If you’ve been keeping your vox tuned to the whispers from the Warhammer Studio, you’ll know the new Saturnine boxed set for The Horus Heresy is shaping up to be more than just a miniatures release.
In the latest roundtable, the team gave us a deep dive into everything from nostalgic MkII Crusade armour to the obscure horror of disintegration weapons. Let’s unpack all of it with a hobbyist’s eye.
Right from the start, the dev team made it clear: this edition is about honoring the roots. The MkII armour in the new box dials way back to the original 1980s sculpts, capturing that boxy, proto-Marine aesthetic. Some might assume the Forge World kits were the base, but those were actually later reinterpretations. The plastic MkII now has proper articulation, including turning heads, and the leg plates intentionally reflect a segmented, fabricated design. They steer away from seamless ceramite and instead echo early Marine armor philosophies, bridging MkII with the evolution seen in MkIII and MkIV.
Old-school miniatures fans will appreciate the nods to Warhammer’s past. The Rapier crew design, for example, is directly inspired by the iconic LE02 Imperial Space Marine, first released in 1986. Rather than a hodgepodge of armor mark variants, the team focused on a bespoke artillery crew aesthetic. That sense of lineage gives longtime fans an “aha” moment when recognizing those obscure influences.
Then comes the juicy lore around disintegrator weapons. If you thought volkite was ancient, disintegrators make them look fresh out of the forges. This tech hails from before the Wars of Unity and is the kind of terrifying relic even the Emperor stepped back from. The Mechanicum refuse to acknowledge it, and Mars turns a blind eye so no one has to sanction it officially. Meanwhile, certain Legions like the Dark Angels and Space Wolves definitely still have stashes of these weapons tucked away.
Disintegrators, like their cousin adrathic weapons wielded by the Custodes, are barely understood and extremely dangerous. In fact, the only ones who know how they really work are the Emperor and, probably, some dusty prisoners Malcador keeps locked up on Luna. The studio even hinted that the Emperor may have intentionally preserved this tech as a failsafe against potential rogue elements like the Mechanicum. That’s heavy stuff, even by Heresy standards.
In terms of tabletop, the Saturnine box includes a more user-friendly version of the disintegrator rifle. These aren’t the full-blown incinerate-everything variants from the Unification Wars but are still potent enough to punch through Astartes power armor. Veteran squads can field them, and Praetors or Consuls can carry the original-style pistols. There are seven distinct weapon profiles across the family, giving players flexibility without tipping balance. The visual language of these guns is also unique, with strange pipes and spinning tech bits that immediately set them apart from plasma or volkite. And there’s no glow color locked in, letting painters pick what weird radiation looks best.
The other big reveal is the Araknae Quad Pattern Platform. This chunky support weapon is the successor to the Tarantula, but unlike its automated cousin, the Araknae is piloted by a Space Marine. That small detail adds a lot of flavor. Functionally, it provides anti-air and mobile firepower, with double the guns and a rare bit of wargear called the atomantic pavise. This resurrected relic makes it a standout in any list and provides a much-needed niche between tanks and static defenses.
Final Thoughts from the Vox Log
What makes this roundtable shine is how clearly the Warhammer Studio loves the setting. They’re not just making new toys; they’re stitching them directly into the history and mechanics of the Heresy. From MkII helmets that actually turn to ancient tech so unstable even the Thunder Warriors feared it, there’s an energy here that feels deeply nostalgic but forward-thinking. The Saturnine box isn’t just about plastic—it’s about story, history, and respect for what’s come before.
If this is the tone for the new edition, it’s a great time to be a Heresy player. And it looks like the team’s just getting started.
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