With the Warhammer anniversary upon us, Games Workshop is revealing 40 years of their best miniatures all the way back to 1983!
2023 marks a monumental anniversary for Warhammer, and it’s just incredible to see some models from way back in the day and how they have evolved. To start it off, they are going way back to models that more or less were the basis for a ton of their minis moving forward!
Games Workshop Reveals 40 Years of Their Best Warhammer Miniatures
Over the years, Games Workshop has carved out a remarkable legacy in the world of miniature gaming. Renowned for their meticulous craftsmanship and intricate designs, Games Workshop miniatures have captured the hearts and imaginations of hobbyists worldwide.
With attention to detail and dynamic poses, Games Workshop has consistently raised the bar, creating stunning visual representations of fantastical worlds. The popularity of these miniatures stems from the immersive experience they provide, allowing players to bring their favorite characters and armies to life on the tabletop.
Whether collecting, painting, or engaging in strategic battles, Games Workshop miniatures continue to inspire and captivate hobbyists, fueling a passionate community of gamers and enthusiasts.
The best Games Workshop Warhammer miniatures of the last 40 years were revealed by Warhammer Community.
40: Freeguild Cavalier-Marshal
A browbeaten commander who carries the responsibility of the Cities of Sigmar war effort on his aching shoulders, the Freeguild Cavalier-Marshal sums up what it means to be a human fighting the fantastical warriors and nightmarish abominations of the Age of Sigmar.
The Cities of Sigmar rework has been a long time coming, and the miniatures look really cool! The model also has one of the biggest tactical rocks we’ve ever seen, so what isn’t there to like?
That question has now been answered with aplomb – and a heavy dose of blackpowder – but if you cast your mind back to the World-that-Was, normal humans were often pitted against the incomprehensible hordes of Chaos, swift elven skirmishers, and swarms of orcs.
The old Empire models were really cool, and have been battling for the humans for ages!
39: Tyranids Screamer-Killer
As an evolutionary off-shoot of the dreaded Tyranid Carnifex, the Screamer-Killer is a hulking monstrosity in a thickly armoured carapace – but where its contemporaries carry a massive bio-cannon, the Screamer-Killer only packs a quartet of razor-sharp talons. This hyper-aggressive attitude made it the perfect Tyranid to headline the Leviathan boxed set, dwarfing almost every other miniature in the box with its outstretched blades.
This model is just so cool and really embodies everything the Tyranids are about! Just a giant screaming bug on its way to devour your world!
The Screamer-Killer has a long history in Warhammer 40,000. Its first model arrived in 1991, arriving as one of the later releases in the Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader era. This was a couple of years before even the very first Codex: Tyranids – yet despite the 30 years between these models, the most defining features remain intact.
The old model is quite iconic, and if you’ve played Nids for a long time, this model probably holds a special little place in your heart.
38: Vashtorr the Arkifane
Vashtorr is the master of the Soul Forges, the hellish realm where malign warpspawn are twisted into the techno-arcane monstrosities known as daemon engines. He is a patron of industry and artifice, and his haunting miniature is riddled with twisting cables and unholy mechanisms – all of which give him an eerie, uncanny ambience compared to more conventional daemons.
This model is pretty amazing and a cool step forward for Daemons and where all the engines come from.
In an interview with Warhammer Community, Vashtorr’s designer talked about how they incorporated classic daemon engines like the Venomcrawler and Forgefiend into the Arkifane’s miniature. Unlike mortal machines corrupted by daemonkind – like Chaos Knights and Helbrutes – Vashtorr’s creations are wrought from the very essence of daemonkind,* and naturally possess a more chaotic appearance.
There have been really cool Daemon Engines out for a long time, and they have been fan favorites for a long time.
37: Leagues of Votann Grimnyr
These near-mythical thinking machines are ancient, inscrutable, and senescent, and are dutifully attended by the Grimnyr – known to many as Living Ancestors. These blessed individuals split their time between communing with the Votann in venerated Fanes deep in Kinholds, or channelling their gestalt intelligence and skeinwrought power on the battlefield to empower the Kin and eradicate foes.
We’ve been wanting Squats back for ages, and the line really is awesome! But this mini is one of the coolest, and we love to see it.
Hernkyn Pioneers are reminiscent of old Squat Trikes but with advanced repulsors instead of wheels, the Einhyr Hearthguard wear tanky exo-armour in a callback to vintage Terminator armour (rather than the original egg-shaped exo-armour of the Rogue trader era). Even the Hekaton Land Fortress has its origins in the epic-scale Land Train.
It’s been a really long time since we’ve seen Squats, and they did a good job of updating them but keeping that old-school feel.
