Price increase on GW Products (coming 7th March)

[NinthMusketeer]

Steadily raise prices, realize they've hit a point where they are losing money because of it, lower prices, get cocky from massive success, steadily raise prices, realize they've hit a point where they are losing money because of it...

[zilberfrid]

2 hours ago, Lord Krungharr said:

Guess I should order my 3 Doomwheels this weekend then?!?

At least your army of Skryre Acolytes.

Edited February 10, 2022 by zilberfrid

[sandlemad]

40 minutes ago, NinthMusketeer said:

Steadily raise prices, realize they've hit a point where they are losing money because of it, lower prices, get cocky from massive success, steadily raise prices, realize they've hit a point where they are losing money because of it...

Honestly "lower prices" was really more a matter of expanding slightly more affordable ways to buy their stuff through options like Start Collecting boxes or games like Warcry and WHU. It's been a real disappointment over the last few years to see GW steadily roll these options back or boost the cost of entry to the point where they're only affordable by comparison with the mainline games.

[Fert]

Welcome to current times.... the price of everything is going up...  Why is this a surprise?  

[CommissarRotke]

Do y'all like being treated poorly as customers in a hobby that is becoming increasingly obtuse to interact with? Am I missing something? The 5-10% prince increase is not our sole issue here.

[Kronos]

This is quite possibly the bleakest thread I’ve had to push myself to read. I’m definitely on the thinking side of things as @Gaz Taylor and have been now for a couple of years. Remarkably even though I splurge on big kits/projects, I actually save way more money than my old habits of insta buying the coolest thing out (mind you that did wonders for my kitbox and still does).

 

What hits hardest in this thread is the economic misery we’re enduring. I honestly don’t even mind the price increase from gw because Like I said I rarely buy lately, in fact most of my hobby constitutes this thread, instagram and staring at Warhammer community for 10years at a time until Malerion, or Sigmar, are released…. But even with so much talk about rising prices (on everything) in the news, the Warhammer one hit me hardest. My little bubble of escapism popped without a care. The capitalists at the top of the Hierarchy will not lose out a penny or cent😢 Entirely first world problems, but it that doesn’t make it any easier. 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Kronos

[Fairbanks]

I said it elsewhere, I’ll say it here:

A price raise at this time is perfectly fine, considering inflation and raising shipping prices.

Five of the last seven raises over the past few years? No, not really. Especially for everyone with the decrease of the BPS compared to the local currency (US mainly).

It also stings because with everyone able to get 10-15% off MSRP through online retailers, there’s no indication there needs to be a price rise.

This also strikes me as a “Raising payment means more money” moment, which is a bass-ackwards train of thought, especially for a product system that has a lot of people citing “too expensive” as why they don’t buy.

[Lord Krungharr]

3 hours ago, zilberfrid said:

At least your army of Skryre Acolytes.

Got 20 cheap Night Runners missing heads for $15, and 3D printing my own Acolyte bits....all set for the Globadiers!

[PlasticCraic]

14 hours ago, Neverchosen said:

So the real question is what is the better game system between SW: Legion and Marvel Crisis Protocol? As much as I would rather support a smaller IP my friends are interested in the bigger more familiar game systems.

FWIW my honest opinion is that this whole thing is really not that bad, with the caveat that it is of course easy for me to say when I'm unaffected in Australia

But in answer to your question - and having played both of those (great) games - MCP would be my suggestion. 

• It's fun
• The models are bright and streamlined, so it's a nice change for painting
• Coupling it with a Marvel Unlimited sub on your tablet adds a lot to it (e.g. reading up on characters you like in the game - I also sub to WHU and I can tell you quite quickly which one gets more use)
• It's well designed
• You don't have to worry about save-stacking or coherency
• You have a lot more ways to interact with your opponent's models than just killing them 

Like any game it has its flaws, but I'm really enjoying it.  Major caveats are that the community is currently far smaller where I am at least, and as @Grimrock pointed out they have been crippled with supply issues.

