"That is why we are the Eaters of Worlds, and the War Hounds no longer."
After a strong start in 2020 and into 2021 the McFarlane Warhammer 40k line went on a hiatus in 2023. The final wave of 2022 was the Dark Tide videogame series which didn’t appear to do too well at retail, and many assumed the line was finished. Come late 2023 though leaks started to come through of a new wave for early 2024, and this was finally confirmed in late November with the reveal of a 6 figure wave containing the first Terminator in the line, two more marines - and Artist Proof unpainted variants for each of them.
The February 2024 released figures see the line undergo a makeover in terms of packaging. The boxes have moved to a brand new colour scheme featuring a lighter base colour overlaid with some Chapter-specific colouring on the left-hand side alongside the Chapter badge. The right-hand side retains the dark future-gothic look and carries the figure's name while round the back the entirety of the rear is turned over to a glorious illustration of the figure you are unpacking.
There is quite a lot of reflection through the included window, and the reason for this is clear when you open the box as McFarlane has now moved these figures into a black plastic tray with no securing ties or strings. Over this sits a clear plastic lid, and it is this that gives the dual reflection from the box front. While this inner tray looks brilliant, you can feel a reduction in quality as the plastic is very thin and unstable once removed from the box.
The other new addition to these relaunched figures is the inclusion of a ‘collector card’, a feature seen in a lot of McFarlane lines, particularly the DC Multiverse. These are good quality and feature a repeat of the artwork from the rear of the box on one side and some character details on the other.
The Khorne Berserker is the third Marine from the Chaos Legions to join McFarlane’s Warhammer 40k series. Despite this, there is very limited re-use on this new Khorne Berserker and I can only spot the feet, forearms, the internal section of the torso, and the central section of the backpack as carried forward from the previous releases. Like all Space Marines in the line, the armour is all cast in a base colour - in this case the bright red of Khorne. Onto this, we have sculpted iconography with the World Eater chapter badge on the left shoulder and various studded elements trimming the shoulders, wrists and leg guards - all of these are painted in gold. There is damage and wear built into the armour sculpt with pitted surfaces and chips throughout and if you do choose to add more paint application to your figure then all this detail will certainly be enhanced.
The helmet is a new twin-horned creation and is predominantly gold in colour with green eyes, black mouthpiece and tubing and red applied only on the forehead and to infill the two extended horn pieces. The Berserker is also wearing a sashed skirt section with a grey cloth-like belt, gunmetal clasp and hanging chains. Round the back the Chaos Marine backpack continues with the same red base colour and black extensions with longer black spikes down either side vs the previous version,
This is the first Marine I am aware of to come with alternative hands, allowing you to give the Khorne Berserker some alternative grips for the two included weapons. While that sounds great, both griping hands still cause an issue due to how rigid they are and you will be advised to use some gentle heat to open up the grip - but also when swapping the hands as the fit is quite tight and gripping a spiked forearm while trying to engage a hand into place can be painful. The included accessories are good with a large Chaos Marine Battle axe to wield or a smaller bolter.
The Axe is the best of the two featuring a two-tone black/grey colour scheme and lots more spikes down its shaft and onto the head and blade. The bolter is more subdued with a black casing, blue upper 'energy' panel, a handful of spikes and some more handing chains although these are much less defined than the ones on the armour and are unpainted. The hand combos allow for both weapons to be wielded at once, or just singularly with an open right hand available to cup the axe in a two-handed pose.
Articulation count sits at 20 points in total with pivot toes on the feet another benefit of carrying over parts from the Gold Label release. Like most Marines to date, this level of articulation doesn’t translate to a huge range of options but I was pleasantly surprised with getting the Berseker to stand, walk, run and wield weaponry with relative ease. The joints feel robust and all positions hold in place once posed.
The Space Marines have become the real basis of the McFarlane WH40K line and this Khorne Berserker from the World Eaters is a welcome addition to bolster the forces of Chaos. The new packaging and art card seemingly bring with it a price hike to circa £27 for these, but the quality of the plastic and articulation make that feel warranted. Paintwork is to a set standard and allows for customisation and enhancement - or of course, there is an Artists proof option if you want to start from scratch. Probably not a figure to army build considering the price and the amount of shelf space he takes up, but a recommended purchase for those assembling a lineup of both Loyalist and Heretic Marines alike.
Keep Track of all the McFarlane Warhammer 40k figures via our Collectors Database
And don't forget to check out the full McFarlane Collectors Database & Checklist for all of the other McFarlane properties.
If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports
About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...