One of the best aspects of the Warhammer 40,000 hobby is the ability for hobbyists to make the game their own. While Games Workshop and its subsidiaries produce diverse products that appeal to a wide range of tastes, the setting itself allows for even more diversity. For example, the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man has numerous sub-factions that range from the "little people" represented by hive gangs (Necromunda) and planetary defense forces (the Astra Militarum in the Warhammer 40,000 game) to genetically modified transhuman warriors such as the Adeptus Astartes and Adeptus Custodes. Players looking for even weirder humans can look into the Adeptus Mechanicus. Players that prefer giant stompy robots can use the Imperial Knights faction, or they can look into the Adeptus Titanicus game. And while each of the sub-factions that I have named might evoke common imagery based on the official products, most also allow for incredible diversity, much of which can be represented only through model conversions and re-purposing kits from other manufacturers. Through such efforts we might see Astra Militarum forces that are evocative of the Warring States Period of China, Orks based on the Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, or hive gangs based on the American West of the 19th Century. Even more diversity is available via the physical setting. While much of the official terrain maintains consistent thematic elements, much of which is derived from the gothic aspects of the Imperium of Man and the use of Standard Template Constructs and standardization via the Adeptus Mechanicus, the whole range of Human architecture is possible. In this, it would be entirely possible for a world to have terrain that is evocative of Feudal Japan or Ancient Rome or the Chakri Dynasty of Thailand or (insert historical or imaginary period here).

So why am I bringing this up?

Basically, we want members of the community to have the freedom and confidence to pursue such levels of creativity in the hobby. More importantly, hobbyists should feel safe in sharing their hobby accomplishments, including those that are "outside the box," here at the Bolter & Chainsword. Hobbyists aren't limited to the incorporation of historical elements in their models/terrain - they are also free (and welcome) to explore their imaginations and the imaginations of others (i.e., mixing genres and IPs). An excellent example of this is @Trokair's Roger Roger project, in which we see battle droids from the Star Wars setting being converted for use as Asuryani (Craftworld Eldar). Or a player might even collect some space lizards and use them as Space Marines. Also, there is considerably more freedom for members to use terrain for a wide variety of games/settings.

All we ask is that members make an honest effort to "WH40Kify" things. This includes ensuring that model sizes/scales work, the bases work for the game (i.e., we shouldn't see square bases on models that are supposed to be used in the Warhammer 40,000 or Kill Team games), and well as ensuring that the models are both painted and modeled in a way that they can be recognized as fitting within the setting. Admittedly, there is a lot of room for interpretation here, and we would rather err on the side of creativity. What we shouldn't see, however, is models/terrain posted here when it is not meant to be used in a game set in the Warhammer 40,000 setting.

Overall, the site and the community are intended to help members enjoy the Warhammer 40,000 hobby. We don't want to stifle that by imposing unreasonable limits on members' creativity. As always, if you have an idea for something but are unsure about whether or not it will acceptable here, feel free to contact us to discuss the issue. We'll do our best to work with you.