Horus Heresy Legiones Astartes Command Squad Upgrades

[Dark Legionnare]

I got a bit hung up on: Thinking to himself, "DAMNIT, I LEFT THE STOVE ON" guy here.


A, sadly, missed opportunity to have 1 bit from each legion on the sprue to make at least the top of each banner really sell the "Legion specific" command squad.
 

Edited March 28 by Dark Legionnare

[Irongert]

38 minutes ago, Etruscan said:

Hmmm am I wrong to find this rather underwhelming? As someone who loves converting I'm looking through the contents of the sprue thinking that there is little if anything that I want or need. Aesthetically it's not really screaming 30k at me.

I'm with you there, it's decidedly meh. I also fail to see why combat shields are considered a command squad thing rather than say, uhm, some variety of power weapons or mroe ornate armour... We already have relative easy access to combat shields, it feels like a bit of a letdown. The banner and standard look good but the rest is just... meh, whatever. 

 

Good thing about this though, they painted something in IW colors, at least it shows they remember the legion exists 

[The Scorpion]

30 minutes ago, Waaagh? said:

The contents of this isn't what I was hoping for really. Would have been nice to have some combi weapons or similar. I don't think filling it with combat shields which aren't a popular equipment option (and many of us will have spares from the assault squad) is what most folk would want.

 

 

 

Combi-weapons won't be hard to get. They'll probably be in their own packs like the special and heavies. I'd think it would be a much better approach.
 

 

11 minutes ago, Burni said:

I am a big fan of the modularity of the HH kits and this continues that trend. However as others have pointed out, it's a bit underwhelming in terms of actual content and, much like the BT upgrade sprue, so much of it is given over to a specific weapon type that isn't what everyone wants (scout shotguns on BT and combat shields here).

The modularity is the big draw for me here. There's gonna be spares to customize more than one character after the squad is built and painted.
I agree that the combat shields were a miss, but surely we can find some use for them, won't we? It ain't the end of the world. This sprue has more than it needed, so I won't complain too much. The fact that it comes with two banners when the squad can only technically take one makes me welcome the kit in good faith. Herald consul, here we go!

[Waaagh?]

1 minute ago, The Scorpion said:

Combi-weapons won't be hard to get. They'll probably be in their own packs like the special and heavies. I'd think it would be a much better approach.

 

You say that but there's combi options that literally only appear on one or two praetor models currently so I'd say yes they are hard to get. There are also none that are compatible with the new "both hands on gun" arms that come standard with the newer kits as well.

 

Ideally they would release these individually as their own upgrade kit but who knows when that might happen knowing gw. 

[Xenith]

About time, these were teased, in what, May 2023 at WHFest, so almost a year ago, and they're still out later in the year? they seem to be a few months behind with this. 

 

The bits seem decent, the main thing will be all those left and right arms!

 

Great  to see confirmation that a vexilla type thing is also an acceptable legion standard, ir'll make converting them so much easier!

[Matcap86]

Huh this falls in a weird spot for me. I am (very) disappointed we don't get bespoke models. But I do really like the bits they are putting out and curious to see what the command squad transfers will look like. 

Edited March 28 by Matcap86

[ISBEAR]

Coming later this year? might be a while untill we see these hit the shelves...

Glad to see a couple painted up as IW atleast.

Edited March 28 by ISBEAR

[loginomicon]

45 minutes ago, Etruscan said:

Hmmm am I wrong to find this rather underwhelming? As someone who loves converting I'm looking through the contents of the sprue thinking that there is little if anything that I want or need. Aesthetically it's not really screaming 30k at me.

 

No, this is quite underwhelming.... Assault shields that are nice but we kinda already got some with the assault marine. Heads are really nice but helmets are quite generic ? They only really fit well with MKIII in my opinion. Swords are ok but nothing crazy. Where it hurts I think is the rest, ONE tigrus bolt pistol... really, come on GW but the real kick in the nuts for me is the lack of artificer armour. Like I have to take a 20 man box take 5 guys and then make them a command squad. I was really hoping for some artificer body on this one :( 

[Mr Farson]

Called it

 

Absolutely mediocre 

[Xenith]

2 sets will net you a 10 model command squad and a breacher squad, so all good?

[son of the forest]

4 minutes ago, loginomicon said:

 

No, this is quite underwhelming.... Assault shields that are nice but we kinda already got some with the assault marine. Heads are really nice but helmets are quite generic ? They only really fit well with MKIII in my opinion. Swords are ok but nothing crazy. Where it hurts I think is the rest, ONE tigrus bolt pistol... really, come on GW but the real kick in the nuts for me is the lack of artificer armour. Like I have to take a 20 man box take 5 guys and then make them a command squad. I was really hoping for some artificer body on this one :( 

I find it very underwhelming, but you can buy it with 5 guys either mk iii or vi in box

[lansalt]

2 minutes ago, Xenith said:

2 sets will net you a 10 model command squad and a breacher squad, so all good?

Sadly those are combat shields. Breacher shields are bigger and have a different shape, although I bet they'll be also an upgrade sprue for MKIII

[Marshal Rohr]

I think this lends more evidence to the idea the specialist squads (Breacher, Destroyer, Seeker, Recon) are going to be upgrade sprues and not bespoke squad boxes. If that does turn out to be the case you will eventually (big emphasis on eventually) be able to do something like buy a box of assault legionaries, the command squad sprue, assault weapons sprue, and seeker/recon sprue over the course of collecting your army and combine the parts to make a command squad that has combi-bolters and jump packs or whatever. 

