Here’s all the news and rumors for Horus Heresy Legions Imperialis, the new edition of Epic Warhammer 40k with Adeptus Titanicus models!

The return of epic-scale games is here with Horus Heresy: Legions Imperialis, which brings back Warhammer 40k miniatures on a smaller scale. GW went through the trouble of actually changing out a preview picture that started all the drama for the new edition of Epic Warhammer 40k that we now know as Legions Imperialis back in March of 2023.

The Epic Scale of Legions Imperialis Miniatures vs. Warhammer 40k: (July 4th 2023)

The latest news for the Epic Scale of Legions Imperialis miniatures compared to Warhammer 40k comes from Warhammer Community.

Legions Imperialis miniatures are roughly a quarter of the size of the original models, and this is universal across the range. That means all dimensions have been reduced, and things have been engineered slightly differently to make sure that the right details stand out on the tabletop. To get an idea of the change, here’s a comparison between a base of MKVI Tactical Marines, and the full-sized version.

Having five Marines on one base is just awesome, so the scale of that looks good to us!

 

There’s no tech-heresy interfering with these images, they truly are correctly scaled. If it helps, try to imagine four smaller Astartes standing on each other’s heads to match the regular sized Space Marine. It’s not only funny, it’s a smart way of visualising the scale difference.*

They aren’t kidding about the 1/4 size, as they even stack up four of those little marines to make the height of one. Shockingly you can do the same thing with Warlord Titans compared to the Forge World models if you have both!

Even more exciting than pint-sized superhuman soldiers are tanks and Dreadnoughts in pocket-friendly dimensions. Gaze in wonder upon the imposing Contemptor Dreadnought – you could almost claim it was adorable, if not for the guns and deep sense of duty in death.

That’s quite a small Contemptor, but this means you can get a ton of them in your army!

Tank Sizes For Legions Imperialis

This scale is perfect for realising the armoured columns of your dreams, as you usually take most tanks in detachments rather than on their own. The Sicaran has the same details as its larger counterpart, right down to your choice of heavy bolter or lascannon sponsons. Thanks to the scale of Legions Imperialis, you can feasibly have dozens of these rapid battle tanks racing forward to flank your foes.

This is the thing that makes Epic size awesome; you can field gigantic armies with all the tanks!

 

The core box contains a healthy contingent of Solar Auxilia. These are well known for their exceptional (but also fairly expendable) foot soldiers and endless ranks of tanks. The mighty Leman Russ is rendered no less fearsome after being shrunk down by a considerable amount, and it’s still dotted with rivets all over. 

If you’re playing the Auxilia, you will need a ton of tanks to smash through those traitor lines as well!

Equally impressive are the Malcador heavy tanks, whose design stretches back to the Age of Strife. These cantankerous goliaths are less flexible than the Leman Russ, but bristle with heavy armaments making them exceptionally valuable. Legions Imperialis is the perfect way of fielding multiple of these lumbering tanks, with their fuel stowage tail construction to ease trench crossing lovingly represented even at this scale.

This is the last tank size we have, but this gives you a great read on the size of all the models for the game, and of course, you can still use your Adeptus Titanicus and Aeronautical Imperialis minis.

While they will fit in perfectly with the game’s scale, don’t forget it looks like the bases for Legions Imperialis will be a bit thinner, so you may want to rebase your minis for both games!

More Horus Heresy Legions Imperialis: Epic-Scale Details: (July 3rd, 2023)

The new info comes from Warhammer Community.

Let’s start with the most important stuff, setting and scale!

Legions Imperialis is set during the Horus Heresy, and grand warfare is its bread and butter. Those vast battles you’ve read about? Now you can recreate them in spectacular glory, fielding entire companies of your favourite Space Marine Legion at once as you battle for the future of Humanity.

While we’re sure a lot of people wished for 40k Epic, all the rumors pointed towards it being Horus Heresy, so it’s not a big surprise. Either way, this is where the game is taking place.

What is The Scale of Horus Heresy Legions Imperialis?

Legions Imperialis is ‘epic scale’, the same as Adeptus Titanicus and Aeronautica Imperialis. Combine your models into a grand host, supplementing your Legiones Astartes or Solar Auxilia with the god-engines of the Mechanicum and more – all the better to lay waste to your foes.

