Back in March we published an article on the uniforms of the Legiones Auxilia – those Solar Auxilia cohorts with close ties to the Legiones Astartes. The response was great, and people wanted more examples of the cohorts sworn to their own favourite Legions. We’ve also been asked for guidance on which Citadel Colour paints to use, and so for the second article in the series, the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy team take a look at another six Legiones Auxilia cohorts, and make some suggestions on corresponding paints to use – including the cohorts from the first article. Take it away, team!
These pictures are part of an ongoing creative development process, so think of them as sneak peeks of future work, rather than the finished product. Where we can, we’ve used names drawn from existing stories, either in previously-published game books or in the extensive range of Black Library novels. We’ve also taken inspiration from established colour schemes, where these are known.
What follows are ‘Solar’ patterned examples of various corps you may have read about – Calibanite Jaegers and Archite Palatines in particular – but the Imperium is a huge place. Other, as-yet-unseen patterns are likely to exist, so these are far from exhaustive.
Calibanite Jaegers
Drawn from Caliban, the home world of the Dark Angels Legion, the Calibanite Jaeger cohorts wear charcoal black undersuits and armour, with the right shoulder pad picked out in forest green redolent of the arboreal wildness of that world, and details in bronze.
Armour: Death Korps Drab
Cloth: Eshin Grey
Trim: Runelord Brass
Gun Casing: Death Korps Drab
The tanks are painted charcoal black with vertical bands of forest green indicating their association with the First Legion. Those Calibanite cohorts specialising in armoured warfare bear the title ‘Calibanite Hussars’ instead of ‘Calibanite Jaegers’.
Saiphan Elevatii
The Saiphan Elevatii cohorts are recruited from the deadly IX Legion fief world of Saiph. The Blood Angels have long drawn Legion recruits from this planet, and even those judged unsuitable for ascension to the Legiones Astartes may yet find great honour in the ranks of their Auxilia. This cohort’s honour livery armour panels are the sanguinary red of the IXth Legion, with a black undersuit black and key details picked out in polished bronze or gold.
Armour: Mephiston Red
Cloth: Abaddon Black
Trim: Runelord Brass
Gun Casing: Abaddon Black
The hulls and turrets of their tanks are painted the same black as the infantry undersuits, with bars in the red of Blood Angels heraldry and extensive use of polished gold detailing.
Nagrakal Thraexii
The Nagrakal Thraexii are recruited from a range of different worlds and cultures conquered by the World Eaters. Armour panels are painted a dark tan, redolent of the sands of the gladiatorial pits in which both Auxiliaries and Legionaries train in combat techniques – though in truth the latter often train at the expense of the lives of the former – ranging from one-on-one duels to massed melees. Undersuits are black, and details are picked out in white and dark red.
Armour: Hobgrot Hide
Cloth: Corvus Black
Trim: Runelord Brass
Gun Casing: Abaddon Black
The hulls and turrets of their tanks are painted in the dark tan of the infantry armour and feature vertical bands of clotted blood red and bone white, colours of special relevance to those who live and die in the blood pits.
Fenrisian Kaerls
The Fenrisian Kaerls share a home world with their patron Legion, the Space Wolves, but the pattern is also used by cohorts inducted from other VI Legion fief worlds, including those from Lucan. Veteran Kaerls are elevated to the ‘Aettguard’ and afforded the honour of guarding the Fang, the fortress of the Legion. Kaerls wear undersuits of dun brown and armour panels of blue-grey.
Armour: Mechanicus Grey
Cloth: Karak Stone
Trim: Runelord Brass
Gun Casing: Abaddon Black
Their tanks are painted Excertus service grey, with white vertical bars as well as decorative motifs drawn from the culture of the home world of their patron Legion.
Fenrisian Kaerls Veletaris Storm Section painted by James
Archite Palatines
The Archite Palatine cohorts were raised from among the Europan noble houses of Terra, a culture from which their patron Legion – the Emperor’s Children – itself drew recruits prior to the discovery of the Primarch Fulgrim on Chemos. Palatine honour livery features armour of silver and burgundy red, the latter a reference to the colour of the grapes cultured under the hermetically sealed agri-domes of the Europan clans, with undersuits of black.
Armour: Barak-Nar Burgundy and Stormhost Silver
Cloth: Eshin Grey
Trim: Runelord Brass
Gun Casing: Abaddon Black
These three tanks bear armour of polished silver (albeit tarnished by battlefield service in these examples), with bands of claret red. Iconography is picked out in off-white.
Proximan Sacramentii
The Proximan Sacramentii are drawn from the nomadic subterranean societies of Proximal, a fief world of the Salamanders. The Sacramentii cleave to their own sub-sect of the Nocturnean Promethean Cult, their close associations with the Salamanders shielding them somewhat from the disapproval of the Iterators of the Imperial Truth. Proximan Sacramentii cohorts wear armour of the same green as their patron Legion, with black undersuits and details picked out in bronze.
Armour: Waaagh! Flesh
Cloth: Eshin Grey
Trim: Castellax Bronze
Gun Casing: Corvus Black
Their tanks predominantly feature the green of the XVIII Legion. Bars of black and orange mark each tank as an individual, and other iconography is rendered in orange.
Proximan Sacramentii, painted by Mark
Suggested Paints for the Other Cohorts
The team have also come up with suggested paint schemes for the six Legiones Auxilia cohorts described in our previous article.
Calth High Guard Leman Russ battle tank and Lasrifle Section, painted by Mark
Calth High Guard
Armour: Ironbreaker
Cloth: Dawnstone Grey
Shoulder Pads: Macragge Blue
Gun Casing/Piping: Abaddon Black
Inwit Phalangites
Armour: Abaddon Black
Cloth: Death World Forest
Cloth Piping: Ushabti Bone
Trim: Retributor Gold
Gun Casing/Piping: Abaddon Black
Prosperine Spireguard
Armour: Leadbelcher, followed by a glaze of Flesh Tearers Red
Cloth: Rakarth Flesh
Cloth Piping: Steel Legion
Trim: Retributor Gold
Gun Casing: Karak Stone
Selucid Thorakites
Armour: Iron Warriors
Cloth: Death Korps Drab
Cloth Piping: Abaddon Black
Decorative Details: Runelord Brass
Gun Casing: Death Korps Drab
Barbaran Ambaxtoi
Armour: Castellax Bronze
Cloth: Ushabti Bone
Cloth Piping: Abaddon Black
Chestpiece: Runelord Brass
Gun Casing: Abaddon Black
Cthonian Headhunters
Armour: Abaddon Black
Shoulder Pads/Helmet: Leadbelcher, followed by a glaze of Flesh Tearers Red
Cloth: Eshin Grey
Chestpiece: Retributor Gold
Gun Casing: Abaddon Black
Thanks, team! There are still six more Legions without any associated cohorts – watch this space. In the meantime, you can pick up various Solar Auxilia units for games of the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy and Legions Imperialis.
