The complete guide to Trench Crusade factions and their dark philosophies.

Trench Crusade factions explained: Heaven, Hell, Temple of Metamorphosis and Path of the Beast

Trench Crusade factions define one of the most disturbing and original grimdark tabletop settings in modern gaming, combining theological horror, World War I trench warfare and cosmic nihilism into a brutal eternal conflict.

Set in an alternate history where the First Crusade accidentally opened a Hellgate beneath Jerusalem in 1099, Trench Crusade transforms medieval religious warfare into an endless industrial apocalypse fought across poisoned trenches, desecrated battlefields and infernal wastelands.

The game blends skirmish-scale tabletop combat with expansive lore rooted in Christian, Islamic and occult traditions. Unlike many fantasy wargames, its factions are not divided into simple heroes and villains. Every power in the setting is morally compromised, psychologically scarred or spiritually corrupted.

This article explains how Trench Crusade works as a tabletop game before examining the four most important ideological powers shaping its universe: The Faithful forces of Heaven, the infernal armies of Hell, the transcendent cult of the Temple of Metamorphosis and the feral chaos of the Path of the Beast.

Each faction represents a distinct philosophical response to suffering, divinity, flesh and existence itself. Their conflicts create a setting defined as much by body horror and metaphysics as by trench warfare and artillery.

Key Takeaways

Trench Crusade combines WWI trench warfare with cosmic horror and religious apocalypse.
The setting’s factions represent competing ideologies about humanity, salvation and transformation.
The Temple of Metamorphosis rejects both Heaven and Hell through transcendence and mutation.
The Path of the Beast embraces animalistic regression and primordial chaos.

What is Trench Crusade?

Trench Crusade official website is a grimdark tabletop skirmish game created by artist and writer Tuomas Pirinen alongside a growing creative team of illustrators, sculptors and game designers. The setting imagines a catastrophic divergence from real history during the First Crusade.

In 1099, crusaders seeking divine victory instead breached a gateway into Hell beneath Jerusalem. Demonic legions poured into Earth, permanently corrupting the Holy Land and initiating an endless war between infernal forces and the surviving nations of humanity.

Over the centuries, technology continued to develop, though under radically altered circumstances. By the equivalent of the early twentieth century, humanity fights with rifles, machine guns, trench mortars, gas masks and artillery while simultaneously relying on relics, saints, alchemy and divine intervention. The resulting world resembles World War I filtered through medieval theology, occult mysticism and cosmic horror.

The game itself focuses on small-scale skirmishes between warbands rather than massive army engagements. Players assemble customised forces composed of soldiers, cultists, mutants, pilgrims, demons or specialised operatives depending on faction choice.

Combat uses alternating activations and dense terrain, emphasising positioning, suppression, close-range violence and narrative immersion. Unlike many competitive tabletop systems, Trench Crusade places enormous importance on atmosphere, storytelling and visual identity. Miniatures are heavily customised, often featuring grotesque conversions, religious iconography and severe battlefield damage.

Mechanically, the game encourages asymmetric warfare. Some factions rely on overwhelming zeal and attrition, others on mutation or infernal sorcery. Victory rarely feels heroic. Even successful campaigns carry an overwhelming sense of decay and spiritual exhaustion. This bleak atmosphere forms the foundation for one of the most complex fictional universes currently emerging within tabletop gaming culture.

Heaven and the Faithful: Defending creation against damnation

In Trench Crusade, “Heaven” does not refer to angels descending triumphantly from the skies. Instead, it refers primarily to the Faithful, the battered human civilisations aligned with God and struggling to preserve creation against infernal corruption.

These forces include Christian and Islamic powers that would historically have been enemies yet now fight together out of necessity. Their alliance remains uneasy, shaped by centuries of theological tension, political rivalry and mutual suspicion.

The central stronghold of the Faithful is the New Antioch, a fortress city in the Levant functioning as the primary bulwark against Hell. New Antioch embodies siege mentality on a civilisational scale. It is simultaneously a military fortress, industrial centre and sacred city.

Massive defensive walls protect crowded populations living beneath constant artillery bombardment and demonic assault. Every aspect of society revolves around survival and warfare.

New Antioch’s armies combine industrial technology with religious devotion. Professional soldiers known as Yeomen fight alongside elite Communicants, individuals altered or strengthened through sacred rites and divine augmentation.

