Forge World didn’t just vanish; it got absorbed. Here’s how “Expert Kits 15+ labels” and Legends rules changed buying and collecting Warhammer 40k models forever.
Forge World did not go out in a blaze of resin-scented glory. It just sort of… stopped being a real place.
One day, you were clicking around Forgeworld like it was its own weird little kingdom of titans, upgrade sprues, and wallet-ruining dreams. Next day, you’re on Warhammer.com squinting at a “Expert Kits 15+ label”, wondering if your beloved Forge World 40k models got promoted, demoted, or quietly shoved into the Legends drawer with the old trophies.
Here’s the deal: Forgeworld did not vanish; it got absorbed. The resin still exists, but the brand is basically gone, and that shift changed everything that actually matters to players and collectors.
Finding kits is harder, the labeling is different, availability feels more “blink, and it’s out of stock,” and rules support keeps sliding toward Legends, where tournament hopes go to nap forever.
We’ll break down what Games Workshop changed, where Forge World lives now, and how to make smart moves if you still buy, build, or play with Forge World models, especially if events are part of your hobby life.
How Games Workshop Replaced and Rebranded Forge World
Updated February 1st, 2026, by Rob Baer with updated Forge World Legends Rules, and video coverage.
- What changed: Forge World branding got folded into 15+ “Expert Kits”, and a lot of classic resin rules support slid toward Legends.
- Where it lives now: GW’s Warhammer.com merge reshuffled product discovery, labels, and how you even find the stuff you used to click on at Forgeworld.co.uk.
- What it means for you: how to collect, buy, and actually use Forge World models in modern 40k, especially if you care about events and legality.
Quick takeaway: Forge World did not explode; it got absorbed. The resin spirit is still around, but the name and the “separate kingdom” vibe mostly are not.
Known for producing highly detailed and specialized models, Forge World has long held a special place in the hearts of hobbyists and collectors alike.
We’ll get to the new Warhammer website roll-out, but even as recently as 2022, Games Workshop was already rebranding Forge World miniatures as “expert-level model kits” on their main webstore.
The rebranding marks an important yet sad moment for the Warhammer 40k hobby as a whole. Games Workshop, on the other hand, has been seeking to harmonize Forgeworld’s identity with its overarching vision, trying to make a seamless experience for its devoted fan base, but not always succeeding.
Forge World Models Removed from Warhammer 40k
Forge World models have been phased out across multiple factions, with plenty of Warhammer 40k Forge World units moved to Legends.
With each release, more of these once-prized resin kits keep getting shoved into the Legends bin, where they’ll never see competitive play again. It’s happening across factions, and Games Workshop isn’t exactly hiding the ball.
The most recent casualty? The Aeldari codex. A whopping 18 units were sent to Legends, and ten of them were Forge World models. If you thought that was rough, the Astra Militarum got hit even harder.
Their Legends list is now stacked with over fifty units, a significant chunk of which used to come straight from Forge World. And it’s not just weird edge cases either. Even popular kits like the Drukhari Tantalus, arguably one of the coolest models in the faction, have been tossed aside.
This trend isn’t new. Orks saw nearly all their Forge World units sent packing with their last codex. Space Marines, once kings of the resin aftermarket, have lost almost everything that wasn’t plastic. It’s a clear direction: Games Workshop is stepping away from resin kits, and Forge World’s once-expansive lineup is shrinking fast.
So if you own Forge World models, what now?
- Casual nights: you’re probably fine. Most groups don’t care as long as you’re not trying to dunk on people with a monster list.
- Competitive play: assume you’ll need a backup plan. If the unit is Legends, expect most events to say “no thanks.”
What this means for tournaments
Short answer: Yes, Forge World models are tourney-legal in most Warhammer 40k events (here are the Warhammer 40k Forge World rules). Long answer: It depends. Official Games Workshop events usually allow them, and Forge World units are even part of GW’s balance updates. But don’t assume your shiny Warhound Titan is automatically welcome everywhere.
Tournaments often have point limits, and overpowered Forge World units can upset the vibe. Bringing a Titan to a casual 1,000-point game? Congrats, you’re that player. Always double-check event rules because restrictions can vary. TL;DR: Legal, but play nice!
What the Warhammer and Forgeworld Website Merge Means
Much like their physical stores rebranding to Warhammer, Games Workshop pulled everything into one place with Warhammer Plus+, events, painting, and both stores under a single shopping roof.
Here’s the practical impact: it’s all “Warhammer” now, and Forge World became a labeling problem instead of a separate destination. You can still find the resin goodies, but you’re hunting through product categories and tags instead of clicking a big friendly “Forge World” door.
Games-Workshop.com and Forgeworld.co.uk are together at last as Warhammer.com!
That is the core of it. Forge World did not get a dramatic goodbye. It got rolled into Warhammer.com, and the customer experience changed in three big ways: discoverability (harder to browse like the old days), labeling (Expert Kits, 15+), and placement (Forge World lives inside the main storefront now).
