The popularity of Games Workshop has risen in recent years as new fans come to love the books, comics, video games, and most importantly, the tabletop experience. The game is played with groups of miniatures making up a player's army. Some of these armies are visually stunning and help to tell the story of the campaign.
Games Workshop has created two Warhammer universes: The fantasy landscape of Age of Sigmar and the futuristic, sci-fi setting Warhammer 40K. Both of these worlds feature characters and factions that are just as fun to look at as they are to play with.
10 Space Marines
The Space Marines are the most recognizable army in the Warhammer 40K continuity. The forces of the Emperor fall under many different factions, but the classic blue Space Marines are continuously used as the figureheads of the franchise. Their stark look replicates many other science fiction soldiers that have influenced the tabletop game.
The impressive Space Marine armies are bolstered with huge weaponry, bulky armor, terrifying tanks, and other heavy equipment. There is plenty of room to each Space Marine with different battalions and ranks, each representing their unique experience. This army looks practical and brutal and is iconic in its design.
9 Gloomspite Gitz
The Gloomspite Gitz can be found in the Age of Sigmar side of the Games Workshop community. They consist of the Gitmob Grots, Moonclan Grots, Spiderfang Grots, and Troggoths. These ragtag and unsavory figures are grotesque in both their looks and their destructive ideals.
The Gloomspite Gitz are goblin-like creatures that ride on the backs of beasts. While there is certainly room for humor within this army, it's also a perfect group of miniatures for those that have imaginative painting styles. Complemented by mushroom scenery and fantasy-style garb, the Gloomspite Gitz is a strange combination of disgusting and hilarious tropes.
8 Necrons
The Necrons are a fleshless mechanical army of monsters that ruled the galaxy millions of years ago. Their nefarious backstory is well-reflected in their design. The Necrons are both visually ghoulish and horror-infused.
The Necron army sports plenty of imagery that can be linked back to the Grim Reaper. Their skeletal appearance is complemented by their metal upgrades. Often depicted with a disturbing greenish glow, there is something ancient and unearthly about their design. The Necrons are a great example of Warhammer 40K's tendency to straddle the line between hard sci-fi and science fantasy.
7 Cities Of Sigmar
The Cities of Sigmar are a heroic defense against the chaotic and dark forces that look to cause further destruction in the Age of Sigmar world. This alliance of good combines multiple different cities together, creating an army that has quite a varied look among its ranks.
The Cities of Sigmar bring plenty of interesting character builds to the tabletop experience. Many of the miniatures draw from classic fantasy imagery, like knights riding on horseback from Arthurian legend. Bolstered by inspirational fictional creatures, the player can paint the Cities of Sigmar army with a vibrant and hopeful color palette.
6 Tyranids
The Tyranids are a vicious alien species from deep space, intent on fulfilling their bloodlust. The creatures are brutal and inhumane, and their appearance certainly belies their merciless intent. The hunters are built with all the evolutionary benefits of predatory animals in the real world.
The Warhammer 40K Tyranid army could be compared to the Xenomorphs in the Alien franchise. Their claws, fangs, and skeletal outer shells demonstrate how they were bred for battle. The visual variation across the army allows for some really unique Warhammer stories to be told. Each new variation of Tyranid seems even more dangerous than the last as their physical scale increases.
5 Skaven
The Skaven army from Age of Sigmar worships the chaos and brutality of the underworld. They rely on evolved technology but certainly don't have the wits to form great tactical maneuvers in battle. These ratmen are incredibly inventive in their style, combining animal features with wooden and metallic upgrades.
The Skaven employ huge weapons of destruction in their army, with the complex contraptions really elevating the look of the faction. Their hunched figures and rat-like features are unnerving and contrast well with the more heroic miniatures of Age of Sigmar. They are a physical representation of vermin and their collection of cobbled-together armor represents a sense of gritty desperation.
4 Orks
Just like the Space Marines, the Orks have long been one of the most iconic factions in the Warhammer 40K miniatures game. Representing the forces of destruction and brutality, the Orks are a hodgepodge of menacing creatures equipped with low-level technology.
The Orks are clearly able to put together weapons and vehicles from mere scraps, and visually this makes for a far less polished army. The twisted beasts that they ride atop only add to their erratic and unpredictable look.
3 Nighthaunt
The Age of Sigmar universe has plenty of fantasy tropes, and the Nighthaunt represent the ghosts and ghouls of the darker magics. The Nighthaunt army is visually striking, and their looks draw inspiration from the spiritual beings of the mortal world.
The Nighthaunt thus have an ethereal quality to them. They appear to float and have tendril-like manifestations that seem to reach out to the enemy. Often depicted with a white and blue color palette, the skeletons are even more ferocious when on the back of undead horses and other such horror creatures.
2 Aeldari
The Warhammer 40K world occasionally dips its toes into other areas of science fiction like technological utopianism. The Aeldari represent that in their visual style as species seemingly taken to the height of their evolution. This well-polished army is both sleek and elegant despite its dangerous capabilities.
Also known as the Eldar, the Aeldari are usually depicted with a white and red color scheme. Although their striking silhouettes may present the sense that they are beings of high intelligence and mercy, the army is kitted out with vicious and highly advanced weaponry. However, the immense tanks and speeders are contrasted with a reliance on the blade.
1 Stormcast Eternals
The superhuman and near-immortal Stormcast Eternals are warriors located in the Age of Sigmar universe. They look godly in their appearance and their sheer power and strength are well-depicted in the design of their miniatures. They are a vital weapon in the fight against chaos.
The Stormcast Eternals are always kitted out with regal colors like blue and gold, giving them an elevated status on the battlefield. Angelic qualities are also included in their builds, with impressive wings giving them a combat edge. Their heavy armor speaks to a love for war and a great wealth to fund their campaigns.