Legions Imperialis – Solar Auxilia Baneblade Squadron

We gave you the overview on the content of the core set, so let's continue with the additional content of the first wave and the first super heavy options for the Solar Auxilia - the Baneblade Squadron!

This kit comes with two sprues at a RRP of 40 EURs / 30 GBP, each sprue covers enough parts to build either a Baneblade or a Hellhammer.

Beside the two identical sprues, it comes with an assembly instruction in black and white, as well as an decal sheet.

As you can see, the sprue is properly packed and gives you crisp details. There are a few options in there, for example for the main turret and the sponsons, along with optional crew.

The decal sheet looks a bit thin, but it covers 8 different Cohorts of the Solar Auxilia: Arkadian Janissaries, Cthonian Headhunters, Manachean Bulls, Saturnyne Rams, Lord Marshal's Own, Ash Scorpions, Bormanite Devils and The Deathless. I would have loved to go more into detail on the different cohorts, but the information and lore so far is rather scarce.

Back in the day - 2009 (that's 14 years ago!), I did a double feature on the Baneblade kit, when it was released and build the Baneblade and Shadowsword. But today we do it a bit smaller, 25% to be exactly.

The chassis is build straight away, with a good fit and I am amazed again by the amount detail they put on these small kits. Just like with the Aeronautica flyers, really satisfying.

The upper parts are a bit tricky, and you have to ensure they have a proper fit to not leave any gaps. But after that, you have the main hull, that we will add the optional bits and pieces to, like variants of the sponson weaponry and the turret.

Autocannon, heavy bolters and heavy flamers for the sponson, a demolisher cannon for the hull, lasers for the small side turrets and heavy bolters to the hull turret.

You get "only" one main turret, but with both options, either Baneblade or Hellhammer cannon, and various cupolas, closed opens and different crew, incl. pintle mounted weapons. I build a Hellhammer and a Baneblade, as you can mix the weaponry within a squad.

And to give you an idea how big this one is, here it is next to a Malcador and Leman Russ tank.

In the final build, you can clearly see what the Solar Auxilia variant of the tank differentiates it from the Imperial Guard / Adeptus Militarum one. The brim and decor along the edges and turret is different and very distinctive, if you compare it with the variants of Leman Russ and Malcador.

Conclusion

The Baneblade/Hellhammer is a super heavy option for the Solar Auxilia which goes for an Heavy Armour slot within your formations. It can be used as a tank of its own in a single model squadron or bulked about to 6 of them in a single unit. As of current, it is the most expensive unit from this new range with only two models to its 40 EUR boxed set. While certainly impressive and quite stunning with details, I am not sure if it is worth 20 EURs a piece. If the boxes were closer to the 30ish price range (just to give you a perspective on the pricing - the priceband of these boxes, the double identical sprue kits for the side games was 25 EUR in 2018, raised to 32,50 EUR with 2019/2020 and is now at 40 EUR -  that's a 60% increase over 5 years).

It is a bit difficult to delimit the missing options, as the 2nd edition of the Horus Heresy only covers the Stormhammer in the Liber Imperium, with no Baneblade / Hellhammer at all. And not all options the 40k Baneblade kit offers, were available in the Horus Heresy (Banesword, Doomhammer, Banehammer and Hellhammer were - temporarely ? - limited to the 40th millenia). It is not even part of the Solar Auxilia army list in the Liber Imperium, but was in the 1st edition, in Book 5 Tempest, just as the Baneblade without the Hellhammer option, but in Book 4 Conquest we see the rules for Baneblade, Stormlord, Shadowsword, Stormsword, Stormblade, and the Stormhammer.

With Legions Imperialis I assume, we will see more of these super heavy options. The Astartes have their own, with the Fellblade, Glaive and Falchion, which will be released most likely somewhen next year. Games Workshop already previewed the Stormhammer, the true super-heavy tank option for the Solar Auxilia, which will either be another plastic set of two, or maybe one of the first resin kits / upgrades by Forge World.

The Horus Heresy and Legions Imperialis are brands by Games Workshop.

The reviewed product item was provided by the manufacturer.