Inspiration: White Dwarf Images from the 90's.

I grabbed a few decent pictures from some PDF scans of old White Dwarf magazines during the 90's.  I will upload more as I stumble upon them.

 Orks in Mega Armour combat Karandras and his Striking Scorpion Aspect Warriors

 Catachans and a Leman Russ Battle Tank encounter Ghazhkull Thraka and his Ork horde.

 Ultramarines allied with Imperial Guard for a battle report.

 A Thraka-led large Ork force for a White Dwarf battle report.

 Ultramarines defend a bunker from vicious Tyranids.

 An Ultramarine Dreadnought faces off with its Ork counterpart.

 Ultramarine Terminators engage Tyranids and a vicious Screamer Killer.

 Ultramarine Terminators and Imperial Guard forces run into the Orks.

Ultramarine Assault Marines defend a landing pad against the Ork menace.

Inspiration: RT and 2nd edition in living colour!

A few more high-resolution scans from the wonderful 'Eavy Metal pages of the 2nd ed. rulebook.

It was images like this which stirred my 11-12 year old brain into the setting.  The battle scenes in particular (note: the terrain collection for GW was pretty small and you'd see the same terrain in all of their promo photos and battle reports!)

 

White Dwarf: 218 (March, 1998)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 128 pages

Notable 40K Content:

• Digganob (expansion article for Gorka Morka), page 14
• Necron Onslaught (article w/ codex entries for Necron Lord, and Destroyer - including Destroyer Datafax), page 24
• Massacre at Sanctuary 101 (SoB vs. Necron scenario and battle report), page 28
• Massacre at Big Toof River (second article on the showcase table from Games Day '97), page 66

White Dwarf: 217 (February, 1998)

 Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 101 pages

Notable 40K Content:

• Necron Raiders (Necron introductory article w/ codex entries for Necron Warriors and Scarabs), page 27
• A Desperate Mission (Necron introductory scenario), page 35
• Mad Meks (Gorka Morka conversion article), page 55
• Imperial Guard Praetorian XXIV (special limited edition army highlight article), page 60

White Dwarf: 216 (January, 1998)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 105 pages

Notable 40K Content:

• Get Scrappin'! (Gorka Morka article with three new scenarios), page 46
• Punchout Eldar warpgate/shrine (card insert)
• Lightning Attack! (Eldar Falcon introductory article + scenario), page 66
• The Wings of Darkness (abbreviated battle report, Eldar vs. Chaos), page 73
• A Great Undertaking (Codex Assassins introductory article), page 84

White Dwarf: 215 (December, 1997)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 107 pages

Notable 40K Content:

• Da Badskars Get Bad! (Gorka Morka report, article), page 10
• The Making of the Eldar Falcon Grav Tank (design and construction article), page 38
• Massacre at Big Toof River (gigantic display construction article), page 44
• Silent Menace (Space Marine scouts article, Codex entry for Scout squad), page 69
• The Eternal Crusade (campaign article on mixing 40K w/ Epic 40K games), page 94

White Dwarf: 214 ('Orkvember', 1997)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 125 pages

Notable 40K Content:

• All Along the Watchtower (Gorka Morka terrain article) page 32
• We Wuz Ere Furst (Gorka Morka battle report) page 34
• Punch-out card Watchtower
• The Might of the Imperium (army showcase article, Imperial Guard), page 76

White Dwarf: 213 (October, 1997)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 100 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• Gorka Morka (massive introductory article), page 9
• Redemption (Ravenwing Attack Force release article), page 26
• Purge! (Storm of Vengeance Scenario Pack article and additional scenario), page 31
• Punch-out card barricades (for use with earlier scenario) 
• "Did you see that cactus move?" (how to use infiltrating troops/scouts article), page 57
• Sisters of Battle are put through their paces... (article covering a vague over-view of the three SoB scenarios from Issue 212 --- played against varying enemies), page 77

White Dwarf: 212 (September, 1997)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 127 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• Sisters of Battle (Introductory article as well as three Sisters-specific scenarios: Defend the Shrine, Liberate the Relic, and Pierce the Darkness.  Printable immolator template), page 9
• Punch-Out Card "Shrine" for use with Sisters of Battle (card insert)
• Gorka Morka (Introductory article), no page listed (second half of magazine)
• Gorka Morka Inspirations (art samples) end of magazine

White Dwarf: 211 (August, 1997)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 109 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• Codex: Sisters of Battle (Introductory article and Codex entry for Sisters of Battle Sororitas Squad), page 49

White Dwarf: 204 (January, 1997)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 109 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• Chambers of the Horned Rat (long-term 40K campaign report), page 17
• Plague Marines (Plague Marine article and unit entry), page 33
• Home Defence (Necromunda automated defenses article), page 45
• 'Eavy Metal: Treadheads (armour/tank painting/kitbashing article), page 55
• Anti-Tanktics (how-to-counter tanks article), page 77

White Dwarf: 203 (December, 1996)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 107 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• Fred Reed (40K kitbash and army showcase), page 19
• Space Hulk: The Fate of the Sword of Halcyon (Five Space Hulk missions), page 33
• Wrath of Ulthwe (Eldar vs. Imperial guard campaign ideas and missions), page 59
• Special Character: Commissar Lorr (for the above campaign), page 67
• Judgment Day (Necromunda Battle Report), page 92
  

White Dwarf: 202 (November, 1996)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 91 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• "The Sorcerer" (Ahriman article and entry), page 9
• "Lost in the Warp" (Chaos model kit-bashing article, Blanche art), page 33
• Modeling Workshop - Space Ship Wreckage, page 57
• "A Warrior's Duty" (Imperial Guard vs. Eldar battle report), page 76

 

White Dwarf: 201 (October, 1996)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 107 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• "Legions of Darkness" (Chaos Terminators article and entry), page 9
• "Rapid Assault" (Space Marine bike article and unit entry), page 21
• Space Hulk: Duty and Honour (Three Ultramarines Space Hulk missions), page 49
• "It Came from the Sump" (Necromunda ideas/scenario), page 62
• "Waaagh Grishnak!" (Ork army spotlight), page 77
• "The Betrayer" (Kharn the Betrayer article and entry), page 87

White Dwarf: 200 (August, 1996)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 125 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• "An Eternity of Madness" (Chaos Dreadnought article), page 10
• "Faith in the Emperor" (article on the spirit of the game), page 23
• "Tales from the Underhive" (Necromunda article on play variations), page 39
• Space Hulk: Fangs of Fenris (Three Space Wolf missions), page 73
• "Manflayer" (Fabius Bile article), page 89
• Kneel Before Me! (Orks vs. Chaos battle report), page 110

White Dwarf: 180 (December, 1994)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 78 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• Catachan Jungle Fighters (introductory article w/ army list entry), page 12
• "A Bitter Harvest" (Orks vs. Howling Griffons battle report), page 52
  

White Dwarf: 179 (November, 1994)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 80 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• "Rules of Engagement" (article on unit targeting priority), page 7
• "Ruined Buildings" (modeling workshop article), page 19
• "Speed Freaks" (article on Ork vehicle-based armies), page 37

White Dwarf: 178 (October, 1994)

Era: 2nd Edition

Length: 76 Pages

Notable 40K Content:

• The Leman Russ (article and printed datafax), page 25
• Printed vehicle cards (Electric Hull, Ablative Armour, Vortex Detonator, Ceramite Armour), page 30.
• "The Mailed Fist" (article on vehicle tactics), page 31