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A Thousand Sons

Writer's picture: MattMatt

Updated: Feb 19

Index


The Thousand Sons are, without a doubt, my all-time favorite army. I’ve stuck with them far longer than any other faction in the Warhammer 40K universe, and over the years, my collection has grown to include several generations of models. They’ve even inspired my gamer tag. But who exactly are the Thousand Sons?


Well, they’re what you might call reluctant bad guys. They started out as good guys but made a mistake—although, to be fair, it wasn’t much of one. They foresaw some genuinely bad things happening and tried to warn the powers that be, but instead of being thanked, they were punished. Classic “shoot the messenger” scenario.


The Thousand Sons are a legion of powerful Psykers (basically 40K’s equivalent of mages). Most of them are now spirits bound to their armour, which ties into their tragic backstory. Every Space Marine legion has its own genetic quirk, and for the Thousand Sons, it was an uncontrollable tendency to mutate into horrific flesh monsters. To stop this, they cast the Rubric, a spell designed to prevent further mutations. It worked... sort of. While they don’t mutate anymore, it’s because they’re technically dead—or something close to it.

Of course, you can’t have an ancient Egyptian-themed army without a hint of the undead, right?


The Thousand Sons are also rich in lore, one of the best aspects of the 40K universe. If you want to dive into their story, start with A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns, two Horus Heresy novels. The former is told from the Thousand Sons’ perspective, while the latter is from the viewpoint of their rivals, the Space Wolves. You don’t have to read the second book unless you enjoy the word “wolf” shoved in front of every noun.


Speaking of the Space Wolves, they’re the ones who invaded the Thousand Sons’ homeworld, burned their libraries, and essentially forced them into a life of villainy. Somehow, the Space Wolves are still considered the good guys, despite all this—and, frustratingly, they’re one of the most overrepresented armies in the tabletop game. Nobody likes them.


For some cathartic revenge, check out The Battle of the Fang, which recounts the Thousand Sons' assault on the Space Wolves’ homeworld. And if you’re interested in the story of Ahriman—the Thousand Sons’ first captain and the architect of the Rubric—then the Ahriman novels are a must-read. After the Rubric failed, Ahriman was exiled and now roams the galaxy like an eight-foot-tall, psychic vagabond, slowly building a following to redeem himself in the eyes of his legion.


How It All Began

My collection started with an image from an old Chaos Space Marine codex. I saved up my paper-round wages to buy those models, and I’m proud to say I still have them today—though one has mysteriously gone missing.

90's Chaos Space Marine Codex

Now they don't have the same paint job from my teenage years but the models are still quite outdated. I’d consider repainting them but I like the fact they are a sign of an earlier time. They are a little top heavy as a result of the heads being white metal, back then the basics of the figure were plastic and anything with increased detail was cast in metal.



Phase 1 - Regal Blue - 2010ish


This was the first time I decided to collect an entire Thousand Sons army. However at this point in time options were limited.

I repainted my original unit of Rubric Marines Regal Blue (They were Snot Green beforehand because I was an idiot), and also began work on customising a unit of Terminators with some Scibor parts I had kicking around.

Lastly for this era was getting hold of a Forgeworld Thousand Sons Dreadnought. I refuse to call these things Hellbrutes.



90's Thousand Son Rubric Marines

At some point in the last few years, I added a couple of the OG Thousand Son models to this unit and lost a couple of the others.


Thousand Son Terminators


Thousand Sons ForgeWorld Dreadnought

The *new* only army book - 2018

Each army of 40k had their own army book, with the Thousand Sons you had to build an army from the generic Chaos Space Marine book. For two decades Thousand Son players made do, so when Games Workshop finally announced a Thousand Sons book I was ecstatic.


Thousand Sons Codex

However it didn’t really live up to twenty years of expectation.


The biggest flaw in my opinion was that the codex appears to be Thousand Sons & Friends rather than a pure T-sons list. It is almost as if GW updated the two Thousand Sons units and said what else can we include? *providing we already have the models in the existing range we can bolt on*.


Like the book has Chaos Cultists as there are models for them already, missing a perfect opportunity to include Spire Guard. A human unit mentioned plenty of times in the lore.



Thousand Sons Rhino Tank

We also have this Rhino, see the art work GW commissioned (left), now compare it to the model they painted (below). It’s just a blue tank, nothing custom really, nothing particularly interesting. Certainly not a tank you would associate with an army who are basically a parody of their former selves with regards to the ornamentation on their armour.



Thousand Sons Rhino Tank

I had hoped to see something new, actual Thousand Sons but with heavy weapons, jump packs or maybe a squad of junior psychics. There is a counter argument regarding new units like Thousand Sons Havoks I've heard before, it's basically that T-sons can’t have them! "Where is it mentioned in the lore?" the Games Workshop fanboy might say, "only things already mentioned can exist in this Sci-fi realm".


