Rumours & Speculation - Any New Leads?

Rumours?
So there's not been a lot going on the rumour and speculation front however we're getting to the point now where there's only a handful of options for GW to release.

The Wood Elves, Bretonnians, Beastmen & Skaven are still in the pipeline for an 8th edition book. So who's next? Well there's a few indicators, as well as a few grumblings about what to expect. But I'm not sure whether we're going to like it. 

The Dilution of Warhammer Fantasy
It's been coming, but I think Warhammer has truly become GW's lowly secondary system. It's been a sudden change, and in all respects, Warhammer has played second fiddle to 40k for a very long time - however it seems that GW are wholly focused on the distant future at this current time. This is evident from the 4 White Dwarfs that were released this month as GW is pushing the Imperial Knights like crazy alongside a new Codex which seems to be a 'side' addition to the game. (A lot of effort for one massive kit!) Warhammer has always got a lot of love besides 40k and I hope that this continues, but with the weight of 40k releases every month it seems like the Fantasy stuff appears like islands in a sea of sci-fi - sad times indeed.

So what does this mean for the armies that are waiting in the wings?

Wood Elves
Now allegedly the Wood Elves were developed at the same time as the High/Dark Elf books which is a great idea as it means they're all balanced beside one another. However in terms of releases I don't know what we'll see, most likely there will be a range of new kits, however I don't think we'll see a release as big as the Dark Elves, and in my opinion I don't think we'll see a release on that scale ever* again... Everything is pointing towards the Wood Elves next, so watch this space people!

*Ever - unless the Bretonnians happen, see below.

Skaven / Beastmen
I've recently talked about my views on the Beastmen, as I think they'll get the Dwarf treatment, however I've got a funny feeling the Skaven will get the same 'push out the door' approach. When you consider that the rats had a lot of releases early on, I think that they won't get a huge amount of treatment when there book is scheduled for release. The High Elves got 3 kits, so I'd expect them to get the same, and to be honest they're long overdue as I think any army which is in the starter set should have an army book within 6 months. That's not to say their 7th book is outdated however, it's just a bit of a strange business decision in my eyes...

Bretonnia
Here we go, now these guys deserve a book the most, they've been waiting the longest, their range has been decimated on the webstore and it's impossible for a new player to start an army.

What is going on?

1. The Bretonnian's are being squatted or being merged into the Empire. (Lets hope this doesn't happen)

2. Their future is bright... Okay so what? Well what sells models in 40k? It's the Space Marines right? Well what would sell a lot of models in Warhammer? Knights right? Well you'd think so, but the Bretonnian's just don't seem to cut it in their current guise, and why would they? The range is dated and old...

So lets say GW undergo the biggest re-brand of 8th edition, they literally take the Bretonnians and do such a good job on them that they become the Space Marines of Warhammer... Now that's a bit better than scrapping them, and I've got an incline the Brets are going to blow our minds.

Watch. This. Space  

 
 

Speculation & Rumours - No.1

Speculation & Rumours - No.1 
Now where to begin, well to start this blog isn't really a place to find your rumours and all that trash - however I've decided to write about what I've seen and try to justify and reason with those particular rumours.

Rumours used to be an effective way to understand what is coming out 'next' in fact Games Workshop used to have a link on their website which gave a general run down of brand new miniatures that were in the pipeline. One of the last things I remember seeing were the Wood Elf Glade Guard in all their glory, after that Games Workshops way of thinking changed. And I'd argue for the better...

How do they do it now?
With the decision to release a Lord of the Rings & Hobbit battle game, Games Workshop have had to tighten up their ship this meant that less and less information about releases is seeping out. This has got to the point now where nobody really has any clue until the pre-orders for new miniatures go live on their website at midnight on a Saturday. So is this a problem?

Well it depends on what angle you look at it, people who aren't particularly worried about new miniatures and rules and just like to paint and collect what GW release will not be as bothered as somebody who lives through new rules. For example, somebody who really wants to collect Wood Elves may be put off doing so until a new book and array of miniatures are released because they don't want to put their money in the wrong place in fear of it being outdated or made redundant. Whereas a collector who wants to paint Wood Elf miniatures will do it regardless, and then purchase the new ones 'if they see fit' when they eventually return.

How to deal with Rumours & Speculation
If you're like me, and you've got a limited amount of funds and time but like to collect and play Warhammer - then certain Rumours can really work you up. For example, if certain online websites started to speculate that a new Beastmen book is being released in June this year I'd start to get excited, but this excitement could be wrongly placed. Everything that is said online, is undoubtedly incorrect or partially incorrect, so my advice would be to take in the whole bundle of rumours as gospel and ignore all of the minor details.

So if multiple places are stating, 'Beastmen are coming in June' then I'd wager there's a strong argument to believe that. However if individuals are stating, 'Beastmen will get a Herdstone which is carried into battle by 6 Bestigors and it gives all your Beastmen models Frenzy within 12" and wins the world' just ignore it, and pass it as complete bullshit. You'll know when the miniatures appear because they'll be on GW's website and the new White Dwarf Weekly so don't fret and don't panic, these 2 mediums are the 'BEST' place for your to see them first.

But they're gonna get Nerfed man!
A hobby collector will most likely buy miniatures regardless of how good or bad they are in game, in certain ways we're all the same, I've got a Ghorgon and a Jibber Jabber because I wanted them and although they're suboptimal I enjoy throwing them around the table. But somebody who relishes the game and the evolving meta that arrives with new books might not look at this the same way. For example, lets say the Wood Elves are being released next, Eternal Guard will undoubtedly be receiving new miniatures however you've started painting your Wood Elf army in preparation for a new book and don't know what to do.

