Citadel Miniatures is the company that designs and manufactures the models for Warhammer 40,000. If you’ve ever pushed around little plastic soldiers on a tabletop, chances are they came from Citadel.
What is Citadel Miniatures?
Citadel Miniatures is Games Workshop’s in-house miniatures brand. They’ve been producing the models for Warhammer 40,000 since the game launched in 1987. Every Space Marine, Ork, and Tyranid you see in a box or on a tabletop started as a Citadel design.
They’re not a separate company you buy from directly. Instead, Citadel is the label on the plastic sprues and metal kits that Games Workshop sells through its own stores and distributors. Forge World handles specialist resin kits, but Citadel covers the core range.
What Citadel makes for Warhammer 40k
Citadel produces the full range of Warhammer 40,000 miniatures: infantry, vehicles, monsters, and characters. These are multi-part plastic kits you assemble and paint yourself. The models are scaled to work with the game’s rules, so a Space Marine is roughly the same size across editions.
They also make the hobby supplies you need to build and paint them, like Citadel Colour paints, brushes, and tools. It’s a one-stop shop for getting your army tabletop-ready.
- Plastic and resin miniatures for every Warhammer 40,000 faction
- Multi-part kits with optional weapons and poses
- Citadel Colour paint range and hobby tools
- Starter sets like the Armageddon launch box for new editions
Why Citadel matters to the hobby
Without Citadel, Warhammer 40,000 wouldn’t exist as a miniature wargame. The models are the heart of the experience: you collect them, build them, paint them, and then use them in battles. The rules are written around the models Citadel produces.
Citadel’s release schedule also drives the game’s editions. When a new edition drops, like the recent Armageddon box, it comes loaded with fresh Citadel miniatures. That keeps the hobby moving and gives players new things to paint and play with.
Citadel vs Forge World
It’s easy to confuse Citadel with Forge World. Both are under the Games Workshop umbrella, but they serve different niches. Citadel focuses on the main plastic range you’ll find in any hobby store. Forge World makes smaller batches of resin models, often for specialist units or huge centerpiece kits.
For most players, Citadel is the starting point. You’ll build a core army from Citadel kits before diving into Forge World’s more expensive and fiddly resin.
Key facts
- Citadel Miniatures is Games Workshop’s brand for Warhammer 40,000 models.
- They’ve produced miniatures for the game since its first edition in 1987.
- The range includes plastic kits for every faction, plus paints and tools.
- Forge World is a separate branch for specialist resin models.
- New editions, like Armageddon, launch with new Citadel miniature sets.
FAQ
Does Citadel Miniatures only make Warhammer 40,000?
No. Citadel also produces models for Warhammer Age of Sigmar, The Horus Heresy, and other Games Workshop games. But they’re best known for the Warhammer 40,000 range.
Can I buy Citadel Miniatures directly?
You buy them through Games Workshop’s website or official stores. Citadel is a brand, not a separate retailer.
Are Citadel models pre-painted?
No, they come unpainted and unassembled. You’ll need to clip them from the sprue, glue them together, and paint them yourself.