[Matcap86]

2 minutes ago, Marshal Rohr said:

I think this lends more evidence to the idea the specialist squads (Breacher, Destroyer, Seeker, Recon) are going to be upgrade sprues and not bespoke squad boxes. If that does turn out to be the case you will eventually (big emphasis on eventually) be able to do something like buy a box of assault legionaries, the command squad sprue, assault weapons sprue, and seeker/recon sprue over the course of collecting your army and combine the parts to make a command squad that has combi-bolters and jump packs or whatever. 

 

I initially thought so as well, but the Assault squad really throws a wrench in that logic. Maybe because command squads aren't that prevalent they went with upgrades and for breachers they might do a proper full squad?

[tinpact]

Is it just me, or do you need an extra power sword to get the loadout in the pictures? Two from the upgrade frame, one(?) from the standard bonus frame, and the last from...somewhere. Not that I don't have plenty...

 

Ironically, I just started building some veterans this would be perfect for. I do actually quite like it, though I wish they'd shown off the transfer sheet.

[Lord Marshal]

1 minute ago, tinpact said:

Is it just me, or do you need an extra power sword to get the loadout in the pictures? Two from the upgrade frame, one(?) from the standard bonus frame, and the last from...somewhere. Not that I don't have plenty...

 

Ironically, I just started building some veterans this would be perfect for. I do actually quite like it, though I wish they'd shown off the transfer sheet.

 

You get seven power swords in the kit apparently (well, one sheathed). 

 

Quote

You’ll score five combat shields and five regular power swords, two alternative power swords – one sheathed, the other gripped in a bionic arm with an empty sheathe – and a bolt pistol, plus numerous arms and hands to put them all to work. The kit also contains four artificer pauldrons, a helmet under one arm, and 11 heads – three bare and eight in fancy helmets.

 

[Marshal Rohr]

2 minutes ago, Matcap86 said:

 

I initially thought so as well, but the Assault squad really throws a wrench in that logic. Maybe because command squads aren't that prevalent they went with upgrades and for breachers they might do a proper full squad?

Definitely possible, however I would also toss out there that the Assault Squad Mark 6 bodies are on a different sprue than the Jump Packs, so maybe we will see something like Mark 6 Recon Squad where the bodies come with the cloaks and comms back packs, but there is a separate sprue of shotguns, nemesis bolters, and whatever their options are that is shared with the Seekers. Similarly Destroyers come with a body sprue of the uparmored bodies but use the Assault Squad box jump packs so they can sell Mortalis and Destroyer assault squads. The only thing I can’t see getting its own squad is Breachers, instead getting a ten man box of 2 Mark 3 Body Sprues and a Sprue of 10 Shields and Bolter Arms with a few special weapons. That’s probably when we’d start seeing resin upgrades for the recently disappeared Legion Specific Units like Phalanx Warders and Gray Slayers. 

[Robbienw]

Bit of a letdown tbh.

[Spagunk]

I, for one, actually love that they give you three boxes. Means I won't have to shell out 75/80 bucks only to use 5-10 of them for a command squad. As is, I personally just need the command squad sprue as I already have bodies. 

Having no legion banner toppers is pretty disappointing but I already have bits for that if necessary.

[soviet1337]

Meh. Some nice elements but this and the assault squad really need to be rescued from blandness by an exciting assault weapons sprue. Here's hoping! 
 

The five man squad boxes are cool though, I'm glad I didn't get any Mk III yet

[SkimaskMohawk]

Theres a lot of nice details on there, the banner and vexilla are quite nice and imo way better than 40k versions. I also like the studded mk 3 pads a lot and wish there were more of those (especially the spike studs). But it also kinda makes me wish there was a generic "legion elite" pack with swords, spears, maces, double claws, etc...Let people buy all the melee weapons that they can use in their lists the same way as they can get heavy weapons.

 

[lansalt]

 

I wonder what's the in-universe reasoning for this icon on top of a banner. It works in the pages of the books as a visual metaphor of the conflict, but I can't see legions using it on purpose, except maybe the Alpha Legion or Blackshields

[Xirix]

I'm torn on this one, I was really expecting some new bodies in somewhat blinged out artificer armour, the banner, swords and helmets are quite nice but I can't help feel underwhelmed by this as-is.

 

Plus they didn't label this as being an upgrade sprue in the roadmap, so I was kinda expecting a fully new thing. Nice for parts at least I suppose.

[Azaiel]

3 minutes ago, lansalt said:

 

I wonder what's the in-universe reasoning for this icon on top of a banner. It works in the pages of the books as a visual metaphor of the conflict, but I can't see legions using it on purpose, except maybe the Alpha Legion or Blackshields

it reminds med of the US Marines Logo. Marines in space, Space marines.

[01RTB01]

"A" Bolt pistol... Are they going to share?! They're less well equipped than WW1 Russians.

 

This genuinely was everything feared. An upgrade frame loaded with power swords and combat shields. Only 4 "artificer" pads and a few helms. Nothing to jazz up the legs or torsos.

 

It'd had been said before about the possibility of an upgrade frame and fears how they'd do artificer armour. Well, consider the fears realised.

 

I sincerely hope they don't make such a hash of the cc weapons sprue which I really hope we see soon.

 

"Later in the year" also is concerning as "soon" can be months. How long away is later in the year when it's slated for a spring release?

 

Between this and woken to the question of "Is giant man a good guy?" I hope the day gets better (first world problems acknowledged)