The Rumour Thread

[Loskelodd]

7 hours ago, Luperci said:

What would they even put in the starter box though, they had 2 massive refreshes in the past few years, their infantry is all new plastic afaik, as are their characters besides the psyker. 

I'm not coping because it should've been EC or dark mech I swear

Despite being an aos orruk player I kinda hate 40k orks, the mad max aesthetic is really uninspired and looks too silly for me

It's the perfect opportunity to finally release a plastic squiggoth, my pet Ork obsession. Anything more is bonus.

[Ejecutor]

2 minutes ago, Pizzaprez said:

It was one of the things that set AoS apart for me as a fantasy setting tbh and it attracted me to check out the game to begin with. 

Never loved the empire, never loved that Bretonnia wouldn't take tanks, never loved that a staple of the state-of-the-world in WHF was "all the races hate each other and think pretty highly of themselves."

I loved that the End Times used that to tear the entire planet apart. The books went out of their way to say "yeah if it wasn't for these prejudices at this moment, things could have been different! Anyways they were racist/bitter so..."

For AoS, a game that decided to lean more into hope than despair narratively, the idea that the races were friends was an instant point of appeal to me, and (again) hearing that "Elves, Dwarfs, and Humans all get along now! Their shared experiences has resulted in new and interesting cultures! Here is an army that is home to all the stuff from the world-that-was, recontextualized into an AoS force." 

The idea that I could have Dispossessed, Wanderers, Sylvaneth, Kharadron, and Azyrite humans all living together was awesome! I bought "normal human" miniatures for the first time ever! I actually bothered to start mapping out the fanfiction part of the Realms where My Dudes lived and fought! Then Cities got the first of two major culls since getting a battletome and my interest was hit hard. Who was to say they wouldnt finish off Helves next book? Then they did! 

I sincerely doubt the Steelhelm army will ever offer that level of miniature and narrative complexity.

Steelhems (Free Guilds) are just a part of the military machinery from the Cities of Sigmar. Maybe that one won't be too appealing, but we could have another branches with diversity. One that is very likely to come soon is the Ironweld Arsenal. Let's see what happens once we get that one.

[EccentricCircle]

14 hours ago, GloomkingWortwazi said:

This is my understanding, yeah.

I agree wholeheartedly, he's one of their "humanoid monster guys" with a lot of great models under his belt (Troggs, Morbheg, etc.) and executed the brief very well. He's a very talented 3D artist.

I still remain hopeful there is more future intent for the design brief than just a one off choice model.

Ooh cool. How do you find out which sculptors worked on which of the newer models? I didn't know we had that information, but I'd love to know who the artists behind my favourite models were.

[Tonhel]

1 hour ago, Ejecutor said:

It has been bloated because when they didn't know where to put a WHFB army to do not loose those players they simply thrown them into CoS. Once the WHFB minis purge is over, it would be in a decent shape.

I think you nailed it.

Will be interesting to see how they will handle the dwarfs and dark elves when the CoS 4th edition book arrive with hopefully a big miniature release.

I think the focus will be on humans for the new edition. I would love to be wrong as I would like to see more city elves and dwarfs.

But I guess that the current diverse CoS was just a placeholder until they created enough human centric kits to make a human focused faction for AoS.

Edited April 11 by Tonhel

[The Red King]

41 minutes ago, Ejecutor said:

Steelhems (Free Guilds) are just a part of the military machinery from the Cities of Sigmar. Maybe that one won't be too appealing, but we could have another branches with diversity. One that is very likely to come soon is the Ironweld Arsenal. Let's see what happens once we get that one.

Ironweld arsenal, if made up of dwarves and taken to an AoS level, seems like it would be quite close to the Kharadron. Yes I know they could make them suitably different but... will they?

 

On that note maybe people should just be clipping the cannons of arkanaut frigates to make great cannons or whatever they're called and call it ironweld?

[MitGas]

CoS staying „diverse“ is simply unlikely for two reasons - it‘s still Warhammer, xenophobia and all that is part of its core premise and is rampant usually and what‘s more of a proper reason is that mixed kits are difficult to do well I figure.
 

I think a kit mixing aelfs and humans wouldn‘t be too much of a hassle to do as the overall body is interchangeable depending on armor design but when you throw in dwarfs it means you got let‘s say a third of a unit looking VERY distinct. The models in the army would sooner start to look like clones even if they add lots of extra heads. And if they add female models to it, it would feel pretty much like back in the day when whole units were made up of the same 5 models. So there‘s a bit of a trade-off. 
 

