Come with me down memory Lane (Citadel Annual Pics)

[twopounder]

Hey all. Sometimes its easy to forget how long you've been playing. My best friend and I just realized two things.

 

1) We met our Freshman year in high school exactly 20 years ago this month.

 

2) We started playing Warhammer 40k 20 years ago this month. I played Dark Angels and he played Orks.

 

Amazing, that.

 

Let me reminisce  a moment about the old days of Games Workshop. Back then, we didn't have the internet. Okay, we did, but not what you think of today. Oh no. We didn't have shopping carts and instagram. Games Workshop had 5 pages on their website - the landing page, fantasy, 40k, about, and contact. Yup, that's it. Maybe 7 or so pictures. I can actually see if I can dig up those old brochures (the pictures on the brochures and website were the same).

 

"But old one!" You ask "How did you buy stuff?" I hear you ask.

 

Ah, let me tell you of the days, of HIGH adventure... or as we called it back then... mail order.

 

You see, we had these things we could buy called Citadel Annuals, which had every single BIT and its item code for order. Yes, EVERY... SINGLE... BIT. They were in massive books that came with a small price guide that was cheaper to print (as they had to update the prices more often than the catalog of parts). If you wanted something, you looked up the part code in the price guide for how much it cost. You then called the number in the price guide and told them the item numbers. They gave your total (plus any taxes and shipping) then you paid. Either by giving them your credit card number or mailing them a check with your order number written on it.

 

Yeah, that's how we did it back then. I mailed out a check and 4 weeks later, a big box marked "Mail Order Trolls" was waiting for me when I got home for school (Oh joyous day!).

 

But sometimes it went more like this:

 

GW: Mail Order Trolls, how can I help?

Me: I'd like to order a Brother Bethor model.

GW: Okay, one second...

GW: ...

GW: ...

GW: ...

GW: What was it called?

Me: Brother Bethor... Bearer of the Sacred Standard

GW: ...

GW: ...

GW: Sorry, I don't see that, what's the part number?

Me: 010102401 and 010102402

GW: ...

GW: Oh, that's just a standard bearer

Me: (dying inside) Can I buy it?

GW: Sure, that will be $6.49 plus shipping

 

There were no army cases and I transported my army in a tackle box that felt like it was full of bricks. But catching the bus after school with my best friend to play at the mall on 40k Thursdays was the best part of the week back then.

 

Anyway, how about them pictures:

 

The front of the Annual (for reference)

 

 

Brother Bethor Dark Angel Standard Bearer

 

Each dreadnought type came in a different box. The "Dark Angel" dreadnought had the twin-linked lascannon and missile launcher (origin of the shooty chapter myth?).

 

 

The first official Ravenwing vehicle.

 

 

Dark Angels captain, before captains became masters.

 

 

DEATHWING!

 

 

The usual suspects. These were actually old in 1998, having been made for 2nd edition. They still look phenomenal and the artwork is as relevant today as it was back then.

 

 

These things were solid pewter. No, I'm not joking. You could kill someone with them. If it rolled off the table onto your cat... RIP cat.

 

[E_50_Panzer]

They still look pretty good if you ask me.

[twopounder]

I forgot to mention - let me know if you'd like to see a specific unit/model from this time period. I can't promise it was around, but I'll send you the page if it does.

 

 

They still look pretty good if you ask me.

 

Dark Angels have always had phenomenal looking models. Asmodai didn't really need a new model. I'd be perfectly happy if they kept the same versions. The artist was clearly exceptionally talented. 

 

Edited October 26, 2017 by twopounder

[Cpt_Reaper]

I still have my first White dwarf (albeit held together with tape).

 

The release of 4th Edition Eldar. I can remember the 40k battle report like the back of my hand. Phill Kelly and his eldar vs Matt Hudson and his Black Templars (which is why I nearly started with templars.)

[shandwen]

Many of those figures still look great, well, basically everyone but the captains...

