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So I impulse purchased the 30k Solar Auxilia box set cos I love those models. To what extent can the models in that box be used as proxy for 40K Astra Militarum? I’m assuming the las rifle guys are fine at least?

The Infantry are fine, except for no special or heavy weapons. Most of the Russ weapons are OK (except it has no sponsons). The Aethon & Dracosan don't have 40k rules - I think the Aethon is a bit larger than a normal Sentinel, and the Dracosan might work as a Malcador proxy.

I'd see if you can bits order some sponsons for the Leman Russ. Either that or pintle mount some heavy bolters.

Bits ordering special and heavy weapons from the Astra militarum and marine ranges can also work.

I was thinking of using those Sentinels as Heavy sentinels in my AM force

The Aethon it's a bit too different from an armored sentinel for my taste, but could work.
Leman Russ works fine if course, and I have some Sponsons left over since the old Russ comes with two sets now. The Dracosan is a different beast. I will try to convert it into either a Malcador (has the same footprint, which is a start) or a demolisher Leman Russ. The Auxilia infantry could work as rogue trader Voidsmen-at-arms. If lead by a rogue trader entourage, they gain the infiltrate rule, which is expensive, but opens up some neat tactical opportunities. But their armor is a good death Korps Substitute as well. I would wait for some bits or upgrade sprues in this case.

Alternatively, the sentinel could be turned into an Ork deff dread.

Do the regular Russ sponsons actually fit on the 30K hull?

 Lord Damocles wrote:
Do the regular Russ sponsons actually fit on the 30K hull?

You might need to shave down the hatch bottom:

The Solar Auxilia Infantry are a bit heavily armored compared to Cadians. That means they would make a good proxy for Militarum Tempestus Scions. As noted before, you'll need to source and covert special weapons unless you want to go pure Hot-Shot Lasguns.

 alextroy wrote:
The Solar Auxilia Infantry are a bit heavily armored compared to Cadians. That means they would make a good proxy for Militarum Tempestus Scions

And Cadians are a bit heavily armored compared to Catachans - yet both have the same 5+ save....
Therefore Solar needn't be treated any different from any other type of Guard infantry.

To be fair, the Catachan don't appear to be armored at all if you look at models. We are talking t-shirts and open vest on 90% of the models. Only the Empreror knows how that qualifies as a 5+ Save

I wasn't saying you couldn't use the SA as regular guardsmen, just providing an alternative idea for their use in 40K.

 alextroy wrote:
To be fair, the Catachan don't appear to be armored at all if you look at models. We are talking t-shirts and open vest on 90% of the models. Only the Empreror knows how that qualifies as a 5+ Save

I wasn't saying you couldn't use the SA as regular guardsmen, just providing an alternative idea for their use in 40K.

Rock hard abs and pecs so solid they can deflect bullets, sweat and oil for las.

 alextroy wrote:
To be fair, the Catachan don't appear to be armored at all if you look at models. We are talking t-shirts and open vest on 90% of the models. Only the Empreror knows how that qualifies as a 5+ Save

I wasn't saying you couldn't use the SA as regular guardsmen, just providing an alternative idea for their use in 40K.

In 3rd and 4th edition, they had a 6+ save as they only wear a flak vest (the vest itself is woven flak materials and provides some protection).

In most the same era and somewhat going into 5th, you could equip guardsmen with carapace armour for a 4+, which would neatly include Solar Auxilia void armour. The Vostroyan models were designed as equipped with carapace armour.

Since then, the rules support for the variety of guard types has shrunk dramatically.

I think I’m going to use them as traitor guardsmen as they can just run as all lasguns. I might sell the tank sprues

 alextroy wrote:
The Solar Auxilia Infantry are a bit heavily armored compared to Cadians. That means they would make a good proxy for Militarum Tempestus Scions. As noted before, you'll need to source and covert special weapons unless you want to go pure Hot-Shot Lasguns.

Amusingly though, the 9E book uses Cadians to showcase "heavy infantry".

Scions is a good proxy spot for the Solar Auxilia though. I'd expect we'll see a sprue of special weapons sooner or later, since the Veletarii have access to the ability to take all flamers or rotor guns.

In the lore/fluff, Cadians would technically classify as heavy infantry. They never move out in anything under Regiment strength, favor using specialized infantry (Kasakin and Shocktroops) are always backed up with heavy armor, and air support and support from the Scholas, not to mention their default setting is basically destroy. Compare that against say, the Tanith, or Tallarn. Cadians aren't Ambush fighters. They are the Marines of 40k. First in, last out. Nope, Cadians are not Light Infantry. You cannot expect the same performance of a company of cadians running a counter insurgency as a company of Tanith.

