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Tabletop artist transforms the Golden Girls into Warhammer 40K supersoldiers

by Ian Walker - Polygon, February 7, 2025

Artist Adam Huenecke recently used his love for both ’80s sitcoms and tabletop wargaming as inspiration for a series of figures imagining the eponymous Golden Girls as battle-hardened warriors in the service of Warhammer 40K’s grimdark Imperium of Man. And while not the most obvious peanut butter cup-style pairing, the results are incredible.

“I’m a massive Golden Girls fan, so I can think of no better leadership for my Adeptus Sororitas,” Huenecke said via Instagram caption on Jan. 26. “I’ve been working through this concept for years and I’m excited to finally have it accomplished.”

Speaking to Polygon, Huenecke said the crossover was a natural result of being a lifelong fan of The Golden Girls and miniature painting. His dream was helped along by a digital sculptor at tabletop company Black Site Studios, who modeled the figures’ custom heads. Black Site Studios has since made the heads available as digital models for a small fee.

“Once I had the head sculpts, I printed out a bunch of reference pictures to try to do their faces justice,” Huenecke told me through email. “I had to digitally sculpt Sophia’s purse (carried by the cherub), which I’m not very good at so it took forever. Otherwise, I had to modify the miniatures a little to fit some of the characteristics of each Girl: I made Dorothy a little taller, Sophia much shorter, etc.”

Due to the Golden Girls dressing as nuns at various points in the series, Huenecke figured Warhammer 40K’s pseudo-religious Sisters of Battle were a “natural fit,” and went about choosing models he felt matched their unique characteristics. Sophia “runs the show,” much like a senior officer known as a Cannoness, Dorothy is modeled after the discipline-focused Dogmata due to students nicknaming her “Attila the Sub” when she teaches high school, Rose’s love for telling stories about her hometown St. Olaf made her a perfect fit for the inspirational Dialogus, and Blanche became a whip-wielding Repential Superior thanks to her often-physical guidance.

“It turns out there is a considerable crossover in the fandoms,” Huenecke said when asked about the feedback he’s received. “People were happy to see the loving detail put into some of their favorite characters. The Golden Girls holds up over time; their humor is based on brilliant timing and great writing, and their values are surprisingly progressive, even by today’s standards. I think that resonates with a lot of gamers who have revisited the series. And honestly, if you aren’t a fan of the Golden Girls, you’re probably not any fun to spend several hours pushing toy soldiers around with.”

The Beasts now have their own rocky terrain. Very pleased with the herdstone in particular.

Some more goblins based!

I found the first Warhammer thing I ever painted, these Eldar Warp Spiders, in 1995 or 1996. I didn’t even know what they were! I would get the 2nd edition 40k big box with the beloved mono pose space marines, space orks, and gretchin, as well as the ever infamous and tournament legal cardboard deff dred in 1997 which is when I consider my actual start in Warhammer. Here they are next to the last thing I painted for a competition, a Chaos Daemon Prince, in late 2024.

Chaos War Mammoth that I painted a few years ago!

This is so cool!!! You nailed it!

My version of an orc warboss from Warhammer fantasy

I kitbashed a Nippon Ronin in the Empire! They’ve taken out some raiding orcs!

Tzeentch Chaos Knights

GRAND CATHAY ANNOUNCED FOR WARHAMMER THE OLD WORLD. IM SO PUMPED!!!

So handsome… People’s Champion was my album of the year for 2024.