Introduction
Welcome to the Dicey Boiz guide to identifying old miniatures! If you've found yourself in possession of some small soldiers, but don't know your cave squigs from your guinea pigs, then this guide is for you. Whether you're a seasoned collector or a relative newcomer, singling out individual models from a back catalogue of tens of thousands can be a daunting prospect. As luck would have it, and being the massive nerds that we are, pouring over back catalogues is something that the Dicey Boiz enjoy, so let us help lighten the load.
First of all, it should be noted that this guide is focussed on models produced by Citadel Miniatures. They are one of the most, if not the most, well recognised and prolific makers of fantasy and science fiction miniatures, and many of their products are among the most sought after and valuable. For those who aren't in the know, Citadel Miniatures is a brand owned and operated by Games Workshop, the company behind Warhammer. Warhammer is a tabletop wargame in which players use dice and rulers to move little figures around and simulate epic battles! There are different flavours of Warhammer, as we will see later, and it's now been around for over 40 years. In that time a rich lore has developed around the Warhammer universe, the miniatures and games have evolved extensively, and the hobby has built up a large and avid fanbase. As such, there has never been a better time to get stuck in.
Whatever your reason, accurately identifying the models in your collection is important. Maybe you want to build an almighty Waaagh! and collect every Greenskin model ever made, or maybe you simply want to clear some junk out of the attic and make a couple of gold coins while you're at it. So with that, let's dive in.
Identify by Era
Firstly, getting a rough gauge on which 'era' your model hails from is a good starting point, as it will allow you to target the most relevant resources. Citadel Miniatures have been producing models since 1979, and have made their way through a few 'eras' in that time.
Pre-Slotta (Pre-1984)
Before Warhammer was even a twinkle in its creators eye, Citadel Miniatures were pumping out fantasy miniatures both under license and of their own creation. The very earliest specimens can be spotted easily by the chunky metal bases that were integral to the sculpt of the model itself.
In 1984 Citadel concocted its first plastic slotta bases, and this coincided nicely with the newly released first edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle in 1983. Solid base miniatures were quickly phased out, and new models were designed to fit onto plastic slotta bases. Because the Warhammer games are what launched Games Workshop in to the big time, what came before has fallen somewhat in to obscurity for many. Pre-slotta miniatures are not as widely collected, and resources for identifying them are not as thorough.
Oldhammer (Pre-1993)
Oldhammer is very much a subjective term, and means different things to different people. For our purposes, we like to think of it simply as anything pre-1993; particularly anything that has a decidedly 80s flare to it. A relatively small band of prolific sculptors defined the aesthetic of the Oldhammer period, and you should be able to quickly get your eye in and have a good guess at what belongs to the era.
The first editions of Warhammer games were smaller in scale than the modern editions, and more focussed on narrative play and roleplaying elements. To that end, collections of miniatures can tend to be smaller and made up of lots of unique looking individuals, rather than the more 'copy and paste' approach to coherent armies that would emerge soon after. Oldhammer collections will more often than not feature more metal miniatures than plastic, and a trademark of the era is plastic bases painted in Goblin Green!
Rogue Trader (1987 - 1993)
Think Rogue Traders are just those two blokes that used to chase down dodgy builders on the telly? Think again. Released in 1987, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader was the title of the very first edition of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop wargame. It sat somewhere between a miniature wargame (Warhammer) and tabletop roleplaying game (Dungeons & Dragons).
So the 'Rogue Trader era' refers specifically to science fiction models for the Warhammer 40,000 game, and can be thought of as a sub-genre of Oldhammer. Unlike Oldhammer, it is more definable in that the 2nd edition of Warhammer 40,000 came along and dropped the Rogue Trader subtitle.
Middlehammer (1992 - 2015)
The games began to evolve in the early 1990s, and their focus shifted from individual roleplaying elements to the tactical feast of large battles fought between huge armies. The requirement for larger quantities of models meant that the Middlehammer era saw plastic miniatures become more and more popular.
The production methods meant that plastic miniatures were only viable at large production runs, and so a typical Middlehammer army will consist of hordes of plastic cannon fodder led in to battle by heroes and elite troops cast in metal. Partly-finished Middlehammer armies lurk in attics across the land, half drowned in thick layers of acrylic paint and long forgotten by their 12-year old tormentors, they are the damsels in distress to the Dicey Boiz' Prince Charming.
Modern Era (2015 Onwards)
In 2015, Games Workshop discontinued the Warhammer Fantasy Battle game, and replaced it with Warhammer: Age of Sigmar. From that point onwards, the scale and physical size of the models began to increase, as well as the level of detail and intricacy as technology and production methods continued to improve.
Armies of the modern era will be made up almost exclusively of plastic models, which will be noticeably bigger and more detailed than those of bygone eras.
On a rather boring sidenote that is probably only of interest to mega nerds, these eras also align roughly with the corporate leadership of Games Workshop. Bryan Ansell was CEO between 1986 - 1991; he was a miniature sculptor and game designer heavily involved with the conception of the whole thing. Between 1991 and 2015, the company was helmed by Tom Kirby and Mark Wells, shrewd businessbods who were good at such things as operational efficiency and bottom lines. From 2015 onwards, Kevin Rountree has been the big cheese, and is credited with guiding the company into something of a renaissance period.
Step-by-step Guide
Game System
Now, armed with a bit of background info, the next step to identify old Warhammer miniatures is to figure out which corner of the Games Workshop universe they are from. At the most basic level, models will fall in to two main flavours; science fiction or fantasy. So first off, are your minions holding laser blasters or wooden clubs? If they're giving off sci-fi vibes, you'll be looking at the Warhammer 40,000 family, and if they're serving fantasy drama, then you'll be searching the Warhammer Fantasy range.
