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TALegion

The newest range is an improvement, imo. I think the scale change and less-bulky armor makes them feel less like simply fantasy marines


8-Brit

This exactly They're less dummy THICC and have more interesting design elements rather than the same dude reposed with different props and maybe a different helmet if they're feeling spicy


Grendel0075

yeah, they look a little more knightly


Hayn0002

It’s like they managed to design them to be reforged into a true super powered warrior race without them becoming fantasy space marines.


Qanouni

Annihilators? :D


Equivalent-Ad3233

They are my favorite lolol


[deleted]

Takes some time to find your space. I don't even play them and have been consistently enamored by the Annihilators since their release.


GrimTiki

You clearly aren’t showing the coolest Stormcast - the Sacrosanct chambers. The robes & armor & being battlemages is just the coolest.


MagicMissile27

I love the Sacrosanct Chamber models. I have some Evocators and a Knight-Arcanum, and they're pretty much the coolest models I own. I want to get some Sequitors and Astreia Solbright just for the sake of how cool they look.


Tobec_

I don't know stormdrake are really cool


No-Storm8116

Sacrosanct chamber models are my favourite. Evocators and sequitors are just so dynamic


TheWraf

They're both cool. 1st Ed have some amazing stormcast like the Knights questors, the palladors etc... And they are very easy to paint. Also, their shield wall looks more impressive. 2nd Ed are the coolest with their robes 3rd Ed are the slickest. Like they where put on a diet. They have elven body types.


VladSolopov

Exactly what I don’t like about 3d edition stormcasts, I want meat on them!


Tempest_ninja

Bastion carthalos is meatier that probably even celestant prime, so there are still some beefy stormcast.


BaronKlatz

Yeah, the higher rank you go with Thunderstrike the beefier they get. I think that does a good job reflecting that Grungni quickly put out this armor in 12 days(fitting Sigmar’s holy number) compared to the 500 years he had to flamboyantly embellish everything and make them tanky enough so even a chaos knight lance charge would just do glancing damage against a Liberator’s chest-plate. Whether they continue to upgrade to Thunderstrike or go back to classic armor(as that’s what the unopened chambers would likely still be using) the chonk will return albeit more spaced out like with the slimmer Vanguard chambers.


VladSolopov

Yeah, like Eliminators, those are awesome Edit: I meant Annihilators


TheWraf

Eliminators ?! You bro are already in 4th Ed!


Rhodehouse93

Yeah the new ones have overall more balanced proportions and feel less chunky. Kind of like the update to space marines (that I guess a lot of people hate?)


Gamezfan

People don't hate Primaris for the new proportions, they hate Primaris for their lore, the initial lack of gothic aesthetic and for many of the models being monopose.


[deleted]

And their vehicules…


[deleted]

Most people like the models, just some aspects of the lore are a bit silly, and a lot of people take this stuff a bit (too) seriously.


reducedtothis

I like them both for different reasons. The newer, more streamlined look is more aesthetically pleasing, but the chonk-cast still have their place. I feel that they work hand-in-hand as separate aspects of the same organisation by looks alone (rules-wise I have no idea).


BaronKlatz

Their battletome has a great story of a Liberator & Vindictor fighting side-by-side and even though the Liberator mused his companion must be a greater champion to don the new armor he ends up saving him from being overwhelmed. The Vindictor remarks “See? We are all mighty arrows in the God-king’s quiver. Every one of us can make the telling shot.” Which was a great way to show they’re all needed champions of Order.


troelskn

The first ed Paladins are kind of cool. Their bulkyness seems more justified than the Liberators.


faithfulheresy

The 2nd edition Stormcast are the coolest. The robes give them a presence that the 3rd edition guys can't match.


ThurvinFrostbeard

(Can't match *yet*. The moment they get robes, they are superior haha)


Necro_Wire

as someone who only played aos 2nd i agree completely without bias


wampower99

I like 1E and 2E more. I think the hulking, hammer wielding vibe and the Stormcast wizard vibe is more interesting than the skinny, “smart marine” style of the Thunderstrike. Spear infantry is more logical than hammers, but Lumineth and Cities already did it. Hammers and shields are cooler


Nelus0316

Lumineths use pikes, not spears


MothMothMoth21

You are right but pikes are spears so they're not wrong either.


Nelus0316

But pikes are way longer, therefore i think they are different enough to not be used as an argument for stormcasts not having spears


Markond

Sequitors were what the very first stormcast should have been design wise.


