The Rumour Thread

[Enoby]

9 minutes ago, EMMachine said:

 

 

Skaven is really a weird one. We had a big update for Gloomspite Gitz a month before the Skaven Battletome, but only got the Warlock Bombardier with the Campaignbox. They have so much potential for new models but maybe GW doesn't really know what to do with them.

In fact Gloomspite Gitz was the last army of the already existing ones that had a big model update with the Battletome Release, all other Armies after that got a Battletome and at best a Hero, Endless Spells and/or Factionterrain. (okay Slaves to Darkness got a Small Model update with the Start Collecting Box but even they basicly wait for a bigger update for their old plastic and Finecast Models.

Slaanesh also got quite a bit and came a little after Gitz, though I don't think it got as much as people expected

[EMMachine]

2 minutes ago, Enoby said:

Slaanesh also got quite a bit and came a little after Gitz, though I don't think it got as much as people expected

Right, I thought about Wrath & Rapture, which was before but forgot about the new Models that were released with the Battletome, but Slaanesh could have been a bigger Release when Mortals had a bigger part back then.

[Overread]

Most AoS armies are either in need of a range upgrade (Skaven. Seraphon etc...) having already got a wide range of models and just needing to update them to modern plastics, consolidate some (eg skaven weapon teams could easily be sold as a single multipart kit) and shift out of metal/finecast into plastic. 

Others are like Daughters of Khain, Flesheaters etc... and whilst they have a mostly modern line of models, they have a very limited selection of models and options. So they instead need new models to increase their variety.

This won't happen overnight, it will take a decade or more to get many armies "up to standard". Meanwhile there's a few outliers like Stormcast, but by and large GW seems to have abandoned the idea of making 10 stormcast armies worth of models and going the same Space Marine path. In the end we have to take what we can get; every so often GW will do a "Gloomspite" sized release with a big update and between them there will be drip-fed releases. Eg one might argue that most armies are now set to get a Warcrypack. 

[michu]

8 minutes ago, xking said:

40k

Either Orks or... Squats?

[novakai]

December is Warhammer underworlds I believe and then they go on holiday 

there maybe something a big release that is teased on the holiday and release in January 

[Ogregut]

8 minutes ago, Beastmaster said:

Battletomes were important and a pressing issue, I agree. I just wonder why they spent time and energy on (sometimes quite weird and exotic) miniatures, like the Kurnothi or those three goblin wolf riders that don’t fit in anywhere, when, say, a new box of ninja rats or acolytes would have sold so much better, and wouldn’t have been more work.

Because the mini designers haven't done them yet. It's the same with painting. If you force yourself to paint something you don't want to do it probably won't be your best work. 

Not saying what is released is fully dependent on what the mini designers want to make but it plays its part. 

I'll rather wait for a labour of love than just another day in the office. 

 

[Overread]

Don't forget the original plan for AoS was 4 grand alliances and then a lot of "micro" armies. GW wasn't going to make a wargame it was making a boutique miniature line that happened to get used by some wargamers. So chances are work on things like Kurnothi was already well along the development line when things got changed. So instead of wasting all that design work they instead consolidated them into a side game. Perhaps it also allows the designers to explore ideas that they'd like to do, but which don't get approval for a full army. Forgeworld was mostly made in its day to be the creative outlet for some designers and to also make things the main studio couldn't. 

Basically when you have creative staff there is sometimes a need to give them "outlets" for that creativity alongside your core products. That way you maintain your creative staff working for you rather than them geting stale and branching off on their own.

[KingBrodd]

27 minutes ago, xking said:

40k

 

17 minutes ago, michu said:

Either Orks or... Squats?

I'm thinking Catachan.

[Twisted Firaun]

1 hour ago, KingBrodd said:

New Rumour Engine.

Chaos dwarfs. 

[KingBrodd]

40 minutes ago, TheR00zle said:

Chaos dwarfs. 

That would be incredible. 

[silverstu]

1 hour ago, michu said:

Either Orks or... Squats?

