AHPC Submission #20 - Legions Imperialis Infantry Assortment

Space Marines and Solar Auxilia for "Legions Imperialis" 

This was my last submission for AHPC XV - a small assortment of Legions Imperialis infantry. These are 6mm plastic figures from GW, for their rebooted game of "Epic", which allows players to recreate the battles of the Horus Heresy in grand scale! The green chaps comprise an Assault Detachment and a Terminator Detachment for the XVI Legion Astartes, the Sons of Horus. The little blue fellows are a Solar Auxilia detachment - unlike my 28mm Space Bavarians, I've no particular notion for them yet...their anonymity provides flexibility for scenario purposes - they can fight for whichever side might work for the game that night. 

Legion Astartes

Cataphractii Terminators in 6mm...still scary-looking, even at small size.

Let's start with the Sons of Horus, although there is not a ton to say...Assault Marines and Terminator Marines are grouped into smaller, supporting detachments of four stands. I thought it would be best to at least get one of each type done for my Sons of Horus. 

Even in 6mm, the Cataphractii-plated Terminators exude an ominous "f*ck around and find out" vibe. I do have to hand it to GW - even if they completely f*cked up the launch and rollout of this game, the sculpting and quality of the models is very high. 

Assault Marines ready to hop into action (sigh, lame...but...whatever...I'm tired)

The Assault Marines, with their jump packs...it is the same, I am impressed with the tiny details, even if many are beyond my brush skills. If you are a fan of the Horus Heresy setting, you will love the models (not too sure about the rules on the other hand, but that is for another blog post). 

Solar Auxilia

Ready to stand...either for, or against, The Emperor...flexibility is key...

I find the force-assembly rules of for the new Legions Imperialis rules to be a touch Byzantine, and definitely prone to causing headaches, but if I understood correctly, this batch of models would be able to represent a pretty basic detachment (sans vehicle or transport support) for the Solar Auxilia. What you see here comprises the entirety of a single sprue, save for the Sentinels, which I never got around to painting in time for this post.

Love all the crazy command figures!

Again, the figure design is great. If you are a nerd like me, you will find much to love on these tiny figures, from the assorted whacky command and support types, to the vexillary...so many (literally) small details done up nicely. 

Velatari in the foreground - with axes, natch. Regular lasrifle troops at the rear.

It's BBQ time! Mind the gap there lads...

The Auxilia count on support from Velatari...units with fancier weapons. In this case, we have chaps with power axes because of course, and fellows carrying heavy flamers because even more of course. Will a flamethrower solve that problem? Yes? Then let's send ten of them, shall we? Do tell the lads to be careful with their formation...

Charonite Ogryns all set to break things, or people, or both!

The bigger things are Charonite Ogryns. The back story is too long for here, but just imagine "ogres + combat drugs + power claws" and you pretty much have it. These are ugly models (no matter the scale), and I found them particularly difficult and frustrating to try and paint in this scale. But here they are...

 

So that was it for me with regard Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge XV (which ended back in March, but, you know, content!). Thanks for reading - watch for more painting and, hopefully, more gaming in this space through the summer of 2025!

Painting Challenge Submission #2 - Loyalist Armour for Legions Imperialis

A squadron of Imperial Fist Sicaran tanks for GW's "Legions Imperialis" game.

The 15th edition of Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is well and truly underway! Several members of the Fawcett Avenue Conscripts have been painting up a storm. It's been over a month since the Challenge got under way, and I have (of course) been delinquent in cross-posting my efforts - so time to get a bit caught up on that. 

This second submission was a little "palette cleanser" of an entry - a unit of Sicaran Tanks for GW's rebooted Epic 30k game "Legions Imperialis". These are multi-part plastic kits from GW, and they are painted in the colours of the VII Legion Astartes, the tiresome (if stoic) Imperial Fists.

Heavy plasma-type cannons in the turret and lascannons on the sponsons - this configuration is ideal for engaging armoured targets, like other vehicles or some of the scary walkers.

GW botched the rollout of this new game quite comically in 2023. While some of the issues relating to supply of models have alleviated since the game launched, you can still sense the impact of the failed release for the game in a lack of enthusiasm among the local 30k community. It would not be accurate to say nobody is playing it, but interest is quite limited and I frequently encounter hobbyists who had been keen to try it, but gave up when they could not obtain it, or subsequently gave up on it due to lack of models. I still haven't found an opponent to give the game a try - even those who have small collections have them put away, or are more focused on the main 30k game etc. 

