Blackshields rules for the Horus Heresy

[Razorblade]

2 hours ago, Astartes Consul said:

A list of 20 consuls would be somewhere in the region of 2,000 - 2,500 points, right?
 

Given the amount of firepower and Line you get in an average 2,500 point list, and that the Consuls cannot take any transports, I think most players will be able to shoot and out manoeuvre the majority of an Alone and Forgotten list.

 

Arguably its most spicy as an allied detachment. Then your opponent has to chose between trying to shoot/avoid the Consuls, or engaging the main force. 

Normal game size, right. 

Those centurions would all have jump packs, and there's twenty of them that can all move independently, so no, you aren't outmaneuvering them. 

Sure, you've got more guns but unless you're playing on a completely empty table, they can easily advance a handful of them behind LoS-Blockers every turn. (which really is all they need to do)

Even when you're getting LoS each unit can only kill one of them at a time. You might have enough guns but they're probably not spread out enough.

Line is nice and all but that's 2 extra points per objective, whereas these guys score 2-7 every time they make base contact with one of your units. With 20 of these guys available it's also really easy to screen out or just murder (and score while doing so) any tacticals trying to claim objectives outside of your deployment zone.

And no, they're not great as an allied detachment. Their power comes from scoring and they can't do that reliably without the second oath (which you do not get in an allied detachment)

 

[MagicHat]

The Flesh is Weak turning everyone into automata means that you can cast cybertheurgy on them. 

 

BS6 veterans/seekers, S5/T7 saturnine. Or boosting I. Plus you can restore wounds with tech-priests.

[Marshal Mittens]

I like this, not overly long but it has a ton of flavor and conversion potential

[Gorgoff]

I wonder when and if goonhammer.com will write an article about them.

[Agramar_The_Luna_Wolf]

On 10/19/2025 at 8:44 AM, Gorgoff said:

I wonder when and if goonhammer.com will write an article about them.

Nothing yet. Curious but not really a surprise.

[Gorgoff]

6 hours ago, Agramar_The_Luna_Wolf said:

Nothing yet. Curious but not really a surprise.

Why though? 

For militia we got almost instantly one but now they do nothing. I quite enjoyed all of their HH coverage so far.

 

Blackshields is such a nice pdf IMHO. A lot of room for creative armies and perfect for an allied detachment. 

I gonna build a tactical squad with Weapons of Desperation for my militia. Should look awesome to have a gang of marines with two assault rifles each.

Plus three with a proper machine gun of course. (Why is it called Heavy Stubber? That sounds like a Nerf-Gun to a non english speaker like me)

I go with the interpretation that units of one can get a machine gun as well, since characters could have one in 2ed as well. Not for minmax but because I think it will looks awesome to have a Rhino with two machine guns on top instead of bolters.

I gonna use the one from the Stormlord kit. 

Like this. 

Edited October 21 by Gorgoff

[Agramar_The_Luna_Wolf]

5 hours ago, Gorgoff said:

Why though? 

For militia we got almost instantly one but now they do nothing. I quite enjoyed all of their HH coverage so far.

 

Blackshields is such a nice pdf IMHO. A lot of room for creative armies and perfect for an allied detachment. 

I gonna build a tactical squad with Weapons of Desperation for my militia. Should look awesome to have a gang of marines with two assault rifles each.

Plus three with a proper machine gun of course. (Why is it called Heavy Stubber? That sounds like a Nerf-Gun to a non english speaker like me)

I go with the interpretation that units of one can get a machine gun as well, since characters could have one in 2ed as well. Not for minmax but because I think it will looks awesome to have a Rhino with two machine guns on top instead of bolters.

I gonna use the one from the Stormlord kit. 

Like this. 

 

I don't know exactly if it their case, but it's clear that, the level of interest in this current edition is not the same as in the previous one.  It's quite more low.And there are other things claiming the interest and the time of the people.

I just think that.

[SlickSamos]

In my view there are 5 stand out combinations from a modelling/lore point of view:

 

Zone Mortalis: The Sigillite's Chosen 

Primary Detachment: Blackshields 

Oaths of the Moment: Alone & Forgotten and Blades of the Just (please ignore the VP problem)

Allied Detachment: Knights Errant

 

Use this to represent a similar strike mission as from the Vengeful Spirit book.  Asides from the characters in that book consider also:

Ex Salamanders inspired Armistos w/ Heavy Flamer, Thunder Hammer & Paragon of Battle (good use of the old Vulkan He'Stan model)

Ex Thousand Sons inspired Librarian w/ Paragon of Battle (convert your spare Ariman from the Prospero box)

Ex Raven Guard inspired Vigilator

Ex Dark Angels inspired Praetor or Champion w/ Paragon Blade (a The Naemian Reaver proxy?)

 

---

 

Allied Detachment: Inductii Influx 

Oath of the Moment: In Disgrace all are Equal

 

This represents your Legion getting a large amount of Inductii at once, so having to delegate a bunch of veterans to guide it (very similar to the Salamander's actual Inductii rules).  Recommend limiting it to nothing fancier than Indomitus Terminators and nothing older than Mk. IV, except on the squad leaders.  

 

---

 

Allied Detachment: Fabius' Experiments 

Oath of the Moment: Broken Helix (Aberrant) 

 

Using primarily Primus Medicae, Apothecaries and Dispoilers unleashed the weird experiments of the Genesmith's (very questionable) genius!

 

---

 

Primary Detachment: Keys of Hell

Oaths of the Moment: The Flesh is Weak and either Broken Helix (Clone) or Panoply of War (Iron Hands)

 

Represents the (primarily) Iron Hand's madness to reap revenge!  Broken Helix is probably the better than Panoply of War but adding self healing vehicles into the force seems more thematic.

 

---

 

True-Scale Marines

Primary: Solar Auxiliary, Imperial Militia or Mechanicum 

Allied: Blackshields 

Oath of the Moment: Alone & Forgotten 

 

Make your Marines feel like Marines as seen in the books!

 

---

 

The Blackshields rules have always been thematic and flexible but also I don't think they've ever been balanced within themselves, some combinations of options have always Mathhammered their way to the top.  Flavour wise I think this is the best version of them we've seen only enhanced by the flexibility of Allies this edition.  

[Razorblade]

1 hour ago, SlickSamos said:

 

 

Primary Detachment: Keys of Hell

Oaths of the Moment: The Flesh is Weak and either Broken Helix (Clone) or Panoply of War (Iron Hands)

 

Represents the (primarily) Iron Hand's madness to reap revenge!  Broken Helix is probably the better than Panoply of War but adding self healing vehicles into the force seems more thematic.

 

I think Reapers is a very good secondary oath for The flesh is weak, as it gives you an additional avenue for vp scoring. It also benefits a lot of the same units (command squads love both) and feels very thematic for a force of undead Iron Hands that care only about vengeance.

Edited October 24 by Razorblade

[Razorblade]

7 minutes ago, Razorblade said:

I think Reapers is a very good second oath for the flesh is weak, as it gives you an additional avenue for vp scoring. It also benefits a lot of the same units (command squads love both) and feels very thematic for a force of undead Iron Hands that care only about vengeance.