Horus Heresy: Help me Build My Narrative White Scars List
I figure I can throw a fun Horus Heresy White Scars list with the help of the internet and the Emperor. So I’m humbly asking you, the consumer, to help me build one!
So I jumped into White Scars over the holiday break as I’ve signed up to play in a local heresy league starting in February 2024. I’ve got some ideas to start, give it a glance and tell me where I’ve gone wrong.
Well, my dear dozen readers, I’m back from my holiday vacation. Christmas was had, good cheer was brought, and gifts were gifted. Generous to a fault, my family, in all of their haste to complete their holiday shopping were good enough to stop by a multitude of hobby shops and pluck whatever Horus Heresy boxes from the display that were available. My Vth Legion army has benefited greatly from the additional Sky-Hunter Squadons, Assault Squad and MK3 Tactical marines. I’m about 2 weeks off now from joining said narrative league and I thought I’d entrust the internet with helping me build an army list or 3. How could this go wrong…
The Horus Heresy League
Some notable list-building rules that I have to abide by:
- 1 Dread per 1000 pts
- No main detachment custodes armies, they can be taken as an allied detachment at 2000+ pts and only as 25% of the army
- No Legion specifics Rites of War (they will be unlocked later) to start.
- No Fury of the Ancients RoW
- No Armored Spearhead RoW
- No named characters (they will be unlocked later, or used in larger games)
- Primary detachments can include Legion, Mechanicum, Solar Auxilia, and Militia
I need lists at the following points values: 1500, 2000 and 2500. Today I’m starting with 1500 pts
It’s a fairly benign set of restrictions that still offer a good number of options for players, but may help tamp down on super-competitive lists and it almost completely eliminates the boogieman under the Legions beds (the Custodes). Locally a lot of people struggled with them in other events and leagues and there was certainly some big feelings about whether they should be included. As a Custodes player, I sort of understand where they’re coming from…begrudgingly.
The Vibes and the White Scars List
This league, in particular, is geared toward Narrative play. So in building a list, I’m not looking for the most overpowered or efficient options. But instead, the options that make the most sense given the Narrative campaign scenario and will help tell a good story. Close games are encouraged – or so I’m told.
With all of that in mind and the missions being kept secret, I’m trying to build an all-comers list that will fair well against most things. When Rites of War open up I’m looking to migrate my force toward Chogarian Brotherhood which should make the whole Bike Scars theme of my army more apparent. Here is my hypothetical starter list:
++ Crusade Force Organisation Chart (LA – V: White Scars) [1,500Pts] ++
+ Expanded Army Lists +
Expanded Army List Profiles:: Exemplary Units On, Legacy Units On
+ Allegiance: +
V: White Scars
Allegiance: Loyalist
+ Rite of War: +
Rite of War: Sky-Hunter Phalanx
+ HQ: +
Centurion [175Pts]: (Chaplain) Master craft one weapon to represent a Crozius Arcanum, Chaplain
. Chaplain: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Cyber Hawk, Frag Grenades, Heavy Bolter, Krak Grenades, Meltabombs, Refractor Field, Thunder Hammer
. . Scimitar Jetbike: Heavy Bolter
Praetor [200Pts]: Heroes Never Die (Loyalist only), Warlord
. Legion Praetor: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Cyber Hawk, Frag Grenades, Heavy Bolter, Iron Halo, Krak Grenades, Master of the Legion, Master-craft one weapon, Paragon Blade
. . Scimitar Jetbike: Heavy Bolter
+ Elites: +
Apothecarion Detachment [80Pts]: Legiones Astartes (X)
. Apothecary: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Frag Grenades, Heavy Bolter, Krak Grenades, Narthecium
. . Chainsword: Chainsword
. . Scimitar Jetbike: Heavy Bolter
Golden Keshig Squadron [220Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, 4x Golden Keshig Rider, Kontos Power Lance
. Golden Keshig Champion: Chainsword
. Shamshir Jetbike: Scatterbolt Launcher
+ Troops: +
Sky-Hunter Squadron [255Pts]: Legiones Astartes (X), Power Armour
. Legion Sky-Hunter Sergeant: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Power Fist, Volkite Culverin
. Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Volkite Culverin
. Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Volkite Culverin
. Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Volkite Culverin
. Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Volkite Culverin
. Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Volkite Culverin