Yellow armour for hope! You can see some of the different decal options used on the vehicles.

I remain undeterred! As an old-time fan of the original "Epic" game from GW, I am still working on a collection myself - after all, I find the models remarkable in their quality, if somewhat tricky to assemble owing to their size. There is no game or event pressing me to get moving, so my pace of painting these figures has been very, shall we say, "stately" (i.e. laughably slow). A chance to play the game will come along whenever it comes along - until then, it is fun to slowly accumulate painted forces.

Autocannons in the turret, and heavy boaters on the sponson - this configuration is primed to take out light vehicles and flyers.

One advantage of this slow pace is how it allows for time to enjoy the models. And to swear constantly at the yellow paint! The Imperial Fist colours look striking when you are finished, but wow...what a pain! Even on little tanks like these!

There are scads of different tanks for GW's Horus Heresy setting. The Sicaran tanks fit somewhere in the middle in terms of size and impact. They are pretty fast, have slighter armour, and can pick different weapons load outs to emphasize anti-personnel, anti-tank or a mix of both. One model has a vehicle commander popped out of the hatch, so it can serve as a command tank should such a thing be needed in the game.

That's all for this submission - after all, it was just a "palette cleanser" - but I hope to get caught up here on the Fawcett Blog over the next little bit. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out everyone's tremendous work over at the AHPC Painting Challenge page!

A Couple More LI Tanks

Kratos tanks for the Imperial Fists in Legions Imperialis. Plastic kits from GW.

It's been...what...well, a quite the "little while" since my last post here. I have no good excuse - and I have been painting, really! Just have been quite put-things-off when it comes to getting useful photos of the output, and the procrastination has certainly been adding up time-wise. Well, let's try again to break that habit! Just a small post to get things started - a pair of tanks for Legions Imperialis, GW's "Epic" reboot which was released last year. These are Kratos heavy (ish?) tanks, painted in the colours of the VII Legion Astartes, the Imperial Fists.

Top view of the tank mounting the big meta-thing...looks like a fun weapon, very "30k". 

I use the term "heavy (ish?)" not because the Kratos is in any way a light vehicle - you can probably tell by all of the weapons, it is not a light tank at all. But it is also still smaller than the Fellblades and Glaives, so I guess one way to look at it is that this is the heaviest tank the Space Marine Legions can access - for now. 

View showing the standard battle cannon. I mounted a commander in the cupola of this one, to mark it as a "command tank" should such a thing be needed in the game. 

I've said it before with the Legions Imperialis models - they can be a touch fiddly (assembling the sponsons is tricky AF and should not be attempted near any sort of carpet), but holy cow, they are very, very nice little models. There are two main weapon options, and for this pair of loyalist tanks I decided to take the "one of each" approach - one tank sporting the generally-standard battle cannon, and the other rocking the shorter-ranged-but-harder-hitting "melta blast gun" because, well, had to try it out on one tank, right?

Lots and lots of weapons...all pretty much anti-tank, as that is how I see these being used in a game...

Just to get back one more time to the details, the choice you have in terms of how you want to kit out your little tanks is incredible. You get the choice of using either auto cannons or lascannons for smaller front turrets, and the choice between lascannons or heavy bolters for the sponson mounts. They are small, they are tricky, but the models are gorgeous. 

"It's like anti-tank, but closer..."

These hitters will provide a bit of a boost to my small Imperial Fist detachment for LI, but the painting progress as ever on this game is just quite...leisurely. I haven't even had a chance to try the game yet, owing to work and travel, and the still-very-much-in-progress attempts to connect with fellow gamers here in Toronto. So I don't see it as a big rush, and it is fun to just take my time at one of two vehicles or a few infantry at-a-go, and the forces build up slowly. I'm hoping the next edition of Curt's Painting Challenge will provide a good impetus to get more LI stuff finished (although, I am thinking that for like six different projects, so we'll see). 

That's all for now - but stay tuned for more (really!) - thanks for reading. 

Some More Legions Imperialis Painting

Tactical detachment and Land Raiders for the Imperial Fists - for GW's Legions Imperialis.

More random painting from the summer, back once more to the (relatively) new "Legions Imperialis" from GW. Here we have another tactical detachment and a pair of Land Raiders, painted in the colours of the VII Legion Astartes, the Imperial Fists. 

