No corner of Humanity’s society was spared the cleave in allegiances – not least the Mechanicum, whom the agents of Horus had courted for months before his treachery was unveiled. Mars itself shook as traitorous Magi led by the Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal, struck at their loyalist kin, and one of the greatest battles of the schism took place at the doomed forges of Magma City.
This epic campaign can be played out on your own tabletop in the Legions Imperialis supplement Rise of the Dark Mechanicum, but for those who want to skip right to seeing it in action, a new installation at the Warhammer World exhibition captures the height of the conflict in stunning detail.
To truly capture the scale and sprawl of the Battle of Magma City, the creative team chose to mount the whole thing on a much lower display base than normal to give onlookers a top-down view. This allowed them to add some extremely fine detail, with buildings and ruins crafted from an eclectic mix of existing terrain kits, scrap vehicles, and other useful nickknacks – even a belt buckle!
These lend the scene some fascinating environmental storytelling – the team were keen to show off the gates, for instance, which are powered by tank tracks to convey the sheer size and weight of their construction. Careful attention was paid to make sure the enormous buildings that make up Magma City don’t completely overwhelm the miniatures, as the microscopic machines clashing in the shadows of Knights and Titans are still the stars of the show.
The miniatures are so small that especially fine sand had to be used when building the terrain, so that the rock and debris underfoot stayed in scale with the models around it. Much of the rest was constructed from slate shards and gravel, to give it a natural feel amidst all the artificial edifices.
This attention to detail provides the perfect battleground for a clash between legions of Martian automata and the eerie, warp-tainted inventions of the Dark Mechanicum. Butcher, Archer, and Cyclops Stalkers pick their way through Swarmer Scout Hosts as they fall upon thousands of massed infantry, and small pockets of resistance hold out in desperate last stands – check out the underground transport hubs being defended near the Warlord Titan.
Head down to the Warhammer World exhibition to see the awesome display for yourself, and if it inspires you to build your own Legions Imperialis army from the Mechanicum or Dark Mechanicum, there’ll be plenty of kits waiting just outside the exit to whet your apetite.
