Introduction

The page you opened is the start of your journey into the tumultuous 31st Millennium, when the wars of the Horus Heresy wracked the Imperium of Mankind – a dark age of death, destruction and betrayal.

The vast armies of the Imperium are sundered by the betrayal of the Warmaster Horus, who seeks to overthrow the Emperor and forge his own dark empire. Under the banner of Imperial Loyalists or the Traitors of Horus, the Space Marine Legions, Mechanicum Taghmata and endless hosts of the Imperial Army clash in a war that will reshape the galaxy.


The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness game is part of a vast and evergrowing hobby, where the drama of Mankind’s galaxy-spanning civil war provides endless opportunities for collecting, building, painting and gaming with armies of Forge World and Citadel models. From careful recreation of the detailed panoply and heraldry of the Legiones Astartes, to the organisation of exciting battles and campaigns for groups of like-minded friends or the creation of dioramas displaying iconic moments, the hobby provides a wealth of options.

Collecting Citadel & Forge World Models

By far the most common way to engage with the Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness hobby is by collecting Citadel and Forge World Horus Heresy models, both individual heroes and small units for display, as well as grand armies for gaming. These models are bought as highly detailed resin or plastic sets, and require assembly before they can be used for gaming or display, and while basic assembly is a simple matter, there are a number of more advanced techniques and styles which can be applied. From magnetised weapons for easy replacement to converting parts to create new poses for figures, there are many ways to customise your collection and make it unique.

Painting Horus Heresy Armies

Though supplied as unpainted resin or plastic pieces, most hobbyists will paint their model collections. A wellpainted army, whether a detailed reproduction of an iconic heraldry or a unique creation, brings a collection to life. Just as with building your Forge World and Citadel models, there is a vast wealth of techniques and styles of painting.

The Legend of the Horus Heresy

As well as collecting and painting models, the Horus Heresy can also be enjoyed through the interwoven saga that is told in other campaign books as well as the various novels published by Black Library. With an epic narrative that sets the foundation of the Warhammer 40,000 universe and the dark Imperium of later millennia, the Horus Heresy and the battles and campaigns that make it up have entertained hobbyists for years. There is much enjoyment to be found in tracing the entangled threads of the various heroes and armies who fought to save or damn the Imperium, and a great deal of secrets and surprises to be discovered. These books are also an excellent source of inspiration for modellers and painters, providing a wealth of material on which to base heraldry, iconography and unique characters.

This site is divided into following sections:

The Rules: This section of the site provides all you need to know to play a game of The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness, detailing everything from the turn sequence to special rules. Also covered later on this site (for easier reference during a game) are Warlord Traits, Missions and handy reference charts.

Gaming in the Age of Darkness: The final section of the book takes a look at the broader sweep of the hobby, talking about the different ways in which the game can be played, how armies may be collected and what types of battlefield might be appropriate for games set during the Horus Heresy. The Army Showcases present a range of collections, from starting armies to those consisting of hundreds of miniatures and dozens of tanks.

The rulebook is only the start however, with an entire range of expansions available...

Army Lists: The only things not found in the rulebook are the army lists from which players select the units for their armies and which present the profiles, wargear and special rules for those units all in one place. Had we tried to squeeze these into this book it would have been more than twice the current size, so they are to be found in the range of ‘Liber’ books available separately. These books present army lists for both Loyalist and Traitor Space Marine Legions, the myriad forces of the Mechanicum, the Solar Auxilia, the Custodes and many more besides.

Campaign Books: Although Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness games can be played in a range of styles, from one-off competitive tournaments to pre-planned, interlinked battles, what binds all these styles together is an incredibly rich, deep and compelling background story, which begins with the fall of Warmaster Horus and ultimately ends with the Siege of Terra and the terrible events that occurred at its conclusion. Therefore, the game is accompanied by a range of campaign books, each detailing one of the many confrontations that took place during the period, alongside special characters, units, scenarios and campaign options. Many of these confrontations will be well known to veteran players, others however will be entirely new, revealing in detail events previously mentioned in obscure references or short entries on an Age of Darkness timeline.

These and other supplements, expansions and boxed sets will provide players with a wealth of options, no matter what faction or style of play they prefer.

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