AHPC Submission #19 - "Bavarian" Solar Auxilia for Horus Heresy

Solar Auxilia ready to take their place in the battle line! These are 28mm multi-part plastic figures from GW.

In GW's "Horus Heresy" setting, the terrifying Space Marine Legions are supported in their military conquest efforts by (naturally) some Auxiliaries - known as the "Solar Auxilia". These human soldiers are more "normal" - they are not genetically modified super-soldiers like the Space Marines, but are nonetheless well-trained, well-armed and well-equipped, ready to support the Space Marines on the flanks, or stand in their stead the best they can when the Space Marines cannot be present at all. 

These figures for my 19th submission to AHPC XV are the new multi-part plastic Solar Auxilia figures from GW's "Age of Darkness" figure range.

Fix bayonets!

While the "lore" of the Space Marine Legions contains many well-established notions, the concepts for their auxiliaries are way more wide-open. Each Legion is known for specific Auxiliary cohorts to support them, but really you can go crazy just making up your own stuff, which is fun. I have painted Solar Auxilia in earlier editions of the Painting Challenge, back when the figure range was limited to resin sculpts from the Forge World studio, but I wanted to do something a little different with these newer plastics...something different...why not some Space Bavarians???

Close of up some of the basic troops.

The "void armour" has the look of an undersea dive suit...I just love it. 

Lots of grenades and other bits to be found...and I also love the whacky bellows-type air/atmosphere system on the back...just awesome sculpts.

Challenge Participant Nick (MartinN) is always wowing us with his stunning brushwork, particularly when he tackles a Roman subject. Since the factions of GW's "Age of Darkness" ape the format and nomenclature of the Roman Legions of old, I hoped Nick might get a kick out of seeing these far-distant-future auxiliaries with their battle plate bearing Bavarian clue colours. 

Auxiliary with Vox Interlock (aka radio thing)

Bonkers vexillary, just to make everything whacky!

The new plastic Solar Auxilia range is...well, more than anything, I'm still shocked that GW went ahead with it! I was sure the Solar Auxilia would remain a fringe faction, trapped in Forge World's resign ghetto. How wrong I was! A substantial portion of the Solar Auxilia range is now available in plastic, which is great - even if GW continues to make baffling decisions, such as releasing the utterly pointless Arvus Lighter in plastic even as we await for other, more basic vehicles and figures to be available...

Love the officer sculpt! Such whacky character.

Why is that grenade yellow? I'm sure it's all about...safety...yes...safety....

GW also managed to trip over its own feet when it comes to the instructions for these figures...there are errors in the instructions, while some components on the plastic sprues are missing a number...working through these models for the first time can be a real pain in the @ss, with heavy resort to searches of online forums to see explanations from other hobbyists...as GW itself almost never admits it f*cked up, much less corrects it...

"Stand to!"

But hey, even I'm trying to keep the glass half-full, and I am loving all of the plastic Solar Auxilia models! In fact, I had "planned" to paint a lot more during AHPC XV. These Lasrifle sections can have as many as 20 soldiers...but my painting pace has been pretty slow during this edition of the Challenge, and unfortunately I won't be able to finish all 20 of the troops (or any of their supporting vehicles or commanders - oh well). But here are 13 of them...maybe a "lucky number" to kick off this collection, with the hopes of adding to them in future Challenge editions :) 

The under-strength lasrifle section so far...

For scoring purposes, we have 13 different 28mm foot figures...good enough for 65 points! I'm hoping to be able to get maybe one more submission...fingers crossed...but thanks for reading. And thanks to Nick for the inspiration! Watch for the ranks of this terrifying Bavarian Solar Auxiliary Cohort to grow in the future...

Just ONE more AHPC post for this year, coming soon! Thanks for reading and cheers!

New Year's Game - Horus Heresy Siege of Terra!

We usually host a lunch and big game on New Year's Day each year. However, this year the schedules didn't quite work out for January 1, so we postponed the game until January 7.

Many of the Conscripts and their significant others were able to make it out for the lunch, a delicious roast pork loin with vegetables and salad prepared by the amazing Pam (in apron). After stuffing ourselves silly with food, we (eventually) retired downstairs to Conscript HQ where the terrain had been laid out for the game - a Horus Heresy extravaganza using the 40K 8th edition rules and the excellent codex material from the forums at http://heresy30k.invisionzone.com/login/

I further amortized the trench terrain by laying out an 8'x4' table for the Loyalists to defend. The board was 30K'd up a bit with slurm tanks, billboards, statuary, a comms mast, and some Gothic looking ruins, not to mention a bit of Conscript trademark scatter terrain...

Terra would be defended by Conscript Mike's excellent looking Imperial Fists...

...supported by Conscript Greg's superb Solar Auxilia.

"God Box 2.0" makes an appearance, along with the Solar Auxilia commander "Marshall Facecane".

Nasty Imperial Fists Terminator squad "supporting the front line" behind a slurm tanks :-)

First wave of Iron Warriors and World Eaters attackers roll on. The Traitor objectives were the tanks at centre left, the comms mast on the ridge, and the statue column at centre top.

There's not a ton that you might consider "broken" in 30K but if anything comes close, it's the Iron Warriors Siege Tyrants at top left...

Racks spit out two krak missiles (or 2d6 frag missiles!!) PER MODEL per shooting phase... that's a ton of hurt heading downrange.

Defending Terra all day really works up a thirst! Fortunately there are ample tanks around to feed the Slurm machine.

Iron Warriors reinforcements arrive, in the form of a large tactical squad and Leviathan Siege Dreadnought (ooooh yeah!)

Massive traitor firepower facing off against the newly arrived Imperial Fists Land Raider Armoured Proteus (top right).

Warriors hop out of their Rhinos ready to assault the trenches.

But then... oh crap... Imperial Knight arrives.

It's great fun to take off the top of the ridge and play in the tunnels underneath. Infil-traitors under the bunkers!

Loyalist Sicaran is taking fire as a Traitor Rhino moves to block off the tunnel entrance.

A good view of Mike's Contemptor and Land Raider.
 

Iron Warriors approaching the trenches. Solar Auxilia are tougher than they look, especially when overcharging their lasrifles.

Siege Tyrants look right at home, don't they?

Iron Warriors have taken the frontline trench!

Terminators scramble to interdict the Traitor Marines in the tunnels. Sadly they would fail their charge roll with a double 1 - not the only charge that was failed that afternoon either!

Sadly for the Traitors their assault just stalled as time was called. It has to be admitted that we seldom actually finish one of these huge game, but they sure are cool to look at! Lots of stuff blew up, and I think the game pointed out to both Mike and me what we need to do with our respective forces. Mike came out with a bit over 100 power levels and I think he realized that he needs more BIG GUNZ :-)

The Iron Warriors, on the other hand, can muster close to 200 power levels and lots of big guns, but I think I need to paint some more boots. Most of my points are tied up in the 10-man Siege Tyrant squad (44 power levels by itself!) and the Typhon represents 26 or 27 as well.

Anyway I think we all had a fun time having lunch with friends, and playing with some amazing toys on some beautiful terrain, and isn't that what this hobby is all about! So thanks to everybody for coming out, to Greg and Mike for bringing their toys, and to Conscript Frederick for taking some great pictures!