Warhammer World 2023 – Exhibition Centre Part 1

Part of the Warhammer World experience is the Exhibition Centre, which covers large dioramas and walls full of display cases with vignettes, armies and individual miniatures very early ages of Citadel Miniatures until the most recent releases.

The exhibition centre spreads across two floors and four areas, and ticket prices are 7,50 GBP per adult, 5 GBP for children from 12 to 17, younger kids are free. There are group and family tickets available as well. You can buy a softcover book, which covers professional pictures and additional information on the larger dioramas for 18 GBP onsite, which is a perfect souvenir. The book is updated regularly and currently in its third edition.

As we already have covered the new exhibition centre in extensive articles from our visits in 2018 (Warhammer Fantasy / Age of Sigmar, Horus Heresy / Warhammer  40k) and 2020 (Warhammer Fantasy / Age of Sigmar, Horus Heresy / Warhammer  40k), the focus this time is more on some spotlights and novelties, as some of the larger setups were replaced and / or updated.

The first room covers an introduction to the early days of the company, with the humble beginnings in their 1980s. You can see some (sealed!) boxes of that era, the very first boxed game sets of Warhammer and classic Citadel Miniatures in the flesh, that you might have seen in old White Dwarfs or the archives of Stuff of Legends.

I've shown this unnamed Lustria diorama in the 2020 visit, but wanted to add more close ups. Mike McVey, yes - that Mike McVey, "founder" of the 'Eavy Metal studio build this impressive scene of Tilean / Estalian Conquistadors attacking a Slann temple, trying to free a captive. This was done used with some miniatures from the early Empire range (Pistoliers, converted Foot Soldiers, converted Reiksguard) and Lizardman range (Slann Magepriest and his Temple Guard), along with extensive use of Green Stuff and scratchbuild terrain. It was used in the Lizardmen Armybook of 1997.

This part of the exhibition spoke very strongly to me, as this colourful 90s vibe, the Middlehammer era, was the time that I started with wargaming. Late 4th, early 5th edition of Warhammer Fantasy. I do have a lot of these in my collection, the full 4/5th edition army books, as well as the campaign sets. And seeing them displayed along with the old studio miniatures is very stunning.

Bretonnian Joust (the sign onsite has a typo "Brettonian")

This diorama from 1996 won Dave Andrews the Golden Demon in the Open Category. It made extensive use of the classic Bretonnian range of the 5th Edition of Warhammer, old Citadel/Marauder Townsfolk, and old Citadel models that are now part of the Foundry range. I've taken pictures of this multiple times, but took the time for some close ups this time and it moved into the very center for me, as we saw the Full Tilt table at Bring out your Lead earlier that weekend. It is covered in UK White Dwarf #215.

After this initial welcome, you come into the first larger section, and the exhibition starts with Warhammer Age of Sigmar. It can be difficult to take pictures, as there is a lot reflections on the glass of the cases, another reason to see it in person or get the exhibition book.

The first large diorama, and last larger piece of the Old World, you'll (currently) see in the exhibition, is this City of the Empire, besieged by an Orcish Waaagh! using a lot of 6th and 8th edition miniatures of both ranges. As this has been around for some time, you can see additional pictures in our 2018 and 2020 coverage.

The Gates of Sharrowmourne is a diorama from 2018, covering a large clash of the armies of Lady Olynder and Lord-Arcanum Aventis Firestrike. The enitre setup covers around 2,500 miniatures and covers the Stormcast vs the Nighthaunt, probably to promote the Soul Wars boxed sets back in the day.

A couple of mixed showcases, covering side games, army projects and vignettes. I really like the modular Warcry terrain, as well as these nice vignetes, for example the Streets of a Kharadron Overlord City and the Vanguard-Palladors hunting a Carmine Dragon (a model sculpted by Trish Carden, released by Forge World / Warhammer Forge).

War in the Jade Kingdoms

reminds me a bit of the old Wood Elves diorama, where the Glade Riders run down the undead. In this setup from 2016, the Ironjawz fight Silvaneth, and you can even spot some of the classic Orc miniatures among the Ironjawz.

Necropolis a huge setup right in the middle of the first hall. Quite difficult to take picture of, as this is covered in stray light. We've covered a few in the 2020 visit. In the book you get proper, clear pictures.

In the army displays a lot of miniatures from the Slaves to Darkness range are shown. These got so much love in their design process, am I stunned by this miniatures. Some of these made it into my collection, even though I don't play them or have an army project around it, I just really enjoy these kits. At some point I have to treat my myself to Archaon on Dorghar.

But of course, these showcases don't just cover Chaos, but more vignettes, like City Streets by Dan Hyams and more impressive more recent Warhammer Age of Sigmar miniatures.

Another single showcase covering some Specialist Games / Side Games, of Blood Bowl, Man-o-War and the Talisman/Warhammer Quest series. Blood Bowl was my first miniatures game back in 1996, when I got the fourth edition for Christmas. Still am very happy to have met Gary Morley that weekend, who sculpted almost the entire 90s Blood Bowl range.

Beside the well made Slaves to Darkness, the undead, especially the Vampires, have an impressive range in Warhammer, and the entire setup of Blood Dragons within the Soulblight Gravelords is a very tempting army project.

A new display in the Age of Sigmar area is the Siege of the Craw from 2021. It covers a horde of Destruction, combining various Orruks, Gargants and Gitz under the command of Kragnos, against the Stormcast Eternals of the Hallowed Knights supported by Seraphons. This surely speaks Realm of Beasts.

And with that display, we leave the Warhammer part of fantasy and come to the corner of the first hall, that covers Lord of the Rings. We have multiple cabinets with the extensive range, that dates back to the early 2000s, of course with Sauron and the impressive Smaug, the largest creature in the range of the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game.

The Rohan Stronghold from 2019 is still there. I covered that one in my 2020 visit, as it was just revealed, using lots of and lots of the Rohan buildings, that I've introduced in the reviews of House of Rohan and Watchtower / Palisades of Rohan, as well as the ongoing series of my conversion using those kits.

And just like with the Rohan Stronghold, a new impressive diorama covering the Siege of Gondor is shown. Making extensive use of the new Gondor terrain kits, that we will be covering in reviews soon as well. So much going on, a lot of detail and smaller action scenes spread across the setup.

This was the first hall and the one covering all the fantasy ranges by Citadel / Games Workshop, a proper point to take a break and continue with the Grim Dark of Warhammer 40k and the Horus Heresy in parts 2 and 3. Especially as we shot more than 500 pictures in the exhibition and that would be too much for a single article.

I wasn't alone on this trip, so you might see some further coverage, especially on the oldhammer items by Indi.Yehaa, keep eye out for them.

The costs for the tickets to the exhibition centre are as follows:

• Adult (18 years and older): £7.50
• Adult with Exhibition Dioramas book (18 years and older): £24.00
• Child (12-17 years): £5
• Child (11 years and under): Free
• Family (2 Adult and 4 Child): £20, each additional child: £5

There are group and family tickets available as well. The exhibition covers a lift, so you can reach the levels with a stroller or wheel chair. Make sure to take a look into their event schedule, so that the Warhammer World and Exhibition is open during your trip.

Link: Games Workshop Warhammer World Exhibition Centre