Warhammer is a well-known tabletop game that has been around for more than 30 years.
Warhammer has become a hobby at the centre of the lives of many individuals over the years, and there are lots of gamers all over the globe that collect and enjoy the game today.
Over the same few decades, eBay has also grown into a popular platform for buying and selling, and the online Warhammer community have adopted it en-masse as a way to buy and sell their Warhammer. Indeed there are numerous advantages to doing so. Let’s have a look at a few of them:
Cheaper Prices for Warhammer products
One of the primary advantages of buying and selling Warhammer on eBay is the opportunity to find cheaper prices that you might in high street stores.
Several eBay dealers sell Warhammer products at a discount, which can save customers a considerable amount of cash.
Also, eBay is a wonderful place for locating unusual and out-of-print (OOP) model sets that can be hard to find elsewhere.
This makes eBay a perfect platform for collectors wishing to round out their collection or buy a specific model set they can’t find elsewhere.
eBay Warhammer model sets often come “New on Sprue”
Convenience
Convenience is another reason why people purchase and sell Warhammer on eBay.
Because eBay is an online marketplace, buyers and sellers can connect from anywhere in the world. All you have to do is sign up for an account, browse for Warhammer items that appeal to you, and then either bid in an auction or click to buy straight away. This allows consumers to easily find what they are looking for, and enables sellers to reach a very large audience quickly.
Additionally, eBay is a great place to find items that are out of stock or sold out on the main Games Workshop website. This means that customers can still buy Warhammer products even if they are no longer accessible via the official retailer.
Warhammer Commemorative Series model sets available on eBay
A Huge Market of Warhammer Buyers and Sellers
eBay’s secondary Warhammer market is massive, with thousands of auction listings and new Buy-It-Now options being added daily.
On any given evening, it is not uncommon to see auction items completing so quickly that the “Ending Soonest” list refreshes onto a new listing every 10-20 seconds. This is a great indicator of the sheer volume of Warhammer products being sold on the platform, making it an excellent place to find a wide choice of Warhammer products.
Different Types of Warhammer Products
There are many different types of Warhammer products available on eBay, including Warhammer 40,000 (40K), Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS), and Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (30K).
These are the main Warhammer categories of products, and within each category, there are typically various kinds of Warhammer products available, such as boxed sets, individual models, paints and modeling instruments, and terrain.
Some sellers on eBay focus on breaking down big box sets and selling individual units. By doing this they can earn more money through selling the units individually, but additionally this also allows buyers to buy only the units they want rather than the entire box set which would likely be quite expensive. This is especially important for collectors trying to complete their collection or for players looking to add certain units to their armies.
Best Warhammer eBay Stores
When it comes to the top Warhammer eBay stores to explore, there are numerous excellent options to consider.
The Dice & Duel eBay store is one such retailer which provides a huge variety of Warhammer products at reasonable pricing. They specialise in Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and Warhammer – The Horus Heresy products and sell both new and old stuff. Their eBay store has good reviews, has sold over 3.4k items, and is recognized for its fast delivery and quality service.
The Bald Orc sell a variety of Warhammer products, such as boxed sets, individual models, and terrain. Adeptus Astartes, Adepta Sororitas, 40k Orks, Astra Militarum, and Necrons are amongst their specialised categories. They also have positive reviews and provide excellent customer service, which makes them a favourite choice among Warhammer fans.
Looking for Building Instructions for Warhammer you’ve bought online?
Now that you know where to buy Warhammer on eBay, are you in a need of building instructions for the models you bought? Let Build Instructions help you with this!
At Build Instructions we have a huge library of PDF Warhammer instructions available to download for your leisure. Be sure to check out our PDF library and find the Warhammer instructions you need today.
Fed up with paying high prices for the latest models on Games Workshop’s website or in-store?
Fear not, for eBay may well offer some better prices!
Not only can you purchase rare and out-of-print (OOP) products on eBay, but you can also score some amazing second-hand Warhammer bargains.
Also, have you previously tried to find a specific model on Games Workshop’s website only to find it sold out? You might very well still be able to find and acquire those hard-to-find models on eBay.
eBay Warhammer Homepage
Easy Buying and Selling
Buying and selling Warhammer on eBay is a breeze. It’s as simple as searching for a model you’re interested in, and a myriad of results will be presented from sellers all over the world.
Creating a listing is very simple for sellers, with eBay providing step-by-step instructions to take you through the process.
eBay Selling Guide Homepage
Affordable Prices
Now that we’ve established that we’re looking for great Warhammer products at competitive prices, let’s dive into those prices.
Warhammer models can be found listed on eBay for as little as £1/$1.
Yes, you read that right.
eBay Lowest Price Warhammer
If you’re fortunate, you could even be able to get new releases at a 20% or better discount, versus the RRP price on Games Workshop’s website or in your local high street store.
New on Sprue (“NoS”)
Keep in mind that many models on eBay are listed as “New on Sprue” (NoS), which implies they do not come with a box, paints, or other equipment. But hey, that only means they’re less expensive to buy and often cheaper deliver!
Plus, if you’re a Warhammer painter, you likely already have the paints, paintbrushes and other modeling equipment.
Breaking down Big Battle Boxes into individual Warhammer units
Some eBay sellers focus on breaking down large box sets, to then sell the individual units on their own. Typically, they will break-down Battle Boxes or Army Boxes, Combat Patrols, and Starter Sets.
Box Set full of Sprues
Sure, they may make more cash from it, but this practice also allows potential buyers to buy only the units they want, rather than the entire (and likely expensive) box set.
Hence, if you’re seeking for a few specific ones to add to your army, looking for individual units on eBay may be a good way to go.
eBay is more than just a place to purchase and sell Warhammer models. Rulebooks, paints, terrain, and other hobby supplies are also available to enhance your gaming performance.
Warhammer Codexes are another great example of what you can find on eBay
Not to mention the excitement of discovering old (OOP) model sets, limited editions unique models that you may not have realised existed.
Understandably, some buyers may be reluctant to purchase used models, but there are plenty of positives to the second hand Warhammer market on eBay.
Several eBay sellers include thorough descriptions and images of the models they’re selling, allowing you to get a pretty good idea of their quality before ordering. Secondly, eBay has buyer protection rules in place that guarantee that the item you paid for arrives in the condition promised.
Independent Websites Selling Warhammer
Away from eBay, there are a growing number of other independent websites that also sell Warhammer at discount costs.
These websites frequently specialise in selling single units, individual models, and even individual parts and plastic weaponry, allowing hobbyists to better customise their armies and models.
Bitz of Wargaming is one such website. This website sells a large range of Warhammer bits and pieces, such as weapons, shields, heads, and other accessories. They also offer lower prices on full models and even entire armies.
BitsMonster is another excellent site. This website also sells Warhammer bits and parts, as well as full models and armies. What distinguishes BitsMonster is that they provide instruction manuals on each of their products, making it easy for enthusiasts to assemble their models.
Warbay.Shop is another independent Warhammer reseller, which we’ve only recently been introduced to – but it looks to be a great option and another asset to the community!
The Warbay.Shop webstore provides another place to send in your unwanted (un-touched) “pile of shame” items, and have them sold on your behalf. That’s a great service, especially if you don’t have the time or inclination to prepare, list, sell and ship your unwanted model sets yourself.
