The Horus Heresy: Book Four - Conquest (Forge World Series)

"Darkness, it would be an Age of Darkness."

—AK

The Horus Heresy: Book Four - Conquest is the fourth book released as part of Forge World's Horus Heresy Series of campaign and army books that takes place during the Horus Heresy. The book deals with Horus' invasion of the northern Imperium after his victory at the Isstvan System. The book contains rules and special characters for the Pre-Heresy Solar Auxilia and several Knight households of the Mechanicum. Included within is the Questoris Knight Crusade Army list and the Solar Auxilia Crusade Army list along with the rules needed to play a Battles in the Age of Darkness campaign.

Official Synopsis[]

The Horus Heresy: Book Four – Conquest, lavishly illustrated in full-colour, contains extensive background information on the Warmaster Horus' invasion of the northern Imperium, having revealed his treachery at the Isstvan System. In addition, this book contains details of the Solar Auxilia of the Imperial Army and the histories of four Knight households, as well as two entirely new army lists. The Questoris Knight Crusade Army list enables you to field a full household of towering Knights armed with devastating weapons of mass destruction, whilst the Solar Auxilia Crusade Army list brings the elite of the Imperial Army to your battlefield.

This book also contains an extensive campaign system which includes alternative Force Organisation charts, new City Fighting and Strategic Raid mission types, new battlefield terrain, options for character advancement and relics of the Dark Age of Technology for every Crusade-era army.

The Horus Heresy: Book Four – Conquest is a complete expansion for the Warhammer 40,000 game and can be used independently of the previous Horus Heresy expansion books -- it only requires the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook to use.

This large format 312-page bonded leather bound hardcover book is our largest Horus Heresy Series book to date.

Contents[]

The following is every section contained within The Horus Heresy Book Four - Conquest:

Preface - The preface of this book, and all other Forge World Horus Heresy books begin with a foreword by the in-universe "author" of the book, an unknown individual who signs with the letters AK.
Carta Imperialis - A Great Crusade-era map of the Northern Imperium that covers two full pages, and includes the names of many notable worlds and locations.
The Hour of the Warmaster - This section goes into detail about various aspects of the Age of Darkness, the first several years of the Horus Heresy after the Drop Site Massacre. This section features information on the strength and dispostitions of the Traitor Legions and their allies, the Dark Compliances of Imperial Worlds such a Manachea, and the rapid rise in the creation of new Astartes.
The Conquest of the Coronid Deeps - This section contains a detailed report on several major battles from the Age of Darkness, including the Scourging of the Cyclops Cluster, and the Manachean War.
- The Scourging of the Cyclops Cluster
- The Reaper of Worlds
- The Manachean War
- The Darkness Descending
The Principal World of the Coronid Deeps - This section contains detailed information on several of the most notable planets and locations within the Coronid Deeps.
Forces of the Coronid Deeps - This section give an in-depth look at the forces of the Coronid Deeps, including the Solar Auxilia, various Knight Houses, and the Legio Tempestus Titan Legion. Also included in this section is an overview of the Legiones Astartes, both loyalist and traitor, that took part in the Conquest of the Coronid Deeps.
- The Solar Auxilia
- Oath-bound Vassal Households of the Mechanicum
- Legio Tempestus
- The Traitor Legions and their Allies
- The Loyalist Legions