The models are...well, obviously, they are very small! But as I have mentioned previously, the detail is really something. Just use caution/patience when assembling them. 

Bog-standard tactical marines, ready to stand for The Emperor (the fools). 

A command stand for the tactical unit. 

The four bases of infantry comprise a Space Marine tactical unit - this is the most basic Space Marine infantry element in the game, taking up a space on the force chart. 

More wee Marines...

The Land Raiders are classic vehicles, and the models are great, although it seems like they can only be taken as an option to carry troops, and not on their own as armoured vehicles. I might have misunderstood the rules - but if this is the case, that is kind of dumb. But then, confusion is easy, given that rules for Land Raiders were not even included in the original set. Peak GW. 

The classic Space Marine vehicle...a Land Raider. Beautiful little plastic models.

With this second tactical detachment painted, I can at last field a basic "Legion Demi-Company" for the Loyalist side. It's a nice marker to pass, but my painted Legions Imperialis collection is still very, very small, and my pace of painting the models continues to be very relaxed, even languid. 

Second Lander Raider...with a commander in the hatch, just to mark out a command vehicle, should such an identifier become necessary

I am hoping the pace of painting might pick up this fall - but, oddly, I have found that I am enjoying painting these figures and models is very small batches. I don't know that the extra time or attention does much in terms of how they turn out, but, crazy as it seems, it is kind of fun to paint these little plastic Space Marines in batches of two and three at a time, and the little tanks in batches of one and two at the time.

Loyalist armour, ready to clank off toward their inevitable doom in some futile resistance against the Glorious Warmaster...

I have not yet had the chance to try Legions Imperialis, but all of the feedback I have observed and heard from friends indicates that "stuff dies quick", and so my small number of models painted to date would not amount to much or last very long in a game (although this possibly would change if I included groups of Knights or a Titan from my AT18 collection).  But I at least now have two opposing "legal" forces I could put on the table to try the game out sometime...watch for more, maybe in the fall!

That's all for now - thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more random summer painting posts.

Sons of Horus Heavy Armour for LI

Let's roll for hope! XVI Legion Astartes Land Raiders and Kratos tanks. 

Getting back to the steady accumulation of painted models for GW's new "Legions Imperialis" game. Here we have a small selection of armour painted in the colors of the XVI Legion Astartes, the Sons of Horus. These are all multi-part plastic kits from GW's new LI model range. 

Land Raiders

Sons of Horus Land Raider, with a commander in the cupola, useful way of marking a "command tank" should such a designation be required.

The lack of Land Raiders in the Legions Imperialis starter box was just baffling - just one of many baffling GW decisions related to this game. But the models did get released eventually, and credit where credit is due - they are marvelous. Are they small and fiddly to assemble? Well, yes. But this "Epic", after all, so that kind of goes with the territory. If you don't enjoy small models...well, no worries, we all have our preferences!

But if you do like this scale and this setting, I think you will really love these models. The Land Raider is a classic Space Marine tank, and it's great to have some of these for the new collection. The details are just fantastic. I won't claim assembly was "fun" - but then, I am not a patient model builder! I can say, however, that painting these up was fun.

Another view of the models showing some of the engine exhaust and top decking detail.

Rules for these vehicles are NOT available in the starter box rule books (f***ing twats - back to baffling decisions, but I digress). They came out in a specific Beta-Garmon supplement for LI. But from what I can tell, Land Raiders appear to be available only as a troop-carrying option? If true, that is just...dumb...but it is easily ignored for games among friends, so not the end the of the world. 

Kratos Tanks

Some big guns on big tracks for the Sons of Horus.

The Kratos - it is the big "new" tank for the Space Marines of the Horus Heresy/Age of Darkness setting. Maybe it isn't "new" anymore, but it still feels "new" to an old grognard like me! 

Once more, a commander in one of the cupolas.

Again, the detail on these models is remarkable. Is it fun or easy to assemble such small bits? I guess it depends on what you find "fun" about the hobby. For me, it was a challenge, but worth it in the end. These are remarkable little kits, and a game like "Legions Imperialis" will provide the right scale to deploy groups of them on a table. 

These are very small modes, of course...but the quality of the kits overall is really something. 

My painting for this new game has been...well, let's just describe the pace as "relaxed". Even though I am very keen to try the game, I just haven't been that quick to get a lot of stuff painted. For all that, the Sons of Horus are coming along nicely, and I now have a "legal" force painted up, with a "Demi-company" at the core, and a variety of supporting vehicles to chip in. Add in some Knights or a Warhound Titan, and they are more than set for a game. Just need to get some more Loyalists finished off...watch this space. 