GW FAQ Confirms the End of Forge World
Along with their design, Games Workshop put out an FAQ for their 2023 Warhammer.com site launch. In it, they confirmed what a lot of hobbyists suspected: Forgeworld is no more.
- What GW did say: the old Forge World store identity got folded into Warhammer.com, and the separate “Forge World” banner is gone.
- What GW didn’t say: there was no big “these rules are dead forever” speech, but they did not promise long-term competitive support for every resin kit either.
- What that means: the products can still exist, but the Forge World brand is not the thing being protected anymore.
Timeline: 2021 → 2023 → 2024
If you want the “when did this really happen?” version, it looks like a slow slide that became official once the storefront and FAQ landed.
- 2021: production and logistics started looking more “under the GW umbrella,” which matters because it set the stage for everything being sold in one place later.
- 2023: Warhammer.com becomes the new home, the old Forgeworld.co.uk path stops being its own universe, and the language shifts hard toward “Expert Kits.”
- 2024: by this point, it’s functionally baked in. Forge World as a separate identity is basically done, even if resin kits still exist.
All the Forge World Horus Heresy and 40k products are now on the new combined Warhammer site, and when you try to go to their previous Forgeworld co uk website, you’ll end up back here. Sadly, we couldn’t find one instance of the term Forge World on this new retail site anymore.
Looks like Forgeworld is doing the vanishing act in their product listings. Now it’s just “15+ Expert Kits” without any mention of Forge World. It seems like they’ve pulled a Houdini, and Warhammer 40k Forge World is basically no more.
Sadly, our rebranding theory from years ago seems to have come true.
The Horus Heresy upgrades are also now called Expert Kits, meaning everything that was Forge World is now just an “Expert Kit.”
This page is the only thing that remains of Forge World after the rebrand, no 40k. However, even this Facebook page has only been about Horus Heresy since 2020. Plus, as you can see, the website is linked to the new Warhammer site.
Even The Iconic Boxes Are Dead Now
There is something a little strange about getting a box without the iconic branding. Just like on the website, it simply says Expert Product 15+ on the box, with no Forge World name, no cool cog skull, nothing.
Old branding may still show up in the wild, but new packaging most likely won’t.
Resin Forge World Models Guide and Tournament Rules
- Resin needs a little prep love: give it a proper clean and quick check before primer so you don’t trap mold release under your paint.
- Want the fast lane? Use a sonic cleaner prep method to speed up the wash and get to building sooner.
- Big kits are a commitment: some FW monsters are a full-on project, not a weekend sprint. Here’s a start-to-finish Warlord Titan build as the reality check.
- Do not skip the basics: when you’re ready to paint, prime the resin first, then unleash the fun stuff.
Dark Bunny Studio Painted Our Forge World Warlord Titan
Where to Buy Forge World Models and Forgeworld Kits
If you’re trying to track down Forge World models and kits in the post-merge era, here are the three realistic routes.
- Direct from Games Workshop: Start with the official store listing flow and current availability. This is the cleanest “no drama” option, and this guide covers the details: still buy Forgeworld models.
- Local and event pickups: If you can get to Warhammer World in Nottingham, you might still score some exclusive models. Also, yes, carrying home something like a £1,000 Thunderhawk is a real hobby flex.
- Resale market: When something is gone or hard to find, third-party sellers and eBay can do the job. Just watch ratings and listings closely so you do not end up with a dodgy recast.
Forge World Timeline and Warhammer 40k History
Here’s the timeline version, from “Forge World is its own thing” to “Forge World is a label you have to search for.” This covers the key shifts from the late nineties through the Warhammer.com merge era, with each phase showing what changed in products, branding, and rules support.
Forgeworld, a name that evokes both nostalgia and awe among Warhammer hobbyists, was born in October 1998. Imagine the masterminds behind the original Thunderhawk Gunship decided that regular models just wouldn’t cut it. They wanted something bigger, something bolder, something that could give your wallet a workout.
2021 Forge World Production and Packaging Shift
Google Street View of where they’re adding on
Then, in 2021, GW built a new warehouse, and all they said was that they would be using the space to make more paint and resin.
Why it matters: This was one more visible sign that “Forge World” was becoming less of a separate island and more like a production lane under the GW banner. When the Warhammer.com merge hit later, it did not feel like a brand-new move. It felt like the next step.
Early History of Forge World Resin Models
In its early days, Forge World was the hobby’s “you thought plastic was enough?” button. It leaned hard into terrain, limited-run kits, and big, weird centerpieces that regular releases were not touching at the time. Their debut in White Dwarf magazine lined up with third edition Warhammer 40,000, and it quickly became the place you went when you wanted something your local meta probably could not deal with yet.
It also felt different operationally. Forge World kits were premium, often niche, and a little more “specialist workshop” in how they were presented and supported, especially compared to the mainline plastic release machine.
