The Rumour Thread

[RocketPropelledGrenade]

I've gotten partway through the application process for a design job at GW a few times. Never quite made it. Starting to feel like I may have dodged a bullet.

[Vasshpit]

@Chikout Her note to future self at the end hit me in the feelers. 

[RileyArlic]

3 hours ago, RocketPropelledGrenade said:

I've gotten partway through the application process for a design job at GW a few times. Never quite made it. Starting to feel like I may have dodged a bullet.

Eh, different people can tolerate different cultures. If you're truly passionate about designing miniatures, then working for GW will give you incredible experience on how the pipeline works. There are many, many people that have worked for GW that then went on to make their own game systems. 

The thing GW is trying to tackle is tying their company to any individual. Remember what happened with Subway and Jared? They also aren't a talent agency, making the next great idols and influencers, they make miniatures and they sell miniatures. 

Just because your face and name isn't seen doesn't mean you wouldn't get the experience of how the mini-making biz works. It comes down to why you're designing minis and what you want out of the job. 

[pnkdth]

1 hour ago, RileyArlic said:

Eh, different people can tolerate different cultures. If you're truly passionate about designing miniatures, then working for GW will give you incredible experience on how the pipeline works. There are many, many people that have worked for GW that then went on to make their own game systems. 

The thing GW is trying to tackle is tying their company to any individual. Remember what happened with Subway and Jared? They also aren't a talent agency, making the next great idols and influencers, they make miniatures and they sell miniatures. 

Just because your face and name isn't seen doesn't mean you wouldn't get the experience of how the mini-making biz works. It comes down to why you're designing minis and what you want out of the job. 

They've rebranding themselves as being "the hobby" and there's lots of things associated to them outside of just making minis. They've been a lot more than that for a long time now. In this case they want to be influencers and content creators (WH+) but they want to do it without personalities attached to them.

You raise a lot of good points on the value of the knowledge you get but they clearly also want to build up a great sense of community among its gamers.

Imagine this game without any lore behind it? No one would give a toss about it. It is the same with "the hobby" if there's no one there, no one cares. I mean, what's the sales pitch? Come watch us, we're worse than everything on YT!

[Ogregut]

9 minutes ago, pnkdth said:

They've rebranding themselves as being "the hobby" and there's lots of things associated to them outside of just making minis. They've been a lot more than that for a long time now. In this case they want to be influencers and content creators (WH+) but they want to do it without personalities attached to them.

You raise a lot of good points on the value of the knowledge you get but they clearly also want to build up a great sense of community among its gamers.

Imagine this game without any lore behind it? No one would give a toss about it. It is the same with "the hobby" if there's no one there, no one cares. I mean, what's the sales pitch? Come watch us, we're worse than everything on YT!

They defo need to try and strike a balence as the anonymous hands only approach isn't working and indeed causing, justified, backlash. 

I've noticed over the past week creatives names have appeared more on the community website and hopfully we'll see videos return to having a face in them. 

I can appreciate that when they lost Duncan, it was a wake up call and they wanted to safeguard againest it happening in the future, however the knee ****** and heavy handed approach caused the lost of further talent and harmed their goodwill with the public. 

Something I think GW is good at is adapting and changing with the time, they are slow doing so sometimes but they can do it. I hope they have read the room and take appropriate action. Time will tell. 

[Bosskelot]

9 hours ago, Nighthaunt Noob said:

Bit off topic but I noticed GW didn't even directly share the painting videos for Seraphon thru Facebook. Guessing they don't want to post them anywhere where they can be called out for the fact that they no longer show the face of the painters.

Their painting videos aren't even showing up in my youtube subscriptions anymore.

[Nezzhil]

Let's start rumouring! What book do you think would be the last battletome of the edition? It could be a new faction, a second versión of a first year book or it could be FeC.

We can check 40k where the last three books were Votann, Astra and World Eaters.

Or AoS 2.0 were Slaanesh, Lumineth and Soulblight.

[Elbaf]

Preordered! i've got a good discount of 20%, thats even better for my lizard ! i hope the kroxigors and the rest will follow soon

[Ogregut]

Lizardmen pre ordered! Can't wait for next Saturday, new reveals and new models!! Bring it on!! 

[KingBrodd]

58 minutes ago, Nezzhil said:

Let's start rumouring! What book do you think would be the last battletome of the edition? It could be a new faction, a second versión of a first year book or it could be FeC.

