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From a visual standpoint, I think I would have preferred Leontus to take after something like the Solar Auxilia more. Like this guy, who is an SA officer on foot:



Plenty of historically-inspired bling, but between the comm earpieces and backpack especially, obvious technology as well. If they could have incorporated some more power-armour design cues to the horse barding and cybernetics, that might also have worked better. As it stands, the big plate pieces do give me an WHFB Empire vibe first and foremost (though the paint scheme being very bright and flashy plays a part at that as well)

Silly base aside, with the sword swapped out for a powersword or chainsword, he would be a reasonable enough Guard Commander.

Honestly, I think the biggest problem with it isn't the model itself, but the rest of the army. If we had, say, plastic Vostroyans, or if they had chosen to develop any of the other more fantasy-ish styled Guard regiments, or pushed the whole mixed regiments vibe with all different units, this guy would look right at home. But in an era when the vast majority of Guard are just made up of Cadian models (and even the new Rough Riders look more like Cadians with a headswap), this guy doesn't really feel like he fits.

 Kanluwen wrote:
Personal take is that between this and the return of Command Squads as just individual models? This was a wasted opportunity for Guard to get a "diorama" model.



This would have been far superior in both instances.

Completely wrong. This picture fits 'general' type model. Someone above senior regimental officers, but not so high said diorama isn't mostly lower ranking lackeys that add just minor functionality to combined model rules. Since Lord Solar doesn't muck about with even regimental commanders, but highest level officers present, his 'diorama' would need several generals leading multiple regiments each if not subsector commanders present and it would be looking comical (and utterly stupid) being pushed on table. Imagine Bolt Action command model that would be Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Bradley and Halsey standing around the desk - placed 20 cm away from Nazi Panzers. It would instantly shatter any suspension of disbelief (and would be good 2000 points mini if you wanted to give it proper rules). Realistic chain of command, what's that?

Not to mention it looks like it is fresh out of age of sigmar. The bionics on the horse are so unremarkable and lacking grim dark that I missed them the first time.

Um, no. Just no. Look at the horse, most of it is outright replaced by metal and just covered by uncanny valley, slightly off color plastic cover. There is plenty of grimdark here, it's just higher quality bionics used by high ranking officials (of which he is one of the most important) never look like crude stuff used by regular troops and the grimdark hits when you see how much had been replaced - good 2/3 of horse is missing and at this point he is riding on metal puppet incorporating some bits of the original animal for looks. Giving the horse regular visible bionics would be as dumb as giving medieval king miniature peasant clothes - completely failing to capture the status of the model.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
The colour scheme is part of the issue, but also the pose and equipment. There is nothing that really outwardly speaks "40k". He's holding a sword, but rather than being a chainword it's a fairly generic looking blade. He has a gun, but it's not a prominent feature and is not a plasma pistol, bolt pistol or even laspistol.

...why on Holy Terra highest ranking official would arm himself with gak handed out to freshly conscripted sergeants instead of, you know, relic blade and archaotech pistol befitting his status? Is that supposed to be a serious suggestion?

 endlesswaltz123 wrote:
Awful model, totally off point with what it should be.

So far, what is comically and totally off point of this model is its criticism showing complete lack of thinking it through. This is Lord Solar, not some random regimental mook, and the mini fits it to a T, no matter if you interpret it as him posing heroically post action while others did all the work, or him being inspiring, heroic figure amid his troops laughing at enemy fire (because he has secret archeotech shield generator built into horse, but the troopers around don't know that). It's the gak quality gear, dumb dioramas fitting low ranking officer, or him wearing Cadian/other regiment uniform proposals that are so off the point they are just sad.

Does this mean the model is ideal? Nope, but it's certainly better than anything proposed here instead so far, and I am just baffled how several people think ancient WFB junk that looks nothing like 40K design somehow fits 40K army better than model that is clearly 40K and even more clearly high ranking leader of said army. Is that some new low quality 4chan bait or something?

Lord Solar is the only new guard model I don't absolutely love, or even remotely like. Stiff pose, uninspired boring design, little aesthetic cohesion with the rest of the guard range, etc.

Good first draft - now give the concept to John Blanche to grimdark it up, and then resculpt it based on how he fixes it.