Weapons are often blessed or sanctified. Factories produce armaments infused with theological symbolism. Faith is not metaphorical in this world. Prayer, relics and martyrdom can possess tangible battlefield power.

Despite this apparent righteousness, the Faithful are not depicted as purely benevolent. Centuries of total war have brutalised their societies.

Religious orthodoxy is enforced harshly. Heresy often means execution. Citizens are expected to sacrifice endlessly for survival. Entire generations grow up knowing only trenches, bombardment and mass death. The psychological toll is immense.

Among the most tragic forces within Heaven’s ranks are the Trench Pilgrims. These are not professional soldiers but masses of fanatics, prisoners, peasants and desperate believers marching willingly into near-certain death.

Armed with improvised weapons and unwavering faith, they cross No Man’s Land singing hymns and seeking martyrdom. Many carry martyrdom pills or relics intended to preserve spiritual purity even if captured by Hell.

The Trench Pilgrims represent one of Trench Crusade’s defining themes: the transformation of faith into a mechanism of survival and annihilation simultaneously. Their courage is genuine, yet profoundly horrifying. Human life has become expendable within an eternal holy war.

Another critical Faithful power is the Iron Sultanate. Drawing inspiration from Islamic empires and scientific traditions, the Iron Sultanate combines advanced alchemy, engineering and disciplined military organisation.

Their forces often appear technologically sophisticated compared to many Christian factions. Janissaries, alchemical specialists and heavily armoured troops form the backbone of their armies.

The Sultanate resents Christian dominance within the alliance yet recognises the necessity of cooperation against Hell. This tension gives the Faithful political depth beyond simplistic holy-war narratives. The survival of humanity depends on fragile coalitions maintained under unbearable pressure.

Thematically, Heaven represents order, discipline and endurance. Its forces fight not because victory appears achievable, but because surrender would mean the annihilation of creation itself. Their trenches symbolise civilisation’s final defensive line against metaphysical collapse.

Hell and the infernal legions: Corruption as civilisation

Hell in Trench Crusade is not a unified empire but a chaotic collection of infernal powers, rival demon princes, heretical kingdoms and corrupted human societies. Although these factions share hostility toward God and creation, they are frequently divided by internal rivalries and conflicting ambitions. This fragmentation gives Hell an unsettling realism. Evil here is not monolithic. It is political, ideological and opportunistic.

The largest infernal military forces are the Heretic Legions. These armies consist primarily of mortals who willingly allied themselves with Hell over centuries of warfare. Many descend from populations trapped within corrupted territories after the Hellgate opened. Others turned to infernal powers seeking survival, revenge or power.

Unlike mindless cultists, the Heretic Legions are highly organised military societies. They possess artillery, logistics, commanders and industrial infrastructure. Entire infernal cities exist within damned territories. Generations have lived and died under demonic rule. To many inhabitants, allegiance to Hell is simply normal civilisation.

This moral ambiguity is central to Trench Crusade’s setting. The Heretic Legions are undeniably horrific, engaging in atrocities, corruption and demonic worship, yet they are also recognisably human. Their soldiers march, fear, organise and endure much like their enemies in Heaven.

Among Hell’s most terrifying powers is the Cult of the Black Grail, associated with Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies. The Black Grail embodies disease, pestilence and biological corruption. Its forces spread infection through swarms of flies, plagues and mutagenic contamination. Entire populations can become thralls transformed into diseased horrors.

Black Grail warbands often include plague knights, infected servants and grotesque amalgam creatures formed through uncontrolled mutation. Their presence transforms battlefields into rotting wastelands filled with corpses and living contagion. Unlike some infernal factions motivated by conquest or ideology, the Black Grail spreads suffering indiscriminately. Life itself becomes raw material for corruption.

Another major infernal faction is the Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent, a more aristocratic and politically sophisticated power associated with serpentine imagery, temptation and infernal hierarchy. Whereas the Black Grail revels in decay, the Court emphasises manipulation, ritual and power structures. Demonic nobility, occult ceremonies and elaborate infernal politics define its culture.

The Court demonstrates that Hell in Trench Crusade is not solely chaos. It also contains systems of authority, ambition and governance. Demon princes manoeuvre against one another constantly, seeking influence over mortal realms and infernal territories alike.

