Filius Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Hi there, I prefer the Hardback Editions of the Battletome, but I don't really get behind Games Workshops Strategy on publishing Battletomes as Hardbacks, Softbacks or both. My general impression is: When a new Battletome is published, it is pbulished as Hardback and Softback or Hardback only. Then after a while, Games Workshops stop selling (and probably reprinting) the Hardback Editions of the Battletome and only sells the Softback Edition. Although some Battletomes seem to be available als Hardbacks forever (Seraphon and Fyreslayers). Now I have two questions: Is that true? Have all Battletomes previously been published as Hardbacks? (Read: Is there hope to get them via ebay?) Is that documented somewhere public, which Battletomes were published as Hard- or Softbacks? Thanks a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Taylor Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 I think it's exactly like you've said. The Battletomes are printed as Hardbacks at first because they are cool and if you are collecting books, will look nice on your shelf. Then as stocks dwindle and they have to reprint them, they are done as softbacks. So some of the popular ones will become softback quite quickly whilst others will stay as hardbacks. However, I have a feeling that when it's printed as softback, it's because GW are using another printing supplier to get the books done quickly to meet demand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuneBrush Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 14 minutes ago, Gaz Taylor said: I think it's exactly like you've said. The Battletomes are printed as Hardbacks at first because they are cool and if you are collecting books, will look nice on your shelf. Then as stocks dwindle and they have to reprint them, they are done as softbacks. So some of the popular ones will become softback quite quickly whilst others will stay as hardbacks. However, I have a feeling that when it's printed as softback, it's because GW are using another printing supplier to get the books done quickly to meet demand. ^ This! GW have gone through odd periods where some books went straight to softback to keep the cost & production time down. The Grand Alliance books are a good example of this, rarely out of stock and pretty cheap entry point. I'm a bit odd - I like the hardback for at home, but a softback for my gaming bag to keep the weight down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMMachine Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 I actually don't know if there is a change from hardback to softback for the english books after some period (only have seen this in 40k with 6. Edition books in 7. Edition, not in AoS, yet). One thing I know is, that all german battletomes since march 2016 (Clan Pestilens) where printed softback only, while the english once are hardback. The last hard back books we got were the Realmgate Wars and in case of Battletomes (Fyreslayers). But I think the strangest one was Everchosen with the cover printed on a wrapper instead of the book itself. And it was the only one of this kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killax Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 In my experience they are still experimenting with it all. But this is really something that's typical to AoS. What I think is that they create a hardback production, if that's sold out, will do a softback and if that is popular enough will print a run of hardback again. Seraphon and Fyreslayers both got a massive resurgeance out of GH2017 so I get why they decided to do another hardback run. It's like the faction became real with GH2017. Best of both worlds would have been if they didn't only changed the printrun but also updated them. Then they all would have a little bit of added value Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitch of Izalith Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 The binding on the softbacks is not great quality either. I think my Tzeentch tome would have come loose a long time ago if I was travelling with it. With the current speed of updates and annual refreshes via the Generals Handbook, physical media is not the most practical format in any case. e.g when GH2018 comes out I may be looking up warscrolls in a battletome, allegiance abilities in GH2017 and points in GH2018. Unfortunately I have not found GW's electronic media distribution to be particularly sophisticated as yet and like many people who are into our hobby I like having an actual book! I think that's speaking to something within why we like to play games with models on tabletops instead of with pixels on screens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filius Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 Thanks everyone. So I'll try to get my hands on those Battletomes still available as Hardback and keep up the hope to get the other ones on ebay, hehe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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