Warhammer 40K: Primaris Repulsor Review

The Primaris Space Marines have a new set of wheels - and by wheels, I mean anti-gravity repulsor skids that according to the lore do not create a gentle field holding the Repulsor tank aloft. Instead, they apparently crush the ground beneath the tank with tremendous force. This is Warhammer, after all, and subtlety is not part of the brand.

Also not subtle is the amount of firepower this transport-capable vehicle can bring to your army. "Bristling with weapons" is an understatement, as it is almost comical how many implements of destruction this thing has sticking out of it or stuck onto it. There are eleven different weapons available for it including a choice between a terrifying Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon for maximum volume or a Las-Talon for a high impact surgical strike. Then there are hull mounted Twin Lasers or Heavy Bolters, a choice between side-mounted Storm Bolters or Fragstorm Grenade Launchers and more Fragstorms for the turret if you want to replace the frankly useless defensive Auto-Launchers. But wait, there's more. There are also Heavy Stubbers, which is not a common Space Marine weapon system. You can put one on a pintle for the optional pilot figure if you don't want to use ANOTHER Onslaught Gatling, you can stick one on the turret, and one on the back. But maybe you want to hit air targets harder. No problem; on the rear mount you can put an Icarus Rocket Pod. And THEN there are standard Krakstorm Grenade Launchers to top it all off for a little armor-piercing punch.

Whew.

Oh, and you can load it up with ten Primaris Marines (five if they are in Gravis Armor). It doesn't take the penalty for moving and firing Heavy weapons and charging enemies get -2 on their roll against it. To butter the biscuit a little more, it also explodes when it is destroyed.

I mean, seriously?

Needless to say, this thing is a hulking gunship/transport with a weapon for just about every situation covering options for Assault, Heavy and Rapid Fire weapon classes and a variety of ranges. I actually lost sleep over how to outfit my tank, waking up one night to check the codex for point values. And then there was deciding whether or not I wanted to go for diversity or double up on some things. I decided to go in on the las weapons on the main mounts for a heavy, tank-destroying strategy but with Storm Bolters and Fragstorms for crowd control. I liked the rocket launcher better than the stubbers, but went with the Gatling for the pilot.

Now, putting all of this together is quite a bit more challenging than you might expect if you've never built a Warhammer tank. This is a great kit, but you should be prepared to spend a little more time with it and you will need to be ready with a file and some Green Stuff or an alternative. Some elements are a little difficult to line up properly, and if you've not trimmed the edges enough you'll have gaps at the seams. It's not hard to fix, but those coming to this model from something like the Dark Imperium starter should be aware that there's more going on here than with those simpler pieces.

I've not painted my Repulsor yet but I'm expecting it to be fairly basic. I do regret gluing the skids on before painting the undercarriage and I'm worried about priming- do I go with a Macragge Blue spray, or just black?

Indecision aside, this is a great flagship kit for 8th edition. It looks fresh while also reflecting the classic STC (standard template construct) design of Citadel classics such as the Land Raider. It's BIG, covered in weapons, and it is fun to play with. More than that, as a heavy support and transport option it is essential to establishing Primaris as viable Space Marine subfaction, which will eventually become the de facto Space Marine army in time.