I like the new look of Cities and would prefer more races in there but I think it‘s simply down to logistics. Perhaps specialized units will stay non-human so that at least that way they got more visual variety.

Edited April 11 by MitGas

[The Red King]

48 minutes ago, Ejecutor said:

With a bit of luck GW will listen to their community and in 5-6 years (based on their working timings) we will have a wave with diversity for CoS.

*Narrator* They did not.

 

In all seriousness though there is zero way for them to track the sale of potential diverse/integrated kits and we've seen that player wants have zero impact on their market strategy. I mean how would they even know people want it? It seems like they either aren't listening to fans online or are actively choosing to ignore them.

[Ejecutor]

Just now, The Red King said:

Ironweld arsenal, if made up of dwarves and taken to an AoS level, seems like it would be quite close to the Kharadron. Yes I know they could make them suitably different but... will they?

 

On that note maybe people should just be clipping the cannons of arkanaut frigates to make great cannons or whatever they're called and call it ironweld?

I don't think that would be the case, necessarily. We don't know IF we would have duardins in the Ironweld Arsenal, nor if we have how they would look, but I have some things in mind to clearly differentiate them:

1 - They won't wear armour/suits like the Kharadrons. Something closer to TOW than Kharadrons.
2 - Keep using the Romboid shape from the Freeguild. It is a shape that is not used in the Kharadron armies.
3 - Leave the flying theme to Kharadrons. Currently we have Gyrocopters. Forget about them. Let's focus on Tanks, Cannons, Cogforts and so on. Even something like the Sentinel from Astra Militarum.

I think with those rules in mind, we would have something clearly differentiated.

An example from a user that 3D modelled some: 

[Ejecutor]

5 minutes ago, MitGas said:

CoS staying „diverse“ is simply unlikely for two reasons - it‘s still Warhammer, xenophobia and all that is part of its core premise and is rampant usually and what‘s more of a proper reason is that mixed kits are difficult to do well I figure.
 

I think a kit mixing aelfs and humans wouldn‘t be too much of a hassle to do as the overall body is interchangeable depending on armor design but when you throw in dwarfs it means you got let‘s say a third of a unit looking VERY distinct. The models in the army would sooner start to look like clones even if they add lots of extra heads. And if they add female models to it, it would feel pretty much like back in the day when whole units were made up of the same 5 models. So there‘s a bit of a trade-off. 
 

I like the new look of Cities and would prefer more races in there but I think it‘s simply down to logistics. Perhaps specialized units will stay non-human so that at least that way they got more visual variety.

IMO is not about having a unit with variation, but a unit with small touches (or dedicated units to other races).

For example, the black guy drinking, why not put a duardin drinking instead? That wouldn't be that much of a problem.

[MitGas]

3 minutes ago, Ejecutor said:

IMO is not about having a unit with variation, but a unit with small touches (or dedicated units to other races).

For example, the black guy drinking, why not put a duardin drinking instead? That wouldn't be that much of a problem.

Yeah, I agree with you, that would've worked well there. Like I've said, I think mixed units are difficult to pull off but a mixed army would be easy if some units were just aelfs or dwarfs. Some special minis like crews could easily be mixed. But obviously it's not my call.

I'd actually see a good use for WarCry in there, where they could create mixed units themselves that people could then mix with their AoS units. 

[CommissarRotke]

32 minutes ago, MitGas said:

CoS staying „diverse“ is simply unlikely for two reasons - it‘s still Warhammer, xenophobia and all that is part of its core premise and is rampant usually and what‘s more of a proper reason is that mixed kits are difficult to do well I figure.

in AOS it is not the default and I felt like that was the point when I started reading the lore--that ALL of Order HAS TO work together (and sometimes with Death/Destruction) to survive Chaos. If Phil Kelly is to be taken at his word, there is quite literally no room for the constant squabbling of WHF or the xenophobia of 40k. The fact that Reclaimed exist as a concept also tells us AOS isn't exactly like 40k or WHFB.

GW's new kits are superb at hiding mould lines and the "sprue spurs" from clipping. If the AOS sculptors were allowed to do mixed kits for COS, they absolutely could and would knock it out of the park. i do think specialized duardin and aelf units are most likely, and mixed units will still come down to kitbashers, but it seems like such wasted opportunities to turn around and say COS models are somehow only humans.