Their service and fees look very favourable, and the team behind Warbay.Shop are keen to offer opportunities to keep more money in the wallets of wargamers, so you’ll also find great prices on other items if you want to buy some on-sprue units or split boxsets yourself.
There’s always the OG – the Games Workshop webstore itself…
Of course, the main Games Workshop website is an excellent place to purchase brand new Warhammer models and accessories. While their pricing may be more expensive than those being offered on independent websites or eBay, they do offer various exclusive models and accessories that are not available elsewhere. Also, they sometimes provide coupons and other deals on their products, so keep an eye out on their website for that.
So, why not give eBay a shot?!
You may very well find that rare model you’re eagerly looking for, or you might get an amazing deal on a model you didn’t know you wanted. Happy shopping, and may your dice always roll in your favour!
eBay listings with missing Build Instructions
Found a Warhammer model set on eBay, but no build instructions? That often happens, and that’s where we can help! You can always explore Build Instructions for such needs.
If you’re a Warhammer fanatic, you know how essential it is to remain up to date on the current news, strategies, and lore surrounding the Warhammer universes.
There are so many websites and blogs available to read online, that it can be hard to figure out which ones are worthwhile.
This post will look at some of the finest Warhammer community websites and blogs available online in 2023.
This site is an excellent resource for Warhammer gamers and collectors, providing a range of insightful articles covering things like background lore, how to build terrain, model set reviews, gift ideas and so much more. Its content is mostly centred on Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar, with a focus on guides and product reviews.
Their content is of high quality, and their reviews and editorials are simple to follow, making it a wonderful resource for enthusiasts of all skill levels.
Wargame Explorers does a great job of highlighting new resources for Warhammer hobbyists, and they even did a glowing write-up of our site Build Instructions, which you can read here.
This site supplements the Warhammer universes with content covering the core games including Warhammer 40,000 (40K), Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS), and Kill Team.
Their posts are diverse, ranging from gaming reports to painting techniques. What distinguishes Tangible Day is its emphasis on providing amazing content that is enjoyable to read. Tangible Day regularly includes posts from guest writers who contribute their knowledge and perspectives on a variety of aspects of the Warhammer hobby.
This website is dedicated entirely to Warhammer Age of Sigmar and includes a variety of content including as battle reports, painting and hobbycraft instructions, and army displays.
Age of Miniatures also operates a YouTube channel where they upload game-related media content.
Their content is of high quality, and they update their website and social channels often with new content.
This blog is devoted to Warhammer games such as Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and Blood Bowl, and its content ranges from news to reviews to opinion columns.
Sprues and Brews have their own podcast where they talk about everything and anything related to Warhammer and tabletop gaming.
Their content is of top quality, and they continue to publish new articles and podcasts, which makes them a great destination for keeping up to speed on the latest Warhammer news and strategies.
Which Warhammer Community Blog is The Best?
So, where can you get the most fascinating Warhammer blogs and headlines?
The answer will indeed be influenced by your own Warhammer universe preferences.
Wargame Explorer is an excellent resource for model builders and painters. Age of Miniatures is an absolute must for Warhammer Age of Sigmar fans. Tangible Day and Sprues and Brews are both good alternatives if you’re interested in reading about a variety of Warhammer games and love intriguing content.
Whose Warhammer content is fresh and most up to date?
All four of these Warhammer hobby sites are full of excellent content, both in terms of quality and freshness. They all routinely post fresh stuff, and the content they produce is of consistently high standard.
The quality of their written word and the insights they offer to the Warhammer community set them apart from other, maybe lower-quality websites which are also out there. Each website has its own voice and strategy for content, making them all worthwhile to visit.
Ultimately, the Warhammer community is fortunate that it has such a diverse collection of blogs and websites to browse from. There’s something for everyone, no matter if you are a model builder, a painter, a tabletop tyrant and wargames strategist, or just a fan of the Warhammer lore.
The four sites listed here are simply the tip of the iceberg; there are many more excellent resources that are awaiting your search.
So, why not explore the Warhammer universe online to see what treasures you may uncover?
Warhammer has enjoyed a noticeable burst in popularity over the last decade. This same surge in interest has nurtured and grown a lively community of tabletop players, model hobbyists, and storytellers – all of whom are taking to online platforms to share their content.
Warhammer is a miniature-based tabletop wargame in which players build and paint detailed models, set up battlefields, and engage in strategic warfare with other players. With a fantastic background setting and extensive lore spanning thousands of years, the game has a rich fictitious history, making it a popular topic of conversation and exploration.
People playing Warhammer games on Tabletop
In recent years, YouTube has become the big “go-to” platform for Warhammer fans, with creators and influencers creating a huge range of community generated Warhammer content.
Warhammer has more than 3 million players worldwide, according to Games Workshop, making it among the world’s most popular tabletop wargames. In addition, the company has claimed a consistent increase in sales over the last several years, which can be linked to the growing interest in the tabletop hobby.
The Warhammer community has also increased in number and diversity, with fans of various ages and backgrounds flocking to online platforms to express their enthusiasm for the hobby.
The Rise of Online Creators in the Warhammer Community
The emergence of community influencers and content creators has been an growing trend in recent years, most notably in the tabletop gaming and painting sides of the Warhammer community.
Hobbyist Painting Warhammer Models
YouTube has been adopted en-masse and has grown to become a central hub for online Warhammer fans, with creators creating material ranging from professional level painting guides and walkthroughs, to new product reviews, and live gaming broadcasts.
Warhammer Battle Reports on YouTube
The Warhammer community on YouTube is no different to many other niche hobby communities – with creators finding new and creative ways to expand on the existing rich lore around the hobby and Warhammer universes with their own user generated content.
Different YouTube channels tend to focus on different aspects of the hobby, with creators typically covering topics ranging from painting and model construction to tabletop gaming and battle reports.
YouTube Videos on Warhammer Lore
The Warhammer YouTube Community
Tabletop Tactics, MiniWarGaming, Arbitor Ian, Warhammer (Official GW Warhammer YouTube channel), and Adeptus Ridiculous are amongst some of the most popular Warhammer YouTube channels.
These channels include lore discussions, battle reports, painting instructions, unboxing reviews, and model demonstrations, among other things. They are known for creating high-quality, entertaining, and educational content, with many of them sharing multiple new videos each week.
With over 164,000 followers and over 46 million views, Tabletop Tactics is a good example of a popular Warhammer YouTube channel. Among other things, the channel provides high-quality battle reports, army lists, tactics, and painting instructions. The information on the channel is interesting and instructive, and the level of production value is excellent.
Another famous channel is the official Warhammer YouTube channel, which is run by Games Workshop themselves.
This channel features a wide variety of shows, such as painting instruction, model showcases, and battle reports. The content on the official Warhammer YouTube Channel is of excellent quality, and the channel has a huge following, with over 616,000 subscriptions and more than 145 million views.
Midwinter Minis is yet another well watched Warhammer channel, with tutorials on painting and model building, as well as battlefield reports and a heap of other stuff. The channel has a sizable following, with over 344,000 members and over 26 million views, and its video content is generally of good quality.
These channels’ content is simply the tip of the iceberg, alongside numerous additional channels providing a variety of Warhammer-related stuff.
There is something for every Warhammer fan to be found on these channels. They cater to a variety of interests, ranging from competitive tabletop gaming to narrative-driven storytelling which delves into the rich lore of the various Warhammer universes.
