Get your entrenching tools ready, soldiers – the 180th Regiment Death Korps of Krieg (cosplay division) is ready to march out. This group of dedicated Warhammer 40k fans from the Netherlands was founded in 2022, and has been attending conventions in force ever since.
Wargamer spoke to group leader Shaun (who prefers not to give a surname) about the regiment. So far there are around 12 Kriegsman, plus five other members, “spread across the province of Gelderland”. The unit musters for parade “at least twice per year at the biggest conventions in the Netherlands”, and the eager Warhammer 40k fans also “tend to visit other conventions” in smaller groups.
You can find more information and pictures of the 180th Krieg on Instagram. It’s also part of the Adeptus Cosplay group, “a larger organization recruiting groups like ours to build a European Warhammer cosplay community”.
The Death Korps’ World War One-inspired uniforms, penchant for trench warfare, and love of heavy artillery give them a strong visual identity. If you want to build your own Krieg cosplay, Shaun advises “start by looking at artwork featuring Death Korps soldiers, like in the Siege of Vraks books” – the out of print Forge World supplements which first detailed the regiment.
“We check out nearby army surplus stores for most of the clothing”, he says. “As for the trench coat you can order a genuine army trench coat from many online surplus stores”, he adds.
The 180th use 3D printers to make their guns and armor. “It can also be done with foam”, Shaun says, “but we prefer to print our gear using designs we found online”. It certainly gives the regiment a consistent look.
Shaun says that starting a cosplay regiment isn’t necessarily complicated. “Ask around at your wargaming store”, he says, “Most of our members are friends and people I met through wargaming”. The Astra Militarum, being normal humans, are definitely one of the easier Warhammer 40k factions to set up a cosplay group for – certainly a lot simpler than founding a Space Marine Chapter.
There’s good news for Krieg fans – Games Workshop has revealed that new minis for the dour deathworlders are coming in 2025.
Want more cosplay inspiration? We’ve seen some amazing cosplay in our time: we’re particular fans of this Imperial Fists Space Marine, this Leagues of Votann cosplay made in just one week, and this incredibly characterful Warhammer fantasy squig.
Source: Wargamer