We can check 40k where the last three books were Votann, Astra and World Eaters.

Or AoS 2.0 were Slaanesh, Lumineth and Soulblight.

Im hoping that the hints from @Whitefang about Destruction getting love before the end of the Edition is that Orruk Warclans get their version of a second 3.0 Tome with new Bonesplitterz and Ironjawz!!

[KingBrodd]

I am actually so excited for next weekend.

Not only is it Warhammerfest but Im finally able to go home to see my family in Australia. 3 and a half years of not seeing anybody due to Covid and finances has been quite the toll but the community and friendships Ive made and strengthened over that time here on TGA has been so rewarding.

Thank you for everything. I love you all.

[JerekKruger]

I've pre-ordered the Seraphon box too. I hope GW have produced enough, as I'm going on holiday on Sunday and don't really want it sat in my porch for a week...

[zilberfrid]

21 hours ago, Snarff said:

I do very much prefer the new head proportions though, they look a lot more sleek. The oversized heads really detracted from the rest of the model and really did not match the art.

I absolutely agree the metal slayer heads were comically large, but I think GW can do better than copy and paste emotionless faces under the facial hair. You can see expression under a beard and mustache. Even a few faces that are just angry, like the Warden King, would make them less boring.

[The Brotherhood of Necros]

Happy Dino Day! Happy dino dance! So excited for my big frog to arrive. I can’t remember the order of the next battletomes — is Cities next before the rest of the Seraphon officially drop or have I got that mixed up? 

Ribbit! 🐸 

Edited April 22, 2023 by The Brotherhood of Necros

[Asbestress]

4 minutes ago, The Brotherhood of Necros said:

Happy Dino Day! Happy dino dance! So excited for my big frog to arrive. I can’t remember the order of the next battletomes — is Cities next before the rest of the Seraphon officially drop or have I got that mixed up? 

Ribbit! 🐸 

Cities is in Fall according to the roadmap (Cities Army Set imo is probably coming late Summer as Seraphon are shown to be for Summer as well, but their Army Set is coming next week 😛), so the rest of the Seraphon stuff should be out before them.

[Kronos]

My first AoS order since Lord Kroak! Got the box very excitedly this morning. However seeing as it was limited edition I didn’t plan on getting one and then getting upset if it was out of stock. I just can’t go through those FOMO emotions, makes me resent the hobby. But they were still available when I checked so got one in. Can’t wait to make some nifty Lizardmen conversions. 
 

Regarding the retconning of how the Lizards were made the 4ed (whenever Spawning's came in) was in itself a retcon. Originally the Lizardmen and their distant cousins the Troglodytes (Now Kroxigors) were native species of the Warhammer World which the Slann subjugated. I’d like to imagine some were mind controlled, some joined willingly and some were bribed with weapons and gold…anyway. The Spawning idea itself came from the Slann which had various spawning types.

Edited April 22, 2023 by Kronos

[The Lost Sigmarite]

10 hours ago, Chikout said:

I just finished watching this video by Louise.

 

It's a great video that I recommend watching but there's one thing that stood out as being relevant. She said that studio staff are no longer allowed to attend Warhammer Fest. 

This made me more than a little angry. The event is next week. It's supposed to be the biggest celebration of the hobby but the designers, painters artists and writers who actually make the things we love aren't allowed to be there?!!? What idiocy. 

With 'only hands', interviews that only use first names, no feedback at golden demon and now this, gw is taking deliberate steps to undo the things that helped to turn the company around in the first place. 

Meeting Jes Goodwin at games day in the 90s was absolutely a highlight for me and I definitely bought more miniatures if I knew they were designed by him. It was undeniably an inspirational experience. 

Imagine being a young painter who loves Warhammer, loves interacting with other players and going to events. Working for the studio should be the dream job. But now if you work in that job you get no credit, no chance to display your enthusiasm in videos , no chance to meet customers and share your love of the hobby. Who's going to want that job?  

I really hope  gw see the error of their ways and reverse of all these policies. 

I remember in 2017 I got to see Maxime Pastourel, the designer of the Death Guard and Warcry range, at my local GW, and it was one of the best hobby experiences I have ever done. We all got to ask him questions on how miniatures are made and what's it like to work at GW and we got to show him our minis and he rated them all with 10/10 paintjobs. It was awesome. Watching that video and learning that is would not happen now as GW staff are forbidden to attend events makes me feel privileged to have witnessed it while it existed, and sad that it's gone. What's the point of attending a convention if you can't meet, greet and interview the people behind what you love ? 

