The Horus Heresy - Legions Imperialis

The Horus Heresy: Legions Imperialis — Epic-Scale Warfare

Legions Imperialis is Games Workshop's epic-scale miniature wargame set during the Horus Heresy — the catastrophic civil war that tore the Imperium apart in the 31st millennium. Where standard Horus Heresy represents individual squads and units in 28mm scale, Legions Imperialis steps back to show the full horror of galactic civil war: entire Space Marine Legions, armoured battalions of Solar Auxilia, towering god-machines of the Titan Legions and formations of Questoris Knights clashing across vast battlefields. It is a game of truly epic battles — the kind that define the fate of worlds.

At Colours of Warriors, we stock the Legions Imperialis range including the core starter box, Liber Strategia rulebook, Warhound Titans, Questoris Knights, Thunderhawk Gunships, Kratos Heavy Tanks and infantry forces. Visit our store in Pilsen, Czech Republic, or order online with delivery across the EU.

What Is Legions Imperialis?

Legions Imperialis uses approximately 8mm scale miniatures — significantly smaller than the 28mm models used in standard Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000. This smaller scale allows players to field formations that would be impossible to represent at full size: entire companies of Space Marine infantry supported by squadrons of battle tanks, covered by flights of Thunderhawk Gunships and anchored by the unstoppable war machines of the Collegia Titanica.

The game uses its own dedicated ruleset — the Legions Imperialis rulebook and Liber Strategia — separate from standard Horus Heresy rules. While the setting and lore are shared, Legions Imperialis is a fully standalone game that does not require any other Horus Heresy products to play.

Forces — What You Can Field

Legions Imperialis lets you build armies from three main force types, each bringing a different role to the battlefield:

Legiones Astartes — Space Marine Legions in epic scale. Infantry squads representing dozens of warriors per base, supported by Rhino transports, Predator tanks, Sicaran Battle Tanks, Kratos Heavy Assault Tanks and the mighty Spartan Assault Carrier. The backbone of any Legions Imperialis force and the most flexible formation type.

Solar Auxilia — the elite human armies of the Imperium in epic scale. Lasrifle sections, Veletaris Storm Sections and a full range of armoured vehicles including Leman Russ squadrons and Malcador heavy tanks. Solar Auxilia excel at holding ground and delivering massed firepower across wide frontages.

Mechanicum — the war machines of the Adeptus Mechanicus, including automata and Mechanicum infantry. A specialist force with powerful individual units and unique tactical options.

Titans and Knights — The God-Machines

The most iconic units in Legions Imperialis are the towering war machines of the Titan Legions and the noble households of the Knight Worlds:

Warhound Titans — the swift hunters of the Titan Legions, fast-moving scouts armed with devastating weapons capable of annihilating entire infantry formations in a single volley. Available with Ursus Claws and Melta Lances for varied loadouts.

Questoris Knights — the armoured cavalry of the Knight Worlds, powerful in both shooting and close combat. Questoris Knights provide a flexible elite option capable of threatening both infantry and armoured targets.

Thunderhawk Gunships — the iconic assault craft of the Space Marine Legions, capable of delivering troops directly into the heart of the enemy position or providing devastating close air support. One of the most visually striking models in the range.

Avus Lighters — lighter aircraft providing fast air support and tactical flexibility across the battlefield.

Campaigns — The Devastation of Tallarn

Legions Imperialis supports narrative campaign play through dedicated campaign supplements. The Devastation of Tallarn recreates one of the largest armoured conflicts in the Horus Heresy — a world-spanning tank war fought across the poisoned wastelands of Tallarn after the Iron Warriors virus-bombed the planet. The supplement includes campaign rules, special scenarios and army cards for both sides of the conflict. We stock both the campaign book and the dedicated army cards.

How to Start Playing Legions Imperialis

The best entry point is the Legions Imperialis starter box — it contains two complete forces (Legiones Astartes and Solar Auxilia), the core rulebook, dice and all components needed to play your first game. With forces for both sides included, it's ideal for starting together with a friend.

