This weekend, the first in a new range of plastic Solar Auxilia miniatures for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy are available for pre-order. Included in the packed Solar Auxilia Battle Group box is a new spin on the classic Leman Russ battle tank, so we got in touch with Owen from the Warhammer Studio to chat all about how he updated such a legendary vehicle.
Warhammer Community: How does it feel to create a new version of an iconic Warhammer vehicle like the Leman Russ?
Owen: It was certainly a formidable task! We were being asked to take an iconic miniature like the Leman Russ, and give it a sense of belonging to the Solar Auxilia. It was important that it wasn't just a painting solution that made it a Solar Auxilia vehicle – it had to specifically suit the Solar Auxilia, and yet also be familiar, clearly still the iconic Leman Russ that has been core to the Astra Militarum range for so long.
WarCom: What inspired the design of the Solar Auxilia's distinctive pattern of Leman Russ?
Owen: There were many design influences we took when creating the Leman Russ, and it’s no coincidence that the Mars-Alpha tank pattern used by the Death Korps of Krieg shares design elements with that of the Solar Auxilia.
Discussing the direction with Content Lead Daren, who had previously been a driving force behind the Death Korps of Krieg vehicle range, he spoke of how there were two groups of tank styles for the Death Korps. There were newer tanks like the Macharius, manufactured specifically for the Death Korps in the 41st Millennium,* and there were those brought back into battle due to the simple necessity of needing more vehicles at the Siege of Vraks. This includes tanks like the Malcador Heavy Tank and Minotaur, so when it came to designing the Solar Auxilia vehicles, the Malcador chassis became the workhorse of the Solar Auxilia – it also provides the framework for the Dracosan Armoured Transport.
Miniatures Designer Chris had worked on the Legions Imperialis Solar Auxilia Leman Russ by the time I began, using the Mars-Alpha pattern Leman Russ with a few tweaks – such as adding a mantlet over the front hull weapon, similar to that on the Malcador. As the full-size Leman Russ would be a completely brand-new kit, I wanted to use the opportunity to reinforce the design language of the Solar Auxilia on the entire tank.
I began by adding the riveted banding, so when the miniature was painted it allowed the Leman Russ to blend in with the rest of the motor pool and stay consistent with all the striking metallic edges Solar Auxilia vehicles are renowned for. There are also more subtle details which aren't obvious at first. Parts of the chassis sides are cut away to expose the road wheels, as on the Dracosan, while the engine cover, exhausts, and side cast doors all took influence from the Malcador’s equivalent sections.
The Solar Auxilia have more affluent decorative features and rich metallic riveted banding, yet this is also juxtaposed by the roughness of their technology – it’s almost experimental, with exposed wiring, external filters, and bolted-on accessories.
A great example of this – created by Dave, who also worked on the design team – is the communication monitor held by the tank commander. It features an advanced digital screen… with a mechanical magnifying glass, combined with an array of ink pens printing out the orders onto physical paper for the tank crew!
There were elements of real-world influence applied. The tank’s practical-yet-ornamental elements have very Victorian sensibilities. I like to question whether the brass riveted banding on the tanks is actually part of the assembly process, or if it’s just there for embellishment.
Finally, we wanted to make sure the vehicles had a simple, analogue look that takes inspiration from early tractors, believe it or not. We wanted them to echo the heavy mechanical construction of early World War One tanks, which were manufactured by tractor companies, and echo the rugged Astra Militarum tanks of Warhammer 40,000.
WarCom: Did you face any challenges translating the tank's design into a plastic miniature?
Owen: The banding created a real challenge when it came to breaking down the kit into components, but in collaboration with the tooling team we found several solutions to make it work. One is the turret, which has a central core structure that the side and top plates attach to with mitre joints, creating a sturdy assembly that doesn't stress the edge details.
WarCom: What is your favourite part of the kit?
Owen: One of my favourite elements is the new square cupola hatches. Solar Auxilia vehicles all have cast square or rectangular hatches, so I took inspiration from the Solar Auxilia Basilisk and added a pair of square hatches, keeping that consistency across the range.
To make sure we also matched Legions Imperialis – and the iconic look of the classic Leman Russ, including tanks from existing Solar Auxilia collections – the kit also includes round hatches, meaning you can build the tank with either square or round hatches, making it a real versatile kit.
Thanks Owen! The new Solar Auxilia Leman Russ is up for pre-order this weekend as part of the Solar Auxilia Battle Group box, alongside a hulking Dracosan Armoured Transport and a regiment of new plastic Solar Auxilia troops.
* The Macharius itself is an ancient design lost some time after the Great Crusade – it was only reconstructed from STC fragments and given its current name in the 41st Millennium.