 Togusa wrote:
EDIT

Nevermind.

Enjoy your model. Or don't.

That's quite a lot of evidence to back the claim made

 Irbis wrote:

Um, no. Just no. Look at the horse, most of it is outright replaced by metal and just covered by uncanny valley, slightly off color plastic cover.

I find the idea of this guy keeping around his horse and making it a super-badass cyborg horse so it can live forever and he can ride forever and stuff to be unironically wholesome.

 Irbis wrote:
Um, no. Just no. Look at the horse, most of it is outright replaced by metal and just covered by uncanny valley, slightly off color plastic cover. There is plenty of grimdark here, it's just higher quality bionics used by high ranking officials (of which he is one of the most important) never look like crude stuff used by regular troops and the grimdark hits when you see how much had been replaced - good 2/3 of horse is missing and at this point he is riding on metal puppet incorporating some bits of the original animal for looks. Giving the horse regular visible bionics would be as dumb as giving medieval king miniature peasant clothes - completely failing to capture the status of the model.

The problem is that the bionics are too subtle. If you don't have the lore telling you 'the horse is 2/3 machine" it's very easy to miss those details at first glance. I'll grant that GW's AoS-style paint job isn't helping but if the bionics are supposed to be a key design element they should stand out a lot more.

And a major point of 40k aesthetics is that nobody has elegant and beautiful machines. Even the best stuff is still an awkward bundle of anachronisms held together by cables and floating skulls. If you look at the highest admech leadership you don't see sleek and beautiful, you see bigger and more elaborate mazes of cables and glowing plasma bits and pistons connected to nothing. The Lord Solar is not a fantasy hero king, he's the real-world king eating rotten food and sitting on a cold throne in a room surrounded by the stench of not having indoor plumbing. And he's still happier than everyone else, because at least he's not a peasant.

Do we have any lore on this new character?

 Irbis wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
The colour scheme is part of the issue, but also the pose and equipment. There is nothing that really outwardly speaks "40k". He's holding a sword, but rather than being a chainword it's a fairly generic looking blade. He has a gun, but it's not a prominent feature and is not a plasma pistol, bolt pistol or even laspistol.

...why on Holy Terra highest ranking official would arm himself with gak handed out to freshly conscripted sergeants instead of, you know, relic blade and archaotech pistol befitting his status? Is that supposed to be a serious suggestion?

Wow, I guess that makes Solar Macharius and Yarrick absolute peasants then.
I mean, simple bolt pistols? And not fancy space magic flintlocks? Absolute dregs.
See, I can be a snarky too. It's not hard.

It looks ok, nothing fantastic but I like that they didn't go over the top with too many fiddly details, and I'm glad they avoided making a big dumb diorama. Hopefully this kit comes with options, so that you can say make your own mounted imperial general/lord solar/segmentum commander/what have you. If it comes with alternate weapons, like say a heavily engraved plasmagun, or a hot-shot lasgun, etc, it would be neat.

Honestly the bigger bit to me is it means that converting / making my own horsey lord is now a doable thing.

 Kanluwen wrote:

 His Master's Voice wrote:
I get what they were going for with this, but if there was ever a model that deserved the mini diorama treatment in vein of Katakros or Saint Katherine, it's a Lord Solar.

I'm thinking they might be trying to get rid of those going forward. Kind of a shame if so.

They don't need to do big centre piece on 1x large base models though.

They could go back to multiple models, representing Lord Solar, each on their own base. They did it for Grimaldus.

As posted above but with his full crew, this is a much better Lord Solar representation, with his support staff around, looking like he's leading rather than involved in a military parade.



I mean, how much of a swing and a miss can you make by not giving him his own huge, personal banner, with bearer to lug it around?

You might sorta salvage it by swapping the base for a pile of dead and dying Guardsmen to contrast against Mr. Fancy Pants. Like the top half looks like a propaganda poster, but then you pan down and the horse's legs are covered in blood and grime and there's guys feebly reaching up to the hero who won't even look their way. That'd be Imperial Guard, that'd be 40K, and you wouldn't need to read the background for it to be clear.

 endlesswaltz123 wrote:

 Kanluwen wrote:

 His Master's Voice wrote:
I get what they were going for with this, but if there was ever a model that deserved the mini diorama treatment in vein of Katakros or Saint Katherine, it's a Lord Solar.

