How safe is my faction?

[Sception]

I wouldn't call stormcast safe, not until GW demonstrate an ability to show some restraint when it comes to stormcast releases.  Every edition so far has seen an entire new factions worth of entirely new stormcast models on release, plus additional stormcast releases down the line, leading to older stuff being obsoleted by new versions of essentially the same units every few years, and when old stuff isn't just obsoleted the result is painful bloat that makes army building a chore.  Now we've seen outright culling of what are in the game-wide sense very recent models in order to combat that bloat.

IF GW starts cutting back on new stormcast stuff then this could turn around, but we see no sign of that so far, so there's every chance that the 3rd edition stormcast stuff could get kicked to legends to make room for an entire army's worth of brand new 5th edition stormcast units a few short years from now, with the new stormcast they're about to release for 4e dropped a few years after that.

Edited April 8 by Sception

[Chikout]

7 minutes ago, Sception said:

I wouldn't call stormcast safe, not until GW demonstrate an ability to show some restraint when it comes to stormcast releases.  Every edition so far has seen an entire new factions worth of entirely new stormcast models on release, plus additional stormcast releases down the line, leading to either olderstuff being obsoleted by new versions of essentially the same units every few years, when old stuff isn't just obsoleted the result is painful bloat that makes army building a chore, and now we've seen outright culling of what are in the game-wide sense very recent models in order to combat that bloat.

IF GW starts cutting back on new stormcast stuff then this could turn around, but we see no sign of that so far, so there's every chance that the 3rd edition stormcast stuff could get kicked to legends to make room for an entire army's worth of brand new 5th edition stormcast units a few short years from now, with the new stormcast they're about to release for 4e dropped a few years after that.

They have cut back since first edition. They've also stopped doing doing unique scrolls for limited edition sculpts. This purge has cut 36 warscrolls. It could be even more if they combine some things; there are currently 6 warscrolls from the Dracoth kit. 

I think we'll see a Dracoth and vanguard resculpt but I don't think we'll get anymore unreplaced drops until at least 7th edition. 

Nothing is safe forever, but if a kit lasts ten years or more, I think that's a long enough life to be considered safe to collect. 

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

10 hours ago, The Red King said:

What a fun conversation to have to have a DECADE into the life of the game.

Yeah, I was also thinking that it sucks that we have to consider which model lines are safe or in danger at all.

It's one thing to note "models that are originally from WHFB are going to very likely get reimagined at some point", but the whole Sacrosanct thing really is a big detriment to the community trust GW has been building the last few editions.

[BarakUrbaz]

12 hours ago, The Red King said:

What a fun conversation to have to have a DECADE into the life of the game.

Reminder that the Squats were removed from 40k in 3rd Edition, 11 years after they were introduced in Rogue Trader. 

[Nezzhil]

Ogors are VERY SAFE

[RetconnedLegion]

5 hours ago, BarakUrbaz said:

I think Fyreslayers are completely safe due to this https://www.warhammer-community.com/2024/01/01/celebrate-this-years-store-anniversaries-with-a-fyreslayer-and-a-tau-empire-ethereal/

I mean, I'm pretty sure that alone is a sign GW still has plans for them. 

People said the same when the new Beastlord was released. 

[Nuriel]

No faction is safe. If GW will be making money of selling new stormcats then they will se that culling part of their range every five or six years is profitable. If they can sell you miniatures, don't let you use them in competitive scene and you or other people will be still buying your product ....then why not repeat the process? 

Releasing new Lumineth temple? Discontinue one of the old ones.

Releasing new Duardins? Make Fyreslayers a legacy army. 

Making Vampire Counts new core TOW faction? Abandon using those minis in AoS. 

If they make a profit from doing so, they will totally do it.

[michu]

Vampire Counts are safer. TOW would get their old kits (and I hope so, I prefer 8th ed skellies).

Edited April 8 by michu

[Magnusaur]

Just to comment on the Treeman thing, The Old World books use the old sculpts in Wood Elf displays: 

[Chikout]

34 minutes ago, Nuriel said:

No faction is safe. If GW will be making money of selling new stormcats then they will se that culling part of their range every five or six years is profitable. If they can sell you miniatures, don't let you use them in competitive scene and you or other people will be still buying your product ....then why not repeat the process? 

Releasing new Lumineth temple? Discontinue one of the old ones.

Releasing new Duardins? Make Fyreslayers a legacy army. 

Making Vampire Counts new core TOW faction? Abandon using those minis in AoS. 

If they make a profit from doing so, they will totally do it.

I understand why you would write this but I don't think the Sacrosanct are indicative of a new change in strategy.

I think there's a combination of factors that lead to Sacrosanct going away. 

1- the odd unit sizes in the soul wars box. None of the Stormcast units in the box had regular unit sizes. This means that as your collection grows there are always spare minis that are effectively useless unless you play open play. 

2- The rules Sacrosanct came out of the gate hot. Unfortunately in second edition GW tended to wield the nerd hammer a bit too hard and Sacrosanct never recovered. 

3- The magazine. With minis readily available at a much lower price the magazine, it would be stupid to pay full price for a box set when they could get them much cheaper elsewhere . I wonder if that's why they're changing to a combat patrol format this time. 

4- The design change. Models that came out just before the change were always going to be affected the worst. If you choosing between Castigators and Vigilors who also have robes, who's choosing the old kit? 