Two points to that argument, firstly what happened to all the heavy weapons the legion would have had? All the jump packs, bikes etc. Did they leave them on Prospero, only having the time to take the bolters and terminator armour, maybe some flamers too.

I’ll tell you want happened, the whole army has been based off one model with a bolter. Which leads me to the next point, I remember a time where T-Son terminators wasn’t a thing, a time before T-Sons Dreadnoughts. Evidence that the army has evolved against the existing lore.


Thousand Sons Meme

Phase 2 - Alaitoc Blue - 2018 to 2019ish


So with the arrival of new models, I came back to the army and started adding a variety of squads. This was mainly determined but how many 3rd party parts I could find. I didn't want to include two of the same squads in the force you see.

I also changed the shade of blue from Regal to Alaitoc for some reason. Probably due to the same reason GW did the same thing, they forgot about the earlier depictions. In hindsight this was a weird decision by James Workshop. Could you imagine new units of Ultramarines being an Ice Blue?


Thousand Sons Rubric Marines

Thousand Sons Scarab Occult Terminators

I also added a unit of traitor Blood Ravens, mainly due to ordering these conversion parts from Kromlech. I didn't feel that these parts were detailed enough to be Rubric Marines, so I settled on this excuse.


Thousand Sons Traitor Blood Ravens

I built a Rhino for them too.


Thousand Sons Rhino

During this era I also added two more Rhinos. I would have loved to have made one of these into a Predator, but then I wouldn't have been able to make use of the top and side hatch parts.


Thousand Sons Rhino

The Rhino above has doors from Wargames Exclusive.

It was also around this period that I experimented painting non-metallic gold. I think it needs a bit more refinement but the process is documented here.

Thousand Sons Rhino

While this Rhino has parts from Tabletop Art.


I'm also pretty sure this 3rd party conversion set was featured in the officially licenced Space Marine 2 game, because the devs can't rely on James Workshop making a miniature for their own army.


Thousand Sons Rhino

Thousand Sons Predator Tank

The same front plate was used for the Predator too.


Thousand Sons Scarab Occult Terminators

I then added a 3rd Terminator squad, not because I wanted too, but because the conversion parts from Wargames Exclusive existed.


Lastly for this era, was converting a very old Land Raider. I thought that of all the armies I had, it would make the most sense that the Thousand Sons would still use this very old pattern Landy.

The process of converting it can be read here.


Thousand Sons Rogue Trader era Land Raider

Thousand Sons Rogue Trader era Land Raider

Thousand Sons Rogue Trader era Land Raider

Phase 3 - Tamiya X-13 Metalic Blue - 2024 onwards


So I have the new Space Marine 2 game to thank for getting me back into my Thousand Sons. I hadn't planned on changing their shade of blue again, but two things happened. Firstly, the Thousand Sons in the game had a metallic shimmer to their armour and secondly, I found this Tamiya paint in a local Hobbycraft.


I'll aim to get a video posted about using this paint, as it's not as simple as the citadel colours. My best advise is shake the absolute hell out of the pot before use.


It felt odd not adding layers and highlights, but the end result isn't worse off without that in my opinion. Just look at it shine in the sun.


Thousand Sons Rubric Marine WIP

For those wondering, the conversion parts are also from Wargames Exclusive. This is the second time I've used these parts, but the first unit is beyond salvaging, so I decided to remake them.


Thousand Sons Rubric Marines


So what's next?


I'm planning on converting a unit of newer plastic Rubric marines with the old metal parts. A way to remake my original unit, without repainting them all over again and damaging what little detail is left.

I've also got a unit of Tzaangor in the pile of shame that I'll get round to one day.


19th of December, 2024


OK, so this update sort of spans November too. I had been working on another squad of Rubric Marines. This time reusing the old metal parts which a friend kindly gave me. It was an unexpected, but nice side project. While I still own my original models, they're a little dated in both paint job quality and now scale. As for the kit bash, it was mostly sticking the old shoulder pads and helmets on the new plastic bodies. They largely fit. The old torsos however was a little bit more involved. Greenstuff joined the metal fronts to the plastic back pieces and once the arms where on, hid the fact these two pieces aren't designed to fit together, mostly... As for the Sorcerer, this required me making instant molds of the old metal model, then using various putties to make replicas of things like the old models head and shoulder pads. The robe was made entirely from milliput in the end, with some carful sanding to put some of the creases in the fabric.


Thousand Sons Rubric Marines



Here we can see the change in scale over the years. Dead happy to be able to field these older parts, just with a base model update.


Thousand Sons Rubric Marines

One other thing I've also been working on in December, aside from slowly working my way through a unit of Tzaangor, is this objective marker. It kinda came to me one night, remembering I had this old Malifaux model. An Essence of Power I think. I thought it would be a great base to recreate how the Rubric Marines are reassembled in Space Marine 2. See below a Marine that was almost raised before a stupid Bot Sniper shot the Sorcerer...



Anyway, here's it is.


