The Rumour Thread

[Garrac]

Just now, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

Dominion was revealed May 29th, pre-order June 19th, for reference.

So, seems about right?

GW is free to do as they may, but you won't get anyone asking on reddit if Leviathan sold poorly.

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

1 minute ago, Garrac said:

GW is free to do as they may, but you won't get anyone asking on reddit if Leviathan sold poorly.

We have the back story of why so many Dominion boxes were left on store shelves by now. It was not because of lack of demand: Due to low supply, GW decided to prioritize webstore orders over independent stores during the release period of 3rd, which led to stores being initially unable to fulfill their orders, and later being stuck with excess stock after GW produced more and delivered it to them.

[Vagard]

Based on the fact that GW told us that there will be 2 playable spearheads in the starter box, and also based on the comparison between ScE dominion roaster and ScE spearhead, we have 3 options : 

- Either the launch box is not the same as the starting box (as dominion was) and in the launch box we will not have terrains but more minis instead

- There is only one launch box / starting box and we will just have less minis than Dominion

- There is only one launch box / starting box and we will get as much minis as Dominion but the spearheads included will not take into account all the minis included in the box. 

 

To me the most plausible option is the 1st

[Grungnisson]

The AoS 4th edition launch box and Spearhead starter box are quite clearly two different boxes.

AoS launch box will have the new design SCE and Skaven, the Spearhead will have the SCE spearhead warband plus another one.

Launch box - two sets of minis, Core Rules book, maybe some additional goodies again (measuring sticks, dice, whatever), Spearhead - two Vanguards/Spearheads, Speahead book, board and terrain.

[Vagard]

Do you mean that when GW talks about the "lanch box" here, it is not the AoS v4 lauch box but a special spearhead launch box? 

The incoming launch box provides everything you need to play with a friend, including two complete Spearhead forces, terrain, a double-sided board with printed objectives, and the packs of cards that really make this mode tick. You’ll also get a beautiful hardcover book that includes everything you need to play – the core rules, the Spearhead battlepack, and the rules for every Spearhead force in the game – so you can start playing with your existing collections immediately.

To me it is clear that they are talking about the v4 launch box as their did not really insist on a special spearhead one

And it makes sens to appeal new players by telling them "hey, you can directly play a balanced game with special rules for small armies with this "all included box" and then add more units to play the matched play 2k pts" 

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

3 minutes ago, Vagard said:

Do you mean that when GW talks about the "lanch box" here, it is not the AoS v4 lauch box but a special spearhead launch box? 

The incoming launch box provides everything you need to play with a friend, including two complete Spearhead forces, terrain, a double-sided board with printed objectives, and the packs of cards that really make this mode tick. You’ll also get a beautiful hardcover book that includes everything you need to play – the core rules, the Spearhead battlepack, and the rules for every Spearhead force in the game – so you can start playing with your existing collections immediately.

To me it is clear that they are talking about the v4 launch box as their did not really insist on a special spearhead one

And it makes sens to appeal new players by telling them "hey, you can directly play a balanced game with special rules for small armies with this "all included box" and then add more units to play the matched play 2k pts" 

Especially since this is what Spearhead is supposed to be: The format with preconstructed lists that you can play out of the box. It would be a huge missed opportunity for GW to not make the 4th ed launch box Spearhead compatible. It is one of those loss leader boxes that is aimed at bringing new players into the game, after all, so if that is the main target demographic, of course it should be Spearhead.

[Jagged Red Lines]

16 minutes ago, Garrac said:

The only marketing that really counts to bring guys into playing stuff it's the one that shows actual miniatures, and now we have barely ¿half? of the box 37 days prior.

SG Warhound! Wherefore art thou SG Warhound?

[BarakUrbaz]

25 minutes ago, Vagard said:

Based on the fact that GW told us that there will be 2 playable spearheads in the starter box, and also based on the comparison between ScE dominion roaster and ScE spearhead, we have 3 options : 

- Either the launch box is not the same as the starting box (as dominion was) and in the launch box we will not have terrains but more minis instead

- There is only one launch box / starting box and we will just have less minis than Dominion

- There is only one launch box / starting box and we will get as much minis as Dominion but the spearheads included will not take into account all the minis included in the box. 

 

To me the most plausible option is the 1st

The third option is literally what Leviathan did though. 