The scale of Horus Heresy: Legions Imperialis is undoubtedly good news for both Adeptus Titanicus and Aeronautica Imperialis players, as, those games don’t get a ton of support anymore.

Gameplay & Mechanics For Horus Heresy Legions Imperialis

On the battlefield, Detachments – equivalent to the individual ‘units’ in other Warhammer games – operate according to the Orders assigned to them each round. Orders are initially hidden when issued, meaning you’ll have to predict what your opponent’s plan is and devise your own strategy to counter.

This makes sense as instead of moving around individual minis, units are set up on single bases. Then, you will have hidden orders and entire detachments to move one at a time.

The activation of Detachments alternates, meaning you move or fire a Detachment, then your opponent does, and so on. You’re always in the thick of battle, adjusting plans as you go to seize advantages that present themselves.

This is pretty big, as instead of entire army turns, you have detachment turns. This should keep the gameplay pretty fast and more immersive.

Units, Army Building & Terrain

Strategic decisions begin before the battle – the army you field is just as important. Infantry are the best for capturing Objectives while vehicles and super-heavies are hardier and deadlier. Each Detachment has its role and it’s up to you to utilise them in the best possible way.

This makes sense because if you didn’t need infantry to capture objectives, we might see more games of Adeptus Titanicus.

Armies in Legions Imperialis revolve around ‘Formations’. Each Formation is essentially an entire Horus Heresy – The Age of Darkness army, giving you lots of freedom in how you build your force. Want a Legiones Astartes army mounted entirely in gunships for an aerial assault? You can do that! Solar Auxilia super-heavy tank company? Yep! There’s a myriad of options and more to come in the future, allowing you to build the grand army of your hobby dreams.

The game is supposed to be on a giant scale, so it only makes sense each formation is an entire army. Then, it looks like there will be decent versatility throughout to game.

Use the battlefield terrain to your advantage – garrison buildings with infantry, conceal flanking elements behind ruined city sectors, or push your tank squadrons down roads for added speed. A plethora of terrain types have rules, taking you from crumbling hive cities to thick jungles, lava fields and beyond. Oh, and you can blow up buildings with the right weapons… or a Titan fist!

Well, what would a battle with giant Titans be without destroying terrain? Either way, we’ll have to see what kind of rules they get, but it’s nice to see terrain playing a big part of the game. Now that the details are over let’s check out the starter set itself!

Warhammer 40k Epic Returns As Horus Heresy Legions Imperialis (July 1, 2023)

 

Here is the latest on Horus Heresy: Legions Imperialis from Warhammer Community.

Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Legions Imperialis is an all-new game set at the time of the Horus Heresy. While your standard 3,000-point battle of the larger-scale Age of Darkness constitutes a slice of a larger engagement, Legions Imperialis is that battle in full, with dozens of tanks and hundreds of infantry striving for supremacy and advancing to battle between the legs of Knights and Titans. It’s battle on a new scale.

The game deploys in August, with a huge Core Set containing a massive collection of exquisite epic scale miniatures, alongside a rulebook, dice, tokens templates, and measuring sticks.

The launch box arrives in August of 2023, five years after the launch of Adepticus Titanicus, which kicked off the push to this new scale.

There are a whopping 223 miniatures in the box, split between Space Marines, Solar Auxilia, and Titans. That’s 106 Space Marine infantry and walkers, five Space Marine tanks, 104 Solar Auxilia infantry and walkers, six Solar Auxilia tanks, and two Warhound Titans with brand-new plastic weapon options. 

This is undoubtedly a massive release, with tons of plastic minis to get us started gaming again at an Epic scale!

There are also two squads of Assault Marines for rapid combat manoeuvres, two units of Support Legionaries with plasma guns and two with missile launchers, all backed up by two bases of five Legion Cataphractii Terminators.

So let’s take a closer look at each of these tiny models that are all scaled with both the Adepticus Titanicus and Aeronautical Imperials line at approximately 1:4 the size of a Warhammer 40k miniature!

 

 

 

It’s honestly insane how good these look while being so tiny, massive credit to the Warhammer team that did the paint job on these display models.

