Alongside the massive 500th issue of White Dwarf magazine, Grombrindal himself returns to the tabletop with a regal new miniature of the legendary duardin champion at the top of his game (and a pile of Chaos debris). This is far from the first time he’s appeared in miniature form, however, and today we’re looking back at the White Dwarfs of ages past.*
Which one do you remember seeing first?
The White Dwarf joined the Citadel miniatures range long before he had an official name, shortly after the formation of Citadel itself, cementing him as a cornerstone of Warhammer history. He wasn’t the fanciest dwarf at the time, but he had an undeniably powerful presence, and he returned for his second and third outings in 1984 and 1987 – though photos of these early incarnations have been lost to time.
It wasn’t until 1996 and Issue 200 that he appeared again – now bestowed with the legendary name Grombrindal – rocking a new design that began to incorporate more of the classic Warhammer Dwarf aesthetic – runes and all.**
The French-language version of White Dwarf got their own celebratory miniature of Grombrindal drinking from his helmet in 2002, which then launched to the wider world alongside the 300th issue in 2004.
Soon after came the 30th anniversary in 2007, and with it one of the most iconic depictions of the White Dwarf – borne aloft on an ornate shield by his fellow Dwarfen legends Gotrek and Bugman. It’s a truly majestic sight.
Thus began a period where the White Dwarf tried his mighty hand at all kinds of other vocations, beginning with a spacefaring jaunt in 2009. He then took up his goggles for a spot of aviation in 2010, though given he’s holding the propeller in his hand, we can’t imagine the plane got very far.
Subscribers to the magazine could get their hands on a distinctly piratical version in 2011 – smartly dubbed Long John Grombrindal – standing over a chest filled with maps and journals. If you think that’s the strangest version you’ve seen, though, get ready for 2012 when he steps behind the camera and applies his centuries of combat experience to the cutthroat world of movie production.
Finally, the White Dwarf took up the hat and stake of an Empire Witch Hunter in 2013, poised ready to strike at a vampire climbing from its coffin. He then disappeared for three years until White Dwarf relaunched as a monthly magazine and a Dragon Slayer of the time was repainted as a significantly more spry Grombrindal. You can still pick this one up on the webstore, so it counts.
White Dwarf hit its 40th birthday in 2017 and a thoroughly jovial Grombrindal suited up in Space Marine armour for the celebration – in fact, due to schedule shuffles at the time, he was the first miniature ever released wearing the new Mk X Tacticus Armour! He continued to branch out into other games with a stint on the Blood Bowl pitch the following year, sporting a new uproarious hairdo and a concerningly miffed expression.
Dwarfs are industrious sorts, which probably explains why Grombrindal moonlighted as a Tech-Priest in 2019, though the chance to turn his nemesis the Black Gobbo into a servitor certainly didn’t hurt. That was the last time we could get our hands on a new miniature of the White Dwarf until this year, with the stunning new model easily matching the grandeur of its fabled predecessors.
You’ll be able to order a new White Dwarf for yourself this Saturday when Issue 500 of the magazine and this incredible miniature go up for pre-order. You’ll definitely want to get them as a pair too, as you’ll get rules for using Grombrindal in games of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Warcry, and Warhammer Underworlds inside.
* Almost all of them, anyway – there are two or three elusive versions that even our seasoned scryers couldn’t locate!
** Readers between 1988 and 1995 may remember this version as the one who appeared next to the White Dwarf title on the front of the mag.