Walk into any bits box and you'll find the same problem: a pile of helmets, shoulder pads and backpacks that all sort of look like they belong together, until you put them on the table and your squad looks like it was outfitted at three different garage sales. That's exactly why every BW Terrain & Forge Space Knights part carries an armor code. V1, V5, V10K, DV4. It's not a secret handshake. It's a quick way to tell which parts were designed to look right side by side.
This guide walks through every BWTF sci-fi power armor line, from the battered V1 Exterminator prototypes to the heavy DV4 Dominator. For each one you'll get the look, the role, the 80s movies and comics that inspired it, and a one-click link to every part in that line. Grab a drink, the tape's rewound, let's go.
How the BWTF armor codes work
Each armor version is a complete design language: helmet shapes, shoulder pad silhouettes, backpack massing and rivet logic. The numbers follow our Space Knights timeline in the Sirius Sector, so lower numbers are older, rougher plate and higher numbers are newer and more refined.
- V1–V7: mainline armor for Battle Brothers, designed for One Page Rules Battle Brothers scale (28–32mm heroic scale).
- V10K, V10B, V10R: the V10 family for Prime Brothers, the bigger, newer generation of super-soldiers.
- DV4: heavy Destroyer armor, the walking-bunker option in One Page Rules.
Every line has its own landing page. Click the armor name in any section below and the store filters down to just that code. You can also use the Armor filter on any collection page yourself.
Which armor code do I want?
| Code | Look | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| V1 Exterminator | Riveted, barbaric prototype plate | Veteran relic squads, grimdark grit |
| V2 Metal Storm | First mass-produced plate, visor slits | Early-era line troops |
| V3 Warrior | Heavy frontal plate, fully enclosed | Breachers and siege squads |
| V4 Savage | Compact assault plate, jagged studs | Close-assault and urban fighting |
| V5 Defiance | Studded, kept-and-repaired heirloom plate | Disciplined line squads |
| V6 Stroud | Lighter, streamlined, smooth or studded | Scouts, raiders, fast movers |
| V7 Iron Eagle | Diesel punk meets modern tactical | Jump troops and assault squads |
| V10K Knight | Sleek, streamlined super-soldier | Prime Brothers line troops and heroes |
| V10B Brawler | Bulky, heavyweight fighter | Prime Brothers heavy assault |
| V10R Reaper | Slender, lightweight (in the works) | Prime Brothers infiltrators |
| DV4 Dominator | Heavy Destroyer armor (in the works) | Your toughest veterans |
The early marks: V1 to V4
V1 Exterminator is the oldest pattern in the Sirius Sector: blocky, battered and built to survive the first wars. It's named for the 1980 grindhouse film The Exterminator, with a big helping of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior marauder plate, Simon Bisley's ABC Warriors and ancient Sumerian helmets from the Royal Tombs of Ur. Grab the V1 Exterminator Helmets, the crested Trojan-Style Helmets for officers and the V1 Backpack.
V2 Metal Storm was the first mass-produced battle plate of the Sirius Sector wars. It's named after Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983) and mixes 15th-century barbute visor slots with Gothic plate ridging. Eighties style meets grit, grime and bolts. Start with the V2 Helmets and the V2 Backpack.
V3 Warrior is heavy front-line plate for grinding sieges. Think The Warriors (1979) street-gang grit, fluted Maximilian armor and Marvel's Iron Monger, all poured into a "walking tank" silhouette. See the V3 Helmets, Shoulder Pads and Backpack.
V4 Savage is the leaner, meaner evolution: rugged field plate hammered together on the front line. The name comes from the biker film The Savage Seven (1968), and the domed helmet and barrel chest nod to Marvel's Crimson Dynamo and 1960s NASA and Soviet space suits. The V4 Helmets pair with plain or studded shoulder pads, like the Studded Type A.
V5 Defiance: the heirloom plate
V5 Defiance is studded, hard-wearing plate from the era when knights held the line against impossible odds. Where V4 is fresh aggression, V5 looks kept, repaired and re-issued across a dozen campaigns. Its name comes from Defiance (1980), a small crew holding hostile ground through stubborn will. The look also borrows from the Dark Troopers of Star Wars: Dark Forces, the slabby industrial forms of 2000 AD (Judge Dredd and the ABC Warriors), the ribbed hoses of the 1970s Doctor Who Cybermen, Dalek stud fields and the clean linework of Tron.
The V5 shoulder pads use capped-cone studs, sleeker nodules than V4's jagged spikes, plus a stepped panel line, three slot vents and a screw-head fitting. Four notch patterns (Types A–D) let you mark squads or sergeants at a glance. Shop the V5 Helmets, Studded Shoulder Pads Type A and V5 Backpack.
