Kislev is coming to Warhammer: The Old World. See what GW announced and what it could mean for upcoming Kislev models and releases.
Warhammer Community just posted the first concept art for Warhammer: The Old World, and it’s pointed straight at Kislev. Until now the Old World was a name GW hung on a reveal with nothing to actually look at, so this is our first proper glimpse of a faction taking shape instead of another ‘it’s coming’ promise.
GW Previews New Concept Art For Iceguard of Kislev
Updated on July 8, 2026, by Rob Baer with a fresh look at what GW’s Kislev concept art revealed for The Old World.
GW’s pitch is pretty simple: going back to the world-that-was gives them room to dig deeper into classic Warhammer Fantasy lore, and Kislev, the land of the Ice Queens, is where they’re starting (or at least we thought).
That choice says a lot. Kislev has always been the frozen realm north of the Empire that players loved, even if most never expected GW to fully build it out. Making it the first faction shown for The Old World suggests GW isn’t just sticking to the safest, most obvious armies.
The unit is the Ice Guard, an elite formation of warrior women out of the Ice Court, the seat of Kislev’s ruling Tsar or Tsarina. What’s actually confirmed in the art is the kit: both a bow and a blade, so GW is telling us up front these are troops that can shoot and then hold the line, not a unit that can only do one thing. The concept work is done by Forge World’s Mark Bedford, which fits the resin-first path a lot of these Old World releases have followed.
Where we’re squarely in speculation is the magic. The article from GW says the Ice Guard channel the elemental sorcery of their realm the same way their Ice Queen does. If that survives onto the tabletop, it’s a rank-and-file unit with a spell built in, and that’s unusual enough that the kit and the basing start to matter. Just think of all the amazing ice themes you can convert and paint directly into the unit. Honestly, that’s the kind of hook that carries a faction, if GW actually lands it.
The artwork looks great, and judging by the weapons, there may be some kind of magic running through them. The glow is hard to miss.
Check out the banner art. That sure looks a lot like the old Ice Queen model from back in the day.
The Blast From The Past
If you collected old Kislev back then, this should feel like a return home.
Model Credit: Beasts of War
That’s the old Ice Queen model above, and it’s worth comparing to the new concept art. The banner details and the regal fur-and-ice look in Bedford’s pieces line up closely with the classic sculpt. That’s a solid sign GW is pulling from the old Kislev range instead of rebuilding the faction from nothing.
Since The Old World is built heavily on nostalgia, the best version of this would be classic Kislev models updated to modern plastic standards without losing the old identity. Keep the tall fur headgear, the heavy fur-trimmed cloaks, the faction icons, and the shape of those Winged Lancer lances. Sharper details and better poses are welcome, but the models still need to read as Kislev from across the table.
New foot troops are one thing, but Kislev has always had strong cavalry. Ungol Horse Archers and Winged Lancers feel like the obvious next candidates if GW keeps going. The logic is pretty clear: if the Ice Guard are setting the new look for Kislev with bow-and-blade weapons, winter details, banners, and Ice Court styling, that same design language can carry straight into the mounted units. Update the infantry and leave the horsemen stuck in another era, and the army won’t look right together.
So this is where things stand. We have early concept art for one new Kislev unit, the Ice Guard, plus a strong hint that classic cavalry could eventually get similar treatment. We don’t have a release date, points, rules, or a finished miniature yet. Kislev being the first faction shown for The Old World is still a big deal, but for now it’s concept art, not a release wave. Keep an eye out for more previews, a clearer list of which Kislev units make the cut, and an actual release window before anyone starts throwing hobby money at the screen.
What are some other factions that you would like to see expanded? Would you like any brand new factions to hit the Old World? Or would you like them to only stay with the factions from the past?