I'm thinking they might be trying to get rid of those going forward. Kind of a shame if so.

They don't need to do big centre piece on 1x large base models though.

They could go back to multiple models, representing Lord Solar, each on their own base. They did it for Grimaldus.

As posted above but with his full crew, this is a much better Lord Solar representation, with his support staff around, looking like he's leading rather than involved in a military parade.



I mean, how much of a swing and a miss can you make by not giving him his own huge, personal banner, with bearer to lug it around?

Doth my eyes deceive me! A command squad that isn't 4x special weapons!

Dudeface wrote:

 endlesswaltz123 wrote:

 Kanluwen wrote:

 His Master's Voice wrote:
I get what they were going for with this, but if there was ever a model that deserved the mini diorama treatment in vein of Katakros or Saint Katherine, it's a Lord Solar.

I'm thinking they might be trying to get rid of those going forward. Kind of a shame if so.

They don't need to do big centre piece on 1x large base models though.

They could go back to multiple models, representing Lord Solar, each on their own base. They did it for Grimaldus.

As posted above but with his full crew, this is a much better Lord Solar representation, with his support staff around, looking like he's leading rather than involved in a military parade.



I mean, how much of a swing and a miss can you make by not giving him his own huge, personal banner, with bearer to lug it around?

Doth my eyes deceive me! A command squad that isn't 4x special weapons!

Forgeworld have always shown restraint.

The model is fine, I agree it suits for the Lord solar, if it was a generic guard commander it would suck but it’s a fancy pants special character who is one of the most senior officers in the imperial guard (if not the most?-I don’t know). He should have fancy gear, even says he’s into rejuvenants and stuff.

My issue is, it’s a special character, I dislike those and have since they first turned up in the game. No way that guy is turning up in all but the biggest fights, and really he should never be anywhere near the fight.

I do want his base for my ORK warboss though.

I've really liked all the new Guard stuff up until now but that is so uninspiring it's almost comical.

 Fabio Bile wrote:
You might sorta salvage it by swapping the base for a pile of dead and dying Guardsmen to contrast against Mr. Fancy Pants. Like the top half looks like a propaganda poster, but then you pan down and the horse's legs are covered in blood and grime and there's guys feebly reaching up to the hero who won't even look their way. That'd be Imperial Guard, that'd be 40K, and you wouldn't need to read the background for it to be clear.

Damn. That is some solid grimdark right there.

I approve.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

 endlesswaltz123 wrote:
Awful model, totally off point with what it should be.

He should have attendants etc swarming all over him, feeding him data etc.

Aw you're making me weep for what could have been.

Lord Solar at a command table, surrounded by mentats, officers, and some honor guard guys.

As long as he's stationary he gets strategy points and issues 4 orders and whatever.

Or you can pull them off the display base and now you have Lord Solar and a couple of badass dudes looking to kick ass (but lose the big picture benefits).

Ah well.

Next edition.

Basically, this (without the table)



It captures the absolute mental bureaucracy of the imperium also. The Lord Solar actually wouldn't be able to get on a battlefield he'd have so much stuff to sign off every day.

Dislike, same reasons as most here.
It looks way more WHFB/AOS than 40K.

And what is up with the horse's legs?
The back hoof is floating, and it only has 2 feet grounded, but it is in a standing pose.
It should have been either rearing up on the back legs, or 3 on the ground. Horses don't stand like that.

I have never been offended by a Games workshop model before so this is a new fealing.

This models existance offends me!!!

 Togusa wrote:
You realize my point is that no one on this forum is every happy with a model and every time one gets shown off, it's treated by some segment of the forums as if someone shot their dog, where as others think it's mediocre, or a great model that they cannot wait to buy. Every. Time.

Almost as if different people had different tastes.

Boggles the mind.

Fabio Bile wrote:You might sorta salvage it by swapping the base for a pile of dead and dying Guardsmen to contrast against Mr. Fancy Pants. Like the top half looks like a propaganda poster, but then you pan down and the horse's legs are covered in blood and grime and there's guys feebly reaching up to the hero who won't even look their way. That'd be Imperial Guard, that'd be 40K, and you wouldn't need to read the background for it to be clear.

