Salamanders

“Honour, self-sacrifice, self-reliance, brotherhood. That's our Promethean creed” -Vulkan, Primarch of the XVIII^th Legion

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Faction Overview

The Salamanders (SLM) are one of the playable Factions in The Horus Heresy: Legions. No other Legion encapsulates the survivability and self-sacrifice of the Space Marines like the SLM. With a play style focused on big, heavy troops, lots of board damage and rewards for loosing units, you're gonna prove your determination to the enemy. Being master-smiths, they bring their unique special card "Artifacts" to have a solution for every problem. The Salamanders were the 6th Faction to be reworked, moving their original pool of cards to Legacy.

Strengths:

• One of the tougher Factions (life points wise), and because of survivor, which add to the total Hp (a unit with 3Hp and survivor 2 has effectively 5Hp), your enemy will have a harder time removing your board.
• Lots of ways to "choose" which Artifact you'll get, helping you as you see fit.
• Several board damage tactics and effects.
• Sacrifice (and/with Survivor) is great against Factions that use poison or otherwise damages you when your turn start, as it will trigger without needing to attack first.
• Some of the strongest buff cards in the game.

Weakness:

• A very slow Faction, with overall expensive cards.
• Being very troop focused, means that if the enemy can deny you board, you'll have a harder and harder time making a comeback.
• On that regard Sacrifice, while also being a strength, can be problematic, as most of the effects it gives revolves around buffing your other troops. It can also be considered a "weaker" version of Backlash, as it can only trigger in your turn.
• Artifacts can disrupt your Curve plays in some cases (if you used many on one troop, to lose it next turn, when you could have played another/s and gain more from board presence).

Warlords

Standard

• 
  Vulkan
• 
  Artellus Numeon
• 
  Kaer'shan
• 
  Forgefather T'Kell
• 
  Nomus Rhy'tan

Legacy

• 
  Vulkan
• 
  Artellus Numeon
• 
  Nemetor
• 
  Cassian Vaughn

Troops and Tactics

• 
  Troops
• 
  Tactics

Traits and Available Effects

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Gameplay

The SLM Troops main gameplay revolves around some type of support (for Infantry, Astartes or Vehicles) and the trigger of Sacrifice.

The SLM Tactics main gameplay revolves around Troop support and Artifact generation.

Most of the SLM Warlords focus on some type of Troop support and the use of Artifacts.

The SLM have Archetypes like: Control, Aggro, Midrange.

For a more complete look on the Faction gameplay, check — How to Play: Salamanders

Collection and Cosmetics

The SLM cards can be obtained from the Dropsite Massacre Crate and the Galaxy in Flames Crate, or bought in the Daily Shop.

The SLM Card Backs and Badge Cosmetics can be obtained randomly from the Cosmetics Crate, or bought in the Daily Shop.

Premium Cards appear randomly in any Crate, and can be bought from the Collection tab.

Additional Information

Balance History
Date	Changes	Notes
03 may 2024	Nomus Rhytan: Increase initiave from Low to Medium
10 oct 2023	Irgan Squad: Remove Survivor and increase Health from 2 to 3. Mount Deathfire: Change description to: ‘Return to your hand 3 friendly troops that died this game. They cost 1 less’ (instead of 2 less). Ardent Zeal: Change description to: ‘Give +4/+4 to a friendly troop’ (instead of +5/+5). Disciple of the Flames: Lower Survivor from 2 to 1. Xak’aree Terminators: Change description to ‘Survivor 2. When another friendly unit triggers Survivor, create a random Artifact in your hand’ (instead of all friendly units).
07 sep 2023	Numeon: Change Sacrifice ability to ‘Give +1/+1 to adjacent troops.’ (instead of all your troops) Legionary Dha’lok: Lower Rally damage from 1-2 to 1 Legionary O’Nadir: Lower passive damage from 2 to 1-2 Ashblazed Javelin: Lower Attack from 4 to 3 Guiding Light: Lower Health from 5 to 4 Ancient Tuseok: Change description to ‘Rally: Draw a Vehicle from your deck and lower its cost by 1’ (instead of 2) Dragon’s Breath: Increase cost from 3 to 4
16 aug 2023	Veteran Mostarf: Increased ability cost from 1 to 2 Techmarine Ardensis: Lowered stats from 3/5 to 3/4. Changed description to ‘Survivor 1. When you put in play a Vehicle, give it +1/0 and Survivor 1’ Supply Drop: Changed description to: ‘Choose an Artifact and add it to your hand. It costs 2 less’ (instead of lowering the cost of all Artifacts in your hand by 1) Tectonic Blast: Lowered damage from 5 to 4 Forges of Nocturne: Changed description to: ‘Create 3 random Artifacts in your hand. They cost 1 less’ (instead of making them cost 0) Promethean Awakening: Increased cost from 8 to 10. Changed description to ‘Put in play 3 friendly Salamanders troops that died this game’ (instead of 4)
03 aug 2023	Faction Reworked

Lore

The Salamanders, originally known as the Dragon Warriors, were the XVIII Legion of the 20 Space Marine Legions. As a Chapter, they are unusually concerned with civilian casualties compared to most other Space Marines and believe that one of their most important duties is to protect the lives of the Emperor of Mankind's innocent subjects whenever and wherever possible. This is an attitude that developed as a consequence of the Salamanders' own unusually close connections to the Nocturnean people, as they are one of the only Chapters of Astartes who continue to interact with their mortal families and the people of their homeworld after their transformation into Space Marines. When the infant Vulkan appeared on Nocturne (a world wracked by constant volcanic instability, but possessing the very rarest kinds of mineral resources), he was discovered by the smith of one of the seven main settlements, a master craftsman who soon taught the infant Primarch all he knew. Within a few short Terran years Vulkan had developed into a hulk of a man, his mind as powerful as his body. Soon, Vulkan was teaching the master-smiths of Nocturne metalworking techniques lost to them since the darkest days of the Age of Strife. Vulkan assumed the mantle of Primarch of the XVIIIth Legion, thereafter called the Salamanders, and recruiting from the hardy men of Nocturne, the Legion soon became known for the strength, courage, and honour of its battle-brothers, as well as the skills with which they fashioned their weapons of war. But the age of Imperial glory was not to last long, for along with the Iron Hands and the Raven Guard, the Salamanders were deceived by the Warmaster Horus into taking their place amongst the doomed first wave of Loyalist Space Marine Legions at the Drop Site Massacre of Isstvan V, where they were decimated first by the Traitors' defenses and then by the treachery of the Legions forming the second wave. The Salamanders are known to have suffered tragic losses at Isstvan V as one of the so-called "Shattered Legions," though sufficient numbers escaped to save the Legion from extinction.

Trivia

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Notes

If looking for more info on how to play (in general) or aspects of the game, check our Guides:

• New Player Guide -The basics of the game are here.
• Advance Guide -More complex mechanics and variations of gameplay.
• Buyers Guide -For the Daily Shop, and an overall idea of what to spend your Gems.
• Deck Building Guide -The basics of how to build Decks (for all Factions).
• Community Decks -Decks made by the Player's base.

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