Hell’s greatest strength lies in corruption rather than brute force alone. It exploits despair, exhaustion and hopelessness. After centuries of endless war, many humans abandon faith not because they stop believing in God, but because suffering becomes unbearable. Hell offers power, survival or escape from fear. In this sense, infernal victory occurs psychologically long before battlefields are conquered.

Visually and thematically, Hell blends industrial warfare with medieval damnation. Trenches are lined with sacrificial altars. Artillery batteries fire shells filled with cursed remains. Mutants and demons fight alongside disciplined infantry. The result is a civilisation shaped entirely around eternal blasphemous warfare.

Temple of Metamorphosis: Transcendence through horror

Among the most philosophically disturbing factions in Trench Crusade is the Temple of Metamorphosis, sometimes called the Church of the Metamorphosis. Unlike Heaven or Hell, this cult does not primarily seek victory within the eternal war. Instead, it seeks transcendence beyond existence itself.

The Temple worships primordial entities believed to predate God, Lucifer and creation. These beings originate from a state of pre-cosmic chaos existing before ordered reality emerged. To the Temple, the universe created by God is fundamentally false, restrictive and incomplete. Human flesh, identity and even the soul are viewed as prisons preventing access to deeper truths.

Central to Temple doctrine is the concept of the Doorway or Doorways, mysterious portals hidden deep within Hell itself. Even Lucifer and the arch-demons allegedly fear or cannot fully access these gateways. Beyond them lies something older and stranger than either Heaven or Hell.

This concept radically expands Trench Crusade beyond conventional religious horror into cosmic horror territory. The Temple suggests that the war between God and Hell may itself be insignificant compared to incomprehensible realities lurking outside creation.

Temple rituals revolve around transformation. Members undergo extreme bodily modification, mutation and psychological alteration intended to break attachment to human form. Flesh is reshaped through molting, surgical mutilation, parasitic infestation and chrysalid-like metamorphosis. Practitioners may shed skin repeatedly, alter skull structures or enter cocoon states for extended periods.

The Temple’s hierarchy reflects this obsession with transformation. Acolytes, monks and hierodules serve alongside grotesque entities known as Pupal Seraphim or Sisters of the Transcendent Chrysalid. These beings exist in transitional states between humanity and something utterly alien. Their appearances often combine insectoid anatomy with distorted religious symbolism.

One of the Temple’s most disturbing features is its treatment of identity itself. Individuality becomes irrelevant. The self is considered an illusion generated by material existence. True enlightenment supposedly emerges only through annihilation of stable human consciousness.

Temple monasteries frequently exist in isolated infernal territories such as the Inverted Mountains of Hell. They maintain uneasy alliances with infernal factions, particularly because Hell tolerates their activities in exchange for intelligence and support. However, the Temple is not truly loyal to Lucifer or the demonic hierarchy. Many infernal powers regard its members with suspicion or contempt.

This relationship is important because it positions the Temple as a genuine “third way” within the setting. Unlike Heaven, it rejects divine order. Unlike Hell, it rejects hierarchical rebellion and sinful desire. Instead, it seeks dissolution of reality itself through communion with primordial chaos.

On the battlefield, Temple forces rely less on conventional military discipline and more on psychological terror, mutation and bizarre biological warfare. Reports describe eggs or parasitic organisms dropped upon enemies, triggering horrific transformations. Portable Doorways installed within desecrated cathedrals allegedly allow contact with entities beyond comprehension.

The Temple of Metamorphosis embodies existential horror. It asks whether enlightenment might require abandoning every aspect of humanity, morality and reality. In a setting already dominated by war and damnation, the Temple introduces something even more terrifying: the possibility that both Heaven and Hell are irrelevant before older cosmic truths.

Path of the Beast: The triumph of instinct over humanity

If the Temple of Metamorphosis represents transcendence through mutation and cosmic revelation, the Path of the Beast represents the opposite trajectory: regression into primal instinct and animal savagery.

The Path of the Beast rejects civilisation entirely. Its followers believe humanity’s defining traits, reason, morality, religion and social order, are artificial weaknesses imposed by divine creation. The Beast itself is described as a primordial force predating or opposing ordered existence. Some interpretations connect it to mythological entities such as Leviathan or Tiamat, embodiments of ancient chaos resisting God’s structured universe.

