Model of the Year - 2025

[Lathe Biosas]

Well, some horrible person decided to see if he could skew the results by voting for Drop Pods.

[soviet1337]

I voted for Fulgrim, the basic Cathay infantry, and I already can't remember for AoS.

 

Lots of beautiful Eldar and Horus Heresy miniatures in there too, but I prefer to vote for new sculpts over refreshes for this kind of thing. i think Fulgrim was reimagined enough that we didn't really know what to expect. 

[Moonstalker]

I voted for Logan, Revenant Draconith, and Darkwater.  I probably should've voted for Vordrai for AoS since it's the same kit anyway, but I'm thinking of dipping into AoS with Soulblight and wanted the Draconith - though I do generally think it's an excellent model.  It just might not be the absolute best AoS has to offer from the last year.

 

Logan and the Darkwater sculpts are honest votes.  I've already got Logan, I don't need another of him, but the model is just fantastic.  Darkwater has such a wide variety and wealth of fantastic sculpts, though.  There's some in there that could be contenders by themselves for best model, but when you take them all together it's hard to see how any other single entry beats them.

[ThePenitentOne]

Can I vote for the new Urien Rakarth or his Grotesques? How about Karandras?

 

No?

 

Hmmm... I wonder which space marine I should pick.

 

Naw, seriously though: Lhykhis all the way. Not only is she another female Phoenix Lord, she's freaking AWESOME, totally new, and something many of us have been waiting DECADES for, while the machine ground out Space Marine after Space Marine after Space (yawn) Marine after Sp.....

[Shinespider]

Lhykhis, Vhordrai and the Secutarii character for me. 

[Wolf Guard Dan]

50 minutes ago, ThePenitentOne said:

Can I vote for the new Urien Rakarth or his Grotesques? How about Karandras?

Buddy you're thinking 2027 model of the year. Just a couple years early.

 

I voted for Logan. Err... my loyalty to the chapter notwithstanding, I love models with personality. He's just below Angron in that regard. My second place vote goes to Lhykhis. That's another model with personality. Fulgrim doesn't do it for me.

 

AoS Prince Vhordrai is great. The detail and Eavy Metal paint job is just stunning.

 

Miscellaneous I went with Miao Ying. Superb model. There were many to like in this category.

 

Edited December 2, 2025 by Wolf Guard Dan

[ZeroWolf]

3 hours ago, ThePenitentOne said:

Can I vote for the new Urien Rakarth or his Grotesques? How about Karandras?

 

No?

 

Hmmm... I wonder which space marine I should pick.

 

Naw, seriously though: Lhykhis all the way. Not only is she another female Phoenix Lord, she's freaking AWESOME, totally new, and something many of us have been waiting DECADES for, while the machine ground out Space Marine after Space Marine after Space (yawn) Marine after Sp.....

To be fair Lhykhis was my 2nd choice

[Ace Debonair]

I may well be the only person that does so, but I picked the new Swooping Hawks kit. 

 

Yes, I know, it's not a big centrepiece character, but Swooping Hawks are what made me interested in the Eldar as a wee lad in the distant past, and we've finally got a kit that looks as dynamic as some of the old art, instead of being basically as 2d as possible like the old metals. 

 

So when I saw them, back when they were first released, for a moment I was a little kid again, looking at the cool flying laser elves and going "Wow!" No other kit's put that sort of smile on my face this year, so how could I pick anything else? 

 

 

(For completeness sake; my picks also included the new Grave Guard or whatever they're called these days, and the Tomb Kings Blood Bowl team. It's been a good year for the skelly boys - I hope one day the regular Tomb Kings infantry can get that sort of glow-up )

 

[Vassakov]

6 hours ago, ThePenitentOne said:

Can I vote for the new Urien Rakarth or his Grotesques? How about Karandras?

 

No?

 

Hmmm... I wonder which space marine I should pick.

 

Naw, seriously though: Lhykhis all the way. Not only is she another female Phoenix Lord, she's freaking AWESOME, totally new, and something many of us have been waiting DECADES for, while the machine ground out Space Marine after Space Marine after Space (yawn) Marine after Sp.....

