Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition has finally broken cover in the most unexpected way, and we now know the core box's name - Saturnine.
The revision was unveiled as part of the tongue-in-cheek 'Horus Hearsay,' an official Warhammer page which poses as a fansite doling out "leaks." It's been dropping behind-the-scenes sprue shots, out-of-focus model pics, and amusing asides for days now, but it seems as if things are coming to a head. With a drop promised on May 30 (an official post on May 13 notes that there will be "planetfall" in 399 hours, which takes us to the end of the month) it seems as if a full reveal for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition is imminent. Brace for impact and a full unveiling of Saturnine, which seems bigger than many of the best board games put together judging by the size of its models.
With that in mind, what do we know about Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition so far? The GamesRadar+ experts and I are on hand to give you the full lowdown on everything you can expect from the wargame.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition essential info
- New core box called 'Saturnine'
- New Dreadnought and Terminators
- Features revised rules
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy is gearing up for its Third Edition, and more details are emerging for it every day. To save you time, here's a quick rundown of everything you need to know about Age of Darkness: Saturnine.
What is Horus Heresy Saturnine?
Age of Darkness: Saturnine is the new core set for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy, and it looks like it'll feature everything players need to get started. Judging by teases from publisher Games Workshop, you can use the models inside to represent two distinct factions or a single army (the artwork depicts Salamander and Iron Hands legions, but there's no reason why you can't paint these as something else). All the dice, tokens, and rules necessary for play are included too.
Is this a new edition of Horus Heresy?
Although publisher Games Workshop doesn't tend to use those labels itself, this does seem to be a new edition of Horus Heresy that replaces the old version. The last one was subtitled 'Age of Darkness' (if you're curious about what it was like, you can check out our Warhammer: The Horus Heresy 2nd Edition starter set review), and even though this also features that name, the rulebook looks different compared to its predecessor.
Does Horus Heresy Saturnine have new rules?
Yes, we'll presumably be getting a fresh clutch of rules to go with all those models. That's because images shown on Games Workshop's Horus Hearsay website display one amongst the contents.
However, this doesn't seem to be a complete overhaul. Judging by the fact it's still called 'Age of Darkness Rulebook,' albeit with a different cover, I suspect it'll be more of a tweak than a top to bottom reboot.
What does the new edition of Horus Heresy do differently?
It's unclear what the new rules will add right now, but the Saturnine box set is totally different to the previous one. Even though I'd assume you can still use its contents for two small armies or one larger force, it offer a different lineup of models. That includes brand-new Saturnine Terminators packing impressive weaponry, alongside a massive Saturnine Dreadnought.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition release date
- No official launch date yet
- More details promised for May 30
- Could release in June or July
We don't have a release date for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy - Saturnine yet, but we'll be getting more info on May 30. The official site promised "planetfall [in] 399 hours" on May 13, and that takes us through to the end of the month.
Publisher Games Workshop has done something like this before with both Warhammer 40K and Age of Sigmar's new editions, and those came out in June/July respectively. As such, I'd expect the Saturnine box to drop around the same time.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition pre-orders
You can't pre-order the new Horus Heresy box set yet, but that should change before long. We're due to get more info about it on May 30, and I don't think it's out of the question for us to see pre-orders go live shortly after.
While Warhammer's official store will obviously stock Saturnine, it's worth keeping an eye on independent retailers too. Sure, Amazon is guaranteed to sell it eventually. But Miniature Market in the US and the UK's Magic Madhouse or Wayland Games will probably be a more reliable source in terms of discounts. They often knock a small amount off the sticker price, making them the cheapest place to buy Warhammer.
Just be aware that they sell out very quickly. If you want to grab the new core set and save along the way, you'll have to act fast.
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