With the Age of Darkness boxed set hitting pre-orders on Saturday, the Warhammer Community remembrancers have been casting our minds back across the length and breadth of the Horus Heresy – from its intricate storyline to the earliest days of the setting’s evolution. In particular, the artwork of this epic conflict has a rich history stretching back to the late 80s – and it’s glorious to see some of those classics reimagined and recreated.
Perhaps more than any other Warhammer game,* the iconic armour, key characters, and monstrous machines that populate the Horus Heresy harken back to the half-forgotten glory days of a distant golden era. It’s high time we took a look through the eyes of the artists that defined an Age of Darkness – and what better place to start… than at the end?
Mention the Horus Heresy, and the first image that comes to mind is the nightmarish and climactic siege. Even before the people, places, and story were fully fleshed out, the war’s defining motif was Space Marines fighting in the shadow of the Imperial Palace.
We’d later see this edifice begin to take on a more familiar shape and scale in one of John Blanche’s illustrations, clawing up into the misty sky – even if the details are still quite different from more recent reckonings.
And who resides in the Imperial Palace? In this early rendition by Adrian Smith, the Emperor stands as a man in form and size. Certain iconic elements are in place – those glorious flowing locks, for one – but this comparatively humble soul is a far cry from later depictions. And he’s surrounded by Space Marines clad in Mark VII armour… Is some manner of time-twisting warpcraft at play?
As the grim dark future of Warhammer grew in scale, so too did the Emperor. The Master of Mankind underwent a number of glow ups over the years. Here, John Blanche shows an intermediate step between normal human – albeit an exceptional one – and something stranger, something more than mortal.
Here we see the gleaming sword and taloned power claw that would become defining elements of the Emperor’s arsenal. His already-ornate armour is more baroque than before, his dark hair is longer and more voluminous, and the pteruges hanging from his belt are even more prominent. More eagles. More gold. It’s getting there.
The most recent depictions – like this stunning piece from Neil Roberts – go even heavier on the gold armour, add some fire to that sword, and furnish the Emperor with a shining psychic halo. Note the heraldic shield with an eagle head – it stuck around, but swapped shoulders at some point, from right to left.
You can catch a few more images of the Emperor’s evolution in our history article, but first, compare that image of Horus – and his imposing tabletop model – with this classic John Blanche portrait.
While the styles are wildly different, both share key defining elements – Terminator armour with no helmet, a voluminous wolf-fur cloak, a spiked mace, and the fiery, slitted Eye of Horus. It’s a long way from this piece by Gary Harrod – which might just be one of the very first depictions of the infamous Warmaster.
This square-jawed, skull-fisted fellow appeared twice in the classic Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness book, accompanying some of the earliest descriptions of the Horus Heresy – but he’s never actually named as Horus directly.
While a lot of art naturally focuses on signature heroes, some of the most impressive pieces demonstrate the incredible scope of the setting. Nowhere is this more evident than images of void-faring space battles.
Here we see Nuala Kinrade’s depiction of the Eye of Terror – a cosmic mirage of truly creepy spectral faces leering out at reality from within the roiling warpstorms.
This piece by Rhys Pugh captures the incredible momentum of a battlefleet in action, as a Word Bearer fleet takes long-awaited revenge on its comrades above Calth.
At its heart, however, the Horus Heresy is about the war on the ground – the bitter internecine struggle between the Legiones Astartes. Early depictions, like this glimpse from Tony Ackland, hinted at the brutality of the cruel conflict – but as the setting developed further, the scale would increase exponentially.
Consider this image, laying bare the aftermath of the Dropsite Massacre. Rhys Pugh captures the terrible silence with a vision of death and destruction stretching into the smoke-choked horizon. Reading about these events is one thing, but seeing them rendered is another entirely.
Most of the stories of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy focus a lot of attention on the Primarchs. Some of them, like Leman Russ, started out essentially as celebrated Space Marines, rather than the larger-than-life genetic demigods they’d become. Take a look at Jes Goodwin’s early design for the Wolf King.
By the time John Blanche made his series of portraits, the sons of the Emperor were becoming much more defined – not to mention distinctive. Here we see Rogal Dorn looking stalwart and proud in gleaming golden armour, complete with a gargantuan chainsword.
Many of our favourite characters in Warhammer 40,000 made their name in the Horus Heresy, like Abaddon himself. In Paul Dainton’s depiction, we see him leading the elite Justaerin Terminators of the Sons of Horus, back when the Warmaster was still alive and well (sort of).
Some other favourites include this rendition of Khârn by seminal Chaos artist Wayne England for the venerable Horus Heresy Trading Card Game.** The Legion colours of the pre-Heresy World Eaters have shifted a bit since, but this portrayal translates the iconic elements of the Betrayer’s design into a more Loyalist form.
Talking of transformations, take a look at Sam Wood’s depiction of Fabius, back when he was a humble – well, humble-bragging – Apothecary for the Emperor’s Children. His medical equipment has advanced massively since then, not to mention his skills as a couturier. A shame we can’t say the same about his hairline…
And perhaps our favourite character to survive all the way into the 41st Millennium, Bjorn the Fell-Handed. This fearsome, hirsute Space Wolf bears little resemblance to his modern self – being interred in a Dreadnought’s sarcophagus for eternity will do that to you – but those claws were already his signature weapon!
The art of the Horus Heresy is replete with truly iconic images that pay homage to the visions of the past, while evolving and growing the setting in their own ways. Warhammer: The Horus Heresy was announced with an absolutely jaw-dropping cinematic trailer – if you need to see how far the art for the Age of Darkness has come, this should make it abundantly clear.
Pre-orders for the Age of Darkness boxed set go up in just a few days. If you’re still trying to decide which army to play, head to the Horus Heresy website and take the Discover Your Legion quiz – no matter who you choose, there’s plenty of art to inspire your collection.
Warhammer+ subscribers can even flip through Visions of Heresy on the Warhammer Vault – a gorgeous artbook featuring many of the pieces shown here.
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* With the possible exception of Blood Bowl – those sports fans have long memories.
** Succeeded since by a digital card game, Horus Heresy: Legions.