It has not replaced AOS for me - and in my case never will - but it's certainly dominating my event plans these days, and it's muscled my Kruleboyz off the painting table and back onto the shelf.

[Tervindar]

So I see that there are a lot of defenders on price rises, which sure under inflation and shipping costs increasing would normally be fine but we seem to keep going in a trend with GW increasing prices. For example, Harrowdeep is $95 dollars, while Shadespire was $60, that is a substantial difference. Sure, you could argue that harrowdeep isn't intended to be the dipping point, like shadespire was but regardless, that will be someone's first foray into it. 

Then looking at GW online, the Thunderstrike command is being sold for $110, for models that are mono pose, and fairly bland although that is subjective. Which only includes 4 models, which aren't centerpieces. When I see that, and then I see a patreon like Ghamak who is sculpting "spartancast" for $10/month, its an easy choice for myself. I feel like we have been conditioned to pay premium prices, and potentially are touching on a sunk cost fallacy subject. Then the books as it is are already overpriced for what it is, GW should really move to a modern approach and have rules online which tomes are just for lore/art/league. 

I am vocal about this as I would like to continue support them for lines that I enjoy, but it just makes me very wary on how expensive the old world will be when it comes out. Before I get labeled as a "hater", I have 2000 point fully painted army of deepkin, 3500 points of lizardmen painted, kruleboyz, beastmen etc. So I am well invested into GW products. 

Stuff like this just truly pushes me more towards Conquest and Bolt Action. 

I am truly curious, for the folks defending the price increases, what would be your breaking point for when its too much? 3 models for $200, $250, etc. 

Anyways, just some of my ramblings from a concerned miniature wargamer. 

[yukishiro1]

Boiling the frog works. There's probably no point at which a lot of people would stop defending them...as long as they're boiled slowly. If GW suddenly doubled prices tomorrow, you might see some people who couldn't stomach that. But 5-10% price increases every year forever? That's probably never going to read the point people can't defend it. When something is part of your identity it takes a lot to shake you out of your holding pattern. You could say the same for the people who are reflexively anti-GW on everything, it'd take a lot to move their opinion too (though at least those people aren't being unpaid defenders of multi-billion dollar companies). 

 

 

[NinthMusketeer]

6 hours ago, sandlemad said:

Honestly "lower prices" was really more a matter of expanding slightly more affordable ways to buy their stuff through options like Start Collecting boxes or games like Warcry and WHU. It's been a real disappointment over the last few years to see GW steadily roll these options back or boost the cost of entry to the point where they're only affordable by comparison with the mainline games.

Agreed. Though in defense of 2016 GW some of those price reductions were pretty massive. Yes they weren't -technically- price reductions but when a model goes from being $85 (or even $110) on it's own to being part of an $85 SC box along with $70+ of other models, that's a price reduction in my book. Of course the only reason the cut was so dramatic is due to how high the price was inflated to begin with, but it is worth nothing that just this past year have we gotten back to pricing levels for models launched peak Kirby era. And the models we are getting are higher quality.

Which is to say as bad as it is now, there have been eras in the past where it was even MORE severe. So prepare for things to worse before they get better.

[yukishiro1]

Start Collecting was a great thing. It's unfortunate that they're replacing them with more-expensive, lower-value bundles instead, but GW tends to go in cycles this way. When GW runs into its next downturn and the current management gets shown the door and new people get brought in, one of their first initiatives will probably be another form of Start Collecting. And then the cycle will repeat. 

[Praecautus]

I came to the realisation some time ago to not stay wholly on the gw Fomo treadmill. It was quite an eye opener. the number of times rule sets turned out to be poor and the amazing model was not worth it was quite high. Coupled with my exploring non gw product. There is an amazing selection of games and models out there.
 

I would much rather spend my hobby money and time on items that are fun. And that means more than GW. Hosting a game of nemesis for example and having members of the clubs I go to in howls of laughter for hours, exploring other IPs I love, pushing my painting skills on different types of models that *gasp* are not covered in skulls. It’s been and continues to be a great journey.

