Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Horus Heresy Review: Gahlan Surlak

Background.
I have some genuine sympathy for the World Eaters. Well, more than I have for the Night Lords at any rate. And of the World Eaters, the fall from grace of Gahlan Surlak is one that might be entirely predictable. As one of the leading apothecaries of his legion, he used to be serious about his job of returning brothers to the battlefield as soon as possible. But this sank in to the background as the Heresy took hold. By amping up the Butcher's Nails, he ensured that they would either come back victorious, or dead. There was becoming little need for him.

Strengths.
One of the main rules to be aware of here is the Exhortation of Butchery special rule that applies to all World Eaters apothecaries and primus medicae from after the Shadow Crusade (008.M31). This gives a bonus to attacks, at the (1 in 6) risk of dying in the same assault phase. This is voluntary and can be chosen or activated every assault phase by the controlling player. This is a huge boon to the World Eaters and entire armies can be constructed around it.

For Surlak personally, he is the master of inductees. He can turn troops in to +1S, FnP, -1BS no scoring units if he desires. This is a very nice bonus that in conjunction with the Exhortation of Butchery rule can bring around swift victories in close combat.

Weaknesses.
Surlak is not a compulsory HQ, just like other Primus Medicae. Therefore you need a genuine HQ selection such as a praetor. That shouldn't be too much of a problem for the World Eaters one hopes!

Overall.
A very characterful addition to the World Eaters traitors and important for the addition and introduction of the Exhortation of Butchery special rule. Worth the points value, and clearly an important component of any Bodt campaign.

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