Today Warhammer 40K followers, we’re going method, method again to the mid-Nineteen Eighties to have a look at the Games Worshop minis that began all of it.

Before there was Rogue Trader, there was Citadel Miniatures and from the late Seventies they made minis from nearly anyone.  Here’s simply a few examples from these very very early days.

Imperial Romans from 1982.

Licensed Lord of the Rings from 1984 (a long time earlier than the plastic New Line Cinema vary)

Licensed Dungeons & Dragons minis from 1985.

Licensed Judge Dredd minis from White Dwarf 82 (1986).

Early Inklings of the Grimdark

It was solely a matter of time till Citadel moved into making their very own worlds and miniatures. While Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader would arrive in 1987, some miniatures and designs have been out there beforehand, previewed in White Dwarfs from the mists of time.

The 1st Space Marines

These guys arrived in 1986.

The earliest Space Marines established the beaky helmet, studded pauldrons, and torso that may turn into Astartes canon for many years. Their legs would change drastically in time, however you possibly can see these fellows and their wire-encrusted weapons everywhere in the Rogue Trader paintings like this:

Hulking monsters of darkish expertise.

The Earliest Non-Marines

But it wasn’t all Astartes. Marines weren’t the one denizens of the early proto-grimdark. GW knew they wanted to invent their very own IP and solid a really extensive internet.

The first set of Rogue Trader minis supplied in 1987.

Look on the wild range in there. You get fashions that may go on to discovered total ranges such because the Space Orc, Imperial Troopers, Space Dwarf, Dark Elf Space Trooper, and the Imperial Bodyguard. Then you bought some oddballs just like the Piscean Warrior by no means to be seen once more.  Note the early Astropath and Adeptus Custodes even at this early time. Even now in 2022 the Leagues of Votann keep on the Space Dwarf line (after a a long time lengthy hole).

Again, many of those miniature designs confirmed up within the Rogue Trader paintings in all places:

Nice pants, Custodian!  The Custodes have gotten a bit extra bling, and rather less Chippendale dancer over the a long time.

Lost to Time

Finally I’ll depart you with this – the early playtest fashions used within the improvement of Rogue Trader.  Is that what i feel it’s?

Menfish!!! (and a wolfman)

Homages

Every as soon as in a blue moon, GW will tie a few of these into both the lore or outright miniatures ranges. The Menfish have been a race from Warhammer 1st version that would been within the reflections of the Idoneth Deepkin a long time later.

The Wulfen stay on as fashionable Space Wolf Wulfen. Just final 12 months, the Pisceans made a delicate return as a “secret race” on Necromunda – and probably the ability behind the throne of House Delaque. They even obtained these creepy minis:

~Who is aware of, possibly sooner or later Idoneth Deepkin will make their method into the grimdark, or the Custodes will keep in mind the place they maintain their skin-tight pants?

Early miniature pictures through Stuff of Legends

Dad, Gamer, Publisher, Pilot, Texan. All video games on a regular basis since junior-high.
I began BoLS Interactive in 2006. I’m a lifelong tabletop & RPG gaming fanatic, and web writer working to entertain and inform my readers day-after-day.
I’ve been enjoying RPGs and Tabletop Games for the reason that Seventies. I’m been enjoying and overlaying Warhammer and Warhammer 40K for over 35 years.

Read the Comments (6)