warhammer the horus heresy Archives - Page 5 of 24

Blood Angels Legion Land Raider MkIIb

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.

Macharius Heavy Tank

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.

More photographs of the Macharius Heavy Tank.

Imperial Knights

Across Warhammer World were a range of Imperial Knights for Warhammer 40000 and The Horus Heresy.

Plastic Arvus Lighter on pre-order next week

One of the reveals at the World Championships Preview back in November was a plastic Arvus Lighter for The Horus Heresy.

This week we found out that it goes on pre-order on the 18th January.

I said in my previous post when the model was announced.

I really like this model and I will probably get this when it is released.

Though released for The Horus Heresy, I suspect it would also make a great model for, not just Warhammer 40K, but also Necromunda.

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.

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.

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

The Fall Of Outpost Sigma-12

One of the displays at Warhammer World was this Horus Heresy battle, entitled, The Fall Of Outpost Sigma-12.

Traitor forces breach the Imperial Fist’s last defensive lines at Outpost Sigma-12 on Cthonia. Undermined by the Sons of Horus’ subterranean onslaught, the Loyalists are determined to fight to the last in the name of the Emperor.

They ultimately reap such a toll of Traitor lives that any victory won was a hollow one. This battle would be one of the last fought during the Horus Heresy, for shortly after its bloody conclusion Horus launched his assault on the Emperor’s Palace on distant Terra.

A wider view of the Sons of Horus assault on the Imperial Fists. In the background is a loyalist titan.

More photographs of The Fall Of Outpost Sigma-12.

Solar Auxilia Shadowsword

The Shadowsword is the sister tank to the Baneblade, a super-heavy vehicle employed by Solar Auxilia cohorts to engage and destroy enemy macro-engines with its volcano cannon. The same chassis has also been adapted to mount different primary weapons suited to their own modes of destruction, like the bunker-busting Stormsword siege cannon or the versatile plasma blastgun of the Stormblade.

Solar Auxilia Medusa

The Solar Auxilia’s Medusa artillery tanks are behemoths of destruction, their Leman Russ hulls cloaked in heavy armor. Their devastating guns, protected from enemy fire and hazardous environments, can reduce enemy fortifications to rubble. These mobile fortresses, capable of shattering mighty walls, advance alongside the Auxilia cohorts, softening enemy defenses and paving the way for the main assault.