Solar Auxilia

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"Let my epitaph be this; I was born nameless and abandoned in the gutter of a sunless pit, but I have died a conqueror of worlds."

- Reputed last words of Lord Militant Erais Slaithe, Commander 74th Expeditionary Fleet, The Fall of Golgothea Terax, 0322884.M30[2d]


Solar Auxilia
SASymbol.jpg
Parent Agency Imperial Army[2b]
Headquarters Terra[2b]
Leader Lord Solar/Lord Militant[12b]
Established Early Great Crusade[2b]

The Solar Auxilia was an elite fighting force within the Imperialis Auxilia during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy originating from the Segmentum Solar. Of the myriad regiments and battalions of the Imperialis Auxilia (known in Low Gothic as the Imperial Army) the Solar Auxilia were amongst the most elite, disciplined and well-equipped fighting forces, widely considered by many second only to the superhuman Legiones Astartes in their military effectiveness in battle.[1] Solar Auxilia soldiers were not only trained as infantrymen but also for space combat, combat engineering, planetary exploration, and Death World survival missions.[2b]

By the second century of the Great Crusade, the Solar Auxilia made up between 20-25% of the Imperial Army.[2b] Some 2/3rds of this force oversaw garrisoning duties while the rest accompanied Crusade Expeditionary Fleets.[12b]

History

Solar Auxilia Infantry

The Solar Auxilia was founded in the early days of the Great Crusade as the forces of the Emperor required fleet-based armies capable of dealing with "petty wars" and colonial suppression while the Legiones Astartes handled grander campaigns. Imitating the Void Hoplites of the Saturnyne Ordo, the Solar Auxilia were trained, armed, and deployed in the same fashion and were issued with the same Saturnine Void Armour. Their doctrine emphasized discipline, coherence, aggressive defence, and concentrated firepower, making them highly effective soldiers. The first ten cohorts of the Solar Auxilia were known as the Saturnyne Rams and were more or less the Void Hoplites of the Saturnyne Order. Soon, more cohorts were raised from Terra and Luna in addition to Saturn. As the Great Crusade ground on, the Sol System could no longer provide enough manpower for the much-demanded Solar Auxilia forces, so recruits were drawn from elsewhere.[2b] These new recruits were mostly typically drawn from regions with a strong privateer and naval tradition.[9]

During the Crusade, the most common mission for Solar Auxilia units was to serve alongside Rogue Traders and Expeditionary Fleets as aggressors and explorers. Once a fleet had achieved Compliance and moved on, it usually fell to the Solar Auxilia and its assigned warships to guard those worlds and systems from outside threats as well as rebellion. Only when compliance was guaranteed beyond a doubt would the Solar Auxilia oversee the creation of locally-raised Imperialis Militia forces and redeploy elsewhere.[9]

When the Horus Heresy erupted, the Solar Auxilia became a key asset of loyalist forces. However, while they were overall strongly loyal, they nonetheless had several examples of rebellion against Imperial rule. Most notable amongst these were the Cthonian Headhunters, which had close connections to Warmaster Horus. In other cases, Solar Auxilia Regments incited rebellions within their own garrison systems for their own petty reasons.[12b]

Notable Campaigns

Great Crusade

Horus Heresy

Organisation and Tactics

Organisation of the Solar Auxilia[12b]

The base operating unit of the Solar Auxilia on the strategic level at the beginning of the Great Crusade was the Regiment, comprising about 5,300 soldiers and staff. However as the Great Crusade expanded in size, much larger Solar Cohorts were established of 120,000 personnel under the command of a Marshal Solar. These would be broken into a number of sub-cohorts, each with a nominal strength of 1,200 under a Legate Commander, Commander, or Sub-Commander depending on its particular type.[2b]

Each cohort had a unique number identifier, with the numbers 1-10 reserved for the Saturnyne Rams whose equipment and tactics laid the groundwork for the rest of the Solar Auxilia. It is believed that there were near 10,000 Solar Auxilia cohorts in existence during the Great Crusade, each with a unique number identifier. No number higher than the upper nine thousands was recorded prior to the Horus Heresy, and the numbering system broke down during the ensuing civil war. [38] Certain cohorts were numbered in nonstandard ways, as in the case of the different numbering systems that the Dark Angels and Raven Guard used for their bonded Auxilia cohorts, as well as the World Eaters using the moniker Ulna to indicate a cohort. [35d][35k][35p] Some of the traitor legions, as well as the Space Wolves legion, did not identify their bonded cohorts with numbers, or purposefully obfuscated their origin. [35h][35j]

