Come see our latest blast from the past when we unbox the old 3rd Edition Long Fangs box set, and reveal some BITS treasure from back in the day!
Back before the current Devastator kit (both versions) came out in plastic, Games Workshop used a meta and plastic system that was a tad temperamental when it came to assembly.
While the kit was great and for awhile you could even buy blister packs of heavy weapon marines, there was a bit of a learning curve to getting the heavy weapon, backpack and support arms all to line up.
The key I found to making it work was to make sure you had the correct support arm with matching backpack, and allow the glue to dry naturally while you could make quick adjustments to the positioning. Even then there was no guarantee of success, but sometimes back then it was fun just fighting the good fight to try to make it work!
The real gem in this box for me was the first plastic special weapon sprue (circa 1999) for the new “heroic” plastic 28mm Space Marine sculpts. While there wasn’t a plastic plasma gun until nearly six years later in 2005 (new 4th ed Tactical Squad box), I was okay with it because plasma didn’t really seem to be a thing until then. Back in those days, assault seemed to be king of the grim dark.
That sprue was a converter’s dream for making the dopest looking plastic marines during that time, and I’ll NEVER forget secretly wishing that they made all plastic parts in the future. Twelve years later in 2011 when Finecast came in like a wrecking ball, I started to wish they didn’t get rid of metals after all, but now looking back I don’t think there has been a finer time for (Games) Workshop’s miniatures.
-What do you remember of the early years of 3rd Edition?
40k Flashback – 3rd Edition Space Wolves Long Fangs Unboxed
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
