Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition has arrived with the fury of a drop pod from orbit, and it seems that the rumors were true - the new core box is called 'Saturnine,' features incredibly powerful new units who subscribe to the "bigger is always better" school of thought, and tweaks existing rules rather than tearing them up.
There's a lot we can dive into, and plenty to unpick after the tongue-in-cheek Horus Hearsay "fansite" threw out more than a few red herrings (don't be fooled, it was an actual page from publisher Games Workshop). With that in mind, the GamesRadar+ experts and I have broken down everything you need to know about Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition here. What does the Saturnine starter set contain, and how are the rules going to change for this new version?
No matter what, you'll certainly need to clear some space; the Saturnine core box seems bigger than many of the best board games put together, judging by the size of its models...
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition essential info
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy is gearing up for its Third Edition in the not-so-distant future (we're staring down the barrel of a Summer launch), and more details are emerging for this version of the wargame every day. To save you time piecing together publisher Games Workshop's teases, here's a rundown of everything you need to know about the revised edition and its upcoming core box - Age of Darkness: Saturnine.
What is Horus Heresy Third Edition?
As the name would suggest, Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition is the third version of this popular yet gritty tabletop wargame. It's not a reboot, though; the existing mechanics were well-liked already, so this update sands off some rough edges and introduces a few new rules. It also adds fresh units that can be used with existing armies.
If you're totally new to the hobby, Horus Heresy is a miniatures game where you command model armies (that you build and paint yourself) in battle against other players. It's set in the same universe as Warhammer 40K, but is a prequel taking place thousands of years beforehand (which is why some fans refer to it as 'Warhammer 30K'). Charting a civil war between the human Emperor and his genetically engineered 'son,' Horus, it's an era of Space Marine fighting Space Marine - which is where you, the player, come in. You choose one of the 18 Space Marine Legions, decide your allegiance, and then go to war.
Unlike Warhammer 40K, the Horus Heresy game system is much more focused on narrative than min-maxing or competitive play. Indeed, it's often treated as a 'historical wargame'; a lot of the fun is creating a lore-accurate army and fighting through warzones we've heard so much about in Warhammer's backstory.
Although it doesn't have a traditional starter set, the new Horus Heresy edition is launching with a core box called 'Saturnine' that contains everything you need to play. Well, mostly. You still need one of the 'Liber' army books for your forces, but it's got all of the necessary accessories, models, and general rules.
What is Horus Heresy Saturnine?
'Saturnine' refers to two things, so let's tackle them individually. First is the new core box for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy. It features everything players need to get started: an all-new rulebook, dice, tokens, measuring rulers, and enough models to make two small armies or one larger force.
'Saturnine' also refers to the brand-new units being introduced for this edition; the Saturnine Dreadnought and Terminators. The former is a giant mech suit larger than any Dreadnought previously seen during the Heresy, while the latter are troops wearing enormous armor plating and dual-wielding heavy weapons (if you'd like, that is - they can be equipped with a multitude of options). Both are very difficult to kill, and although they're slow-moving, they hit with the force of a freight train.
Although it's not necessarily the focus, this edition uses the infamous Dropsite Massacre of Istvaan V (a huge deal in Warhammer lore where countless Space Marines loyal to the Emperor were gunned down after being lured into a trap by traitors) as something of a backdrop, with the first major campaign book covering this event. With that in mind, the artwork of Saturnine revolves around a couple of Legions embroiled in the battle - the Salamanders are depicted in pride of place on the front cover, facing off with the Iron Warriors.
Can the Saturnine box set models be used for any army?
Even though the Saturnine core box depicts Salamanders and Iron Warriors throughout its artwork, you don't have to paint your models like that. The models aren't Legion-specific, so you can paint them however you want. Those units can also be used by any army.