For the complete army-building rules and full faction options, the Liber Strategia provides everything needed for matched play and campaign games. We stock the Liber Strategia alongside the full range of unit boxes.

We recommend Legions Imperialis for players who are already familiar with miniature wargaming. If you're new to the Horus Heresy setting, consider starting with the standard Horus Heresy in 28mm scale first to get familiar with the lore and factions before moving to epic scale.

Legions Imperialis vs Standard Horus Heresy

Both games are set in the same period and share the same lore, but they are very different experiences on the table. Standard Horus Heresy uses 28mm miniatures for squad-to-company scale engagements — individual warriors are the focus and detailed painting is a major part of the hobby. Legions Imperialis uses 8mm miniatures for battalion-to-army scale battles — the focus shifts to formation tactics, combined arms and the spectacle of massed armies clashing across the table.

The miniatures are not compatible between the two scales, but many players collect both — using their 28mm Horus Heresy collection for detailed skirmish games and Legions Imperialis for the grand strategic experience.

Painting Legions Imperialis Miniatures

Painting epic-scale miniatures requires a different approach to 28mm models. The smaller scale means that broad, bold colour schemes read better than fine detail work — zenithal priming followed by contrast or speedpaint colours and a final drybrush highlight is the most popular and effective method. Results that take hours on a 28mm model can be achieved on an entire Legions Imperialis formation in the same time.

We stock a full range of paints, brushes and modelling tools suited to epic-scale painting including Citadel Contrast, Army Painter Speedpaint and fine-detail brushes.

Legions Imperialis at Colours of Warriors

We're a specialist hobby shop based in Pilsen, Czech Republic, stocking the Legions Imperialis range — starter box, Liber Strategia, Warhound Titans, Questoris Knights, Thunderhawk Gunships, Kratos Heavy Tanks, Avus Lighters, The Devastation of Tallarn campaign and infantry forces for Legiones Astartes, Solar Auxilia and Mechanicum. Our store at Zbrojnická 116/2 is open Monday to Friday 13:00–18:00. We ship across the Czech Republic and the EU.

Questions? Contact us at obchod@coloursofwarriors.com or +420 737 281 727.

Frequently Asked Questions — Legions Imperialis

What scale are Legions Imperialis miniatures?
Legions Imperialis miniatures are approximately 8mm scale — significantly smaller than the 28mm miniatures used in standard Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000. This smaller scale allows entire tank battalions, infantry regiments and Titan war machines to be represented on a standard gaming table.

Is Legions Imperialis compatible with standard Horus Heresy?
No — the scale difference (8mm vs 28mm) means the miniatures are not interchangeable between the two games. Legions Imperialis has its own dedicated ruleset separate from standard Horus Heresy. Both games share the same setting and lore, but are standalone experiences.

Do I need to know Horus Heresy to play Legions Imperialis?
No — Legions Imperialis is fully standalone. The starter box contains everything needed to play including the core rules, miniatures and all game components. Knowledge of standard Horus Heresy lore enriches the experience but is not required to start playing.

How long does a game of Legions Imperialis take?
A standard game typically takes 2–3 hours. Legions Imperialis is designed for bigger battles than Kill Team or Combat Patrol — it suits a dedicated gaming evening. The epic scale means you can fight much larger engagements in the same time as a standard 28mm game.

What is the Liber Strategia?
The Liber Strategia is the comprehensive army-building supplement for Legions Imperialis. It contains the complete rules for all factions, full points values for matched play and expanded strategic options. It is the essential companion to the core rulebook for players who want to build custom armies beyond the starter box compositions.

What is The Devastation of Tallarn?
The Devastation of Tallarn is a narrative campaign supplement for Legions Imperialis recreating one of the largest armoured conflicts of the Horus Heresy — a world-spanning tank war fought across the poisoned wastelands of Tallarn. The supplement includes campaign rules, special scenarios and dedicated army cards for both Loyalist and Traitor forces. We stock both the campaign book and army cards.