War Head Civil War 2025 Rising

          As an annual occurrence, War Head Civil War has been fought six times, beginning as a 40K gaming day and later transferring to the scenes of the Horus Heresy. The focus of the event has always been in the camaraderie and the visual aspects of the hobby in miniatures and terrain, with the friendly games in a secondary role. One's wargaming hobby might be entirely different depending on who they surround themselves with - in a like-minded company where everyone feeds off each others' inspiration and shares the same gaming values, it's a creative and social joy like no other. Civil War has been created to encapsulate this principle.

 

War Head Civil War 2025 preparations are in full effect and we'll assemble for traditional Horus Heresy patrol skimirshes on the 11th of October! Secret schemes, new armies and fierce deployments await - read more about the format and what to expect below.

+ Civil War 2025 Event Primer + 

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Civil War VI Results and Coverage

 Incoming Transmission... 

War Head Civil War, the shining beacon in our annual calendar, is again behind us for another year. This one must have been the best one yet, as everyone was really pushing themselves creatively and artistically to produce amazing secret army projects for the occasion, and the battles had a good flow to them thanks to the refined scenarios. Our collective effort also made sure that the Civil War army building values of out-of-the-box thinking, the rule of cool and anti-competitive choices were in the limelight through the weekend. You can find this year's event rules as well as the scenarios and special features here.

This pic is a little teaser of the landing zone, right after we had all taken turns describing our new forces, revealing a surprise unit after another for others to freak out about and marvel at. We look forward to this moment all year and it is at least as important as all the following games combined. Assembling a new force is often quite labour-intensive especially during the last few weeks leading up to the big day, but the shared sense of hobby thrill at this very moment is most addictive and rather emotional. It's the pinnacle of the hobby for us.

The Civil War format includes a change of dynamics each round, as the games are played as 1v1, 2v2 and 4-player compositions. You kind of get to learn the ropes of the new roster in the first clash, and then take those teachings to the multiplayer fields, co-operating and politicizing in the middle of permanent and temporary alliances. This is also a neat social hook - sharing the table with several friends is one of the keys to the gaming madness we're looking to achieve.  

The sweet photography coverage for this year was courtesy of Manel @mp_miniatures, who joined us for our traditional hobby celebration all the way from Barcelona! Stay tuned for the full model gallery here and on War Head Instagram!

Round 1: Escalation (1v1)

14 Blood Angels (Juha) vs Death Guard (Manel) 6

19 Word Bearers (Olli) vs Sons of Horus (Eric) 1

14 Death Guard (Scott) vs White Scars (Noa) 6

17 Sons of Horus (Joel) vs Space Wolves (Teemu) 3

Round 2: Battle Brothers (2v2)

11 Word Bearers & Death Guard (Olli+Manel) vs White Scars & Space Wolves (Noa+Teemu) 9

13 Death Guard & Sons of Horus (Scott+Eric) vs Blood Angels & Sons of Horus (Juha+Joel) 7

Round 3: Carnage (4-way free-for-all)

White Scars (Noa) 5
Sons of Horus (Eric) 4
Blood Angels (Juha) 1
Space Wolves (Teemu) 5

Word Bearers (Olli) 0
Sons of Horus (Joel) 4
Death Guard (Manel) 4
Death Guard (Scott) 5

Final Standings

1. Death Guard (Scott) 32

2. Word Bearers (Ollie) 30

3. Sons of Horus (Joel) 28

4. Blood Angels (Juha) 22

5. Death Guard (Manel) 21

6. White Scars (Noa) 20

7. Sons of Horus (Eric) 18

8. Space Wolves (Teemu) 17

+ The Civil War Patrol Compilation +

Civil Warrior: Olli @wrhd_ollie

Legion: The Word Bearers

Army: The Unspeaking of the Miskatonic Fleet

HQ: Diabolist Consul Aleister Alhazred, Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Power Sword

ELITE: 5 Ashen Circle

ELITE: 5 Veteran Squad, Vexilla, 2x Power Maul, Warpfire Blaster, Sergeant with Power Maul

