Horus Heresy Combat Forces box sets have arrived for Astartes, Mechanicum, and Solar Auxilia as GW brings the 40k Combat Patrol format to the Age of Darkness. We rank them all based on content and value.
Originally published in August 2025. This post was updated on September 15, 2025, by Rob Baer with the latest links to all the combat force contents, pricing, and values.
Just when you thought your backlog was safe (and let’s be honest, it’s probably pretty big if you bought the Saturnine box), Warhammer Community announced new Horus Heresy Combat Forces.
These boxes are basically the Age of Darkness equivalent of Warhammer 40k Combat Patrols, giving each faction a handy starter bundle that hits right at the sweet spot of affordability, variety, and raw tabletop punch.
If you’re looking to expand your Legion, Mechanicum forge-world nightmares, or Solar Auxilia ranks, these sets might be the ticket. Here’s why!
Horus Heresy Combat Forces vs. Warhammer 40k Combat Patrols
So what’s the play here? Games Workshop knows that Combat Patrols in 40k have been a huge hit. They give each faction a quick-entry force that’s affordable, playable, and expandable. Now we’re seeing the same formula applied to Horus Heresy.
It turns out our guess of price point was correct, and the Horus Heresy Combat Forces retail price is $170, just like 40k’s combat patrols. Plus, we also know the Horus Heresy Combat Forces release date will be October 4th, 2025
Horus Heresy Combat Forces Ranked:
Just like their 40k cousins, they generally save you between $50-$70 compared to buying everything separately. Here are all the new Horus Heresy Combat Forces ranked by value and contents.
If you look just at the numbers, the Horus Heresy Combat Force value inside each box makes the Legion Astartes the best, followed closely by the Mechanicum, and with a difference of about $20, the Auxilia lags behind.
Legiones Astartes Combat Force List Price: $170 CAD$200 £100 €130
- Legiones Astartes Combat Force: Value of $97.50
- Mechanicum Combat Force: Value of $95
- Solar Auxilia Combat Force: Value of $74
Legiones Astartes Combat Force:
Loyalist or Traitor, Space Marines are the backbone of the Horus Heresy. The Legiones Astartes Combat Force leans into that identity with a box that feels like a ready-made starter core for any Legion.
Inside you’ll get:
- 20 Legionaries in MkVI power armor: These can all be built as Tactical Marines with bolters, or you can split half off into a Heavy Support Squad packing missile launchers or heavy bolters.
- Two Tactical Marine accessory sprues: Perfect for Sergeants, vexillas, and vox units to keep your squads in line.
- A Deimos Pattern Rhino: Because your Marines need a ride.
- A Leviathan Dreadnought: Let’s be real, this is the headliner.
To polish it all off, you get 293 infantry transfers and two vehicle transfer sheets to mark your force with Legion colors. Be sure to check out our review breakdown on the savings and value inside here.
Mechanicum Combat Force: Value of $95
For those who prefer to replace squishy mortals with terrifying machines, the Mechanicum Combat Force is tailor-made. This set leans hard into cybernetic and automata units, giving you a mini army of mechanical nightmares.
Here’s what’s inside:
- Six Thallax: Jetpack-wearing cyborgs armed with lightning guns.
- Two Castellax Battle-Automata: Mid-sized robots with shock chargers and custom weapon loadouts.
- Thanatar Cavas Siege-Automata: The big boy. Armed with a Hellex plasma mortar and twin mauler bolt cannon, this is a walking artillery platform that doubles as a centerpiece model.
To round it out, you get four transfer sheets stuffed with over 1,800 Mechanicum decals. Because nothing says “I worship technology” like drowning your robots in logos.
Be sure to check out our review breakdown on the savings and value in our article here.
Solar Auxilia Combat Force: Value of $74
If you’d rather champion humanity’s most heroic underdogs, the Solar Auxilia Combat Force is your jam. These guys may not have gene-seed or cybernetic upgrades, but they bring sheer numbers and a toolbox of support units that make them a serious threat.
The box includes:
- 20 Solar Auxiliaries with lasrifles: Each model comes loaded with options like bayonets, grenades, and sergeant upgrades.
- A Tactical Command Section: An Auxilia Captain and four Companions, with weapon swaps and upgrades galore.
- Hermes Sentinels: Light scout walkers with options for grenade launchers, multilasers, flamers, or volkite calivers.
- A Leman Russ Strike Tank: The classic tank, kitted out for the Heresy.
With two infantry transfer sheets and two vehicle sheets tossed in, your Auxilia will be rolling out in style.
Check out our review breakdown on the savings and value inside right here.
Final Thoughts From Us: Horus Heresy Combat Forces
With Legiones Astartes, Mechanicum, and Solar Auxilia covered right out of the gate, GW is laying down a foundation that mirrors what worked so well in Warhammer 40k.
Plus, it opens the door for GW to slowly release a Combat Force for every Horus Heresy faction and maybe expand it out to one for each Space Marine Legion as well.
Want a Thousand Sons or Dark Angels legion box down the line? Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised when it happens.
So, whether you’re fielding gene-forged Marines, robotic nightmares, or plucky human soldiers, these sets pack value, flexibility, and a taste of each faction’s flavor. And if history repeats itself, this is just the beginning…
See All The 40k Combat Patrols Here!
Where to Get Yours
Snag your new Combat Forces from our handpicked list of retailers, and give us a high-five in support! Every qualifying purchase helps Spikey Bits keep the lights on and the fun going.
Shopping Resources: Links to Get 15% Off or More
- Mid Atlantic US: Fabricators Forge | Bazooka Games | or | The Rogue Traders |
- Central US: Wargame Portal | Collector Store | Dicehead Games | Noble Knight Games | or | Warpfire Minis |
- West Coast US: Frontline Gaming | Gamers Guild AZ | or | Squad Marks |
- UK: Element Games (UK) | Merlin’s Minis | or | Wayland Games |
- Canada: Fenris Workshop | Tista Minis | Abyss Game Store | or | Kingdom Titans |
- Worldwide: Amazon | eBay | or | Games Workshop’s Store |
You can save even more with our exclusive list of redeemable discount codes from some of the best hobby retailers and miniature manufacturers out there!
I’m not much for the Mk. VI but that box would make very nice in a 40k army. Now they do the same for the other Mk armors then they could actually, but slowly win back some players. As of right now, it’s a pass for me. Drop the prices greatly for older models everyone already has.
These are all really solid boxes, i could see myself getting 2 or 3 of the Mechanicum force. Unfortunately, they killed the entire game with the new edition so, printing and community errata’d 2.0 it is.