Warhammer YouTube Painting Guides
How Much Do These Warhammer YouTube Channels Make?
It is hard to know how much revenue these YouTube channels make because reported earnings from YouTube advertisements and other sources vary widely and are based on a range of variable criteria including the number of views, the type of material, and the demographics of the audience.
According to some estimates, successful YouTubers can earn between $0.01 and $0.03 per view, whilst others report a revenue rate of $1-3 per 1,000 views.
Arbitor Ian actually did a very insightful video on the advertising revenue that his YouTube channel has earned him after it’s first year, and you can watch that here: ONE YEAR as a YOUTUBER – Workload, money, subs and more!
With some channels collecting millions of views per month, this can result in substantial income for the YouTube content producers, particularly if they also have products, sponsorships, and other revenue sources alongside just the YouTube video advertising.
The emergence of Warhammer+ and the Warhammer TV streaming service
Not wanting to miss out on the opportunity presented by online content and streaming – Games Workshop now also have their own Warhammer+ subscription content service.
Warhammer+ provides access to an online library of digitized White Dwarf magazines and other official publications, as well as the new Warhammer TV streaming service.
The Warhammer TV subscription streaming service was made available in August 2021, and provides access to a variety of exclusive and official Warhammer-related video content, including new animated series, documentaries, real-life tabletop battle reports, and other exclusive content.
The service costs $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year and comes with several perks. This includes a range of exclusive free models with each year’s annual subscription, and access to content which is only available on the Warhammer TV platform and doesn’t appear on YouTube or anywhere else.
The video content available on Warhammer+ is of the highest production quality, featuring a variety of presentations and documentaries covering various facets of the game. Access to digital versions of White Dwarf, Games Workshop’s monthly magazine, and other premium content is also included. While Warhammer+ is a premium service, it provides a lot of value for Warhammer enthusiasts who want to stay current on news and content. Games Workshop have clearly invested heavily in state of the art video content studios and artwork production.
There is still a substantial amount of free Warhammer content to be enjoyed over on YouTube, and many Warhammer fan videos are being produced with content that is just as useful and entertaining as any of the content you’ll find on Warhammer+. However, what Warhammer+ does bring to the table is some very special and exclusive content. The animated video series which are being produced currently by Games Workshop and the Warhammer TV studio are arguably the best quality Warhammer video content currently available in the world today.
Online forums are virtual discussion spaces where users can share information and thoughts on a variety of subjects. They are a popular way for people with similar interests to connect and engage with one another.
Online forums are a vital component of the Warhammer gaming community. Gamers and hobbyists frequently use these sites to share advice, methods, and strategies, as well as to discuss their favourite Warhammer games, armies, and hobby tips.
The Online Warhammer Community
Warhammer is a popular tabletop miniature wargame that has been around for a long time. The game has a devoted fan base that enjoy the lore, gameplay mechanics, and overall visual aesthetics of the miniature models and tabletop wargames.
Warhammer World Tournament Room People playing Warhammer games on Tabletop
The Warhammer community is one of the most active online gaming groups around. The Warhammer community is a broad and large group of gamers, artists, and storytellers who are devoted to the game and its universe.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the top Warhammer online fan forums. We’ll look at their membership size, typical material and conversational topics, and site quality. We’ll also highlight some more internet resources for Warhammer fans who want to read more and immerse themselves further into the world(s) of Warhammer.
DakkaDakka
DakkaDakka is one of the most popular Warhammer forums on the internet.
Every month, the site receives over 7 million page views and has over 100,000 members.
The forum is dedicated to all things Warhammer – including Warhammer 40,000 (40K), Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS), and other Warhammer product lines and sub-universes.
The site’s material includes forum topics and conversation threads covering painting and modelling, army lists, battle reports, and rule debates.
DakkaDakka is well-moderated, and the rules of the forum are strictly enforced, ensuring that discussions are kept respectful and civil. Moreover, the site is free to join, and the registration process is simple. The forum’s layout is simple, and users can easily find topics of interest.
The Bolter and Chainsword website has over 70,000 users and is well-known for its engaged audience and high-quality content. The forum’s discussions cover a wide range of topics, such as army lists, tactics, hobby advice, and lore.
Bolter and Chainsword’s website is simple and easy to use. The moderators on the site are active and responsive, ensuring that discussions stay on topic and are respectful to all users. The forum is open to everyone, and the registration process is simple and clear.
Warhammer 40,000 Wiki
The Warhammer 40,000 Wiki is a site created by fans that address every aspect of the Warhammer 40,000 realm.
With over 6,600+ articles since May 2010, the site is a significant resource for Warhammer fans.
The information in the wiki covers the game’s factions, characters, weapons systems, and vehicles. The site also contains details about the game’s development and past – all of which builds upon the existing rich lore.
The Warhammer 40,000 Wiki is simple to use, and users can quickly search for and discover the information they’re looking for. The site is free to use, and visitors can contribute to it by writing and modifying articles.
There are various other online options for Warhammer lovers outside just the online forums mentioned above.
Warhammer blogs, community sites, YouTube channels, Instagram accounts, the Games Workshop website(s), and Warhammer TV are among the best resources available.
Warhammer Blogs: There are various Warhammer blog posts online that provide hobbyist tips, news, and other game information. Spikey Bits, Frontline Gaming, and Warhammer Community are some of the most popular Warhammer blogs around today.
Community Sites: Multiple Warhammer community sites are available on the internet that allows Warhammer fans to connect and participate with one another. r/Warhammer and r/Warhammer 40k on Reddit, and The Grand Alliance Community are two major Warhammer community websites.
YouTube Channels: Many Warhammer YouTube channels create video content providing tips, game reports, battle reports, and other Warhammer-related stuff. Tabletop Tactics, MiniWarGaming, and the official Warhammer channel are some prominent Warhammer YouTube channels.
The Games Workshop website(s): These are the official websites for Warhammer and other Games Workshop games. These sites are crammed full of a wide variety of content, such as news, product releases, painting and gaming tutorials, and background lore. Users can also purchase official Warhammer miniatures, paints, and other hobby items through the website.
Warhammer TV: This is a premium video content streaming service provided by Games Workshop. Painting instructions, real-life battle reports, high quality animations and feature-length movies are among the video content available through the Warhammer TV platform. Access to exclusive miniatures and other Warhammer merchandise and offers is also included in a subscription to the Warhammer+ service.
Recap on the best online fan forums for Warhammer
Ultimately, the Warhammer community is an active and enthusiastic group of gamers, who are passionate about their hobby and its various universes.
Whether you’re an experienced Warhammer player or a newbie to the game, these online resources will provide you with a great deal of background knowledge, hobbycraft tips, and inspiration to further develop and cultivate your Warhammer hobby.
Covered in this article: Why use digital PDF Build Instructions, the ecological and societal benefits of going paperless where possible, and the potential cost benefits.
Some Food for Thought – the Environmental Impact of our Hobby
Building, painting and collecting a Warhammer army takes times and dedication, and also unfortunately consumes resources.
As most industries continue to mature and wake up to their environmental impact, we’d like to take a moment to look at the eco-cost of being in the Warhammer hobby, and see if there are any opportunities for us to do better and reduce our impact.
Warhammer Plastic Sprues
Thankfully, we think that Games Workshop are a pretty reasonable bunch as things go, and there are a number of examples of changes they’ve made over recent years to improve their business practices and reduce their environmental impact.
