Let’s take a deeper dive at everyone’s favorite lasrifle-toting, tank horde-driving, psycho Ogryn-herding mortals in Legions Imperialis, the Solar Auxilia! The changes to the Solar Auxilia army list in the Liber Strategia have largely been a net positive; unit point costs have been adjusted based on utility, profiles have been split out depending on unit loadout, and the generally good formations the army has had in the main rulebook and campaign book releases have been maintained without any notable changes.
Thank you to Games Workshop for sending this to us for review.
Table of Contents
Notable Changes
One of the most notable changes to the army list is the splitting-out of unit profiles; gone are the generic Leman Russ and Super-heavy tank profiles, instead replaced with loadout-specific profiles. This is a Good Thing; having a different profile for each loadout allowed the designers to price loadouts differently, eliminating the price efficiency issues Auxilia players have had to deal with so far. (Looking at you, Leman Russ Vanquisher!) I will be going into more details in regards to point cost and profile changes further down, but suffice to say that different loadouts now have different point costs, giving each of them more utility relative to each other than before.
Also, certain Detachments have had their sizes changed to reflect the available models (Rapiers), a change which honestly should have happened sooner. Lastly, pintle mounts are a new upgrade option for vehicles, something that until now was only available for certain Astartes vehicles. Pintle-mounted heavy stubbers are a good additional Point Defence upgrade for vehicles, even if a little pricey at 5 points.
Army Special Rules
The special rules for the army have not changed functionally from their prior iterations. Close Formation Fighting has been rewritten to be a bit more clear, which is good.
Solar Auxilia Formations
The Liber Strategia compiles the formations originally shown in the Main Rulebook and The Great Slaughter and Devastation of Tallarn campaign books. These are:
- Solar Auxilia Sub-Cohort
- Solar Auxilia Armoured Company
- Solar Auxilia Pioneer Company
- Solar Auxilia Artillery Company
- Solar Auxilia Mechanised Infantry Sub-Cohort
- Solar Auxilia Super-heavy Company
- Solar Auxilia Titan Hunter Company
- Solar Auxilia Leman Russ Spearhead
No notable changes have been made to any of these formations, either in composition or special rules, from their prior iterations; you can continue using them without issue.
Solar Auxilia Iconic Formations
In addition to the standard formations, the Liber Strategia also includes Iconic Formations, which represent unique or elite formations for their respective armies. These include the Formations of Legend first shown in Devastation of Tallarn, which for Solar Auxilia are the Carmine Ambush Tercio, and the Thyreos Siege Company. Both are unchanged from their previous iterations.
In addition, there are five new Iconic Formations for the Solar Auxilia army in the book:
Solar Pattern Sub-Cohort
Based on the structure of the first Solar Auxilia Cohorts, this elite formation consists of two full-size detachments of Veletaris, led by a Legate Commander, and all mounted in Dracosans. This can be expanded with the option to take a second Legate Commander, a third full-size Veletaris Detachment, and a full-size Charonite Ogryn detachment, again all in Dracosans. This would definitely be a linebreaker unit, chock full of the best melee units the army can take. And the Elite Commander rule allows any Legate Commanders taken as part of the formation to not count towards the army limit, a great way to boost the number of Solar Auxilia HQ bubbles in the army as well.
Ultima Pattern Sub-Cohort
The inverse of the Solar Cohort, this formation focuses on large amounts of basic infantry. It consists of a base of two tactical commands, and three massive lasrifle tercios, each consisting of 12 lasrifle auxiliaries and four flamer auxiliaries. It can be expanded with a third tactical command and three Rapier batteries, each including eight rapiers with laser destroyers. In addition, the Volley Fire rule grants any of the Lasrifle Tercios Rapid Fire as long as they contain five or more models, allowing you to really unleash a shedload of light fire at anything in range. This would be a TON of models to source and paint, but you could completely lock down an entire corner of a table with one of these formations, and for relatively cheap!
Mechanised Pattern Sub-Cohort
A rather unique armored unit, this iconic formation is all about tanks. Led by a Tank Commander in a Stormblade, the base version of this formation also has a Leman Russ Strike Squadron and a Demolish Squadron, each with its own Tank Commander as well. It can be expanded with a Leman Russ Executioner Squadron and a Leman Russ Exterminator Squadron, each with their own Tank Commanders as well. In addition, the expanded formation also has a Valdor Squadron, consisting of two of the tank destroyers. The Mechanised Tercios rule works with the plethora of Tank Commanders, granting each detachment Nimble and Steadfast as long as their Tank Commander is still on the table. And the five tank commanders in the fully expanded version give you even more HQ bubbles!
Cthonian Headhunters Sub-Cohort
Representing the chosen auxiliary troops of the Sons of Horus, the Headhunters Sub-Cohort is a cool Traitor-locked formation of storm troops. The standard version of the formation includes a Tactical Command, a Lasrifle Tercio consisting of 8 rifle auxiliaries and 2 flamers, an 8-model Veletaris section with Dracosans, and an Aethon squadron. The Expanded version of this formation doubles the infantry and command detachments, and also adds a two-tank Malcador Infernus squadron. With the Overwhelming Aggression rule granting all infantry and walker detachments Furious Charge, this formation is purpose-built to take and hold objectives held by the enemy.
