Warhammer 40k’s Imperial Guard – a.k.a. Astra Militarum – is getting a brand new, mounted supreme commander character named Lord Solar Leontus as part of the army’s revamped model range, Games Workshop has revealed. Unveiled for the first time via Warhammer Community on Monday, Arcadian Leontus is a striking character model – resplendent in ornate armour, atop a rearing, cybernetic warhorse.
We don’t yet know when he’s coming out, nor any idea of pricing. But, given that this is GW’s final promised reveal before the new range drops, we reckon we should start hearing about pre-order dates very soon.
It comes after GW last week revealed the long-rumoured Rogal Dorn Battle Tank, adding its considerable armoured bulk to earlier Imperial Guard previews, including the upcoming Astra Militarum Army Set, the Cadian Castellan HQ, brand new Attilan Rough Riders models, and more.
As befits the title ‘Lord Solar’, Leontus is supreme commander of all the Astra Militarum regiments within the ‘Segmentum Solar’ – the core region of the Imperium of Man surrounding Terra, seat of the Emperor of Mankind. However, WarCom’s article confirms he’s also taken command of forays outside the Sol region, and won himself various battle honours.
In its piece on Lord Solar Leontus, GW confirms his metallic-looking horse, Konstantin, is “decades old, now largely cybernetic”, while Leontus himself, though a baseline human, has “spent over a century leading the Emperor’s armies” – thanks mainly to the Imperium’s age-defying ‘rejuvenat’ treatments.
We don’t learn much from GW’s Monday preview about Leontus’ in-game rules, except for one – The Collegiate Astrolex – which gives armies led by him a strong strategic buff, right out the gate: either you can amend one of your Secondary Objective choices after your opponent chooses theirs; or you can simply nab an extra Command Point at the start of the game. Tasty stuff.
We also get a glimpse at a rather stunning, bombastic piece of art featuring Lord Solar Leontus, which’ll be on the front cover of the Imperial Guard’s upcoming 9th edition Warhammer 40k codex.
Lord Solar Leontus is a successor to the Astra Militarum’s greatest historical hero: the Lord Commander Solar (and later Saint) Macharius. According to Warhammer wiki site Lexicanum, “no man has ever conquered more worlds nor won so many battles” as Macharius, “not since the legendary days of the Great Crusade itself”. So new lord on the block Leontus has some extra large trench boots to fill.
Source: Wargamer