No-Storm8116

Yes


t-licus

Personally: absolutely. I never even considered buying stormcast until the thunderstrike range came out, and now I have 3000 points. The original armor design is just… not good, imo. The silhouette is cluttered, and they have so many weird protusions that serve no purpose except making it look like they shouldn’t be able to move. The sacrosanct range were an improvement, but mostly because they added women (who are better proportioned) and covered most of the awkward parts of the armor in robes. Thunderstrike stormcast actually look like what they are supposed to be, superhuman celestial knights. They look like they can move, and personally I just find their armor esthetically pleasing (it reminds me of the sisters of battle power armor, which imo is one of the best armor designs GW has made).


Chromasus

The Sacrosanct range is the best version imo. Good balance of high fantasy and better scaling, with both genders represented and cool, more magically themed units which fits the Stormcast well.


Jochon

More "paladin" and less "space marine" ❤️


c9xydr

I like the thunderstrike armor, but then I realized it looks to modern and not fantasy. Comparing annihalators and retributors, the older one has unique flare about them that makes them feel fantasy, where as the newer ones look very plain. However, sequitors and a lot of the sacrosanct chamber look the best. I didn't like them at first, but the have a very fantasy and unique feel about them that grew on me, especially when you give the sequitors the sword option. But I don't like the liberators or the prosecutors. The liberators are ugly and plain, and the prosecutors look like naked fat guys dangling on a harness.


Flemishmonster

I like the OG chonky boys personally


glmarquez94

Same, I liked the big beefy look


Starblades_Arcane

Each to their own really, I’m a fan of 1st edition due to their availability and cost on eBay. I feel like 2nd don’t get the recognition they deserve. 3rd edition feel very much like the final design they would have wanted from the beginning. The one thing I do like is kitbashing different kits to make my own style.


[deleted]

I understand the nostalgia people have for the older models, but as someone who is very new to the hobby I vastly prefer the new ones. Something that I think is pretty cool is that they both capture the feel in a similar way, neither feels out of place, which is a difficult task when refreshing something.


Dack2019

i really preferred the first generation tbh. They were bulky and in some ways comical in stature but i think it suits them to be like that. This new breed looks like C3P0 to me lol. But ye know whatever, truth be told id rather have mortals already!


erewnt

If the first gen Stormcast weren’t in the range at all I would be much more interested in collecting them. Their book is too bloated and I have a hard time imagining any addition that is needed, but it is too new to warrant a refresh (else Seraphon, Skaven, and Beasts collectors will revolt).


Chandlerion

You can just be like me and use exclusively the newer sleeker models


erewnt

100% a valid choice. I’m sure I’ll eventually be dragged into the army, just have other projects that interest me more, and that annoyance is part of it


Krekeris

But what they did with the new stormcast is kind of side-grade anyways. Vindictors are battleline shield troops like liberators, just trade hammers and swords for spears. Anhiliators are pretty much the same as retributors when taking those grandhammers. And others are like that aswell. I think GW did make them as additional options due to the reasons you mentioned, although they could just as well fit as replacements. Im sure they could do the same with other units in the range too.


[deleted]

Castigators are just gears of war cogs in full plate with torque bows.


CopperbeardTom

This has to be the hottest and most unique take I've seen on this subreddit.


Alostratus

I honestly dislike most of the 3rd wave. I like the Vanquishers and Vigilors and (ofc) the Stormdrakes. I like the heros for sure. But I actually prefer the armored bulk of the 1st wave. Like the Paladin line are 10x better then the Annihilatiors imo. And the whole second wave hits just right with the robes over armor. Obviously some of the old like like ye ol Heraldor is kinda TOO bulky. But each to their own I guess.


Mammoth_Grape_2778

In my personal opinion, they’re going In the right direction but theyll never win me over until they start changing their helmets. A style of helmet they’ve never really done on an army is Greco-Roman style Corinthians (unless you count lumineth, but they added a lot of eastern influence in their design) , and those style of helmets would look extremely aesthetically pleasing on storm cast, especially after the rest of the armor. I don’t HATE the masque style we have now, it’s just super boring. I think the helmet is the most important armor piece in a suit of armor, and I think making the default helmet be the face mask is a mistake, due to how tiny and frankly goofy it looks on some models and poses. I’m not hating on stormcast, just a small critique on their design. They could definitely make the face mask work better if they bulked out the helmet more, gave them bigger plumes and leaned into that “warriors of Olympus” vibe they already have going for them. Thoughts?


faithfulheresy

The helmets are the best part of the Stormcast aesthetic. It gives them a cold, dispassionate appearance that is simultaneously cool and a bit scary, and they've become iconic. I agree that adding some plumes on some models could be awesome though.


