Horus Heresy

Horus Heresy is an epic board game for two players set in the dark future of Games Workshop's preeminent Warhammer 40,000 universe. Each player commands vast legions in a pitched battle across the now war-torn surface of Terra, birthplace of the human race. The forces of the Imperium and Chaos will clash, rocking the very foundation of humanity.

As the Imperial player you are the Emperor of Holy Terra himself, the last beacon of hope for the future of all mankind, who stands within the Imperial Palace surrounded by a cadre of his elite personal guard, the Adeptus Custodes.

Awaiting your command are loyalist Imperial forces including three legions of loyal Space Marines, innumerable mass regiments of infantry and Imperial tank divisions rumbling across the landscape, defense laser batteries scanning the horizon for any hint of the forces of Chaos, and lumbering across the landscape – the last of the massive Imperial Titans, enormous walking temples of war, towering overhead and bristling with armament.

You may choose instead to callously betray the Imperium of Man and personally lead the attack on Terra in the role of the Warmaster Horus, once the most trusted and loved scion of the Emperor, now turned entirely away from sanity and hope, twisted beyond recognition by the insidious taint of Chaos.

In orbit high above the planet is the Vengeful Spirit, the Warmaster's flagship, from which Horus orchestrates this final assault upon the Imperial Palace. He eagerly awaits for his opportune moment to enter the fray and personally strike the Emperor down, in the name of the four ruinous powers of Chaos.

From your command center you will order forth legions of Chaos Space Marines who have turned away from the true light of the Emperor, armies of traitors and cultists eager to spread delicious mayhem, chaotic Thunderhawk gunship squadrons and drop pods that can deliver destruction with surgical precision, and lurking at the fringes of sanity – gibbering Chaos hordes and daemon forces from the Warp that thrash in malicious expectation of the moment they are released to the planet below. If you listen closely, you will hear their whispers even now.

Bring this legendary tale of blasphemous treachery and insane heroism to life by opening the massive board game, packed to the brim with over one hundred magnificent sculpted plastic playing pieces. Unfold the beautiful map of Terra, centered upon the landscape immediately surrounding the environs of the Imperial Palace, magma-filled crevasses and all.

You will notice immediately the placements scattered across the board for the fortified bastions, towers and manufacturing strongholds that offer the Imperial player protection against both enemy assault and orbital bombardments.

Each one of these structures, as well as the Imperial Palace itself, have been sculpted as plastic terrain elements that rise above the landscape and fit cleverly through the board to hold them solidly in place, without any fear of being knocked about during play. The fortifications of Terra have never looked more formidable! Once the board is set up with playing pieces and terrain for your first game, it is a wonder to behold.

In addition to these plasteel encased garrisons, players will struggle for control of a number of other key locations, such as the spaceports positioned at four quadrants across the map which will determine how easily Horus can bring fresh waves of assailants to the battle, as well as locations aboard the Vengeful Spirit where Horus and his inner circle of advisors prepare to join the assault on the surface.

Finally, the last few sections of the board are used to manage the sundry details and unique mechanics of gameplay, such as the orders you issue to units in preparation for future manoeuvres, the heated turn-by-turn iterations of massed unit combat, the tense ebb and flow of an initiative track that controls which player will act next, and even damage suffered by your hero characters as they lead their ever loyal forward to press the attack.

There are no dice used while playing Horus Heresy. Instead, you must masterfully balance a compelling long-term strategy with lightning-fast short-term combat tactics, all handled by graceful, card-driven play that provides a highly engaging, and intensely satisfying game.

Horus Heresy includes six scenarios that differ in difficulty and experience during play. The first scenario, titled Brother Against Brother, is recommended for new players as it provides predetermined starting locations for all forces. It is a well balanced version of the Battle for Terra, and also presents a roughly historical recreation of the conflict's events.

If you are familiar with the Warhammer 40,000 mythos, or simply playing this game for the first time, we encourage you to jump right in with Brother Against Brother. Whenever you’re ready, the advanced scenarios offer a wealth of challenges that will push the ability of even the most experienced players to the limit.

Whether your allegiance is honorable or profane, Horus Heresy demands you bring every last shred of your tactical and strategic ability to the table. This is not a simplistic affair fought between a handful of skirmishing units, with individual combatants sprinting between areas of sparse cover across an open battlefield. This is war on an epic and unimaginable scale, the scope and significance of which has never been seen before or since!

Can Horus succeed in this profane quest to crush the Imperium beneath his corrupted heel, drowning the galaxy in a flood of Chaos and destruction, or will the steadfast Holy Emperor of Mankind break the bloody siege, turning the tide of assault against the cruel machinations of the Dark Powers of the Warp? You will decide which direction the winds of fate will blow, for this is the moment of truth, and we hope to see you there!

Horus Heresy is a board game that pits two players against each other to recreate the most famous battle of Warhammer 40,000's rich history, in which the Warmaster Horus's betrayal of the Emperor comes to its climax. Taking the side of either traitor or loyalist, players control a fearsome array of units, including the Emperor and Horus themselves. Brother fights brother, and the universe hangs in the balance!