Where the Temple seeks alien transcendence, the Beast seeks liberation through devolution. Followers abandon higher thought, shame and spiritual aspiration in favour of hunger, violence, sexuality and predatory instinct. The Path teaches that humanity’s fear and suffering stem from self-awareness itself. Freedom emerges only by becoming beastlike.

This ideology makes the Path deeply seductive within Trench Crusade’s setting. Endless trench warfare has traumatised countless soldiers and civilians. The Beast offers escape from fear, guilt and despair through surrender to instinct. Many converts are psychologically broken individuals seeking oblivion rather than salvation.

Transformation within the Path occurs through parasites, ritual markings, infection and ecstatic rites. Followers gradually mutate into hybrid creatures combining human and animal characteristics. Beastmen, were-creatures and horned horrors emerge from these processes. Packs often include wolves, serpents, boar-like mutants and other predatory forms.

Unlike the rigid hierarchies of Heaven or the infernal courts of Hell, Beast warbands operate as hunting packs. Leadership depends largely on strength, cunning and dominance. Horned Priests guide rituals and maintain spiritual authority, while terrifying entities called Zygotic Lords represent advanced stages of monstrous evolution.

The Path’s use of runes is particularly notable. Symbols carved into flesh supposedly channel primal energies when combined in specific patterns. These markings enhance aggression, physical strength and sensory awareness. Combined with infection and mutation, they create terrifying close-combat warriors.

Thematically, the Path represents anti-civilisation taken to its absolute conclusion. It rejects not only God’s order but also the infernal bureaucracy of Hell and the transcendental ambitions of the Temple. The Beast does not promise enlightenment or power. It promises release from consciousness itself.

This nihilism differentiates the Path from many traditional fantasy beast factions. There is no romantic return to nature here. The Beast is not harmony with the wilderness. It is predation, rutting, hunger and violence stripped of moral restraint.

On the battlefield, Path warbands favour frenzied assaults, ambush tactics and brutal melee combat. They thrive in isolated regions, forests, ruined villages and No Man’s Land. Under moonlight or during ritual gatherings, their attacks can resemble supernatural hunting frenzies more than organised warfare.

The Path’s spread often occurs gradually. Small cults emerge among exhausted soldiers, refugees or isolated communities. Strange parasites appear. Ritual feasts occur in secret. Behaviour becomes increasingly feral before full transformation takes hold. This makes the Beast as much a psychological and social contagion as a military threat.

In many ways, the Path of the Beast captures the deepest fear underlying Trench Crusade’s universe: that endless suffering eventually destroys civilisation from within. Humanity does not merely risk military defeat. It risks forgetting what being human means.

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How to 3D print Trench Crusade miniatures and terrain

One of the biggest reasons behind the rapid rise of Trench Crusade within the tabletop gaming community is its unusually open attitude toward miniatures and hobby creativity. Unlike many large-scale tabletop systems that restrict players to official products, Trench Crusade openly encourages kitbashing, proxy models, third-party miniatures and home 3D printing. This miniature-agnostic philosophy has helped create one of the most creative grimdark hobby communities currently active online.

For hobbyists entering the setting, 3D printing offers the most affordable and flexible way to build warbands, terrain and custom characters. The aesthetic of Trench Crusade, with its gas masks, trenches, rusted armour, religious relics and grotesque mutations, lends itself exceptionally well to digital sculpting and home printing. Players regularly combine official files with third-party creations, historical World War I kits and horror-themed accessories to create highly personalised forces.

The first step is obtaining STL files, which are the digital models used for 3D printing. Official files are available through FactoryFortressInc on MyMiniFactory, the official publishing partner for the game’s printable releases. These files cover core factions and units from the rulebooks and are generally regarded as high-quality professional sculpts designed specifically for resin printing.

Players who prefer physical miniatures can also purchase official printed versions through regional partners listed on the game’s shop page. Current partners include companies such as Dungeon Artifacts in the United States, Zealot Miniatures in the United Kingdom and Mindworks in Europe. The official store locator is maintained through the Trench Crusade shop page.

Alongside official releases, a large ecosystem of community creators has emerged around the game. One of the most useful resources is STL-Trench, a curated database organising compatible models by faction and theme. This site functions as a central hub for discovering both free and paid files suitable for Trench Crusade warbands.