TROOP: Despoiler Squad: Power Sword, Power Axe, Sergeant with Power Maul

Civil Warrior: Noa @wrhd_noa

Legion: The White Scars

Army: The Brotherhood of the Golden Star

TROOP: Breacher Squad, 2x Flamer, Sergeant with Artificer Armour and Power Glaive
TROOP: Reconnaissance Squad, 5x Nemesis Boltguns, Nuncio-Vox, Augury Scanner
ELITE: Destroyer Squad, 2x Volkite Serpenta, Sergeant with Phosphex Bomb and Power Maul

Civil Warrior: Manel @mp_miniatures

Legion: The Death Guard

Army: XIV Destroyer Cadre

HQ: Moritat Consul, Volkite Serpentas, Toxin Bombs
TROOP: Despoilers, two Bolt Pistols, Sergeant with Power Scythe, Toxin Bombs
HEAVY: Heavy Support Squad, Alchem Flamers, Toxin Bombs
TRANSPORT: Rhino APC, Combi-Alchem Flamer

Civil Warrior: Eric @wrhd.eric

Legion: The Sons of Horus

Army: The Talon of the Warmaster

HQ: Legion Centurion, Chainsword
TROOP: Tactical Squad
TROOP: Legion Despoilers, Inductii, Chainaxes
ELITE: 6 Reaver Aggressors, Jump Packs, Chainaxes

TRANSPORT: Rhino APC

Civil Warrior: Teemu @gowarhead

Legion: VI Legiones Astartes, The Fenrisians

Army: The Night's Watch - Search for the First Wulfen

TROOP: Grey Stalkers, Power Axe, Maul, Spear, 2x Rotor Cannon, Huscarl with Power Spear

TROOP: The Night's Own, First Wulfen (10 Scouts) Power Spear, 2x Carnyx Traps (Shotguns)

FAST: Asaheim Attack Bike, Heavy Bolter, Twin-Linked Bolter, Chainsword

FAST: Asaheim Attack Bike, Heavy Bolter, Twin-Linked Bolter,  Chainsword

FAST: Sabre Strike Tank, Anvilus Snub Autocannon, The Heavy Flamer

FAST: The Næturvár, (Tarantula Battery), 3 Frontier Idols with 6x Heavy Bolter

Civil Warrior: Scott @wrhd_scott

Legion: Death Guard and Daemons

Army: Dreams of Heresy

HQ: Esoterist Consul, Artificer Armour, Force Maul, Alchem Pistol, Toxin Bombs

HQ: Davinite Lodge Priest

ELITE: Apothecary, Chainsword, Bolt Pistol

ELITE: Daemon Brutes (Esoterist), Infernal Armaments, Infernal Tempest, Aetheric Dominion

TROOP: 8 Scout Squad, Alchem Flamer, 2x Nemesis Bolter, Toxin Bombs

Civil Warrior: Joel @fellfyre

Legion: The Sons of Horus

Army: 82nd Reserve Assault Company Remnants

ELITE: 8 Veterans, Banestrike Bolters, Power Fist, Power Sword, Power Maul, Charnabal Sabre
TROOP: Tactical Squad, Bayonets
TROOP: Legion Despoilers, Inductii, Chainaxes, Power Maul, Power Axe
TRANSPORT: Rhino APC, Heavy Bolter

Civil Warrior: Juha @mentoronminiatures

Legion: The Blood Angels

Army: Task Force Malletus

HQ: Legion Centurion, Thunder Hammer
HQ: Legion Company Command Squad, Chainswords
TROOP: Legion Tactical Squad, Bayonets, Lightning Claw, Plasma Pistol
TROOP: Legion Reconnaissance Squad, Nemesis Bolters

Civil War Rising

It's the Civil War season and the big day is a mere month away! Our annual "main event" for War Head crew's internal bragging rights and shared hobby inspiration is played on Saturday 28th of September. The occasion is very much already messing with our heads - is there enough time to prepare all the secret schemes, what wicked plans others might be cooking, and how are the exciting games going to unfold as it's finally time to deploy?