 I chose to explore all the hobby, and enjoy gw but I also enjoy the other options out there. It’s a golden age for gaming, don’t miss out. You are free to spend your money how you want, enjoying what is out there can be done on a budget and is far more pleasant than being tied to big price increases on stuff you don’t really need.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Praecautus

[Durgin]

1 hour ago, NinthMusketeer said:

Agreed. Though in defense of 2016 GW some of those price reductions were pretty massive. Yes they weren't -technically- price reductions but when a model goes from being $85 (or even $110) on it's own to being part of an $85 SC box along with $70+ of other models, that's a price reduction in my book. Of course the only reason the cut was so dramatic is due to how high the price was inflated to begin with, but it is worth nothing that just this past year have we gotten back to pricing levels for models launched peak Kirby era. And the models we are getting are higher quality.

Which is to say as bad as it is now, there have been eras in the past where it was even MORE severe. So prepare for things to worse before they get better.

you know, this reminds me somehow the classic move of stores here in Italy during the season of sales, when a 10€ product goes suddenly 30€, then it is discounted 50% for a final 15€ cost XD

And many people, unaware of the initial price, buy it thinking of having found a good deal! 

 

[NinthMusketeer]

20 minutes ago, Durgin said:

you know, this reminds me somehow the classic move of stores here in Italy during the season of sales, when a 10€ product goes suddenly 30€, then it is discounted 50% for a final 15€ cost XD

And many people, unaware of the initial price, buy it thinking of having found a good deal! 

 

The difference being Kirby-GW skipped that first part and released it with the initial price at 30, then knocked it down after realizing 'oh hell people don't buy that'. It wasn't a sales tactic but a recovery. And a good one, too; many of those bundles and reduced price releases subsequent were/are reasonably good value overall.

AoS still has some bits that way (thank goodness for being the second son and not 40k); the zombie, skeleton, and blood knight boxes are quite competitively priced relative to the quality delivered. Even if it's coming in alongside stuff like a $40 mounted wight king.

[Wordy9th]

I think some of my wargamer peers should take a perspective pill or two with some of the hyperbole going on in this thread. It's bitter medicine but honestly I think it's for the best and I mean only well by it.

Anyone here enjoying the price hikes in energy costs can attest that their monthly energy bills skyrocketing because of Russian T-90s sat at the border of Ukraine far outweigh paying £5 more for some Slaangors every month. And that's just one facet of a constantly changing world of pandemics and war. 

Your escapism shouldn't be based on the -continual- buying of these boxes, I mean there's cheaper options. A Wordsworth classics War and Peace should set you back £3 which is weeks of enjoyment for less than the price differential of aforementioned Slaangors. You don't need to worry about money going to vast, faceless and ominous megacorps either, unless you take issue with further enriching Tolstoi's estate ^_^.

If I was going to 'stand up' to corporations then I'd probably not make my stand in the realm of plastic warriors, by already being in this hobby you're fairly complicit. Did you consider sending your money to various charities instead of spending it on your Element Games starter bundle, or MWG's new Chaos Marines? If not, step back the moralising a bit and look at the reality of the situation:

A corporation faces rising costs.

A corporation then increases prices.

No Corporation wants to price out their market because that will lose them money.

If this prices you out then there are other options for escapism. 

 

Posts like mine are not shilling for corporations, or defending vile business practices, they're an attempt to help other wargamers who use this hobby as escapism, social connection and an artistic outlet not feel down when real world situations like this pop up by putting things into perspective just a little bit.

I know a lot of wargamers have tough things going on in their lives, that's why a lot of us turn to plastic men as a forum (figuratively) for connection. This conversation has value, as does holding GW to account, but indulging in hyperbole to the extent some have is damaging to your own mental health, and can possibly turn other people in the community off. 

 

 

[zilberfrid]

14 minutes ago, Wordy9th said:

I think some of my wargamer peers should take a perspective pill or two with some of the hyperbole going on in this thread. It's bitter medicine but honestly I think it's for the best and I mean only well by it.