On the tactical level, the building block of the Solar Cohort was a Tercio, itself made up of three sections whose nature was defined by their weaponry and battlefield role. The most commonly deployed Tercio formation consisted of three sections each comprising 20 armoured Lasrifle-equipped troops. Veteran Veletaris Tercios usually consisted of three squads of ten veteran troops equipped with more advanced short-range weaponry such as the Volkite Charger or Flamer. Fire Support Tercios commanded three batteries of crew-served weapons platforms, most commonly the Rapier.[2b]

On campaign, Solar Auxilia Cohorts were combined-arms formations based around heavy infantry. However they also made extensive use of armoured support and mobile artillery. Unlike those used by the wider Imperial Army, these were designed to withstand the vacuum of space and hostile environments and included radiological shielding as well as life support systems. These included the Mars-Solar Pattern Leman Russ Battle Tank. Cohorts also featured at least one fully equipped heavy armour sub-cohort which operated units such as the Malcador, Baneblade, Stormhammer, and Shadowsword. They were also renowned for their use of prefabricated defence works and fortified encampments. However more specialized siege formations such as static and heavy artillery were usually deployed outside of a cohort's regular order of battle and were more often than not left to other units of the Imperial Army.[34]

The elite of the Solar Auxilia were the Veletaris Storm Sections. These warriors were second only to the Legiones Astartes in combat ability.[4] The Solar Auxilia were also accompanied by Medicaes, who were tasked with treating combat injuries in the heat of battle. They were well-equipped and were trained to the Imperium's highest standards, which allowed the Medicaes to keep even grievously wounded Auxilia in the fight.[8]

Known Ranks[11][12b]

Solar Auxilia Ranks
  • Lord Solar/Lord Militant - Commander of the Solar Auxilia[12b]
Strategic Command
  • Lord Marshal[12b]
  • Cohort Marshal
  • Legate Marshal
Cohort
  • Tribune
  • Lord Castellan - Oversaw a Battlegroup[12b]
  • Marshal
  • Legate Commander
Sub-Cohort
  • Sub-Commander
  • Captain
  • Lieutenant
  • Sub-Lieutenant
  • Ensign
  • Declurion
Tercio
  • Troop Master/Primus
  • Void Sergeant
  • Vexillarii
  • Adjutant
  • Auxiliary
  • Sub-Auxiliary
  • Voidsman

Troop Types[12b]

Equipment

Solar Auxilia forces[12b]

The most iconic piece of the Solar Auxilia was its Solar Pattern Void Armour, a carapace-reinforced full environmental combat body suit with fully integrated life support units. The most commonly issued weapon was the Kalibrav V-1 pattern Lasrifle, a higher-quality laser firearm superior to a standard Lasgun. Support weapons included Flamers, Volkite Weapons, Plasma Weapons, Rotor Cannons, and Meltaguns. The Solar Auxilia also had its own units of Ogryn Charonites for infantry support.[2b]

The Solar Auxilia made use of a wide array of vehicles, nearly all of which were modified to be used in the vacuum of space and in hazardous environments.[34] The most notable of these were the Dracosan Armoured Transport, Hermes Light Sentinel, Aethon Heavy Sentinel, and Aurox. The most common heavy support vehicles were the Mars-Solar Pattern Leman Russ, Malcador Heavy Battle Tank, Basilisk, Medusa, Valdor, and a variety of Super Heavy Tanks that included the Baneblade, Stormhammer, Stormblade, Stormsword, and Shadowsword.[2b] Rapiers were widely used field artillery pieces.[12b]

The Auxilia operated its own air units which included Thunderbolts, Lightings, Avengers[12b], Marauders[12b], and Arvus Lighters (most frequently used for airborne landing operations). For boarding operations in space, the Shark Assault Boat was most commonly employed.[2b]

The Solar Auxilia Cohorts used a wide array of standards, banners and icons, collectively known as Vexillas.[2c]

