- BGG rating
- 7.6
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness Rulebook
- 2–8 players
- 60–180 min
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,744
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness
2022
Rules assistance for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–8 players
- 60–180 min
- 8+
- Complexity 3.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness is a board game released in 2022 for 2–8 players, 60–180 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Variable Set-up.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Liber Astares Loyalist Legiones Astartes Book
- 2–8 players
- 60–180 min
- 2022
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Liber Hereticus Traitor Legiones Astartes Army Book
- 2–8 players
- 60–180 min
- 2022
- BGG rating
- 5.0
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Liber Imperium
- 2–8 players
- 2022
- BGG rating
- 8.7
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Campaigns of the Age of Darkness: The Siege of Cthonia
- 2 players
- 2023
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Exemplary Battles of the Age of Darkness: Volume One
- 2 players
- 2023
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Campaigns of the Age of Darkness: The Battle of Beta-Garmon
- 2 players
- 2024
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,692
- BGG rating
- 8.9
Eldfall Chronicles
- 1–4 players
- 30–120 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,692
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Infinity N3: Core Book
- 2 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,615
- BGG rating
- 8.6
Infinity N4: Core Rules
- 2 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,459
- BGG rating
- 8.9
Infinity N5: Core Rules
- 2 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 4.3/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #601
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Advanced Squad Leader
- 2 players
- 120–480 min
- Complexity 4.7/5
- 1985
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,186
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Age of Dogfights: WW1
- 1–4 players
- 30–120 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,184
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Fighting Fantasy Adventures
- 1–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,702
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Dungeon Saga Origins
- 1–5 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #969
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Earth Reborn
- 2–4 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,853
- BGG rating
- 8.8
Malediction
- 2–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,114
- BGG rating
- 8.7
Battlegroup Clash: Baltics
- 1–6 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,740
- BGG rating
- 6.7
John Carter: Warlord of Mars
- 2–6 players
- 60–360 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 1979
About the game
An Age of Darkness has descended upon the galaxy. Horus Lupercal, Warmaster of the Emperor's armies, has turned against his gene-father and sent the Imperium spiralling into bloody civil war. Of the eighteen great Space Marine Legions, finest of all humanity's soldiers, fully half have sided with the traitorous Warmaster, while the remainder stand staunchly loyal to the Emperor. It is a war of brother against brother, Space Marine against Space Marine, which has seen the might of the Imperium's vast armies turned upon itself in a cataclysm of fire and blood. In Warhammer: The Horus Heresy you will pit mighty armies of superhuman warriors against each other in apocalyptic tabletop battles. Choose your favoured Legion, from the knightly Dark Angels to the duplicitous Alpha Legion, build your own army from a range of spectacular Citadel and Forge World miniatures, and clash with fellow players in wargames of staggering tactical depth. The tale of the Horus Heresy is the bedrock of Warhammer 40,000's rich history, and this boxed game is the perfect first step to joining the epic conflicts that reshaped the galaxy. The titanic Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness boxed set contains a treasure trove of content, from a massive rulebook detailing the setting and stories of the Horus Heresy, as well as gorgeous photography and art, and all the core rules you need to play the game. The box also contains 54 Citadel miniatures – including a massive Spartan Assault Tank and a host of MKVI 'Corvus Armour' Tactical Marines – allowing you to build two opposing forces for out-of-the-box play, or construct a huge Legion force all your own. Alongside all of this, you'll get all the game accessories and rules reference materials you need to immerse yourself in the worlds of the Age of Darkness. —description from the publisher
Categories
Mechanics
- Variable Player Powers
- Dice Rolling
- Variable Set-up
- End Game Bonuses
- Die Icon Resolution
- Secret Unit Deployment
- Physical Removal
- Events
- Interrupts
- Bias
- Line of Sight
- Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game
- Critical Hits and Failures
- Once-Per-Game Abilities
- Measurement Movement
- Stat Check Resolution
- Ratio / Combat Results Table
- Action / Event
- Force Commitment
- Order Counters
Publishers
- Games Workshop Ltd.
Questions and answers
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness supports 2–8 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness is 60–180 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness has a complexity rating of 3.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness belongs to these categories: Wargame, Dice, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Variable Set-up. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.