Warhammer’s Legions Imperialis Is An Innovative Return To Classic GW Gaming

The much anticipated Legions Imperialis is finally coming out, and it looks pretty darned good!

After a bit of a delay, the long-anticipated Legions Imperials is finally coming out. Since its announcement, people have been eagerly awaiting the game. It serves as a spiritual successor to the old EPIC line of GW games. This is in fact, a game people have been asking for since well before its announcement. Both Aeronuatica Imperials and Titanicus had people hoping they would one day be expanded into a full-blown return to EPIC. That is indeed what has now happened as models from both those games join tanks and infantry from 30K to duke it out in massive battles.

But now that the game is here, is it any good? The answer is yes. Let’s take a look.

A Successor To The EPIC Games Of Old

Legions Imperialis draws a lot of inspiration from the old EPIC games that GW produced back in the day. Despite a name change, GW is not shy about this fact. Indeed the rule book has a whole section talking about how EPIC and the other games like it inspired Legions Imperialis. GW’s goal was to preserve the feeling and experience of those games. Now full disclosure, I never got to play EPIC back in the day. However, having read those classic EPIC rules recently, and the brand new LI rules, there is definitely a similar feeling here.

I’ve also spoken to a number of people who’ve played EPIC, and they all agree, on the face of things, LI shares a lot with those old games. I think if you were a fan of EPIC or played it once or twice, this new game will feel pretty similar. Overall, GW was pretty serious about getting the game to have a similar feeling. Unlike some of their more… mainstream games this feels like it kept a good bit of complexity and depth.

The Return of Classics

It’s not just old EPIC players who should feel at home in LI, but old players of almost any GW game. Reading the start of the Legions Imperialis rules is like going back in time for me. As a long-time 40K player, there are a lot of things I’m very at home with here. We’ve got templates (even if they are used sparingly), scatter dice, vehicle facings, and more. Even the classic old whippy measuring sticks are here. Ready, I’m sure, to be used as WMDs by a whole new generation of kids. If kids played this game at all, which they likely won’t.

A Modern Take

Now if you are a new player, or someone who didn’t really like the old ones, you might be worried about all this. I mean, there is a reason that EPIC died after all. Well, good news, as much as it feels like EPIC, it’s still a modern take on the game. Legions Imperials is a pretty modern and streamlined 21st-century tabletop game. It’s not a game bogged down by a ton of charts and complicated rolls. It has depth, but I think once you get to know it, it should flow pretty well.

Take dice, for instance. 40K has become a bit infamous for the number of dice you roll. A single unit attacking can require 100s of dice rolls. This can really bog down a game and slow everything down. LI has used its scale to streamline attacks , with most getting 1 or 2 dice for an attack and the only rolls needed being a hit and save roll. This means that even given its scale, a game of LI will have a whole lot fewer dice rolls than a game of 40K.

Looking Forward To What Comes Next

The core Legions Imperials book is a great start to the game. Along with the core rules, it includes rules for both Marine and Imperial Army armies. You’ve also got a ton of flyers, Knights, and Titans. It’s a great start for fielding massive armies in the age of the Horus Heresy. The rules in the core book, however, are a bit limited. They represent the models that are currently out, and players of 30K, will notice a ton of units missing. In addition, many of the special rules in the game aren’t used or are barely used. It’s clear there is still a lot more to come from Legions Imperialis. New units, new armies and new missions and campaigns can all be hoped for. I’m excited to see what comes next.

Shop Legions Imperialis Here

But this game is definitely worth your time!

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.