Livery and heraldry

Solar Auxilia livery range from those inspired by the heraldry of the Legion to which a Legiones Auxilia is bonded, to the formulaic look of the more standardised First Line Auxilia. Solar Auxilia rarely use camouflage of any sort. This is because the role of the Solar Auxilia is to move rapidly from one warzone to the next, serving as front-line heavy assault troops who overwhelm their for before moving onto the next warzone, leaving Second Line units to prosecute follow-on missions such as consolidation, occupation, counter-insurgency or static defence. In the First Line role for which they are intended, the Solar Auxilia wouldn't ordinarily have the time, let alone the need, to camouflage themselves or their vehicles.[38]

Notable Cohorts

Solar Auxilia Heraldry[2a]
Solar Auxilia Cohorts icons[30]

Cohorts of Nonstandard Designation

Cohorts of Unknown Designation

Legiones Auxilia

Main article: Legiones Auxilia

The Legiones Auxilia were a class of formation within the ranks of the Solar Auxilia which were bestowed with the singular honour of serving directly alongside the Legiones Astartes and were integrated into their order of battle. The so-called ‘Legiones Auxilia’ were even afforded the right – through pedigree or deed – to bear livery derived in part from their associated Legion. Some such cohorts were raised from the Legion’s own home systems or subsidiary domains, such as the Cthonian Headhunters or the Barbaran Ambaxtoi, while others earned their position through historical association and achievement, such as the Arkadian Janissaries, who fight alongside the IIIrd Legion.[28]

Later in the galactic civil war it would become common for the Legions to assume direct control over one or more allied Auxilia units, subordinating them wholesale into Legion chains of command.[28]

Known Legiones Auxilia

Notable Members

Related Videos

Images

Main article: Miniatures: Solar Auxilia

Games Workshop Miniatures

Forge World Miniatures

See also

Sources


Legiones Astartes Forces of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy
Command Primarch • Lord Commander • Praetor • Centurion • Optae • Command Squad
Specialists Consul (Herald • Siege Breaker • Overseer) • Champion • Vigilator • Chaplain • Librarian (Esoterist) • Techmarine (Praevian) • Apothecary (Primus Medicae) • Decurion • Master of Signals • Master of Descent • Augur Squad • Moritat
Elite Troops Veteran Squad (Veteran Assault Squad) • Terminator Squad (Cataphractii • Tartaros • Saturnine • Nullificator) • Destroyer Squad (Assault • Mortalis) • Honour Guard
Troops Tactical Squad • Assault Squad • Heavy Support Squad • Breacher Squad • Tactical Support Squad • Reconnaissance Squad • Despoiler Squad • Scout Squad • Inductii
Fast Attack Seeker Squad • Outrider Squad • Sky Seeker Squad • Sky-Hunter Squadrons • Hussar Squad • Javelin Attack Speeder • Proteus Land Speeder
Dreadnoughts Contemptor • Castaferrum • Deredeo • Leviathan • Lucifer • Saturnine
Armored Vehicles Rhino (Advancer) • Predator (Executioner • Infernus) • Mauler Tank • Sabre • Land Raider (Phobos • Proteus • Achilles • Explorator) • Termite • Plutona
Heavy Vehicles Kratos • Sicaran • Malcador • Spartan (Prometheus • Hermetika) • Behemoth • Cerberus • Typhon • Hercules
Super-Heavy Vehicles Fellblade (Glaive) • Falchion (Ascalon) • Stormblade • Shadowsword • Mastodon • Mantolith • Leviathan • Capitol Imperialis
Artillery Basilisk • Medusa • Whirlwind (Hyperios • Scorpius) • Vindicator (Laser Destroyer) • Arquitor (Morbus • Spicula • Graviton) • Rapier • Heavy Quad Launcher • Tarantula • Araknae • Daedalus Stormcannon • Skyspear
Aircraft Drop Pod (Deathstorm) • Dreadclaw • Kharybdis Assault Claw • Stormbird • Thunderhawk • Storm Eagle • Fire Raptor • Stormstrike • Xiphon • Primaris Lightning Strike Fighter • Caestus Assault Ram • Orgus Flyer • Apis • Lotus • Wrath • Lightning Crow • Stormhawk • Stormcrow • Corsair • Deathbird • Swordstrike • Castellan • Pythos • Harbinger • Hawkwing
Legion-specific
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This article or article section is based on information included with miniatures showcased in Warhammer: Visions. These showcases regularly featured miniatures submitted with written content by the hobbyist that made them and, as such, their content may or may not be in contradiction to established background lore.

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