Bring the Ares Land Raider back to life with this magnet-ready Ikarus kit—perfect for Dark Angels or any 40k army craving siege-style firepower.
If you were in the hobby scene about 20 years ago, you probably remember the Ares Land Raider. That tank was the thing. A brutal siege monster dreamed up by Nathan Bishop back when he worked at Games Workshop — complete with a demolisher cannon slapped right onto the front hull and flamers instead of lascannons.
It never got official rules, but it didn’t need them to make an impression. This thing looked like it meant business.
Now, thanks to the Ikarus Pattern conversion kit, the Ares is back — and ready to roll with modern plastic.
The Ares Land Raider Revival We’ve Been Waiting For
Let’s be clear: the Ikarus kit isn’t some random bits pack. This is a focused, stylish redesign that brings the Ares tank screaming into the current generation of hobby kits. It’s designed specifically to fit the modern large transport chassis from that familiar wargaming giant. If you know, you know.
Think of it like this: you’ve got the solid base kit sitting on your shelf — maybe a Land Raider Crusader or Redeemer. That’s your foundation. What Ikarus gives you is everything you need to turn it into a proper siege tank worthy of the Dark Angels’ darkest halls.
Ikarus Pattern Heavy Transport Conversion Kit: $99
Let’s keep it simple:
- Only the light gray parts in the product photo are included. So no base Land Raider parts — you’ll need those separately.
- The parts are designed to fit cleanly, and better yet, they’re magnet-ready for 1x5mm round magnets. Swap out, mod, tweak — the flexibility is built in.
- No magnets are included — that part’s on you.
This kit doesn’t just give you new doors and guns. You’re getting a whole siege-themed makeover: siege shield, front hull demolisher cannon, and design details that make it feel like a different beast altogether.
Why the Ares Land Raider Still Hits Hard
The original Ares design was a siege solution — a tactical battering ram in tank form. Heavy flamers in the sponsons made it ideal for flushing out infantry from trenches, ruins, or that one annoying building on the objective.
But the real signature is that demolisher cannon. It’s what sets the Ares apart — a front-mounted bunker-buster that screams get out of the way. Pair that with a siege shield, and you’ve got a tank that looks like it just rolled out of a warzone and is ready for round two.
That makes the Ikarus kit a great pick if you’re building a thematic Dark Angels force. But it also fits nicely into custom chapters, Iron Hands siege detachments, or anything that wants a bit of extra “crush” in their style.
Final Thoughts From the Bench
This isn’t just nostalgia bait. The Ikarus Ares kit gives real value to hobbyists looking to build something unique. It respects the legacy of the original design, gives you clean resin parts with modern detailing, and plays nice with magnets for modular options.
If you’re tired of seeing the same loadouts on every Land Raider at your local game night, this is your signal to build something different. Something meaner. Something with a demolisher cannon sticking out the front like it means it.
Go check it out. Give that old design new life. And don’t forget your glue.