That reminds me of discarded idea I had from an Only War campaign I ran years and years ago. I believe I gave the players the option of a warzone type they would be deployed in, and if they chose the planet in rebellion one I was going to have them throw dozens of characters into a kill zone just so that their commander could pose heroically on their horse for a propaganda pic.

Andykp wrote:The model is fine, I agree it suits for the Lord solar, if it was a generic guard commander it would suck but it’s a fancy pants special character who is one of the most senior officers in the imperial guard (if not the most?-I don’t know). He should have fancy gear, even says he’s into rejuvenants and stuff.

My issue is, it’s a special character, I dislike those and have since they first turned up in the game. No way that guy is turning up in all but the biggest fights, and really he should never be anywhere near the fight.

I do want his base for my ORK warboss though.

Yup, if there is a generic build and lots of options in the kit it might be really cool overall. If its a single build, no options kit, meh.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Aw you're making me weep for what could have been.

Do you mean to say that GW missed another opportunity?

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
... and now you have Lord Solar and a couple of badass dudes looking to kick ass...

As long as none of those dudes have duplicate weapons.

 Irbis wrote:
Completely wrong.

 Irbis wrote:
Um, no. Just no.

Do you actually lack the capacity to not start every post you make this way? I'm really thinking it's some kind of compulsion.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

 Fabio Bile wrote:
You might sorta salvage it by swapping the base for a pile of dead and dying Guardsmen to contrast against Mr. Fancy Pants. Like the top half looks like a propaganda poster, but then you pan down and the horse's legs are covered in blood and grime and there's guys feebly reaching up to the hero who won't even look their way. That'd be Imperial Guard, that'd be 40K, and you wouldn't need to read the background for it to be clear.

Damn. That is some solid grimdark right there.

I approve.

Agreed. Did a similar style of base for my conversion of Andrei Malakov for Warmachine. His whole background is he is a toffee-nosed young warcaster who has come through officer school and doesn't give a crap about his troops. Which both his artworks represents perfectly, but the mini did not. Mine is (crammed onto a 30mm base somehow) stood on a mound on dead Winter Guard whilst he stands there ramrod straight (he's also based on the classic Cadian colonel mini from 2003 or so) in his pristine uniform and boots shined so shiny you can see your face in them.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Aw you're making me weep for what could have been.

Do you mean to say that GW missed another opportunity?

I find it odd that there wasn't a want, need or even a single request I've seen for a lord solar model. They plucked something totally unexpected out of an orifice and somehow managed to make it... bland at best? I actually find the old empire guy on mechanical horse more 40k looking than this guy.

And now I have this in my brain:

Dudeface wrote:
I find it odd that there wasn't a want, need or even a single request I've seen for a lord solar model. They plucked something totally unexpected out of an orifice and somehow managed to make it... bland at best? I actually find the old empire guy on mechanical horse more 40k looking than this guy.

They could have done a great new Commissar Yarrick rather than Lord Horseyman.

Instead, they removed the most iconic Guard character in 40k history from the game.

Honestly I didn't even want attendants, I wanted an imperial guard version of a living saint. When I think of Macharius, it's this image and it's what I wish this guy was like.



also, edit instead of doubleposting,

Dudeface wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Aw you're making me weep for what could have been.

Do you mean to say that GW missed another opportunity?

I find it odd that there wasn't a want, need or even a single request I've seen for a lord solar model. They plucked something totally unexpected out of an orifice and somehow managed to make it... bland at best? I actually find the old empire guy on mechanical horse more 40k looking than this guy.

Hi there I am a weirdo who has absolutely requested a lord solar model lmao.

I would have thought that the most appropriate board for a Lord Solar would be Kill Team. As an objective.

Ok, wait a minute.

I found the model a little lacking...

It's a great model, it's just a little bland in the use department.

The horse, the guy alone, it's not a good fit for anything I've seen so far.

It looks like someone flubbed a Sigmarine Chocolate cast, and dropped it in my 40K IG Peanut Butter.

However, I could use the guy alone though.

I'd like to put him in a Baneblade, or one of the new tank's.