For heavy support, the Legiones Astartes have four pleasingly chunky Contemptor Dreadnoughts with a power fist and either twin-linked lascannons or Kheres assault cannons. You also get two Sicaran battle tanks and three Predators to round out the armoured offering, each with a choice of turret and sponson weapons. 

Both tanks come with a choice of cupola options – they can be either closed down or feature a Space Marine driver or gunner, just like the full-sized miniatures!

 

 

As the lifeblood of epic, heavy support is a super huge factor when building and playing Epic, so these kits are fantastic additions and will be seen a ton!

The Solar Auxilia are the well-trained and well-equipped defenders of the Emperor’s interests, who overwhelm their foes with superior numbers and an abundance of armour – though notably, many turned traitor along with Horus. They get two bases that can build either a Solar Axuilia Legate Commander or an Auxilia Tactical Command Section, eight bases worth of lasrifle-toting Auxiliaries, four units of Auxiliaries with flamers, four units of Veletarii shock troops, and four bases of ferocious Charonite Ogryns. 

 

 

 

While they may not get focused on much, ordinary humans are still in Horus Heresy and 40k, making their inclusion here a welcome sight.

This box introduces a never-before-seen unit for the Solar Auxilia, the Aethon Heavy Sentinel, these walkers patrol ahead of the main body of a force to scout enemies and engage them with multi-lasers and missile launchers. 

Four of these accompany four Leman Russ battle tanks and two lumbering Malcador heavy tanks, each with a choice of main battlecannons and hull-mounted weapons. These also come with various cupola options, just like their Space Marine counterparts.

 

 

Again, armor is a centerpiece to the hype of playing at an epic scale, so seeing the iconic Lemun Russ or the new Aethon Heavy Sentinels is a huge positive for the game!

As if that weren’t enough, the box also features two Warhound Titans with a new plastic weapons frame, including ursus claws, a natrix shock lance, a volkite eradicator, a missile pod with a choice of swarmer or shudder missiles, and an incisor pattern melta lance. The box also contains two new lower-profile bases that fit with the urban battlefield aesthetic of the rest of the bases in the box. 

Personally, the larger titans like Warhounds are the reasons most hobbyists seem to want to play the Epic scale.  We had already seen some of this new smaller-scaled base in March when Games Workshop accidentally published a picture of a Warhound on it.

Regardless, it’s insane seeing the behemoths stride across the field, and it’s easier (and hopefully more affordable) to do so in epic rather than in normal 40k or Horus Heresy!

These miniatures are just the beginning – plenty of additional releases are planned for Legions Imperialis, and eventually most of the armoury for both the Space Marine Legions and the Solar Auxilia will be available. Soon you will be able to create vast armies and conduct war on the scale you’re read about in the Horus Heresy books.

Don’t forget that in the preview stream, GW also mentioned that Aeronautica and Titanicus models are all in the correct scale and will be usable in Legions Imperialis! So if you play those games, getting started in full Epic scale games may be even easier!

Latest On The New Epic Horus Heresy Throwback Warhammer 40k Game So Far

First up, we got what appears to be an apparent Warhammer Epic Scale preview from WHC.  Starting out with the phrase “Command Legions” which already seems to suggest combat on a larger scale.

There’s not much to go off of, but with the stream chat exploding and some obvious hints, this is almost 100% a teaser for the return of Epic Scale games that were rumored here over a year ago.

Also, below is how White Dwarf used to do their battle reports for the game, with similar symbols and insignias, etc. This definitely shows Titans and troops but not aircraft… yet.

So it’s a bit of a throwback to those old battle reports and perhaps a huge hint at what’s actually on the way!

You can check out the short teaser below!

There are some promising rumors out there about Epic Horus Heresy actually expanding into Warhammer 40k eventually.

We’ve been hearing a lot of rumors about Epic; however, with the recent teaser video from GW, it looks like it’s on the way somewhat soon. From everything we’ve been hearing about the game, it will be a smaller release and specifically for Horus Heresy.

But according to these new rumors, there is still some hope for a progression to Warhammer 40k! This is the first wave of new specialist games, but according to the rumors, we might only see it if the Horus Heresy version performs well. Let’s jump into the rumors!

RUMORS: Epic Horus Heresy Tentative Plans to Expand Into Warhammer 40k (May 9th, 2023)

These rumors come to us from Gary on Faeit 212.

