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Primaris in the Deathwing!? Sacrilege! I’ve been hearing this a lot on Facebook and Instagram. After the jump I’ll explain my reasons why I think it’s ok to have Primaris Deathwing and I’ll also share how I made the Company Master’s Primaris Dark Angel Helm. 

For my free Deathwing detailed photo tutorial click here. 

For decades, the lore stated that only Terminators are part of the Deathwing. Veterans in power armour would wear green armour with bone coloured robes. So why did I paint Primaris as Deathwing and how do I justify that to myself? 

The first piece of compelling evidence is the transfer sheet in the Indomitus launch set. It includes Deathwing and Ravenwing symbols.

The second thing you have to realise is the story is progressing now. For years and years Games Workshop would say the 40K lore is set “2 minutes before midnight” with midnight being the next big thing. I feel like the huge warp rift splitting the Imperium and the Primaris being issued by Cawl has now freed Games Workshop to move the story along and change things and that includes moving the story along for Space Marines. No longer relying on finding STCs (Standard Template Constructs) or maintaining wargear 10,000 years old, instead Bellisarius Cawl can issue them new equipment that he’s been developing for a millennia. With all this change going on it makes sense that the Dark Angel story will move along. 

“But what about Belial, he’s the Deathwing Company Master”. This is true and there has been nothing in the lore (yet) to say he’s crossed the Rubicon, but using some head canon you can make this work. 

Perhaps this Primaris Captain is acting Company Master whilst Belial has fallen in battle and is being tended by the Apothecaries. Perhaps the Deathwing start using the ranks Captain and Lieutenants who answer to the Company Master (Belial can’t be everywhere issuing the orders). Or maybe this model represents Belial and is a proxy for him on the table top allowing me to use his rules (so long as my opponent is cool with that). 

Because the story is moving along it’s a lot easier to add your own spin to a Primaris Space Marine force. Ultimately, it’s your hobby and you can paint them however you like and you really don’t have to justify it to anyone. If you’re a person who can’t get past “only Terminators can be Deathwing” that’s cool it just means you’re still playing your game in the old setting. Nothing wrong with that, you do you.    

My Deathwing Terminators with the Primaris Deathwing.


All the Indomitus boxed set Astartes characters completed. 

To make the helm you’ll need both Dark Angel upgrade packs. The older MK7 set and the newer Primaris one. You’ll also need a scalpel (good time to stick a new blade on it, if you’re young ask an adult, don’t be a hero and lose a finger).  Start off by slicing the neck ball joint off parts 4 and 12 (pictured above). Keep one of the ballpoints. Now you’ll have a flat area to stop the helmets rolling about. Next you need to cut the fronts off both helmets. Use a model file to sand these parts down flat and smooth. You’ll be joining the back of part 12 to the front part of 4. Then glue a neck ball back on. Use green stuff to fill and smooth the join. This way of doing it is far stronger than cutting the ears off and gluing them.  

So what do you think about Primaris marines? Should they be in the Deathwing? Should they have their ‘Wing’? Let me know in the comments. 


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