For those of you who have been following my recent exploits, you might have seen that I finally finished a unit of Tzaangors for my Thousand Sons army. I had long resisted painting these models, but their inclusion in Space Marine 2 convinced me to accept them as part of the Thousand Sons roster. So, I took the plunge, ordered a box, and painted half of them...
The Painting Process – A Test of Patience
Staying true to their Space Marine 2 portrayal, I equipped some with shields and others with chainswords and autopistols, hoping that this variation would break up the monotony of batch painting. Spoiler: it did not.
I have to admit, I’m in no hurry to paint another unit of these guys. I’m already considering using Kairic Acolytes as a second unit of proxy Tzaangors. Maybe I made things harder for myself by painting three different skin tones (not that you can tell) and two shades of purple for their ankles. Whatever the reason, finishing the unit felt like a chore.
When I included them in my Thousand Sons blog, I noted that the sculpts and moulds felt a little dated. Some details seemingly disappeared on the sides, especially on the legs, leaving me questioning whether I was painting skin, armour trim, or belts. It reminded me of the older models from an era when casting limitations meant detail was lost in certain places.
Enter Wargames Atlantic – New Lizardmen on the Horizon
But enough about that—I want to bring attention to the new Lizardmen models from Wargames Atlantic. As early as April, we could be seeing Egyptian-themed Lizardmen, and my first thought? Alternative Tzaangor models!
The Atlantic Digital team has revealed two upcoming releases with a lizardman theme:
Lizardmen Pharaoh Emperor
Lost Empires: Lizardmen
As a longtime Thousand Sons and Warhammer Fantasy Battles Lizardmen player, Wargames Atlantic have already sold these kits to me. They just haven’t taken my card details yet!
Customisation Potential – A Nostalgic Throwback
Wargames Atlantic has also confirmed that these two sets will be scaled for interchangeable parts. Having previously bought some of their multi-part plastic kits, I’m excited to see how I can mix in a bit of Tzeentchian flair.
Their kits remind me of the 1990s/2000s era of Games Workshop, when arms could fit any torso, and heads were interchangeable across the range. Sure, this sometimes limited poses and made ranking up fantasy figures a pain, but there was a charm in that modularity. In contrast, modern Games Workshop models, while visually stunning, often only allow for one or two build options.
How Will They Fit Into a Thousand Sons Army?
One consideration is scale—there’s a lot of variation in 28mm, and Tzaangors are surprisingly tall. However, depending on their size, these new Wargames Atlantic figures could serve as interesting cultist models, especially since Games Workshop has yet to produce Thousand Sons-specific cultists. (Well, at least not yet. We’ve speculated on what the 2025 Thousand Sons re-release could bring in this blog post.)
And as for lore? Tzeentch is the god of change, after all—lizard-themed cultists or what ever Tzaangors are meant to be, doesn't seem like too much of a stretch!
Final Thoughts
That’s all from me today! If you’re curious about Wargames Atlantic’s upcoming releases, you can check out their announcement here.
I’ll keep this updated once these models are available—stay tuned!
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