40 Years of Warhammer: Miniature Retrospective – The Rhino
Games Workshop is back with a look back at some iconic models. Let’s roll out the red carpet for the Rhino!
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Warhammer and Games Workshop is taking some time to look back at miniatures that had a big impact on their work. Today we’re celebrating the APC that changed the game with the classic Space Marine Rhino!
“The majority of Warhammer 40,000’s initial releases had all been cast metal models, both individual miniatures and smaller kits like Land Speeders and support guns. When it became clear that Rogue Trader was a huge hit, the Warhammer Studio decided that it was time to make some tanks. The practicality of making something the size of a Warhammer tank in metal – not to mention its weight on the gaming table meant another solution would be needed – and so 40k’s first plastic tank, rolled out of production and onto battlefields everywhere.”
The Original Space Marine Rhino
The Space Marine Rhino was the first large plastic kit for Warhammer and it literally changed the game. This kit proved that tanks (and eventually other vehicles) would work. And that their production in plastic was the way to create them. Sure, the early sprues were very basic by today’s standards — but they got the job done! This kit also formed the basis for many more kits in the future.
The Original Rhino was also used by lot of other armies in the game. In the early days, it wasn’t just used by Marines. The Imperial Army (aka the Imperial Guard, aka the Astra Militarum) could use them and so could Squats! Furthermore, Eldar Harlequins and Orks could take them as stolen transports. It really was a utility vehicle in many ways.
The OG Rhino stayed in production for 14 years before it was updated to the MKIIc model. But even now it’s DNA can be seen in the Deimos Pattern which is in production and used in the Horus Heresy.
Let’s all pour one out for the Rhino — a true workhorse for Warhammer 40,000!
