EonChao

The only issue with this is that last year we got news for 5 games (AoS, Underworlds, 40k, Kill Team and Heresy). This year they've said they're covering 6 games plus teasers for 2 more. So it could be thinner on the ground with the reveals spread out across more systems this year. And I would wager that the Warhammer Fest reveals will be done at either another event or an online preview around that time and not merged into Adepticon. It'll still be a good show, it usually is but I'm not expecting more than last year.

We all need to come together with Whitefang and agree on a fake leak we all talk about a bunch and they respond to. We'll know it's not happening but it'll be fun to see it show up on every other site.

Valrak has mentioned hearing rumours from trusted sources that the Blood Angels codex will have a new plastic Sanquinor released along side it. Went and checked the actual rumours he's been sharing and the update is apparently: plastic Sanquinor, Astorath and Lemartes updated Sanguinary Guard new upgrade sprues Death Company themed launch box with Lemartes like the Deathwing one Dark Angels got

This is exactly it, like how cool would it be if Dendrel Direbrand is the descendent of someone that Vandus was particularly close to and thought was killed by Khul. And that those survivors have told the story of the Butcher Khul and the Coward Vendell, about how in the face of the onslaught of Khul's horde, Vendell Blackfist, deserted the tribe at the moment of its greatest need causing the survivors to be left with no choice but to rely on the dark forces that ravaged their lands. I can't remember the rumour but I would be completely on board with that. Either Anglerfish related, luring opponents to focus on specific decoys, or using octopus to help camouflage themselves

I agree. I think what's interesting about the Darkoath is that, yes the realms that are being conquered by the forces of Order are ones that were previously conquered by the forces of Chaos, but there's a major issue of who is their rightful inhabitants. There may be those amongst the Dawnbringer crusades who are descendants of the inhabitants of those lands or those near them, but in the centuries of the Age of Chaos and Age of Sigmar how much actual connection do they have to that past, if there are any of them at all. Likewise the Darkoath do follow the Chaos Gods to an extent, but they're also both the descendants of those left behind and people who have lived in those lands for centuries during those ages. They are the indigenous people of those lands that have survived incredibly trying challenges and done so by making choices that may seem wrong compared to Azyrite civilisation but arguably aren't when it comes to survival. There is a very nuanced interesting concept of how this factors into concepts like colonialism, tradition, legacy and identity here that I'm certain GW won't explore properly and it really annoys me. Back when Black Library had an open submissions window for stories relating to the Dawnbringer crusades I sketched out a concept of a Sigmarite soldier encountering a Darkoath warrior and fighting, only to realise from the sigil each has incorporated into their outfits, that they're both descended from the same family, the Sigmarite from those who were away on a trade envoy when Chaos conquered the realms and were able to make their way to Azyr, and the Darkoath descended from those who stayed behind and survived. Annoyingly what left it incomplete was the sheer vagueness of information about the Dawnbringer Crusades and Azyrites themselves at the time due to the lag between 3rd ed and Cities update but it's a concept that I think is key to what makes the Mortal Realms interesting.

Yeah the Darkoath have been one of those interesting corners of AoS that they've been teasing at for years with just enough models and lore to get us hooked on them and it feels like Thursten gets what is so interesting about them. My only complaint is that I'm worried they'll replace the generic Chaos Marauders in other stories in a way that completely loses their flavour. Personally I'm hoping we get stories about Darkoath tribes straddling that line between friend and enemy with other grand alliances. Yes they're Chaos worshipers to a certain degree but you can potentially reason with them, unlike with someone sworn to one of the Gods or a Nighthaunt swarm. It'll be Sylvaneth based with a swampy watery feel that will lead to TGA over reacting and imploding over the idea that both the Satyr and Centaur Kuronethi and the IDK are both being cancelled and removed from the game.

I mean I guess we'll see what happens with it in the long run. Honestly it's kind of annoying to have the switch happen, I had 5 old ardboys from an Ironjawz Warcry box, and another 10 in the start collecting, so this was going to neatly bring me up to 20 old ones and then I could have started to add in some of the newer ones. Like much rather prefer the new models over the old, especially if we get 10, but now I need to go and source 5 old ones for my OCD

Huh, that’s a really neat way to both showing Nagash’s personality and making OBR’s different to pretty much any other faction in the game society wise. I think I might need to dig into them as a faction in 4th ed as they sound really interesting

I’m not 100% on OBR lore but I really like the idea of these constructs being powered by souls made from a mix of talented trackers and hunters, mixed with those of the most obedient slaves, to create something that is both an incredibly efficient and dangerous hunting animal but also completely obedient.

To be fair it wasn't you who failed. It was all those treacherous useless underlings and rivals, yes-yes

I think this is my main issue where the Mortal Realms need more fleshing out. At the moment we have a weird crossover between the various factions implied in the setting, except it almost never gets fleshed out. I really like bits where Stormcast convince Orruks to work with them against Chaos forces, or where in Dynasty of Monsters where Avengorii work with with on of the Cities to protect it from a Beastmen Horde. I think there needs to be a lot more interaction between the factions beyond them mostly fighting each other. Give me more about how the Seraphon and Daughters of Khaine fit into the Cities. How the Lumineth and Kharadron negotiate to build new arcane devices. How the Sylvaneth differ within how they let other factions roam their forests. Then add in an isolated city where an uneasy trading arrangement exists between the people who govern it and the Gloomspite of the nearby mountains. A Fyreslayer lodge that survived against all odds against an Ogor migration due to them finding a way to work with the Nighthaunt. Ironjawz that trade with Ossiarchs once a year, but the bones they Ossiarchs take have to be claimed in ritual combat. Even Chaos factions that work with Death, Destruction and Order ones against mutual enemies in weird strained but tolerated relationships. And I think the Silent Ones potentially fit into that dynamic fine with at least Order, Death and Destruction. Like there are cultures in the real world who have incorporated the migrations of army ants into where they build their homes so that when the swarm passes through they move out for a few days, and the swarm eats all of the pests in their homes as it moves through the village. A City of Sigmar that allows the Silent Ones almost free reign over the surrounding wilderness and their sewer systems a few times a year to help them root out any Cults, Skaven or Grots etc lurking in that area would be thematically appropriate. And that's before you get into the idea of the Silent Ones being more sapient than some of us are assuming they are.