We’ve seen the wholesale departure of metal cast models, and wider adoption of plastic kits. Whilst the die-hard enthusiasts amongst us might have loved our old metal models – surely they were more energy intensive and expensive to produce.
Collection of Old Warhammer Metal Blister Packs
A quick bit of research online also highlights that our beloved plastic minis are produced in what’s called un-expanded Polystyrene.
Yes – the normal expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is that chunky white squishy stuff you used to find in packaging, and it looks a lot different to our familiar grey sprues. But it turns out that both EPS and un-expanded PS are actually recyclable.
Both expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and unexpanded Polystyrene fall into the Plastics Category 6, which is recyclable, but unfortunately – isn’t currently widely recycled, and a lot of local councils will end up sending it to landfill.
Categories of Recyclable Plastics
Whilst the availability of recycling specifically unexpanded Polystyrene is limited (i.e. your local council might not be able to handle it’s separation and recycling from your kerbside trash today), there are some places working on it and trying to close this gap.
So it takes more effort to properly recycle Polystyrene, and in general your local council and bin collection won’t do the job, but yes you can recycle your used Warhammer sprues.
So what’s the Environmental Benefit to PDF Build Instructions?
It’s pretty simple really.
The benefit to hosting build instructions online as Digital Downloads and PDFs, is a Paperless Benefit.
For every Warhammer model set currently produced, there is a cardboard box, a set of Polystyrene sprues, and a set of model bases.
Now we definitely want our beloved plastic sprues and the accompanying model bases, and we need that box and packaging to make sure they arrive safely to us, but do we really need a paper copy of the Build Instructions?
Let’s face it, once we’ve built the model set, we tend to either throw away the paper copy of the build instructions, or “file them” on a shelf somewhere – never to be seen again.
Landscape Hand Holding iPhone with Warhammer Build Instructions
With how quick and easy it is to open digital files on our mobile phones or laptops today, and how used to doing similar tasks we are – why not digitise and provide all Build Instructions in this way?
This cuts down on paper, cuts down on printing, and yes – even though the cost of each booklet is likely pennies (or even fractions of pennies), when you multiply that up – there will also be a not-so insignificant cost saving for Games Workshop in there too.
The value in having an online library of free to download PDFs – BuildInstructions.com
The BuildInstructions.com website focusses on helping both new and existing hobbyists with the build and assembly part of the hobby.
Every Games Workshop model set comes with a set of “how to” construction guides to help the hobbyist build their Warhammer models.
These instruction booklets typically come printed and included in the box with all new model sets bought either direct from Games Workshop or through an approved reseller.
Collection of Paper Copy Build Instructions
However it’s also very common nowadays to buy new or second-hand model sets on secondary markets such as Ebay, and often these don’t come with the original printed build instructions included.
That leaves a lot of Warhammer enthusiasts underserved and looking for digital copies of build instructions online.
We’ve done it ourselves, and we’ve found the blog pages, and Reddit threads full of links to instructions which the community has photographed or scanned, all for the purposes of sharing and helping each other out.
This is where BuildInstructions.com helps out and helps foster the Warhammer community.
Our team are continually crowd-sourcing a growing library of instruction booklets in PDF digital format, which we then make available to the Warhammer community as free downloads.
The team does this to help the community and ultimately get more Warhammer built, but we’d also like to see Games Workshop consider moving away from paper based booklets and provide just digital copies in the future.
Covered in this article: the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game, MESBG, Warhammer Middle Earth, Warhammer Lord of the Rings, Warhammer The Hobbit, Games Workshop.
Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game Title Logo
The Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game
The Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game is a tabletop wargame created by Games Workshop, to compliment the movie trilogies of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
The Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game mirrors the format of the existing Warhammer tabletop games, in terms of gameplay based around strategy, dice and luck, alongside a set of plastic and metal based miniature figures which represent characters and fighting units from the movie franchise (and original books).
Games Workshop historically produced a number of model sets related to both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit back during the 1980’s and 1990’s. However, with the advent of the blockbuster movies which first hit the big screen back in 2001 – a whole new dedicated product line was produced and released to market.
Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game Minas Tirith Battlehost Box Set
The Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game (MESBG) enables enthusiasts of both the Tolkien worlds and the Warhammer worlds – to enjoy tabletop games recreating classic battles from the movies and wider Tolkien literature.
The model sets released for both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, match the same level of detail and high quality standards that have become familiar across the wider Warhammer product ranges. Where the two product offerings differ though, is in their current market popularity. The Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game continues to be enjoyed by hobbyists, but new model releases are now infrequent. The game and product range cannot be considered to be in growth in the same way as Warhammer 40,000 continues to be.
Are Middle Earth models compatible with Warhammer?
At first glance, the Middle Earth model sets (both for The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit), have a couple of issues which might make them less than ideal candidates for usage in a game of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, but it is still possible…
In terms of model size and scale, Middle Earth models are a smiliar, if slightly smaller scale to anything in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar product line. On that front, they wouldn’t look too out of place alongside one another.
The bigger issue though is context and how the two model sets complement (or conflict) with one another. Both the Middle Earth and Age of Sigmar universes share a lot of commonalities in terms of weapons, magic, and species. For example – Humans, Orcs, Trolls, and Dragons all exist in both settings.
However both universes have very well established races and factions and deeply entrenched livery, colour schemes and associated imagery for these.
Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game Treebeard Mighty Ent
Typically, Mordor Orcs look very much like something straight out of one of the movies, and also look different to say the Kruleboyz or Ironjawz of the Orruk Warclans (nearest match in terms of species / race).
Similarly, it would be hard to see Dwarfs from The Hobbit, sat on a tabletop alongside ‘Dwarfs’ from the Kharadron Overlords range in Age of Sigmar.
There are still opportunities for cross-over though, and you can always get creative and convert models from The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, for use in Warhammer Age of Sigmar. One race where there is a close likeness is probably the Elves…
Some of the ‘Wood Elves’ or Mirkwood Elves from the Middle Earth range perhaps wouldn’t look out of place if blended in with the Wood Elves of old Warhammer. A unifying colour scheme and a few weapons conversions could very well create some great unique units to add to an Age of Sigmar army.
Covered in this article: Warhammer – The Horus Heresy, Warhammer 30,000, Warhammer 30K, and Games Workshop.
Warhammer The Horus Heresy 30K Title Logo
Warhammer – The Horus Heresy
Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (also sometimes known as “30K”), is one of the 3 major product lines in the Warhammer range. Warhammer – The Horus Heresy is set in the same wider Warhammer universe as Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS), and Warhammer 40,000 (40K), but is itself a stand-alone game and has it’s own setting and unique storyline.
Games Workshop is the company behind all 3 Warhammer product lines – Warhamer Age of Sigmar (AoS), Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (30K), and Warhammer 40,000 (40K), and the first models date back to the 1980’s.
Back in the 1980’s, Dungeons & Dragons (“DnD”) was the very popular roleplay game which dominated the tabletop for fantasy games enthusiasts. Indeed the early founders of Games Workshop we actually making models intended for DnD, when they started Games Workshop and subsequently the Warhammer ecosytem.
The early models were very much of the “medieval fantasy” flavour (which continues in both Dungeons and Dragons, and Warhammer Age of Sigmar), but as the model range expanded into futuristic Sci-Fi, the world of Warhammer 40,000 was born.