The Civil War event pack including the Patrol army building rules, scenarios and multiplayer special features are described below in the Civil War VI Player Primer - we encourage everyone to try out the compact "grassroots skirmishing" with compressed Horus Heresy rosters in good company! We've quite enjoyed the low threshold it introduces to building new, thematic armies in a reasonable timeframe, as well as the refreshing scale of patrol gaming where the Tactical Marine is the king.

+ Civil War VI Player Primer +

+ Past Civil War Coverage +

Civil War V Combat Coverage

The amazing hobby tradition of War Head Civil War is now past us for another year - what a treat it was once again! I feel that this year's event was one of the best in the heritage's history, as the inspired rules package, team's hobby commitment and our joint enthusiasm for The Horus Heresy all helped to nourish a memorable gaming day. I've often stated that the wargaming hobby might be entirely different depending on who you surround yourself with - in a like-minded company where everyone feeds off each others' inspiration and shares the same gaming values, it's a creative and social joy like no other.

Civil War is as much about the journey as it is of the destination, as the preparations begin early on before the actual gathering. The tradition calls for secret mustering of new assets, unexpected reinforcements or completely new surprise armies, which are presented to other players in the morning of the gaming day. On Sunday we unveiled the secret schemes long in the making and took turns describing and displaying our 500 point patrols for other participants to admire. Some of the Thracian Insurgency armies had evolved into completely new iterations due to cool unit additions and we also witnessed three completely new forces - a White Scar Recon host, a Blood Angels "boots on the ground" task force and a Emperor's Children III Company Elites detachment! It was delightful to hear everyone describe their projects and get excited about the oncoming games, as stunners like Scott's unforeseen Xiphon Interceptor completely caught many of us off-guard!

The format this year was Horus Heresy patrols (500 points, one required Troop, no mandatory HQ, no more than 2 wounds on any model, max one model with a 2+ save, no vehicles with armour value total over 33) and skirmish gameplay. We played three rounds and the dynamics changed in each one - after the traditional duel on the first round the participants were paired for two-versus-two tag team games. The four-player Carnages wrapped the day up and final victory points were calculated; each scenario had many different mini-missions focused on maneuvering and objective control performed with any non-vehicle units. All in all the 500 point roster size worked perfectly, it was a fresh breeze of "grassroots meta" where Tactical Marines could shine and the size of the armies was a very feasible mini-project even for a busy hobbyist.

Sunday's epic games leave a deep craving for more amazing hobby with the crew - luckily War Head's Halloween in the Mortal Realms is just a couple of months away!

+ Civil War V Combat Camera: Facebook Gallery +

Round 1: Escalation (1v1)

10 Blood Angels vs White Scars 10
6 Dusk Raiders vs Dark Angels 14
14 Imperial Fists vs Alpha Legion 6
10 Emperor's Children vs World Eaters 10

Round 2: Battle Brothers (2v2)

20 Emperor's Children & World Eaters vs Alpha Legion & Dusk Raiders 0
6 Blood Angels & White Scars vs Dark Angels & Imperial Fists 14

Round 3: Carnage (4-way free-for-all)

Dark Angels 7
Blood Angels 0
Imperial Fists 5
World Eaters 6
Alpha Legion 2
White Scars 6
Emperor's Children 3
Dusk Raiders 5

Final Standings

1. World Eaters 36
2. Dark Angels 35
3. Imperial Fists 33
4. Emperor's Children 33
5. White Scars 22
6. Blood Angels 16
7. Dusk Raiders 11
8. Alpha Legion 8

Player: Teemu Valve
Legion: XII World Eaters
Army: 308th Void Assault

TROOP1: Assault Squad, Power Fist, Power Axe, Power Sword
ELITE1: Rapier Gun Platform, Gravis Heavy Bolter Battery
FAST1: Sky-Hunter Jetbikes, Volkite Culverins, Chainaxes
FAST2: 7 Seekers Squad, Kraken Boltguns
TRANSPORT1: Rhino APC, Combi-Bolter

Player: Olli Väre
Legion: III Emperor's Children
Army: 3rd Company Elites

HQ1: Legion Armistos, Master-Crafted Volkite Culverin
ELITE1: Apothecary, Power Lance
ELITE2: Rapier Gun Platform, Graviton Cannon
TROOP1: Despoilers, Power Sword, Power Lance, Vexilla, Phoenix Rapier and Sonic Shrieker
HEAVY1: Emperor's Children Kakophoni

