The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal

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The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal Author(s) Alan Bligh & [John French]] Released October 2012 Pages 289 ISBN ISBN 9781907964961 ISBN 9781788266086 (2014 softback edition)[2] Followed by Book Two - Massacre

The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal is the first book in the Horus Heresy series created by the Forge World game studio.^[1a]

The book deals with the events starting from the end to the Great Crusade until the Battle of Isstvan III. It contains rules and special characters for the pre-Heresy Sons of Horus, World Eaters, Emperor's Children, and Death Guard as well as a Space Marine Crusade Legion army list.^[1a]

Initially published in 2012, a revised edition was printed in 2014.^[2]

Contents

Lore

Strategic Disposition of a Space Marine Legion^[2a]

Most of the book is presented as a record written by "A.K." shortly after the Horus Heresy. The first part of the book is a history treatise concerning the Unification Wars, the unification with Mars, the construction of the Astronomican, the founding of the Space Marine Legions, their victories, the Ullanor Crusade, and the seed of treachery that grew within Horus. At the end of this section, the strategic disposition of the Space Marine Legions is presented.^[1a]

The Death of Isstvan III

This section describes the Isstvan system, its compliance and rebellion, and the Battle of Isstvan III from planetfall to virus bombardment.^[1a]

The Space Marine Legions

This section contains in-depth information on the history of the four Space Marine Legions involved in the Battle of Isstvan III:^[1a]

• Sons of Horus
• World Eaters
• Emperor's Children
• Death Guard

as well as the Legio Mortis Titan Legion^[1a]

Rules and Gameplay

The Death of Isstvan III Campaign

This section describes a six-mission campaign for reenacting the Battle of Isstvan III on the tabletop.^[1a]

Campaign Appendix: Zone Mortalis

This section contains rules for zone mortalis battlegrounds; fighting in confined spaces such as starships and urban environments.^[1a]

Age of Darkness Battles

This section contains rules for Space Marine Legion army lists set during the late Crusade and early Heresy. It describes the force organization chart, allies matrix, units, armour, and wargear available to the Legiones Astartes in general.^[1a]

Space Marine Crusade Legion Army List

Rules for playing games of Warhammer during the Horus Heresy, and full army Lists for the Space Marine Legions as they were during the Great Crusade.^[1a]

• HeadQuarters
  • Legion Praetor, Legion Centurion, Consul, Command Squad^[1a]
• Elites
  • Veteran Tactical Squad, Destroyer Squad, Terminator Squad, Techmarine Covenant, Apothecarion Detachment, Dreadnought, Contemptor Dreadnought, Rapier Weapons Battery^[1a]
• Troops
  • Tactical Squad, Assault Squad, Breacher Siege Squad, Tactical Support Squad, Reconnaissance Squad^[1a]
• Dedicated Transports
  • Rhino Armoured Carrier, Drop Pod^[1a]
• Fast Attack
  • Seeker Squad, Outrider Squad, Attack Bike Squadron, Jetbike Sky Hunter Squadron, Land Speeder Squadron^[1a]
• Heavy Support
  • Storm Eagle Assault Gunship, Heavy Support Squad, Predator, Land Raider Phobos, Land Raider Proteus, Land Raider Achilles, Basilisk, Medusa Siege Tank, Whirlwind, Vindicator, Spartan Assault Tank, Caestus Assault Ram, Fellblade Super-Heavy Tank^[1a]
• Lords of War
  • Typhon Heavy Siege Tank, Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer, Malcador Assault Tank, Thunderhawk Gunship, Thunderhawk Transporter^[1a]

Space Marine Crusade Legion Appendix

Here are the datasheets for Legions-specific Units and characters.^[1a]

• Sons of Horus
  • Horus, Ezekyle Abaddon, Garviel Loken^[1a]
  • Dreadclaw Drop Pod, Justaerin Terminator^[1a]

• World Eaters
  • Angron, Shabran Darr^[1a]
  • Rampagers^[1a]

• Emperor's Children
  • Fulgrim, Rylanor, Saul Tarvitz^[1a]
  • Palatine Blade, ^[1a]

• Death Guard
  • Mortarion; Crysos Morturg, Durak Rask^[1a]
  • Deathshroud Terminator^[1a]

Mechanicum Army List Appendix

This section contains units for building an Adeptus Mechanicus allied force for a Legiones Astartes army.^[1a]

• Calleb Decima^[1a]
• Thallax Cohort,Mechanicum Land Raider,Avenger Strike Fighter,Warhound Scout Titan,Reaver Battle Titan^[1a]

Appendix

• Apocalypse Rules appendix^[1a]
• Additional Special Rules^[1a]
• Selected New Special Rules Summary^[1a]

Sources

• 1 : The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal
  • 1a : pg. 5
  • 1b : pg. 30-31
• 2 : The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal (2014 edition), outside back cover

• Forge World webstore : The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal (archived page, last accessed 26/2/23)