 

Actually, scrolling through the list shows just how much non-Space Marine stuff they've released. Big refresh for Aelderi, a second wave for Votann, plastic Krieg, a ton of individual KT kits. I count (excluding terrain) about 1/3 is non-Power Armoured Stuff. About half the remainder was Chaos of varying flavours including totally new EC, something which has been greatly anticipated for at least a decade or so. And we're now at the point where all of the Aspects and all of the Phoenix Lords bar Karrandas are in plastic and the range is basically fully modernised outside of the Grav Tanks and Vyper - unthinkable even a couple of years ago. Votann are now a fully developed range, Guard have a second full range of plastic kits, Necrons and Tyranids have both had major release waves and more kits on the horizon, T'au got a full Kroot release and multiple characters in recent years... it is basically just the Drukhari falling behind, and I suspect they're not too far behind now. 

 

In terms of Just Space Marines - the majority are single character models, some of which were probably needed (I for one welcome our new, not sled-riding, Great Wolf model) and when you consider that a chunk of them were for Space Wolves, who hadn't had much beyond a Primaris Lieutenant, Ragnar and an upgrade sprue since... late 2000's? I would however appreciate something similar being done for at least the Traitor Legions sharpish though... where's my WB themed Dark Apostle, IW themed Warpsmith and NL Terror Sorcerer with a Jump Pack, James...?! 

 

And of course, that's just 40k. GW also support 3 other main systems and half a dozen subsystems, all of which have had a ton of releases... it's perhaps not quite as overblown as you might think.  ^{(ok fine Heresy is basically all Space Marines...)}

[Robbienw]

40k, for me its a draw between assault terminators and the sanctifiers.  Lot of good imperial kits this year.

 

Other, so many good kits this year as well, have to go with the Fellblade though for sheer bulk and majesty.

Edited December 2, 2025 by Robbienw

[Orange Knight]

I voted for Fulgrim, the Dark Warden and that Marine dude in Necromunda.

 

I saw the new Drop Pods were an option. I wonder how many votes they get.... :-P

[Tzen]

I can't be the only one who voted for Arthon Shaan. I was torn between this chap, Fulgrim and Logan, but I just love everything about Aethon. 

 

 

[LSM]

I went for:

• 40k: Tormentors
• AoS: Bull Centaurs
• TOW: Elementalist and Familiar

There were a lot of contenders for 40k, but like 01RTB01 I found the Tormentors kit to just be amazing to build, and a fantastic realisation of the unfulfilled possibility that the 3rd edition Noise Marine designs always had.

 

AoS... I had to cast about a bit for something that I really loved, and even then: while I like the Bull Centaurs, I have a trio of Blood Bowl's Bull Centaurs waiting for paint which I like better. Weak year.

 

Other: there were at least a dozen things I'd liked to have voted for. Even if they had split this into The Horus Heresy and The Old World (and I guess lumped Necromunda into 40k) I'd have been hard pressed to have narrowed things down. In the end, went for the wild-man Ghur/Ghyran caster and his pipeweed smoking little frog buddy.

[Neil H]

Krieg Lord Marshall for me!

Neil

[jimbo1701]

My choices:

 

Lhykis 

icon of the storm sea

miao ying 

 

the idoneth chap I hadn’t even seen before looking at the vote options and it caught my eye. 

[Magos Takatus]

For me, in 40k Lhykis leapt to the forefront. Fuegan is probably still my favourite Phoenix Lord still, but his glow-up doesn't have quite the shock and awe of the long-awaited queen of the spiders.

 

For AoS I was conflicted, but in the end I thought the Dominator Engine rules over the other options. The brutal, arcane construct  left a strong impression on me when unveiled, and while AoS  had a few candidates, I felt this spoke to me most.

 

For the best of the rest the Grand Cathay Sky Lantern rose above the competition for me. I didn't see the Tomb Kings Blood Bowl on the list and I've been waiting years for them, but Cathay's models left such an impression on me that even my desire for that Blood Bowl team and my bias toward the Omnissiah couldn't sway me from the Cathay range, and I thought the Sky Lantern was the most unique and intricate kit in the range. I love dragons, the giant terracotta warrior is one of my favourite models this year, but other ranges have giant bipedal warriors, few have anything like a balloon or zeppelin, and one based on a paper lantern is the most unique take on that concept I've ever seen.

[Valkia the Bloody]

I am actually really in love with the new Ravener models.

And on the AoS side, I got the Necromancer collectors mini and that was a real joy to paint, really expressive and catching the atmosphere and vibe. 

