A new Chaplain is on the way in the Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon boxed set – join us as we take a look back at the furious and faithful Space Marines that came before him.
The first crop of Chaplains appeared at the tail end of 1988 in White Dwarf Issue 108, when six macabre warriors joined up with a wide range of equipment – only three were armed with the crozius arcanum that would later become their signature weapon.
This first incarnation wore skeletal shoulder pads and an eclectic mix of helmet styles, some of which were more skull-inspired than others. The later mail-order release also included one on a bike and even one on a jet bike, which were far more common in the early days of Warhammer 40,000.
After the launch of the second edition of Warhammer 40,000 in 1993, the Space Marine range went through a major overhaul, and a new class of Chaplains made a splash in 1994’s Issue 180 of White Dwarf. These codified the miniatures’ most recognisable features – helmets were distinctively skull-faced, every Chaplain had black power armour and a crozius arcanum.
They were soon followed by the first Chaplain in Terminator Armour, who rounded out the roster before the third edition of Warhammer 40,000 was released in 1998. This time, the release of a new range of Fast Attack* options prompted the addition of a new Chaplain on Bike, and the rules solidified the Chaplain’s place as a close combat leader who made everyone else fight that much harder around him.**
In the very same Codex: Space Marines, we also met Chaplain Xavier of the Salamanders, best known for swinging a crozius in one hand and a thunder hammer in the other. The Blood Angels welcomed Chaplain Lemartes in 1998, the first of his kind to come strapped to a jump pack. The Dark Angels and Space Wolves also got in the act with Interrogator-Chaplain Asmodai and Ulrik the Slayer.
The fourth edition of Warhammer 40,000 rolled around and saw another epochal shift with a Chaplain at the centre, as the 2006 Terminator Chaplain was the first of a new range of Terminator miniatures in a much larger and more impressive scale than those that came before, with only the new-ish Grey Knights having sported the updated Terminator armour until then. He was, accordingly, quite awesome, and is still a firm favourite with veteran players in Warhammer Community Towers.
A few more Chaplains would be released throughout the 2000s, with Chaplain Grimaldus joining the roster alongside Chaplain Cassius, an updated Chaplain Lemartes and even a Forge World resin kit that built a Chaplain Dreadnought.***
Then the Era Indomitus rolled around, and with it a striking Primaris Chaplain in a sombre hooded robe reminiscent of older Dark Angels designs. The ninth edition Indomitus box added a new Chaplain with a more traditional armour style, and followed it with the third iteration of a Chaplain on Bike – though this time mounted on one of the new, powerful Raider-pattern bikes.
What followed was a golden age for named characters, starting with Chaplain Grimaldus and his gaggle of Chapter serfs carrying sacred relics. In quick succession, Interrogator-Chaplain Asmodai, Astorath the Grim and Chaplain Lemartes joined the freshly upscaled Terminators from the Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan boxed set, while the Space Wolves got an updated Wolf Priest and the latest Chaplain in Terminator Armour.
Now, the new Chaplain with Jump Pack continues their legacy, and we’re sure we’ll see more miniatures in the future. Plenty of other kits have walked so the modern Chaplain can run (and jump) – join us on Facebook to tell us which ones we’ve missed from our list, and which is your favourite.
* Remember the Force Organisation Chart? It will be planning its 30th birthday soon.
** In a good way, not like when you have to pick up a teammate’s slack.
*** Only in death does the Litany of Hate end.