33 minutes ago, Ejecutor said:

1 - They won't wear armour/suits like the Kharadrons. Something closer to TOW than Kharadrons.
2 - Keep using the Romboid shape from the Freeguild. It is a shape that is not used in the Kharadron armies.
3 - Leave the flying theme to Kharadrons. Currently we have Gyrocopters. Forget about them. Let's focus on Tanks, Cannons, Cogforts and so on. Even something like the Sentinel from Astra Militarum.

on top of this list, we've been told that the first wave of COS is designed for Hammerhal's Dawnbringer Crusades and not even necessarily what the city garrison, let alone non-Aqshy militaries, look like. Even the likely Religious Units wave for Cities doesn't need to be human only.

Ironweld seems like the coal mine canary for whether duardin and aelves stay in Cities, so hopefully we see them in the 2nd wave.

[CommissarRotke]

37 minutes ago, MitGas said:

I'd actually see a good use for WarCry in there, where they could create mixed units themselves that people could then mix with their AoS units. 

I am once again begging GW to do a season of Warcry for all of the weird stuff in Cities...

[Freemeta]

i would love to see half-aelf and half-duardin maybe as a new Halfling race in CoS.

[EthanolMuffins]

2 hours ago, Ejecutor said:

With a bit of luck GW will listen to their community and in 5-6 years (based on their working timings) we will have a wave with diversity for CoS.

I think they will likely flesh out the diversity after the human stuff and the factions for the non humans in it are fleshed out

 

For example, with lumineth being a thing now, I wouldn’t be surprised if wave 2 or later wave included phoenix guard or other high elf themed units

[Dragon-knight77]

10 minutes ago, Freemeta said:

i would love to see half-aelf and half-duardin maybe as a new Halfling race in CoS.

Coven of blood had Half-elves, Yndrata the Celestial spear had Half-ogres, Even the Prince Mesa novel remove the mention of elve unable to interbreed from the shorts

would assume the dwarven/elf hybrind would probably look like a Vox Machina Gnome 

 

[GloomkingWortwazi]

Probably an unpopular take, but I'm personally hoping that with enough time CoS gets it's wave 2 replacing the old kits or removing them and becomes human only with a special system unique to them for taking regiments from "cities species" like elf and dwarf factions etc. with an additional keyword or two so they synergise well - or something like that at least anyway.

[Gitzdee]

9 minutes ago, GloomkingWortwazi said:

Probably an unpopular take, but I'm personally hoping that with enough time CoS gets it's wave 2 replacing the old kits or removing them and becomes human only with a special system unique to them for taking regiments from "cities species" like elf and dwarf factions etc. with an additional keyword or two so they synergise well - or something like that at least anyway.

I think this is a decent way to solve this problem. Allowing or even supporting  mixed lists in CoS by simply using kits from other armies. Everyone can be creative and kitbash their own city models that way. It would be hard to balance

I would love to see a Scourge Privateers wave though.

[novakai]

35 minutes ago, EthanolMuffins said:

I think they will likely flesh out the diversity after the human stuff and the factions for the non humans in it are fleshed out

 

For example, with lumineth being a thing now, I wouldn’t be surprised if wave 2 or later wave included phoenix guard or other high elf themed units

Tyrion side and nation is suppose to be Phoenix theme.

 

of course I do feel that once CoS get their second wave that will be it for a long time. There often a finite amount of units you can add to an army and most non posterboy armies will just chug along with the single hero release for many editions. Armies getting constant expansion outside of marine is rare

[MitGas]

3 hours ago, CommissarRotke said:

in AOS it is not the default and I felt like that was the point when I started reading the lore--that ALL of Order HAS TO work together (and sometimes with Death/Destruction) to survive Chaos. If Phil Kelly is to be taken at his word, there is quite literally no room for the constant squabbling of WHF or the xenophobia of 40k. The fact that Reclaimed exist as a concept also tells us AOS isn't exactly like 40k or WHFB.

GW's new kits are superb at hiding mould lines and the "sprue spurs" from clipping. If the AOS sculptors were allowed to do mixed kits for COS, they absolutely could and would knock it out of the park. i do think specialized duardin and aelf units are most likely, and mixed units will still come down to kitbashers, but it seems like such wasted opportunities to turn around and say COS models are somehow only humans.

on top of this list, we've been told that the first wave of COS is designed for Hammerhal's Dawnbringer Crusades and not even necessarily what the city garrison, let alone non-Aqshy militaries, look like. Even the likely Religious Units wave for Cities doesn't need to be human only.