Anyone here enjoying the price hikes in energy costs can attest that their monthly energy bills skyrocketing because of Russian T-90s sat at the border of Ukraine far outweigh paying £5 more for some Slaangors every month. And that's just one facet of a constantly changing world of pandemics and war. 

Your escapism shouldn't be based on the -continual- buying of these boxes, I mean there's cheaper options. A Wordsworth classics War and Peace should set you back £3 which is weeks of enjoyment for less than the price differential of aforementioned Slaangors. You don't need to worry about money going to vast, faceless and ominous megacorps either, unless you take issue with further enriching Tolstoi's estate ^_^.

If I was going to 'stand up' to corporations then I'd probably not make my stand in the realm of plastic warriors, by already being in this hobby you're fairly complicit. Did you consider sending your money to various charities instead of spending it on your Element Games starter bundle, or MWG's new Chaos Marines? If not, step back the moralising a bit and look at the reality of the situation:

A corporation faces rising costs.

A corporation then increases prices.

No Corporation wants to price out their market because that will lose them money.

If this prices you out then there are other options for escapism. 

 

Posts like mine are not shilling for corporations, or defending vile business practices, they're an attempt to help other wargamers who use this hobby as escapism, social connection and an artistic outlet not feel down when real world situations like this pop up by putting things into perspective just a little bit.

I know a lot of wargamers have tough things going on in their lives, that's why a lot of us turn to plastic men as a forum (figuratively) for connection. This conversation has value, as does holding GW to account, but indulging in hyperbole to the extent some have is damaging to your own mental health, and can possibly turn other people in the community off. 

I think price increases at GW (which I haven't seen in Osprey, Warlord, Perry, Victrix, Northstar or Wargames Atlantic) warrants a new look whether the return warrants the cost.

I may like -and am able to afford- a 1000 euro helmet for my LARP costume, but my 70 euro helmet actually works quite fine. The extra cost does not warrant the extra joy I get from that.

I also might like a dedicated video card for my PC, but I haven't felt that the return on that was worth the cost for quite a while (damn crypto).

GW's move away from digital books when prices of physical books went up is weird, and a chunky increase in cost feels self inflicted. A single battletome already is more expensive than the whole gamesystem of Stargrave, Frostgrave, Silver Bajonet, Rangers of Shadowdeep, Reign in Hell or Onepagerules.

[Clan's Cynic]

GW have risen their prices in some form every year even pre-pandemic and that's before getting into the 'slow crawl' of new kits costing more (Lumineth and the Underworlds boxes come to mind). 

This time they can put up their hands and go, "oh it's totally the pandemic guys, costs are going up everywhere, it's totally not our fault..."

Unfortunately across the 'net there seem to be more people happy to swallow this line and defend them than not, so very few camels are going to have their backs broken and ultimately nothing will change. See you in next year's price rise thread. 

[madmac]

5 minutes ago, Clan's Cynic said:

GW have risen their prices in some form every year even pre-pandemic and that's before getting into the 'slow crawl' of new kits costing more (Lumineth and the Underworlds boxes come to mind). 

This time they can put up their hands and go, "oh it's totally the pandemic guys, costs are going up everywhere, it's totally not our fault..."

Unfortunately across the 'net there seem to be more people happy to swallow this line and defend them than not, so very few camels are going to have their backs broken and ultimately nothing will change. See you in next year's price rise thread. 

Exactly this. My back isn't breaking because of one year of price raises, my back has already been on the verge of collapsing from the last several years of massive price raises with little to no justification. I may be loose with money but I don't have the memory of a goldfish where I can't remember many things costing half as much four years ago.

I already bowed out of Harrowdeep this year, despite buying into every previous Underworlds and that was before this latest set of price increases. $100 for a box with ~8 small figures and some cards and you want to sell me another $100 in a couple months? Yeah, no thanks.

