Warhammer 40K: Blood Angel Sanguinary Guard vs Stormcast Eternals – Who Did It Better?
The Blood Angels are getting a new batch of updated miniatures. The Stormcast Eternals also got some new miniatures. Who did it better?
After the reveal of the new Blood Angel Sanguinary Guard miniatures there was some rumbling. The comparison vs the Stormcast Eternals and the new miniatures is an interesting one. Both have armor-clad warriors, mighty weapons, and (in some cases) wings to match. So lets take some side-by-side looks and see just how similar they are — and which version is better.
Sanguinor vs Knight-Azyros/Tornus
I think this is the one that has garnered the most attention. The Sanguinor vs the Knight-Azyros/Tornus the Redeemed. Again, we’ve got two armor-clad warriors with wings but this comparison goes even further. Both have their “badge of office” in their right hands while holding their weapons in their left. They have face masks and are posed similarly — although I think the Tornus miniature is a bit more dynamic in that regard. So which one is better? That’s in the eye of the beholder as it’s a rather subjective judgement. That said, personally, I think Tornus has an advantage because he’s not beholden to being a homage to the previous version.
The Sanguinor is very clearly a homage to this miniature. The pose is virtually identical and it’s even got a lot of the same details. The wings are different and the new Sanguinor has certainly been Primaris’d in scale. And, to be completely honest, even as a Blood Angel player I was never a real fan of this T-Pose. And yes, I know what it’s supposed to invoke…but c’mon. As a miniature in a tabletop wargame I’d like my characters to be less T-Pose and more action-pose. With some hobby skills you can rework the new miniature’s pose — that I’m sure if doable. But if we’re going straight out of the box, I’m giving this one to Tornus. Shoot, I might want to USE Tornus as a Sanguinor…
Sanguinary Guard vs Prosecutors
This is another good comparison I think. Both units, again, have similar looks in terms of armor. What’s really noticeable is the Sanguinary Guard lost their “wings” and gained spears. Perhaps that’s one of the reason folks are a little confused/disappointed with the new unit. Those tiny wing flaps just aren’t cutting it.
The old miniatures had wings…but also nipples. Maybe GW removed the wrong thing? Let us know in the comments.
Personally, I think the new Sanguinary Guard are still an upgrade vs the old models. They got the new Primaris-scaling and an armor update. I do miss the wings however. And I’m also not a huge fan of the leap/landing on the tactical rock. It reminds me too much of the Jump Pack Intercessors and their boy band cover look.
Both the pose and the music genre is “Tactical Rock” for this boy band album cover.
Conversely, I’m not a huge fan of the overly precarious landing the Prosecutor miniatures are doing either. I like them way more than I like flight stands, I’ll give them that! But yeah…random pillars or ruins jetting up from the base just aren’t doing it for me.
I will give them points for the wings however. Those are quite epic.
Between the two I think the new Prosecutors got a better glow-up vs their old miniatures. I know not everyone is a fan of them but I’d rather run these miniatures vs the old ones. Which one do I like better between the two (Sanguinary Guard vs Prosecutors)? I’m a Blood Angel player. I’m way more likely to spend money on the Sanguinary Guard than Stormcast Eternals. And I think voting with your wallet actually matters. However…
So Is It Hobby Time?
I can see the similarities between these two units. I think the real issue is that even though they are for different games they feel a little interchangeable. I don’t know if that’s because “Stormcast Are AoS Space Marines, lawl” or “dudes in armor with wings” — at the end of the day I don’t think that point really matters. The fact that I’m considering running Tornus for a Sanguinor or swapping out shields on the Prosecutors for bolters is the point.
Is that the plan from GW? I don’t think that’s intentional. Maybe it’s a happy coincidence. Or maybe I should just view this as a hobby opportunity. I could buy BOTH sets of kits and do some parts swapping! That way I’ll end up with one functional unit for one game (40k) and some left over bits for another (AoS). The Sanguinary Guard will cost me twice as much to buy and I’ll still only have half the number I’d actually need! Wait a minute…
I might need to go back to the drawing board on this plan.
Let us know in the comments what you think. Are these units too “interchangeable” or do you think GW spend all their creativity on the Stormcast and the Blood Angels got the left overs? And do try to keep it civil.
Maybe I can make Blood Angel Prosecutors…wait, that sounds like some weird cartoon or legal drama.
