeentch, the changer of ways. The Thousand Sons became symbols of the peril and potential that the immaterium represents, their psychic might turned to sorcery that would rend the very fabric of reality, casting them as both seekers of forbidden truths and bearers of inevitable destruction.
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Sons of Horus
Background
The Sons of Horus, commanded by the Warmaster Horus himself, were at the forefront of the Great Crusade and later, the spearhead of the Horus Heresy. Originating from the war-torn world of Cthonia, they were known for their unparalleled martial skill, adaptability in warfare, and fierce loyalty to their Primarch. Once hailed as the Luna Wolves, they were rebranded with their Primarch’s namesake following his celebrated achievements. During the Heresy, their role shifted from the Emperor’s favoured legion to the arch-traitors of the Imperium, as Horus led them in a bitter civil war against the very empire they had helped build. The Sons of Horus embodied the treachery and ambition of their fallen Primarch, their deeds during the conflict leaving a legacy of betrayal and devastation that would echo through the annals of Imperial history, forever marring their once-noble image.
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Word Bearers
Background
he Word Bearers, led by the zealous Primarch Lorgar, were the architects of the Horus Heresy’s dark creed, spreading the worship of Chaos across the galaxy. Hailing from the devout world of Colchis, they were once the bearers of the Imperial Truth, constructing monuments and temples to the glory of the Emperor whom they worshipped as a god. When their veneration was condemned as heresy, Lorgar and his legion sought out new gods in the warp, becoming the first of the Space Marine legions to openly pledge themselves to Chaos. In the Heresy, their role was as the fanatical heart of the rebellion, their once-evangelical zeal repurposed to spread the insidious gospel of the Dark Gods. The Word Bearers’ legacy is one of corruption and dogma, their betrayal setting the Imperium ablaze with the fires of the very faith they had once sought to spread in the Emperor’s name.
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Alpha Legion
Background
The Alpha Legion, led by the twin Primarchs Alpharius and Omegon, was the most enigmatic of all the legions during the Horus Heresy. Famed for their unparalleled espionage tactics, misdirection, and subterfuge, they were a legion that operated from the shadows, their every move cloaked in mystery. Allegiances for them were a complex game; they were as likely to aid the Imperium as to undermine it, leading many to question their true intentions. During the Heresy, their role was ambiguous, often engaging in battles that served unclear ends, with whispers of a grander scheme known only to the Primarchs themselves. The Alpha Legion’s involvement in the conflict sowed as much confusion as it did destruction, leading to speculation that their ultimate loyalty may have lain with a vision only they could perceive, making them a wildcard whose impact on the Heresy’s events was as profound as it was unpredictable.
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