Public Universal Duardin

I ended up voting no, after careful thinking. On one hand, I really like the Fyreslayers lore, but on the other the miniatures just aren't doing it for me. I don't have issues differentiating units of different armies but those of the Fyreslayers - the sculpts (and naming schemes) blend together into an orange and skin coloured mess. As armies I collect are often chosen from lore rather than rules perspective, it didn't help that at one point the lore painted female Fyreslayers as exceedingly rare, as it disincentived any conversion projects. But I've understood newer content such as Soulbound has rectified that partly. Fyreslayers are one of those armies that with a little fixing would become a "must have" army for myself. More diversity in sculpts, more diversity in general (for real, what's it with this lack of female duardin in any media in general? Is it the lack of beards?) and give Fyreslayers a bit more...oomph. The KO are a good example of GW taking a concept, running with it and doing it well. From imho really unique miniatures to lore that inspires the imagination (seriously, if I'd be a bit more into steampunk I'd have a skypirate fleet already), they make me wish Fyreslayers would get a second wave. Maybe lean a bit more on the faux-Norse feel? Make a bit more "Nordic" duardin, taking inspiration from Norse myths?

Amen to that, as a Chorf fan who never really dared to dabble in the FW stuff because of pricing and the perennial "What if everything I have is squatted with no warning?". Really wish they'd see a plastic release some day...

Vampirate hype is so 2020. Deadwhal(k)ers hype is 2021. The Lumineth(?) on the flying could giving Sun Wukong vibes, I'm already in love. I'm in the "Vampire/Witch Hunter probably special mini/hero for WaHa Quest" camp too, mainly because I don't want to be disappointed in the future hahah And oh boy does that palanquin look awesome! I know I grumbled about how Slaanesh has been depicted in the past, so I'm not ashamed to say I'm glad my worries were wrong - I love the direction GW is taking with Slaanesh, and showcasing other types of excess in miniature form too. Also, halflings confirmed in AoS(!)!

Hahah, well, Year of the Rat would have been a great year to release new Skaven! But in hindsight, a really bad one for Clan Pestilens... Here's to hope AOS getting some e x p o n e n t i a l g r o w t h in 2021!

Grr this is why we need AOS as it's own competition, I don't think anything but 40K related has won that?

There's a fair bit of grognards (and not the endearing kind) and Total War fanatics who have latched onto TOW together with toxic hostility towards AoS. Unsurprisingly, plenty of them also play 40K... AoS has by far the most positive Warhammer community I've ever seen. Although unnecessary whinging is par for the course for any online community (and I cannot cast stones in glass houses), there's far less overt toxicity, hostility, gatekeeping or bigotry.

We don't know if there is any cross-compatibility (although I doubt so, and if there's anything it's only AoS -> TOW). But Bretonnia is Bretonnia, any new Bretonnians a reason to be excited! After all, in the beginning only Empire and Kislev were confirmed, there was a possibility that Bretonnia would have been left out.

Could it be? Has the Lady answered our prayers? Is it time for the sons of Bretonnia to ride out once more, cross swords at dawn? https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/12/28/the-old-world-your-first-look-at-the-map-of-bretonnia/

BRETONNIA IS BACK BABYYYY And with that one simple trick, GW got me opening my wallet agape...whenever TOW comes out.

Okay, the new Slaanesh models are absolutely gorgeous. And am I the only one who think the Seekers look really, really cute??? Probably their big puppy/kitten eyes. Like, I want one as a pet! Also, man, the Hedontes....gnnnh they are gorgeous!!! I am in love! And guess that is exactly the reaction Slaaneshi followers would, well, try and elicit.

I believe it'll be a Slaanesh battletome reveal, but I hope it's a new Death/LoN battletome - and not just because "Start Collecting! Skeleton Horde" arrived in mail today LOL

Someone said "crossbow", but it looks more like a regular wooden beam with metal strapped to it (unless my ailing eyes fail to pick up perspective). Definitely Death, gives Deadwalker vibes! I hope it's for the Soulblight/Vampirate army. Can you imagine if we'd get zombies who have independently resurrected bodyparts? To take the crossbow example from before - a loose hand pulling the string with undead, inhuman strength...I know I'm letting my imagination run wild, but one can dream!

