It’s here at last: the Battle Report debut of Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Legions Imperialis on Warhammer+! As the show’s presenters were some of the first people here at GW HQ to get to play the new game, Nick and Si have made a list of what they enjoyed most about commanding such vast forces
5. Pure Nostalgia
Si: As a massive fan of epic scale games like Space Marine back in the day, I have to confess that playing Legions Imperialis hit me right in the feels. It reminded me of days long past, engaging in truly massive battles with my school friends over the course of an entire weekend. We regularly fielded armies so large that my combined force included anything up to five or six Titans, multiple super-heavy detachments, hundreds of Space Marines, and my pride and joy… three Land Raider Companies - yes, that’s 30 Land Raiders
4, War on a Truly Epic Scale
Nick: On that note, the sheer size of the armies at your disposal is glorious to behold. To think, a 2,000-point Warhammer: The Horus Heresy army would barely fill a couple of Detachments in Legions Imperialis. The joy of being able to drive a dozen Rhinos into the heart of a huge battle and deliver over a hundred Space Marines into the fray is quite something, it really is. It’s the nearest thing to wielding the military power of a Primarch, as you can command Space Marines in numbers far beyond anything seen later on in the 41st Millennium.
3, Fast, Fun, and Furious
Si: The game is incredibly fast-paced. With every unit able to double its Movement characteristic on a March Order – or even tripling it in the case of Infantry Detachments – your forces are able to spread out or redeploy with surprising swiftness. As such, you’re able to take the fight to the enemy from the outset or react quickly to events as they unfold. Of course, if you add Transport units into the mix, you can attack and respond even faster. In any case, you won’t be waiting long for things to kick off once the battle is underway.
2. The Big Reveal
Nick: The Reveal Orders step is always a tense and exciting part of the game – having a plan is one thing, but discovering if it’s about to work, or is perhaps heading towards disaster, adds a really fun dimension to each round. Is your heroic charge about to sweep the defenders aside, or are they lying in wait, guns at the ready and on First Fire Orders? It’s like a strategic mini-game within the game itself.
1. God-Engines of War
Si: Everyone loves Titans, right? After all, there’s nothing cooler than commanding a towering war machine of death – or three, for that matter, each wielding firepower enough to level a city. Adeptus Titanicus definitely scratches that itch, but Legions Imperialis takes this one step further by enabling you to unleash these nigh-unstoppable god-engines not just against each other, but against EVERYTHING ELSE. I mean, shredding void shields and blowing chunks out of an enemy Titan is fun, but arguably not as much fun as decimating an entire Infantry brigade or Super-heavy vehicle squadron with a single, apocalyptic volley.
Thanks guys! Legions Imperialis will be available to pre-order from Saturday with the usual two-week window.
There’s more to come from Warhammer+ in the meantime this week, with an edition of Citadel Colour Masterclass all about painting hazard stripes (perfect for your new Titans), while Loremasters looks at the Howling Banshee Aspect Shrine. If you’re not yet subscribed, hit the button below for access to several hundred episodes of painting, battling, lore, and animated content.