Player: Noa Kaistinen
Legion: V White Scars
Army: The Outriders

ELITE: Legion Apothecary
TROOP1: Despoilers, 2x Power Axe, Heavy Chainsword, Artificer Armour

TROOP2:  5 Recon Marines, Nemesis Bolters, Nuncio-Vox
TROOP3: 8 Recon Marines, Shotguns, Power Glaive
TRANSPORT1: Rhino APC, Heavy Bolter, Dozer Blade

Player: Eric Raunio
Legion: I Dark Angels
Army: Strike Force Cadmos

HQ1: Legion Librarian, Force Sword, Deathwing
ELITE1: Dreadwing Interemptors, Plasma Burners, Plasma Incinerator

TRANSPORT1: Rhino APC, Twin-Linked Bolter
TROOP1: Legion Despoilers, Deathwing

TROOP2: Legion Tactical Squad, Ironwing

Player: Jaakko Björklund
Legion: VII Imperial Fists
Army: Strike Team Siegfried

HQ1: Legion Centurion, Magna Combi-Melta
TROOP1: Tactical Squad, Solarite Power Gauntlet

TROOP2: Tactical Squad, Solarite Power Gauntlet
TRANSPORT1: Rhino APC, Hunter-Killer Missile
TRANSPORT2: Rhino APC, Hunter-Killer Missile
TROOP3: Recon Squad, 2x Nemesis Bolters, Combi-Grenade Launcher

Player: Juha Nieminen
Legion: IX Blood Angels
Army: Task Force Uriel

HQ1: Legion Chaplain, Power Maul, Plasma-Pistol
TROOP1: Tactical Squad, Bayonets, Lightning Claw, Plasma Pistol

TROOP2: Tactical Support Squad, Rotor Cannons
HEAVY1: Heavy Support Squad, Missile Launchers

Player: Scott McGregor
Legion: XIV Dusk Raiders
Army: The Surgeon's Hand

HQ1: Callidus Assassin
TROOP1: 14 Tactical Marines, Legion Vexilla

ELITE1: Rapier Gun Platform, Quad Launcher, Incendiary Rounds

FAST1: Xiphon Interceptor, Ramjet Defraction Grid

Player: Joel Kinnunen
Legion: XX Alpha Legion
Army: Last Minute Ambush

ELITE1: Legion Apothecary
ELITE2: 6 Veterans, Heavy Flamer, Power Dagger, Banestrike Boltguns

TROOP1: Tactical Squad, Power Fist
TROOP2: Recon Squad, Nemesis Bolters

TRANSPORT1: Rhino APC, Twin-Linked Bolter

Civil War Igniting

New, secret forces are taking shap

The big one is coming - War Head Civil War will be played in two weeks' time! It's one of our dearest wargaming traditions and the invitational event for our inner circle has always made amazing hobby memories. Civil War is one of those events where the journey is as important as the destination; everyone is currently painting secret additions to their army - or perhaps creating a new force for the occasion entirely! What's certain is that it will be superbly exciting to gather and see what everyone has come up with and then play for the annual bragging rights.

Our format this year is Horus Heresy Patrols, fashioned after the example of the classic "40K in 40 minutes" rules - 500 point lists with the toughest characters and heavier assets restricted. Three rounds will be played, a single game as 1v1, another as 2v2 and finally four player Carnage free-for-alls. Each round will provide a new layer of gameplay flavour and social interaction. Can't wait.

+ Classic War Head Civil War Articles +

The Iron Arm

These Sons of Medusa were one of the forces created in secrecy for War Head Civil War, our crew's traditional tournament for annual bragging rights. The event has been more than just a gaming day with the closest hobby friends, as it's always a premiere stage for new armies usually built and painted unbeknownst to other participants. The thrill of showing off your new work and facing other fresh forces are brilliant additions to the casual warfare on the tabletops!

