An Age of Darkness has descended upon the galaxy. Horus Lupercal, Warmaster of the Emperor's armies, has turned against his gene-father and sent the Imperium spiralling into bloody civil war. Of the eighteen great Space Marine Legions, finest of all humanity's soldiers, fully half have sided with the traitorous Warmaster, while the remainder stand staunchly loyal to the Emperor. It is a war of brother against brother, Space Marine against Space Marine, which has seen the might of the Imperium's vast armies turned upon itself in a cataclysm of fire and blood.
The Solar Auxilia are the most elite division of the Imperial Army, mortal soldiers trained to fight in alien atmospheres, toxic death zones, and even the cold vacuum of space – the most hazardous battlefields of the Great Crusade. Equipped with sophisticated wargear and sealed environmental armour, the Auxilia are recruited from across the Imperium's many conquests, chosen for a mix of skill, discipline, and raw aggression. As the Age of Darkness sweeps across the stars, the countless cohorts of the Solar Auxilia must each declare their allegiance – honour their Warmaster, or stand with their Emperor?
The Horus Heresy is the bloodiest conflict humanity has ever known, a galactic civil war in which Space Marines of the Legiones Astartes turn devastating weapons upon those they once called brothers.
Cerastus Knights are sophisticated and towering war-suits, far more agile than the smaller Questoris class. The Knight Castigator scythes down hordes of lesser foes that might otherwise overwhelm even a Knight through sheer numbers. Capable of obliterating infantry formations in a thunderous rain of mass-reactive explosions or carving apart light vehicles with ease, the Castigator is renowned for the stoic nature of its machine spirit, and often relied on to hold the line.
Cerastus Knights are sophisticated and towering war-suits, faster and more agile than the smaller Questoris class. The Knight Acheron is a fearsome sight on the battlefield, a reaper of lives designed not only to destroy, but also to inspire terror. The presence of a Knight Acheron warns the foe to expect no mercy, for such grim weapons are only deployed for missions of extermination, to topple the works of the enemy and scour clean their lands with flame.
Cerastus Knights are sophisticated and towering war-suits, with speed and agility that far exceeds the lumbering Questoris-class. The Knight Lancer is the most widely-known variant of the Cerastus chassis, held in high esteem by more impetuous House scions. Its protective ion gauntlet and potent shock lance are perfectly suited to duelling titanic foes face-to-face, and such pilots often race ahead to seek glory by vanquishing the enemy's most prized war machines.
The Knight Questoris is the most prominent variety of Knight Armour on the battlefields of the Horus Heresy, striding forth alongside the Legiones Astartes, Taghmata Omnissiah, and in the great armies of Knight Households. Such was its popularity amongst the noble scions of the Questoris Households that it was reconfigured in myriad ways with weapon options and hull augments, and given names such as Paladin, Errant, Warden, Gallant, and Crusader to reflect their traditions, lineage, and fighting styles.
The Kratos Heavy Assault Tank is based on an Ancient Terran pattern fielded during the Unification of Old Earth, redesigned after the Emperor's treaty with the Lords of Mars to serve as the spearhead of the Great Crusade, a line-breaker and foe hammer. This grinding battle tank is all but impervious to enemy fire, and its steady, inexorable advance provides an indomitable core to any assault by the Legiones Astartes, enforced by a barrage of overwhelming firepower.
The Cerberus is a rare variant of the Spartan chassis that uses its massive hull to mount a prototype neutron laser projector, as well as the sizable arc-reactors and radiation shielding needed to operate the weapon. The neutron laser is poorly understood by the adepts of the Mechanicum, but stands among the most effective anti-tank weapons available to the Space Marine Legions, capable of punching through the strongest plating and shorting out its target’s systems with bursts of radiation. The terrible toll the Cerberus takes on its crew is regarded by many commanders as a necessary cost, for this impressive tank can threaten even Titan-class opponents.
The Spartan Assault Tank is a huge armoured conveyer, designed to bear a great contingent of troops into the heart of enemy lines, weathering weapons fire that would be the death of any lesser vehicle. Protected by a sealed shell of legendarily durable plating, the Spartan's carrying capacity exceeds anything but a true super-heavy transporter, while retaining an impressive speed across the battlefield. Its quad lascannons make the Spartan a fearsome tank destroyer, while its secondary armaments allow it to sweep infantry from its path. The Spartan takes pride of place in the armouries of many Legions, its presence limited only by its sheer scale.
The Dracosan Armoured Transport is a heavily armed personnel carrier, manufactured to the highest standards and configured with systems that allow the Solar Auxilia to traverse the most hazardous battlezones. The Dracosan is large enough to accommodate a full strength section of 20 Solar Auxilia infantry, protecting them from all but the most intense enemy fire while using its own weaponry to pound enemy positions to dust.
Malcador Heavy Tanks are mighty armoured vehicles, based on ancient designs dating back to the Age of Strife on Terra itself. These imposing battle tanks are larger and heavier than the Leman Russ, but boast a truly formidable battle speed for their size thanks to highly sophisticated – if somewhat temperamental – drive systems. Operating with the support of Solar Auxilia infantry sections and more flexible armoured assets, a Malcador Heavy Tank can unleash a terrifying fusillade of frontal firepower.