That's all for now - thanks for reading, and hope you are having a nice summer wherever you are. 

Legions Imperialis - Sicaran Tanks for the Sons of Horus

A detachment of Sicaran tanks, ready to prowl the gaming table in support of the Warmaster's war of liberation...

When you manage to obtain a "Legions Imperialis" starter box, you are likely to really love the models, but maybe be a little...perplexed...at the inclusion of four Sicaran tanks, niche vehicle designs of relatively recent design for GW's "Horus Heresy" setting. Like, why no Land Raiders? Well, whatever...even if it's an odd choice to include in the core starter box, the Sicaran tanks ARE very, very cool vehicles in the 30k setting, and the models are really, really neat. Naturally, given my collection preferences, I opted to paint the first ones I assembled for the XVI Legion Astartes, the Sons of Horus. 

Similar to the Predators, you have choice of weapons for the turret and for the sponsons. The classic twin-autocannon loadout, in addition to providing some terrifying fire support, is also intended (I think, at least) to serve as an AA weapon against flyers in the game. The plasma loadout, meanwhile, give this tank a powerful anti-tank capability. 

A "classic" Sicaran loadout - with a commander in a cupola to signify a squadron leader, should such a marker be needed on the table.

The choice of main weapon can be augmented by choice or either lascannons or heavy bolters for the sponsons. In all, you can opt for a Sicaran that is designed to wreck other tanks, or a more classic Sicaran that is designed to wreck enemy infantry and light vehicles - and (I think) aircraft. With this detachment of four tanks I opted to split the difference, with two each of an anti-tank and more classic anti-infantry weapon selection. 

I think these are called "Omega plasma arrays" (or something, I can't recall exactly) but the main takeaway: big time anti-tank firepower.

Assembly of these models can be tricky - there are some very, very small components on these sprues. All of the usual warnings about building these little models on or near a carpet - especially one of any shade that matches the grey plastic - definitely apply. But as with the Rhinos, and with the Predators, the quality and detail of these little kits is really remarkable, and as long as you are a little careful and a little patient (both areas where I struggle, but still), you are going to end up with a great little bit of 30k kit. 

Another view of the detachment, showing some the detail on the rear deck and engines. 

I might have the terms wrong, I think these can comprise a "medium armour detachment" for the Space Marine Legions, which can be added on to the various formations (such as the Legion Demi Company). And Legions Imperialis holds the promise of letting players use the Sicaran tanks in the fashion they are intended - a fast moving tank option, faster and hitting harder than Predators, but slower and hitting a little less than the various versions of the Land Raiders. 

That's all for now - thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more!

Some Legions Imperialis Loyalists

A brewing little "demi company" formation for the Imperial Fists in Legions Imperialis.

"Legions Imperialis", GW's (much-delayed) reboot of the classic Epic game, has been out for months now - and I haven't even tried the game yet! There are reasons for this, most of which I can't control. For one, it is very, very challenging to acquire the models. For another, the order in which GW is choosing to release these models is, at best, perplexing - the Solar Auxilia, for example, still do not have the troop-carrying models (unless you count those stupid little Arvus Lighters - and I don't). But there is another block - not having the stuff painted - and that is not on GW, that's on me! I did a few bits for the Sons of Horus, during the most recent edition of the Painting Challenge, but there are no opponents on my shelves. Time to change that! We get a bit of progress to share here, with this small batch of Loyalist Space Marines painted in the colours of the VII Legion Astartes, the Imperial Fists. 

To get a force on to the table, I need to get a legal "formation" together, and the most basic and flexible one for the Space Marines is the "Demi Company". We have some (but not all) of the basic elements for such a formation here - an HQ stand, a tactical detachment and a light armour detachment, with Rhino APCs to provide a lift for the infantry. 

A Space Marine HQ stand - and a ride for the boss!

The HQ element is just a single stand (if dramatic). The GW sculptors have faithfully recreated all of the favourite Space Marine HQ figures - the Praetor, the banner, the medic, and a couple of "veteran" marines with bolters. I don't know that this one stand will do much in a game, but you need to have one - and it is fun to try and paint all of these little characters.

The basic tactical detachment, with a pair of Rhino APCs for a ride.