36: Lord Kroak
There have been five generations of the revered Slann Mage-priests, the first of which were the most gifted in all matters arcane. That generation met its end many thousands of years previously in the slow, grinding war that would eventually be lost against Chaos and result in the end of the Warhammer world.
This model is amazing, and if you want to cast all the spells and destroy Chaos, Lord Kroak is where it’s at!
The Seraphon – as they came to be known – did not rest idle. After the realms coalesced around Mallus, the remaining Slann (now promoted to the rank of Starmaster) took an active role in guardianship of the nascent lands. For a while all was well, but Archaon returned and the forces of Order were beaten back to the realm of Azyr where they bided their time until they could retake the Mortal Realms.
Slann have always been some of the coolest models out there, and there’s just something about a giant lizard mage relaxing on a throne that screams fantasy!
35: Black Coach
While much of the Warhammer world changed around it, this paragon of classic Vampire Counts design remained in vogue right up until the End Times brought everything crashing down. In the new and tumultuous land that followed, undead spirits arose to curse the living, pulling stylish new carriages.
The Black Coach is such a fantastic model, and what’s scarier than an undead cart flying across the battlefield?
One curious feature of the original Black Coach was that it used previously existing skeleton horse miniatures to pull it, which naturally had bases of their own. This meant that the model at first had no base at all, and then later came supplied with an extra long and wide square base to fit everything on at once.
The old model still looks so iconic, even to this day!
34: Plastic Aeronautica Imperialis Thunderhawk
Although initially unpopular due to its lighter construction,* the massive Turbo-laser Destructor mounted along the spine quickly marked the Thunderhawk as a capable ground attack vehicle alongside its transport role. By the time of the 41st Millennium, it had become the mainstay of Space Marine air support, appearing in several distinct designs in metal and resin. But the people were crying out for a Gunship in plastic – and in 2021, their prayers were answered.
GW promised a plastic Thunderhawk, and they delivered but for AI, not for Warhammer 40k! Still, it looks really cool and gives us some remaining hope for a plastic Thunderhawk for 40k!
Rewind to 2017, and the venerable resin model was retired in favour of a newer, sleeker design. In case you’re curious, this is the one you’ll find on the Forge World webstore right now.
The current resin one is a great-looking model, but we still want it in plastic, don’t you?
33: Primaris Intercessors
First seen in the headline Dark Imperium box set, the Intercessor was emblematic of the new direction for the Adeptus Astartes – sleek, efficient, and breathtakingly cool. These enhanced Space Marines marched from Cawl’s gene-labs to reinforce their hard-pressed comrades, shoring up beleaguered fronts like the devastated defenders on Baal, and even creating entirely new Chapters as they spread across the galaxy.
While there was some serious debate when the Primaris Marines came out (and still goes on today), they are great-looking miniatures and opened a new range for the Space Marines.
Unlike their predecessors, who treated their power armour like holy relics and treasured every bracer, greave, and pauldron, the Primaris Space Marines had specialised purpose-built armour types to suit their many roles. Intercessors wore the baseline Mk X Tacticus suit, which mirrored the balance and flexibility of the older armour marks, while frontline Captains and assault troops like the Inceptors wore the heavier Mk X Gravis armour.
Obviously, since they came out with the line, GW has really pumped out an huge number of Primaris-scale models, and they all look really good.
32: Amalia Novena
Sister Superior Amalia Novena was based on a classic piece of art by Karl Kopinski, brought to life as a statement of intent – the warrior sisterhood of the 41st Millennium were coming back with a vengeance.
This is such a cool piece of art, and they really captured the feel of it with the mini! It’s one of the closest replicas GW has made, and we’re here for it as one of the best Warhammer miniatures!
John Blanche had set the tone for the Sisters of Battle for many years, via his image of a pious platinum-haired warrior with one foot sternly raised on a pile of skeletal remains, backed by a crowd of ecclesiastical weirdos and flying cherubs.
This image was immortalised in resin as the one-off Canoness Veridyan miniature, but other art also lept from the page to the tabletop – including the Codex art which became the limited edition Tariana Palos, and the Daemonifuge Ephrael Stern who had graced the pages of the Warhammer Monthly comic over two decades ago.
The Sisters have some of the best artwork out there, so it’s a no-brainer that GW would make more of them into minis! Let’s hope they keep the trend going and make more!
31: Genestealer Cult Patriarch
This Patriarch is perched on an industrial pipe signalling the Cults’ tendency to embed themselves on heavily populated manufactorum planets. Posed touching its mind and impressing its malign will, when viewed from the side its crescent form even matches the icon of the Genestealer Cults, often seen stencilled on banners and vehicles.
