JPjr

Some more info, ‘Designer’s Insights’ in the Grotz. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/12/27/27th-dec-designer-insights-gloomspite-gitzgw-homepage-post-1/

Skaven/Grotz as hardcore environmentalists boarding and sabotaging a cogfort that is busy destroying acres of forested land whilst burning fossil fuels and extracting realmstone would be an extraordinary twist worthy of several chef’s kisses.

2020 will be the Chinese year of the rat, not that I’m expecting GW to base their marketing strategies around zodiacal signs but would be a surreptitious time to drop a Skaven BT (though obviously that’s not much succour if you’re desperate for one now).

For some weird reason I’ve always really liked dead/injured models and before the grot casualty appeared had been looking with interest at those made to order Imperial (Russian) Guardsmen, up at the moment, that feature a couple (and incidentally could be great base for a Slavic themed Free Peoples force facing off against BCR). I could definitely imagine, with the spore fanatics especially, that an out of action fungus laden grot could still do some damage to anyone that gets too close, I hope there is some rule like that.

Is this bro new?

Well after several pretty good efforts they've finally managed to take faction dice to new un-thought of levels of form over function.

Actually I take it back. I want one of everything, and then a few more.

oh man, even if I don't buy anything else I want those Endless Spells just for the models

In terms of timing I guess that could make sense. The Vigilus campaign ends around the start of March too (I think, they started the 80 day countdown mid December I think), I'd have thought they might have a breather in between but then maybe best to strike whilst the squigbrand is hot.

yeah it would seem like a wasted opportunity to launch the Grotz tome and introduce a new major character like the Loon King, who clearly sees himself on some kind of religious crusade, without using that as the basis for a campaign (and in turn help sell a load of new models).

More I think about it, and the less actual evidence I have, I’m now 2000% sure Underworlds Season 3 will launch in autumn with a Slaanesh warband, and then the full army release will follow in Jan 2020 tied into a Vigilus style mega campaign that leads up to the god escaping and a war in Ulgu and the release of Malerion’s faction. Utterly convinced and I won’t be swayed at least until I read some other spurious rumour somewhere about Clockwork Dwarves, Crystal Golems or Sylvaneth allied Water Spirits and completely deny all knowledge of the above.

Whilst it does feel a bit reductive, your standard cave/dungeon setup does offer a lot of scope/flexibility for generative encounters, just need to throw in some interesting rooms to go with a load of windy tunnels and assembled in myriad ways. I’m hoping when I get back to BXL there might be the Kill Team starter set waiting for me. Once I’ve had a few goes I was actually interested in not just using the Black Fortress models as a KT force but also maybe the tiles as well to create enclosed spaces for KT battles. Sure someone’s already tried it but not seen anything (though can’t say I’ve looked hard). Could be cool to try the same with dungeon/cave tiles for Skirmish level AoS games.

Ha well on the off chance I somehow do I’ll throw in a bonus battleplan ‘The Fight Before Christmas’ for you

I'm guessing it'll be up around 2-3 GMT. Whenever I've had to coordinate media releases that are targeting (mainly) the UK and US we always go for around then to make sure as many people are up as possible when we go live.

One last prediction, if I can get my modelling skills up, admittedly by about several hundred levels, then you'll definitely be seeing this chap next Christmas...

It’ll be that or going by recent promos a video of Peachy & Duncan covering Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Bad Moon Rising’ whilst dressed as goblins.

Hmmm i can definitely imagine a giant mushroom terrain piece for grotz that each round extends its aura of fungal death spores turning hostiles into zombies.

Cue 12 months of Stormcast Funko Pops and nothing else

Yeah I’d love to see FW do something like their Dread Maw model for Goblins, a massive centipede bursting out of the ground with a gobbo riding on top of it. starts the game off the table then can burrow up anywhere swallowing a load of models in the process.

So glad I haven’t painted my Zarbag’s Gitz warband yet as I can now give the squig herder a big yellow banana head. Awesome.