The basic tactical detachment is comprised of the four infantry stands. Various elements can be added to beef it up, but the little group of 20 tactical marines is the core element. I'll need another one of these to round out the formation - especially as, by all accounts, stuff dies in piles really fast in this game - but at least the first one is done!

Tactical chaps with their ride...

The Rhinos will be key to get these little chaps around the table - and of course, they are iconic bits of kit! Unfortunately, they are very difficult to come by in any reliable fashion. I am rationing the ones I was able to score between the Sons of Horus and the Imperial Fists I am working to paint up, and keeping my eyes peeled for more boxes of them. I should note that I don't necessarily think I you will need tons of the things, but I want some bulky infantry detachments, and Rhinos to transport them. 

The battle-taxi of the Horus Heresy battlefied...

(Product note - of course, you can also use the Land Raiders and Spartans to transport the Marines, but the rules for those vehicles were not in the main rule book...they are in "the Great Slaughter"; I'm sure it's not hard to track even scans or details down, but FFS GW, why do you have to be absolute twats about this kind of thing? It certainly points to what a f*cked up set-up that surely exists in that Company...)

Predator light-armour detachment. 

These models have fiddly bits...but wow, these kits really are something.

Then we have three Predators, classic bits of light armour for the Space Marines. You have choice of weapons on these vehicles (the kits are tricky with small, fiddly bits, but wow, they are remarkable) - and it should be noted you get a double dose of turrets, so you can swap those out if you like! I opted to build two of the tanks with an AT weapon loadout (all lascannons), and a single tank with the classic auto-cannon/heavy bolter sponson loadout. 

That's all for now - but stay tuned for more, including (hopefully) more progress on Legions Imperialis models, as I really can't wait to try this game! 

AHPC Submission #4 - Legions Imperialis Light Armour

A small gathering of small tanks...APCs and light armour for the Sons of Horus in "Legions Imperialis".

Two posts for today. Two! They are sort of the same, but also very different! After all, painting a single setting in multiple scales is totally normal, and not at all a sign of hobby insanity, right? Right? Well, whatever. We will start small, in the physical sense, with this submission of some wee little Space Marine armour vehicles. We have a group of Rhino APCs, the all-purpose armoured troop carriers of the Space Marines, and also a squadron of Predators, light tanks of the Space Marine Legions painted in the noble colours of the XVI Legion Astartes, the Sons of Horus. These are plastic models from GW's re-launched Epic game, "Legions Imperialis".

Why walk when you can drive?

My last submission touching on this game shared quite a bit of feedback and many thoughts about GW and how they have handled the rollout of this new-old game. I stand by all of it - although I concede the Legions Imperialis rollout looks like a Formula One race compared to the absolute dogsh*t hash they have managed to make of the launch of "Warhammer: The Old World, but I digress...

Trio of Rhino APCs.

These vehicles offer a chance to ponder some of the great positives of the new Legions Imperialis game. First and foremost, these models (assuming you were able to acquire any) are quite fantastic. I cannot say they are a joy to build - after all, the parts are, in many cases, very, very, very small, and you do NOT want to assemble these on or near any sort of carpet into which, say, the very small exhausts would surely disappear into should you drop them. But these models ARE remarkable in their lovely detail, and of how you receive a rather crazy number of options for things like pintle-mounted weapon options, and multiple weapon options for the tanks.

The 28mm unit symbols come in handy on the top hatches of the APCs.

GW can be infuriating. But GW can also do some remarkable things with figures, and these little tanks are, in my view, very much in the latter camp (although, as I said, trying to acquire them will lead you on a bewildering journey through the former). 

Anti-personnel configuration on the Predator - autocannon in the turret, and heavy bolters on the sponson.

Remarkable detail on these very small models.

I also give them full marks for the decals included with the kits. Are they very small and difficult to handle? Well, yes they are...but really, given the scale of the vehicles here, there was no other way to make them, and I would much rather have the decal sheet, and brave some frustration, than not have the little decals at all. The models also offer opportunities to use small decals from set intended for the 28mm figures, which keen GW fans will surely have spotted on the top hatches of the APCs indicating broadly the different roles of the Marines on board.

AT configuration on this one - laser cannons everywhere...and a commander with a heavy bolter for extra fun to mark this vehicle out as the squadron commander.

Each APC can carry ten Space Marines, or at this scale, two stands' worth of the little wee Space Marine figures. Here in this submission we have sufficient number of troop carriers here to mount up a basic detachment of Space Marine tactical infantry, backed by support and heavy support troops.

