My personal effort for this year's Civil War was an interpretation of the arcane Thousand Sons. I picked a Legion I was not very familiar with so the process of studying them was quite inspiring - it's always an interesting challenge trying to grasp a faction's "core essence" and then attempt to turn it into details in the miniatures. 

The patrol is themed around a concept of a hostile city that has just been made compliant, and the sorcerer-scientists deploy to study the culture and secrets buried under the rubble. As the army's theme is the moment after the fighting has ceased, I've modelled most of the troops in non-combat posing - at ease, in overwatch or on patrol. There's a lot of personal headcanon and specific design thoughts that went into these models - the Instagram posts for each unit include some musings about their conversion details.

The conversion essentials here were Tortuga Bay bodies, Eldar Shadow Spectres clothing strips and various GW/FW resin bits in arms, hands and weaponry. The army was painted with products from Citadel, AK Interactive and Scale75. Basing accessories by Micro Art Studios, Kromlech and Green Stuff World.

Elite: Numerologist Cabal, 4x Life Wards
Elite: The Whisper Occult, Khenetai Blades
Troop: Corvidae Tactical Squad, Combi-Grenade Launcher
Transport: Rhino APC, Hunter-Killer Missile
Transport: Rhino APC, Hunter-Killer Missile
Transport: Rhino APC, Hunter-Killer Missile

Psychic Power Markers: Remembrancer Seth An-Khamun & Thrall Scribe
Wysiwyg Token: Cloud Scarab UAV, Prosperine Mind-Link

+ Click here for the full gallery of the Thousand Sons +

Take a look at the first episode in cinematic army showcases for War Head YouTube! The weary loyalists from the XIII Legion cross the Thracian countryside and seek shelter from a friendly farmstead. The host is led by the Lord of Ultramar himself - Primarch Roboute Guilliman. Hope you enjoy this cinematic look at the pride of Macragge!

These are the good old days.

Our annual highlight of hobby magic and the peak in our shared Horus Heresy enthusiasm is in the books again. It was spectacular to return to the Civil War with such a dedicated crew and experience all new armies, unit additions and character reinforcements make their debuts after months of work on the hobby desks.

I really admire both the level of creativity as well as the bravery in how our participants were out to forge memorable and narratively inspired armies - as we took turns revealing our new forces one unit at a time there was twists and surprises at every turn. Civil War's artistic beauty is in its scale - patrol sized armies are much more approachable as hobby projects, and definitely enough to tell a complete story with as we witnessed again this Saturday.

Massive gratitude to all of the crew for making this special tradition what it is - the pinnacle of our joint hobby and something that keeps us inspired all year around.

All event photography by the brilliant Manel @mp_miniatures!

14 Salamanders (Ollie) vs Ordo Reductor (Manel) 6
14 White Scars (Noa) vs True Mechanicum (Joel) 6
5 Death Guard (Lauri) vs Thousand Sons (Teemu) 15
8 Imperial Militia (Scott) vs Dark Angels (Eric) 12

Round 2: Battle Brothers (2v2)

15 Thousand Sons & Dark Angels (Teemu+Eric) vs Salamanders & White Scars (Ollie+Noa) 5
12 Death Guard & Militia (Lauri+Scott) vs Ordo Reductor & True Mechanicum (Manel+Joel) 8

Round 3: Carnage (4-way free-for-all)

Dark Angels (Eric) 5
Thousand Sons (Teemu) 5
Ordo Reductor (Manel) 3
White Scars (Noa) 3
Salamanders (Ollie) 4
True Mechanicum (Joel) 4
Death Guard (Lauri) 5
Imperialis Militia (Scott) 6

Final Standings

1. Thousand Sons 35
2. Dark Angels 32
3. Imperialis Militia 26
4. Salamanders 23
5. Death Guard 22
6. White Scars 22
7. Ordo Reductor 17
8. True Mechanicum 16

+ Army List Compilation +

Civil Warrior: Joel @fellfyre
Faction: True Mechanicum
Army: Experimental Weapons Field Test Sigma-18

HQ: Magos Dominus, Artificia Cybernetica, Master-Crafted Photon Gauntlet, Machinator Array, Power Lance, Cyber Familiar
Troop: 10 Adsecularis Tech-Thralls Covenant
Troop: 4 Scyllax Guardian-Automata Maniple, Kraken Bolters
Fast: Vorax Battle-automata Maniple, 1 Irad-Cleanser

Civil Warrior: Eric @wrhd.eric
Faction: The Dark Angels
Army: The Final Sanction

HQ: Optae, Artificer Armour, Nemesis Bolt Gun
Elite: Dreadwing Interemptor Squad
Troop: Legion Tactical Squad, Stormwing
Troop: Legion Despoiler Squad, Deathwing
Fast: Sabre Strike Tank, Volkite Saker, Heavy Flamer, Ironwing
Transport: Rhino APC

Civil Warrior: Lauri @lateheresy
Faction: The Death Guard
Army: The Hollow Harvest

Elite: Legion Apothecarion Detachment, 2x Apothecary
Elite: Legion Rapier Battery, Gravis Heavy Bolter
Elite: Legion Rapier Battery, Gravis Heavy Bolter
Troop: 12x Tactical Marines, Augury Scanner, Sergeant with Power Scythe and Toxin Bombs
Troop: 12x Tactical Marines, Augury Scanner, Sergeant with Power Fist and Toxin Bombs