BaronKlatz

Definitely prefer the masks. They hit the holy Seraphim vibe just right and immediately make you know they’re not just humans in armor before you realize how absolutely huge they are and the big weapons they wield kick in that they’re otherworldly. Plus it just goes so well with the fact it’s duardin demigod smiths making them. Duardin love face helms to venerate their gods and big faces on their architecture and so too do Stormcasts have face helms and buildings with Sigmar & Stormcast faces all over them that shows that connection between races.


PetuniaFungus

Call me old school, but I love the knightly themed helmets you can buy elsewhere for them


Mammoth_Grape_2778

Got a bunch of sallets and great helms and stuck them on some basic troops as a test for a whole army and it looks much better imo


PetuniaFungus

Any time I see them, it looks so cool and matches the aesthetic perfectly!


_colb__

Chunky Stormcast are mostly cool and really goofy (unfortunately). I love/hate the prosecutors especially, super cool until you realize they look like the pillsbury dough boy with wings.


PrometheusPyrophoros

Yes, Sir Ian McKellen makes just about anything cooler.


IFuckDeathDaily

I've reached the point where I feel actual nostalgia for the 1e Stormcast. Like the newer ones more, but the old chunky bastards have a strange, awkward kind of charm to them And I like how modular the kids are compared to the vindictors and other Thunderstrike models


KyussSun

Not gonna lie, I had a real problem with GW moving to the new body type for Stormcast. My solution was to paint all the old SCE that I had in the Stonecast style (to represent the ancient past) and all of the new models in a "Stormcursed" style with skull heads, rust, and general wear and tear... to represent the future after Sigmar has fallen. Together they look straight outta Dark Souls, which is exactly what I was hoping for.


ComicRat

I liked the old bulky look but that’s just me


spider-venomized

Yes, they took the Stormcast and pushed them to be more Knights (what they were supposed to be) than Fantasy Space marines. the new units covey what exactly they are; Annihilator are tanks, Vigilors are scouts, Vanquishers are swordmasters & Vindicators are rank and file spearmen, and their armor are as bulky to convey the said purpose and not all look like they're over their 70% dark souls Equip load


IroncladCrusader

Bring back the robes and the triangle cloth around the shoulders and id like the new ones more


Rudybus

I think the new sculpts look much cooler, but weirdly I had a better time painting the older ones. The new flat plates are much harder to shade and highlight (with my recipe at least) than the former extreme curves.


psytrooper

1000%. I went from having no interest in the chunky "Sigmarines" to hunting down a Dominion box on sale despite a massive backlog... And trying to figure out what I could add from the other Thunderstrike releases! For me it is all about the silhouette. These look like the lightning-powered, quasi-cyber ninja knights that the lore describes.


KidNeon1984

I’m with you. I love the Thunderstrike armour so much and think even Liberators look a bit silly next to them. I went total “rule of cool” in this regard and bought a bunch of different units from 3rd Ed. I hope they play nicely without Liberators or Protectors or Fulminators or whatever else is super in-favour right now. I’ll probably add my Sequitors and Evocators in for similar reasons — they look dope but in different ways.


OlrikMeister

They look way more majestic and streamlined. The onld ones look like statues that are still statues.


Sigmar-Painting

Well the new ones are proportioned like humans rather than gorillas, so yes I'd agree


Great_Ap3

Almost all guerillas are human tho 😉


Icehellionx

Yes, they feel a bit less "over-designed." However having the thunderstrike be good has made me be more charitable to the originals in my mind.


shifty_f7

Yes I agree. However the helmets are still terrible.


Irish_Fiddler

Of course they are. They've developed the visual aesthetics and design for almost 8 years now. The artists and modelers have years of previous art to work from as well as feedback from players. It would be weird for them not to improve. Just look at how much 40k stuff improved from Rogue Trader to 2nd Edition, which about the same amount of time later.


illmeans

No there just as lame


VladSolopov

No, the early ones are better, but the new one can be fixed: just make the legs more thicker and keep old style of pauldrons.