Edit: Speeling mitsake.

Edited October 26, 2017 by shandwen

[Robbienw]

Ah the old metal deathwing terminators, maximum nostalgia.  I remember getting them when they first came out in 1993 :D 

 

My happiness getting them was only exceeded 20 years later when the plastic deathwing kit came out :)

[LukeTheButcher]

I Love seeing these threads.

 

Then I look at them and go... "But wait, these are the newer models! The Poster has got it wrong because I've only been doing this for Twenty years and these aren't what I remember starting out with....." and then I do the math. I'm 41, I got into this around 11-12 (I remember feelign nervous buying stuff aged for 13+ ...) and then I realise...

 

Dang.... I've been at thhis for closer to Thirty years!

 

My first blister, a 5 man full lead pack of Imperial Army. And one of them was a Beastman with an autogun.  How time flies!

 

Luke

[Major_Gilbear]

I still remember seeing photos of Dark Angels and Blood Angels armies before the 2E codex, and being awestruck by the fantastic conversions that people and the Studio came up for the Deathwing, Ravenwing, characters, etc.

 

I also remember seeing a complete Dark Angels army in Epic scale (again, before the Angels of Death Codex), and was very taken with the tri-colour scheme.

 

Of course, back then, the Ravenwing was actually the 7th Company, not the 2nd! ;) :P

[Steel Company]

 

DEATHWING!

 

 

The usual suspects. These were actually old in 1998, having been made for 2nd edition. They still look phenomenal and the artwork is as relevant today as it was back then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heh, that made me think of an event that I helped out at a couple of years back, an older guy (early to mid 40's) was playing and was running death wing with those terminators, on the 25mm base that they came with... So what made it funny was the kid (read someone between the age of 16 and 20) lost their stuffing over the "unofficial" and "Smaller than they should be" models that were mounted to the "wrong bases"...

 

So that kid is flipping out calling for a T.O. (Tournament Organizer) to disqualify the guy, and it just so happened that I'm the one that caught it, as it was happening in my section. I go over, and I say "Wow, I haven't seen Rouge Trader era Terminators in years!" The kid starts to beak off at me about everything wrong with the guys models and I point out to him, that no, when those models were produced, they came with a 25mm base... Along with sever other things... Now to put this into perspective, he was one of the W.A.A.C. types that was using a very broken (border line illegal) list that was all plastic grey with back bases... The guy with the RT era marines had everything painted (if looking dated) and had a very fluffy list.

 

I was very happy to rule against the W.A.A.C. kid in that instance.

[Dark Rage]

The good old days when we had white metal models in blister packs.

 

I think I have one of those old Ravenwing Landspeeders somewhere...

[Chaplain Raeven]

I wish you could still order those, the amount of models that look 'meh' is surprisingly low.

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

This is really cool. Speaking of travelling down memory lane I recently purchased a copy of the first white dwarf I ever bought (lost the original copy years ago). It's issue 193 and has the same cover as the old Angels of Death codex on the cover, features some cool dark angels fluff, a cool article on writing a news letter as part of a necromunda campaign and has all the cards that originally came with the issue (a data card for the IG hellhound, some 2nd edition mission cards and some warhammer quest stuff too). The last few pages of the magazine had the same pictures as the citadel annual of that months releases along with product codes and the issue in question featured the afformentioned hellhound, some metal valhallans, some necromunda stuff and the dark angel special characters . It's what got me into the hobby all those years ago nad it was really cool to find a copy all these years later and for pretty much the exact pice I paid for it the first time back in January of 96. If someone can tell me how to post pictures on b&c and I can figure out how to do it my iPad , then I will take some pictures of some of its contents some time over the next week.

 

Edit:and I agree with other poster that the dark angels special characters, some of the blood angels special character (mainly Dante and tycho, but not Mephiston, as is pose is pretty bad) and the original Calgar in power armour, still hold pretty well today with regard to pose and detail and only really suffer due to scale creep.