Thereafter, as the literature and lore around the Warhammer 40,000 (40K) universe grew and matured, a secondary key timeline emerged around the Horus Heresy, which then spawned the Warhammer – The Horus Heresy game and product range.
In the past, Games Workshop has also produced a range of tabletop miniatures for the Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit) franchise, but you can read about those here.
Gameplay – How to play Warhammer The Horus Heresy (30K)
Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (30K) is a tabletop game which is set far into the future, around the year 30,000.
The Horus Heresy gaming ecosystem includes a large range of both plastic and metal miniatures which are collected, and assembled together on a tabletop for the purposes of playing a simulated wargame using strategy, wit, and a bit of luck.
Warhammer The Horus Heresy gameplay is similar in nature to it’s cousin Warhammer 40,000, but has some unique differences and nuances.
A game of Warhammer – The Horus Heresy typically sees two or more players taking turns to move their models around the tabletop battle field. Each player then attacks the other by declaring actions such as weapons firing, rockets launching, flame thrower hits, grenades detonating. The success of each attack or assault is then determined based on each player’s dice rolls and scores.
A game of Warhammer – The Horus Heresy requires players to make use of both skill and chance. Skill is deployed in the form of the strategy and tactics being used by each player, and Chance shows up in the outcomes of each dice roll and the scores needed to win the game.
Before taking to the table to plan a games of Warhammer – The Horus Heresy, each player must first build and ideally paint their models.
Building and Painting models for Warhammer – The Horus Heresy
Collecting, building and painting model sets and assembling them into tabletop armies is a key part of Warhammer – The Horus Heresy and the wider Warhammer hobby.
To build and paint a model set takes time, but these activities are often treasured by Warhammer enthusiasts, and as the Warhammer Horus Heresy game has developed and grown over the years – so too has its fan base and avid community.
It’s now commonplace to find fan-art and professional-level painters, and content creators all around the Warhammer – The Horus Heresy community.
All new Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (30K) model sets arrive in a cardboard box, which contains the models attached to one or multiple plastic frames called a “sprue”.
The first step in building the models is for all of the individual components to be cut from the sprue(s), and cleaned to get rid of any debris and mould lines. After that, all of the pieces can then glued together in place, according to the instructions guide.
Building Warhammer Model Kits
The team at BuildInstructions.com are a part of this online Warhammer community, and we help new and existing hobbyists to build their Warhammer – The Horus Heresy model sets, by sharing the instruction booklets for free.
For each model set in the Warhammer – The Horus Heresy model range – there is a set of “how to” construction guides. These instruction booklets typically come printed, and included in the box with all new model sets bought direct from Games Workshop or via an approved online reseller or hobby shop on the high street.
However, you can also now buy Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (30K) model sets on secondary markets such as Ebay, and often these will just be the raw model kits and won’t include the build instructions needed for assembly.
That’s where BuildInstructions.com helps out. Our team are continually crowd-sourcing a growing library of instruction booklets in PDF digital format, which we then make available to the Warhammer community as free downloads. The team does this to help the community and ultimately get more Warhammer built, but we’d also like to see Games Workshop consider moving away from paper based booklets and provide just digital copies in the same way we do. There are “Green” benefits to this paperless approach too, and you can read more about it here.
Hand Holding an iPhone and Downloading PDF Warhammer Build Instructions
Games Workshop leads the way in Tabletop Wargames
Warhammer The Horus Heresy (30K) model sets are nowadays almost exclusively produced using unexpanded Polystyrene (PS).
Thankfully, unexpanded Polystyrene is a recyclable plastic, and is a very versatile material – ideal for use in the moulding and production processes used to make tabletop miniatures.
Historically, Games Workshop also used to produce model kits which in metal. These were sold in “blister packs” which typically contained 1-2 models, often either a hero or a special troop type. However, the company has since moved away from metal products.
The reason for this (and the adoption of primarily plastic based kits), largely lies in the improvements in the underlying production technology.
The process injection moulding unexpanded Polystyrene has improved significantly in recent years to enable ever more detailed and high quality model sets to be produced in plastic.
Resin is still used as one alternative though, and remains the preferred material for any Forge World models (Forge World is a subsidiary of Games Workshop).
Similarly, Forge World is able to produce very high quality and detailed model sculpts in resin, but this production method appears to be reserved for production runs in smaller quantities or physically larger model sets.
Ok, so what is Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (30K), and how does it differ from any other forms of Warhammer?
Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (30K) is a specific game setting within the wider Warhammer ecosystem.
In terms of relative timeline, the events of Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (30K) falls 10,000 years prior to the setting of Warhammer 40,000.
At the time of Warhammer – The Horus Heresy, the universe is full of very technologically advanced races, including the likes of Humans, the Aeldari (Elves), the T’au Empire, and the Tyranids, and there is an Imperium of Man, led by a (super) human Emperor.
What unfolds right around the turn of this millennium though, is civil war amongst the human race and more specifically amongst the factions of their engineered super-human warriors the Adeptus Astartes (precursors to the Space Marines of Warhammer 40,000).
As the name suggests, The Horus Heresy timeline concerns the events leading up to, during and immediately after the ‘heresy’ of Horus – a super-human Warmaster and leader of a significant part of the Emperor’s best forces, and the ensuing Civil War.
TLDR; Horus falls out with his dad (the Emperor), starts a rebellion and Civil War (the Heresy), and tears the Imperium of Man in two, with half of the Adeptus Astartes remaining Loyal to daddy (the Emperor), and the other half joining Horus and marking themselves as Traitors.
The world of Warhammer – The Horus Heresy is full of huge characters, technological advancements and weaponry that wouldn’t look out of place in a Sci-Fi movie today.
Armoury such as heavy bolters, force fields, lascannons, and flamethrowers are all commonplace in Warhammer – The Horus Heresy. So too is a vast race of humans who have occupied countless planets across the galaxy and now find themselves locked in a constant state of war and strife with exotic new species.
Warhammer The Horus Heresy 30K Whirlwind Scorpius Missile Tank
Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (30K) differs from the other 2 main “Warhammer” products, Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS) and Warhammer 40,000 (40K), predominantly by where it sits in the assumed relative timeline.
Both the Warhammer The Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40K worlds are very much set in a timeline which is assumed to be 10’s of thousands of years ahead of where we are right now. Warhammer – The Horus Heresy is set around the year 30,000 (if we go by our current timekeeping conventions), and Warhammer 40,000 falls 10,000 years afterwards.
A nice feature of how the timelines of the 3 main Warhammer product ranges intersect, are the human and alien (Xenos) species which appear in all of them.
An obvious example are the long-loved fantasy favourites the Orcs and Goblins.
In Warhammer Age of Sigmar these turn up in the factions of the Orruk Warclans, the Gloomspite Gitz, the Kruleboyz, and the Ironjawz. Whereas over in the futuristic settings of Warhammer – The Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 – we have the Orks and their smaller cousins the Grots.
Can Warhammer – The Horus Heresy (30K) models be used in Warhammer 40,000 (40K)?
Even though the two model sets are set 10,000 years apart in terms of timeline, they do both exist in the same Universe and their game systems, armies and lore are all very similar. The model range for The Horus Heresy is also set at the same tabletop scale as that of the main Warhammer 40,000 product line.
If you read through the storied history of The Horus Heresy and then Warhammer 40,000, you will quickly gain an appreciation for how connected and intertwined their histories are.
