Before there was Forge World titan and other BIG vehicles that hobbyists dreamed about were made by Armorcast! Do you remember these models from the 1990’s?
These guys where strictly a licensee and in the 1990’s they made the big stuff. Until Tony Cantrell came along and said, “yo dawg, I can do this.” And the rest is Forge World’s history.
Before that fateful turn of events Armorcast was available IN the local game stores. You could buy a Warhound titan off the shelf; it was 80 bucks and I couldn’t it afford it back in my high school days. My money was being spent on things like beer and gas. Regardless, it was a magical time. The rules weren’t as ironed out as they are now but Armorcast was the first.
You’’ll notice the email was an .edu because at the time universities where at the forefront of technology. The Armorcast guys were from California and I never met them. They’re aer still around though…
These where made from bolts and washers, when you made this you literally had to bolt on the head. It was crazy but it worked!
This was the original Warhound pattern on top and the Imperial Reaver which was based on the “Space Marine Game” which then became “Epic Space Marine” and then just Epic, and so on and so forth. People would see the smaller version of these and then say, “hey, I want that bigger 28mm version”.
Also, inside the original Baneblade, which was a lot smaller than the Forge World version. I had this, but I had to put a down payment on a car and I had to sell them. I was sad. But then they made plastic version and all was right with the hobby world again.
Regardless, this book is full of some amazingly retro kits, like the Eldar Towering Destroy Knight, the Ork Battle Wagon and the Ork Great Gargant. These aren’t as elegant as the models we’re seeing today but for being the first, they were so fresh.
I preferred the Ork Battlewagon, the Armorcast version; these are the size they should be, not the big box thing we have today right?
The Ork Gargant is a massive layered cake of resin channeling Jabba the hut like nobodies business. This thing towered above just about everything but a Phantom titan.
Inside you’ll also find hobby ideas and mail order catalog. What’s a mail order catalog? Well, it’s this paper thing you’d wrap in a paper and enclose a money order, also made a paper to buy things. There was no digital ordering back then… it was a wild and wonderful time.
To see the entire hobby rant hit the video and hop into the cat tub time machine with me!
The First 40k Titans Weren’t Forge World? – RETRO
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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.