V6 Stroud: the bird of prey
V6 Stroud is lighter, streamlined plate built for speed, scouting and lightning raids. It's named for Robert Stroud from Birdman of Alcatraz, and the helmets take their cue from the bird-team heroes of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, which a lot of us Gen-Xers watched after school as Battle of the Planets. 7-Zark-7 not included.
V6 pads come in two flavors, smooth and studded, each in Types A–D. Mix them to separate squads, or give the studded ones to your veterans. Start with the V6 Helmets, Smooth Shoulder Pads Type A, Studded Shoulder Pads Type A and the V6 Backpack. Cyber Samurai fans should check out the V6 Heavy Plate Sode Shoulder Pads too.
V7 Iron Eagle: diesel punk jump troops
V7 Iron Eagle takes its name from the 1986 movie Iron Eagle, so yes, cue the Queen soundtrack. The look blends diesel punk, modern tactical gear and the padded, practical kit you'd see on a paintball field. It's built for squads that drop out of the sky. The V7 Iron Eagle Jetpack spreads iron wings over the thrusters, and the Feathered Crest marks your sergeant. Themed V7 parts include the Winged Lion Jetpack and the Cyber Samurai V7 Bushi Shoulder Pads.
The V10 family: Prime Brothers armor
The V10 lines are designed for One Page Rules Prime Brothers scale: bigger frames for the newer, more advanced super-soldiers. All three share the same armor language, so a Knight, a Brawler and a Reaper look like they came out of the same forge.
V10K Knight is the streamlined workhorse. It's inspired by Master Chief's armor from Halo and Tony Stark's suits from Iron Man: smooth plates, clean lines, all business. V10K is our biggest range, with dozens of helmets and heads like the V10K Chief Helmets for squad leaders, the V10K Engineer Backpack and themed sets like the Cyber Samurai V10K Knight Captain Kit.
V10B Brawler is the heavy-duty Prime Brothers armor: still built on that sleek super-soldier language, but bulked up like a heavyweight fighter. Think Iron Man's Hulkbuster, Iron Monger and Box from Alpha Flight, ready to punch something larger than life. Order symbols are already available in Brawler size, like the Star Tridents V10B Symbols. A full Brawler commander kit is on the way; see our Brawler Kit preview.
V10R Reaper is the upgrade path from V6 Stroud: lighter and more slender, like Anakin Skywalker's armor in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but still speaking the same armor language as the Knight. Stay tuned: V10R is still in the works. In the meantime, Reaper-sized order symbols such as the Star Tridents V10R Symbols are ready to go.
DV4 Dominator: Destroyer armor
DV4 Dominator is our take on the heavy Destroyer armor from One Page Rules Grimdark Future, the walking-bunker plate you give your toughest veterans. Stay tuned: the full DV4 armor is still in the works. You can already kit out Destroyer-sized pads with the Cyber Samurai DV4 Bushi Shoulder Pads and symbol sets like the Galactic Overwatch DV4 Symbols.
Keeping a squad consistent
- Pick one code per unit. Matching helmets, pads and backpacks from one armor line is the fastest way to make a squad read as one unit from across the table.
- Mix codes on purpose. A V1 helmet on a veteran sergeant says "this guy has been here since the beginning." Mixing marks within an order is great storytelling, as long as it's deliberate.
- Use symbols to tie the army together. Many order symbol sets come in V10K, V10B, V10R and DV4 sizes, so every armor type in your army can wear the same mark. Browse shoulder pad symbols.
- Test fit before you glue. Plenty of hobbyists kitbash our parts with kits from all over their bits box. Every kit is different, so test fit before you glue.
Want more on planning a build? Read Custom Grimdark Sci-Fi Miniature Bits: A Builder's Guide and our main guide, Conversion Bits for Grimdark Future and Firefight.
How to buy
Depending on the product, you can choose between up to three options (see Grey Resin vs STL vs SPEEDY Resin for the full rundown):
- Grey Resin: printed to order, about 4–6 weeks for production, with every part separate (no sprue).
- Digital STL: instant download, supplied unsupported, personal-use license.
- SPEEDY Resin: a $10 deposit gets us hunting for a print partner near you, and you get a quote before anything prints. Color may vary.
New to the shop? The Start Here page is the best place to begin, or dive straight into the Space Knights collection.
Films, comics, cartoons and characters named in this article are trademarks of their respective owners. They are mentioned only to describe the inspirations behind our original designs and imply no affiliation or endorsement.
BW Terrain & Forge is an independent studio and is not affiliated with Games Workshop Group PLC or its affiliates. Our products are original designs, not scans, recasts or replicas. They are not designed, manufactured, licensed or approved by Games Workshop, and are not intended to include or infringe any of its intellectual property. One Page Rules, Grimdark Future and Firefight are the property of their owners and are mentioned to describe the games our parts are designed for. See our Terms of Use for more information.
0 comments