Theta-Garmon Deathless Sub-Cohort
A Loyalist defensive foil to the Headhunter Sub-Cohort, this formation represents the defenders of Nyrcon City during the Titandeath. The base formation includes a Tactical Command, three large Lasrifle Tercio detachments (12 lasrifles, 4 flamers), and an eight unit Rapier battery. It can be expanded with another Tactical Command and Rapier Battery(this one with Quad Launchers), and two Basilisk batteries. The Deathless special rule grants all detachments in this formation Feel No Pain as long as they are within 10” of any model with the Traitor allegiance. These will be your defenders, stick them in cover and they will be impossible to shift!
Unit Profile Changes
One thing players will notice when first browsing through the Liber Strategia is that there are many more detachments; this is not because of new Solar Auxilia units(unfortunately), but because many units have had their profiles separated out, where each loadout or variant of the unit will now have their own profile. Each is described below, organized by army list slot.
HQ Detachments
Legate Commander Detachment: No points change, no profile change. Take as many of them as you can for that sweet sweet ten inch HQ radius!
Auxilia Tactical Command Detachment: No point change, however the detachment is now equipped with volkite chargers instead of lasrifles, better reflecting the command models’ actual equipment and giving them a bit more oomph in shooting.
Core Detachments
Auxilia Lasrifle Tercio: Your basic Auxilia troops, with some fun upgrades. No changes to the base riflemen profile, and auxiliaries with flamers have their own separate profile now as well. There have been no changes to the costs or profiles for the Veletaris, Auxiliaries with Flamers, or additional Lasriflemen upgrades. However, Charonite Ogryns have had a significant price increase, along with changes to their profile (discussed below). Adding two stands of Charonites to your lasrifle tercio detachment will now cost 30 points, twice what they cost before.
Support Detachments
Auxilia Ogryn Charonite Section: Likely the most changed unit in the army list in the book, Charonites have had a significant profile and cost change. First, the good: Charonites now have two wounds, making them much tougher and survivable. And the bad: they are now Bulky, and have a base cost of 70 points, and a full-size detachment now costs 130 points, a 60% price increase. This is a bit of a bummer, but honestly expected; Charonite Ogryns have been some of the most points-efficient units in the Solar Auxilia army. They are still very good, but no longer the auto-take melee blenders they had been.
Auxilia Veletaris Storm Section: No major changes to the base points cost and profile of Veletaris compared to their prior iteration. The cost to increase the size of detachment has increased by 50%, however.
Auxilia Cyclops Battery: No major changes to the profile of these adorable little boom tanks, and their base cost has stayed the same. The cost to increase the size of their detachment has decreased slightly from before. Their Remote Controlled Detonation rule has slightly changed, as well – units with that rule no longer count towards a formation’s Break Point.
Vanguard Detachments
Auxilia Aethon Heavy Sentinel Patrol: No changes to the points costs for the Aethons, but with some changes to their weapons profiles. The multi-lasers have had their range cut to twelve inches from fourteen, and the frag rounds for the missile launchers now hit on a 5+ instead of a 4+. A bit of a negative change, but again not surprised considering how high value-for-points Aethons have been.
Bastion Detachments
Auxilia Rapier Battery: Off the bat, the most notable changes to the Rapiers is their detachment sizes; now, the base size is four rapiers, and detachment size upgrades are in increments of four. This makes sense, considering it reflects the number of models in the Auxilia Support box, but it is surprising that it took until now for this change to be made. No changes to the profile of the Rapiers, but their base point cost and detachment upgrade point cost has gone up by about a quarter to reflect the larger detachment size.
Auxilia Tarantula Battery: Tarantulas have had their base points cost decreased by a sixth, but their detachment size increase costs have gone up. In addition, their lascannon battery has gained Accurate at the expense of losing its second shot. But with the improved accuracy and cheaper costs, Tarantulas are still a good and cheap area-denial unit against enemy vehicles and flyers.
Battle Tank Detachments
Leman Russ Strike Squadron: Originally incorporating both the Battle Cannon and Vanquisher loadout options, the Strike Squadron profile now only represents Battle Cannon-armed tanks. While the weapon profiles have not changed, the base point cost has dropped, along with the detachment size increase cost, making the basic Leman Russ a much better value proposition than before. Any tank can take a pintle-mounted heavy stubber as well.
Leman Russ Vanquisher Squadron: The other half of the original Strike Squadron profile, the Vanquisher squadron has kept its previous points cost, making it now the most expensive Leman Russ variant in the army list. With the profile staying the same, they are still one of the best anti-tank options for the army, and can also take pintle heavy stubbers for some extra point defense.
Leman Russ Executioner Squadron: The plasma cannon-armed variant of the Leman Russ, the Executioner has had a price drop, putting it in line with the Battle Cannon variant. Other than points cost and the new pintle upgrade, there have been no other changes to the variant.
Leman Russ Demolisher Squadron: The Leman Russ siege variants have had a small points cost decrease in base and upgrade cost, but have otherwise kept the same unit and weapon profile.