Now having listened to that video, 1/ I'll always support Louise no matter what now and 2/as someone who will be out of uni in 2 years, maybe your dream job is not what you expect it to be... 

That message to her future self tho... 😢

[pnkdth]

*huffs Hashut flavoured hopium*

edit: realised just below there's a place called 'Hopetide' 😆

Edited April 22, 2023 by pnkdth

[Clan's Cynic]

3 hours ago, Nezzhil said:

Let's start rumouring! What book do you think would be the last battletome of the edition? It could be a new faction, a second versión of a first year book or it could be FeC.

We can check 40k where the last three books were Votann, Astra and World Eaters.

Or AoS 2.0 were Slaanesh, Lumineth and Soulblight.

I think if FEC are due a big wave they might not land until early 2024, but then again, Votann/Guard/World Eaters all came out in very quick succession. I guess it depends on how backed-up the pipeline is due to Covid. If it's just a Sylvaneth-esq mini-wave with a few models it might be Winter '23.

I don't think it's impossible we see a new army. We meme about Chorfs, but there have been plentiful hints and fluff about them actually heading into Thondia proper. Much like Kragnos heralded in 'Era of the Beast' with Broken Realms, closing out on 3.0 with a resurgent Chaos (if they're going to be in the starter) and a Chorf release isn't the furthest stretch. I still wouldn't put money on it, but at this point they seem more likely than even Malerion.

Whether or not we see anymore Battletomes I think will depend on how GW handle the inevitable pre-4.0 books. They did make a point of Arks of Omen not having any rules for basic 40k outside of the new models and Boarding Actions. However if they handle AoS differently, they might decide to include 'updates' in them much like they did Broken Realms - particularly if 4.0 isn't going to be a reset (which is probably the real reason they didn't include any 40k rules in Arks of Omen).

Oh and technically we've only had one Lumineth Battletome this edition, so clearly they'll be getting one.

Edited April 22, 2023 by Clan's Cynic

[Asbestress]

With just a week to go until Warhammer Fest, let's start hearing some wishlists!

To start off:

40k

 

Spoiler

• Launch box full reveal
• SM + Tyranid Codex
• Objective Set?
• First non-launch SM + Nid kits?

Underworlds

Spoiler

• Freeguild Warband (for the 3-4th time 😛)

Warcry

Spoiler

• SC vs FEC Box

Middle Earth

Spoiler

• Plastic Iron Hill Dwarves ( 😛 )

AoS

Spoiler

• "Totally-not-Launch-Set-contents" Cities models ala Seraphon
• SoW Gallet + Incarnate
• Built-up Dawnbringer structures terrain?
• FEC Tease?

Horus Heresy

Spoiler

• Plastic Mark II (my beloved)

TOW

Spoiler

• Plastic Bretonnian and TK Character for Starter Set

Kill Team

Spoiler

• New Season + Box

 

AoS bit might be a bit much, but we are getting the 2nd longest reveal after 40k (Q&A included). Also, my hopium for Cities is neverending.

[The Lost Sigmarite]

6 hours ago, Nezzhil said:

Let's start rumouring! What book do you think would be the last battletome of the edition? It could be a new faction, a second versión of a first year book or it could be FeC.

We can check 40k where the last three books were Votann, Astra and World Eaters.

Or AoS 2.0 were Slaanesh, Lumineth and Soulblight.

My guess is Summer -Seraphon and Season of War, Autumn - Cities and FEC, based on the AoS roadmap shown. I filled the 3 mystery books of the timeline with what is more logical based on Whitefang rumours, leaks, rumour engines and GW reveals. 

After that, we enter Winter 2023 and that's where the roadmap stops. So here, we enter the domain of bigger speculation and rumours, with no official information to hang on to. By then, if we follow what I wrote above, all the current BTs will be upgraded for 3rd Ed. And it's generally in winter that GW starts the end of edition narrative campaigns that end in spring of the following year, and with a new edition a few months later in summer. That's what they did with Broken Realms and Arks of Omen. 