It possible that a combination of situations like this could happen again but it's not likely. 

[michu]

Me. I'm choosing Castigators. I'm always picking oldcasts over thunderstrike

[The Lost Sigmarite]

Talking about the Sacrosanct and the reboot of the warrior chamber, I think the same thing could happen to FS.

• They're the only AoS1 faction who still has a divisive aesthetic - the other was 1st wave SCE and these are getting refreshed.
• GW has hit a new aesthetic for them with the flameseekers
• FS are long due for an update.

Personally, I wouldn't mind a refresh of vulkites, hearthguards and a few of their foot characters (battlesmith and doomseeker come to mind) alongside some new stuff. And with them rebooting SCE this edition and the next, I think them redoing FS isn't that far fetched.

Edited April 8 by The Lost Sigmarite

[EntMan]

3 hours ago, Magnusaur said:

Just to comment on the Treeman thing, The Old World books use the old sculpts in Wood Elf displays: 

They do look very different.

And I can't fully tell but size wise they look a fair bit smaller. Maybe more similar to Kurnoth Hunters than the he newer Treelord/men?

Edited April 8 by EntMan

[Tonhel]

The old metal is smaller, but you as a player can choose which treeman you use. The AoS one, or the old metal one. Both base sizes are supported in the TOW rules and both units have basically the same name.

[EntMan]

4 hours ago, Tonhel said:

The old metal is smaller, but you as a player can choose which treeman you use. The AoS one, or the old metal one. Both base sizes are supported in the TOW rules and both units have basically the same name.

I've a feeling some might turn up as Hunters in my Sylvaneth. Price dependent.

[Jator]

11 hours ago, Nezzhil said:

Ogors are VERY SAFE

Even if Ogors are safe as a faction, I think Mawtribes players may have reason to worry. After recent developmements I won't be surprised if GW decides to revamp and expand the Beastclaw Raiders (which have a strong theme, and  properly AoS at that) and drop the Gutbusters. 
Or they may release a new faction, like Kruleboyz for Warclans, and silently let the others fall to obscurity (althouh they would still get rules, so maybe doesn't sound as dire for Ogor fans?).

They remaining in the setting is a positive, obviously, but I don't think they're "very safe" as I understand it.

[Davariel]

On 4/8/2024 at 5:29 PM, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

Yeah, I was also thinking that it sucks that we have to consider which model lines are safe or in danger at all.

It's one thing to note "models that are originally from WHFB are going to very likely get reimagined at some point", but the whole Sacrosanct thing really is a big detriment to the community trust GW has been building the last few editions.

I was painting some Nighthaunt today and it felt very strange to think that these gorgeous, modern sculpts were released as the counterpart to a range that's just been declared outdated and tossed out.

Even though I know Sacrosanct is its own case, even though I've had about 3-4 armies go OOP and I'm as inured to it as anyone can be, and even though I haven't played in years and just collect models I like these days... it's still really weird to think of an army that new (and that was so heavily marketed as the face of the game just as it really took off!) getting cut.

[Son Of Morghur]

On 4/8/2024 at 3:09 PM, EntMan said:

And I can't fully tell but size wise they look a fair bit smaller. Maybe more similar to Kurnoth Hunters than the he newer Treelord/men?

They are definitely bigger than a kurnoth hunter but not as big as the new Treemen/Lord. I have one of those (I love them )!

 

On 4/8/2024 at 9:13 PM, EntMan said:

I've a feeling some might turn up as Hunters in my Sylvaneth. Price dependent.

Oh they definitely will in mine, I can't wait to make a full mixe Sylvaneth/Old World army

[Sarouan]

No faction is safe, no game is eternal and we're all going to die at some point in the future. That is the only thing certain.

Just collect what you like and enjoy it. If you have luck, you will transmit your passion / miniatures to the next generation and they will have a lot of fun and joy with it too (if not the same game, another will do). If not...well, at least it was great as long as it lasted.

[MothmanDraws]

Guys I heard GW was gonna squat slaanesh

[Sarouan]

2 minutes ago, MothmanDraws said:

Guys I heard GW was gonna squat slaanesh

Yes, and it was written in the background at the launch of AoS in 2015 !

Spoiler

Theories were fun too from that time...

[Big Kim Woof-Woof]

31 minutes ago, MothmanDraws said:

Guys I heard GW was gonna squat slaanesh

Slaanesh is unsquattable. 

Slaanesh is eternal.

Slaanesh is all. 

[Gitzdee]

Life in the mortal realms are sad if your favourite factions are Spiderfang, Bonesplitterz, Gitmob and Wanderers. At least Ironjawz are here to stay.

[novakai]

I think Warcry and Underworlds as game are safe but any of the model release like Warbands (especially Underworld ones that get range rotated often) are at risk of being discontinued given enough time pass and they keep releasing more warbands.

Ogors while I don’t think they will be completely gone, it quite possible that any possible refresh (example CoS or Lumineath) can completely wipe out the existing miniature range without everything being replace 1 for 1 

[RetconnedLegion]

5 hours ago, Gitzdee said:

Life in the mortal realms are sad if your favourite factions are Spiderfang, Bonesplitterz, Gitmob and Wanderers. At least Ironjawz are here to stay.

Which is ironic because it wasn’t too long ago that the consensus among my friends was that Ironjawz were definitely going to go because GW had done so little with them for years.