Hard Core Oldhammer

There is a place where one can go and see a great many of the origional Games Workshop Studio miniatures of the 1980s. Located next to a historic church and the battlefield of East Stoke, last and bloodiest battle of the War of the Roses! Hidden away in the walled stables of an impressive period building that was at one time a leper colony. There could be no finer day out than a visit to... Wargames Foundry! Address: The Carriage Court, Stoke Hall, Church Lane, East Stoke, Newark, Nottingham, England. Freshly cast origional 1980s Citadel miniatures can be found through a quick search, normally concentrated in one corner. Purchasing some souvenirs is recommended! https://www.wargamesfoundry.com

Here we have questions that only a hard core Oldhammer hobbyist might ask.  Please feel free to pose new questions and insight on answers in the comments below. This page will be updated as new questions and answers arise. Your contribution is welcomed 👍  Updated: 30/08/2025 Q. What grade sand was used as the standard in house solution for those mid to late 80s Games Workshop studio bases? (Painted Goblin Green and drybrushed with Bilious Green) A. "Bird Cage Sand" was stated as the standard back in the day. Now it comes with shell calcium, lime and flavour additives so it might not be ideal. Fine sand of a grade 0.1mm to 0.3mm will work to produce that studio affect when glued on with PVA. Q. Trolls and Ogres are listed in Warhammer Armies as requiring 40mmx40mm bases however many were sold with 50mmx50mm bases. Which is correct? A. 40mmx40mm Q. Fimir of most types are listed in Warhammer Fantasy Battle as requiring 25mmx25mm bases. Characters on 40mmx40mm bases. All were h...

Second hand painted miniatures are something every Oldhammer hobbyist will consider obtaining at some point as they look for an elusive miniature or simply find the 'used' painted ones better priced. The key knowledge in doing so is that those old models can be stripped and cleaned back to a "factory fresh" state with a Dettol bath and bit of hard work. Instructions Find a good size glass, metal or plastic tray/tub with an air tight lid.  Lay the the miniatures carefully inside minus all plastic components such as bases and shields. Where bases are concerned remove them and reuse if possible but be very careful not to break the miniature base tab; if necessary better to clip away the old base and use a new one later. Add Dettol slowly over the miniatures so all elements are submerged. Tightly seal the lid and wait a day. Two to three days is probably optimal. Warning! You are now about to utilise the "Bog Of Eternal Stench" so you might like to use rubber gl...

There are a number of publications both in and out of print that will be of interest to hard core Oldhammer hobbyists. Delve into the origins of the craft and business that produced the game and the miniatures we all still persue to this day, decades after their inception. Blanche The Rise of Grimdark "John’s career, which includes an unprecedented forty-year collaboration with Games Workshop, spans five decades. During this time, his work has adorned a plethora of book covers and interiors, record covers, postcards and posters, while also serving as concepts for a swathe of wargaming miniatures, often inspiring whole new ranges of figures. John Blanche is one of the most remarkable and prolific fantasy and science fiction illustrators of his, or any other, generation. This book, his official and authorised biography, tells the story of the master of grimdark himself, the visionary that is John Blanche." Blood & Iron "A compilation of the spine-chilling artwork of Le...

Not a big list currently. Bring Out Your Lead (BOYL) East Stoke, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England More details here: https://www.wargamesfoundry.com/pages/oldhammer Lead and Steel Sheffield, England https://forum.oldhammer.org/threads/lead-steel-2026.38485/ 3D Roleplay Con Portland, Oregon, USA https://3drcon.cargo.site/

There are two options when it comes to hard core Oldhammer buildings. Warhammer Townscape Card buildings from either origional sets or PDF print outs stuck onto card. Modelling Workshop DIY Builds White Dwarf magazine custom builds, produced by you according to the excellent 1980s Modelling Workshop articles found here: Coaching Inn And Stables https://www.pinterest.com/pin/how-to-make-wargames-terrain-coaching-inn-templates-pdf-document--434034482841715778/ Fantasy Barn https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B97Rk-BalgZbakNkOHBTNzdCdU0/edit?resourcekey=0-Nz_XDKr8VFn3H8sVxPeDnw Fantasy Townhouse https://www.reddit.com/r/WarhammerFantasy/comments/192jgzi/modelling_workshop_fantasy_townhouse/ Rivers ... Ruined Temple https://www.reddit.com/r/WarhammerFantasy/comments/18we0fm/modelling_workshop_ruined_temple/ Warhammer Fantasy Cottage https://www.reddit.com/r/WarhammerFantasy/comments/18db2wr/modelling_workshop_cottage/ Warhammer Fantasy Townhouse https://www.reddit.com/r/WarhammerFantasy/commen...

