The newest Horus Heresy plastic kits thrive on mix and match freedom.
You can blend upgrade sprues across most armor marks with ease. Consequently, conversions feel natural and game legal without surgery. Each kit fits all current marks except Mk IV out of the box. That means more time painting and rolling dice, and less time trimming wrists.
Why Cross-Compatible Plastic Rocks
The core message is simple and very hobby friendly. Most basic troop kits and weapon sprues play nicely together. Mk II, Mk III, and Mk VI Tactical boxes form super flexible foundations. Therefore, they become blank canvases for both rules and style. You can push theme hard while still building legal units.
Design matters here because the arms just line up. You do not need to bend joints or tweak poses to fit. Consequently, you can focus on poses, heads, shoulders, and decals. Moreover, the quick reference chart shows which pairings are legal. In practice, the answer is usually yes for these marks.
Troops Upgrades: Support, Veterans, and Despoilers
Special Weapons Upgrade Sets are instant value. Sixty weapons in one box can outfit several squads fast. Tactical Support Squads stay cheap while bringing melta or plasma pressure. Therefore, they ride Rhinos, jump out, and delete priority targets. Veteran Tactical Squads play a nastier control game with mixed guns.
You can add one special per five Veterans in the unit. A flamer paired with a rotor cannon does sneaky work. Consequently, you can stack Stun, Panic, and Suppressive tests together. That taxes your opponent’s command points and order of operations. Survivors become roadblocks or finishers as the turn develops.
Despoiler Squads remix the classic Tactical body into brawlers. Swap boltguns for bolt pistols and chainswords from the Melee set. They keep the budget cost and the Line (2) rule for scoring. However, they punch harder in the Assault phase where it counts. They shine when launched from a Rhino or sprung from terrain.
Journal Tactica brings tasty extras for them as well. The Interdiction Cadre Prime Advantage rewards sudden pressure. Since Despoilers already love short range, the synergy clicks. Picture twenty chainswords erupting from craters and low walls. Your opponent will feel that tempo shift immediately.
Legion Specials, Heavies, and Command Squads
Legacies of the Age of Darkness widens rosters significantly. It expands Command choices and restores classic Legion units. The Emperor’s Children Sun Killers are a standout example. They field up to twenty heavy weapon specialists in one brick. Consequently, Heavy Weapons Upgrade Sets stretch very far here.
Volkite culverins and lascannons turn board lanes into no-go zones. Elite status deserves visual flair, so use alternate heads and shoulders. Decals finish the identity, which reads clearly at table distance. Several Legions have similar signature units in that document. The theme reward is strong without losing rules clarity.
Command Squads are the ultimate parts buffet. Centurion and Praetorian frames let every model gear up uniquely. The Legion Command Upgrade Set drops into basic troop boxes cleanly. If you prefer, Command Squad boxes bundle everything at once. Praetorians can even soar with jump packs from Assault bodies.
Centurion Command Squads accept a couple of specials or heavies. Therefore, leftover weapons never sit idle in your bits box. You can fold trophies from across the collection into one elite group. Consequently, they bodyguard, anchor, or spike damage on demand. They also look incredible marching beside your chosen warlord.
Summary
Horus Heresy plastics lean into creativity and clean rules compliance. Mk II, Mk III, and Mk VI Tactical kits pair with most upgrade sprues. Tactical Support and Veterans convert easily with the sixty-gun special pack. Despoilers gain melee teeth while still holding objectives as Line. Legacies unlock Legion classics like Sun Killers for heavy saturation. Command Squads drink up every leftover weapon and make it sing.
Get bold with heads, shoulders, and decals to sell the narrative. Since the range is cross-compatible, your army stays cohesive and unique. Moreover, you will spend less time problem solving plastic and more time gaming. Share your builds and keep iterating as new sprues land. The Age of Darkness rewards players who make their armies truly their own.
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