The Butcher’s Icons: Custom Berserker Squad

Reborn in Rage: Converted World Eaters Berserkers

Today I’m finally showcasing my converted World Eaters Berserkers — a project that started years before the new plastic kits existed. Back then, if you wanted Berserkers with real presence and character, you had to build them yourself.
And that’s exactly what I did.

Models & Concept

These Berserkers combine modern Chaos Space Marine bodies with a selection of iconic upgrade parts to capture the classic World Eaters look:
• CHAINAXE blades from Red-Warden-Miniatures (via Cults3D), adding aggressive, brutal silhouettes
• Classic Forge World Khorne Berserker helmets, full of retro charm and Legion identity
• Forge World shoulder pads, tying everything back to the XIIth Legion’s old aesthetic

The goal was to create Berserkers that feel raw, savage and unmistakably World Eaters — a bridge between the old Forge World era and the modern sculpts.

Painting Approach

I painted them using my established grimdark World Eaters workflow: textured whites, corrupted reds, oily metal tones, bruised flesh and controlled grime.
The conversions gave me extra surfaces and sharper shapes to push the atmosphere even further.

Key focus areas:
• Weathered, battered CHAINAXES
• Blood-stained armor edges
• Gritty white plates and scarred red surfaces
• Old-school Legion identity with a modern grimdark twist

Details & Features
• Heavy kitbash using Red-Warden-Miniatures and Forge World parts
• Old-school Berserker silhouette rebuilt with modern plastic bodies
• Strong Legion identity through helmets and shoulder guards
• Grimdark textures, blood effects and atmospheric shadows
• A perfect “retro meets modern” redesign of the XIIth Legion infantry

Why This Project?

Before the new Berserker models existed, I always dreamed of a squad that felt truly worthy of the XIIth Legion — brutal, iconic and filled with character.
These conversions represent that vision: a personal tribute to the classic Forge World era, rebuilt and reimagined in a grimdark painting style that matches the rest of my army.