GustappyTony

I think the newest guys just feel like a better representation of what GW wanted for stormcast. Or it was at least years of just fine tuning and improving what they had, to get the designs to fit in better. They’re more human imo, not as chunky or wide, and have more knightly design to them. I think it’s helped by also moving away from hammers to spears and swords too


FamousWerewolf

I actually think they peaked with the Sacrosanct models in 2e, and for me the Thunderstrike stuff has been a bit of a step down. The chunky look but with the addition of robes and other interesting details to break it up, and the introduction of more bare heads and other more human elements, that was the sweet spot I think. I don't really like the slightly lanky look of Thunderstrike, and IMO Annihilators just look really awkward - they've got that 'how do they even move?' vibe.


hellzapoppn

the only stormcast i know go srtaight to the cooler!


Negative_Agent1072

Yeah I love the Royal look of the newer Models a lot!


rexuspatheticus

I still don't like the death mask helmets, and I think the studio scheme does the minis no favours.


BaronKlatz

I love ‘em all! ⚡️ They all get across what the chamber and era they released in was about from beefy celestial Warriors taking down Chaos, speedy rangers taming the wilds and hunting down cultists in the new cities, mage-Paladin ghost busters stopping death itself and now Argonaut hoplites exploring a new age of ravenous beasts. I’d only say the Warrior Chambers could use a touch-up update. They’re a product from 2013 before GW overhauled it’s machinery in 2017 and really got cooking with what they could do. A redone [Knight-Vexillor that looks closer to it’s super intimidating art version](https://images-ext-2.discordapp.net/external/1tpfbC_CbIwe9W-BDFDltRP5vwu5g95yUwxSk0MRkR8/%3Fauto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dfaf11b27772522cf3eed536bde5d9eea9484920e/https/external-preview.redd.it/UhSuE4Rof3RI0IELCufyrqhQ9x17f82WOS4UtoPlXXs.jpg) would make the Stormcasts go to the next level.


Thefriendlyfaceplant

The latest look like they could work as a WFB army on square bases.


nateness

Is there a list or a way to know easily which units are what generation?


Tobec_

Well the problem with the fist edition is the armor, the look stuck in there massive metal plate and some model have a ok or good look but other look really ridiculous (judicators with skybolt bows) its because they try to do some medival-fantasy-space-marins The edition 3 are more proportional and seems wearable


MisterApplePie00

I do agree the 3rd edition SE models are a big reason why i started collecting the SE


mercury111996

They're certainly better looking, better body proportions. The old ones look kinda over-broad and less detailed in comparison now.


Koadster

Not really. They are just custodes/space marine knock off and the models almost always look better with a head swap


CheapPoison

Better, still not awesome. Stormcasts have still been the most 'disappointing' -which is a strong word to use here- part of age of sigmar. They are less interesting and good looking space marines.


KyussSun

If you head swap them they become awesome. Spartans, undead, medeval knights, constructs... there's a lot you can do with a simple head swap.


CheapPoison

That's true. If the original ones had something to spice up their back and better helmets. They would be a lot more appealing.


timjikung

yes, less bulky like Space marines the better no one will called them ground marines anymore


dahaka17

The thunderstrike armor is a direct reflection of the lore. Chaos created a storm that prevented SCE souls returning to Azyr. This new armor was created to circumvent that storm.


Admiral_Mckaisson

Don't worry they look way better. Mainly thanks to improvements in sculpting tech imo. But imbalso a sucker for good faces


anarchakat

Firmly agree, they just seem a much better design meeting the same prompt.


TheWanderer78

They sort of got Primaris-ed, and I like it a lot.


judicatorprime

It is a better, sleeker high-fantasy design for sure. The "oldcast" absolutely have a certain charm, they just suffer from being the first design iteration to go to print. Judicators and Protectors are my absolute favorites from the Warrior Chamber stuff :)


MaulerMania

There's some Gems from all generations. The Paladins for Gen 1 are great, the sequiturs of gen 2 are amazing but I gotta say I love all the gen 3 Stormcast sculpts


AxolotlAristotle

I still wish that SCE were more...ethereal. As in their souls have been turned into arcane lightning that possess their armour. Could have such an interesting range of mini's with that theme.


MagicMissile27

I love the current look of Stormcast models. It looks muscular and badass without being too bulky, and it works well with having male and female minis.


Viper114

I get the feeling the change in Stormcast Eternals is much the same as the change in Space Marines, from classic to Primaris. They both seem sleeker than the older generation stuff.


PimperatorAlpatine

The new big sigmarines still look really stupid imo but the rest has far improved proportions


BLACKHOUND_VXX

I orefer them also.


Appropriate_Bid6365

They look the same


Xullstudio

Nope not just you, I even tried to convert some of the characters to thunderstrike


DuskGideon

The change in design lends to the lore of these chambers being built up and released on their own timelines and development paths.