Essentially, the Warhammer – The Horus Heresy table top game and accompanying model sets represent a point in history which precedes what then emerges and exists in Warhammer 40,000.
Many things have changed in those 10,000 years – countless battles fought, empires risen and fallen, technology has advanced (or been lost in some cases!), but in general – the same species and races exist.
This makes for some great game play and some fantastic opportunities to re-use “classic” Horus Heresy models in games of Warhammer 40,000. Indeed – there is a wealth of lore and content out there which tells us which characters have (somehow) survived the 10,000 year timespan, which technologies have survived, and what changes have come about.
Warhammer The Horus Heresy 30K Predator Tank
In general – players of Warhammer 40,000 find that they can field “old” models from the Horus Heresy model range, in their games of 40K. Most commonly, this might come in the form of a Space Marines army which has retained or “restored” an old relic from the Horus Heresy – such as a Contemptor class dreadnought.
Covered in this article: Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer 40K, and Games Workshop.
Warhammer 40000 40K Title Logo
Warhammer 40,000 (4K)
Warhammer 40,000 (commonly known as “40K”), is one of the largest and most successful tabletop miniature wargames in the World, but it’s actually just one of 3 huge storylines and product ranges within the wider Warhammer ecosystem.
Games Workshop is the company behind Warhammer 40,000 (40K), and Games Workshop originally started creating the model range back in the 1980’s.
At that time, the super popular Dungeons & Dragons (“DnD”) roleplay game was the biggest thing on the tabletop for fantasy games enthusiasts, and the early Games Workshop models were actually designed to be played in games of DnD.
Over time, as things evolved, the model range grew and with it spawned a unique universe full of lore (context and historical content), and ultimately 3 stand-alone product ranges in the shape of Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS), Warhammer The Horus Heresy (30K), and Warhammer 40,000 (40K).
Warhammer 40000 40K Title Banner 3
Games Workshop also produced a range of tabletop miniatures for the Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit) franchise, but you can read about that here.
Gameplay – How to play Warhammer 40,000 (40K)
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop game which is set far into the future, around the year 40,000 to be more precise.
The 40K gaming system consists of a huge range of plastic and metal figurines which are collected, brought together on a tabletop, and arranged for the purposes of playing a simulated wargame.
A game of Warhammer 40,000 typically sees two or more players taking turns to move their models around the tabletop battlefield. They then “attack” each other by announcing actions such as weapons firing, missile hits, bombs exploding. The success of each ‘action’ is then based on each player’s dice rolls, and looking up the rules and charts to determine the outcome based on the score(s) across the dice.
The gameplay in Warhammer 40,000 combines elements of both skill and chance. Skill – in the way of strategy and tactics deployed by each player, and Chance – in the form of outcomes determined by scores acquired by the rolling of dice.
Before any games of Warhammer 40,000 can start though, the models must first be built, and (ideally) painted.
Building and Painting your own Warhammer 40K models
Building, painting and collecting Warhammer 40,000 armies and model sets is a core part of the hobby, and is well-loved by an ever growing fan base of 40K enthusiasts.
Indeed, over the years as the Warhammer 40,000 hobby has established itself, it has also given birth to a thriving community of artists, professional-level painters, and content creators.
All new Warhammer 40,000 model sets arrive in a cardboard box, which contains the models attached to one or multiple plastic frames called a “sprue”.
To make a start on building the models – all of the individual parts need to first be cut from the sprue(s), cleaned (to get rid of any debris and mould lines), and then glued together in place, according to the instructions guide.
The BuildInstructions.com website focusses on helping both new and existing hobbyists with the build and assembly part of it all.
For all of it’s model sets, Games Workshop provides a set of “how to” construction guides to help any hobbyist build their Warhammer 40,000 models. These instruction booklets typically come printed, and enclosed in all new model sets bought direct from Games Workshop or an approved reseller. However it’s also very possible to buy second-hand model sets on secondary markets such as Ebay, and find that you don’t have the build instructions included.
That’s where BuildInstructions.com helps out. Our team are continually crowd-sourcing a growing library of instruction booklets in PDF digital format, which we then make available to the Warhammer community as free downloads. The team does this to help the community and ultimately get more Warhammer built, but we’d also like to see Games Workshop consider moving away from paper based booklets and provide just digital copies in the same way we do. There are “Green” benefits to this paperless approach too, and you can read more about it here.
Hand Holding an iPhone showing Downloaded Warhammer Build Instructions
Games Workshop leads the way in Tabletop Wargames
Most Warhammer 40,000 model sets are produced in unexpanded Polystyrene.
Unexpanded Polystyrene is a recyclable plastic, and lends itself very well to the moulding and production processes which Games Workshop uses.
In years gone by, you could pick up Games Workshop model kits which were produced in metal and sold in “blister packs”, but the company has moved away from that now.
The transition to predominantly plastic based kits has followed improvements in the technology. The process of sculpting and then injection moulding with unexpanded Polystyrene has improved significantly in recent years and we now have plastic model kits that are of a higher quality and finer detail than were previously possible.
Forge World (a subsidiary of Games Workshop), still also produces its models in Resin.
Again, these are very high quality and detailed model sculpts, but the resin approach seems to be reserved for low quantity production runs or physically larger model sets.
The success of Games Workshop and the popularity of Warhammer 40,000 cannot be understated. At a global level, the Warhammer product range is the best selling and most popular fantasy miniatures game available today.
Ok, so what is Warhammer 40,000 (40K), and how does it differ from any other forms of Warhammer?
Warhammer 40,000 is a specific setting and timeline within the wider Warhammer ecosystem.
In many ways, Warhammer 40,000 could be likened to a Sci-Fi prediction of what our own future might look like, in 30,000 years time.
Indeed – Warhammer 40,000 (40K) is full of fictional races, advanced technology and war machines that look like they’ve rolled straight off a Hollywood Sci-Fi movie set (although it’s more likely that the inspiration followed the other way round!).
Armoury such as power-swords, invisibility cloaks, force fields and plasma cannons, are all commonplace in Warhammer 40,000. So too is a sprawling race of humans who have settled the stars and now find themselves at constant war with various other species.
The long-standing tag-line for Warhammer 40,000 (40K) is “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.”, and indeed – the model ranges produced by Games Workshop certainly seem to suggest that in this fictional future, a whole plethora of species are pitted against one another in war.
Warhammer 40,000 has been around for decades, and in that time the lore and context written to accompany the tabletop game has grown vastly. The wealth of literature, and now video games and online content, all serves to build upon a very rich fantasy universe in which any hobbyist can immerse themselves.
Warhammer 40,000 (40K) differs from the other 2 main “Warhammer” products, Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS) and Warhammer – The Horus Heresy, mainly in that it falls much later in the assumed timeline.
The timeframe for Age of Sigmar can be likened to hundreds or thousands of years in our past (taken with a pinch of salt). Warhammer – The Horus Heresy is then set around the year 30,000, and Warhammer 40,000 is 10,000 years beyond that again.
So in that way, the Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40K worlds are very much set in a timeline which is assumed to be 10’s of thousands of years ahead of where we are now.