Ok, I think I can hear the sound of the Fun Police’s sirens in the distance, so before they turn up for their weekly inspection/shakedown of the Rumour Thread I thought I’d start a predictions thread. Not rumours, not wishlisting, just pure hardcore XXX predictions of what we’ll get from GW in 2019. Put absolutely no money where your mouth is and make your boldest bets... then in 12 months we can laugh at our hubris and folly. I’ll kick this off with some of my own based on absolutely zero insider knowledge. Age of Sigmar Gloomspite Gitz - ok not exactly taking a big punt here but I’m going for centipede cavalry, spore bombs that turn enemy hordes into fungus zombies, flying squigs and the like. LoN/BoC style battletomes- I reckon we’ll get maybe 2 or 3 this year with a final tranche in 2020 for some of the more split up old factions just to shut people up. Books, endless spells and maybe a new model or two if really needed. Rolled up Everchosen, StD, Darkoath book - similar to above but lots more new models with your new barbarians getting some shine. Tied into a major return of Archaon to the frontlines campaign (late 2019 here). Something totally new - Hyish Aelves maybe. Skirmish 2.0 - basic rules in WD then later in the year a proper release, focus on close combat cave/dungeon fighting. Maybe tied into a Grot v Duardin set. Then expansions boxes that handily also provide interesting, more diverse AoS style models for older armies. Some kind of Speed Freaks style boxset - Chaos chariots, something like that to flog some big new models. More Aerial scenarios - new rules and focus (at WD level) for all aerial battles. Gives armies like KO a bit of attention without too much investment. Realm of Chaos ‘Lost & the Damned’ box set - Nurgle v Tzeentch with a couple of new sculpts and updated, better rules to get people using/playing those beautiful slug puppy beasts. Underworlds - 4 remaining night vault warbands (obviously). Maybe a new board with some new special kind of hexes (teleport hexes or something magical like that). Then I reckon we’ll see a lot more continued support in WD with things like the Gargant game to keep it fresh. Finally new boxset in late 2019 with 2 Slaanesh warbands released as part of it (1 in starter set) tying into lead up of the god’s escape in 2020, when we’ll also get Ulgu aelves. New WH Quest - Just in time for Xmas and all the 40k only people who bought into BSF might be more likely to try this now and then in turn give AoS a go. ———————————— 40k - Not really my thing atm but what the hell... Blackstone Fortress - I can envision at least 2 of these (and maybe more) - new box of explorers, a new box of large monstrous encounters (actually willing to put down 5 whole pounds we’ll get at least an Ambull model) and then a new box with special rooms, encounter cards, missions etc. Plus new missions etc in WD. Genestealer & SoB - Codices and new models, though these are already announced aren’t they? Black Legion - New Abaddon model at least but reckon there’ll be a load of new BL models, traitor guardsmen etc building on what was in Black Fortress in the build up of the Vigilus event. Kill Team Mercenary expansion - a way of allying in outside your faction troops and dropping some new, interesting models from under-represented (or not represented at all) species. Maybe a new Primaris lieutenant - Just going out on a servo-limb here. ———————————— Adeptus Titanicus - if it’s doing well slow creep towards old Epic with introduction of non Titan models, large vehicles etc. Maybe some kind of Siege of Terra expansion to tie into the culmination of the book series. ———————————— Blood Bowl - No idea! Ok how about an ‘End Times in the End Zone’ expansion, paving the way for the next edition to be based in the AoS world (or the BB equivalent). ———————————— Necromunda - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ———————————— Lord of the Rings - Eru knows. Sure there must be some people that appeared in the background of one scene in the films they can milk. ———————————— In case you haven’t gathered I’m on a 4 hour train journey heading up north here, and left my book behind, so yeah trying to entertain myself here...

If Moonclan can have carpenter ant style fungus zombie slaves then i am all in on this horribleness...

I’m still convinced there’s a proper release of a revamped Skirmish 2.0 coming, it’s just seems so obvious (plus I’ve personally had the classic staffer in GW shop who told me he was expecting something on those lines in 2019). i just see this as something to whet the appetite, get people thinking about it and of course have something interesting for AoS players in the relaunch of the new look, new content filled White Dwarf. then bang big launch later in the year, maybe same time as GHB 2019 with a starter set, terrain etc, maybe tie in to some big new campaign. Of course could, and probably am, hilariously wrong, I mean I can see them holding it back even till 2020, but we’ll see.

Booooooooo!

One of the sub heads on the cover... ‘Children of Chaos Army Feature’