In this review, we examine the second wave of Primaris Blood Angels releases: the new Sanguinary Guard, The Sanguinor, the new Captain, and the Sanguinary Priest. As always, we’ll provide high-res images of the sprues along with a comprehensive overview of all included bits and build options. So, get ready, quench your blood thirst, and let’s dive in!
The new Blood Angels kits will be available for pre-order starting Saturday, 5 October 2024. The pre-order period lasts two weeks, with the official release date set for 19 October 2024.
Blood Angels 2024 release wave part 2
In this review we unbox the new Primaris Sanguinary Guard, the new Blood Angels Captain, as well as the Primaris Sanguinary Priest and the 2024 edition of The Sanguinor.
Sprue images and guides for Lemartes, Astorath and the new Blood Angels / Death Company upgrade sprue can be found in our review of the recently released and already sold out Death Company army set.
Blood Angels Sanguinary Guard (2024) review
The new Primaris-sized Sanguinary Guard, like other elite Primaris Space Marine units, come in a box containing three models and three 40mm bases. The box comes with the larger Blood Angels transfer sheet that was also in the Death Company army set, which also features chapter symbols for the Flesh Tearers, Angels Sanguine, and Angels Encarmine.
Patreon bonus content: Ultra high-res, uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides of the sprues) can be downloaded here.
You can assemble the models as following:
- Guardian 1 can choose between a raised right Encarmine blade arm, or a slightly lowered right arm with either a blade or spear, as well as either an Angelus boltgun or inferno pistol left arm.
- Guardian 2 has separate right hands either with a spear with a Sanguinary banner, a spear without banner, or an Encarmine blade.
- Guardian 3 can choose between a right arm with Encarmine blade or another arm with an Encamrine spear.
- There are also 4 interchangeable bare heads and 4 helmeted heads with death masks.
- While the arms are designed with specific bodies and poses in mind, the connection points are flat and thus can be interchanged.
The design of these new Sanguinary Guard has already sparked lively debate within the community. One notable change is the absence of the large, expansive wings present on the Firstborn versions. This alteration gives the models a noticeably different silhouette, which drew both criticism and praise. I personally find the abundance of belt pouches around the waist more distracting, as they add bulk to the otherwise sleek, muscular armour. It’s likely that these belts were a compromise for the casting process to avoid undercuts. And there is not that much variety in this set asides from changing arms and heads, as the poses are fixed.
Blood Angels Captain review
The new Primaris Captain of the Blood Angels comes packaged in a small box with a single sprue and a 40mm base. Unfortunately, it does not include the new Blood Angels or Death Company transfer sheet.
The Captain features a base pose with a muscular upper and lower body in the Blood Angels’ signature style, alongside several arm and head options. You can choose between a bare head, a death mask, and a Mk10 helmet with laurels. The left arm offers either a power fist or one of two arm positions, with options for a power or chainsword. The right arm has two poses as well, with either a heavy bolt pistol or inferno pistol. The kit also includes three shoulder pads, one plain for one of two winged icons, an optional cape, and an optional Iron Halo for the backpack.
Overall, it’s a good model with plenty of options and compatibility with the new Blood Angels upgrade sprue, which we discussed with the army set. However, to me it feels a bit plain compared to other Space Marine Captain models. If the cape had been a permanent part of the model, it might have given it more presence and weight.
Sanguinary Priest (2024) unboxing
The Blood Angels Sanguinary Priest in his newly remodelled Primaris form comes in a small box with a sprue and a 40mm base, but no transfer sheet. The model has a fixed pose, but offers three head options (two bare heads, one helmet) and two left arm variants. You can equip him with either a chainsword and a holstered Absolvor bolt pistol, or a raised bolt pistol and a chainsword with an empty holster. The backpack’s lamp and sensor are included twice, aligned to the left or right to follow the model’s line of sight, and a servo-skull is available to decorate the base.
Patreon bonus content: Ultra high-res, uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides of the sprues) can be downloaded here.
A well-executed Primaris update, with its dynamic pose and multiple options the Sanguinary Priest is probably my favourite model from this lot.
The Sanguinor (2024) in plastic
Like the other character models in this release wave, the plastic re-release of The Sanguinor comes in a small box with a single sprue and a 40mm base, but no transfer sheet. The Sanguinor is a monopose model with no alternate parts or posing options, as is often the case with special characters. If you want to paint the Sanguinor separately from the jump pack, wings, and parchment, be aware that the armour’s back piece is fused with the air intake of the jump pack. This could result in a seam.
Interestingly, the design is almost a direct copy of the original, though upscaled to Primaris proportions. The stance is now more frontal, with the older model’s upward-tilted head and chest being less pronounced, which IMO gave it a slightly more angelic feel in its previous form. It’s also surprising, at least to me, that the designers didn’t make the Sanguinor a grander centrepiece, with more swirling parchment like St. Celestine or a higher, floating pose akin to the Celestant Prime of the Stormcast Eternals.
Value
The prices for the new Blood Angels models are on par with those from the recent Dark Angels release. This means that the Sanguinary Guard have a relatively high cost for the amount of models (and sprues) you get. However, a Blood Angels Combat Patrol Box has been announced, which will include the new Captain and two boxes (six models) of the Sanguinary Guard. You will need to wait a bit for this, as a release date has not yet been confirmed at the time of this review.
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I hope you found this review helpful, feel free to leave a reaction or comment below, or post your questions here or discuss on our Discord channel.
8.0Score
Pros
- Dynamic poses for both the Sanguinary Guard and Priest
- Captain and Priest have multiple posing and weapon options
- Faithful recreation of the old Sanguinor model
Cons
- No more large wings for the Sanguinary Guard, limited poses
- Captain looks a bit plain
- No transfer sheets for the character models
Final Verdict
With the re-release of classic models, the Blood Angels Primaris range gains solid additions with a decent number of build options. However, unlike the Dark Angels, who recently introduced new ideas like Asmodai shrouded in smoke or the Inner Circle Companions, the Blood Angels don't seem to offer such fresh concepts. This may be why the community feels that this release lacks a certain "spark," as there isn't anything particularly innovative compared to other recent releases.