Number 31 on the best Warhammer Miniatures Chart is this cool Genestealer Cults Patriarch that has plenty of flavor. But if you’re going to be the instrument of insurrection, you better look good!
The first time the cults reared their bald heads was in the late 80s. Initially appearing as Genestealer Hybrids, this Rogue Trader-era force featured two different Patriarchs, a portly specimen sat on a throne who let his minions do all the dirty work, and a more athletic version who took action into his own hands and sported some serious bling.
This model has some really old roots, as these Patriarchs are from the 80s! The one sitting on the throne is so iconic, and while the new model has grown a lot, the old model is still outstanding.
30: Roboute Guilliman
As the years passed and the grand narrative of Warhammer 40,000 progressed, the possibility of any Primarch returning to the setting seemed remote. These were mythic figures, belonging to the dawn of history… until the bubble burst, and Magnus the Red returned to wreak havoc on Fenris.
The Primarch gap was now firmly in Chaos’ favour, but signs pointed to a new revelation during the Gathering Storm campaign. After a narrative of twists and turns, the impossible occurred – Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines, returned from living death to an unrecognisable Imperium.
Well, as the first loyalist Primarch, he garnered a ton of attention, and if you played Ultramarines, you pretty much took him in your army!
This version of Guilliman brings in various influences from his Horus Heresy Character Series incarnation, whose more restrained Armour of Reason fits the time period. This version carries all the authority and weight of a leading statesman, framed by the polished marble and metal of Macragge, but in Warhammer 40,000 the Primarch is not merely a mighty general and respected leader – he is a demigod, the unwilling subject of worship for trillions of desperate souls.
He obviously looks quite different from his HH mini, and much bigger!
29: Alarielle the Everqueen
Intimately connected to the cycles of nature, the Queen of the Radiant Wood manifested in the early history of the Mortal Realms, awakened from her hibernation to become a vital member of the Pantheon of Order. When the Chaos Gods made their play for dominion, Alarielle’s realm was overrun with Nurgle’s corruption, and the Everqueen fell into mourning – until she re-emerged, transformed into her war aspect, at the end of the Realmgate Wars.
In this awe-inspiring deific form, she became the wrath of nature, wielding the Spear of Kurnoth and riding into battle on the back of a titanic Wardroth Beetle.
This model is just amazing and quite giant! The Wood Elves have a long line of miniatures, and this is a true mixture of nature, elves, and magic!
Alarielle is a far cry from her former incarnation from the World-that-Was. As Everqueen of the High Elves, she was an impressive wizard and leader – not to mention the living embodiment of Isha, the Elven mother-goddess – but still very much a mortal elf of regular stature.
She’s had quite the change from her old model, and not only is she on a giant beetle, she got a new outfit!
28: Stormcast Liberator
When Warhammer Age of Sigmar hit the shelves eight years ago, the Stormcast Eternals were the focal faction. The core box pitted the immortal warriors of the golden and blue Hammers of Sigmar Stormhost against hordes of bloodletting Khornate worshippers, introducing a new paradigm of fantastical battles.
While they are somewhat newer, when AoS came around, the Stormcast was a huge focus, and have basically become the Space Marines of AoS. The models are really cool looking, and it’s hard to argue with a giant armored warrior of Sigmar!
After the Broken Realms saga, the Cursed Skies created by Be’lakor prevented Stormcast souls from easily returning to Azyr. Sigmar and Grungni’s response was new Thunderstrike Armour, refined protection that allowed them to pierce these vaulted skies. This new armour also provided an aesthetic shift for the Stormcast Eternals, creating something leaner and slightly less ornate, but no less magnificent.
Obviously, the minis have kept evolving over since 2015, and all the new stormcast models are stunning!
27: Nagash
He sports a truly tremendous hat – because you cannot be the Grand Necromancer without appropriate headgear – and of course a winning skeleton smile. This replaced a beloved original, Gary Morely’s classic metal miniature from 1994.
Just like the modern plastic rendition, this weighty metal version also holds a staff and a sword, and with a crown as splendid as 90s miniature technology would allow perched on his rictus grinning visage. Big hats really are incredibly important in Warhammer.
If you remember, his old model was actually quite small, so he got a serious glow-up with this model!
The line of the undead has become quite awesome, but Nagash has been at the center of the line for a very long time!
26: Imperial Knight Paladin
Noble steeds ridden by the scions of the Knightly Houses, these massive engines of destruction are the Imperium’s abhorrent might reified but were initially designed to help Imperial colonisers overcome nature. Jes was once again involved in updating these classic machines, using the opportunity to bring an iconic piece of Warhammer history to the tabletop in plastic.