Ironweld seems like the coal mine canary for whether duardin and aelves stay in Cities, so hopefully we see them in the 2nd wave.

Oh, I’m pretty sure AoS will become even closer to WHFB/40k in mood and outlook as recent stories already feel more similar to the writing of old; it‘s already closer than it used to be and I think GW knows that people in general expect their particular flavor in all of their settings. Plus it‘s hard to argue that other Order factions would not be wary of Idoneth or anything Morathi has to do with. 

But I‘d like to see more variety in CoS as well (not because I like them all being dandy with each other, I don‘t care about them being happy together, they should be miserable if I could chose, I just find armies with lots of really different units much more interesting, I guess that‘s why Chaos always spoke to me as we got mortals, beastmen (well, a couple are left) and daemons ideally), it‘s just not the likeliest thing in my opinion.
 

But I‘d gladly be wrong. It‘s no dealbreaker for me in either case, CoS would also work as just humans for me, especially if they promote them to the main faction in regards to having them be our eyes into the realms, as boring old humans are most relatable after all. 

[GloomkingWortwazi]

Yeah, I'd be fine with multi-species-kits too that let you build 10 of whatever species. Best of both worlds I guess?

What I don't want is [new cannon with dwarf only crew], [new cavalry with elf only riders] type units. If I wanted to play short humans, or tall humans with pointy ears, or humans with horns, or humans who are lightning, or humans with too many arms, or humans who are also livestock... I would play a faction that already caters for that aesthetic. I'd like some mostly normal humans, please.

Understandably I'm making the reverse logic argument mirror of "convert your elves or use the elf parts of the theoretical multi-sprue" which can easily be shone back at me as "then convert the fixed elf units to be human by placing human heads on them or model swap those dudes".
Aaagggh the light of the mirror! It burns! I dunno what the right answer is lol 🤷‍♂️.

Edit: Either way works for me, my CoS are heavily converted and mostly either headless or with a mask/hood/hat fully obscuring them anyway. Worst case I sculpt and print my own drop-ins for anything that I desperately can't convert/kitbash.

Edited April 12 by GloomkingWortwazi

[EthanolMuffins]

2 hours ago, novakai said:

Tyrion side and nation is suppose to be Phoenix theme.

 

of course I do feel that once CoS get their second wave that will be it for a long time. There often a finite amount of units you can add to an army and most non posterboy armies will just chug along with the single hero release for many editions. Armies getting constant expansion outside of marine is rare

Forgot about Tyrion being phoenix stuff, was thinking on the CoS of Pheonicium or whatever it is called. I wouldnt be surprised to see the 2nd wave be human focused and like you said after that just be one or two units here and there, possibly using that for the elves and dwarves in CoS.

[01rtb01]

14 hours ago, Luperci said:

What would they even put in the starter box though, they had 2 massive refreshes in the past few years, their infantry is all new plastic afaik, as are their characters besides the psyker. 

I'm not coping because it should've been EC or dark mech I swear

Despite being an aos orruk player I kinda hate 40k orks, the mad max aesthetic is really uninspired and looks too silly for me

I'll take silly over the one dimensional ironjawz. 40k orks have always been brutally ridiculous, it's part of the fun. 

I wouldn't put much stock in orks for 11th unless it's come via valrak. Fulgrim and friends are well overdue.

 

All that said, I'm intrigued to see more skaven forthcoming. I know it's drip feed but it's been painfully slow.

[Beliman]

The best way, at least for me, to have Duardins and Aelves in CoS is the same as having Ratlings or Byllgryns in Astra Militarum.

Only a few units, even from another races (CoS already has an Ogor so...), maybe a keyword to have some type of synergy with themself (think Alarith units), but that's all. No need to bloat the roster like SCE.

[GloomkingWortwazi]

Intriguing post from my local store:


Weird hint about weird things, or just some Warhammer store staff jibber-jabber? I'm kind of assuming the later.

[cyrus]

2 minutes ago, GloomkingWortwazi said:

Intriguing post from my local store:


Weird hint about weird things, or just some Warhammer store staff jibber-jabber? I'm kind of assuming the later.

We had a war cry band of humans for ha shut so I can totally see a war cry band of human cultists of horned rat .

maybe covered in fur 🐀