Author: Felix

Blood Angels Legion Sicaran Battle Tanks

The Sicaran battle tank is one of the most advanced armoured units in the arsenal of the Legiones Astartes, with a number of variants that spread quickly throughout the Legions.

These Forge World variants were on display at Warhammer World. I was totally impressed with the painting of these models and the intricate insignia across both vehicles.

The Sicaran Omega Tank Destroyer is a formidable tank hunter, utilising the speed provided by the Sicaran’s engines to apply overwhelming short range firepower.

Sicaran Omega Tank Destroyer
Sicaran Omega Tank Destroyer

It races forwards to ambush and obliterate the lumbering siege tanks of enemy columns, unleashing the brutal energies of its oversized plasma array – a crude, retrofitted imitation of the Mechanicum’s plasma technology that is nevertheless entirely capable of reducing hostile vehicles to smouldering wrecks.

Land Raider Spartan Assault Tank

The Spartan Assault Tank, often referred to as the Land Raider Spartan, is a formidable armoured vehicle designed to breach the most impenetrable enemy defences and deliver devastating blows with its payload of Legion Astartes infantry. Its nigh-impervious hull, capable of shrugging off even the most potent anti-tank weaponry, makes it a truly formidable war machine.

During the Great Crusade, the Spartan became an indispensable asset for the Legion Astartes. Its immense firepower and exceptional durability allowed it to lead the charge into the heart of enemy territory, paving the way for Legionaries to storm enemy fortifications. With a capacity to transport up to 26 Legionaries or 13 Terminators, the Spartan provided a mobile, armoured fortress that could be deployed rapidly to any sector of the battlefield.

Despite its massive size, the Spartan possesses a surprising degree of agility, enabling it to manoeuvre effectively in tight spaces and avoid enemy fire. Its combination of speed, firepower, and protection makes it a truly versatile and devastating weapon, capable of turning the tide of battle in favour of the Legion Astartes forces using it.

Land Raider Spartan Assault Tank Miniatures Gallery.

Legions Imperialis Arvus Lighters

I’ve always liked the Arvus Lighter. I did think about getting some resin versions for Aeronautica Imperialis. I was pleased to see the plastic versions for Legions Imperialis and they did go on that awfully long wants list. Visiting Jadlam Toys and Models in Glastonbury I was browsing and saw they had a box of the Legions Imperialis Arvus Lighters on sale at 33% off. Bargain, so I bought the box.

The Arvus Lighter is a solid and reliable workhorse shuttle, affectionately referred to as ‘Little Pig’ among air crews. The Solar Auxilia employ these durable craft as unarmed combat transports, to insert officers and specialists into a war zone with pinpoint accuracy.

In the box you get eight aircraft, across two sprues. 

Alongside with flying bases and a transfer sheet. With appropriate bases they can also be used in Aeronautica Imperialis.

I am planning to paint four of them using the same painting method as I did with my Valkyrie transports.

The other four will be in a different Imperial scheme.

I have put the forthcoming 28mm version on that wants list.

Archaeopter Transvector

These Archaeopter Transvector models were on display at Warhammer World.

A workhorse not only of the toxic Martian skies, but of distant worlds at the forefront of the Tech-Priests’ expansion for millennia, the Archaeopter is an agile fixed-wing aircraft.

Piloted by a member of the Pteraxii caste, whose legs and scapuli superior are hardwired into its controls, the nano-carbon fibre-weave of the Archaeopter’s wings is capable of morphing – a property it shares with the Pteraxii flight packs.

This affords great manoeuvrability and enables it to operate within changing pressures as it undertakes explorator duties as well as delivering teams of lethal operatives behind enemy lines or into the heart of battle.

Xiphon Pattern Interceptor

This Xiphon Pattern Interceptor flown by the Ultramarines was on display at Warhammer World.

With unparalleled speed and manoeuvrability, the Xiphon pattern Interceptor saw increasing service in the Legiones Astartes during the dark days of the Horus Heresy.  Based on ancient designs, the void and atmospheric craft carried heavy armaments into battle, allowing it to destroy both air and ground targets with apparent ease. Its pair of twin-linked lascannon and Xiphon rotary missile launcher combined with the Interceptor’s speed and agility to make it a deadly opponent from which the enemies of Mankind could not hide.

This was a Red Scorpions Xiphon Pattern Interceptor.

Xiphon Pattern Interceptor in the Miniatures Gallery

Skorpius Dunerider

These Adeptus Mechanicus Skorpius Dunerider models were on display at Warhammer World.

The Skorpius Dunerider serves as a Skitarii transport vessel enabling the loyal servants of the Machine God to engage or pursue the enemy with ever greater speed and efficiency. As the Skitarii disembark to bring the fury of the Omnissiah to their enemies, the Dunerider’s twin cognis heavy stubbers offer a high rate of covering fire. Within its open cargo hold, the gunners tasked with firing the vehicle’s flanking pair of cognis heavy stubbers stand at their stations with hands on triggers. A turret-mounted pair of cognis heavy stubbers rises is mounted on a rear cupola, its Servitor gunner protected from return fire by an armoured shield mounted between the barrels.

Basing the militia

After thinking about it for a while I have ordered the Battlefront Militia Group and Pickup Trucks for Team Yankee. Back in 2022 I  was intrigued and pleased to see the announcement of the release of Team Yankee: Red Dawn.

I like the concept of armed militia and pick up trucks with HMGs on board, they had been on my wants list for a while. They could also be used for games in Wessex: The Second English Civil War for insurgent and militia forces. You get four pickup trucks, each armed with an HMG. Having constructed and undercoated the trucks I made a start on the militia group.

In the militia group, you get twenty six miniatures. It contains:

5x Assault Rifle Teams
2x RPG-7 Anti-tank Teams
1x M224 60mm Mortar Team

These are the battlefront images.

The models come in a blister pack.

Rather than paint the models on a stick, I cleaned the models and stuck them to the included brown bases.

I then used the Woodland Scenics turf for the bases. For larger scale models I would use Citadel Sand, but the scale of these models are too small for the sand.

The next step was a white undercoat.

I have a spare model which I am going to use as a testbed for painting, and then will use it in one of the pick up trucks.