With their own Codex and a strong presence in the Horus Heresy, the Knight Households continued to swell with the towering Castellan and the smaller Armigers.
First released in 2013, the single Knight kit eventually morphed into the Canis Rex kit that we have today and spawned all the Forge World variants.
25: Angron
Although the first Primarch models were released at Epic scale for 1992’s Space Marine game, Angron was the first to arrive for the Horus Heresy Character Series. This range eventually grew to contain all 18 Primarchs, from Lion El’Johnson to Alpharius, and then to other dramatis personae from the Horus Heresy like Nathaniel Garro and Sevatar.
He really kicked off a big series where Forge World made every Primarch!
Later, with the recent World Eaters release for Warhammer 40,000, Angron returned in glory – transfigured into the Daemon Primarch of Khorne.
Obviously, he got quite giant in 40k, and that’s a serious glow up!
24: The Lord of Plagues
A mountain of putrescent flesh corroded by Nurgle’s warp-infused rot, the Lord of Plagues was a paragon of pox, an exemplar of the effect of the Plaguefather’s gifts. Introduced originally as a Chaos Lord of Nurgle, this loathsome warrior became an instant favourite.
He was inspired in part by Adrian Smith’s classic artwork of Korpus Festerheart, though Chaos Warrior art throughout the ages has overflowed with towering armoured figures wielding sizeable axes with unhurried menace and all of these attributes are writ large in the Lord of Plagues.
This model just screams everything Nurgle! From the rusted axe to the intestines spilling out.
All four Chaos Gods persist to spread their malign influence in the Age of Sigmar, and Nurgle’s entropic powers have only grown. His endless war with Alarielle has caused the Garden of Nurgle to flourish, and with it new horrors have emerged.
Obviously, there are plenty of amazing Nurgle models out there because rot is just cool in a fantasy setting!
23: The Kabalite Warrior
Haughty and ruthless killers, the Drukhari literally extend their lives by inflicting grievous torment on their prey, staving off the inevitable doom that awaits all Aeldari – consumption by Slaanesh, the god they created at the depraved nadir of Aeldari civilisation.
The Kabalite Warriors really got a great upgrade from the old models, and they look super sleek and just really give you that feel of a cold alien killer. Plus, they are super fun to paint, so that’s never a bad thing.
This harsh aesthetic continues through the recent redesign of the Incubi, with plenty of sharp edges. Elements of the Drukhari’s style were even mixed with other disparate aesthetics to create the Corsair Voidscarred Kill team.
The Corsairs are an interesting turn for the army, as they are a different unit, but definitely a good evolution of the space pirate!
22: Archaon
Archaon was a towering figure of such dark fury and iron will that he could unite the many unruly hordes of Chaos – from the jockeying tribes of the Northern Wastes to fallen and corrupted champions of the Empire. Through sheer ambition and will, he forged one of the largest armies the Old World had ever seen, before plunging it all into ruin.
This model is honestly super cool and one of the defining characters of chaos for a long time! Some people were even able to score him back at Games Day in 2004; he was on foot but was still great.
In the Age of Sigmar, the big man of Chaos is still a mortal – a fact which Be’lakor is quick to remind people – though he is still gifted with powers beyond imagination.
His helmet did become just a little bit fancier, but it was Dorghar who saw the greatest change, feasting on three Greater Daemons of Chaos sent by the gods to challenge Archaon. This drastic transformation turned Archaon into towering a centrepiece miniature that encapsulates the sheer dizzying scale of the battles in the Age of Sigmar.
His mount got some serious upgrades, but he still has the same essence. Obviously, he’s much more imposing now, and the next iteration will have to be wild to top this.
21: Multi-Part Plastic Warhammer Giant
This mountain of muscle is everything you expect a giant to be: huge, brutal, and probably not that bright. At the time of its release, it was one of the largest plastic miniatures ever produced by Games Workshop and liberated Warhammer fans from the process of drilling and pinning heavyweight pieces – an essential task with previous giants cast in metal.
This is a really cool kit and has a ton of options. Obviously, they also came before the Mega-Gargants which are even bigger, but the Giant is such an iconic model, so having a full plastic kit is awesome.
Giants have been such a fixture of Warhammer that it’s easy to forget that they weren’t always looming over our battlefields and that their oppressive presence only began with the uproariously popular Citadel Giant – a honking great lump of metal that weighed in at 4.5lbs and commanded awe from its onlookers. Since then, kits that defy the word ‘miniature’ have been popping up in metal, plastic, and resin, always packed with detail and creating a fearsome presence.
The old metal giants were just so cool! Even though they weighed a ton, who doesn’t love the old giants?
