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Horus Heresy (card game)
Encyclopedia
Horus Heresy is a collectible card game
by Sabertooth Games
set in the fictional Warhammer 40,000
universe. The card game attempts to recreate the struggle between the Loyalist forces of the Emperor of Mankind and the Traitor forces of Warmaster Horus, during the time known as the Horus Heresy
.
At the start of each full turn, players deploy one card face up to each unclaimed sector. Players then draw a hand of six cards and alternate deploying cards face down to an unclaimed sector, one a time. The goal here is to make sure that each sector has the needed assortment of troops and other cards to ensure victory over the opponent. One sector can be heavily reinforced, but this will leave another sector vulnerable, so considerable strategy is needed when choosing what to deploy where. Following deployment, the attacking player chooses a sector to contest, and after resolution of that battle, the defending player chooses a different sector to contest (if in fact another remains unclaimed). Each battle may end in one player winning that sector, or neither player winning that sector, but either way, after the two battles, the turn ends and a new turn begins (with additional deployments).
All cards other than sector cards are either affiliated with one of the two factions or are unaligned. Loyalist cards feature the Emperor's Eagle, while Traitor cards feature the Eye of Horus. Unaligned cards, representing units or assets usable by either side, include a set of scales. Loyalist and Traitor cards may not be mixed together in the same play deck, since a deck represents a given side in the conflict.
When the game was initially produced, two base set starter decks
were available, one for the Loyalist side, and one for the Traitor side. Each contained 3 sector cards, 42 fixed cards, and 18 random cards (including 3 rares), all of which would theoretically be usable in the deck. Additional 9-card booster pack
s, containing 1 rare card and 8 common or uncommon cards, were available as well. Boosters from later expansion sets contain the same 1 rare / 8 common and uncommon distribution.
collectible card game (also from Sabertooth Games). Loyalist cards from Horus Heresy may be mixed freely with Imperial
cards from Dark Millennium, while Traitor cards may be mixed with Chaos cards. Unaligned Horus Heresy cards can be used with either of the two, but not with new Dark Millennium deck types such as Ork
and Eldar
. Any such mixed decks remain legal Imperial or Chaos decks for use in Dark Millennium games, although they are no longer legal for use in Horus Heresy.
Cards from the older Warhammer 40,000 Collectible Card Game
are semi-compatible with Horus Heresy, although they require some rule changes in order to work with the new game system.
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
by Sabertooth Games
Sabertooth Games
Sabertooth Games is a now defunct Memphis, Tennessee based game company, founded in 2001. The company primarily produced collectible card games as a subsidiary of Games Workshop, PLC...
set in the fictional Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
universe. The card game attempts to recreate the struggle between the Loyalist forces of the Emperor of Mankind and the Traitor forces of Warmaster Horus, during the time known as the Horus Heresy
Horus Heresy
In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Horus Heresy was a galaxy-spanning civil war that marked the end of the Great Crusade which took place in the 31st millennium. First described in the 1988 Games Workshop book Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness, it was used as the background for the...
.
Gameplay overview
A single game of Horus Heresy features two commanders and their respective fleets struggling over control of a planet. The attacker and defender fight for control of three sectors which are deemed key to winning the planet. The game ends if either player captures two sectors, or after four complete turns have elapsed. In the case of neither player capturing two sectors within the allotted play period, whoever has won more sectors (i.e. a single sector while the opponent has none), or the most valuable sector (in the case of each player having won a single sector), wins the game.At the start of each full turn, players deploy one card face up to each unclaimed sector. Players then draw a hand of six cards and alternate deploying cards face down to an unclaimed sector, one a time. The goal here is to make sure that each sector has the needed assortment of troops and other cards to ensure victory over the opponent. One sector can be heavily reinforced, but this will leave another sector vulnerable, so considerable strategy is needed when choosing what to deploy where. Following deployment, the attacking player chooses a sector to contest, and after resolution of that battle, the defending player chooses a different sector to contest (if in fact another remains unclaimed). Each battle may end in one player winning that sector, or neither player winning that sector, but either way, after the two battles, the turn ends and a new turn begins (with additional deployments).
Card types
Cards in Horus Heresy are broken down into four different types:- Units - The majority of cards are of this type, and depict infantry units or vehicles which will do battle on the ground to take control of a sector.
- Assets - Asset cards represent anything on the battlefield other than troops or units. This includes things such as the presence of an important leader, or the effect of having a command post in the vicinity.