Thousand Sons Space Marine 2


 

19th of January, 2025


Tzaangor: A Challenge Worth the Effort?

Painting my Tzaangor was a rewarding but demanding experience. The models’ intricate designs pushed my painting skills to the limit, particularly when it came to mixing different skin shades to give them a unique, otherworldly appearance. However, I’ll admit, I’m not eager to paint another batch anytime soon!

One issue I encountered is that some parts of the models seem to lack detail, particularly on the sides and legs. It’s likely due to moulding limitations or the age of the sculpt. While the overall aesthetic fits well with my Thousand Sons army, the dated design makes me wonder if we might see an updated kit someday.


Thousand Sons Tzaangor
Tzaangor


Chaos Cultists: A Military Touch

Let’s talk Chaos Cultists. I’ve never been a fan of the official models. They’re too barbaric and poorly equipped for what I envision. Instead, I’ve kitbashed my own version, drawing parts from Genestealer Cultists, Tempestus Scions, Necromunda kits, and Thousand Sons components. The result is a unit that looks more like a functioning military force rather than a ragtag group of lunatics.

In my mind, Chaos gods like Tzeentch wouldn’t treat all their mortal servants as expendable. Many would be well-equipped and disciplined, serving as vital instruments of their god’s will. These custom Cultists aim to reflect that concept.

A key feature of my kitbashing choice is the Genestealer Cultist miner armour. The ribbed design aligns nicely with the Thousand Sons aesthetic, especially when painted with the faction’s signature blue and yellow stripes. While those stripes were a pain to paint, I’m thrilled with how they turned out!

This process has even inspired me to consider fielding a full Tzeentch cult army using Genestealer Cult rules. It’s an idea for the future, but it’s exciting to think about.

Oh and the guy with the salvaged Hotshot Lasgun, the one firing the blue laser. He's the guy that puts you on your back in Space Marine 2...


Thousand Sons Chaos Cultists
Thousand Sons Chaos Cultists


Up next will be some HQ choices. I've got the Exalted Sorcerers, both new and old Ahriman models and Magnus himself to paint. I've also got 3rd party Dreadnought bits on the way but lord know when they'll arrive at this point. For now, thanks for reading.


 

31st of January, 2025


So happy to report that my Exalted Sorcerers are now complete, lead by and featuring Imurah from Space Marine 2. You can read about his return and see more images of the model here.


I really liked painting this guys, and it was a nice change from batch painting whole 10 man squads. They also mark the first actual HQ choice for my army. Weird actually, that in 21 years of collecting Thousand Sons, I hadn't got round to including a leader.


Thousand Sons Imurah Space Marine 2 Sorcerers

Thousand Sons Imurah Space Marine 2 Sorcerers

Thousand Sons Sorcerers
Thousand Sons Sorcerers

Up next is Ahirman. I've got both the new plastic model and old metal one to paint at the same time.


 

19th of February, 2025


Ahriman and the Ahriman She Told You Not to Worry About


Over the last few weeks I've been busy painting one of the most iconic characters in the Thousand Sons lore—Azhek Ahriman... twice! I was lucky enough to receive the new plastic Ahriman model for Christmas, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to revisit the older white metal version I had painted years ago. Thanks to the benefits of white metal, I was able to strip the old paint job and tackle both models side by side.

It’s hard not to make the classic meme comparison—this is Ahriman and the Ahriman she told you not to worry about. The new plastic sculpt is incredibly dynamic, loaded with detail, and just oozes character. Compared to the older model, which has its own charm but is far more static, the difference is night and day.


A Tale of Two Ahrimans

The older Ahriman has a custom base I made years ago, featuring scattered and ruined books, meant to represent him scouring an ancient library—possibly even back on Prospero. I kept the base as it was, partly for nostalgia and partly because it still fits the theme so well.

For the new Ahriman, I wanted to really emphasize the model’s presence and play into the swirling energy beneath his disc of Tzeentch. On the box art, the effect is depicted as an intense orange, which I interpreted as extreme heat. With that in mind, I painted the base to show the desert sands melting into glass where the magic touches the ground. I’m really happy with how this turned out—it gives the model a striking presence and makes it stand out even more.


Finishing Touches & Future Plans

I’ve also got some nameplates on order from Versatile Terrain, which I’ll be adding to Ahriman’s base (as well as my other named characters) once they arrive. It’s a small touch, but I think it really helps to elevate the models and make them feel even more like centerpiece characters.

Right now, I’m in a bit of a holding pattern hobby-wise. I’ve got some conversion parts for Thousand Sons Dreadnoughts, but the dreadnought kits themselves haven’t arrived yet. Magnus the Red is also waiting in the wings, but I need some greenstuff to deal with mold lines before I can get started on him. So, for now, I have a few nights off from painting—something that feels a little strange!

That’s it for this update! Once I get back to painting, I’ll have some bigger projects to share. Until then, let me know what you think of the Ahriman duo!



 



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