20: Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka
Ghazghkull is da meanest, da greenest, da fightiest Ork ever to have lived. Possibly.* This incarnation of Ghazghkull debuted with Codex: Armageddon, which covered the Third Armageddon War and supported a worldwide campaign run by White Dwarf to decide the fate of the planet – you could even mail in your game results.
It’s hard to find a bigger and meaner Ork out there! This model has always been iconic, and even with a new model, the old one still holds up.
Who knows what the future holds for this boisterous Warboss, but things certainly seem to be trending in a particular direction – we shudder to think what might come next. For now, he enters the hall of fame as one of the purest expressions of orkish ingenuity and brutality.
Obviously, the new model is amazing and is just so intimidating on the battlefield!
19: Gotrek the All-slayer, Grombrindal the White Dwarf, & the Legendary Brewmaster Josef Bugman
This trio are among the most famous heroes in all of the Warhammer fantasy lore. We’ve already looked at Gotrek Gurnisson (and his pal Felix), while Grombrindal barely needs an introduction, as his name is all over the monthly gaming magazine! Also known as the White Dwarf, this legendary warrior always tends to appear whenever the going gets tough for his kin – some believe he is actually the eldest son of the Dwarven God Grungni, Snorri Whitebeard*.
Josef Bugman may not be born of a god, but he does brew the best ale in all the world which makes him practically a demi-god in dwarfen eyes. There’s a reason that Warhammer World has its very own Bugman’s Bar.
All three appeared together in one classic miniature to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of White Dwarf – that’s one legendary dwarf for every 10 years.
This model is just so cool, as it comprises three of the most famous characters in GW’s history! We can only imagine the amount of drinking these three can do together.
Grombrindal has worn all sorts of hats throughout the ages, trading high fantasy for grim-dark science fiction, or even the firm touch of the astrogranite.** He isn’t shy about donning new duds to help celebrate the anniversary of the magazine he shares a name with either – as long as no-one messes with his classic shock of white hair.
Obviously, the Dwarf models over the years have really gone some wild routes, and GW pretty regularly puts out cool commemorative minis for them.
18: Space Marine Standard Bearer
The Space Marine Standard Bearer represents a big step for Games Workshop as it marks when the point when the company moved almost everything under one roof at the Willow Road site, a destination that would eventually become known as Warhammer World.
It’s always been awesome to show off your chapter pride with a standard bearer, and this model really was awesome!
As you can see, this Space Marine Company Standard Bearer is steeped in history and symbolises a whole lot more, just like every miniature in the 40 Years of Warhammer series.
The standard bearer has continued to grow along with the Space Marines, and they are just so iconic on the tabletop! No one can argue that they are one of the best Games Workshop Warhammer Miniatures of the last 40 years.
17: Deathmaster Snikch
Deathmaster Snikch is the most murderous of all the assassins of Clan Eshin*, the living embodiment of the treacherous nature of all Skaven.
A supernaturally skilled assassin armed with three weeping blades – one clutched in his tail – dripping corrosive venom, Snikch was notorious for his ability to get into any palace, keep, or warren at the decree of his master, Nightlord Sneek.
Not even the apocalypse was enough to eradicate them from reality. Like true vermin, they survived the complete annihilation of the World-that-Was, taking up residence in the decaying realm-straddling cesspit known as Blight City in the Mortal Realms.
Skaven have always had a special place in the Old World of Warhammer Fantasy and were at the forefront of the popular Vermintide video game. Thus their place in the lexicon of popularity has been sealed for all time when it comes to both Age of Sigmar and Warhammer Fantasy lore.
16: Bloodthirster
Red, mad, and wearing scorched brass armour, Bloodthirsters are the furious expression of the martial might of Khorne, the god of war, blood, and skulls. This metal miniature was Khorne’s exemplar for more than a decade, bestriding the battlefields of the Old World and the 41st Millennium, its nightmarish bovine/canine features twisted into a horrendous visage of exquisite apoplexy.
If you played Chaos, you wanted this model! It towered over so many things on the battlefield, and this model stayed in the game for a long time.
In all, nine Bloodthirster models have been made by Citadel: the original metal miniature from the late 1980s, today’s featured daemon from the mid-90s, an Epic scale Bloodthirster, a towering Exalted Bloodthirster from Forge World, Skarbrand the Exile, the current kit which makes a Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury, a Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage, and a Wrath of Khorne Bloodthirster, and Ka’Bandha the Daemon General.
You can clearly see the inspiration from the older models, but they have really evolved and just look amazing now!
