The Heroes of the Adeptus Astartes and Villians of the Imperium were released back in 2000; here’s how they would look now!
Way back over 20 years ago, Games Workshop put out two commemorative sets of finely crafted Citadel Miniatures to celebrate the 25th anniversary of White Dwarf Magazine.
The Space Marines, and Enemies of the Imperium, contained the company’s picks of the best miniatures that matched each of those themes. What would we see inside if GW did something similar for the new Chaos Space Marines or Primaris Space Marines?
Let’s check out the old release, then see what a new box might look like.
40k Flashback: Heroes & Villains of the Adeptus Astartes
If we remember correctly, the retail price at the time was around $60 each, and they were neat little gifts to buy or get for trading off individual characters later. Plus, these minis were made of pewter, so each box had some heft to it and actually felt like something tangible when you picked them up!
While this made them a little harder to work with, there was something nice about getting a box of pewter minis. That heft made you really feel like you had something big.
The lineup was pretty strong, with some serious heroes. Most of these are still some of the strongest characters for their chapters, but some new ones have been added.
Enemies of the Imperium Box Set (2000)
The Enemies of the Imperium box was pretty cool because it also had some Xenos in there!
A lot of these characters have changed sculpts, and on the Necron and Orks side, some giant new characters have been created. However, it’s not likely we would see something as big as the Silent King in the box. So, what could we see if they did it again?
Maybe in five years when they reach the 50th anniversary of Games Workshop they will come out with a follow-up of these box sets!
What would be in a New Heroes of the Adeptus Astartes Box?
Honestly, the Space Marine box could be very similar, but with many new sculpts, and maybe good old Bobby G would replace Marneus.
The other one that would be most likely for a replacement would be Azrael, as it’s still the exact same sculpt!
Master Lazarus might be the best replacement as he’s a newer sculpt and a well-known hero.
The last obvious change we could see is Ragnar taking Grimnar’s spot as the new mini has him on the chariot. So, this leaves the question of price; if it was $60 back in 2000, and considering each character is $38 now, it would probably be somewhere double the price at $120.
What Would the Villians Box Look Like?
To start, the Drukhari characters inside haven’t changed (sculpts have but not the actual characters), so it would make sense for them to stay in. However, they might get reduced to just one character and maybe be replaced by Darkstrider as he’s the right size for the box.
Honestly, the Chaos characters still make sense as they are all around, and maybe by that time, we’ll have the new sculpt for Kharn.
Now, the changes would make the most sense for Orks and Necrons. Starting with the Orks, if they are looking for a named character, Zodgrod Wortsnagga is really the only one that makes sense due to the size.
The new Ork Boss would be perfect if they don’t care about named characters.
They have actually accrued quite the cast of named characters over the years, but the one that might make the most sense is Illuminator Szeras. It’s a little big, but such a cool mini!
Lastly, we would expect a named character for the Eldar, and we would guess Maugan Ra!
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Would you like to see these boxes return? What minis would you like to see inside new heroes of the Adeptus Astartes or Enemies of the Imperium box sets?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
