It looks like two versions of a new plastic Land Raider Proteus are coming to Horus Heresy, here are all the details!
You may remember when we looked at the new sprues in the Horus Heresy starter box, we saw that the Spartan kit actually only had one sprue named Spartan (because the rest were just called Land Raider). So that got us thinking about the new kit, and now we have some actual pictures of the new plastic kit!
New Plastic Land Raider Proteus Tank Spotted!
These new pictures were sourced from Miniwars and apparently, appear in the new Horus Heresy rulebook. From the look of it, both versions of the new Land Raider Proteus really keep the essence of the old Forge World kit.
As you can see, this really keeps the styling of the old kit plastic kit from the 80s and the Forge World ones from the 2010s with the somewhat bulky design, but it looks slightly refined. We’ll also take a look at the sprues again and see what might need to be added in the upgrade sprue to build this from the Spartan kit.
The main differences are the single-stack Lascannons and the front ramp situation.
This is the current kit, and it’s very similar, but one thing to note is building treads in resin isn’t always the most fun… So, having this in plastic will hopefully reduce some of those building woes.
It also looks like the old epic-styled side sponsons are being retired, but the Proteus is getting a glow-up with a front assault ramp version, along with the armored front as well.
Comparing the Sprues
The new Horus Heresy starter set sprue pics were revealed recently by GW influencer Tale of Painters and appear to have clues to future kits.
As we said, the main differences are the front, the ramp, and the Lascannons. However, the way the Spartan sprue is built, the Lascannons can be single or double-stacked (meaning it can be used for the Proteus),
This is the main section with those front and top tank differences, and they could easily just replace a single sprue to make the Spartan sprues become the Proteus. With the pictures spotted, it also means they have this ready to go!
As you can see, this sprue is actually called Spartan. The interesting thing about this sprue is that it has all the front parts to make the tank bigger.
Above, you can see how the front of the tanks between the two classes are different, but this is the only sprue named Land Raider but also stamped Spartan,
You can actually see the seamline in red, meaning this is a separate bit to extend the front. So, considering that’s one of the main differences, and it’s a different part, in theory, it could be easy to make a different set of front parts to make a plastic Proteus from the rest of these Land Raider sprues.
Below is the tank accessory sprue that we may see in several Horus Heresy kits, as we have seen that hatch missile launcher pictured on the Deimos already (above). Next to it is the weapon sprue that comes with the Spartan.
If you look closely, you can see the weapon sponson sprue is actually marked Land Raider; well, technically, they all are, just some have Spartan stamped in the parts area too.
Now take a look at pieces 10 and 16. It looks like the two bits marked 16 are used to mount the quad las assembly to the top and bottom of the chassis, while the bits marked ten are shorter and could be used just to mount the two of the double Lascannons and not the quad configuration of four on the Spartan.
From there, the floors and tread sprue are also marked Land Raider and could perhaps omit parts from the Spartan build to make a potentially smaller profile Proteus tank.
Lastly, the chassis walls and armor sprue is also just marked Land Raider; however, if this is for the same kit, you would be able to use a similar engine block and exhaust stacks as well, not anything too out of the ordinary.
You can also see that the side hatch and weapons mount will work for a plastic Proteus and the Spartan as the sponson mount appears to be universal to that sphere clip for both Land Raiders.
So, in theory, it could be easy to make the Proteus kit with all of these sprues minus the one marked as Spartan, swapped out with a sprue to make the front and top of the hull specific to that class of Land Raider tank.
New Plastic Land Raider Proteus Kit Confirmed by GW!
Before the Spartan Assault Tank, before the Termite Assault Drill, and before the mighty Mastodon, there was one true king of armoured troop conveyance – the Land Raider. Many patterns of these lumbering tanks exist in Legion armouries, but none have the pedigree of the venerable Land Raider Proteus, which now returns to the Age of Darkness with a new plastic kit.
In more practical terms, the Power of the Machine Spirit can take over targeting duties, so each weapon can fire at completely different targets. The Land Raider Proteus is an excellent tank-killer in its own right, with a pair of lascannon sponsons and a choice of hull-and-pintle-mounted guns.
GW actually did a great job with the sprues on the Land Raiders as all they have to do is switch out a single sprue or maybe two. So, we also hope GW does the upgrade sprue as they have been doing with the Dreads.
But what if you don’t want to slam a squad of Terminators face-first into the thick of the fighting? Assemble your kit as a Land Raider Proteus Explorator instead, and you’ll trade your hefty assault ramp for a dozer blade to clear away battlefield obstacles,* together with a sophisticated explorator augury web to gather detailed terrain data.
Then with the kit, you’ll be able also to create the Explorator, which does make the sprue bigger, so it might be more expensive for the upgrade compared to the other ones out there (which were only one small sprue).
Fans of a certain vintage will spot that the design of this Land Raider owes much to the original plastic version, released in the 1980s, during the very first edition of Warhammer 40,000. The classics never die.
Overall, it’s great to see more of the kits coming in plastic!
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Here’s the most up-to-date list of new Horus Heresy Rules & Product Leaks. Click on the gallery above to see new Horus Heresy models and rules rumors!
- 4 New Plastic Horus Heresy Starter Box Sets
- All the Horus Heresy New Models & Rules
- Horus Heresy Legion Rules
- Horus Heresy Weapon & Unit Rules
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Joined: 2019
Socials: @paschbass
Bio: Dark Eldar Dracon and Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the third edition in 1998. He also loves camping because you can only paint so much! He joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the main daily writer since 2020. Maybe one day, he’ll finish converting all his Ad Mech models and turn into a true tech enjoyer, complete with sad and happy robot noises!