[Jagged Red Lines]

9 minutes ago, Vagard said:

Do you mean that when GW talks about the "lanch box" here, it is not the AoS v4 lauch box but a special spearhead launch box? 

Mental gymnastics getting absurd at this point.

[Ejecutor]

1 hour ago, Garrac said:

So, then launch box gets revealed on 18th of may, and preorders for the 9th of June? That's barely 22 days of marketing. It's utterly insane, AoS (nor any other game for the matter) isn't 40k, it doesn't have the privilege of a large fandom instabuying every release. But, oh well, I'm not an executive...

It is a launchbox. It will have a sweet discount. With Skavens on the box, it will sell like crazy.

Edited May 2 by Ejecutor

[Ejecutor]

22 minutes ago, Vagard said:

Do you mean that when GW talks about the "lanch box" here, it is not the AoS v4 lauch box but a special spearhead launch box? 

The incoming launch box provides everything you need to play with a friend, including two complete Spearhead forces, terrain, a double-sided board with printed objectives, and the packs of cards that really make this mode tick. You’ll also get a beautiful hardcover book that includes everything you need to play – the core rules, the Spearhead battlepack, and the rules for every Spearhead force in the game – so you can start playing with your existing collections immediately.

To me it is clear that they are talking about the v4 launch box as their did not really insist on a special spearhead one

And it makes sens to appeal new players by telling them "hey, you can directly play a balanced game with special rules for small armies with this "all included box" and then add more units to play the matched play 2k pts" 

If GW is a bit following the media they know the confusion there's around this. Hopefully they give us a bone to clear the doubts soon.

[Ejecutor]

14 minutes ago, BarakUrbaz said:

The third option is literally what Leviathan did though. 

And the most likely to happen, IMO.

[TrawlingCleaner]

For reference, the 40k combat patrols for the Marines and the Nids both do not use the full contents of each half of the boxset. For example, the Marine Combat Patrol is:

Their full half of the Leviathan box includes the above plus 5 more marines, a lieutenant and a dreadnought

 

The Nid Combat patrol is:

Their full half of the Leviathan boxset includes the above plus The Neurotyrant, Neuroguants and Screamer Killer

They both also have another Combat Patrol each too with the Space Marine one being based on the old Vanguard/Combat Patrol of  Phobos marines and the Nid one is all Lictors, both coming from White Dwarf if I'm not mistaken.

Stormcast already have one Spearhead ready to go with Yndrasta and they'll be able to build one from "Rataclysm" so I'd imagine Skaven will get a second later on down the line built around a theme like the Lictor one for example.

 

[Grungnisson]

19 minutes ago, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

Especially since this is what Spearhead is supposed to be: The format with preconstructed lists that you can play out of the box. It would be a huge missed opportunity for GW to not make the 4th ed launch box Spearhead compatible. It is one of those loss leader boxes that is aimed at bringing new players into the game, after all, so if that is the main target demographic, of course it should be Spearhead.

OK, let's recap once more.

The Dominion style, launch box for AoS 4th edition - we know it will have a Core Rules book, as they always do, and we do have every reason to expect the new, redesign SCE, plus brand new hero(es) to be included.

Spearhead - will have two Spearhead/Vanguard type warbands, one of them SCE. Which we know exactly the content of, and therefore we know it's different to the above.

I would say, logic dictates, we're looking at two different products here.

[Ookami]

1 hour ago, Nezzhil said:

Rumored schedule:
- Core Rules pdf released on first June week

- Prerelease second June week

- Release last June week + Spearhead pdfs

- Index first July week

Well, a gap between core rules and indices is too huge. Like what are people supposed to do throught a month with just core rules released but without warscrolls? 

[Luperci]

9 minutes ago, Grungnisson said:

OK, let's recap once more.

The Dominion style, launch box for AoS 4th edition - we know it will have a Core Rules book, as they always do, and we do have every reason to expect the new, redesign SCE, plus brand new hero(es) to be included.

Spearhead - will have two Spearhead/Vanguard type warbands, one of them SCE. Which we know exactly the content of, and therefore we know it's different to the above.

I would say, logic dictates, we're looking at two different products here.

the launch box contents will probably be the 2 spearheads + an extra unit or two for each faction, like with leviathan, or they drop the extra unit sprue in favour of terrain like some have suggested. In the spearhead article, they don't call the existing SCE spearhead the SCE spearhead, they call it Yndrasta's spearhead.

