The new Codex: Astra Militarum is nearly upon us, and the Rogal Dorn Battle Tank embodies everything great about the book. Large. Powerful. Refined.
The new behemoth fits perfectly between the Leman Russ and Baneblade tanks, so to find out how such a beautiful beast became a reality we cornered designers Dale Stringer, and Matt Holland from the Warhammer Studio, to talk all things Rogal Dorn.*
Dale: It was important that the Rogal Dorn fit in with the rest of the Astra Militarum tanks, so there are elements from the other vehicles reflected in the design. It has a similar profile and tension springs to the Leman Russ, there are mudchutes similar to those on the Chimera, and armour skirts like the Baneblade, so even though it’s a new silhouette it looks at home with its peers. When I was designing it, I basically had every Astra Militarum vehicle we make sitting on my desk for inspiration.
The curves are a little different than you might see on older designs, but we wanted to imply a mix of cast metal and riveted armour plates in its construction to give it a more authentic feel. It’s also the first time we’ve shown proper suspension on a tank kit, so you can leave off the side skirts and see the wheels.
One thing we wanted to achieve with the silhouette was that perspective of a huge tank looming over you – just like in Imperial propaganda. It’s a demonstration of Imperial might. So it has these huge tracks and a big mantlet around the main gun. Even the curved skid plate makes it look like it can crush its way over a trench. If you look up at the front of it from below, it’s an intimidating vehicle, it has a sense of scale.
Matt: The stowage is also really versatile – there are plenty of sandbags, packs, tools, and oil canisters – but we’ve been careful with the sizing so they fit in lots of different places. The smaller stowage parts are even cross-compatible with the new Sentinel kit, so you can accessorise those too.
It’s the same for things like the smoke launchers, search lights, and sensors. They can fit onto a number of hardpoints on the turret and sponsons, and they’re also compatible with the hard points on the Sentinel.
Dale: It really is an adaptable kit, there are loads of options to suit the role of the tank in your army. You could have it as a lighter, long -range gun platform by leaving off the track guards, side skirts, and sponsons, or you can make it look like a heavy linebreaker with all the armour and extra pintle weapons added on.
There’s a lot of flexibility with how you place things, so some of the vision slits are optional. If you leave the fuel tanks off the back, there’ll be a crew hatch instead!
Matt: The crew were designed to have a more generic Imperial uniform, rather than making them explicitly Cadian, so you can use them as whatever Astra Militarum regiment you have. They, and the stowage, are designed to make the tank look like it’s lived in, so there’s tools, ropes, and spare wheels scattered around.
We really feel like the Rogal Dorn isn’t just a box with a gun – the model can tell a story. There’s even a pile of spent casings from the heavy stubber that you can put on the turret.
One of my favourite parts is the optional fold-down step for the external gunner. In the past some real-life tanks mounted an external machine gun to deter warplanes, so it’s another narrative element you can add as well as being an extra gun. Besides, isn’t it so very Imperial to have a huge armoured vehicle bristling with weapons, and then have an expendable Guardsman standing vulnerably on the outside?
Thanks for the insight, Dale and Matt! You’ll be able to add a Rogal Dorn or three to your own armies when the new Astra Militarum range arrives soon, so sign up to our newsletter to be among the first to find out their pre-order dates!
* The tank, not the missing Primarch.