Now in this circumstance your best bet is to not purchase the current Eternal Guard, if the new models are released and look pants, then you can ebay the old metal models yourself. However waiting for the new miniatures and rules can be a great help to your wallet and your conscience as it would be a shame to spend a huge sum of money on old sculpts to find they really don't cut it. Differently though Glade Guard, Riders & Dryads will probably not be changing, these will be safe to purchase and due to their nature of being Core you're going to need them anyway, and these will keep you busy in the months leading to May. (Did I say too much?)

Breaking it Down   
If in doubt consult this table, it may help...

1) Does the army you're considering purchasing have an 8th Edition army Book?
If (Yes) Go to Q2 - If (No) Go to Q4

2) Buy away, it's unlikely many miniatures are going to be replaced with new ones, however there are a few exceptions. Are you're considering Tomb Kings, Orcs & Goblins or High Elves?
If (Yes) Go to Q3 - If (No) Then buy in the good confidence 

3) Tomb Kings still have certain miniatures missing from their Core range is quite dated, so if you're considering the Tomb Kings take this into account. Orcs & Goblins have a diverse mixture of new and old models, due to this their range is a bit of a mess, eventually all Finecast and Metal models will be replaced but this could be on any timescale. High Elves have a lot of minitures within the Island of Blood set, these will eventually be released as stand alone kits, however don't let this put you off collecting them.

4) If the army already has plastic miniatures then they're unlikely to be changed, the only exceptions to this so far have been the Dark Elf Spearmen who were updated. However all Finecast and Metal miniatures are at risk of being updated, so look at what's available and make some informed decisions before you press ahead.
 

What's Going On?

 

So what is going on?

It seems like the Warhammer Fantasy world is crashing down and smashing into pieces! But do not fear I want to try and kill this panic before it completely overruns our minds and kills our families...

So over on Faeit 212's Gor shit website, he decided to post a rather damaging and annoying post about the future of Fantasy and dared to state that, 'Bretonnia, Tomb Kings, Wood Elves & Beastmen will be dropped and become unsupported by Games Workshop'. Now before I begin, I want to continue by saying that I'm a very calm person, but this completely pissed me off for a few reasons.

1. Faeit 212's author is a bloody idiot and pretends to know the ins and outs of a game that he doesn't play, but still thinks he's knowledgeable enough to talk about a subject he's not well versed or interested in.

2. If it is true then my army was soon to be squatted, which pissed me off.

3. If it is false then I'm pissed off, mainly for Faeit 212's author for wasting my time and making me angrier than a Razorgor sucking on a thistle...

So after I calmed down and decided to think rationally, I did some digging, and it wasn't long before the truth surfaced.

Simply, Games Workshop are moving certain plastic kits out of their stores and to 'direct only' this means that for the foreseeable future you'll only be able to purchase the Battalion, Gor Regiment, Bestigor Regiment, Ghorgon/Cygor Boxset and Great Bray Shaman Clampack from your local gaming store. This means that the kits that have been removed include the Ungor Regiment, Minotaur Regiment and all Finecast miniatures *due to Finecast being phased out of production*. So overall nothing to panic about, unfortunately it means that to purchase the missing kits you'll have to order directly from GW's online store, but the army is not going to 'die' so to speak.

Now that's settled, let's talk about White Dwarf and pray that Faeit 212 and all his associates are digested by a Ghorgon.

White Dwarf Daily

There's a lot of speculation about what is going to happen with the release schedule when the new White Dwarf hits, and it seems that we have some confirmations. To start with we'll be getting new releases every week, how this will effect future army releases is unknown, but we'll surely be getting a lot more miniatures than we currently are. This new way of thinking will open up a whole array of new release slots allowing GW to update old models as well as releasing new miniatures for armies that perhaps haven't been touched for a while as White Dwarf Daily will have rules contained within them.

Exciting stuff ey? So I'll wager Beastmen will have a plethora of kits by the end of the year...

As well as White Dwarf weekly, we've also got Warhammer Visions and look at how thick the damn thing is....

 

So with all this Warhammer shenanigans, I'm pretty excited; I think it's been a long time since everything has been shaken up like this and I personally think it's going to be a new era for the Games Workshop hobby. Watch this space people.

Find Games Workshops press release about their new magazines here:

White Dwarf Weekly & Warhammer: Visions 

The Mountain Squatters

It appears that the seemingly insular Dwarfs are around the corner, or how we Beastmen like to call them, the ‘Mountain Squatters’. Now a dirty Beastmen normally can’t be arsed with other races however in this case we thought we’d shed some light and what might be coming to a gaming store near you.

Now these are rumours and before I list what is being said, please take a moment to heed this caution. I cannot and will not verify how correct these sources are, however I am only passing on information that I have heard so take this with a bit of salt and the inevitability that a Gnoblar has been messing with the electronics.

Plastic Kits:

Slayers / Unknown Dwarf Unit

Hammerers / Ironbreakers

War Altar / Anvil

Gyrocopter

Tunnelling Device / Large Cannon

Plethora of plastic character Clampacks akin to the fantastic Great Bray Shaman *Shameless plug*

I don’t want to go into subjective detail as to how people are describing them, Beastmen don’t care what it looks like as long as it dies. However with the rumblings of a new weekly GW magazine, the timescale for us to see these miniatures may change – only time will tell. That’s what I’ve got today and it won’t be long before Squatters are dying at the hand of Beastly axes at a gaming store near you…