Love the small decals for the turret and back hatches.

 

GW's model kit for the Predators offers different weapon choices such that the vehicles can be configured for AT work (the twin-lascannons on the turret) or heavy anti-personnel work (the single autocannon turret). Similar choices can be made for the sponson weapons.  Again, not easy to assemble, but remarkable detail, remarkable to have the choice at all. Some maniacs out there are even using tiny magnets such that the weapons can be swapped on and off...such lunacy is not for me, but that it is even being attempted is clearly a testament to how impressive these small models are. And that magnet people are bonkers. 

 

That is all for now - thanks for reading, stay tuned for more - and be sure to check out the amazing work of the Conscripts during the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. 

AHPC Submission #2 - Legions Imperialis - Painting and Ranting

A detachment of Space Marines for the "Legiones Imperialis" game from GW. Or maybe this is a "formation"? Whatever.

For my second submission to AHPC XIV, I combined this modest assortment of very, very small Space Marines and some of the slightly-less-small-but-still-small Dreadnoughts which support them in battlem with my thoughts on the return of "Epic", which has returned under the (comically absurd) title "Legions Imperialis", but which long-suffering fans of the company's maligned "specialist games" simply recognize by the name "Epic". These figures are painted (of course) in the colours of the XVI Legion Astartes, the Sons of Horus.

Space Marine Legion command stand.

I am a HUGE fan of GW's "Epic" game, and of the setting in which the game takes place, the so-called "Horus Heresy". This game first appeared in the 90s as "Space Marine" and would appear and re-appear in different forms over the years in various names, including "Epic", "Epic: 40,000" and finally "Epic: Armageddon". It disappeared under GW's clown-addled leadership circa 2008 or somewhere in there with the other so-called "specialist games" of the day, but fans kept a candle burning - and kept playing - all through the subsequent years.

A couple of the dreadnoughts; you get two on each sprue of Space Marine infantry.

And lo and behold, the game did arise and return! You would think a fan like me would be just thrilled, and this post would be brimming with enthusiasm...but...well, that is just not the vibe I have with this game. 

Why is my vigour and passion for this game at such a low ebb at the very moment of its return to the commercial scene? Who knows? I can think of a few things contributing to my much-dimmed enthusiasm...let's review some of them...

A look at unit of tactical marines. Or maybe a formation of them. Or maybe a detachment. Or maybe a group. Bottom line - there are 20 little tactical marines there.

Maybe it was the years and-years-long delay to essentially re-launch the game, wasting time to re-do rules when they already had them, and simply had to re-issue them, but instead sat there for years in the studio getting wanked around through GW's constipated product process... 

Maybe it was the completely unnecessary "re-scale" of the figures, just to try and f*ck over the old time collectors?

Wee little heavy support marines.

Maybe it was the extra months-long delay in the actual release of the game, caused by some unknown f*ckup within GW's painfully slow corporate processes. 

Tactical support marines...they have plasma guns...or, at least, I know they do...not sure what they might look like to most normal people...

Maybe it was GW's tone-deaf decision to continue with their drone-like promotional roll-out for the game even after this Air-Canada-sized additional delay was confirmed, when every single announcement was met with a chorus of "WHEN WILL YOU RELEASE IT?" and GW never saw fit to answer that basic question (although it still mustered the resources to generate a corporate graphic pouting about this feedback, which just says so much, but anyway). 

The LI game had been meant for release in August, but was delayed at the last minute, and no date was given. This was GW's hilarious and tone-deaf response to the venting of fans being fed months of promotional photos for the models and rules, while having no actual date on when said models or rules would be released. When a corporation says "we hear you", they generally, absolutely, have not. The game finally did arrive in mid-December.

Maybe it was the drip of tiresome online content from "influencers" who get these things sent to them in advance while the rest of us plebs must content with GW's Kafka-like online pre-ordering system. This systems exists on GW's POS "upgraded" online store, and it is truly a marvel that, in the age of online product ordering, GW found a way to spend money creating an online platform where one must be in an online queue in order to join another online queue! 

Not only does this waste your time, but it ensures that most people will either not get access to the product, which sells out in minutes. Fans who miss out face the choice of a) having no product, or, b) trying to get it from a FLGS, and hope said FLGS itself was not itself f*cked over by GW shorting its orders, or, c) dealing with douchebag scalpers online, or, d) waiting for GW to replenish its stock. Note, this stock, if and when it appears will again sell out in minutes while you struggle to log in to the "new" POS web store, because somehow a company that must sell stuff to make a living is yet utterly unable to reliably stock and supply the stuff it wants to sell?

