The forges of Mars worked ceaselessly to produce an endless torrent of war machines during the Horus Heresy, both for the Legiones Astartes and Solar Auxilia, and for their own standing armies. Recreated from ancient schematics, and armed with cruel and destructive weapons plucked from the Dark Age of Technology, these machineries were deployed all across the galaxy, in the interests of both Mars and those who had courted their power.
This Heresy Thursday, the Tech-priests of Mars are unveiling two new plastic tanks, and a heavy support box.
The venerable Krios Battle Tank sits apart from its counterparts in the rest of the Imperium. Used only by the armies of Mars, it serves a similar role to the more common Predator, though it eschews armoured plating in favour of an interlaced network of defensive energy shields. This allows it a greater degree of manoeuvrability, which ensures it can easily train its fixed centreline mounted lighting cannon on priority targets.
Its skeletal frame can also be fitted with an irradiation blaster or a pulsar-fusil, the latter of which changes its designation to the Krios Venator. All versions have the same shelled command throne, protected by powerful shielding so that its wired-in pilot can provide aim with impunity.
The Karacnos Assault tank is a variant of the Triarios Armoured Conveyor, which is famous for its hermetically sealed armour. Its capacious transport bays are replaced with twin mortar batteries packed to the brim with radiological warheads, designed to obliterate organic life ahead of the Mechanicum’s relentless advance.
When its firing solution is all tucked away, the Karacnos becomes a tough nut to crack, and those that try and position themselves to take it down will need to contend with its signature shock ram, and two sponson mounted lightning locks.
You can add these two to your own Mechanicum force alongside the recently revealed Thanatar Calix Siege-automata in the upcoming Mechanicum Heavy Support Force box.
It’s the first place you’ll be able to buy all three miniatures – though they will be striking out on their own in due course. The Arcuitor Magisterium will be very happy with this strict adherence to protocol.