The work on Epic began in 2018. Epic Horus Heresy will be the last production by GW with Jervis Johnson involved. Before he left GW in 2021, he was one of the Designers and an important advicer for those who work further on the game. He also was the biggest advocate within the company to bring the game back. This new Epic is his Baby like the past “Editions” were and will be part of his legacy.

 

Epic will be the first one of the “nextgen” of Specialist Games with others to follow. Like Necromunda the game comes to stay – they know how they will expand the game in the future. They have plans for expanding the Game out of the HH into the Great Crusade, M31, M41 ect. if the Game becomes strong enough.

RUMORS: Warhammer Epic 40k Horus Heresy Starter Box Set Contents (April, 12th 2023)

Gary published these rumors on Faeit 212, saying it’s once again from a “solid” source. 

The Box will come with enough Plastic sprues to represent 4 Legiones Astartes Battle Companies and Assets. This content can be use to build 4 small, 2 medium or 1 bigger Space Marine Army.

It’s interesting to give four Legions, as most starter boxes can only ever be split up among two people (well, only two armies, we guess you could split them as many times as you want). However, if you want to play truly giant battles, you can just keep the whole box for yourself!

Here is what is supposedly coming in the Epic Warhammer 40k / Horus Heresy box.

Marines:

• 36 Tactical Squads
• 7 Assault Squads
• 16 Heavy Weapon Squads
• 7 Biker Squads
• 8 Command Squads
• 8 Terminator Squads

• 40 Rhinos
• 16 Predator Tanks
• 16 Vindicator Tanks
• 12 Sicaran Tanks
• 12 Land Raider Proteus
• 8 Land Raider Spartan
• 16 Contemptor Dreadnoughts
• 8 Leviathan Dreadnoughts

This is actually a decent amount of stuff, especially with almost 130 vehicles/Dreads! We see how you could actually split this up four times for some pretty small armies, but if you just split this with one person, you get a pretty good army for both people. However, there is more in the box:

Rulebook, Istvaan III Campaign Booklet, Accessories, etc.

Decals to represent all 18 Space Marine Legions

 

The Box features all four Legions of the Istvann III Atroscity with rules. There will be no “Legion A vs. Legion B fighting on Istvaan III” Theme for the Box, and with the decals, you could represent every Legion but would need the Compendium to play other Legions than Sons of Horus, Emperor’s Children, World Eaters or Death Guard.

 

Apart from Plastic Sprues, there will be Resin Packs with Legion-specific stuff like the Primarch, another Command Squad, or Dreadnought Torso.

Warhammer 40k Horus Heresy Epic to be Revealed at Warhammer Fest & Starter Set: (April 10th, 2023)

These come from Gary on Faeit 212, and they say it’s from a “reliable source.”

EPIC will be only a small release for the Start; Starter Set, separate Rulebook, Accessories, and 3 to 4 Boxes with Infantry and Tanks separate.

 

The new “Mk4” Power Armour Sprue will have the following content – note that every Squad also comes with a Sergeant option.

Warhammer Epic Starter Sets Content

Segment A/B (MK4 Line Squads)

 Segment C (Mk4 Command Squads)

 Segment D (Tartaros Terminator Squads)

It’s looking like there will be three actual boxes, but the first one is A/B (meaning two armies, possibly). It’s a decent amount of models, and we’ll see how big they are, as this isn’t a crazy amount of minis for Epic if it is two armies.

 A and B are identical and have the dimensions of a common medium sprue segment. C & D are smaller “half” segments. Together all four sprue segments have the dimensions of a common GW Sprue in three parts

Games Workshop Accidentally Previewed a New Edition of Epic Warhammer 40k: (March 14th 2023)

Let’s start with the picture from Warhammer Community that started it all, then get into some of the rumors.

This was in the initial post, and as you can see right away, the base is a little bit different, but we’ll get to the possibilities.

Then, about an hour later or so, they went back and changed the picture in the post to have the base cropped out. So, why would they go through the trouble of cropping the base out?

There are really two main reasons (to us, at least). First, this is a base for Epic (as it’s textured and thinner like other boxed games) or a third-party base that they didn’t want it in the post.

