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The Valdor Tank Destroyer mounts a devastating neutron laser – each a meticulously wrought iteration of a recovered relic of the Dark Age of Technology. Though rare, they’re in high demand as the Solar Auxilia are called upon to fight the Legiones Astartes and their fighting vehicles.
A variant of the Sicaran battle tank introduced towards the end of the Great Crusade, the Sicaran Venator is a purpose-built tank destroyer.
It mounts the fearsome neutron laser system and the atomantic arc-reactors required to power it. The neutron laser is a formidable anti-armour weapon, and is capable of penetrating any known armour.
The combination of mobility, protection and firepower being highly valued by the Space Marine Legions.
The Land Raider is regarded by many as the finest armoured fighting vehicle of its class in the Imperium’s arsenal, and is the mainstay battle tank of the Space Marine Legions. It is a phenomenally powerful war machine, its multi-layered composite armour and reinforced hull all but impervious to even heavy weapons, being a sealed unit designed to resist enemy attack from any approach. Intended to serve in almost any environment as both war machine and exploration vehicle, it can operate freely in war zones ranging from acid swamps to rad-deserts without any noticeable impediment to its performance, and can even operate in hard vacuum, ensuring there is no open battlefield on which its armoured wrath cannot be unleashed.
This (resin) Sons of Horus Land Raider Proteus was on display at Warhammer World.
Those of us who have been playing Warhammer 40K since it was first released will recognise this model. It is of course a new version of the original Land Raider that was released back in 1987 following the release of the 1st edition of Warhammer 40,000, Rogue Trader. Forge World released a resin version a fair few years ago, and since then, a plastic version of the kit has been released as part of The Horus Heresy range.
I have been thinking about getting one for my workbench.
I have the new Horus Heresy plastic Arvus Lighter on my workbench.
The Arvus Lighter is a small, general purpose cargo shuttle that is widely used by the Imperium of Man for many tasks, both in space and on the surface of planets. The Arvus is commonly used by both Imperial Navy warships and Imperial merchant vessels, including Rogue Traders. The Arvus is just one of many types of small, void-capable shuttles used by the Imperium. The Arvus is piloted by a single pilot, and is not equipped with any weapon systems, in fact, the Arvus possesses only the most basic navigation equipment, external sensors, and proximity alarms. The Arvus has a powerful engine that allows it to carry heavy cargo to and from a planet’s surface
There are three sprues in the box along with a flying base and clear plastic parts for the canopy.
I have been thinking about how I will construct and paint the model. One of the additions to the plastic version of the Arvus Lighter model is a rear ramp gunner. I like the idea of this, but it will add to the time to paint the model. As well as painting the gunner, the inside of the craft will also have to be painted.
With most of my models I constructed them fully and then paint them. This is okay for many of my models, but I have with a few undertaken some part-assembly, then painting before putting the whole model together. One example of this on my workbench is the Typhon Heavy Siege Tank where I painted the tracks, sponsons and main weapon separately before putting them together.
I think with the Arvus Lighter I will do some partial assemblies and then put the model together at the end.
You can model the Arvus Lighter with the undercarriage down or up. I am thinking down.
I am still thinking about the paint scheme, I am not sure if I will go with a grey scheme, or go with the camouflage scheme I used with my Aeronautica Imperialis Valkyrie transports.
Heavily-armed and impressively armoured, the Leviathan Siege Dreadnought is an alternative development of the highly successful Contemptor design. These rare and mighty engines are prized by Astartes commanders, recognised as savagely powerful siege and hunter-killer units that can crush any opposition with an unstoppable wrecking charge.
These Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport were on display at Warhammer World.
The Dracosan Armoured Transport is a heavily armed personnel carrier, manufactured to the highest standards and configured with systems that allow the Solar Auxilia to traverse the most hazardous battlezones. The Dracosan is large enough to accommodate a full strength section of 20 Solar Auxilia infantry, protecting them from all but the most intense enemy fire while using its own weaponry to pound enemy positions to dust.
Arvus Lighter on display in a Necromunda diorama at Warhammer World.
The Arvus Lighter is a small, general purpose cargo shuttle that is widely used by the Imperium of Man for many tasks, both in space and on the surface of planets. The Arvus is commonly used by both Imperial Navy warships and Imperial merchant vessels, including Rogue Traders. The Arvus is just one of many types of small, void-capable shuttles used by the Imperium. The Arvus is piloted by a single pilot, and is not equipped with any weapon systems, in fact, the Arvus possesses only the most basic navigation equipment, external sensors, and proximity alarms. The Arvus has a powerful engine that allows it to carry heavy cargo to and from a planet’s surface.
This was the Forge World resin model. Since then a plastic kit of the Arvus Lighter has been released.
One of the reveals at the World Championships Preview back in November was a plastic Arvus Lighter for The Horus Heresy. I ordered one from my FLGS.
I really like this model, though released for The Horus Heresy, I suspect it would make a great model for, not just Warhammer 40K, but also Necromunda.
The Arvus Lighter is a small, general purpose cargo shuttle that is widely used by the Imperium of Man for many tasks, both in space and on the surface of planets. The Arvus is commonly used by both Imperial Navy warships and Imperial merchant vessels, including Rogue Traders. The Arvus is just one of many types of small, void-capable shuttles used by the Imperium. The Arvus is piloted by a single pilot, and is not equipped with any weapon systems, in fact, the Arvus possesses only the most basic navigation equipment, external sensors, and proximity alarms. The Arvus has a powerful engine that allows it to carry heavy cargo to and from a planet’s surface
This Blood Angels Legion Mark IIb was on display at Warhammer World.
The Land Raider MkIIb is probably my favourite Land Raider variant. I do have one of them in my collection. I knew that if I was going to get a Land Raider it would have to be the Forgeworld MkIIB Land Raider. I did get one in the end at GamesDay 2006. Sadly it was recently retired from the range. I wrote up some reflections on my MkIIB Land Raider, on the current state of the painting and what I needed to do next. In the end I went down a different route.
The Macharius Heavy Tank stands as a testament to the ingenuity and desperation of the Imperium of Man. Born from a necessity to field potent armored firepower when the legendary Baneblade super-heavy tank is unavailable, the Macharius represents a “second-generation” approach to heavy tank design.
Larger than the ubiquitous Leman Russ Battle Tank but significantly smaller than the Baneblade it seeks to emulate, the Macharius is a product of necessity. Forge Worlds, eager to secure lucrative military contracts, often lack the Standard Template Constructs (STCs) – ancient blueprints for advanced technology – required to manufacture the truly colossal Baneblade or its equally formidable kin, the Shadowsword.
Deprived of these sacred designs, Forge Worlds are left to their own devices, leading to a diverse array of Macharius variants. Some emphasize heavy firepower with powerful cannons, while others prioritize mobility and armor. This diversity reflects the decentralised nature of Imperial production and the inherent limitations imposed by the absence of standardised designs.
The Macharius, despite its limitations, serves a vital role in the defense of the Imperium. It provides a potent armored fist for the Imperial Guard, capable of punching through enemy lines and supporting infantry assaults. However, its reliance on local Forge World ingenuity and the lack of standardized production inevitably results in a less consistent and less predictable performance compared to the meticulously engineered Baneblade.
Sadly the Macharius Heavy Tank and its many variants have been removed from the Games Workshop range. If the Macharius Omega had been in stock when I visited Warhammer World in September I would very likely have picked one up. The second hand market prices have gone up considerably as a result.