Ollie had painted the Assault Terminators as a colour scheme proto years ago, and later on decided to expand the squad into a full tournament force. The bright greens were toned down with rusty weathering and dusty basing, introducing some grim realism into the otherwise vibrant palette.

Ollin vanhempi Sons of Medusa -iskujoukko pääsi viimeinkin valokeilaan ja kameran eteen! Tunnelmallisesti weatheroitu jengi teki ensiesiintymisensä taannoisessa War Head Civil War -turnauksessa ja säväytti kestävyydellään ja tuhovoimaisella tykistöllään. Iron Hands Successor Chapterin joukoissa on paljon tehokkaita, pääasiassa osavalinnoilla aikaansaatuja yksityiskohtia, jotka tuovat kokonaisuuteen persoonallisuutta ja kulttuuria.

Kokenut ja karaistunut Sons of Medusa -kapteeni palaa Marsiin tehdyltä diplomaattimatkalta henkivartijoidensa ympäröimänä.

Figu on konvertoitu Techmarine-pohjalta erilaisin bionisin yksityiskohdin.

Kovia kokenut pudotuskapseli kantaa jaoston kirkkaita tunnusvärejä.

Muinaisin reliikein varustettu terminaattorikomentaja kantaa niin ikään Techmarine-henkistä lisävarustusta.

Tummanpuhuva figu tuplaa itseasiassa johtajana Ollin 30K Iron Hands -armeijassa.

Taktinen veteraaniryhmä jalkautuu tehtävälle kaupunkiin.

Vaikka panssarien värisävyt ovat kirkkaita, on armeija säistetty tunnelmallisesti ja maanläheinen sävytys tuo figuihin uskottavuutta. Kaikkia armeijan figuja Techmarineita lukuunottamatta on myös kokoamisvaiheessa hiukan korotettu sääristä true scale -periaatteen mukaan.

Kersantin reppuun tehty pintle-mounted Meltagun jättää tämän kädet vapaaksi tulitoiminnan koordinoinnille.

Kessun läppärissä pyörii tietysti Windows.

Iron Hand -successoreille sopivaa teknofiilistä korostamaan on ryhmän kaikkien jäsenien kypärissä ylimääräiset tähtäinlaitteet.

Grav-Cannon ottaa vastaan tulialuekäskyn.

Armeijan ensimmäiset figut olivat riehakkaat Assault Terminatorit.

Figuja on väännetty dynaamisempiin asentoihin green stuffin avulla.

Myös näistä valiojoukoista löytyy erilaisia bionisia osia. Rujommat Storm Shieldit on lainattu Bullgryneiltä.

Ryhmään mahtuu Thunder Hammerien lisäksi myös Lightning Claweja.

Armeijan Dreadnought on varustettu tulitukirooliin.

Myös talsijaan on haettu liikehtivämpää combat stancea tavanomaisen haara-asennon sijaan.

Myös Dreadnoughtin olkapanssarissa komeilee chapter-symboli.

Armeijan eliittiosat matkustavat taisteluun suunnattoman Land Raider Redeemerin uumenissa.

Lyhyen kantaman aseet tukevat vaunun roolia rynnäkköpanssarina.

Tankin tunnusomaiset raidat erottavat sen komppanian muista Land Raidereista.

Ollin Thunderfire Cannonit kylvivät tuhoa koko Civil Warin ajan.

Techmarinet ovat virallisia tykkimiesfiguja, mutta kanuunoiden lavetit on itseasiassa rakennettu Kataphron Destroyereista.

Kokenut Space Marine -kapteeni toi Marsista mukanaan myös Adeptus Mechanicuksen delegaation. Aloittelevan Magoksen Expeditionary Unit tutustuu Astartes-taistelutoimintaan komennuksensa ajan ja suojaa samalla Techmarineiden selustaa.

Figut on konvertoitu vanhasta Citadel-raudasta nykyaikaisin lisäosin. Magoksen itsensä pohjana on Vampire Counts Necromancer.

Etulinjan eliitti valmiina rynnäkköön!

Kapteeni ottaa osaston komentoonsa. Pudotusalue ja kaupungin keskusta on turvattava!

"Purge the weak!"