Honestly I'd be fine with the Silent Ones just being a Warcry and Underworlds warband to represent one of the smaller weird parts of the setting. Then if they're popular and GW think it has legs and popularity then expand them into a full faction for Destruction.

Not really, unfortunately GW tends to keep its talent fairly obscured. Even when they do interview them it's kind a coin toss whether or not they give them their full name or just their first name. And I know from reading articles and speaking to people at GW that there's definitely multiple people in the studio with the same first name. So that doesn't make it easier. Honestly the best thing you can do is pay attention to when names are mentioned in articles (or look through Warhammer Community's previous articles) and then see if they post about what they make on places like Twitter and Instagram. Just be aware that some of these people might not want fans swamping their social media

Last I checked there were almost 150 GW stores in the US, more than any other country in the world including the UK, and whilst I get the US is a very big place in terms of overall area, store anniversaries are advertised well in advance, are also around the same time for each location every year and last for around a week. So it shouldn't be difficult to plan a trip to coincide with visiting that location for that week and then if need be arrange a trip back there a month or so later to collect anything that wasn't in stock and was made to order. And exclusive items for games do drive positive engagement, that's why almost every successful games company does them to one extent or another. Most of the GW ones are just alternate sculpts so you're not losing out on any actual game play options unlike how some other games do theirs and they do incentivize people going to events and stores to get them. Frankly for every person getting frustrated about them there's a few hundred who get excited and work out if they can go to an event where they're available and thousands more that simply don't care.

Warhammer World is always an odd one for event models. With conventions they have a set slot of time to make sales in then it's time to pack up and vacate the premises. Warhamer World on the other hand is a permanent GW store, so if they've had an event there then they could pack up the exclusives and take them away to the warehouse again, but why bother getting staff to do that when they'll sell over the next couple of weeks anyway. It's also pretty much next to the actual factory itself so it's not hard to get them there at short notice for the event, whereas things like conventions and expos require much more forward planning. So you end up with this really weird scenario that has more event models available than usual but with no guaranteed supply levels at the event of afterwards. Like the Space Marine Company Champion from a couple years ago was one they had a few left after an event and it sold out to one tourist the next day who walked in and just dropped the money to buy a couple dozen of them so they could take them home to sell. Except event exclusive items are really good at driving engagement with your product, be they tournament promos, or convention exclusives etc. They foster an interest in the game beyond it being something people just horde. I get it's frustrating to not get something but end of the day they serve a really good purpose in the hobby ecosystem. And the loot group does help with that. It might suck to have not got what you're after but as someone who has been part of the group for years they do a lot to ensure rare stuff gets to people who are after it, event minis, especially after the first time they've been available, are just one of those areas where there's more chance of being disappointed than not.

If last year was anything to go off of we’ll get both the final minis for Dawnbringers and the announcement of 4th ed. And hopefully the Cronoseer box isn’t too pricey, I could add that to my little DoK pile of opportunity quite nicely.

The gnome thing was also on the same day that we saw the goose and the event was announced. I'd have to dig back to look for the order of the posts but again it was a reasonably safe guess

I was going to complain that despite still having the best human models in AoS the Darkoath still need some actual proper kits. But then we got them so now I’m pretty happy. The new characters are fun, really looking forward to getting them. The gnomes are great, and whilst I’m not upset with the 40K models I am annoyed that the rumour that single model releases are initially coming in big expensive box sets turned out to be correct

Yeah, that might not be in the starter but that's definitely a push fit kit from the looks of things. It'd be fun to see if they can figure out how it goes together

To be clear, I know book 6 is happening, I mean they won't reveal everything to do with it at the event, they'll save a little for Adepticon. Maybe it'll be the book and one model, maybe just the Darkoath. But it'll be something from Book 6 but not everything

To clarify I don't think it will be book 6 itself but rather a model or two that's accompanying it. Otherwise there's nothing really to reveal for AoS. Yeah that's what makes me think Empire are next for TOW with a preview there. Some new Halfling models would both be something fun for the studio to make, and something very different to what had been around for the end of WFB and absent for all of AoS to generate hype. Alternatively it could be from some kind of Shire set of releases for MESBG

Last year it was just articles, not an online preview on the Twitch channel. And last year wasn't much, just two minis for each of AoS and 40k, so I'm going to guess that this is the Ork and Custode minis, Dawnbringers 6, and then an Old World Empire figure

You forgot the most important part!

It's pretty much guaranteed they'll do an exciting big kit to tempt the people who get into the enemy faction after buying the starter, Mortarion, Black Coach, Silent King, Corpse-Rippa Vulcha, and Norn Emissary are all equivalents. It's just what it will end up being that's in question

I'm assuming it does include it, better to air on the side of caution. Which would mean presumable a mounted shaper and a unit of gnarloc riders left to go.