Civil Warrior: Olli @wrhd_ollie
Faction: The Salamanders
Army: Survivors of the Trogdor System

HQ: Legion Overseer, Power Sword
Retinue: Solar Auxilia Rifle Section, Auxilia Vexilla, Sergeant with Chainsword
Elite: Legion Apothecarion Detachment, Apothecary
Troop: Tactical Squad, Sergeant with Chainsword
Troop: Despoiler Squad, 2x Power Lance, Sergeant with Power Mace
Troop: Scout Squad, 2x Shotguns, 3x Bolt Pistol & Chainsword

Civil Warrior: Scott @wrhd_scott
Faction: Imperialis Militia
Army: Thracian First, Death World Conscripts

HQ: Force Commander, Charnabal Sabre, Iron Halo, Cyber Familiar, Needle Pistol
Provenances of War: Feral Warriors & Legacy of the Great Crusade
Troop: 16 Grenadiers, 2x Shotgun, Flamer, Heavy Stubber, 14x Chainaxe
Troop: Fire Support Squad "Traplings", Remote Detonators (Missile Launchers)
Fast: Thunderbolt Attack Fighter "Betsy"

Civil Warrior: Teemu @gowarhead
Faction: The Thousand Sons
Army: 5th Archivist & Development Group

Elite: Numerologist Cabal Mhosis T'kar, 4x Life Wards "The Reborn"
Elite: The Whisper Occult Cabal, Khenetai Blades
Troop: Corvidae Tactical Squad, Sergeant with Combi-Grenade Launcher
Transport: Rhino APC, Hunter-Killer Missile Targeter
Transport: Rhino APC, Hunter-Killer Missile Targeter
Transport: Rhino APC, Hunter-Killer Missile Targeter

Psychic Power Markers: Wyrd-Remembrancer Seth An-Khamun & Thrall Scribe
Wysiwyg Token: Cloud Scarab UAV, Prosperine Mind-Link, Missile Configuration

Civil Warrior: Manel @mp_miniatures
Faction: Ordo Reductor Mechanicum
Army: Thavrax's Ashen March

Elite: Tech-Priest Auxilia, 4x Servo-Automata, Magos-Auxilia, Conversion Beamer
Troop: Adsecularis Tech-Thralls Covenant
Troop: Adsecularis Tech-Thralls Covenant
Troop: Thallax Cohort, Chain Bayonets
Heavy: Ordo Reductor Artillery Tank Battery, Whirlwind Artillery Tank

Civil Warrior: Noa @wrhd_noa
Faction: The White Scars
Army: Hunting Tiger

HQ: Moritat Consul, 2x Volkite Serpenta, Warhawk Jump Pack
Troop: Legion Despoilers, 2x Power Axe, Heavy Chainsword
Fast: 9 Legion Seekers Squad
Transport: Rhino APC, Heavy Flamer
Transport: Rhino APC, Heavy Bolter, Dozer Blade

Thanks for checking out our results coverage, please stay tuned for individual unit pics, musings and reports in our Instagram @gowarhead and everyone's individual accounts! Thanks again to @mp_miniatures for the brilliant photography.

          As an annual occurrence, War Head Civil War has been fought six times, beginning as a 40K gaming day and later transferring to the scenes of the Horus Heresy. The focus of the event has always been in the camaraderie and the visual aspects of the hobby in miniatures and terrain, with the friendly games in a secondary role. One's wargaming hobby might be entirely different depending on who they surround themselves with - in a like-minded company where everyone feeds off each others' inspiration and shares the same gaming values, it's a creative and social joy like no other. Civil War has been created to encapsulate this principle.

War Head Civil War 2025 preparations are in full effect and we'll assemble for traditional Horus Heresy patrol skimirshes on the 11th of October! Secret schemes, new armies and fierce deployments await - read more about the format and what to expect below.

The Echoes of Thracia was a War Head Horus Heresy campaign, fought over three years and five narrative events. In the grand finale we laid siege upon the feudal world of Thracia Rex. This is how the campaign day unfolded!

The projects that start as strong, thematic concepts are often the most inspiring to carry to completion, and something where a thorough planning process really carries fruit. This was also the case with Ollie's recently finished Iron Warriors army which is also funnily enough the first finished, playable and tournament-sized army list he's ever put together! A lovingly crafted army always stands out and there's many features in Ollie's force that make it a one-of-a-kind vision brought to miniature form.

The IV Legion army of a little over 3000 points was made especially for SN Battle Reports' No Retreat event, where it participated in the war efforts of the Traitor Allegiance over at the Rock of Gibraltar. The roster's focus was exclusively in the interpretation of its theme and didn't really go for a competitive potential, so Ollie was glad to record a 1-1-3 result over the extended gaming weekend. However, the actual goal of an army award was achieved as the Best Army as voted by the participants was brought home. This was our third triumph in three years, having won the award in 2023, 2024 and now in 2025!

Here's a full gallery of the Iron Warriors, painted with an entirely cold palette (the yellows included), and many real-life military elements such as the white-wash camouflage. The composition has been built around the Rite of War "Ironfire" where formations of heavy infantry support a battery of massive artillery carriages. My personal favourite part of the army is its reconnaissance detachment - infiltrating Scouts and Recon Squads with Rhino APCs. Iron within, iron without!