Warhammer 40,000 sees super humans an alien species battle on new planets with futuristic weapons resembling supped-up guns, cannons, lasers, forcefields and the like. Turning the clock back by some 10,000 years – The Horus Heresy might look a bit like an out of date technological age which has past but is still very much superior to our own present. Finally, bringing up the rear is Warhammer Age of Sigmar, which sees heroes battle with swords, spears, magical incantations, dragons and other monstrous beasts.
Another neat aspect of how the timelines of the 3 main product ranges interact, are the common races which appear across all 3.
For example – long-loved fantasy stalwarts such as Elves and Dwarfs exist in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar universe, and then also make an appearance in 30K and again in Warhammer 40K.
Humans exist across all timeframes and product ranges, and indeed the evolution of the weapons and technology that we see them with seems to match up well with the previous analogy of likening Age of Sigmar to a medieval time period, and 40K to some far off Sci-Fi future.
What else exists in the Warhammer 40,000 timeline and product range?
Warhammer 40,000 (40K) is very much a standalone game system and the largest product line within the hobby, however there are also a small number of sub-brands and spin-offs within the Warhammer 40K ecosystem.
Kill Team, Aeronautica Imperialis, Adeptus Titanicus, Necromunda, and Warhammer Quest.
What is Kill Team?
Kill Team Title Logo
Kill Team is a spin-off from the main Warhammer 40,000 product line. Set in the same universe, Kill Team takes small units from existing 40K armies and factions, and pitches them against one another in smaller skirmish based battles.
The Kill Team model sets are often very unique and offer a different spin on established squads and units, and the Kill Team setting and lore introduces a wealth of campaign settings and battle scenarios.
Kill Team models can be inserted directly into games of Warhammer 40,000 and indeed make great looking units alongside their mainline cousins.
What is Aeronautica Imperialis?
Aeronautica Imperialis Title Logo
Aeronautica Imperialis is an offshoot from the larger Warhammer 40,000 universe and tabletop game. Whereas Warhammer 40,000 focusses on gameplay at the level of an individual soldier or warrior, Aeronautica Imperialis looks to the skies and provides battleground for futuristic airforces.
To capture the vast size of airspace warfare in the 41st Millenium, Aeronautica Imeperialis fields 10’s of units of aircraft, all at a smaller scale relative to the main Warhammer 40,000 product range.
Whilst it is possibly to purchase, build, paint and field a large number of “large scale” flying vehicles from the Warhammer 40,000 product line, to do so would be very expensive and take up a lot of time and table space. To really do justice to a battlefield in the skies which might consist of multiple squadrons of 10’s of flying aircraft, the models are scaled-down for Aeronautica Imperialis.
Aeronautica Imperialis Wrath of Angels Box Set
You will find many aircraft from the Warhammer 40,000 universe which are available in both the “main line scale” i.e. at full size, and in miniature size at Aeronautica Imperialis scale. A good example here would be the Aeldari Hemlock Wraithfighter for Warhammer 40,000, and it’s Aeronautica equivalent the Hemlock Wraithfighter Squadron.
This unfortunately makes the two model sets non-compatible, although it is always possible to run a campaign with the two side-by-side. In that scenario, you might have one tabletop representing the battle in the skies, and which is full of Aeronatica Imperialis models, and another tabletop where your “battle on the ground” is occurring with Warhammer 40,000 models.
What is Adeptus Titanicus?
Adeptus Titanicus Title Logo
Adeptus Titanicus is similar to Aeronautica Imperialis in that it also exists in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and it too looks at things on a bigger scale.
Whereas a normal game of Warhammer 40,000 pitches armies against each other on the ground and at the scale of an infantryman or Space Marine, Adeptus Titanicus focusses on the gigantic machines of war that are the Imperial Knights and Titans.
Adeptus Titanicus shares a similar trait to it’s cousin Aeronautic Imperialis, in that it’s models also exist at a smaller scale to those in Warhammer 40,000, making them non-compatible.
Models in Adeptus Titanicus are intended to represent things like Imperial Titans, which in real-life would be huge and vast constructs which swamp any battleground. If you wanted to field a full “army” of 40K size Knights and Titans, then it would take up a lot of table space (not to mention being very expensive!). For that reason, the Adeptus Mechanicus range are all scaled-down smaller, relative to the 40K main line.
What is Necromunda?
Necromunda Title Logo
Necromunda is a skirmish based game set within the Warhammer 40,000 (40K) universe and timeline.
Necromunda is set on the fictional 40K hive world of Necromunda, focusses on a smaller model count and is somewhat more complex in terms of gameplay. It also introduces new characters and brings a new concept to the Warhammer 40,000 universe with ‘Houses’. In Necromunda (or rather “on Necromunda” the planet) small warbands have formed and created ‘Houses’ which skirmish and fight between one another for precious resources and survival.
All Necromunda model sets exist at the same scale and size as the Warhammer 40,000 mainline, which makes them compatible and interoperable. Indeed, Necromunda units and hero models often make for a great addition to any 40K battle force.
What is Warhammer Quest?
Warhammer Quest Title Logo
Warhammer Quest is another skirmish based variant of the Warhammer 40,000 product range, but with it’s own unique flavour.
Whereas both Kill Team and Necromunda focus on a wider range of interchangeable ‘teams’ or ‘houses’ of models, Warhammer Quest in 40K is intended to immerse the game players in a single environment and stand-alone tabletop experience.
Only a limited number of Warhammer Quest box sets have been produced over the years, and with each you get a stand-alone game within a box, and a full complement of immersive game lore, background context and campaign rules.
A box set from the Warhammer Quest range typically sets the scene for a specific battle, in a specific time and place, between two fixed opposing sides. This differs from Kill Team and Necromunda, where pretty much every race and faction in the Warhammer 40,000 universe can join the fight and has it’s own ‘skirmish team’ represented by either a Kill Team or Necromunda model set.
The Warhammer Quest range has produced discrete stand-alone box sets for both the Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and the Warhammer 40,000 settings. The most recent example for the Warhammer 40,000 universe is Warhammer Quest – Blackstone Fortress, and it’s various expansion packs.
Models in the Warhammer Quest range all match the size and scale of the main Warhammer 40,000 product line. Which means that you’re free to swap them in and use them to add something a bit different to your games, or bolster your army with enhanced firepower and new capabilities.
Covered in this article: Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS), Warhammer Fantasy Battle (WHFB), Warhammer The End Times, and Games Workshop.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Title Logo
Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS)
Warhammer is one of the World’s largest and most successful tabletop miniature wargames, and Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS for short), is just one of 3 main product ranges and storylines within the Warhammer universe.
Games Workshop created the Warhammer hobby and model range, and Games Workshop itself has been around since the 1980’s. Back then, the business was founded by enthusiasts of the ever popular Dungeons & Dragons (“DnD”) tabletop roleplay game, and indeed the earliest Games Workshop models were designed for use in DnD.
Gameplay – How to play Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS)
The Warhammer game system revolves around a vast range of plastic and metal miniature figurines which can be brought together on a tabletop, for the purposes of playing a simulated wargame.
The game involves two or more players taking turns to deploy and move their model units, and then “attack” the opposition by declaring things like weapons firing, casting of magic spells, missile hits, sword blows – all of which are determined to be effective (or not) through the roll of dice.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Echoes of Doom Box Set
The tabletop game of Warhammer therefore combines skill, in the way of strategy and tactics, alongside chance, in the form of outcomes which are ultimately determined by the roll of a die (dice).
However to get to the tabletop battlefield in the first place, the Warhammer models must first be built, and (ideally) painted.
