Nottingham, England has been the home of Warhammer for almost as long as the hobby has existed*. But the company hasn’t always been based at Warhammer World. The move to the current home of the hobby in Nottingham was a big step in the history of Warhammer, and one miniature, in particular, stands out as commemorating that move.
Planting his flag firmly in the now-hallowed ground at Warhammer World, the miniature carefully plucked from the archives this week is the Space Marine Company Standard Bearer.
This Adeptus Astartes had the honour of being the first ever miniature to be cast at the current Warhammer headquarters, blessing the forges in the name of the Emperor of Mankind.**
This statuesque Company Standard Bearer is a magnificent model, clad in the iconic Mark VII Aquila power armour that was the style of the time. The face grille of this armour pattern defined the Space Marine look for the longest period of Warhammer 40,000 history – and it’s even snuck back in on the new Sternguard Veterans.
This redoutable warrior could be fielded in your armies longside a host of notable Space Marine personalities. Following his lead, Space Marine Captains, Veteran Sergeants, Apothecaries, Chaplains, Librarians and other classic characters charged out of the Citadel Miniatures mould room*** and onto battlefields across the galaxy.
The Space Marine Standard Bearer represents a big step for Games Workshop as it marks when the point when the company moved almost everything under one roof at the Willow Road site****, a destination that would eventually become known as Warhammer World.
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of visiting yet, Warhammer World is the beating heart of Warhammer – and that’s not just one of those fancy metaphors we so often like to employ – nearly all of what you know as Warhammer flows out of the studios, factories, and offices situated there.*****
From humble beginnings – a small shop that has now been replaced by a reception hall – Warhammer World has become the locus for the whole community, with hobbyists from around the world making the pilgrimage to this bounteous font of plastic and fiction, either for events or just to hang out.
Those who make the trek are now greeted by the world’s biggest Warhammer store, with many painstakingly painted armies on display and a spacious gaming hall where people from all over the world roll dice together.
You can even see the Space Marine Company Standard Bearer from this very article at Warhammer World, as well as many others from this series and other absolute classics that we haven’t had space to feature yet.
As you can see, this Space Marine Company Standard Bearer is steeped in history and symbolises a whole lot more, just like every miniature in the 40 Years of Warhammer series.
*In its early days Games Workshop was based in London before moving to The Midlands
**Metal casting was a big thing back then, with the majority of Citadel Miniatures being made in metal.
***So named because that was where the moulds to make models were kept, not because it was a hangout for the followers of Nurgle.
****Previously the Citadel Miniatures factory and the Warhammer Studio had been on separate sites in Nottingham and other elements were across the UK.
***** An homage has even appeared in miniature form on the holographic table on the Genestealer Cult Nexos.