15: Orc Shaman
Named Nazgob, this hunchbacked malevolent magician marked a real break from the past. Previous orcs had still been green – but far less mean. Legendary Citadel sculptor Brian Nelson was part of the team that changed all that, creating hulking green beasts with a uniquely slouched anatomy and vast, gaping gobs bristling with great ivory gnashers.
This model is still cool to this day as it just looks so iconic and orcy!
These days, Nazgob and his contemporaries inform almost every orruk in the Age of Sigmar. Even the huge, armoured Ironjawz share a morphology – albeit with a lot more muscle gained from not mucking around with all that magic. The more kunnin’ Kruleboyz meanwhile take from him their sartorial tips – all those hoods and rags are pure Nazgob…
Orcs have obviously come a long way, but it’s always cool to see where the green boys came from!
14: Ragnar Blackmane
Ragnar Blackmane may be known to many as the Young King, but he’s actually a bit of an elder statesman when it comes to his origins as a miniature. In fact, when Ragnar burst onto the Warhammer 40,000 scene back in 1992, he was the first* of a new wave of unique Space Marine characters to earn their very own profile and special rules in their parent Codex. Many other Chapter-specific heroes were soon to follow, including the likes of Dante and Azrael, but it was Ragnar who blazed that trail.
Along with the hugely expanded lore and accompanying artwork in the inaugural Space Wolves Codex, Ragnar’s mighty miniature helped to cement the identity of the Chapter. With a wolf-headed backpack, a Belt of Russ strapped to his waist, and an enormous wolf pelt draped from his shoulder, the lupine influence of Fenris was on full display for the first time.
Ragnar is basically the ‘chosen one’ of the Space Wolves and one of the first to get the update to primaris as well. The new plastic model keeps the same style of the old, with a great new dynamic pose even!
13: The Green Knight
This magnificent figure was sculpted by the legendary Michael Perry. Incredibly, it was one of the first models he completed after losing his favoured hand at a battle reenactment – and it remains one of the all-time greats in the Citadel catalogue. The scalloping on the caparison is flagrantly detailed, and the weight of the steed is appreciable both in terms of the exquisite sculpting and the mass of the metal in which it was cast!
Honestly, when we got into Warhammer, this model captured our imaginations! It was nearly impossible to look at this and not just be in awe!
This legendary figure would lead the armies of Bretonnia through four editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle, and was eventually revealed to be none other than the reborn Gilles le Breton, first king of Bretonnia. Gilles would go on to play an integral part in the End Times, leading a desperate Bretonnian rearguard alongside the noble vampire Abhorash after King Louen Leoncoeur fell to his own son.
With Warhammer Old World on the comeback trail, and Bretonnians confirmed, we’ll get to see another evolution of these incredible models!
12: Space Marine Dreadnought
Initially produced in metal, this hefty walker was able to fulfil a variety of battlefield roles from close assault, to tactical support, or even assist Devastator Squads with long range firepower, using a combination of power fists, multi-meltas, assault cannons, missile launchers and twin-linked lascannon. Being cast in a fairly heavy metal alloy, it was often wise to add extra support in the form of ‘pins’ to the arm and weapon joints as mere superglue alone was sometimes not enough to keep them attached in the midst of a game! There was, however, nothing like bringing a furious lump of Imperial righteousness to a tabletop dust-up in the heady days of the 1990s and Dreadnoughts were among the most common additions to any Space Marine force.
It’s hard to not love this Dread! It’s basically existed for a long time with only minor changes, so you know it has to be good.
Interestingly, the iconic Castra Ferrum was not the first Imperial Dreadnought released – there were three earlier patterns from the Rogue Trader era, the Furibundus, Contemptor, and Deredeo. The latter two would be reborn for the Horus Heresy series, joining the massive Leviathan on the battlefields of the 31st Millennium.
These are actually the first Dreadnoughts, but at least they showed them some love as well!
The Redemptors are a remarkable evolution of the original dreadnought, and it seems GW is going more and more in this direction.
11: Vyper Jetbike
The Vyper soared out of the Craftworlds at the height of the second edition of the game, when the chaotic skirmish games of the Rogue Trader era had given over to proper cinematic battles fought between brightly painted armies on cheerful green bases.
The Vyper was a masterpiece in plastic engineering, and the first plastic vehicle sculpted with curved panels and clean lines. The Aeldari are a graceful race with a sleek aesthetic quite unlike the bulky brutalist shapes of Imperial tanks or the ramshackle creations of the Ork Mek Boyz, and the kit needed to reflect this. While the overall shape of Eldar technology had previously been set with plastic jetbikes that came out in the mists of 1991, with the same oval cowlings and wraithbone fins that would help define the rest of the range, seeing it elegantly refined in detailed plastic was a game-changer.