If you're miniature is stood on a plastic base, the shape of that base can help. Generally speaking, Warhammer 40k models will be stood on round bases, and Warhammer Fantasy models on square bases. There are exceptions to this, and of course there are some radical characters out there who will go against the grain and put a 40k model on a square base just for the thrill of it, but broadly speaking this distinction will put you in the right ball park.
Base Tabs
If you're miniature is not stood on a base, it can easily be removed, or you don't mind hacking the plastic base to pieces, then any base markings present on the 'slotta' tab will be extremely helpful.
If nothing else, it will confirm that you are looking at a Citadel Miniature by the presence of a copyright stamp on one side. It will looks something like ©GW1995. This signifies the year the model was sculpted, not when it was manufactured, and gives us a good guess at which resources to check out next.
The other side of the tab will hopefully offer up some further nuggets. Sometimes you might be lucky enough to have the name of the model spelled out on the tab, particularly if the model is a special character or hero within its army. More likely is something a bit more generic, like 'Wizard' or 'Orc', which will point you in the right direction but leave you with a bit of leg work to carry out. Sometimes you will find something cryptic and be left none the wiser, such is life.
Material
If you don't have access to any information on the base tab for whatever reason, the material that the model is made of will be the next clue. What is your miniature made of; metal, plastic, or resin?
Metal
Metal has been used in varying quantities from the very beginning right up to the present day. Although Citadel Miniatures officially went lead-free in 1997 (something about not giving kids lead poisoning), metal models of a certain vintage were cast from an alloy containing lead. Broadly speaking, older lead-containing models tend to be noticeably heavier than newer pewter models of similar size. The colour of the bare metal will tend to be darker too.
Plastic
The main clue available to us in plastic models lies in the level of detail present on the model. The older the sculpt, the lower the level of detail, and the stronger your warriors' resemblance to a bag of potatoes. To a lesser extent, if your models are fortunate enough to have been spared the over zealous paint brush of bright-eyed collector, the colour of the bare plastic can help. For whatever reason, the shade of grey used in manufacturing has gotten darker as time marches on, and some 'Oldhammer' plastic was dyed different colours altogether.
Resin
In 2011 Games Workshop introduced 'Finecast', models made from resin that are able to achieve a finer level of detail than the usual plastic. This material produces much sharper lines than the regular plastic, but is also much softer and bends easily. Forge World, a sort of offshoot that create highly intricate model kits aimed at modelling enthusiasts over casual gamers, also make their kits from resin. While resin has never been particularly popular with the masses, Forge World models are highly collectable and carry the price tags to prove it.
Tools & Resources
So with as many facts gleaned from the models as we can manage, we must turn our attention to the tools and resources available to help us crack the code. The first one to have a go at is Google Lens. Though it can be hit and miss at the best of times, every so often it can provide you with an easy win. The easiest way by far is to open the Google app or Google Chrome on your phone, and take a picture of your miniature directly. Place the model on a clear, bright background with plenty of light, and make sure it is in focus. You are likely to see results from eBay listings, which you can then check for further clues, and will possibly have to scroll a little to find any matches. It is always a good idea to corroborate anything that Google suggests using the trusted resources below.
One of the most useful online resources is Stuff of Legends, which hosts an online archive of Citadel Miniatures catalogue scans that is freely available. These publications contain hundreds of labelled and well organised photographs, and are just about the best way to identify a miniature once you have figured out what game system, army, and time period it belongs to. Some are more useful than others; the 1998 annual for example covers a lot of ground and is always a good bet as a first port of call for identifying 90s figures. [Insert link]
For a Games-Workshop-specific model database, the Collecting Citadel Miniatures wiki is a fantastic resource. It boasts a huge array of detailed photographs curated by collectors, organised by army and range. The photographs are clearer than in some of the older Games Workshop publications, and are often accompanied by additional background info, pictures of original packaging and other 'bitz' that may have come with the models.
Finally, Lost Minis Wiki is another reference tool with a mind-boggling array of photographed miniatures from hundreds of manufacturers.
Common Pitfalls
In the early days, before Games Workshop was the behemoth of industry it is now, there were a few small, closely related brand names or offshoots operating in the same space and captained by the same set of sculptors. The result is a handful of models that are for all intents and purposes Citadel Miniatures, but which will vex you greatly because they do not appear in any Citadel Miniatures catalogues. The culprits are Marauder, Iron Claw, and Chronicle Miniatures. Each have entries on Lost Minis Wiki, and it can be helpful to familiarise yourself with them so that they stay in the back of your mind as another avenue of investigation on any occasions you become stumped.
Kit bashing and converting miniatures has been popular with hobbyists for as long as the miniatures have been around. In essence, it involves hacking bits off one miniature and gluing them on to another to create unique and interesting pieces. Often times, conversions are not done to a high standard and will stick out like a sore thumb. Think of Sid's toys in Toy Story and you should have a fair idea. Sometimes though, conversions will be executed with enough skill that you could be fooled in to thinking they are a Citadel original sculpt. This is usually only the case with painted models, and once the paint has been removed it will often become apparent where models have been chopped up and altered.
Over the years Games Workshop have introduced and subsequently retired a number of 'Specialist Games' and other board games with their own miniature ranges. These include titles such as Inquisitor which used much larger scale miniatures, Battlefleet Gothic which sported a range of intricate space ship miniatures, and Warmaster which used teeny tiny models to represent vast armies. Once you get used to scanning catalogues for a certain type of model at a certain scale, these games can throw curveballs quite easily.