Games Workshop has revealed the first models from a new plastic Horus Heresy miniature range, the Solar Auxilia, at the Las Vegas Open Warhammer convention on Thursday. They would also make stunning variant models for a Warhammer 40k Astra Militarum force.
The first new models from the range will debut in the Solar Auxilia Battle Group bundle, and three further kit boxes. Games Workshop hasn’t yet revealed a price or a launch date for Battle Group box, but the similarly named Horus Heresy Legiones Astartes Battle Group retailed for $210 (£125).
The Solar Auxilia Battle Group will contain plastic kits for 28 models, consisting of:
- Lasrifle Section x 20
- Tactical Command section x 5
- Dracosan Armored Transport x 1
- Leman Russ Strike Tank x 1
- Aethon Heavy Sentinel x 1
The rules for Solar Auxilia already exist, so we know that this boxed set doesn’t provide a full army, but it does make a fully functional allied detachment for another force.
The Lasrifle Section is the backbone of the Solar Auxilia, 20 baseline humans in void armor, wielding long ranged lasrifles.
The Tactical Command Section contains an Auxilia Captain and his command staff, and gets the pick of the best weaponry in the force.
The Dracosan Armored Transport can move a full Lasrifle Section into position, and is equipped with tank-hunting hull-mounted twin-lascannons as standard. Alternatively, it can sacrifice some of its transport capacity to replace its lascannons with a heavy demolisher cannon.
The Aethon Heavy Sentinel is a new vehicle that has never had a 28mm scale model, though teeny-tiny versions of the walker made their appearance in the Legions Imperialis starter set. The new multipart model is packed with a variety of missile options and back-mounted main gun.
The Leman Russ Strike Tank is a very similar vehicle in the 30th millennium to the one fielded by the Imperial Guard in the 41st millennium. The ‘Strike’ configuration can be equipped with a main battle cannon, Vanquisher anti-tank cannon, twin lascannons, or twin autocannon.
As well as the Solar Auxilia Battle Group, Games Workshop revealed three more plastic kits:
The Leman Russ Assault Tank uses the same chassis as the Strike Tank but has the option to use short-ranged weaponry including the heavy bore demolisher cannon, infantry-flaying volkite demi-culverin, or exterminator plasma cannon.
The Malcador Heavy Tank is larger and sturdier than the Leman Russ. Equipped with similar main ordnance, it can also equip sponson weaponry, and its front hull mount can be upgraded to a demolisher cannon for siege engagements.
The Veletaris Storm Section are elites among the already elite Solar Auxilia. The new kit will have options to equip them with powerful short-range volkite chargers , or two-handed storm axes.
The Solar Auxilia were the best human infantry fielded by the Imperial Army during the Horus Heresy. They use many of the same vehicles as the Astra Militarum of the 41st Millennium, but their basic infantry are more heavily armed and armored.
Until now, Solar Auxilia models have only been available in the expensive and difficult to work with Forge World resin material. Given that the Auxilia are a far more numerous infantry force than the elite Space Marines, this made them a painfully expensive army to collect.
If you want to get started collecting plastic Solar Auxilia and don’t care about the scale, they’re already available for Legions Imperialis – check out our Legions Imperialis review to see why we think it’s worth your while.
Source: Wargamer
