The Shattered Legions & Black Shields – NEW RULES!

Looking for a new way to play Horus Heresy? Come see checkout the Shattered Legions and Black Shield rules from Book VI: Retribution!

Via Garro 30k Horus Heresy Board 2-6-2016

Shattered Legions

• must use legiones crusade army list
• must contain at least two different legions or more
• to take legion exclusive units, you must take a HQ choice from that legion
• can’t take primarchs or legiones(black shield) units
• must declare if traitors or loyalists before game starts
• while the warlord is alive, all legions in the force treat each other as sworn brothers, once the warlord dies, all legions treat each other as distrusted allies
• no shattered legion units are denial
• can use any generic rite of war, and has 3 rites of war for shattered legions, may also use the legion exclusive rites of the legion the warlord belongs to
• certain legiones astartes rules are completely ignored (due to rules issues). list is proved in the rules. not going to bother repeating it here.
• certain legiones astartes rules carry over to all friendly shattered legion units in the same detachment, list proved in rules
• one rite of war is isstvan 5 survivors which makes tactical veterans troops, all marines gain hatred(traitor legions) and slay the warlord confers D3 VP rather than one. however must take 3 HQs, 1 iron hands, 1 raven guard and a salamander
• other is for the traitors that hunted them down, recon squads are regular troops and seeker squads become non-compulsory troops, wiping out enemy units confer additional VP to regular mission objectives, D3 VPs if wiped out through a sweeping advance. also when rolling a 6 to outflank, you may choose any side, not just left or right.
• the third rite of war, is actually one of the white scars which shattered legions can use as their own. will cover that one when i do the new legions.

Army of Dark Compliance

• primary detachment is made up of any units from legion crusade or the militia/cult army list
• must contain at least a single praetor or centurion (including consuls) and they are the warlord
• must be traitors
• may not use rites of war
• legiones astartes rules do not carry over to militia
• units are counted as being from the same army list, so may share transports benefit from warlord traits .etc
• may not have more unit choices from legions than militia.
• may not take a discipline cadre (that’s what the marines are for)
• legion astartes gain +1 to cover saves if shot at through a militia unit, however said unit takes D3 wounds with no AP value
• any militia unit may take the ‘disposable’ rule for free (don’t confer victory points for being killed) but are no longer scoring.

Black Shields

• is a new version of the legiones astartes rule, and uses the standard legion crusade army list
• adds +1 to the roll to see who goes first
• are ‘by the emperors/horus’s command’ allies to legions, and fellow warriors to non-legion army lists
• may not take praetors, command squads, tactical squads, drop pods, dreadnought drop pods or deathstorm drop pods
• can’t use rites of war, but can use the alternative FoCs.
• may only take a single consul of any kind
• must have more vehicles than infantry units

may take one or none of the following collections of rules

• gain FNP(6+) but must pass a leadership test to end the movement phase further away from a visible enemy unit then they started. if test is failed they move D6″ towards the closest enemy unit they can see
• gain +1 leadership and rerolls 1s to hit while within 6″ of another friendly blackshield unit, however they may not use the leadership value of other models and suffer D3 casualties if they fail a leadership test in the assault phase in addition to other effects. characters gain preferred enemy instead and can not take chaplains nor ally with other astartes
• up to half of the  infantry units without a dedicated transport gains deep strike but suffers D3 casualties if mishaps in addition to other effects, may take additional wargear options, characters may take rad grenades, after half of the blackshield units have been killed, each turn after, each unit must pass a leadership test or be removed from play
• may choose one of the following options but may not take allies
  option 1: +1 str, +1 toughness, -1I, -1″ to charge range, may not sweeping advance
  option 2: +1ws, +1bs, -2ld
  option 3: gains fear, fleet and rage, -1bs
• black shields may take a range of replacement wargear options called ‘pariah’ each confers a bonus over the original wargear, but has a negative attachment as well. won’t list them here.
• may take a blackshield reaver lord, basically a speical praetor with different wargear options, all the basics are there, plus the pariah gear and some others, while some ‘fancy’ praetor gear isn’t.
• black shields have a named character called ‘nemean reaver’ who is believed to be a former dark angel, may also be taken as a knight errant and replaces his blackshield special rules for the knight errant rules for a price.
• main basic squad is the ‘marauders’ 5-20 basic marines with lots of basic options and 1in5 can take special/heavy weapons

​Knights Errant

• nathaniel garro is as his pdf, only for note, the knights errant can be taken by any loyalist army, not just legiones astartes.
• tylos rubio is pretty much a librarian consul with the knights errant wargear and special rules, (mastery level 2). takes his powers from deviation and telekinesis, may re-roll failed psychic tests when rolling for divi powers. also has an ability, where any left over warp charge in your pool, gives him +1str for each warp charge to a maximum of str10. warp charge don’t carry over between turns.
• build a knight is here, mostly basic options but everything is mastercrafted by default. may upgrade to a libby for usual consul price, may also take a selection of extra gear like narthecium, nuncio-vox or servo arm (gains battlesmith at the same time). has all the same rules as garro and rubio (by falsehood cloaked, oaths of moment, etc)

Wow even more ways to play Horus Heresy are HERE! Book IV: Retribution looks to be amazing, and we haven’t even seen the legion specific rules yet for the Dark Angels, Blood Angels or White Scars!

Kudos to the Forge World studio hitting us up with great legionnaire rules and giving us even more ways to play 30k!

Even more rules and other new Astartes previews below on the roundup. Be sure to check it out!

Horus Heresy 2016 Weekender Roundup

What Legion Do YOU stand with?

Author: Robert B

Robert is a veteran tabletop and miniatures gamer, and writer with over 20 years of experience. His specialtiesies are the worlds of Game's Workshop's Warhammer. He began writing for BoLS In 2010.