Step 1: join the queue to...be in another queue.

Step 2: after the first queue, wait in the second queue, while the product sells out online without you.

Maybe it was the fact that, having navigated the above, the new updated rules, once they arrive, are a total B-team effort in terms of presentation, combining tiny fonts and wasting vast amounts of page space?

Maybe it was the fact that, once you hurt your eyes and start reading, you find rules which probably contain a good game, but read as though they were written by an AI chat bot trained on a blend of EU climate treaties and a cut-and-paste of the "Patrol Phase" from Chain of Command? Why are the concepts of "formation" and "detachment" mixed up? Why do they call turns "rounds" when they should be called "turns"? Why do they try to make "overwatch" a verb? It's not a verb. Nobody, anywhere, "overwatches". Seriously what f*cking Sports Illustrated chat bot wrote this book?

A look at a single stand of assault marines.

Maybe it was the fact that the c*nts, having taken years to develop the game, did not include rules or stats for Land Raiders or Whirlwinds or so many of the other basic main vehicles in the core rules?

Maybe it was the fact that the new infantry models, while being "larger", somehow still contain both seriously unfortunate "cuts" that leave weird look on the tactical marines when seen from certain angles, but are ALSO often multi-part? I mean - take one approach, or the other...but both? That is weird, I don't get it.

Multi-part epic scale Space Marines. "I have always wanted multi-part figures this small" said nobody, ever, anywhere.

Maybe it was that one thing that wargamers loathe the most, even more than changing the scale of the figures...it was THE BASES. GW has attempted, with this new game, to change not only the basing size and shape (to round 25mm for basic stuff), but also saw fit to include only bases with "scenic" pavement/urban elements sculpted right into them, and...I despise them. I enjoy a game set in an urban-type terrain, but while a miniature with relatively generic "outdoor" terrain looks fine in an "urban" wargame setting, a figure with specific urban terrain built on to its base looks ridiculous on any other kind of terrain...

More dreadnoughts. You can see here an example of the Imperial symbol from the "pavement"...I let that peak through, but otherwise try to cover up the pavement.

...and let's continue the rant here. The pavements on the bases are not even broken up or anything. They are just random flagstone pavements so...like, the lines, which are visible, don't even necessarily match whatever given piece of "urban" terrain the model/figure might be placed on, causing immediate dissonance even if you do paint them up and then place them on GW's custom urban terrain plates (which you probably could not manage to buy as they sold out while you waited in an online queue to join another online queue)...

...let me just cover one more time how much I hate the bases....yeah...it must be the bases. F*ck these new, thin, stupid bases.

I did make an honest attempt to at least try to use them, but that lasted less than 24 hours before I was applying basing material to cover the stupid pavements, leaving the odd imperial symbol peaking out. 

A look at the Terminators

Is it all bad? Well, no, of course not. The game is back. It took forever, but it IS back. I think the rules will be good once I get them translated into English. The new models are fiddly, but they have many, many nice features (if you can find them for sale anywhere), and while I may not be a huge fan of multi-part 6mm infantry, once cannot argue with the detail it does allow for, assuming your temper can survive assembling them. Warning - do NOT build these anywhere near a floor with a carpet...

I think there is some great stuff here, but I totally get why people are turning en-masse to 3D printing options, as GW can't even get its sh*t together to sell you the stuff if you even want to buy it. I WANT to be a fan of this game, I don't understand why GW insists on treating customers in this manner when it simply doesn't have to...how does this company, which is publicly traded, not have an activist investor not lining up to beat this management group into small pieces? 

And, of course, whatever problems I have had acquiring "Legions Imperialis" pale to those experienced by the folks keen to get their hands on the Warhammer Fantasy re-boot, "The Old World", which was a complete hash...but perhaps more on that another time...

Group photo, one more time!

 

I hope to have more to say and share about "Legions Imperialis" in future posts. And throughout this edition of the Challenge, I do hope to paint more of these new models and build up some forces to try a game sometime. The rules ARE a very hard read, but I think they are quite good (not as good as "Epic: Armageddon" - but still good). In the meantime, the painting continues, be sure to check out the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge through the winter, as various Conscripts continue to pile up the points!