[Lathe Biosas]

10 hours ago, Orange Knight said:

I saw the new Drop Pods were an option. I wonder how many votes they get.... :-P

 

They got my vote. 

[skylerboodie]

i voted for:

 

• 40K: Aethon Shaan
• AOS: Helsmiths of Hashut ~ War Despot
• Other: Warriors of Chaos ~ Chaos Marauders Army Reinforcement Set

Still feel FW Fulgrim was robbed of eligibility last year, but GW Fulgrim doesn't need extra support; want to encourage more releases like Aethon Shaan, for non 'Big 4'chapters

[Xenith]

Warp Spiders, Soublight terrain, Mk2 centurian.

 

Not a standout year for me - I forgot that Grimnar model even existed! 

[GryphonnePromethean]

40k: Lhykis (Aeldari)

 • Sounds like they've got a pretty good shot based on the response here. I feel silly for not picking this one up after wanting Warp Spiders for so long. I'd probably be an Eldari player if I started this year. 

 

AOS: Mathaela, Oracle of the Abyss (Idoneth)

• Such a cool kit. I bought this without any plans to field her. I might start Idoneth next year but for now the plan is to hack her bits into a Dark Krakens Sororitas Librarian. 

 

The rest: House Ko'Iron Ministorum Delegation (Necromunda).    

• Easy pickup for my Promethean Mechanicum project.  The bodyguards are pretty much ready to go as-is but I'm going to paint them so that opposite sides of each are "painted" black/white like the machina opus. The seated figure I'm going to paint as if she's a hot iron sculpture. My concept is that this is a reliquary for the remains of a sainted navigator and the Sallies are lugging this through the endless corridors of a space hulk. 

 

[Frogian]

Nigel, Caller of Storms (this is party a nostalgia pick, but I do think the model is fantastic)

Whatever it was that had a Squig

Cathy Giant guys

 

Some fantastic miniatures in there though. 

[ZeroWolf]

The results are in!

 

Warhammer 40k

 

1st Logan Grimnar (my pick)

 

2nd Fulgrim demon pirmarch

 

3rd Aethon Shaan

 

4th Lhykhis

 

5th Lord Marshall Dreir

 

6th: Infinity's Lament

 

7th: Lord of Poxes

 

8th: Lucius the Eternal

 

9th: Suboden Khan

 

10th: Lady Malys

 

Warhammer Age of Sigmar

 

1st Prince Vhordrai

 

2nd Urkhan the Dark Warden (my pick)

 

3rd Revenant Draconith (aka the 2nd build out of the prince vhordrai box)

 

4th Dominator Engine

 

5th Wright King on Skeletal Steed

 

6th: Urak Taar, the First Daemonsmith

 

7th: Droggz Da Sunchompa

 

8th: Vampire Lord on Nightmare Steed

 

9th: The Summons

 

10th: Daemonsmith on Infernal Taurus

 

The Others

 

1st Miao Ying, the Storm Dragon (my pick)

 

2nd Saturnine Praetor

 

3rd Warhammer Quest: Darkwater (odd to have the whole box be a choice really)

 

4th Saturnine Siege Dreadnought- Chiron Configuration

 

5th Sky Lantern

 

6th: Shugengan Lord On Great Spirit Longma

 

7th: Saturnine Siege Dreadnought – Ophion Configuration

 

8th: Thanatar Calix Siege-automata

 

9th: Cathayan Sentinel

 

10th: Caster of Runes Consul

 

How did your picks do?

 

 

[Nephaston]

Not too surprised that fulgrim didn't manage 1st place, seeing as many seem to prefer the 30k version and probably just picked something else.

[Wolf Guard Dan]

On 12/1/2025 at 11:11 PM, Wolf Guard Dan said:

Buddy you're thinking 2027 model of the year. Just a couple years early.

 

I voted for Logan. Err... my loyalty to the chapter notwithstanding, I love models with personality. He's just below Angron in that regard. My second place vote goes to Lhykhis. That's another model with personality. Fulgrim doesn't do it for me.

 

AoS Prince Vhordrai is great. The detail and Eavy Metal paint job is just stunning.

 

Miscellaneous I went with Miao Ying. Superb model. There were many to like in this category.

 

I did it! The winning ticket! What is my prize?