With excitement for epic scale skirmishes in the Age of Darkness reaching fever pitch, it would be easy to overlook news for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – especially when the subject of that news is the airborne underdog of the Divisio Aeronautica.
The Arvus Lighter is back, and when the quagmire gets too thick for even tanks to crawl through, there’s nothing else you’ll want at your side. This resin legend of the Horus Heresy era will be returning to the Forge World webstore soon, retooled and ready for flight after a long hiatus.
Weapons? You don’t need weapons where you’re going* – the Arvus Lighter is a loyal beast of burden, not some jumped-up glory-chasing gunship. The strength of an army is borne on the back of its logistics,** and nothing ferries men and materiel around a busy battlefield quite like this purpose-built transport craft.
Its transport capacity of 12 might seem like plenty by the standards of the Legiones Astartes, but with Solar Auxilia lasrifle sections much more numerous, the Arvus Lighter is reserved for smaller elite formations and command squads. All comfort and style are stripped away in favour of rugged efficiency, making it a bargain option for rapid redeployment – at fewer points than even a Dreadclaw Drop Pod, it’s the cheapest Flyer in Imperial service.
For all its simplicity, the Arvus has an undeniable charm born of its boxy looks and can-do attitude – which might even be enough to direct enemy guns away from its admittedly modest armour. Not even an honourless Traitor could do harm to such a plucky vessel… right?
Its rules can be found in the Liber Imperium rulebook alongside a wealth of other units from the Solar Auxilia, Legio Custodes, Sisters of Silence, and Officio Assassinorum.
* Disclaimer: Solar Auxilia command strongly recommends weapons where you’re going.
** Or so we’re told by a certain azure-armoured Primarch.