- Ships - Orbiting high above the planet, ship cards signify the fleet's battleships and transports which can directly or indirectly assist the battle on the ground.
- Sectors - Sectors are the key portions of the planet over which the battles rage. Sector cards have information about the number of troops required to capture them, as well as any special abilities or effects of the area. These cards are never part of the play deck and are only used during game setup.
All cards other than sector cards are either affiliated with one of the two factions or are unaligned. Loyalist cards feature the Emperor's Eagle, while Traitor cards feature the Eye of Horus. Unaligned cards, representing units or assets usable by either side, include a set of scales. Loyalist and Traitor cards may not be mixed together in the same play deck, since a deck represents a given side in the conflict.
Card rarity
As with many of the games produced by Sabertooth Games, each card has rarity information printed on the card in order to help determine how rare a given card is. The rarity is denoted by the number of small dots appearing at the bottom of the card, according to the following legend:| • | Common |
| •• | Uncommon |
| ••• | Rare |
| •••• | Ultra-rare |
When the game was initially produced, two base set starter decks
Starter pack
A starter pack is a sealed package of cards or figurines, designed to serve as the beginning of a collection, in collectible card games and collectible miniature wargames....
were available, one for the Loyalist side, and one for the Traitor side. Each contained 3 sector cards, 42 fixed cards, and 18 random cards (including 3 rares), all of which would theoretically be usable in the deck. Additional 9-card booster pack
Booster pack
In collectible card games and collectible miniature wargames, a booster pack is a sealed package of cards or figurines, designed to add to a player's collection....
s, containing 1 rare card and 8 common or uncommon cards, were available as well. Boosters from later expansion sets contain the same 1 rare / 8 common and uncommon distribution.
Compatibility
The cards from Horus Heresy are compatible with the newer Dark MillenniumDark Millennium
Dark Millennium is the successor to the Horus Heresy collectible card game set in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. The base card set was launched in October 2005 by Sabertooth Games.-Storyline:...
collectible card game (also from Sabertooth Games). Loyalist cards from Horus Heresy may be mixed freely with Imperial
Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
The Imperium of Man is a fictional galactic empire of over a million planets that contains the vast majority of humans in the forty-first millennium, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop....
cards from Dark Millennium, while Traitor cards may be mixed with Chaos cards. Unaligned Horus Heresy cards can be used with either of the two, but not with new Dark Millennium deck types such as Ork
Ork (Warhammer 40,000)
The Orks are a race from the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. They are described as being tall, muscular humanoids, with green skin and a penchant for violence. the orks live for war and constantly fight anything in sight, including each other...
and Eldar
Eldar (Warhammer 40,000)
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Eldar are a race of elf-like humanoids who look into the future via psychic powers. They are one of the most ancient and advanced races in the universe's history, though younger than the Necrons, the C'tan, and the Old Ones...
. Any such mixed decks remain legal Imperial or Chaos decks for use in Dark Millennium games, although they are no longer legal for use in Horus Heresy.
Cards from the older Warhammer 40,000 Collectible Card Game
Warhammer 40,000 Collectible Card Game
Warhammer 40,000 Collectible Card Game, sometimes denoted WH40KCCG is a collectible card game released in 2001 by Sabertooth Games. It is set in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. The players may select various factions around which they could base their personalized deck...
are semi-compatible with Horus Heresy, although they require some rule changes in order to work with the new game system.
Horus Heresy products
| Name of set | Set Abbr. | Cards per unit | Total cards in set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horus Heresy Loyalist Starter | HH | 63 | - |
| Horus Heresy Traitor Starter | HH | 63 | - |
| Horus Heresy Booster | HH | 9 | 152 |
| Sedition's Gate Booster | SG | 9 | 120 |
| Traitor's Gambit Booster | TG | 9 | 120 |
| Daemon's Fire Booster | DF | 9 | 80 |
| Drop Site Massacre Booster | DM | 9 | 80 |
| Siege of Terra Booster | ST | 9 | 80 |
| Name of product | Set Abbr. | Product type | Number of cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hands of the Emperor | HE | Binder with cards | 9 (each 4x) |
| The Battle for Prospero | BP | Battle box | 29 (in 2 60-card-decks) |
| Blades of the Traitor | BT | Binder with cards | 9 (each 4x) |
| Battle for the Golden Throne | GT | Battle box | 30 (in 2 60-card-decks) |
| Promo Cards | R | - | 52 |
External links
- Sabertooth Games' Horus Heresy homepage