Iron Butchers: homebrew warband vs White Dwarf warband
The homebrew Iron Butchers were created in 2021 and are unrelated to the warband of the same name that Games Workshop later introduced in White Dwarf magazine in 2023. The two were developed independently.
Comparison
| Aspect | Iron Butchers (this homebrew) | Iron Butchers (White Dwarf / Games Workshop) |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | enter.the.butcher (fan creation) | Games Workshop; the Gore-forged were created by James Ashbey |
| Year | 2021 | 2023 (first appearance: White Dwarf 489, June 2023) |
| Leader | Warsmith Vhorrax | Vorghor, a Daemon Prince |
| Composition | Iron Warriors and World Eaters | Not specified (Legion of origin unknown) |
| Allegiance | Khorne (predominant); Chaos Undivided among some Iron Warriors | Khorne |
| Structure | Independent warband | A faction within the Gore-forged |
| Colours | Iron and red; schemes vary between Iron Warriors, World Eaters and mixed | Not documented |
| Distinctive markings | Hazard stripes, the warband symbol, the Caedere Remissum, Iron Warriors and World Eaters legion symbols (all recurring, none constant) | Not documented |
| Symbol | A fusion of the Iron Warriors and World Eaters legion symbols: a skull wearing the spiked iron helm of the Iron Warriors, its jaws gaping wide with the jagged fangs of the World Eaters, set over two crossed chainaxes. | Not documented |
| Sources | This site and the Codex Hereticus, plus third-party platforms: | White Dwarf 489 (June 2023) and 495 (November 2023), Games Workshop, “A Tale of Four Warlords” series; Derunn Kazurax, Khorne Master of Executions of the Gore-forged, in White Dwarf 497 |
Canon details refer to White Dwarf, published by Games Workshop: the primary and official source for the White Dwarf Iron Butchers.
How to tell them apart
The main difference between the two warbands is that mine are an alliance of World Eaters and Iron Warriors, while the White Dwarf Iron Butchers are a Khornate warband whose Legion of origin is not specified.
The easiest way to tell whether an artwork or a story features my Iron Butchers: look for Iron Warriors and World Eaters fighting side by side. Other giveaways are the warband's symbol, hazard stripes, or characters like Warsmith Vhorrax, Culsu or Skhraal. If you spot those, they're most likely mine!