There is a range of Citadel Miniatures that are not technically Warhammer and yet a great many of them are perfectly fit for hard core Oldhammer.  The Barrow-Wights above for instance are all featured in my own undead army as are plenty of Dead Men Of Dunharrow. Check the full range out here: http://www.solegends.com/citlotr/index.htm

Intimately knowing the Warhammer Fantasy Battle miniatures produced by Citadel, Iron Claw and Marauder miniatures of the 1980s is key to Oldhammer. We recommend you start by browsing the Stuff Of Legends web site here: "Citadel 'C' Series Ranges - Mid 1980s" http://www.solegends.com/citc/index.htm "1991 Catalogue - section 2" http://www.solegends.com/citcat1991b/index.htm Then there is the Collecting Citadel Miniatures site: http://www.collecting-citadel-miniatures.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Another great resource will be your 1980s White Dwarf magazine PDFs or physical collection. The ads are beautiful to behold. I want to go back and place a few mail orders...

Now the paint set above would be the ultimate hard core Oldhammer solution to painting our miniatures! Except most of us do not have enough gold to trade for an origional set should we ever see one available in this millennium... Using the origional Citadel paints from the 1980s to perfectly capture the colours of the time would be ideal but realistically most have long dried up by now, mine certainly have. Here then is one rather familiar solution... https://www.warcolours.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=76 I wonder if they sponsor blogs... 🤔 

Origional 1980s Citadel Bases are essential to hard core Oldhammer, so best study the pic below and do some research before jumping on eBay.  Read the publications to know the correct base sizes for your miniatures, eg. Goblins 20mm, Orcs 25mm. Identification 20mm Bases will say 1984 on the underside. 25mm Bases can say 1984 or be blank except for four identifying circular mould marks.  Cavalry Bases as shown above have no date on the underside and in their case it is that and the mould lines on the underside that identify them to the correct time period.  Beware of more modern GW releases and of course the myriad knock offs now available. Stay hard core, be patient and find some origionals! Also note that some bases in their origional 1980s forms are still available from Games Workshop: Citadel Monster Bases (40mm) https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/warhammer-the-old-world-40x40mm-5-pack-2024 Citadel Large Monster Bases (50mm) https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/warha...

Origional Crossbows, Shields and Spears are essential to hard core Oldhammer so best study the pics below before jumping on eBay.

All the glorious 1980s greenery came from KANDMTREES and you can still order it all here:  https://kandmtrees.co.uk/shop Note that metal Citadel Tree Bases are needed for the trees: You will want 3mm plywood board to cut the forest / hedge bases if you want to do this the hard core way!

Updated: 30/08/2025 Brand new origional and second hand miniatures are readily found on eBay. Prices are always high but there are certainly bargains to be had, especially if you are prepared to soak the miniatures in Dettol for a few days and then clean with a toothbrush and cocktail stick to restore them to their factory fresh state! However there are companies still selling origional WFB 1980s miniatures and bases that you can go ahead and order from right now to get started straight away. Here is a list I will continue to add to and aim to keep updated: Games Workshop Citadel Monster Bases https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/warhammer-the-old-world-40x40mm-5-pack-2024 Citadel Large Monster Bases https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/warhammer-the-old-world-50x50mm-5-pack-2024 Citadel Bugman's Cart https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/dwarfen-mountain-holds-bugmans-cart-2024 Citadel Elven Beastmasters https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/wood-elf-realms-beast-pack-2025 Citadel ...

Download PDFs of the key publications here: https://archive.org/details/3-e-wfb-warhammer-armies-1991 In addition if you want to find PDFs of White Dwarf from the 1980s they do exist and are all available if you search hard enough online. Physical copies of books and magazines are generally expensive but can be found on eBay reguarly.  Realm Of Chaos Slaves To Darkness and Realm Of Chaos The Lost And The Damned have been re-released by Games Workshop and can occasionally be found on sale at Nottingham "Warhammer World". Personally I have gone fully digital and save my money for miniatures.

Welcome to the Hard Core Oldhammer blog where we show you how to do Oldhammer the hard core way! Rules of Hard Core Oldhammer: 1. The game is Warhammer Fantasy Battle (WFB) 3rd Edition. The key publications are:      Warhammer Fantasy Battle      Warhammer Armies      Realm Of Chaos Slaves To Darkness      Realm Of Chaos The Lost And The Damned      Warhammer Siege      Warhammer Townscape 2. The models, bases and components were* produced by Citadel Miniatures, Iron Claw, Marauder Miniatures and in some cases Ral Partha before 1991. 3. The aesthetic for miniatures and scenery alike is straight from the key books above and the pages of White Dwarf Magazines of the 1980s. * Miniatures in some extremely limited cases have seen re-release by Games Workshop, Ral Partha Europe, Ral Partha Legacy and Wargames Foundry.