Sky-Hunter Squadron [255Pts]: Legiones Astartes (X), Power Armour
. Legion Sky-Hunter Sergeant: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Power Fist, Volkite Culverin
. Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Volkite Culverin
. Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Volkite Culverin
. Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Volkite Culverin
. Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Volkite Culverin
. Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Volkite Culverin
+ Fast Attack: +
Javelin Squadron [210Pts]: Legiones Astartes (X), Power Armour
. Javelin Land Speeder: 2x Lascannons, Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Multi-Melta
. Javelin Land Speeder: 2x Lascannons, Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Multi-Melta
Xiphon Interceptor [105Pts]: Legiones Astartes (X)
. Hull (Front) Mounted Rotary Missile Launcher: Rotary Missile Launcher
. Two Hull (Front) Mounted Twin-linked Lascannon: Twin-linked Lascannon
++ Total: [1,500Pts] ++
The White Scars Game Plan
Truth be told I was agonizing over whittling my list to just 1500 pts but I think I’ve finally gotten right where I want it. I’m starting with two HQs that I plan to attach to the Golden Keshig to enhance their already prodigious combat abilities. Their main downfall is that they can be a little squishy and don’t stand up to volumes of fire. I’d love to be able to give the Golden Keshig champion a better weapon than a chainsword but I ran out of points and needed to make cuts somewhere.
The Praetor and the Chaplain are decently tanky and should help keep them around so they can make their ridiculous charges. Throw in the Apothecary and I should have a stacked Deathstar with some decent survivability. I intend to use the Praetor, Chaplain, Apothecary, and Golden Keshig to harass my opponent’s flanks or deal with hard-to-kill items such as Contemptors, Leviathans, or possibly crack AV14 tanks such as Spartans or Land Raiders. Since all the jetbikes have the ability to leave combat, I’m hoping to be able to bounce in and out of melee and repeatedly charge elite units or anyone I catch flat-footed.
Next, I have two 6-bike units of Sky Hunter Jetbikes with Vulkite Culverins. With ridiculous mobility and an astonishing amount of anti-infantry firepower, the Sky-Hunters will be probing my opponents’ lines, looking for soft targets of opportunity. They will likely be focusing heavily on infantry removal. As many people are starting the league with a New Year, New Army, new Age of Darkness box mentality, I’m expecting to see a lot of MkVI, Spartans and Contemptors initially.
As for some vehicular mayhem, I’ve opted for two Javelin Speeders. I love the fact that they are fast, have some staying power, and have plenty of punch to take on high AV or tougher units such as dreadnaughts. Also, they are very thematic to the hit-and-run tactics of the White Scars. I’ve stuck Multi-Meltas on them initially but I’m afraid this might be the wrong option, time will tell once I get a couple of games under my belt with the army. They might be swapped for Heavy Bolters. I generally try and find weapons with similar ranges so I’m not leaving shots on the table.
Finally, I added in an Xiphon. This little beauty, while somewhat squishy, is amazing for adding some much-needed punch to the list to take on more of those hard-to-kill units. Good targets of course are going to be vehicles but I also expect to see Terminators and Legion Terminators in bulk. If our local community is one thing, its Terminator happy. The added bonus is that a Xiphon has some survivability by way of being a flier. Only getting hit on 6’s should hopefully keep it airworthy for a few turns.
You’ll notice that I didn’t include a dreadnaught. I do love them, but I think I’m going to try running without them/it for a few games. From a lore standpoint, White Scars are generally anti-dreadnaught and relegate them to service to the chapter in auxiliary roles. We’ll see how long I can last without those sweet, sweet, punchy bots.
Final Thoughts
Well, reader, as I hurriedly put the finishing touches on my budding White Scars army, I’d very much like to hear your thoughts and opinions on what I have going on here. What has your experience with lower-point games been? What is objectively important at 1500pts? Have you faced off against much in the way of White Scars? If so, how did you fair? What challenges am I up against?
Well brain trust, there you have it. A quick peak at White Scars list building for narrative play. Tell me all the things I got wrong and if you have suggestions, I’d love to hear them.