My guess here is, and I'm basing myself primarely on Whitefang rumours and my pattern-seeking brain. Winter 2023, GW announces the next narrative campaign. The Eye of Chotec blows up, Incarnates go wild, I don't know what the fluff's gonna be except that it's going forward. Release a series of books, with the obligatory accompanying plastic characters. 2024 comes up, continue the campaign. According to Whitefang, Kurnothi are somewhere in the pipeline, release them alongside a second version of Sylvaneth BT (?). Release the "other Destruction factions that would get something... later" (same, according to Whitefang) with a Warclans v2 BT ? Or separate IJ or Bonespitters BT ? Release another bunch of heroes, tease the main antagonists of the new edition, announce it and prepare for summer 2024.

What's difficult to predict is BTs. New minis we know thanks to Whitefang, new BTs, we don't know because we have 0 clue how those rumoured minis will be integrated. 

(Sorry for big edit the message got send prematurely).

Edited April 22, 2023 by The Lost Sigmarite

[Hollow]

8 hours ago, RileyArlic said:

The thing GW is trying to tackle is tying their company to any individual. Remember what happened with Subway and Jared? They also aren't a talent agency, making the next great idols and influencers, they make miniatures and they sell miniatures.  

 Just to add a little to the presenter/name situation. Does anyone else see the apparent use of AI in the new Seraphon artwork? (Particularly the Slann images) I'd be surprised if there is half as many artists at GW in 3/5 years' time compared to now. I wouldn't be surprised if all customer-facing promo work for the company will be done by AI in the next few years. 

[Draznak]

54 minutes ago, Asbestress said:

40k

  Hide contents

• Launch box full reveal
• SM + Tyranid Codex
• Objective Set?
• First non-launch SM + Nid kits?

I also hope there will be a preview of the upcoming kits outside the launch set.

 

57 minutes ago, Asbestress said:

Underworlds

  Hide contents

• Freeguild Warband (for the 3-4th time 😛)

Preview after preview, we'll end up being right ! 😁

 

58 minutes ago, Asbestress said:

Warcry

  Hide contents

• SC vs FEC Box

Absolutely logical (thanks to the leaks).

 

59 minutes ago, Asbestress said:

AoS

  Hide contents

• "Totally-not-Launch-Set-contents" Cities models ala Seraphon
• SoW Gallet + Incarnate
• Built-up Dawnbringer structures terrain?
• FEC Tease?

I'm afraid that's a rather optimistic prediction... SoW Gallet + incarnate is a safe bet. At least a new COS mini seems to me the minimum too. But a FEC tease... seems too early to me.

 

1 hour ago, Asbestress said:

Kill Team

  Hide contents

• New Season + Box

Intrigued by this preview... Unveiling the new season seems a bit early but why not.

 

1 hour ago, Asbestress said:

Also, my hopium for Cities is neverending.

By Sigmar, you're not the only one !

[Asbestress]

12 minutes ago, Hollow said:

 Just to add a little to the presenter/name situation. Does anyone else see the apparent use of AI in the new Seraphon artwork? (Particularly the Slann images) I'd be surprised if there is half as many artists at GW in 3/5 years' time compared to now. I wouldn't be surprised if all customer-facing promo work for the company will be done by AI in the next few years. 

Spoiler

I mean, apart from the funky magic effect I don't see how anything in this artwork (or any of the other Seraphon art) was made with AI.

Edit: To add to that, a lot of recent-ish (read: 2020-now) art looks quite similar to this Slann one (Admech/Imperial Guard Codex covers come to mind).
Seems to be just a new (and very talented) artist they've brought on with a more detailed/realistic but still messy/"older" Warhammer art feeling style.

Edit-edit:

Spoiler

To add to the "style" thing, I absolute love whatever this person does and wish I knew who it was. My personal favourite is the big DBC artwork on the first few pages of the Core Book.
Some of the artwork (like that aforementioned DBC one) has this cool "fading-out" effect, where things in the foreground are incredibly detailed and overall just amazing, but as you get further into the background it gets more sketchy/silhouette-y feel (most likely to save time/not have to make hundreds of detailed faces/things), but for some reason I just love it!

Spoiler

 

P.S.: if anyone knows who this artist is, I'd really like to know!

Edited April 22, 2023 by Asbestress

[Baron Klatz]

Likely none of it was AI. People are just scaring themselves into seeing it everywhere nowadays. I saw at least 3 Cubicle7 threads with people saying they were AI art only for the artists to step-in and prove they painted them.

It’s one good thing with GW being like Nintendo when it comes to being at least a half-decade late to modern digital trends.

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by Baron Klatz