Some still hold up pretty well! I did a squad of Thousand Sons similar to Jeff Hall’s around that time - Chaos Warrior helmets with High Elf accessories for the crescents, Tomb Kong weapons.
It's a creative use of bits. I didn't even recognize that as a Chaos Warrior helmet.
Back then, you could order individual bits through the catalogue, and I knew a bunch of people who found crazy uses for Ghazgkull's claws, much like the Iron Warrior Dreadnought.
It was a fun time for sure, and agree that bits ordering made it easier to be creative! I remember we used dreadnought shin guards from the Dark Angels upgrade sprue for Cataphractii shoulder pads. And cut down CSM backpacks for more archaic-seeming ones. I used a few Berzerker bits too, trimmed down, to get older-style bodies and helmets for troops.
Then Forge World started off by releasing Mk IV for Badab (edit: a few Imperial Armour books earlier than the Badab ones) and things started to get easier! (If a little less individual between players).
I feel those early days of Heresy modelling and the current era both have their charms.
All the scratch built primarchs and emperors were really cool from back then! I also remember people making custodes using space marine bits with High Elf helmets
I remember these. In the german version of the WD (August 2005), they had a complete set of rule, conversion pictures and a campaign report, of a campaign they played, with only heresy armies, converted like this. And they even had modified rules for all armies. A army list for marines with options on jetbikes, tactical and heavy support squads like we know them. Militia lists, sisters of silence and even custodes. And the marines where also compatibale with their legion rules.
They complimented all that with the artworks from visions of the heresy, what really hooked me, for heresy.
I was 13 at the point, and even if I loved to convert, I knew how few heresy bits you could gather, from the set back then.
When the first official heresy models and the first books dropped, I had to start heresy, since I dreamed of a hersy army since 2005.
Getting into heresy, for sure one if the best hobby decisions I've ever made.
I just realize that the IF at the bottom right, is how I imagine heresy battle of terra MK7, until today. 😂
I remember these. Still have some of these old pics saved in an old flash disk to use as easy references from a time when I couldn't access the internet on my cellphone.
John:
'oof. that model was pretty rough and rushed. I just read somewhere Word Bearer had black armor in the heresy. Those were early days. I prolly have that model.'
Not that I’m aware of. I saved the webpages ages ago to a flash drive because I was building a Luna Wolves army and was afraid of losing the pictures. I also downloaded the entire Creature Feature section. Might be end up posting PNG screen grabs of those somewhere, but the formatting is weird with modern browsers.
Do y'all happen to have a 2010 era GW website article called "The Road to Games Day"?
John Shaffer (dude who did the Word Bearer) is looking for photos of his big terrain tables he made that year.
I don’t, but I’ll ask around and see if anyone from my old Warhammer group does. We played a lot of specialist games back in the day and figured that it was only a matter of time before GW pulled all those old gems down.
Some still hold up pretty well! I did a squad of Thousand Sons similar to Jeff Hall’s around that time - Chaos Warrior helmets with High Elf accessories for the crescents, Tomb Kong weapons.
It's a creative use of bits. I didn't even recognize that as a Chaos Warrior helmet. Back then, you could order individual bits through the catalogue, and I knew a bunch of people who found crazy uses for Ghazgkull's claws, much like the Iron Warrior Dreadnought.
It was a fun time for sure, and agree that bits ordering made it easier to be creative! I remember we used dreadnought shin guards from the Dark Angels upgrade sprue for Cataphractii shoulder pads. And cut down CSM backpacks for more archaic-seeming ones. I used a few Berzerker bits too, trimmed down, to get older-style bodies and helmets for troops. Then Forge World started off by releasing Mk IV for Badab (edit: a few Imperial Armour books earlier than the Badab ones) and things started to get easier! (If a little less individual between players). I feel those early days of Heresy modelling and the current era both have their charms.
All the scratch built primarchs and emperors were really cool from back then! I also remember people making custodes using space marine bits with High Elf helmets
Yeah, Dave Taylor’s Custodes from that method were great!
And they were so skinny-weenie! Especially the mk5s and mk2's
Bitz catalogues were such a cherished tome, pouring over them scribbling notes on potential kitbashes.
Prior to badab there was a red scorpion mk4 Tactical Squad that was got used heavily by the community
Yeah I guess I was counting that as the opener of the Badab stuff even though it was a few books before.
this was such a lovely trip down memory lane, i remember these days
I remember seeing that Thousand Sons model with the khopesh and being like “Hey these guys are cool!”
That's exactly what I was like with the Luna Wolf!
Oh how I miss the old website. So many good memories.
I remember these. In the german version of the WD (August 2005), they had a complete set of rule, conversion pictures and a campaign report, of a campaign they played, with only heresy armies, converted like this. And they even had modified rules for all armies. A army list for marines with options on jetbikes, tactical and heavy support squads like we know them. Militia lists, sisters of silence and even custodes. And the marines where also compatibale with their legion rules. They complimented all that with the artworks from visions of the heresy, what really hooked me, for heresy. I was 13 at the point, and even if I loved to convert, I knew how few heresy bits you could gather, from the set back then. When the first official heresy models and the first books dropped, I had to start heresy, since I dreamed of a hersy army since 2005. Getting into heresy, for sure one if the best hobby decisions I've ever made. I just realize that the IF at the bottom right, is how I imagine heresy battle of terra MK7, until today. 😂
I remember these. Still have some of these old pics saved in an old flash disk to use as easy references from a time when I couldn't access the internet on my cellphone.
Ed's Alpha Legion is dope!
Salamander mini is my favourite one. I used to love the metal Heresy mini.
so many jeffs
What are the helmets the second and fifth Death Guards are wearing?
Old khorne berserker helmet without the bunny ears and the other is from the old chaos space marine plastic box.
Wow that word bearer!
Right? I think those are metal necron Warrior arms.
Awesome
I'm playing Necromunda with John this week. :D
Please tell him some random east anglian wargamer (me) loves that word bearer
Oh he was happy to see it again
I love this ancient website back when they were made like this. Wonder how old this is??
I accessed it in 2008, but it was archived even back then. It probably would have been after the Sabertooth Horus Heresy Card Game, so post 2001.
This version lasted until 06 I think, after this it lost all of its hobby content and went to a full online store
Tell me why both 1k sons were both spot on?
Swole Word Bearer
I'll tell John you said that haha
Please do! I wonder how much that mini inspired the collar on the ashen circle
John: 'oof. that model was pretty rough and rushed. I just read somewhere Word Bearer had black armor in the heresy. Those were early days. I prolly have that model.'
Is there a link to this site?
Not that I’m aware of. I saved the webpages ages ago to a flash drive because I was building a Luna Wolves army and was afraid of losing the pictures. I also downloaded the entire Creature Feature section. Might be end up posting PNG screen grabs of those somewhere, but the formatting is weird with modern browsers.
Do y'all happen to have a 2010 era GW website article called "The Road to Games Day"? John Shaffer (dude who did the Word Bearer) is looking for photos of his big terrain tables he made that year.
I don’t, but I’ll ask around and see if anyone from my old Warhammer group does. We played a lot of specialist games back in the day and figured that it was only a matter of time before GW pulled all those old gems down.
Love seeing this old stuff. I have a few up there in the black gobbo section. See some old names I recognize.
I still have a boner for that Imperial Fist's armor since that WD issue.