In the relentless warzones of the Horus Heresy, even the genetically enhanced warriors of the Legiones Astartes understood the need for efficiency and preservation.
Though they hadn’t yet reached the near-religious reverence for wargear seen in the 41st Millennium, the Space Marine Legions were no strangers to pragmatism—especially when the casualty lists began piling up. That’s where the Tarantula Missile Battery comes in: a dependable, deadly, and fully automated weapons platform that let machines do the dirty work so the Astartes could focus on smashing through enemy lines.
Now, the Tarantula is back with a new plastic kit—and it’s bringing two powerful missile options that expand its battlefield role significantly. The box includes two Tarantula platforms, which can be armed with either Hyperios missile launchers or Orias frag missiles, depending on how you want to deploy them. If air superiority is your concern, Hyperios missiles offer a fantastic way to bring down enemy attack craft. It’s a great option for lighter forces or Legion detachments without dedicated anti-air support, giving them the tools to contest the skies without shelling out for something like a Deredeo Dreadnought.
On the flip side, the Orias frag missiles are all about crowd control. They’re designed to blanket a wide area in lethal shrapnel, and are especially punishing against lightly-armoured infantry. These are ambush specialists, often set up in concealed positions or pre-positioned by recon forces to rain death down on advancing troops before they even know they’ve stepped into a kill zone. Whether you’re holding a flank or locking down a narrow corridor, frag-loaded Tarantulas create brutal no-go zones for your opponent’s infantry.
What really makes the Tarantula stand out is how it changes the shape of a battlefield before a single bolter is fired. These units are fully automated—they don’t move or reposition. Instead, they lie in wait, silent and still, until their pre-programmed targeting routines trigger a sudden, lethal barrage. Their small footprint and ease of deployment make them perfect for pre-battle setup by recon elements or air-drop insertion via servo-haulers just before things kick off. They’re cheap, disposable, and terrifyingly effective at controlling space and punishing anything that gets too close.
The Tarantula Missile Battery is set for release later this year, and while the kit offers plenty of visual appeal, the real win is that the rules will be available as a free download on Warhammer Community. That means you can drop them into your Age of Darkness lists the moment they hit shelves, no book-buying required.
Tactically, they offer incredible value. Need to plug a gap in your anti-air? Hyperios has your back. Want to trap an enemy advance or control board space? Orias is ready to shred. Either way, they don’t require elite infantry to babysit them, don’t demand constant activation, and bring a satisfying blend of thematic flavor and cold efficiency. They’re the lurking predators of the battleline—machines that don’t strut or roar. They wait, and when the moment comes, they strike with deadly precision.
If you’re building out your Horus Heresy collection or looking to add more depth to your deployment strategies, keep an eye out for this kit when it drops. In a war where every Astartes life counts and every shot matters, the Tarantula Missile Battery is proof that sometimes, the best soldier is one that doesn’t breathe at all.
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