Legiones Astartes: A New Year of Tanks Preview
▼ Summary
– The Glaive is a new plastic tank kit featuring a powerful volkite carronade capable of devastating even armored Space Marines.
– It is based on the Fellblade chassis and includes numerous customization options for its hull and sponson weapons.
– A new plastic Whirlwind missile tank is also highlighted, which uses a Rhino chassis to launch indirect, targeted missile barrages.
– The Whirlwind is noted for its tactical mobility, allowing it to relocate quickly and support various combat doctrines.
– An upcoming book, *Mailed Fist*, will focus on super-heavy tanks from the Horus Heresy, including new missions and lore.
The Legiones Astartes are set to dominate the battlefield with a new year of devastating armored warfare, featuring classic vehicles reimagined in plastic and fresh strategic supplements. Among the most formidable releases is the Glaive, a super-heavy tank variant built on the infamous Fellblade chassis. This behemoth is armed with a primary weapon of terrifying scale: a volkite carronade so massive it resembles a bus. The weapon projects a beam of concentrated thermal energy with such ferocious intensity that it can pierce through powered armor and instantly vaporize the organic matter within. This gruesome capability proved unexpectedly useful during the fratricidal conflicts of the Horus Heresy, when brother turned against brother.
This marks the first time the Glaive has been produced as a multi-part plastic kit, offering hobbyists a wealth of customization options. Builders can modify its hull and sponson weapons with the same flexibility afforded by the standard Fellblade kit. Facing such a machine across the tabletop would give any commander pause, prompting a strategic retreat to a safer distance. A wiser tactic might involve engaging the enemy from a position of total safety, perhaps with a weapon system capable of indirect fire. Coincidentally, another classic is returning in plastic form to fulfill that exact role: the Whirlwind Missile Tank.
The Whirlwind is a legendary mainstay of Space Marine arsenals, marrying the ubiquitous and reliable Rhino transport chassis with a formidable missile battery. This launcher can unleash barrages of explosive warheads deep into enemy formations, striking targets without requiring a direct line of sight. Advanced targeting auspexes guide the missiles, allowing crews to load and fire different specialized munitions independently. Options range from standard high-explosive rounds to the terrifying incendiary Pyrax pattern.
While many artillery platforms are left defenseless if overrun, the Whirlwind’s mobility is its saving grace. The speed and ruggedness of its Rhino base allow it to deploy a smoke screen and rapidly reposition to a new firing point. This versatility makes it equally valuable in fast-moving armored spearheads and static siege lines. Few commanders would refuse the tactical advantage offered by a weapon that can soften enemy positions and disrupt morale before a main assault begins.
The strategic deployment of these armored giants during the galaxy-wide civil war is the central theme of the upcoming Journal Tactica supplement, Mailed Fist: Legiones Astartes Super-Heavy Tanks. This 48-page book delves into the development, organization, and brutal battlefield application of these colossal war machines throughout the Horus Heresy. It includes new Leviathan Missions specifically crafted for large-scale, vehicle-heavy engagements that support asymmetric and chaotic multiplayer battles. The supplement is packed with detailed lore on the super-heavy armored fleets of the Legions and culminates in new Exemplary Battles, allowing players to recreate historic vehicle-centric clashes like the infamous Siege of Portresh.
(Source: War Hammer)