Plastic Deathguard Through The Ages: Size & Style Comparison

 Deathguard Marines

I have been collecting plastic Deathguard models for a few years now so I thought it interesting to compare them.

In terms of size, there is not much in it with regard to height. Perhaps there is a slight increase as time has gone on, but the real change is in bulk which has noticeably increased.

As far as style goes, there has been a tremendous improvement in both detail, and corruption/decay. There has clearly been a ratchet up of 'vileness' (for want of a better term) over time across the three versions.

However, none of this stops one bulking out an army with the old models.

Deathguard Section Leaders


Fundamentally, exactly the same trends are on display.

Note that the early 'sergeant' is metal as there was little variety among the plastic marines. In fact that is a third trend, from identical trooper models, to customisation per model, to every model different.

Deathguard Lords


All this only really becomes a problem when you get to warlord models. On the left we have a Forge World model of Necrosius (produced around 2007) - and on the right a new generic Lord of Contagion.

Necrosius (as depicted in Siege of Vrak III, graphic from warhammer40k.wikia)


Ex-Apothecary Necrosius is The Hand of Nurgle, and the Warlord of the Apostles of Contagion. He ranks number three among Nurgle warlords after Typhus and Mortarion himself: in fact he and Typhus are at daggers drawn.

In short he is a big wheel in Nurgle space marine circles, at the head of the party A-list.

But the old Forge World model doesn't do him justice. In short, he just doesn't look like one of the chaos supreme warlords. And that is my problem.