Additional sources include Cults3D, MyMiniFactory and Printables, all of which contain hundreds of grimdark-compatible miniatures, terrain sets and conversion pieces. Searching for “Trench Crusade”, “grimdark trenches”, “WWI horror miniatures” or specific faction names usually produces extensive results.

Patreon creators also play a major role within the community. Sculptors such as Huw Rodgers and studios like Diceverse regularly release monthly packs inspired by Trench Crusade aesthetics. These often include trench terrain, beastmen, corrupted soldiers, pilgrims and modular accessories suitable for conversions.

Choosing the right 3D printer for Trench Crusade

Most Trench Crusade hobbyists prefer resin printers because the game’s miniatures rely heavily on fine details such as purity seals, chains, gas mask tubing, rust textures and layered clothing. Resin printing, also known as SLA or MSLA printing, produces smoother surfaces and sharper details than standard filament printing.

Popular beginner-friendly resin printers include the AnyCubic Photon Mono series and the Elegoo Mars or Elegoo Saturn lines. Modern 8K to 16K resin printers provide exceptional detail for 28mm to 35mm miniatures, which aligns perfectly with Trench Crusade’s heroic-scale proportions. Even smaller printers work well because warbands usually contain relatively few models.

Filament or FDM printers remain a viable option, particularly for large terrain pieces such as trenches, bunkers and barricades. Machines like the Bambu Lab A1, Bambu Lab P1S and various Prusa Research systems can produce excellent results when fitted with fine nozzles around 0.2mm. However, FDM miniatures usually require more sanding and post-processing than resin prints.

For most newcomers, resin printing offers the easiest path toward highly detailed Trench Crusade warbands. The trade-off is that resin requires more safety precautions. Uncured resin is toxic and should always be handled with gloves in well-ventilated areas.

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Preparing STL files and slicing miniatures

Once STL files are downloaded, they must be prepared using slicing software before printing. Slicers convert 3D models into printable layers while allowing the user to add supports, hollow models and configure print settings.

Popular slicer applications include Chitubox, Lychee Slicer and PrusaSlicer. Resin users typically prefer Chitubox or Lychee, while FDM users often rely on PrusaSlicer or Bambu Studio.

During this stage, players should confirm model scale. Most Trench Crusade miniatures are designed around 28mm or 32mm heroic scale proportions. Official and community creators normally specify intended scale in their file descriptions.

Supports are essential for successful resin printing. Delicate details such as rifles, swords, cloaks and thin limbs require proper support structures during printing. Many professional creators include pre-supported versions of their files, which significantly simplifies the process for beginners. Even so, hobbyists often add extra manual supports to avoid failures.

Hollowing models is another common technique. Large miniatures or terrain pieces consume significant amounts of resin if printed solid. Hollowing reduces material costs while maintaining structural integrity. Drain holes should always be added to hollow models so uncured resin can escape safely during cleaning.

Resin printing settings and calibration

Successful miniature printing depends heavily on calibration. Different printers, resins and environmental conditions require slightly different settings. However, there are reliable starting points suitable for most Trench Crusade miniatures.

Layer heights between 0.03mm and 0.05mm usually provide an excellent balance between detail and print speed. Exposure times commonly range between two and four seconds per layer depending on resin type and printer power. Bottom layers typically require much higher exposure times, often between 20 and 40 seconds, to ensure strong adhesion to the build plate.

Many hobbyists use calibration tools such as the Cones of Calibration or AmeraLabs test prints to fine-tune exposure settings before beginning larger projects. Proper calibration prevents failed prints, missing details and fragile supports.

Resin choice also matters considerably. Durable ABS-like resins from manufacturers such as Siraya Tech, Phrozen and AnyCubic are especially popular for tabletop gaming because they resist snapping during play and transport.

The grimdark nature of Trench Crusade encourages highly textured miniatures filled with spikes, chains and protrusions. Using brittle low-quality resin often leads to frustrating breakages. Slightly flexible ABS-style resin blends usually produce better long-term durability.

Printing, cleaning and curing miniatures

Before printing begins, the build plate must be levelled correctly. Most modern printers include straightforward calibration systems, though careful setup remains essential for reliable results.