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
In the lore/fluff, Cadians would technically classify as heavy infantry. They never move out in anything under Regiment strength, favor using specialized infantry (Kasakin and Shocktroops) are always backed up with heavy armor, and air support and support from the Scholas, not to mention their default setting is basically destroy. Compare that against say, the Tanith, or Tallarn. Cadians aren't Ambush fighters. They are the Marines of 40k. First in, last out. Nope, Cadians are not Light Infantry. You cannot expect the same performance of a company of cadians running a counter insurgency as a company of Tanith.

Most of those things don't make Cadians heavy infantry. Typically, Imperial Guard heavy infantry is equipped with carapace armour or equivalent, such as the Harakoni Warhawks or Vostroyan Firstborn or Volpone 50th "Bluebloods". Lght infantry has two meanings- the broader meaning describes infantry regiments with no armoured vehicles (sentinels may be present) like the Valhallan 18th "Tundra Wolves", the narrower meaning is infiltration specialists like the aformentioned Tanith. Other infantry are just "normal" infantry, no "weight" applied (typically with a portion of the regiment issued mechanised transports, something like 1 or 2 per company).

Mechanised, airborne, and drop infantry can be heavy or standard (in a sense, drop infantry without heavy personal armour are light infantry once the aircraft have left).

Kasrkin are definitely heavy infantry, but that doesn't mean the rest of the shock troopers are. All the armoured and aerial assets are attached on an ad hoc basis from supporting regiments and are not guaranteed to be present. This is no different to a Tallarn or Valhallan or Tanith or Krieg infantry regiment- the bulk of the tank support is attached and may not be available at any given time. The same applies to attached Scions.

In addition, Cadians do deploy in strengths less than regimental in the same manner as all Guard regiments when the situation dictates. The regiment is the standard unit of deployment at the warzone level, but once deployed companies, platoons, and even squads will be detached for specific missions and purposes. In addition, Cadian regiments are known to detach whole companies on extended deployments away from the main regiment (at least, they did prior to the Fall of Cadia). For example, companies detached for specialised training, as garrisons on fortress worlds, or attached to honour guards and Inquisitorial retinues.

As for Cadian light infantry- they are rare but do exist. On the whole, I suspect these are more the organisational type of light infantry rather than infiltration specialists. But Cadians do get a lot of wildness survival training and some light infiltration formations are very plausible.

Heavy infantry, light infantry…. It’s all just cannon fodder.

For the respect come commissars have for their soldiers the infantry might aswell charge in dressed like Tarzan

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
In the lore/fluff, Cadians would technically classify as heavy infantry. They never move out in anything under Regiment strength, favor using specialized infantry (Kasakin and Shocktroops) are always backed up with heavy armor, and air support and support from the Scholas, not to mention their default setting is basically destroy. Compare that against say, the Tanith, or Tallarn. Cadians aren't Ambush fighters. They are the Marines of 40k. First in, last out. Nope, Cadians are not Light Infantry. You cannot expect the same performance of a company of cadians running a counter insurgency as a company of Tanith.

Wat.
That is all wrong.

Thought about a unit of SA infantry as a retinue for an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor- their archaic armour would fit with the Medieval Knight look of GK termies.

 Lord Damocles wrote:

Wat.
That is all wrong.

I don't know about everything that Fezzik was saying, but per the 9E codex?

Yeah. Cadians are "Heavy Infantry"--or extremely close to whatever metric GW is using.

Codex: Astra Militarum, 9th Edition page 30 wrote:
Heavy infantry regiments typically deploy in supportive blocks with overlapping fields of fire and are especially well-armed. Their Infantry Squads are more likely to be granted exotic armaments such as a flamer or plasma gun, and a powerful support weapon such as the versatile missile launcher or rapid-firing autocannon, each crewed by two squad members. These regiments often include entire companies composed entirely of Heavy Weapon Squads, ensuring the regiment's infantry are always supported by tremendous firepower even in terrain that is impassable to tanks. Heavy infantry regiments may also be assigned auxiliary squads of abhuman Ogryns as monstrously effective shock troops. While lacking great intelligence, these massively muscled humanoids are patiently trained to understand orders. Once their strength and resilience is coralled and directed, they are nigh on unstoppable.