Edit: nevermind they outright stated there will be terrain in the launch box, so it's probably just 2 spearhead forces.

 

Edited May 2 by Luperci

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

8 minutes ago, Grungnisson said:

OK, let's recap once more.

The Dominion style, launch box for AoS 4th edition - we know it will have a Core Rules book, as they always do, and we do have every reason to expect the new, redesign SCE, plus brand new hero(es) to be included.

Spearhead - will have two Spearhead/Vanguard type warbands, one of them SCE. Which we know exactly the content of, and therefore we know it's different to the above.

I would say, logic dictates, we're looking at two different products here.

Stormcast can have two different spearheads. Yndrasta and Ruination.

I would say the warcom article is pretty clear about there being one box:

Quote

The incoming launch box provides everything you need to play with a friend, including two complete Spearhead forces, terrain, a double-sided board with printed objectives, and the packs of cards that really make this mode tick. You’ll also get a beautiful hardcover book that includes everything you need to play – the core rules, the Spearhead battlepack, and the rules for every Spearhead force in the game – so you can start playing with your existing collections immediately.

[PraetorDragoon]

2 minutes ago, Ookami said:

Well, a gap between core rules and indices is too huge. Like what are people supposed to do throught a month with just core rules released but without warscrolls? 

Weird indeed.

For Leviathan, the index release schedule was first the rulebook, followed by leviathan datasheets, then tyranids/marines, then a rollout of the other factions, and closing with the points and combat patrol.

 

 

[Sabush]

I think the box will include terrain at the expense of more models.
Which I guess makes it more suitable for new players, but maybe less valuable for experienced players.

[Jagged Red Lines]

1 minute ago, Sabush said:

I think the box will include terrain at the expense of more models.
Which I guess makes it more suitable for new players, but maybe less valuable for experienced players.

My conspiracy theory is because it's so people won't buy multiples to sell on ebay, because they'd be lumbered with so much extra terrain.

So it reduces the need for them to overproduce it like Dominion.

[BarakUrbaz]

11 minutes ago, Sabush said:

I think the box will include terrain at the expense of more models.
Which I guess makes it more suitable for new players, but maybe less valuable for experienced players.

Wasn't Games Workshop's whole distinction between "launch boxes" and "starter boxes" is that launch boxes were intended for experienced players who just wanted all the new models that were releasing with the start of the edition while starter boxes were inttended for people who wanted to start the game? Kind of weird if they veered away from that. Maybe they just figured that new players were just buying the launch box to get into the game anyway. 

Edited May 2 by BarakUrbaz

[Ejecutor]

15 minutes ago, Jagged Red Lines said:

My conspiracy theory is because it's so people won't buy multiples to sell on ebay, because they'd be lumbered with so much extra terrain.

So it reduces the need for them to overproduce it like Dominion.

If that's the case it is pretty sad that they always have to look for a workaround against scalpers. It is the same with the Hachette collectables. The first issue of the Mortal Realms was nuts in terms of value and people bought it by dozens, so it made them change its content.

[Ejecutor]

10 minutes ago, BarakUrbaz said:

Wasn't Games Workshop's whole distinction between "launch boxes" and "starter boxes" is that launch boxes were intended for experienced players who just wanted all the new models that were releasing with the start of the edition while starter boxes were inttended for people who wanted to start the game? Kind of weird if they veered away from that. Maybe they just figured that new players were just buying the launch box to get into the game anyway. 

Yeah. I think that was always the intention. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, all our doubts will be cleared.

[Grungnisson]

25 minutes ago, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

Stormcast can have two different spearheads. Yndrasta and Ruination.

Yes, it can. But unless we see any hints of that, based on the information given so far, there's no such indication.

[Vagard]

17 minutes ago, Grungnisson said:

Yes, it can. But unless we see any hints of that, based on the information given so far, there's no such indication.

And there's even less indication of a special spearhead launchbox. It would be extremely dumb to not explicitely mention it in the spearhead article. 

The fact that they are calling it "launch box" in a #newAoS article (which is directly related to the v4) is a proof that they are talking about the v4 launch box. And as some forum users mentionned it, they already did the same for 40k so no doubt at all : there will be 2 spearhead boxes for ScE and maybe the same for skavens.

Otherwise they would have specify in the article that the spearhead lauch box will be a different one from the v4 launch box. 

Edited May 2 by Vagard