Resin printing should always occur in ventilated spaces because uncured resin releases fumes that should not be inhaled continuously. Gloves and eye protection are strongly recommended during handling and cleaning.

After printing, miniatures must be washed thoroughly in isopropyl alcohol or cleaned using dedicated wash-and-cure stations. Washing removes uncured resin residue from the model surface. Most miniatures require between five and ten minutes of cleaning depending on complexity.

Once washed, models are cured under ultraviolet light to fully harden the resin. Dedicated curing stations simplify this process considerably, though hobbyists also use UV lamps or sunlight when necessary. Typical curing times range between five and ten minutes.

Support removal requires patience, especially for highly detailed Trench Crusade miniatures. Flush cutters work best for carefully clipping supports away without damaging details. Small support marks can then be sanded or filed smooth before priming.

Priming is particularly important for grimdark painting styles because weathering, oil washes and drybrushing rely on strong surface adhesion. Primers from brands such as Vallejo or Citadel are commonly used, though automotive primers designed for plastics also work effectively.

Building the perfect grimdark aesthetic

The hobby side of Trench Crusade thrives on customisation. The game’s creators actively encourage kitbashing and artistic experimentation, making it one of the most creatively open miniature systems available today.

Players frequently combine historical World War I kits with gothic horror components, religious relics and mutated body parts. Crosses, censers, skulls, candles, barbed wire and gas masks all contribute to the game’s distinctive visual identity.

Terrain building is equally important. Trench systems, ruined churches, artillery emplacements and devastated No Man’s Land scenery dramatically enhance immersion during games. Many creators produce modular trench terrain specifically compatible with Trench Crusade’s scale and atmosphere.

Because the game uses relatively small warbands, full forces remain surprisingly affordable for hobbyists using home printers. A single bottle of resin can often produce an entire playable force plus terrain pieces at a fraction of the cost associated with traditional metal or resin miniatures.

The community surrounding the game is another major strength. The Trench Crusade subreddit and official social groups regularly share troubleshooting advice, free files, painting tutorials and conversion ideas. New players are generally encouraged to start small with a handful of infantry models while learning printer calibration and support placement.

Although the developers have indicated increasing interest in plastic miniature production long-term, official STL support and print-on-demand options remain central parts of the game’s identity. That commitment to accessibility and creativity has helped Trench Crusade stand apart from more restrictive tabletop systems.

For many hobbyists, 3D printing is not simply a cheaper way to build armies. It becomes part of the creative experience itself. Designing personalised warbands, converting unique horrors and constructing devastated trench networks perfectly complements Trench Crusade’s grimdark atmosphere. The result is a tabletop game where modelling, storytelling and worldbuilding become inseparable from gameplay.

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Why Trench Crusade’s factions stand out in modern tabletop gaming

What distinguishes Trench Crusade from many grimdark settings is the ideological complexity of its factions. Heaven is heroic yet oppressive. Hell is monstrous yet politically sophisticated. The Temple of Metamorphosis pursues transcendence through body horror and cosmic nihilism. The Path of the Beast rejects civilisation in favour of primordial instinct.

These factions are not superficial aesthetic themes layered onto military units. Each represents a coherent worldview shaped by theology, trauma and metaphysical horror. Their conflicts operate simultaneously on military, psychological and existential levels.

This depth explains why Trench Crusade has rapidly gained attention among tabletop gamers, miniature painters and horror fans internationally. Its visual identity combines religious iconography, WWI brutality and grotesque mutation in ways rarely seen within mainstream tabletop gaming. More importantly, its lore treats horror seriously. The setting is disturbing because its factions emerge logically from centuries of endless apocalyptic warfare.

As official releases continue expanding the universe, factions such as the Temple of Metamorphosis and Path of the Beast are expected to become even more significant within the game’s evolving narrative. Their presence ensures that Trench Crusade remains more than a simple Heaven-versus-Hell conflict. It is a world where the collapse of humanity can take many forms, from infernal corruption to cosmic transcendence to animal regression.

In the end, Trench Crusade’s greatest achievement lies in transforming theological and existential fears into a living tabletop setting. Every trench, mutation and ritual reflects deeper anxieties about faith, identity, civilisation and survival. Few modern games combine lore, aesthetics and philosophy with such relentless intensity.