Build and Paint your own models
This build and paint side to the hobby is well cherished by many enthusiasts, and over time has evolved to boast a huge community of artist painters and model collectors.
It’s the assembly and build part of the hobby, where our website BuildInstructions.com offers its assistance.
All Warhammer hobbyists need to follow the “how to” construction guides when building any new Warhammer model set.
Any new Warhammer model set typically comes in a cardboard box, with the models attached to a plastic frame called a “sprue”.
Paper Warhammer Instruction Booklets
The individual parts of each model must be cut from the sprue, cleaned (i.e. remove any plastic mould lines or debris), and then glued together according to the steps outlined in the instructions booklet.
A World-leader in Plastic Scale-Modelling and Tabletop Wargames
These days, most Warhammer model kits are produced in unexpanded Polystyrene plastic, which is itself a recyclable plastic, and a very versatile material – ideal for moulding into intricate model sets.
In years past, Games Workshop also produced models in metal. This looks to have ceased as the technology around the whole sculpting and injection moulding with unexpanded Polystyrene has improved over the years and the new plastic kits can now be made with higher detail and quality than ever before.
Resin model sets also still exist, but are typically exclusive to the Forge World model range, which is itself a sub-product-line owned by Games Workshop.
Warhammer is widely regarded as the world’s best selling and most popular fantasy miniatures game, and can be found as a best seller in most hobby shops.
Ok, so what is Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS), and how does it differ from any other forms of Warhammer?
Age of Sigmar is based upon a specific World (or rather collection of Worlds) and timeline within the wider Warhammer ecosystem.
In many ways, Warhammer Age of Sigmar could be likened to a Medieval period in our own timeline. Indeed – a lot of the lore (background context, stories etc.) and armies set in the Age of Sigmar universe are akin to things we’ve seen in our own Medieval History. Armoury such as swords, shields, bows and arrows, are all commonplace in Age of Sigmar. So too are elements which crop up in fantasy stories from our own history – things like magicians, witches, dragons and other beastly monsters.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Title Banner
In many ways, a lot of the Warhammer Age of Sigmar lore and context takes inspiration from our own fairytales and fantasy stories, but often builds upon them to create far richer and more appealing concepts, not to mention gorgeous model sets to accompany them.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar differs from the other 2 main “Warhammer” products, Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer – The Horus Heresy, mainly in that it falls much earlier in the timeline.
The timeframe for Age of Sigmar can be likened to hundreds or thousands of years in our past (taken with a pinch of salt), whereas Warhammer – The Horus Heresy is set around the year 30,000, and Warhammer 40,000 is 10,000 years beyond that again. So in that way, the Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40K worlds are very much set in a futuristic timeline.
Where Age of Sigmar sees heroes battle with swords, spears and magical incantations, Warhammer – The Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 sees them take up futuristic weapons resembling supped-up guns, cannons, lasers, forcefields and the like.
Another neat aspect of how the timelines of the 3 main product ranges interact, are the common races which appear across all 3.
For example – long-loved fantasy stalwarts such as Elves and Dwarfs exist in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar universe, and then also make an appearance in 30K and 40K. Humans exist across all timeframes and product ranges, and indeed their weaponry and technological advancement befits the previous analogy of likening Age of Sigmar to a medieval time period, and 40K to some far off Sci-Fi future.
What else exists in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar timeline and product range?
Whilst Warhammer Age of Sigmar is a primary product line and a whole timeline and setting in itself, there are also a number of offshoots and sub-brands within the Age of Sigmar ecosystem.
Warcry, Blood Bowl, Underworlds, and Warhammer Quest.
Blood Bowl is a stand-alone game set in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar universe, which revolves around pitching small teams and hero characters against one another in an “American Football” style environment.
Indeed, the name “Blood Bowl” is an obvious nod to the “Super Bowl” of the NFL American Football league in the real world.
Blood Bowl model sets are typically stylised into colourful teams based on race or allegiance, and a range of new hero models accompany each team.
In terms of inter-operability, Blood Bowl models are approximately the same size as those from the Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS) mainline. They can often be substituted in as “proxy” models, or even converted to add weapons to match the configuration of an existing Age of Sigmar unit.
What is Warcry?
Warcry Title Logo
Warcry is a long established spin-off from the main Warhammer Age of Sigmar product line.
Warcry is set in the same universe as Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and observes similar gameplay, rules, and historical lore.
Warcry takes small units from existing Age of Sigmar armies and factions, and pitches them against one another in smaller skirmish based battles and themed campaigns.
The Warcry model sets are often very unique, offering special combinations of a squad and new hero characters. The Warcry setting and lore also introduces a wealth of campaign settings and battle scenarios, all of which offers a new spin on established Warhammer races, squads and units, and how to play the game.
Again, in terms of compatibility, it’s good news here – and any Warcry model set can also be used on the table alongside Age of Sigmar models. The two product ranges are produced at the same size and scale. As such, there shouldn’t be any issues, and mixing the two can create some really stunning armies and warbands for the tabletop.
What is Warhammer Underworlds?
Warhammer Underworlds Title Logo
Warhammer Underworlds is a smaller spin-off product line, set in the same Warhammer Age of Sigmar (AoS) universe.
Underworlds focusses on a slightly different product offering. Whilst the races and factions are all familiar, a game of Warhammer Underworlds typically revolves around quick play, involves a smaller model count, and has simpler rules.
Most of the existing Warhammer races (e.g. Slaves to Darkness, Stormcast Eternals, and Seraphon), all have their own Warhammer Underworlds ‘warband’ box set. These typically consist of a small unit of 5-10 models. They will also typically introduce new characters and / or new model sculpts and different weapons configurations from what might be available in their nearest equivalent unit model sets in Age of Sigmar.
Warhammer Underworlds Gnarlwood Box Set
Any model from Warhammer Underworlds can also be used alongside units from the main Age of Sigmar product line, since they are all produced at the same size (scale).
This makes for some great possibilities to shake things up and introduce new units and hero characters. It can be great fun to add Underworlds models and make use of the special weapons and capabilities which they can bring to the tabletop and gameplay.
What is Warhammer Quest?
Warhammer Quest Title Logo
Warhammer Quest is another skirmish based variant of the Warhammer Age of Sigmar product range, but with a twist.
Whereas both Warcry and Warhammer Underworlds focus on a wider range of interchangeable ‘teams’ of models, Warhammer Quest is instead intended to immerse the game players in a single environment and stand-alone tabletop experience.
Warhammer Quest has released a very limited number of box sets over the years, and each in turn has it’s own stand-alone game within a box, and a full complement of immersive game lore, background context and campaign rules.
A box set from the Warhammer Quest range typically sets the scene for a specific battle, in a specific time and place, between two fixed opposing sides. This differs from Warcry and Underworlds, where pretty much every race and faction in the Age of Sigmar universe has its own ‘skirmish team’ represented by a Warcry or Underworlds model set.
The Warhammer Quest range has produced discrete stand-alone box sets for both the Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and the Warhammer 40,000 settings. Two recent examples from the Warhammer Age of Sigmar universe include Warhammer Quest – Silver Tower, and Warhammer Quest – Cursed City.
Warhammer Quest models can be introduced to pretty much any game of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, since the model sets are from the same tabletop scale, and the units all come from existing Age of Sigmar armies and factions.