As one of the very first models to get a plastic kit in the early 1990s, the Vyper hasn’t changed much since then. However, this vehicle has set the standard for all the other jet-style models for the Eldar that have been produced since, and doesn’t look out of place next to them despite being 30 years old.
10: Warlord Titan
First among their number were the almighty Warlord Titans, an innovative plastic kit which rapidly earned these hulking war machines the affectionate nickname “beetleback”. They came with four interchangeable weapon hardpoints and loads of options on the sprues – allowing you to kit these very big lads out with power fists, chainfists, multi-meltas, assault cannons, defence lasers, macro cannons, plasma cannons, multi-launcher pods, and one very large rocket. You could also swap out the heads with a choice of two on the sprue, while the bases came with a clever cardboard dial within, to record how many void shields remained.
This was such an iconic mini, and even to this day, there are minis designed by Games Workshop to this day that are very reminiscent of this!
The original plastic Warlord Titan made it through two editions of Epic Space Marine before it was updated, eventually earning two separate metal iterations. And while epic scale Warhammer is in abeyance, the current edition of Adeptus Titanicus has brought many more God-engines out to play.
It goes without saying that Titans have really grown over the years and now there are just some massive engines out there that are some best Games Workshop miniatures produced for Warhammer 40k (some even in resin from Forge World).
Number 9: Rhino
Warhammer is all about the tanks. Big ones, small ones, some the size of your head. But believe it or not, there was a time when not a single tank or vehicle was available.
That all changed in 1988 with the arrival of the Rhino APC. A true workhorse vehicle within the Warhammer 40,000 mythos, this Armoured Assault Vehicle has had more than 10,000 years of service in the armies of the Imperium – and over a decade in your armies out in the real world.
As the first large plastic kit, this was a true revolution in Warhammer design. It’s one of the most popular tanks we’ve ever made, laying the groundwork for dozens of variants and for all the other vehicle kits that were yet to come. The limitations of plastic technology at the time meant that the kit was longitudinally symmetrical, with many repeated elements – it came on two sets of two identical sprues. Even with this necessary economy, what resulted was a thing of brutalist beauty that still sets the tone for Imperial vehicles today.
Probably one of the best-selling models of all time for Games Workshop, the Rhino kit started out small in 1988 but had a big heart. Updated in the early 2000s, the Mars Pattern Rhino became the standard for many other plastic Space Marine kits to this day, including most of the Horus Heresy line after 2022.
Number 8: Gotrek and Felix
This dynamic duo debuted in the story Geheimnisnacht by William King – featured in the 1989 anthology Ignorant Armies – and went on to inspire and star in a long-running novel series that has pitted them against unimaginable horrors, terrifying tyrants, and lots and lots and LOTS of goblins.
These two have been through so many adventures, so it was always cool to play with them on the tabletop!
And though Felix didn’t survive the demise of the World-that-Was, Gotrek now has new companions to call upon in the Mortal Realms to take part in his doom-seeking adventures.
Even though Felix isn’t around anymore, the Fyreslayer line has some pretty wild minis and the new Gotrek is just amazing!
Number 7: Imperial Space Marine (First Multi-Part Space Marine)
Back in the day, that legendary initialism simply stood for Rogue Trader Box One. This box of thirty multipart Space Marines was released alongside the Rogue Trader rulebook, the source from which the universe of Warhammer 40,000 would emerge.
Getting 30 marines on a sprue must have been awesome! Plus, these minis are just so iconic now and really started a lot.
All of these options combined allowed the creation of the Tactical Squad, a flexible and formidable fighting unit that forms the backbone of many Space Marines’ armies to this day.
Just look at this sweet old sprue with so much empty space! The sprue designs have definitely come a long way.
Every Space Marine unit followed in the footsteps of this boxed set, and with the recent launch of Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness, this legendary kit was refreshed as the Legion Mark VI Tactical Squad, complete with chain bayonets bolt pistols and many of the same accessories included in RTB01– the swish-looking rocket launcher and flamers can be found in the Heavy Weapons Upgrade Set and Legion MK VI Tactical Support Squad boxes.
Obviously, the Space Marines have become GW’s main line of minis, so they have really evolved from this kit!
Number 6: Imperial Dragon
Perhaps the largest miniature available in the late 1980s, the Imperial Dragon was so big that it didn’t even have sculpted wings! Instead, you created your own wing membranes out of paper or tin foil to cover the dactyly (the fingers of the wing). Incredibly, this beastie was also all metal, which required a lot of superglue and much pinning to prevent him from falling apart!
What’s cooler than dragons in fantasy? Not much and this old dragon is just so cool!
