Friday, July 23, 2021

Games Workshop scale comparison: July 2021

The new Deathwalker Zombies (far right) are some of the smallest and least heroic-scale models Games Workshop has ever produced.

As a blog, we are very focused on creating models that are well-proportioned and consistently scaled. This can be difficult to do since Games Workshop favors heroic-scale for their models and is not very consistent with their design choices when it comes to scale. With this in mind, we decided it might be useful to take some comparative photos of a few of Games Workshop’s recent models. We hope it might serve as a reference point for kitbashers as they consider their next conversions! It is worth noting that some of the models pictured below are subtly converted to better adhere to our preferred true-scale aesthetic, namely smaller firearms, but we think it is still useful.

The difference in size between one of the Dominion Stormcast Eternal models and the Deathwalker zombies is immense, both of which were released mid 2021.


The Dominion Stormcast Eternal models look far better than the original Liberators from the first edition of Age of Sigmar. While both models are similar in size, the newer has substantially improved proportions, which ultimately make them look taller.


The improved proportions and pose make the newer Stormcast look far more jarring next to the new zombie than the older Stormcast model.


The newer Stormcast models stand about a head taller than even Primaris Space Marines. The Primaris Space Marine looks suitably massive next to the Deathwalker zombie.


As expected, the classic Space Marine design, in this case a Forge World MkIII Iron Armour marine (far right), looks ridiculous next to the better proportioned Stormcast and Primaris.


The old Space Marine design is quite small, with them roughly the size of a Genestealer Cultist. The Deathwalker zombie looks reasonable in scale next to the Genestealer Cultist, emaciated and frail.


Like many of the Necromunda plastic kits, the Delaque models (left) are massive, standing much taller than the zombie and even the Genestealer Cultist.


While not very tall, the plastic ork nob in the center is more heavily muscled than the zombie or the Primaris Space Marine.


When standing next to each other, it is clear that Games Workshop is not always consistent with scale and proportions for their models, particularly when considering the newest Stormcast models and the Deathwalker Zombies. From left to right: Dominion era Stormcast Eternal, Primaris Space Marine, Sister of Battle, Genestealer Cultist, Deathwalker Zombie.

- Adam Wier

6 comments:

  1. I think overall GW is probably getting better with proportion and posing but their figures are now in their own GW scale - they are not compatible in any way with historical figures any more. They are well suited to the small scale skirmishes you play but they are useless and ridiculous for the sort of mass battle games GW promotes for their figures to be used in. Anyway...a useful comparison - thanks!

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    1. Yeah it sucks GWs scale is so incongruent with other things. Having a huge army of Stormcast would be hard to store anywhere, as with any of their newer armies. Glad we don't actually play their mass battle games, he he.

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  2. GW goes by what they call true scale meaning regular human size models are still 25 mm but everything else is supposed to be sized based on how much bigger or smaller than a baseline human they are supposed to be. Stormcast are supposed to be between 7 on the lower end to 9 ft on the higher end so some of them would be bigger than Primaries as they are generally about 7.5 to 8 ft tall. It's not inconsistent at all. You just aren't judging the size disparity throught the proper lense

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    1. I do not really agree with this. Gw is inconsistent with the scale of their human models, particularly when comparing Necromunda models to the genestealer cultists. Furthermore, regular space marines are the same size as genestealer cultists. This does not fit with the lore. It seems pretty clearly a discrepancy based on many years of model design by different people, and GW not being too concerned with scale or consistency.

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    2. People have argued this before, and it might be true. Even if it is, GW is inconsistent with that too. Must of the weapons are the same size between necromunda and 40k. Furthermore, some of the necromunda heads are tiny. The Escher models heads are smaller than virtually all other GW models. Ultimately, I still believe that GW just doesn't care too much about having a consistent scale between their model ranges.

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    3. I think a company is allowed to have a different scales for each of their games.
      If you compare only miniatures from a single game they are pretty compatible.
      Now saying they are inconsistent because a 5'9" tall zombie is not as tall as a 9" divinely enhanced being is just plain stupidy.

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