This is a running theme for Horus Heresy core boxes; it was the case for the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy 2nd Edition starter set, not to mention the Epic scale Legions Imperialis Starter Set.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition release date
We now have a firm release date for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition, and its Saturnine core box is coming out on July 26, 2025. You can pre-order it now.
Publisher Games Workshop has done something like this before with new editions for both Warhammer 40K and the fantasy-focused Age of Sigmar. To be precise, those were announced a couple of months ahead of launch and came out in June/July respectively. As such, it's not surprising that the Saturnine box drops around the same time frame.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition rules changes
While this is an all-new edition, that doesn't mean its rules have been completely redone. This is a revision rather than a reboot, and Games Workshop has added new mechanics to spice things up. Here's a rundown of the most important additions.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy expert opinion
I've now been hands on with Third Edition for our Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Saturnine review in progress, and have come away impressed with what I've seen so far. The models are a dream if you like to personalize your armies (though this does mean beginners are likely to get overwhelmed), the new units look fantastic once built, and that core rulebook takes me back to my days flipping through Warhammer lore as a child. A full third of the tome is dedicated to the Horus Heresy's story, for instance.
Just before the reveal, our resident GamesRadar+ Horus Heresy buff Will Salmon noted that, "I'm hoping this is a case of evolution rather than revolution. Heresy is a fundamentally different beast to the streamlined, competitive play-focused 40K. It's sprawling and messy – and we like that! Basically, fix a few of the more broken rules (piling shots on sergeants in Artificer Armor was always a bit daft), but keep the core set basically the same." That's exactly what's happened, and it's the best possible move. Rather than reinventing the wheel, the new mechanics simply enrich what was already there. As Will says, there are some kinks Games Workshop needed to iron out - and based on the tweaked rulebook, it's reminiscent of the new Dungeons & Dragons system. It's fundamentally the same game, but better.
Many of these updated systems add further nuance to troop characteristics, and this is exactly what I want from a gritty, more granular game. Breaking down the Leadership stat into sub-categories may add extra bookkeeping mid-match, but it better represents the strengths or weaknesses of a specific unit. This helps them feel distinct.
Similarly, I'm a big fan of tactical status where units can be impacted by suppressing fire, causalities, and more. I got my start playing Warhammer a long time ago (we're talking '90s), and that kind of nitty-gritty defined the game. I grew up adoring this kind of attention to detail, and it makes your models feel less like automatons and more like actual people. I find myself caring so much more about them as a result, so I'm happy to see it living on in Horus Heresy.
Speaking of blasts from the past, I totally agree with Will when he mentioned ahead of the reveal that "we're clearly going back to the '80s with this set: big shoulder pads and even bigger weapons. I do like that Games Workshop seems to be revelling in the ridiculous nature of these early Marines." The Horus Heresy is an incredibly well-defined period of in-universe history at this point, so being surprised with new units is a rare treat.
The thing that isn't a treat? Having to rebuy the various faction books for this new edition. As we awaited the Saturnine live stream where the core box would finally be shown off, Will said "preferably, don't force us to re-buy Liber Astartes and Hereticus. GW's reliance on big, spenny books has to end eventually." Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. New tomes for each army are on the way, and although I appreciate that some rules will have changed, being forced to purchase them again when they may just be outdated after launch anyway (as is the case for almost every 40K and Age of Sigmar faction book) is frustrating. I'd prefer them to use these tomes as lore dumps, lavish faction galleries, and alternate color-scheme suggestions rather than rulebooks. Distribute the mechanics for free online or in the app instead, because then it doesn't feel as if your new book has become a fancy paper-weight in a month or so when those stats inevitably change.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Third Edition pre-orders
You can now pre-order the new Horus Heresy box set ahead of its July 26 release. While I've yet to find many offers in the US, the UK is flush with discounts if you know where to look.
Here are the best places to pre-order that I've found so far:
US
- Miniature Market doesn't have stock yet, but it'll be a great source of discount Saturnine boxes
- ✅ $315 at Warhammer
UK
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