Warcry, likewise. The original Warcry Starter was a great deal. Catacombs was an absolute joke, raising the price by 30% for substantially less content, and Red Harvest was even worse. Not to worry though, those last two boxes were obviously far too cheap and will get hefty price hikes.

Battletomes for $50 and no digital alternative already had me weighing whether or not it was worth buying new tomes at all anymore, just an insane price for a slim hardback with that's 50% copy-pasted content and these days might be replaced in less than a year. Upping that already outrageous price to $55-$60? At that point I have to assert some level of self-respect, no matter how much I like Age of Sigmar.

[pnkdth]

58 minutes ago, madmac said:

At that point I have to assert some level of self-respect, no matter how much I like Age of Sigmar.

Yeah, and while I have a pretty sizeable pile of awesome I also realised that me going "just do work on that" is just another form of gatekeeping since it falls under "I already got what I need so it doesn't matter"-mentality. That said, the price hike has made me cancel my next army project and while this is saving me money I doubt this was the effect GW was going for.

It seems there has been a peak in interest for Infinity too and, would you look at that, another mini gaming company are supplying their rule for free. I guess GW are just so far ahead in producing premium on-time air-tight perfectly balanced rules which never require FAQs or adjustments this justifies the added cost, right? Right?

 

[Popisdead]

18 hours ago, Mutton said:

Because then you might as well just lay down, roll over, and die. Do you want to just let them kick you in the head again and again without so much as a peep? If loudly bitching about their immoral practices is all we have, then take advantage of it. Don't simply accept it. Once you learn to live passively with it, you risk becoming its advocate. This goes for many things in life.

I'm continually astounded to see how many big names in the AoS community perpetuate this idea that we shouldn't be surprised by price increases, therefore we should stop complaining. This is wrong. GW is wrong. Big business is wrong. I won't accept this apathetic, servile attitude towards these massive companies that take advantage of all of us, including their own employees. If there are people willing to pay any dollar amount to get their plastic crack and continue to feed money into the company's deep treasury, so be it; but I'll never stop calling it out, and I'll never try to meekly justify it.

You have every opportunity to walk away from your luxury hobby at any moment in your life instead of react like a grand tragedy has been slighted upon you.  

 

 

 

[Noserenda]

I think a lot of us have been burned by the absolute false economy of a lot of smaller games, dropping a hundred or two on rules and models that will sit around gathering dust until i give them to my nephews to bash around or sell them on ebay for pennies on the pound just to get rid of them is something ive had happen a dozen times or more. Meanwhile ive been playing AoS recently with an army ive been buying stuff for for over 20 years and i can still go back and use, all of the competition from that era is dust and wasted money.

Historicals are different, but then historical gaming really is a slightly different hobby anyway.

[CommissarRotke]

2 hours ago, Popisdead said:

You have every opportunity to walk away from your luxury hobby at any moment in your life instead of react like a grand tragedy has been slighted upon you.  

 

 

 

This is a luxury hobby yes, but it is also a hobby that is supposed to build community. I think we can lament the slew of anti-customer decisions GW is making that will affect the gaming communities around us.

[Kasper]

1 minute ago, CommissarRotke said:

This is a luxury hobby yes, but it is also a hobby that is supposed to build community. I think we can lament the slew of anti-customer decisions GW is making that will affect the gaming communities around us.

Maybe you should look into some 3D printing then. Alot of Warhammer gaming communities embrace it and dont mind alternative models at all. At least around here WYSISWG is long gone and was a flawed concept anyways considering what our hobby is based on.   

 

I find it so weird that being understanding on things going on in the real world reflecting GWs prices is met by "lol GW simp/shill". You are probably buying 90% or more of your plastic crack from a FLGS where you very likely get 10-20% off the price anyways. I mean how much are you spending on this hobby if a couple of dollars per box is breaking your bank?

It feels like its just yet another oppurtunity for some inviduals here to take a swing at GW and the game as a whole. Its almost as if some people were looking for an excuse to go play some other game. Its just.. Weird.