Old World Models That Aged Brilliantly

Summary

• Warhammer Fantasy’s popularity led to a sequel, Warhammer 40,000, but sales declined, leading to its replacement by Age Of Sigmar.
• Games like Total War: Warhammer kept the setting alive, with a reboot as Warhammer: The Old World, retaining classic models.
• Iconic models like Chaos Lord On Daemonic Mount, Galrauch, and the Steam Tank showcase the rich lore and design of Warhammer Fantasy.

Warhammer Fantasy is the original Warhammer universe. After releasing its first edition in the 1980s, the game and its setting exploded in popularity, with the now world-famous Warhammer 40,000 releasing soon after. Sadly, after years of declining sales, the universe would be replaced by Age Of Sigmar in the mid 2010s.

However, all was not lost. The setting kept going through games such as Total War: Warhammer and Vermintide. Games Workshop eventually listened to the massive fan demand to revisit Warhammer Fantasy, rebooting the setting into Warhammer: The Old World, a prequel to the original game. The Old World kept many of the best models from Warhammer Fantasy, such as those listed below.

10

Chaos Lord On Daemonic Mount

An Exemplary Warrior

Chaos lords are some of the most powerful warriors in Warhammer. Contrary to their title, most lords are selected on a merit-based system — if slaughtering one’s rivals can be considered merit. The selection process means Chaos Lords are monstrously strong and extremely cunning, especially considering they belong to one of the strongest factions.

The Chaos Lord On Daemonic Mount tells anyone who looks at it all they need to know about Chaos Warriors. Their armor is thick, their mount branded with the eight-pointed star of Chaos, and their pose hides a twisted tentacle rather than an arm. Sitting on a horse overlooking the battlefield, put this model in any Chaos army, and it’ll be clear who’s in charge.

9

Galrauch

The First Chaos Dragon

Galrauch is among the worst threats any mortal can face on the battlefields of the old world. A colossal twin-headed monstrosity, Galrauch can lay waste to ranks of infantry with fire and toxic gases. The first of the Chaos dragons, Galrauch’s spawn have joined him in plaguing the less enlightened of the Old World.

Twisted and warped with the energies of chaos, Galrauch’s model is a mixture of heinous and fascinating to look at. His flesh twists and mutates, and teeth, eyes and mouths sprout from his body as he launches himself at his hapless prey.

8

Teutogen Guard Command

Servants Of Ulric

The Teutogen Guard are followers of the wolf god Ulric and protectors of his high priest, an Ar-Ulric. They are skilled, vicious fighters, which is to be expected from followers of a wolf war god. Recruited from the Knights Of The White Wolf, the Teutogen Guard are the elite of any force that the Ar-Ulric chooses to join.

The models of the Teutogen Guard Command represent the pinnacle of Ulric’s followers. They wear wolf pelts to honor their god, and bear his standard to battle. Each model is a hairy roaring barbarian that would give any chaos worshipper a run for their money, something almost unheard of in grimdark fantasy.

7

Steam Tank

Rolling Over The Opposition

Perhaps the most iconic vehicle in Warhammer Fantasy and a hilarious doomstack in Total War: Warhammer, the Steam Tank is a marvel of engineering lost to time. With its inventor dead and his schematics gone, there are only so many left in the Empire’s service. With each one destroyed, their number dwindles.

A steampunk masterpiece, the steam tank works both as a fictional steam-powered tank, but also keeps with the pike-and-shot era Germanic aesthetic of the Empire. The immaculate detailing and ornate design evoke renaissance technology, but the form and design of the tank’s elements, such as the turret and pintle-mounted rifle, are a great reference to modern tank designs.

6

Gyrocopters

Love The Smell Of Gunpowder

Whether descending from the skies above a battlefield or darting about the caverns of the World’s Edge mountains, the gyrocopters rain hell on the enemies of the Dwarfen holds. Equipped with a variety of cannons, bombs, and other weapons, when a hold unleashes its fleet, enemies best flee.

The Gyrocopter models are some of the most iconic in the Dwarfen range, and for good reason. They’re a mix of the Norse-inspired aesthetics of the Dwarfs and their more steampunk side. The models are complete with rune carvings and even Dwarfen pilots that seem to be in World War Two-inspired uniforms.

5

Dwarf Engineers

Built Their Own Weapons

The most creatively gifted Dwarfs often earn positions in the Engineers guild, where they learn how to create and maintain both destructive weapons and technological marvels. It is the Dwarf engineers that created the incredible arsenal wielded by the holds, including the Gyrocopters and the Flame Cannon.

Replete with strange firearms and runed hammers, the Dwarfen Engineers are characterful models despite their obvious age. The details, from the colossal beards that almost drag at their feet to the chaotic packs of weaponry and materials slung over their backs, make it clear who these Dwarfs are without even needing to hear their names.

4

Black Orc Mob

Professional Orcs?

The Black Orcs are the cream of the crop when it comes to Orcs and Goblins. They are named for their armor that they keep clean and repair, a strange idea for most other greenskins. Created through selective breeding and magical tampering under the watchful eye of the sinister Chaos Dwarfs, the Black Orcs rebelled, casting down their evil overlords and running rampant across the old world.

Black Orcs are distinct from any of their peers on the battlefield. The armor and more serious demeanor of the models make them seem like much more of a threat — which they are. A Black Orc mob can easily chop through most opponents, and given that they’re Orcs, will certainly be wanting more.

3

The Green Knight

Right Out Of Myth

Riding out from the mist to defend the holy sites of Bretonnia, The Green Knight is the Lady’s wrath made manifest. Known by the Beastmen of Bretonnia as Soulkiller, the knight is nigh unkillable on the battlefield. All strikes either pass through his incorporeal form or simply do no damage, as the spectral warrior carves a path through any who stand in his way.

As a model, the knight is extremely detailed. His horse’s caparison is segmented and layered in such a way that it feels naturally draped over the animal, its armor embossed and detailed befitting a Bretonnian knight’s steed. The knight himself is flamboyant yet ghostly, his colossal plume inkeeping with the traditional Bretonnian arrogance but contrasted by the void of his empty helmet.

2

Swordmasters Of Hoeth

Ultimate Elven Warriors

The High Elves are some of the most long-lived creatures in Warhammer Fantasy, and the Swordmasters of Hoeth have spent several human lifetimes perfecting their skill with a blade. Each warrior has mastered their swordplay to such a degree that, while they still uphold the tenets of Elven martial skill, they customize their fighting style to reflect them personally.

The Swordmasters are among the quintessential models in the High Elf range. Their long pointed helmets, scalemail skirts, and gem-encrusted armor are among the hallmarks of the faction’s visual language. Show any model from the unit to a Warhammer fan, and they’ll instantly know it’s a high elf.

1

Casket of Souls

A Lost Ark Of Sorts

A horrific reminder of what the Tomb Kings are capable of, the Casket Of Souls contains the trapped spirits of all those who have tried to rob the graves of the ancient Nehekaran kings. When the casket is opened, these trapped souls spill forth, consuming the lifeforce of the living nearby. Those consumed are then ensnared and trapped in the casket themselves, doomed to force others to suffer the same fate. With power like this, it’s hilarious these guys were stopped by rats.

Flanked by two Tomb Guard and used as an altar by a mortuary priest, the Casket is a delicate mix of Egyptian-esque finery and fantasy aesthetics. Littering the ground around the box are presumably the bones of its victims, giving the model a morbid yet awe-inspiring aura.