Warhammer 40,000 – Dark Angels Grand Master of the Deathwing Belial

Last year Supreme Grand Master Azrael got the Primaris update and Lion El'Jonson returned to the 40th millenium as well. This year with the new Dark Angels codex and a fitting Deathwing themed box, Deathwing Assault, the Grand Master of the Deathwing, Belial returns with an updated model.

The old model was released in 2013 as a finecast (a spin cast resin used by Games Workshop to substitute metal, when the raw material gow more expensive and the updated their process in production) kit and among the taller heroes when it was released. Now it is time for another increase in size, to fit with the new larger Indomitus Terminators.

As mentioned above, the model is currently only available as part of the Deathwing Assault box, but will later come as a miniature on its own. We don't have a price yet, but I assume he will be around the 35 EUR mark.

The instructions are part of the large booklet of Deathwing Assault and the few steps fit on a single page. Belial comes with a 50mm base.

All parts fit in a single small sprue, including a small base decor and two head variants. With and without a hood. The casting is crisp and clean. Only minor mould lines.

The small base decor is a pair of ruins, and one of the tiles has a small easter egg on it. It shows the Thunderbird, a stylized variant of the Imperial Eagle / Aquila, as a simplified totem.

The massive legs of the tactical dreadnought armour are cut into multiple pieces, including shin guards. Unfortunately the left leg has a rather present gap, which will take some green stuff or putty to fil in. Due to the angle it will not be that present, once Belial is fully assembled.

Next up the massive upper body including the cloak. They made the grid of the armour a bit more gothic. One shoulder pad is completely covered by the cloak.

The Stormbolter has partially drilled barrels and is neatly designed. Beyond that Belial has a shoulder pad with his name on it and the Sword of Silence.

Last but not least, you can decide between two different head options, with or without a hood. Of course, with this being the gloomy deathwing, we went with the hooded option.

And to give you an idea of the size. Here is Belial next to the new Terminator Captain, who would be shorter than him, if it wasn't for the big base decor. And to his left, one of the oldest Dark Angel characters, the classic Asmodai. In the second picture you can see him with an older Terminator Character, Logan Grimnar. It has been a while.

Belial is a stern looking model, with a stoic pose, fitting for a character in Terminator armour.

Conclusion

Who will we see next among the ranks of the Dark Angels to cross the primaris rubicon? Lazarus was the first of the Dark Angels to do so, and is still around as a named character in the new Codex. We've seen the preview of Asmodai at the World Championships, and he is shown once again in the new Codex, so he will certainly be next.

Ezekiel is the one waiting for the longest for a new model, but still a stunning looking sculpt by Jes Goodwin. He is even part of the current Codex, as is Sammael, who is not dated but probably will look a bit small compared to the others.

As mentioned above, I think they did a great job with Belial. The old pose was rather boring and he was just standing upright, without any dynamic. The base design is a neat addition and he certainly fits the purpose. Due to the his pose, he could easily be converted using the parts from the Deathwing Knights or Upgrades to build a generic Deathwing commander, and maybe even be magnetized.

Warhammer 40,000 is a brand by Games Workshop.

The reviewed product item was provided by the manufacturer