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Hi,

I have Blood Angels models dating back to the times of 3rd edition. I started hobby back in 1999 I guess when I got starter pack (Marines, Eldar, rulebook etc.) as a Christmas present. Then left this hobby for years. Main reason was lack of time and other interests. Still throughout the years WH40K world has been still fascinating me. I've been thinking returning to hobby many times and now I'm maybe doing it. Couple of months ago I took my old models from warehouse and took look at them. Then I started to looking internet how things are nowadays in this game. I noticed that models and things are quite same like back then. But I have some questions about models:

How much Space marine models have changed from late 90's? I heard that bases have got larger lately, but have sizes changed? Are new models taller or otherwise bigger? Is tactical marine quite same from 3rd edition compared to newer ones? I have terminators and I think they were actually older models back in 1999 coming from 2nd edition times and I suppose terms didn't get new models in 3rd edition. I guess they are smaller than terminators now? Do many long time players still use old models or do they usually update them to newer ones when new releases come?

I'm now thinking what new models I maybe buy and what models from old times are nearly same as now and don't need "update". I'm also planning to repaint old models, because my work back then isn't enough for me now. It's not bad, but not that good. As youngter in 90's I really didn't have money to buy things and I think I did some saving with paints.

Here's a list of my models below if someone can/want help me how models sold nowadays differ

Space Marine Command Squad Box (techmarine, standard bearer, apocathery, vet serg, Commander)
Blood Angels Honour Guard Box (5 models, no more a unit in 7th edition game?)
Librarian In terminator armour (metal)
Chaplain Lemartes

2x 10-man Tactical squads (Both from starter pack)
Rhino

2x 5-man Assault squad box
2x Land Speeders (from starter packs, my friend hand starter pack too so got marines from it)
1x Bikes (I rememder 1 box with 3 bikes and one I bought single?)
1x Attack Bike

1x Dreadnought (Metal, I think this was available bfeore 3rd edition)
1x Terminator box (5 models, Got also two metal ones with assault cannon and cyclone missilelauncher)

1x Devastor squad box

1x Death Company box (5-man box also got 2 metal ones separate from blister pack)

All these models are 3rd edition stuff except Terminators and Dreadnought were released earlier. I guess new 40K models are lot cooler than these old ones. Still thinking what not to update to save some money.

Sorry to everyone about my bad english... I'm from Finland. I will be very grateful if anyone can help me with my questions.

All of that is still playable in the current codex, except for maybe the lone biker.

3rd edition era marines are pretty comparable to the newest ones. You could mix and match and it wouldn't be jarring at all.

Actually, the lone biker can be a captain on a bike. All of those are fine, even the old terminators. They are on the old bases, which is cool, but I personally would glue that base onto the current size so they have the larger footprint. (Makes it harder to hit all of them with blasts) just personal preference.
As a side note, welcome back!

Just make sure if you pick up the new codex, that you check the loadouts your guys are holding are still legal. Only things that might have changed Is loadouts, unit sizes and maybe some of the base sizes

Yeah, the 3rd edition marine models are still the core of the marine range, just with a few extra gubbinz in the box these days.

Metal terminators are going to be noticeably smaller then modern equivalents. They are also a unit that has it’s base sized changed. I still play mine on the old, small, bases, but some people have adjusted to the larger ones. A quick fix is to just glue the old terminators, base and all, onto a 40mm base. This gives them a modern footprint, and helps equalize the size.

Depending on how old your metal dred is, he should be fine as well. The old RT ones are tiny, by the 2nd ed ones are a close enough match to the modern ones, nobody will know it weighs enough to kill someone unless they pick it up.

While some wargear options have changed, for the most part everything marine oriented from 3rd is still playable today.

Thanks to everyone for answers. First thing for me now is to get some paints and get the paints off my ole models. Is that Blood Angels paint bundle gw is selling a good offer? Looked it and it should contain everything I need. If I'm going to repaint all models I guess I might need one extra Mephiston red besides that bundle? What spray you would use for BA? I've heard they have mephiston red now as a spray, but might not be available everywhere. Carrouburg Crimson shade seems to be nice to have too (not on ba paint bundle).

To get new rulebook, Deathstorm package fits well. I get nice ba models with good price in that. Otherwise I'm thinking of buying Stormraven gunship, Drop Pod and Land Raider.

But how is it with Honour Guard now? I thought they don't exist in codex anymore?

The Honor Guard isn't a thing but Blood Angels do have Sanguinary Guard and Command Squads that can fill that role for your models. Command Squads are likely the best bet because they have three models in the squad able to cherry pick weapons. More likely to be able to fit the models you own into that role.

Honour Guard are still there, they just changed the name of the unit to Command Squad, presumably to avoid confusion with vanilla Honour Guard.

 Gashrog wrote:
Honour Guard are still there, they just changed the name of the unit to Command Squad, presumably to avoid confusion with vanilla Honour Guard.

OK, That's what I was thinking too. Thanks again.

 docdoom77 wrote:
3rd edition era marines are pretty comparable to the newest ones. You could mix and match and it wouldn't be jarring at all.

The Space Marine kit released in 1999 went more or less unchanged until the new Tactical kit came out in 2013. They rearranged the sprues a little bit to be more efficient, but the parts remained the same. The Marines in my project log are mixed and matched with parts from 10-12 years' worth of kits. You won't be able to tell the difference between 3rd Edition and the modern Marines. Heck, the only reason the 2nd Edition ones would stick out is weapons and their ridiculously large hands, lol.

Lythrandire Biehrellian wrote:
Actually, the lone biker can be a captain on a bike.

I knew that was a possibility, but I didn't mention it because who realy fields a captain on a bike with no weapon upgrades ?

Personally I'd just add the single biker to the three bikes from the box to make a four man bike squad, but then I'm not the most inventive chap around. If you don't tell anyone it came packaged separately they'll never know..

That's nothing. I still use some of the old snap together marines from 2nd edition as filler. I actually had a guy ask me where I bought then and how much they cost a few months back. He thought they were 3rd party minis.

Seriously though, one thing gw is pretty good at with a few exceptions, is keeping older minis playable.