Squats.. whisper it... 😁

 

49 minutes ago, Overread said:

Don't forget the original plan for AoS was 4 grand alliances and then a lot of "micro" armies. GW wasn't going to make a wargame it was making a boutique miniature line that happened to get used by some wargamers. So chances are work on things like Kurnothi was already well along the development line when things got changed. So instead of wasting all that design work they instead consolidated them into a side game. Perhaps it also allows the designers to explore ideas that they'd like to do, but which don't get approval for a full army. Forgeworld was mostly made in its day to be the creative outlet for some designers and to also make things the main studio couldn't. 

Basically when you have creative staff there is sometimes a need to give them "outlets" for that creativity alongside your core products. That way you maintain your creative staff working for you rather than them geting stale and branching off on their own.

Yeah thats one the charms of the AOS universe - there is smooch scope for diversity and Warcry and Underworlds gives them the chance to try things out. Doubtless if they are well received and are seen as something that can be developed further they will be. Possibly why some factions haven't been revisited yet is that the design studio hasn't got a fully developed vision for what to do next for them. It is actually what happened to squats- they couldn't get a strong vision of where to take them. Plus we really haven't seen them revisit any of the factions bar Slaves to Darkness, they'll probably want to revisit ranges in a manner which allows them to evolve rather than get stuck on fixed factions.

[Verminlord]

2 hours ago, Overread said:

Eg one might argue that most armies are now set to get a Warcrypack. 

I really hope they use warcry and underworlds faction releases to replace dated models and write new character warscrolls instead of including a single warscroll for the entire kit. Some have easily proxied models, like the BCR hunter, but instead of writing an updated scroll for an alternate hunter, like the skaven bombardier is to the warlock engineer, they throw everything in together. 

A skaven skryre/pestilens/moulder/eshin warcry warband could potentially provide resculpts for everything that needs it in one those clans along with a new hero to shake synergies up.

[EccentricCircle]

Remember, the Year of the Rat isn't over until Chinese New Year, so there is still time, even if we don't see any Skaven in 2020!

The first series of Underworlds models at least, were made from concept models, that hadn't originally been intended for wide release. I don't know whether that's still the case with later series, or whether they are designing things specifically for the game now that its taken off. If they do still use it as a way to release concept models it seems likely that the sculptors produce far more concept sculpts than actually get realised as a finished model. So the question is will they repurpose stuff for Underworlds that never got picked up for a wider release? or are they only going to put out warbands which are part of a line that is coming to fruition sooner or later? Without inside information

[Eldarain]

4 hours ago, KingBrodd said:

New Rumour Engine.

Necromunda. Goliath or the Khornate looking ones.

 

[Saturmorn Carvilli]

7 hours ago, KingBrodd said:

New Rumour Engine.

DIGGANOBZ!

Spoiler

 

 

[sandlemad]

Goliath already got a release recently so I doubt it’s them. Maybe Khorne but it’s not really as cult-y or jagged as the Corpse-grinder stuff. There’s other Necromunda things it could be though, bounty hunters or cyborg pit slaves or similar. Or orks, though the machining on it’s a little tidy.

[Jefferson Skarsnik]

If GW posted a rumour engine that was just straight up a space marine boltgun with a winged skull insignia on it, how long do you reckon it would take for someone to be like "OK, kind of stretching the steampunk thing to its limits, but digging this new Kharadron Overlords model they're teasing! "

[swarmofseals]

6 hours ago, Overread said:

Don't forget the original plan for AoS was 4 grand alliances and then a lot of "micro" armies ... So chances are work on things like Kurnothi was already well along the development line when things got changed. So instead of wasting all that design work they instead consolidated them into a side game.

I don't know a ton about GW's design and manufacturing process, but I'd be pretty surprised if the Underworlds kits were originally supposed to be for AoS and then got repurposed into a side game.

It's definitely possible that some kits belong to factions that either got axed or just haven't come out yet.

I'd just be very surprised if the kits that we've seen so far were originally intended for AOS as they are all easy build with sculpted bases while basically the only AOS kits that are like this are the starter set ones.

[Overread]

1 minute ago, swarmofseals said:

I don't know a ton about GW's design and manufacturing process, but I'd be pretty surprised if the Underworlds kits were originally supposed to be for AoS and then got repurposed into a side game.

