Origins & What Makes It Unique

• Birth of a Saga: The Horus Heresy was first introduced by Forge World in the 2000s, bringing to life the events before the dystopian future of Warhammer 40,000. It focuses on the Great Crusade, the Fall of Horus, and battles of legions in their prime. 

2.0 / New Editions: With later editions, especially the “Age of Darkness” starter box, the system became more accessible, offering clearer rules and more plastic kits so hobbyists could build armies without an excessive cost barrier.

Pros & Cons of Playing Horus Heresy

👍 Strengths

• Deep, immersive lore—rich backstory for each Legion, Primarch, and campaign.
• Large-scale battles at their best; units have character and variety that reward collectors and painters.
• Sharper focus on legion flavour and campaign narrative over generic “pick any unit” play.
• Beautiful models with excellent detail. Strong painter and hobby crossover appeal.

👎 Challenges

• High model cost, especially for specialised or legacy units—some parts are still resin or Forge World only. 
• Rule complexity—some players find the system heavy, particularly when using older/legacy units. 
• Setup and playing time are longer; large-point games demand more commitment.
• Balancing issues with strong units or some legions can cause frustration in competitive play.

Getting Into Horus Heresy: What You’ll Need

• Starter set / Core rules: Begin with a starter box like Age of Darkness or the latest boxed set, which includes rules and sample armies.
• Miniatures & Legion kits: Focus on one Legion to start—familiarity helps. Standard infantry or core units are great first buys.
• Paints & Tools: Plastic glue, clippers, primer, paints, brushes. You’ll want supplies for assembly, painting, and basing.
• Rulebooks & Datasheets: The current Liber (army book) for your Legion; keep up with official FAQs and updates.