For the most titanic, table-shaking battles you’ll see from the Age of Darkness, nothing beats Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Legions Imperialis. This exhilarating game of enormous, world-ending battles zooms right out to give you a command-level view of the battlefield, with entire companies of infantry scurrying about as armoured squadrons tear across blasted terrain and looming Titans vaporise entire columns of tanks.
There’s a lot to take in from the release of an entirely new game, so rules writer Tom is on hand to lay out the 10 most important things you’ll want to know – from army construction to size of the miniatures.
An Age of Darkness
Legions Imperialis is set during the Horus Heresy, and grand warfare is its bread and butter. Those vast battles you’ve read about? Now you can recreate them in spectacular glory, fielding entire companies of your favourite Space Marine Legion at once as you battle for the future of Humanity.
Epic Scale
Legions Imperialis is ‘epic scale’, the same as Adeptus Titanicus and Aeronautica Imperialis. Combine your models into a grand host, supplementing your Legiones Astartes or Solar Auxilia with the god-engines of the Mechanicum and more – all the better to lay waste to your foes.
General’s Eye View
On the battlefield, Detachments – equivalent to the individual ‘units’ in other Warhammer games – operate according to the Orders assigned to them each round. Orders are initially hidden when issued, meaning you’ll have to predict what your opponent’s plan is and devise your own strategy to counter.
Non-stop Action
The activation of Detachments alternates, meaning you move or fire a Detachment, then your opponent does, and so on. You’re always in the thick of battle, adjusting plans as you go to seize advantages that present themselves.
Unrelenting War
The battlefields of the 31st Millennium are dangerous places. Titans will annihilate entire squadrons of tanks in a single barrage only to be felled in turn by strafing aircraft. Games of Legions Imperialis are visceral affairs where scores of warriors are killed in a single round, so make every moment they’re alive count!
Conquer the Battlefield
In every game of Legions Imperialis, your Primary Mission is to capture Objective markers, with their value determined by the mission being played. Victory Points are earned at the end of each round, meaning you can’t focus purely on eradicating your foe or they may just snatch victory from the jaws of apparent defeat.
Combined Arms
Strategic decisions begin before the battle – the army you field is just as important. Infantry are the best for capturing Objectives while vehicles and super-heavies are hardier and deadlier. Each Detachment has its role and it's up to you to utilise them in the best possible way.
A Weapon for Every Situation
Just as each Detachment has a role, so too do the weapons they are armed with. Assault cannons mow down infantry but can’t scratch a Titan, while Lascannons are best used against vehicles. In Legions Imperialis, you must choose your targets wisely to get the full worth of your arsenals.
Flexible Army Building
Armies in Legions Imperialis revolve around ‘Formations’. Each Formation is essentially an entire Horus Heresy - The Age of Darkness army, giving you lots of freedom in how you build your force. Want a Legiones Astartes army mounted entirely in gunships for an aerial assault? You can do that! Solar Auxilia super-heavy tank company? Yep! There’s a myriad of options and more to come in the future, allowing you to build the grand army of your hobby dreams.
Choose your Battlefield
Use the battlefield terrain to your advantage – garrison buildings with infantry, conceal flanking elements behind ruined city sectors, or push your tank squadrons down roads for added speed. A plethora of terrain types have rules, taking you from crumbling hive cities to thick jungles, lava fields and beyond. Oh, and you can blow up buildings with the right weapons… or a Titan fist!
Thanks guys! If you want to learn more about Legions Imperialis, head over to the dedicated webpage to see what’s in the positively stuffed launch box, and catch more details as they come in. There’ll be plenty more to see in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes trained on Warhammer Community – a closer look at the awesome, incredibly detailed miniatures is on the cards later this week, and you won’t want to miss it.