It's definitely possible that some kits belong to factions that either got axed or just haven't come out yet.

I'd just be very surprised if the kits that we've seen so far were originally intended for AOS as they are all easy build with sculpted bases while basically the only AOS kits that are like this are the starter set ones.

Oh the kits no, but I suspect those we get that are unique were perhaps beyond concept art and into where designers were looking digitally at parting them. Ergo basically the last stages before a mould is made. So instead of tossing it all, they simply adjust. Perhaps that whole herd of centaur turn into just one with a bit of a pose adjustment and a bit of new sprue design. 

 

Ergo they are themes and ideas GW might have gone with that got far enough down the line, but which were then dropped or have been put on indefinite hold. 

[novakai]

3 hours ago, EccentricCircle said:

Remember, the Year of the Rat isn't over until Chinese New Year, so there is still time, even if we don't see any Skaven in 2020!

The first series of Underworlds models at least, were made from concept models, that hadn't originally been intended for wide release. I don't know whether that's still the case with later series, or whether they are designing things specifically for the game now that its taken off. If they do still use it as a way to release concept models it seems likely that the sculptors produce far more concept sculpts than actually get realised as a finished model. So the question is will they repurpose stuff for Underworlds that never got picked up for a wider release? or are they only going to put out warbands which are part of a line that is coming to fruition sooner or later? Without inside information

I mean if GW didn’t have models of Skaven at the beginning of the year of the Rat what make people think they have models for them at the end of the year or at all at this point in time? 
Because you usually care about the beginning of the year and market for that period not at the end

[EccentricCircle]

3 minutes ago, novakai said:

I mean if GW didn’t have models of Skaven at the beginning of the year of the Rat what make people think they have models for them at the end of the year or at all at this point in time? 
Because you usually care about the beginning of the year and market for that period not at the end

Only that for the past few years they've teased a new faction in December, which released early in the new year. So it is quite likely that we'll be getting "something" just before the end of the year of the Rat, even if there are no slots left for 2020.

There is no actual evidence that it will be Skaven, and honestly given how messed up this year has been, all their well laid plans could be out of the window by now. I don't collect Skaven, so don't have a dog (wolfrat?) in the race. But it is technically possible that something could still come out within the time frame that the Skaven fans were hoping it would. I wish Skreetch and the others the best of luck, it would be great if all their dreams are realised.

[Greasygeek]

New Rumor Engine just scream Blood Bowl to me. Orc Starplayer or something. Looks like the classic glove thingy worn by guys like Morg n Thorg and most Blitzers.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Greasygeek

[Vasshpit]

Not a Skaven player but I'd bet GeeDubs is going to do a Gloomspite Gitz style overhaul on them when the time comes. Probably only a few new toys but plenty of old classics made plastic. 

[KingBrodd]

23 minutes ago, Vasshpit said:

Not a Skaven player but I'd bet GeeDubs is going to do a Gloomspite Gitz style overhaul on them when the time comes. Probably only a few new toys but plenty of old classics made plastic. 

For the Skaven players I truly hope they do as they're one of the most deserving factions. And as an AOS player it would be incredible to have an update fresh army.

[RuneBrush]

17 hours ago, Overread said:

So instead of wasting all that design work they instead consolidated them into a side game. Perhaps it also allows the designers to explore ideas that they'd like to do, but which don't get approval for a full army. Forgeworld was mostly made in its day to be the creative outlet for some designers and to also make things the main studio couldn't. 

I think some of the Underworlds miniatures were to let their sculptors experiment with ideas too.  If one of those warbands were to be super popular, I could imagine those ideas being expanded on for a larger range within AoS - we're talking at least 3 years before we see anything be released though.

We know GW on occasion sits on new miniatures for quite a while too.  The Knight of Shrouds that came out for the Malign Portents campaign was actually sculpted after the the Nighthaunt range had been done, but he came out quite a few months before we even got a whisper of the 2nd edition box set.  The Imperial Knight was rumoured to have sat in a warehouse for 18 months before it was released (the date on the sprue backed this up too).