Let’s start with the less exciting possibility, then get to Epic.

You can see a little gap in the feet and the base, meaning they most likely just put it on the base with some blue-tac so it could be swapped to a familiar-sized Titanicus base. This still supports both theories, but let’s consider the possibility of a third-party base.

GW obviously wouldn’t want something custom in one of their studio pictures, which gives credence to the idea this was not shot in their studio. So, there is a possibility whoever took the photo and uploaded it didn’t think about the base, and when someone from the company saw the post, they had they take it out.

Or it was taken “in-house,” and well, this model was not glued to the base. Perhaps these are product shots for later on when the base may change.

It’s also worth pointing out that this model also appears to be on an “oval” base in this image, and not its standard 80mm round base.

A New Edition of Warhammer 40k EPIC?

Now, let’s talk about a new edition of Epic. First, we’ve heard rumors for a long time, so it wouldn’t be too surprising. Plus, we’re not the only ones thinking this either; some users have also chimed in on the B&C with similar theories.

But since there is a little gap between the feet and the base, it seems like the Warhound is only blutacked on the base, which would make sense if they want to switch between normal bases for AT and lower bases for Epic. 

If you don’t remember, Epic had much thinner bases so that the tiny little models could fit on there easier. This is also a case where whoever took the photos could have just not realized the base was made for Epic and just took the photo with the swapped-out base.

RUMORS Epic Warhammer 40k Returning: (December 8th 2022)

These rumors come from Valrak, and he said he’s pretty certain about these ones! He’s been pretty spot-on lately, so just something to think about.

There are three main points for the return of Epic 40k rumors.

• First, it looks like the game is set to make a triumphant return sometime after 10th edition 40k drops. He wouldn’t give an exact timeline, but from the sounds of it, 2024 looks like the most obvious date. Click here to see the other rumors on Epic we have been hearing so far.
• Next up, there is a big chance this will actually be set in Horus Heresy (like Adeptus Titanicus). This is a shame for many 40k players as it cuts out a ton of Xenos factions, but with it being so far out, this could not be the case as well. Some people are also out there saying it is 40k, but we’ll have to wait and see about that.
• Lastly, it looks like AI will either be moved to something else or somehow incorporated.

RUMORS 10th Edition 40k Rules Reset & Epic Returns: (August 8th, 2022)

The latest Chapter Master Valrak rumors on YouTube and B&C (edited for grammar) seem to indicate not only the return of 10th Edition 40k that pretty much everyone suspects but also provide a few scant details.

10th is apparently coming next year, and they will be resetting it, everything going back to indexes as we got with 8th Edition. Take it with all the salt you can consume.

Also, EPIC is coming back for the Horus Heresy, apparently.

Indexes were what Games Workshop used back when they reset the 40k rules set to 8th Edition back in 2017, with the promise of fewer books needed and only eight pages of core rules.

Each index featured rules for either the Imperium, Xenos, or Chaos factions as a quickstart way to get players up and running with the new 8th Edition 40k rules mechanics before each codex came out.

While the promise of fewer rules needed to play was a great idea then, it didn’t even stand up to the first major event of the 8th edition, with GW having to hot-fix scoring flyers after the 2017 ATCs spammed so many.

Unfortunately, the rules bloat mushroomed from there, unfortunately to what we have today with tons of supplement microtransactions and a Warhammer 40k army builder App that has never quite lived up to everyone’s expectations.

On the Epic 40k side of things, it seems like releases have slowed for both Adeptus Titanicus and Aeronautica Imperialis, so perhaps re-releasing Epic (small-scale games of 40k) would be a great way for Games Workshop to recycle these models in the new 1/4 scale to be used together with perhaps some unseen similarly scaled 40k models.

Here’s a great look at the differences in scale from the old 1990s epic scale, the new AI, and the current 40k sizes. The plastic AI Thunderhawk is a perfect 4″ long, exactly 1/4 the size of the Forge World one! The same goes for the Titans in Adeptus Titianicus compared to Warhammer 40k.

So the stage may be set for TWO new versions of Warhammer 40k, and regardless of which of these systems you want more, these are spicy rumors for sure.

What do you think about the new Warhammer Epic Game Rumors for the Horus Heresy now? 

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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!

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