Legio Crucious

[Just_Me]

I have, at long last, decided to start work on my largest modeling project ever; a Forge World Reaver Titan. I acquired it several years ago but have been reluctant to start it as I wasn't confident enough in my modeling/painting skills to do such an intricate and expensive model justice, but I finally think I'm up to the task. However, I am interested in gathering more information about my chosen Legio.

With that in mind I have decided I want to build a Legio Crucius engine. I like the simple, stark colors of that Legio as well as their reputation for wreaking destruction on a massive scale. As I collect both 40k and Heresy era armies they are also suitable as they have existed in force since the Crusade (or earlier). Based on Ryza (alluded to as being second only to Mars in terms of knowledge, expertise, and power within the Mechanicum) they are generally indicated to be among the largest and well supplied of all the titan Legions. They are rated during the heresy as being on the highest tier in terms of Legio strength, on par with Gryphicus and other "Primus" grade Legio (surpassed only by a bare handful such as Legio Mortis, Destructor and presumably Ignatum). At the time of the mid 41st millennium they are powerful enough to garrison client/allied Forge Worlds (as indicated by their service to Angstrom during the Badab War). As a result it is entirely reasonable to assume that representatives of this Legio could/would have seen service in almost any major conflict from the Great Crusade to the 13th Black Crusade and anything in between, opening up vast narrative potential.

Unfortunately, beyond these facts there seems to be very little additional information about them available in contemporary sources, the most significant of which being in Imperial Armour's Badab War, Part II and cursory mention (as a frame of reference to which the Legio Gryphonicus is compared) in Horus Heresy Volume III: Extermination. Beyond these sources is there any other information available in the "canon" about them? I am particularly interested in which (if any) Knight Houses are know to have ties to them, as well as the character/characteristics of their Skitarii regiments and other Mechanicum military forces.

[Haighus]

Looks like you've got it pretty comprehensibly covered there. The only other things I would suggest are either to wait until they get featured in a HH book like the Legios Mortis, Fureans and Gryphonicus, at which point you will get some quite detailed information, or to trawl though some old fluff like the old Titanicus stuff or something. Some of it is out of date, but it should have some useful info. Didn't the Legio Crucius fight in the 2nd and 3rd wars for Armageddon? Looking at the Armageddon campaign books and Epic: Armageddon could have something useful. Also look in the Knight's Codex to see if any of the houses in there say they are allied to the Legio Crucius or Ryza.

Incidentally, the Legio being based on Ryza, are you going to have a focus on plasma weaponry if possible? Ryza is known for being particular masters of plasma technology, and multiple plasma weapons are now only produced on Ryza (as of the 41st millennium), so I would think their Skitarii would be equipped with plasma weaponry, and plasma tanks such as the Leman Russ Executioner (which is also produced on Ryza). The FW plasma weapon packs available all use Ryza pattern weapons, so they may be useful for Skitarii. These pages could be useful for Skitarii ideas:
[url]http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Ryza#.U9eNBXam0hY[/url]
[url]http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Lasgun#Ryza_pattern[/url]
The sources can be checked out for canon purposes too.

For Skitarii: [url]http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Imperial_Guard/Imperial_Guard_Tanks/MODIFIED-RYZA-PATTERN-LEMAN-RUSS-EXECUTIONER-TURRET.html[/url]
[url]http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space_Marine-Infantry-and-Accessories/LEGION_PLASMA_GUN_SET.html[/url]
[url]http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space_Marine-Infantry-and-Accessories/LEGION_MKII_POWER_WEAPON_SET.html[/url]
All the plasma in that is Ryza pattern. Unfortunately, I don't think you can get the pistols in smaller sets.

Have just remembered that the GW Tempestus Scions kit is equipped with Ryza pattern hotshot lasguns. They could be a good place to start with an elite Skitarii force, with other stuff added for flavour.

[Just_Me]

I think a Skitarii force is probably a long way off, though I have always wanted to build one. I'm hopeful that they will continue to be fleshed out by Forge World along with the other Mechanicum forces and (eventually) maybe even introduced into the 40k game setting (as well as 30k one).

I'm similarly hopeful that the Legio Crucius (and attendant Knight Household(s)) will be fleshed out in one of the next Horus Heresy books, though I had hoped that some fluff might be extant from "ye olde days" when Epic made Knights and Titans an integral component of their game system. I have a Knight right now that I might consider building in House Taranis colours (as I like that scheme the best). I think it could be entirely justifiable to see forces based on Mars and Ryza operating in the same detachment but if there already existed info on Ryza's client Knight houses I would prefer to make a more homogeneous force.