Major Forge World Milestones
- 2005: Elysian Drop Troops land and show what Forge World does best: niche armies, wild detail, and a vibe you could not get off the shelf elsewhere.
- Imperial Armour era: Forge World becomes the rules-and-models engine for exotic vehicles, weird variants, and “your codex is not the limit anymore” energy.
- 2018: the Specialist Design Studio focus locks in, with projects like Horus Heresy and Epic scale lines taking center stage.
- 2023: the Warhammer.com merge, and the FAQ era makes the brand shift official, and “Forge World” stops being a storefront identity.
By 2024, Games Workshop quietly folded Forge World into its main brand, ending an era but ensuring the spirit of Forge World lived on in the resin-cast dreams of hobbyists everywhere. By 2024, Games Workshop quietly folded Forge World into its main brand.
Iconic Warhammer 40k Forge World Projects
Warhammer 40k Forge World Imperial Armour Legacy
Imperial Armour was the Warhammer 40k Forge World rules series that made us all believe our armies weren’t complete without a monstrous creature or a tank that could double as a small apartment. This was Forge World’s playground for exotic vehicles and titanic terrors, where imagination knew no bounds, and practicality was left at the door.
Forge World 40k Vehicles and Resin Creatures
Imperial Armour wasn’t just a product line; it was the “open the toybox” button for 40k. You got Forge World taking factions and pushing them into the deep end with big statement kits.
- Super-heavies that felt like events: stuff like the Astraeus Super Heavy Tank was the kind of Forge World 40k kit you built because you wanted your table to look like a warzone.
- Size-and-presence kits: the ones you immediately start measuring and comparing. If you ever went down that rabbit hole, you know exactly why this exists: not to mention the huge monstrous creatures.
- Rulebook-era identity: Imperial Armour gave these models a “this is real” stamp, and that mattered. It made the weird stuff feel official, not just cool.
These models weren’t just for show, they changed what a “normal” game could look like when somebody rolled up with resin that had a name and a data sheet.
Forgeworld Horus Heresy Models
If Imperial Armour was the playground, then the Horus Heresy was the grand stage where heroes and villains clashed in tales of betrayal and glory. Set ten thousand years before the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, this series brought the Age of Darkness to life.
Horus Heresy Fulgrim Transfigured Model
The Horus Heresy was all about the lore, diving deep into the history of the Imperium and the tragic fall of the Primarchs. With rules, scenarios, and characters straight out of Warhammer’s most pivotal era, it gave fans a chance to reenact the battles that shaped the galaxy.
And the models? Let’s just say if you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of Warhammer history, this was your golden ticket.
Forge World Epic Scale and Specialist Games
Epic, Battlefleet Gothic, and Adeptus Titanicus are the kind of names that make some hobbyists grin, and others blink twice.
Forge World’s role here was simple: it delivered the specialist models and upgrades that the mainline range was never going to prioritize, and it kept those niche worlds feeling “real” on the table.
Forgeworld’s Specialist Games were the hidden gems in their crown, catering to niche tastes and hardcore fans alike. Whether it was the sprawling battles or the intense skirmishes of Necromunda, these games offered something unique and thrilling.
The Future of Forge World & Warhammer 40k
Forge World had a long run in Warhammer 40k, but the writing was on the wall once Games Workshop folded Forgeworld into the main brand and pushed everything over to Expert Kits.
What to expect next:
- Availability: expect more “in and out” stock behavior, and more “this is a niche kit” vibes on anything resin-heavy.
- Labeling: the future is basically Expert Kits and age labels, not “Forge World” as a badge on the product page.
- Rules support: if you care about events, keep an eye on new 40k codex waves and Legends updates. The safer assumption is that competitive support is not guaranteed long-term for a lot of classic resin models.
Overall, Forge World is not gone in the “no more resin exists” way. It’s gone in the “this is no longer a separate brand with its own front door” way. The kits can still be awesome, the legacy is still real, but the direction is clear, and it’s aimed at a cleaner, “Warhammer.com first” future.
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- Start-to-finish Forge World Warlord Titan build
- How to Prime your models.
- Top Airbrushes for Painting Miniatures
Forgeworld quality has always been a joke, only in the last maybe 5 years has that picked up at all. I have bought resin kits made in somebodies garage in the 80s that are better casting quality than Forgeworld.
There is and was never any excuse for the appalling quality and QC. A Gundam dress up kit, something high end like an MG Sazabi will set you back about 200USD, it has over 400 parts, and is exquisitely cast. It’s also the size of a Knight Asterius.
There is NO excusing Forgeworld’s lack of quality over the last 30 years. They cut every corner they could in mold production, mold storage, mold maintenance, and then production issues such as alignment, warping, MASSIVE flash and sprue.
Those of us old enough to have ordered kits 20 years ago will be very familiar with the filler scandal when they used bulking powders in the resin to make a little go further and completly crashed both model quality and structural integrity.
Some old Titan stock is still made of that blend. Good Riddance to the OG Forgeworld. Hello to whatever comes next