The Horus Heresy was a pivotal event in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, marking the fall of the Warmaster Horus and the beginning of a civil war that plunged the Imperium of Man into darkness. During this time, various artifacts played significant roles in the narrative, one of which was the talismanic artifact. The talismanic artifact of the Horus Heresy was an object of immense power and importance. It had a unique connection to the Horus Heresy and held great significance for the characters and factions involved. This talismanic artifact was often sought after by both loyalist and traitor forces, as it was believed to possess the power to turn the tide of the war in their favor. It became a symbol of hope and despair, depending on who possessed it.
Warlord cards were made with Talisman character cards in mind, so the attribute values are in the same order and familiar colours on the card, with the exception of the new Strategy value.
All of the statistics start at base values depending on your chosen Warlord and all of these cannot be depleted beyond their starting point, except Resolve and Resource. The usual encounter deck is filled with Dataslates which consist of combat encounters, special characters, equipment, resources, and other special event cards.
It became a symbol of hope and despair, depending on who possessed it. For the loyalist forces, the talismanic artifact represented a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak and desperate situation. They fought tirelessly to safeguard it, believing that its power could aid them in defeating Horus and the traitorous forces.
Talisman: The Horus Heresy Review
I usually fault a game for how it’s executed but in the case of Talisman, you get the sense that the final product works exactly how it was meant to. Unfortunately, this realized vision skirts the line between game and spectator sport.
Talisman: The Horus Heresy is a board game-esque experience set in the Warhammer 40k universe where you play a warlord of either the duty loving Space Marine or the chaos loving Chaos Marines, in a 2v2 format. In theory, the game is taking turns traipsing around celestial anomalies toward a vague and arbitrary objective, collecting followers and items along the way. In practice, the “game” is rolling dice and making obvious choices. Moves are conducted via dice roll where you move the allotted number of tiles around a square board, generally seeking the most number of randomized encounters to bolster your stats. Encounters with neutral factions or characters are conducted via dice roll. Combat is also conducted via dice roll with modifiers for skill, retinue and equipment. Dice rolls can be re-rolled for better outcome. Acquiring new units for your “army” is done via dice roll. The point here is that the game boils down to a series of dice rolls, which makes for a “game” with little strategy or input.
When not rolling dice, the rest of the game is spent watching other players roll dice. This breathtaking excitement is only punctuated by pausing the action to interpret what the outcome of the roll was, for if you don’t, the computer will promptly whisk away the results without you having known what just happened. Ultimately, I decided learning what had happened was more trouble than it was worth so there’s basically nothing you can do for an entire 75% of the play experience. Sure, there is an option to speed up computer turns, but honestly, I wasn’t in a crazy rush to get to my turn when I could be reading a book or staring at someone on the train.
All this waiting around and staring at people can really get disturbing considering each game takes over an hour to finish, if you were inclined to play it out. I say this because I realized pretty early on that you can save a lot of precious time by not playing out each game. Given the amount of sheer luck involved in stat progression and the difficulty in these points, with one row of bad dice rolls you can fall very far behind very quickly. So much so that it’s not really worth playing anymore, as the player who lucked out early can chase the smaller fish around the board like a space barracuda. If it was a deserved lead, this would be acceptable, but when you’re steamrolling everything because you got lucky on rolls, it diminishes any sense of satisfaction.
The game could have been at least partially saved by the team mechanic, but this falls pretty flat. Teammates never feel more than something you can’t kill, as there are basically no cooperative mechanics built in. These interactions are limited to transferring items or units, which is as basic as humanly possible. All that can arise from this is a top/bottom situation, with one person playing a item fetching squire, which is not exactly an experience I want to be a part of. In a best case scenario, having 4 human players could make it somewhat strategic in planning, but unless you’re some kind of medieval lord who has a few indentured servants lying about, good luck convincing anyone to commit to this. The AI never does anything of the sort either, so in the more likely scenario where you’re flying solo, it’s basically a melee where you can’t kill one person.
There are some decent elements to Talisman: The Horus Heresy: I like some of the art splashes (although it’s pretty lazy in some areas like hero select), the soundtrack scores the long waiting periods admirably, the premise/ideas are competent if not inspired, and it runs smoothly enough on my old-ish tablet. If you’re stuck without anything else to do, there are worse ways to pass the time, particularly if you like watching virtual dice spin about. But if you’re looking for an experience where you can put yourself in a desperate struggle between law and chaos, creating a rich, unique story with engaging gameplay and strategy, sadly, you have to wait for Warhammer Total War .
On the other hand, the traitor forces saw the talismanic artifact as a means to solidify their control and dominance over the Imperium. They would stop at nothing to obtain it, unleashing brutal campaigns and betrayals to achieve their goal. The true nature and capabilities of the talismanic artifact remained a mystery throughout the course of the Horus Heresy. Its power was said to be both vast and dangerous, capable of shifting the balance of power in favor of its wielder. It was this potential that made it so sought after and coveted by both sides. Ultimately, the talismanic artifact played a small but significant role in the larger narrative of the Horus Heresy. It represented the struggle for power and the lengths that individuals and factions would go to secure victory. Its significance can be seen in the desperate battles fought over its possession and the immense impact it had on the outcome of the war. In conclusion, the talismanic artifact of the Horus Heresy was a symbol of power, hope, and despair. Its significance in the war and the narrative cannot be understated, as it became a driving force behind the actions and motivations of many characters and factions..
Reviews for "The Influence of Talismans on Characters in the Horus Heresy: Heroes or Possessed?"
- Jordan - 1 star - I was really excited to read "Talismanic artifact of the Horus Heresy" because I'm a big fan of the series, but I was sorely disappointed. The storyline was confusing and didn't make sense most of the time. The characters were flat and uninteresting, and I struggled to connect with any of them. Overall, it felt like a poorly written fanfiction rather than an actual part of the Horus Heresy series. I wouldn't recommend this book to any fans of the series.
- Lisa - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Talismanic artifact of the Horus Heresy" based on the previous books in the series, but it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was incredibly slow, making it difficult to stay engaged. The plot itself was convoluted and lacked a clear direction. The characters felt one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it hard to care about their fate. Overall, it's a forgettable addition to the Horus Heresy series and not worth the read if you're a fan of the franchise.
- Ryan - 2 stars - As a long-time fan of the Horus Heresy series, I was excited to delve into "Talismanic artifact of the Horus Heresy". However, I found myself disappointed with this installment. The writing style was dry and lacked the gripping intensity that I had come to expect from the series. The characters felt like caricatures and lacked any real development or relatability. Additionally, the pacing was sluggish, making it a struggle to get through the book. Overall, "Talismanic artifact of the Horus Heresy" was a letdown and didn't live up to the standards set by its predecessors.