Legions Imperialis is here. The older Warhammer players among you, like myself, may recognise this as a rebranded version of Epic 40K, which pulled out the scope and focused on entire armies over a handful of units, with a smaller sized model to fit them all on the table. But specialist games are now getting the Astra Militarum treatment too, with a new name and identity. Oh, and it’s set ten millennia before Epic, too.
Yes, Legions Imperialis is tiny 30K. That means 6mm scale Contemptor Dreadnoughts, Malcadors, and Solar Auxilia. But who would I be kidding if I said the main draw was anything but Warhammer’s cheapest titan.
Obviously the two Warhounds included with the Legions Imperialis box are also Workshop’s smallest titans, but that doesn’t stop them from being incredibly cool to build and paint. They’re also currently available in a big boxed set which is great value in itself, but a lot for two titans that are smaller than dreadnoughts. I’m sure they’ll be available individually after a little while, once Legions Imperialis has taken off, and then can truly take the mantle of cheapest titan.
I opted to paint my tiny toys as Sons of Horus, seeing as I once attempted a 30K force of the OG traitors. All the tiny Space Marines and Solar Auxilia are single-piece models, only needing to be attached five at a time to a base. Vehicles and Dreadnoughts are a doddle to build, and the only technically tricky one is the Titan itself.
Despite its small size, the Warhounds are pretty straightforward to build. I only fell into one trap, where the instructions don’t tell you to add a little lid to the crossbeam that becomes the machine’s shoulders. I’ll paint those up separately and slot them into the finished build though, and it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Tip: I remembered one important piece of advice from my old painting days: Two. Thin. Coats.
This is my first attempt at painting in nearly a decade – I stopped buying new Warhammer when I finished university, and any unfinished projects languished since then – but I’ve slowly been getting back into the hobby. At first it was vicarious, listening to podcasts and checking out new releases. Then it was reminiscent, thinking back to armies of old. Then I began converting again, my favourite part of the hobby. But Legions Imperialis’ Warhound Titans have got me back into painting.
It’s a rough job, I’m out of practice, but there’s something about painting a Titan that’s on every hobbyist’s bucket list. Sure, some people want to make a diorama featuring two full-sized Warlord Titans, but I’m happy to settle for a miniature Warhound. As I layered thin coats of paint, dry fitted the parts, and saw the whole thing come together, there was a palpable excitement that you just don’t get with painting a regular Space Marine.
The level of detail on the models is stunning. The Titans nearly reach 28mm Dreadnought size, so it’s no surprise that Games Workshop excels here, but even the tiniest Solar Auxilia and Space Marine models are packed with detail, and I’m sure better painters than I will spend their time picking out eyes and edge highlighting the tiniest armour pieces. This is truly a box set that lets you field a ferocious force and, unlike some other boxes or games, you get everything you need to set up a strong army right off the bat.
I’ve not had a chance to play a game of Legions Imperialis yet, but the joy of building and painting the models has been plenty for me. If it’s anything like the Adeptus Titanicus rules, which really sold the rumbling engines and chaotic vibes of piloting a humongous mech as you belch smoke into the atmosphere and fire Plasma Annihilators into opposing vehicles, then it’ll be great.
Legions Imperialis might be the most cost effective way to get into Warhammer, and is definitely the cheapest way to get into 30K, which still requires a serious Forge World investment if you want an interesting and varied force. But most importantly, with Titanicus seemingly abandoned and perpetually out of stock, it’s the cheapest way to get your hands on Warhammer’s most iconic machine spirit, a Titan of your very own.
Warhammer Legions Imperialis is available to pre-order today, and releases December 2. Thanks to Games Workshop for sending us these miniatures.