Review: McFarlane Warhammer 40k Kasrkin Adeptus Militarum Guardsman
- Mephitsu
- Apr 7
- 5 min read
"When veteran Guardsmen flee, the Kasrkin stand. When victory is near, the Kasrkin seize it. When the Archenemy attacks, the Kasrkin Elite are the rock upon which traitors shall break."
The McFarlane Warhammer 40k series of figures launched in 2020 and has predominately focused on the Space Marines and Traitor Chapters from the Games Workshop WH40k Universe. In 2022, we got our first Imperial Guard releases thanks to the tie-in with the Dark Tide video game, and in 2024, these forces were expanded further with the release of the Imperial Guard Kasrkin, the elite troops of the Astra Militarum from the Fortress World of Cadia.
The Kasrkin Guard is the first non-Space Marine to be released in the newer format WH40k packaging with a larger window box in a base white colour and adorned with an accent colour based on its contents. For this release, a green tone is chosen in line with the Guardsman armour. This green, almost camouflage, colouring is seen on the sides of the box and around the box and is also inlaid with imagery including some of the gothic symbolism of the WH40k universe, but also of the Cadian forces in battle. The rear of the box carries no background information or details about the figure, only a tiny list of contents. These contents are packed into a flimsy-feeling inner black tray.
Despite similarities to the Dark Tide Imperial Guardsman, the Kasrkin shares no obvious parts and is an entirely new sculpt made up of a beige undersuit and then fitted with armoured panels across the chest, shoulders, wrists, upper legs, knees and boots. The armour is cast in a green plastic and then decorated further with an angular camo pattern in black and edged in white. There is also detailing on the chest with a red indicator light and silver buttons, and a sculpted and silver painted Imperial two-headed eagle symbol. Decals are applied to each shoulder with the Caidan World symbol of a skull inside a temple on the right hand side, and the number 005 on the left confirming the unit number.
The Kasrkin wear a backpack, also cast in green with large silver aerial and lower compartment. It is also adorned with a silver painted eagle symbol sculpted into the piece. It is glued in place and not readily removable from the figure.
vs Veteran Imperial Guardsman from Dark Tide (right)
The helmet is similarly cast in green plastic with a silver painted visor and two breathing canisters picked out in silver on either side of the mouthpiece. To the left-hand side is a torch/camera component with red red-painted lens, while another winged skull icon is sculpted into the forehead and painted silver. Visible beneath the helmet and connecting into the torso is a skin tone neck, demonstrating that this is a trooper in armour and not a fully enclosed suit like the Space Marines.
The Kasrkin comes with four hand options in total. These include a pair of gripping hands for holding the included weapon, a spare left hand that can cradle the weapon if the grip is not used, and a pointing right hand for leading other troops into battle. The weapon itself is a large Plasma Rifle, similar in design to the Blood Angel Hellblaster but a new piece in its own right. It is cast in black with a pearlescent blue upper chamber and a dull silver barrel. It features a standard grip and trigger and and a further horizontal grip down the barrel for a two-handed secure firing position.
The figure has 18 points of articulation, with an obvious move to pinless joints evident on the upper body compared to the older Imperial Guard figure. Pins are still used on the legs which include toe joints, ankle rockers, dual joint knees and hip joints. The arms feature wrist joints, double jointed elbows, a shoulder ball joint and an incorporated butterfly joint - the latter being a weak spot on the figure and something that will pop out of the torso when the arms are posed if you are not careful. Articulation is wrapped up by a basic waist joint with limited movement and a neck ball joint peg.
The posing options are adequate without being overly extensive. The Kasrkin can wield his weapon and be put into basic firing positions or pose without it and using the gesturing hand to order other troopers around. The legs allow a stable neutral pose and can then be used with the included circular black stand for slightly more dynamic walking or, at a push, running positions.
Visually the Kasrkin figure from McFarlane is very well sculpted, painted to a basic standard, and inclusive of the relevant iconography. More talented collectors can then choose to enhance the decor or may opt for the unpainted Artist Proof to create their own piece. The figure could be an army-builder but it lacks any alternative parts to make that viable without looking too uniform. While not wanting to see the Wh40k prices jump any further (they went from £20 to £30 very recently), an alternative head or weapon option might have encouraged army building purchases. The figure does fit in will with the other figures released to date, expanding an Imperial Guard unit alongside the Dark Tide Guardsman and Ogron as a particularly relevant option.
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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...
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