The Horus Heresy community is abuzz with major leaked rules for the upcoming third edition.
As an experienced Heresy player, I’m both excited and a little anxious about these potential changes. However, I remain cautiously optimistic that they will improve the game we love. Meanwhile, it’s important to remember these are still leaks – nothing is final yet. Remember that we can’t share the images, they have already been pulled from Reddit to avoid a copywrite claim from GW, but here is a summary based on what I have seen.
Overhauled Army Organization
The classic Force Organization chart is being replaced by a new detachment-based force construction system. Additionally, armies will be built using multiple small detachments rather than one big chart. This change promises more flexibility in army building, since there are fewer strict troop requirements. However, it also means a greater reliance on HQ units to lead and unlock these detachments. HQ choices are now split into High Command (Praetors) and Line Officers (Centurions) categories. This reflects a clear distinction between the top commanders and the lower-ranking leaders. Furthermore, many units are reclassified into new, granular battlefield roles – about 15 in total. We now have categories like Fast Attack, Shock Assault, Recon, and more, instead of the old broad slots. Moreover, Terminators even get their own “Heavy Assault” slot and Dreadnoughts fall under “War Engines”. This added detail could feel overwhelming at first, but it also paints a richer thematic picture of each Legion’s forces.
Vehicle Combat Changes
Additionally, vehicles are seeing a major overhaul in how they take damage. Every vehicle has more Hull Points now (for example, Rhinos go from 3 to 5 hull points). However, not every hit will chip away those wounds. A Glancing hit no longer removes a hull point. Instead, it triggers a short damage chart that inflicts a penalty such as Stunned or Pinned. Meanwhile, only a Penetrating hit will remove hull points, and it does so based on the weapon’s damage value. This means tanks might survive more shots in terms of raw HP. However, they could be more easily crippled by the status effects from glancing blows. Notably, some familiar vehicle damage results like Immobilised or Weapon Destroyed have been removed. The dreaded “vehicle explodes” result is largely gone as well. This means a single lucky hit won’t instantly blow up your tank anymore. However, explosions can still happen in certain situations. For example, some units now have an Explodes trait that causes a big boom when they die. One leaked note mentions a Deredeo dreadnought detonating with multiple hits to nearby units. Overall, these changes make vehicles tougher on paper but potentially easier to disable – an interesting trade-off.
Streamlined Rules and Reactions
Furthermore, a number of rules are being simplified in this edition. Reactions – the game’s unique interrupt actions – have been toned down. For instance, each unit can now perform only one reaction per turn instead of reacting multiple times as before. Additionally, certain complex tactics have been limited. For example, you can no longer charge immediately after deep striking onto the field. Several special or redundant rules have been trimmed to speed up play. Meanwhile, some advanced reactions and niche mechanics are reduced or made more situational. These tweaks might disappoint players who enjoyed the extra layers of strategy. However, they could also make the core gameplay smoother and more accessible.
Conclusion
Ultimately, I’m feeling hopeful about what these leaked changes could mean for Horus Heresy. The new detachment system might let us build more thematic armies, and the clarified HQ roles add narrative flair. The vehicle damage overhaul sounds scary. Yet, it could lead to more cinematic battles with tanks grinding forward under heavy fire.
However, I’ll keep my excitement in check until we see the official rules confirmed. As a community, we’ve been through rules changes before. We always come out the other side still rolling dice and telling war stories. In the end, these leaks have sparked enthusiasm and healthy debate. I’ll remain cautiously optimistic and eager for the next official reveal from Games Workshop.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
