Warhammer: Are GW’s Models Getting Better or Worse?

Let’s take a look at how GW models have changed, for better and worse, over time.

Games Workshop/Citadel has been putting out models for a long time. You could argue, and they have stated, that they are more of a model company than a game company. As such one of the most important things they have to get right is the models. They are a business based around putting out high quality minis. Arguably they are the best at what they do. Within the table-top gaming scene no other company really goes toe-to-toe with them to match their combination of both quality and quantity.

But things have been changing over the years, and it fair to ask if GW has been net improving its models, or if they have been getting worse, or even just stayed the same overall.

The Best Models Ever?

GW is constantly putting out new models. A lot of these models are visually stunning. From a pure aesthetic point there is no doubt that GW does high quality work. Your personal tastes can vary, and not every model is a hit, but I think overall we can agree that GW has good looking stuff. Is it better than it used to be? GW in the past has put out some amazing and classic models. The modern trend has been towards more details and busier models. If you like these better than the older stuff is really down to personal preference. However the more advanced tech we have these days means GW can simply do things and make models they simply could never have made in the past. I think its fair to say that on an individual model looks bases GW models are getting better. But that’s not the whole story.

Losing Options

The other week GW showed off how modular their new free-Guild cavalry is. And it does have a fair amount of options. Adam even wrote about how all these options made him hopeful for the future. However for me it was just a reminder of how much has been left behind. There was a period, which we are slowly leaving, when the bulk of plastic kits were all multi-part models. You could build them more or less however you wanted.

While the modern GW definition of being modular is being able to swap a few weapons or heads, the old kits allowed you to build an infinite variety of models. Yes the new Freeguild Knights are better than a lot of the more mono-pose models GW has been pumping out, but its a far-cry from how things used to me. In terms of being able to build your models however you want GW has clearly lost ground with more recent kits.

Easy To Build

Being able to build a model however you wanted is very cool. However it can also be a hard job. Older GW models, while more modular, were often more of a pain to build. You had to do a lot more cutting and trimming. Getting everything to fit could be hard, and you’d find some poses would leave arms or bodies on at crooked angles. With some sets you had to cut the grips off of each gun to attach it to an arm. This could be hard and annoying work and without some effort you could end up with models that just didn’t look good – with slightly out of alignment posing.

Modern GW models on the whole are just much easier to build than older ones. They’ve done a lot of great work with push-fit and easy to build models. These can let you crank out an army in no time. However even their normal kits have gotten much easier to build. There is less work, and less  thinking involved. The modern Intercessor kit may have a lot less options and poses than a Tactical Squad box from 15 years ago, but its also infinitely easier to build. In that regard GW’s models have clearly been getting better.

All Plastic

One of the biggest improvements of the modern GW line is their move to all plastic models. You can talk about how good the older plastic kits where and how many great options you got in them all you want. However the fact is only a portion of the range was in plastic back in the day. Tons of models were in first metal and then later Finecast. Looks aside, these models were worse in every way then modern injection-molded plastic kits. They were less modular, harder to build and less durable. I think this is a point a lot of people are easy to forget. Sure the modern Sister of Battle kit is a bit static and has a lot less options and poses than an old Tactical Squad kit. However it has infinitely more options than the old metal models, which had none. Moving to all plastic is a huge win and something that’s easy to forget.

Kit-Bashing

The Genswick Rifles – part IG, part Bretonnian, all badasses!

One of the big complaints about modern GW models is that they are much harder to kit-bash and convert. The older super modular kits were a breeze to mash together and alter. Bits from several different GW lines and kits could be combined with easy to make amazing models. That’s much harder with the newer kits. With torsos and legs and often arms all in one piece you just can’t mix and match like you used to. The more things fit together perfectly the harder it is to make them imperfect – or your own special creation.

I suspect this is at least in part why GW has moved to these types of models. The harder it is to just add other bits on to a model the less likely you are to 3D print some, or buy 3rd party bits to add on. Limiting how much you can convert something may be a feature, not a bug. But to some degree being able to convert something is a bonus anyway, not the goal. Plenty of people don’t want to convert stuff, and just build what’s on the cover of the box. GW delivers on this well. However when it comes to convertibility GW has by far lost a lost of converting charm from the past.

So Are They Worse?

So are GW models getting worse? Well… they are becoming something different. In large part it simply has to do with what your want in a model. If you prize modular models and like converting, then the answer is probably yes, they are worse. If you want easy to build  models, or play an army that never had much plastic, and like reliable results, then the answer is probably they are far better.

I think Gw kits these days are being less aimed at hardcore hobbyist and more towards casual or newer players – and that’s not all a bad thing. Ideally we could get a best of both worlds, with tons of modularity and easy to build and all plastic, but I just don’t think that’s in the cards. For now we just have to hope that GW keeps working to improve things as best they can. Maybe in ten years we can check back in.

Let us know if you think GW’s models have gotten better or worse, down in the comments! 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.