Solar Auxilia novels..

[TheWarmaster]

Is anybody else a little sad that the Solar Auxilia never really got any significant air time during the Heresy novel series, or even a novel of their own? 

 

I think it would've been really cool to see a little more of them on the page. 

[Marshal Rohr]

They’re going to keep making stories set in the Heresy, so there’s still hope. 

[TheWarmaster]

On 2/27/2024 at 5:56 PM, Marshal Rohr said:

They’re going to keep making stories set in the Heresy, so there’s still hope. 

Hopefully. Would be cool to get an Auxilia focussed novel for sure! 

[grailkeeper]

Be interesting to see how it differs to a guard novel. 30k marines are different to 40k ones. Hopefully they aren't treated as just being the guard with a different name. Different mindset would be interesting to see there too.

[TheWarmaster]

16 hours ago, grailkeeper said:

Be interesting to see how it differs to a guard novel. 30k marines are different to 40k ones. Hopefully they aren't treated as just being the guard with a different name. Different mindset would be interesting to see there too.

I'd imagine they would be written quite differently. They're nothing like the guard in 40k. Everything about them is drastically different. 

Edited February 29 by TheWarmaster

[WolfLogic]

On 2/29/2024 at 10:40 AM, TheWarmaster said:

I'd imagine they would be written quite differently. They're nothing like the guard in 40k. Everything about them is drastically different. 

Honestly if we do end up getting some books on the Solar Auxila, I don't think they'll be very good, because as you said, everything about them is drastically different. I struggle to believe that any of the BL writers would have read into the fluff enough to do them justice tbh

[Noserenda]

They aren't that different at their core, they come from a more optimistic age and have better toys but they are still human infantry in a horrible place, Kasrkin/Volpone or any other heavy elites are doing the same work since they expanded them out.

 

That and the notorious problems between departments is probably why we haven't seen a book, well, that and then not existing for most the series.

Edited April 23 by Noserenda

[JeffJedi]

It would be interesting to see humans with a conqueror/explorer mindset instead of the more defensive Imperial Guard. The Angel of Fire books were of like that.

[Mandragola]

I think a novel, or perhaps a series of them, looking at the Solar Auxilia would be really useful for Heresy. Actually I'd do it for other factions too, like the Sisters of Silence.

 

Solar Auxilia are in a bit of a weird place. Model-wise they are now the second force for the game, with a good and growing plastic range of truly excellent kits. But for rules they only have a small section of the Imperium book, which doesn't provide any equivalent of Legion Rules (cohorts are more like rites of war), advanced reactions or Warlord Traits. Their in-game representation is therefore lacking in character and generally weak across the board.

 

And in BL's ~60 book series it's hard to find any mention of them. Indeed we see forces that have no representation in the 30k game, like the regular army and Skitarii, far more often. I've always thought this was weird as, while they have never been a huge part of the fluff, the models have existed for quite a few years now. 

 

For what it's worth, my take is that the SA are not very much like either the regular 40k guard or elite units like the Kasrkin or Scions, which tend to be more like special forces. These guys are very well trained and equipped but they are intended for mass combat, not small-unit actions. They're an army designed literally to be auxiliaries to Legionaries, meaning they don't need to do things that the Space Marines are good at.

 

So far the heresy series has been the story of the Legions, mostly. Hopefully future books will look beyond them.

[calgar101]

I would like to see them fleshed out more in novels but not for the sake of it. I think Abnett, ABD or Wraight would be best suited for this. Seeing more of the 'Old 100' famed Regiments would be great.