Solar Auxilia Shadowsword Super Heavy Tank

This is a Solar Auxilia Shadowsword Super Heavy Tank on display at Warhammer World.

The Shadowsword is armed with a fearsome array of weapons – none more so than the mighty volcano cannon on its turret. It can also be equipped with a pair of sponsons sporting a twin heavy bolter or twin heavy flamer, each capped by a lascannon turret! 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.

A single super-heavy tank is a dominant presence in the Solar Auxilia battle line. As it ploughs inexorably forward it lays down a wide path of destruction. Enemy ranks shatter long before it reaches their position, and those unlucky few who are able to maintain their defensive formations are ground to paste under the slab-like plates of its tracks. The Shadowsword is equipped with one of the most fearsome primary weapons – the dreaded volcano cannon – and is capable of taking down Titans at extreme ranges. Nothing short of the most powerful energy fields can hope to stop a direct hit from its blasts.

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

This Solar Auxilia Medusa was in the display cabinets at Warhammer World.

Solar Auxilia Medusa

The Medusa artillery tanks employed by the Solar Auxilia are armoured bombardment platforms, their heavy guns mounted on a hull derived from the Leman Russ. Enclosed against enemy fire and protected from the hazardous atmospheres of toxic or alien worlds, these mobile siege batteries can keep pace with the cohort’s advance, pummelling the foe’s positions even as main line units move to engage any survivors. The Medusa’s mortar fires munitions heavy enough to shatter mighty walls.

I much prefer the original Imperial Army Medusa, however that model appears to have been retired. 

Solar Auxilia Aurox Armoured Transport

The Aurox Armoured Transport is an armoured troop transport tank primarily used by various arms of the Imperial Army to carry veteran grenadier units to battle or to protect their commanders while dictating the course of battle.

A further variant of the Aurox is used by the Solar Auxilia, re-fitted for extreme environmental conditions.

Legions Imperialis Support Weapons

Two packs of Legion Imperialis support weapons will be going on pre-order this Saturday. One pack for the Solar Auxilia, and one for the Legion Astartes.

The Solar Auxilia pack includes Rapier batteries, Tarantula platforms w and the Cyclops remote-controlled bomb.

Solar Auxilia Support Weapons

While the Solar Auxilia are famed for the quality of their infantry and tanks, their fire support companies are invaluable when confronting tougher targets. The Solar Auxilia Support set includes a total of 40 weapons platforms and auxiliary assets loaded with firepower, including Rapier batteries mounting quad launchers, laser destroyers, and mole mortar arrays, Tarantula platforms with lascannons and Hyperios missile launchers, and the dreaded Cyclops remote-controlled bomb.

The Legion Astartes pack also has Rapier batteries, Dreadnoughts, and Tarantula platforms.

The Space Marines of the Horus Heresy also adopted the Rapier platform for their own support firepower, and deployed talons of dreadnoughts for long-range fire and close combat. The Legiones Astartes Support kit contains 24 miniatures, including Leviathan Dreadnoughts with storm cannons and cyclonic melta lances, Deredeo Dreadnoughts with Anvilus autocannon batteries and Hellfire plasma cannonades, Rapier batteries with quad launchers and laser destroyers, and Tarantula platforms with lascannons and Hyperios missile launchers.

I like the Legion Astartes pack.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport in Plastic

The Las Vegas Open had quite a few previews. One that caught my eye was the announcement of plastic kits for the Solar Auxilia for The Horus Heresy.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport

The Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport was available as a resin kit from Forge World.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport

The Dracosan Armoured Transport is manufactured to standards only usually required of war machines destined for service with the Legiones Astartes. It is large enough to accommodate a full strength Solar Auxilia Infantry Section of twenty auxiliaries, and heavily armoured enough to protect them from intense enemy fire.

Dracosan Armoured Transport Miniatures Gallery

Legions Imperialis Solar Auxilia

Over on the Warhammer Community site they have showcased Legions Imperialis miniatures painted by community painters.

One force caught my eye, and it was a Solar Auxilia force painted by Gadge.

Legions Imperialis models are incredibly detailed despite being in epic scale, so it’s really important not to lose this detail with overly thick paint or too many layers. Drybrushing and Contrast paints are the key to this ‘sand and spinach’ scheme that will look good on both desert and temperate battlefields. I started off with a base coat of Zandri Dust Spray undercoat, which was drybrushed up with Flayed One Flesh, where the tonal difference helps pick out every hatch and rivet. To avoid swamping the model with excessive paint, I used Creed Camo Contrast paint to apply the camouflage bands and blotches, as the translucent quality of Contrast paint allows the existing highlights on the base coat to surface. Other parts were painted variously with Black Legion, Blue Horror, and Evil Sunz Scarlet, before being outlined lightly with Agrax Earthshade. Lastly, I applied weathering by giving the tracks a light drybrush with Terminatus Stone, before dipping a brush in Ratling Grime, wiping most of it off, and dabbing it all over any areas where I felt the tanks would be either well-oiled or getting in contact with a lot of grime – the vents, grills, gun barrels, and wheels.

I did like the scheme and it reminded me of the Aeronautica Imperialis Valkyrie Assault Carriers that I painted.

I think I might use the same scheme and process on any Legions Imperialis Solar Auxilia I get.

See the Aeronautica Imperialis Valkyrie Assault Carriers workbench.

Hidden miniatures in plain view

Over on the Warhammer Community site they have previewed some exciting new terrain for Legions Imperialis.

They have also inadvertently shown us some new models for Legions Imperialis.

In the video we can see Deimos Pattern Rhino armoured vehicles.

These look like really detailed miniature models.

There’s a super heavy Solar Auxilia Baneblade tank.

Wondering what other miniatures will be released.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport

The Dracosan Armoured Transport is manufactured to standards only usually required of war machines destined for service with the Legiones Astartes. It is large enough to accommodate a full strength Solar Auxilia Infantry Section of twenty auxiliaries, and heavily armoured enough to protect them from intense enemy fire.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport

Solar Auxilia Basilisk

This Solar Auxilia Basilisk was on display at Warhammer World.

Solar Auxilia Basilisk on display at Warhammer World.
Solar Auxilia Basilisk on display at Warhammer World.

Many Solar Auxilia Cohorts maintain their own mobile artillery batteries, favouring a class ideally suited to their particular battle doctrines.

Firing from long distance, the Basilisk  can lay down a fearsome barrage ahead of the advancing ranks of the Solar Auxilia. Their hulls, derived from the Solar pattern Leman Russ, offer enhanced protection from enemy weapons and can equip a pintle-mounted weapon such as the ubiquitous multi-laser, adding a close quarters defence capability should enemy infantry advance too near.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport
Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport on display at Warhammer World.

The Dracosan Armoured Transport is manufactured to standards only usually required of war machines destined for service with the Legiones Astartes. It is large enough to accommodate a full strength Solar Auxilia Infantry Section of twenty auxiliaries, and heavily armoured enough to protect them from intense enemy fire.