Edited October 27, 2017 by tu_shan82

[Chaplain Lucifer]

Incredible to see how Asmodai, Ezekiel and Bethor sculpts still kick ass decades later!

[Greenz]

Twopounder, I think it’s hilarious you posted this. I was just thinking the other day how much I miss the old days of those catalogues. I’ve been scouring sites like crazy the last few weeks trying to find bits, and reminiscing how easy it was to just call in the part numbers. Mind you, there were less armies back then, and far fewer models, but I don’t understand why GW doesn’t start up an online bitz store for parts ordering

[Steel Company]

Twopounder, I think it’s hilarious you posted this. I was just thinking the other day how much I miss the old days of those catalogues. I’ve been scouring sites like crazy the last few weeks trying to find bits, and reminiscing how easy it was to just call in the part numbers. Mind you, there were less armies back then, and far fewer models, but I don’t understand why GW doesn’t start up an online bitz store for parts ordering

In a word?

 

Cost

 

It costs them (GW) to manufacture, store, inventory, time to part out and sell the bitz. It is simply more economical for them to only do whole boxes.

[Greenz]

 

Twopounder, I think it’s hilarious you posted this. I was just thinking the other day how much I miss the old days of those catalogues. I’ve been scouring sites like crazy the last few weeks trying to find bits, and reminiscing how easy it was to just call in the part numbers. Mind you, there were less armies back then, and far fewer models, but I don’t understand why GW doesn’t start up an online bitz store for parts ordering

In a word?

 

Cost

 

It costs them (GW) to manufacture, store, inventory, time to part out and sell the bitz. It is simply more economical for them to only do whole boxes.

Nah, they just need someone on hand 24/7 with a pair of side cutters waiting for me :D

 

But seriously, I do get it costs them for that. On the flip side though, sites like hoard o’bits and all the eBay stores are making profit off selling individual parts. I even remember probably 6-7 years back, you could order individual sprues off the GW online store. Even if they brought that back I’d be excited

[robofish7591]

Man, I only got into the hobby at the end of 5th so I missed all of these, but I always love seeing these old models.  They just have such personality, its hard to describe.

[Komodo]

I love these old models, they are real fun to paint, dunno why, but they got this unique feel to them.

[Bryan Blaire]

Man, I only got into the hobby at the end of 5th so I missed all of these, but I always love seeing these old models.  They just have such personality, its hard to describe.

I love these old models, they are real fun to paint, dunno why, but they got this unique feel to them.

See, I'm exactly the opposite - I got started at the beginning of 2nd Edition, and I've reached the point where I actually can't stand them. I want to make a new Ezekiel-esque Librarian, but both the old Asmoda-Sapphon and Azrael models have been hack-sawed apart to add pieces to other models. I have a second Azrael whole, but I detest him compared to the new stuff so much that I likely will let him sit there a while longer. Making my own of him has been a plan for a while now, but I am struggling to find a combi-plasma that really matches my thoughts in it.

[robofish7591]

Maybe its a "grass is always greener" kind of thing then 

[Bryan Blaire]

Maybe its a "grass is always greener" kind of thing then :P

Nah, it's just a "tired of the same old same old for almost 30 years". Don't get me wrong, the older models aren't bad, they are just so old. GW would have better served everyone by having the gumption to either make new models of the characters or when the timeline moved forward actually make new characters. Even Marines don't live forever and at some point there have to be some ramifications to stories written.

[Major_Gilbear]

I agree that it's nice to get new versions of old characters (beyond just resculpts), and it's one reason that I always liked Lysander, Sicarius, Culln, etc; over the years the characters have evolved and they have received new models.

 

That said, I've (1) not been overly impressed with the new plastic re-makes of old models (Eldrad and Ahriman being the best so far by miles and miles), and (2), I always felt that the DV Turmiel and Balthasar were intended to be clear stand-ins for Ezekiel and Azrael respectively.