The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread

[Andrew Rae]

I think it's Ragnar. The warlocks on sale today are modified versions of the originals as far as I can tell. Ragnar definitely came before the Avatar.

Edit: I reckon December 1992 for either Ragnar or the Servitors, maybe both. That's going by the little covers in last months anniversary WD.

[Andrew May]

I've gotten minorly obsessed and from digging about a bit online the warlocks are 1990 but Mr Rae reckons they're not in their original state. Some guy on Warseer (I thought that site died?) says he stripped a classic servitor and it had '91 on the slot.

[Andrew May]

Hang on a ruddy minute....are a couple of those little blighters from the dark old ages of the eighties? The one with the net? The one throwing the puffball? The slingshot one?

[Andrew Rae]

I'd question continuous sale on those.

Ragnar was definitely December 1992 (link), for rules anyway. I think maybe the servitors were earlier, but that's before my WD time, man, before my time.

[Andrew May]

You could be right, got caught up in all the excitement! 

Been trawling other forums, Dieselmonkey reckons the slotta base is the oldest thing in production...., I bet they're not using the 1980's injection mould though. 

[Elbows]

The Warlocks weren't changed, but they ditched several of the original Warlocks (namely ones fielding laspistols) so the "earliest" Warlocks are no longer around.

[Andrew Rae]

Ah yeah you're right, it's only the one at the back that is a modified version of the oldest set. But the other two are 93 anyway.

[nic-e]

You could be right, got caught up in all the excitement! 

Been trawling other forums, Dieselmonkey reckons the slotta base is the oldest thing in production...., I bet they're not using the 1980's injection mould though. 

I think the ones i have right now are dated to last year.They may just change the date ,or they have a new base mould cut per every 10 or so sprue moulds to ensure base production can keep up with kit production.

[weismonsters]

Hang on a ruddy minute....are a couple of those little blighters from the dark old ages of the eighties? The one with the net? The one throwing the puffball? The slingshot one?

I had a look at the Stuff of Legends and the guy with the net was definitely on the snotling pump wagon in 1999. Also it looks like he was on the original c22 pump wagon as shown on a flyer from March 1987 (http://solegends.com/citc/c022snotlingpump/index.htm). This dates him before craftworld eldar by a few years.

[Major_Gilbear]

I think the oldest models still current for 40k are the Ragnar Blackmane and the Eldar Avatar and Phoenix Lords (plus maybe a few Warlocks), as these are from the very end of the RT era/start of 2E era. The Servitors are a good spot too.

For Fantasy, I would have said Nurglings, Snotlings, and Teclis. However, the Nurglings were recently retired for plastic versions, and I'm not sure how available the Snotlings have actually been over the years. As for Teclis, he was replaced in 6E/7E with a new sculpt, but the old version was brought back for 8E - so again, I wonder if he counts.

Then you have all the models that were either much more corner-case or limited release. So the classic Jes Goodwin Chaos Space Marines (from 1990), and his Power Armour Variants series, Ork Goff Rockers, etc. Similarly a lot of very old Citadel monsters that have been variously available (usually from mail order) over the years too.

Edit: Oldest plastics are the Khorne Berserker Marines. I think these pre-date almost all the other plastic kits, except perhaps the Space Marine Bike. However, as the bike sprue was re-cut to add in wheels, backpacks, and shoulder pads, I would say it doesn't count!

Either way, it looks like they are pretty much all Jes' sculpts from what I can tell!

[Andrew Rae]

Someone might be able to confirm, but I'm pretty sure Ragnar was a new release in WD156, December 1992, while the servitors (along with the no longer available Iron Priest) were new releases in WD159, March 1993. I'm pretty sure the Avatar and Phoenix lords came later as I remember them being profiled in WD, and my first (and only remaining WD) was 160, though I bought 156 as a back issue a few months later.

So I put forward Ragnar as the oldest* continuously available figure.

There are older figures on sale like the snotlings, but I think there was a time when they weren't available.

Edit:* Oldest probably should read longest or something, as the servitors may well be dated 91 on the tab, while Ragnar is 92...

[Andrew May]

Well, unless someone finds the release date of the servitors predates Ragnar then he must be the longest continually available figure.

[Andrew Rae]

Worth it.



Definitely worth it.

[westwaller]

Ragnar is listed in the Green Citadel catalogue released in 1993 of all 1992 releases under Space Wolf Characters.

I'm going to have a look for the Servitors now...

Looks like 1992 also as they are in the same Green catalogue on Stuff Of Legends too (with the Iron Priest)

[Andrew Rae]

Wait, wait, wait!

The Ragnar on the GW website doesn't have the original backpack!

Therefore, does he count as the original figure?

We need Norris McWhirter!

(Servitors are in the green catalogue too, under Space Wolves)