Leman Russ Annihilator Squadron: The lascannon Leman Russes have had a very small base points cost drop, but have become much cheaper to increase the size of the squadron. No changes were made to the unit or weapon profile.
Leman Russ Exterminator Squadron: The autocannon tanks have had their points cost dropped to the lowest tier alongside the Strike and Executioner, making them one of the more points-efficient anti-infantry and anti-transport platforms in the army list.
Malcador Tank Squadron: Excitingly, all variants of the Malcador chassis have had their save improved from a 3+ to a 2+. The basic battle-cannon armed variant of the Malcador has had a small points drop despite the increase in survivability.
Malcador Vanquisher Squadron: Armed with a Vanquisher cannon, the Malcador Vanquisher has also had a (rather) small points drop from before, making it another viable option for a mobile anti-tank platform.
Malcador Annihilator Squadron: The lascannon-armed Malcador has had its points dropped to be in line with the battle cannon variant, making it a solid option for a tough and relatively cheap anti-tank platform.
Malcador Infernus Squadron: The terrifying flamer tank has had a bit of a glow up, having its point cost dropped alongside the increase in armor save. The new cost along with the improved durability make this an excellent option to deal with large amounts of enemy infantry or light vehicles/walkers, in cover and out.
Valdor Squadron: The Valdor has also had a points drop similar to the Infernus, and is also more durable with an improved armor save. No changes to its weapon profile, but Shock Pulse still makes the Valdor a great way to neutralize the effectiveness of enemy Super-heavies or Knights and Titans.
Heavy Armour Detachments
Auxilia Baneblade/Hellhammer Squadron: All Auxilia Super-heavies now have three wounds, a huge buff to their survivability and differentiating them from “heavy” tanks like the Malcador and Typhon. Other than the wounds increase and the option to take a pintle mount, the now separated Baneblade and Hellhammer have not changed from their previous iterations, and are still rock-solid Super-heavies.
Auxilia Stormhammer Squadron: Stormhammers also were bumped to three wounds, and while not having a change to their points cost, all their multilasers have had their range reduced to twelve inches, and the Stormhammer Cannon has lost its Arc(Front) restriction, which was likely a typo in the original profile.
Auxilia Shadowsword Squadron: The Titan hunter supreme, the Shadowsword has had a small points drop alongside gaining a third wound, and has also had a small drop in the cost of taking additional Shadowswords in the squadron. Still arguably the best anti-Titan vehicle in the army despite being the most expensive tank in the army list, and one of my favorite Super-heavies on looks alone.
Auxilia Stormsword Squadron: The Leman Russ Demolisher’s bigger, angrier brother, the Stormsword has had no changes to its cost and profile, other than the universal third wound for Auxilia Super-heavies. Still a great option for dealing with structures and anybody inside them.
Auxilia Stormblade Squadron: The plasma-toting Stormblade has had a small points drop alongside gaining a third wound, making it a great option for dealing with multi-wound tanks and enemy heavy infantry and walkers.
Artillery Detachments
Auxilia Medusa Battery: The Medusa Battery has had a small points drop, but the Medusa siege gun has had a significant change, losing Demolisher and instead gaining Heavy Barrage. Now the gun has a new use case against enemies in structures – they will simultaneously be able to damage both structures and any enemy infantry unfortunate to be inside them.
Auxilia Basilisk Battery: Unlike the Medusa, the Basilisk has not had any major changes, other than a small points drop. Still an excellent artillery piece, particularly in an Artillery Company.
Transport Detachments
Auxilia Dracosan Detachment: Unlike the other Malcador variants, the Dracosan had always had a 2+ save, but has now also gained a second wound, bringing it in line with all other variants of the chassis. It also has had a roughly 15% price increase, a fine consolation for the Auxilia now having one of the most durable and versatile ground transports in the game. Unlike its Big Heresy equivalent, though, it still has its transport capacity halved if it takes a Demolisher cannon.
EDIT: The Dracosan now also has Large Transport(4) – so it can transport Charonite Ogryns, and hilariously, Aethon Sentinels!
Auxilia Arvus Lighter: Everyone’s favorite flying brick has had no changes in the Liber Strategia – you don’t mess with perfection!
Air Support Detachments:
Solar Auxilia Air Support detachments have had very few changes from their prior iterations in the Liber Strategia – the points costs, unit, and weapon profiles are all the same, with a few notable exceptions, listed below.
Auxilia Lightning Squadron: The range of the Lightning twin multilaser has been changed from fourteen inches, to twelve, in line with changes to multilaser range across the army.
Auxilia Marauder Bomber Squadron: All variants of the Marauder now have two wounds, making them more survivable, and reflective of their larger size and durability in the lore. In addition, there is no additional points cost to upgrade from the basic Marauder to the Marauder Destroyer, making Destroyers a bit more cost-effective than before.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I think the tweaks made to the Solar Auxilia army list in the Liber Strategia have been solid. The profile changes seem to align unit profiles better with the lore and combat roles those units represent, and the new formations give players new ways to play the army in Legions Imperialis. The continuing support for Legions Imperialis gives me hope we will see more in 8mm scale in the future from GW!
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