The Heroes of the Adeptus Astartes and Villians of the Imperium were released back in 2000 (somehow over 20 years ago now) here’s how
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. But, if GW did something similar for either the new CSM book or the rumored Space Marine 2.0 release, what would we see inside? 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 at a later date. 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. The majority 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 actually pretty cool because it had some Xenos in there as well! 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 three years when they reach the 50th anniversary…
What would be in a New Heroes of the Adeptus Astartes Box?
Honestly, the Space Marine box could be very similar, but with a ton of 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 basically the exact same sculpt!
Master Lazarus might make the best replacement as he’s a newer sculpt and still 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 and above, 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 it’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 a 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. If they don’t care about named characters, the new Ork Boss would be perfect.
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: 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.