You don't go to McDonald's and expect a Michelin-starred meal, you go to McDonald's because you want comfort food and fast. Black Library is the literary equivalent of McDonald's. That doesn't mean I am disparaging Black Library stories - far from it! I'm just saying that any discussion about "rubes" or begging for high-class fantasy from BL is the equivalent of yelling at someone about the chicken mcnuggets - "IT'S NOT FROM A CHICKEN, IT'S JUST PINK GOO! DON'T BE A RUBE!". We all know that, but those nuggets, man, they tasty.

Mixed units! Mixed units! Mixed units! Devoted of Sigmar! Bretonnia returning!

https://www.waylandgames.co.uk/2211-black-friday-2020#/manufacturer-games_workshop/game_system-warhammer_age_of_sigmar It is important to note it is the italian version of DoK and spanish version of KO, so unless you are proficient in those languages the savings might turn into an unneeded expense...

To me personally it evokes the feeling of celebrities who chase beauty with such zeal (or perhaps excess?) that their tightened, botox-filled faces start to look unnerving. Thematically that would fit Slaaneshi mortals well!

THAT SIGVALD MODELS IS PERFECT! PERFECT!! ....where can I buy it?

As much as I would wish GW proper to combine the stubborness of the duardin with the delicious evil of Chaos, I have accepted that it is unlikely to happen. I however 100% agree with you - I really like what GW is doing with Slaanesh and their new minis! Now, we only need a unit of Slaangors and Slaanesh has peaked. Well, one could always hope for a single Slaaneshi duardin in some Warcry(Underworlds warband someday... Considering the sword, the body (with those thighs 👀) and the previous images featuring a bracer and parts of a pauldron all point to THE Sigvald, but I could not find an explanation of how they'd bring him back (as didn't Sigvald die before the destruction of the World-ThatWas?) until seeing the piece @shinros posted. Yeah, I am riding on the Sigvald train, choo choo!

I knew it! People laughed at me 'Silly old duardin, that is not a Sigvald's sword' but I knew it! I have been vindicated! Jokes aside, although it is most likely not THE Sigvald it clearly is a Slaaneshi mortal (champion?) and I am EXCITED! Sigvald is one of my all time favourite chaos characters, because of his narcissism that reaches heights ah so comical. Chaos deserve some levity too!

From that POV, I am wishing for mixed species units! C'mon, I want aelf handgunners! Duardin Wanderers! A human Ironbreaker! I want to believe!

I like it too, but I wonder if its a bit too "generic" in corporate eyes 🤔 Perhaps newer models with overpriced "realm conversion sprues" available to order separately would do the trick and make everyone happy?

I hate how well the rumour engine looks like Sigvald...because now I will only face disappointment when it's merely a vampirate and not the strange son of Slaanesh!

I still believe in the future of CoS, regardless of GW's past. We can't overlook the recent WHFB video games and their popularity, The Old World was/is/will be GW scrambling together something realising Fantasy still had fans. I don't see why GW would squat A) "Free" model ranges they can just plop into TOW without having to design new miniatures and B) a popular AoS army. Will there one day be "AoSified" Freeguild soldiers free from that renaissance look of Fantasy? Probably. Besides, the recent fluff/crunch changes makes me feel like GW is really going for both the familiar dark elves of old for TW:W fans/last Fantasy grognards and giving Cities more options to show they aren't forgotten. Wouldn't surprise me if we get a Broken Realms: Grungni with a mono-Duardin city that could take Fyreslayer and Kharadron allies. Broken Realms: Alarielle with Wanderers and Dryads together as one once more?

Oh, I want to make it clear that I am by no mean a Slaanesh-hater - they have been my favourite Chaos deity, well, as long as I have been aware of Warhammer. There is something extremely fascinating with Slaanesh - while Khorne plays on humanity's sad history of violence, Nurgle on our fears of illness and death (something that feels very relevant in this cursed year), Tzeentch on humanity's thirst for knowledge and desire to control our own fate's...Slaanesh targets perhaps the most 'human' of humanity's weaknesses. Yet, there used to be a time - pre-AoS - when stories featuring Slaaneshi mortals were focusing more on the negative sexual aspects of the deity (and forgetting any problematic aspects of such a portrayal, it is much less narratively interesting than excess in other fields). Thus, I cannot deny that there is a very real possibility I have never given 'modern' Slaanesh a real chance and have just let the opinions of random outsiders influence my view, instead of material actually produced by GW. Those design notes are very encouraging (and the current Keeper of Secrets model perhaps my favourite demon model, if not any GW model, of all time). I'll give those stories a new chance - thank you!