These days, Stormcast Eternals heroes ride hefty Draconiths into battle. The forces of Order are allied with Krondys and Karazai, the mighty sons of Dracothion. These colossal heroes aren’t anyone’s ride into battle, and their classic features and imposing wingspans hark back to the dragons of yore.
There have been bunches of dragons since this, but it’s really awesome to see where they came from.
Number 5:Chaos Renegade
This terrifying specimen is an early incarnation of the now-ubiquitous Chaos Space Marine. Twisted by the ruinous powers, the Chaos Renegade wore similar armour, but with strange organic shapes, horns, and weapons fused directly into their flesh.
Ah, the model that started it all for chaos! He has the plasma gun built into his arm, so you know he’s fully corrupted by Chaos and just such a cool old model!
Today, the Chaos Space Marines all hark back in some way to this one renegade, from distorted Legionaries with corrupted armour to the inhuman Possessed and the grossly transfigured Obliterators.
Obviously, Chaos Space Marines have evolved quite a lot through the years into some of the best Games Workshop miniatures produced for Warhammer 40k.
Number 4: Grom the Paunch
Some consider this corpulent warlord to be the first true special character in Warhammer. This super-sized goblin was a superb metal miniature, but many people first saw him as a cardboard cut-out in the starter set for the fourth edition of Warhammer Fantasy. He led many a horde of monopose goblin spearmen in two dimensions against the haughty High Elves of Ulthuan.
This model was just so awesome in its heyday, and if you saw this when it first came out, you had no choice but to love it!
Grots have befriended wolves throughout Warhammer history, and the Snarlfang Riders have revived this ancient partnership in the Mortal Realms.
Obviously, chariots have come quite a long way and even though we don’t have Grom anymore, we at least have wolf riders!
Number 3: Skeleton Horde
This boney boy was part of a whole band of mates – the box came with a whopping 24 figures, in fact. Each sprue had enough parts to make four individual warriors with lots of head, arm, and weapon options. This box of undead horrors marks the moment that Warhammer began to shift from a roleplaying game towards one about armies clashing in grand battles.
Who doesn’t love skeletons? This old model is so iconic and just really launched a long line of amazing undead!
Skeletons are central to the Warhammer setting to this day. Soulblight Gravelord armies pack in gaggles of Deathrattle Skeletons to protect their vampire masters, while the Ossiarch Bonereapers use bits of bone to reforge osseous constructs, and the Sons of Velmorn show that even a humble skeleton can look fearsome and regal.
Obviously, they have evolved quite a bit over the years, but you can really see where they come from!
Number 2: The First Space Marine
Great things often have humble beginnings, and the vast and enthralling universe of Warhammer 40,000 is no different. The first Space Marine is the spark that lit the fire – more medieval knight than sci-fi soldier, his oversized pauldrons and pointed helmet captured everyone’s imagination, and remain a touchstone for Space Marine design.
It’s pretty awesome to see this first Space Marine! while power armor wasn’t as evolved, it’s just a really cool mini. Plus, you know this guy has seen countless battles.
Modern designs would refine the aesthetic, but everyone loves a beakie – which we now know as Mark VI ‘Corvus’ Pattern armour.
It’s always good to see a beaky marine, and now you know why they have ones with the beakie-style helmet. Overall this model was the first of some of the best Games Workshop miniatures produced for Warhammer 40k.
Number 1: ‘Slambo’
Warhammer has always leaned into the grim and the dark, and Chaos Warriors are the indisputable experts. Though this fellow isn’t quite Warhammer’s first ever miniature, the Chaos Warrior known as Slambo is perhaps the most fondly remembered armoured killer of the age.
Clad in Chaos armour and a horned helmet, and brandishing two hefty axes, he is a vision of power. This archetypal image survives to this day, exemplified by the Slaves to Darkness in Warhammer Age of Sigmar – even those twin axes survived!
This model is so iconic and still looks cool today! If this doesn’t bring back the nostalgia, we just don’t know what will.
The styling of the original Chaos Warriors went on to inspire the heavy armour that would become the hallmark of Warhammer games in the future, including Warhammer 40,000’s Space Marines and Age of Sigmar’s Stormcast Eternals.
You can see the inspiration this gave to the styling of future models for both Warhammer Fantasy and Age of Sigmar! Just fantastic to see it compared to the newer minis. The company’s dedication to crafting intricate and visually stunning miniatures has captivated hobbyists worldwide for four decades. From the Freeguild Cavalier-Marshal to the Votann Grimnyr, each miniature showcases the incredible attention to detail and creativity that Games Workshop is renowned for.
What do you think are the best Games Workshop Warhammer miniatures of the last 40 years?
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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!