Battles in the Age of Darkness: Conquest Campaign System - This section explains the rules and usage of Forge World's Conquest Campaign System. The Conquest Campaign System is a set of gaming tools for the Battles in the Age of Darkness Expansion for Warhammer 40'000. Unlike the first three books in the Horus Heresy Forge World Series the Conquest Campaign System does not follow the events of any narrative, instead it is designed to be a toolbox or different rules and options that allow players to create their own narrative battles.
- Introduction
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: Running a Conquest Campaign
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: Core Conquest Campaign Rules
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: Playing a Conquest Campaign
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: Conquest War Zone Traits & Strategic Objective Traits
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: Warlord Traits
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: Raid Missions
- Alternative Strategic Raid Missions
- Force Organisation Charts
  - Raider Detachment Chart
  - Garrison Detatment Chart
- Strategic Raid Mission Deployment Maps
  - Strategic Raid Mission - Diversionary Strike
  - Strategic Raid Mission - Scorched Earth
  - Strategic Raid Mission - Combat Extraction
  - Strategic Raid Mission - Forlon Hope
  - Strategic Raid Mission - Headhunting
  - Strategic Raid Mission - The Hunters at Bay
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: City Fight
  - Battles in the Age of Darkness: Playing a City Fight Mission
  - City Fight Secondary Mission Objectives
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: Alternative City Fight Force Organisation Charts
  - Incursion Force
  - Entrenched Force
  - Other Force Organisation Charts in Battles in the Age of Darkness: City Fight Missions
  - Optional Incursion Force Organisation Chart
  - Optional Enchrenched Force Organisation Chart
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: Placing City Fight Terrain
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: City Fight Deployment Maps
  - City Fight Mission - Crucial Ground
  - City Fight Mission - Judgement of Battle
  - City Fight Mission - Purge by Fire
  - City Fight Mission - Vital Prize
  - City Fight Mission - Fortress of Blood
  - City Fight Mission - The Death Throes
- The Wreckage of War
  - Mysteryious Wreckage on the Battlefield
  - Exploring Mysteryious Wreckage
- Battles in the Age of Darkness: Conquest Campaign - Optional Special Rules Appendix
  - Campaign Option: System Conquest
  - Campaign Option: Hostile War Zones
  - Campaign Option: Lines of Attack
  - Campaign Option: Priority Targets
  - Campaign Option: Blood and Steel
- Character Advancement
- War Zone-assigned Characters
- Hidden Campaign Objectives
- Character Progression
  - Casualty Survival
- Liberation Mission
- Relics of the Dark Age of Technology
- Relic Hunt Mission
- Example Campaigns using the Battles in the Age of Darkness: Conquest Campaign System

The Solar Auxilia Crusade Army List - This section contains the rules and units needed for building a Solar Auxilia force, either as a standalone army or as an allied detachment to a Legiones Astartes force.
- The Battles in the Age of Darkness Warhammer 40,000 Expansion
- Battles in the Age of Darkness Force Organisation Chart
- Using the Army List Entries
- Solar Auxilia Special Rules
- Solar Auxilia Regiments Warlord Traits
- Solar Auxilia Wargear
- Allies in the Age of Darkness
- HQ
- Elites
- Special
- Dedicated Transport
- Fast Attack
- Heavy Support
- Lords of War
- Optional Heavy Support

The Questoris Knight Crusade Army List - This section contains the rules and units needed for building a Knight House force, either as a standalone army or as an allied detachment to a Legiones Astartes or Solar Auxilia force.

Afterword - An afterword about the Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 by the Forge World Studio.

Included Solar Auxilia Crusade Army Rules[]

The following is a list of included unit rules that are able to be taken by the Solar Auxilia:

Legate Commander
Lord Marshal Ireton MaSade
Auxilia Tactical Command Section
Auxilia Tank Commander
Auxilia Medicae Detachment
Auxilia Rapier Battery
Auxilia Ogryn Charonite Squad
Enginseer Auxillia
Auxilia Infantry Section
- Auxilia Lasrifle Section
- Auxilia Veletaris Storm Section
- Auxilia Flamer Section
Aegis Defence Line
Dracosan Armoured Transport
Auxilia Arvus Lighter Orbital Shuttle
Tarantula Sentry Gun Battery
Auxilia Leman Russ Strike Squadron
- Auxilia Leman Russ Battle Tank
- Auxilia Leman Russ Exterminator
- Auxilia Leman Russ Annihilator
- Auxilia Leman Russ Vanquisher
Auxilia Thunderbolt Heavy Fighter
Auxilia Primaris-Lightning Strike Fighter
Auxilia Leman Russ Assault Squadron
- Auxilia Leman Russ Demolisher
- Auxilia Leman Russ Incinerator
- Auxilia Leman Russ Executioner
Auxilia Artillery Tank Battery
- Auxilia Basilisk
- Auxilia Medusa
- Auxilia Bombard
Auxilia Malcador Heavy Tank
Auxilia Malcador Infernus Special Weapons Tank
Auxilia Valdor Tank Hunter
Auxilia Cyclops Remote Demolitions Unit
Auxilia Baneblade Super-Heavy Battle Tank
Auxilia Stormlord Super-Heavy Assualt Tank
Auxilia Shadowsword Super-Heavy Tank
Auxilia Stormsword Super-Heavy Siege Tank
Auxilia Stormblade Super-Heavy Tank
Auxilia Stormhammer Super-Heavy Assault Tank
Optional Heavy Support
- Thallax Cohort
- Castellax-class Battle Automata Maniple

Included Questoris Knight Crusade Army Rules[]

The following is a list of included unit rules that are able to be taken by the various Knight Houses:

Sources[]

The Horus Heresy: Book Four - Conquest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh