LordSolarMach

The Leviathan rulebook also had Combat Patrol in it (and Crusade). (For reference, the downloadable WH40k Core Rules pdf is 60 pages, and the Combat Patrol pdf is 12 pages.) Contents of that set: SM Combat Patrol + 13 additional models Tyranid Combat Patrol + 15 additional models 392 page rule book. Cards, transfers, objective markers. So it's possible... though I agree with you that everyone's Spearhead having printed rules does make it seem like a separate product. (As well as the cards.) So, upon consideration, I've moved to a bit more of a fifty-fifty feeling. Actually, it does sound more like the 40k Ultimate Starter set (though it'd be weird to call it "the launch box", if it is the AoS equivalent). That set (which retails for £125.00) has: SM and 'Nid Combat Patrols 72 page Handbook and 72 page Core Rules Booklet. Terrain, reference sheets, 2 gaming boards, 2 range rulers, 10 dice I don't think there's any indication that the Spearheads in "the launch box" will be existing ones though, and not new models.

Leviathan is a pretty big indication. GW's statement can be read as "it will be like Leviathan". (ie. there will be a large assortment of models in the AoS launch box, from which you can make two Spearheads, the same way as how Leviathan had a large assortment of models, from which you could make two Combat Patrols.) And that precedent makes me (and it seems a fair few others) think that it should be read that way.

Combat Patrol has at least one White Dwarf list that isn't available for purchase in a box (Tyranids: Insidious Infiltrators). They could do something similar for Ironjawz players.

I think I prefer the old "sunburst" wings to these firey ones, but the rest is an all-around improvement over their current sculpts. They're nice. (I also can't help but think it looks like someone nailed that piece of parchment into their groin, though.)

Random thought. There's some rumours in TOW rumour thread which include: "Various Forge World units, including the skin-wolves, firmer [sic], gore-bull BSB and the peryton, will be returning. It was stated specifically that the chaos mammoth will NOT be returning." I figured that the Mammoth would be a shoe-in, being very popular in Total War. (Honestly, they're the main reason to play Norsca for me.) So the fact that they're not coming back is weird... unless... Darkoath Mammoth coming in AoS 4.0?

[Double Post]

Just to stress: this is a de-confirm of the "leak". For a long time, CMValrak has been saying that there are two new Chaos Lords coming for 40k - one with a jump pack, and another that might be a new Terminator Lord. It appears that this false leaker decided to include the Terminator Lord in their list, rather than a Power Armour Lord. And now we see that the Lord is in Power Armour, and not Terminator Armour. So: the leak is bogus. (Which is not to say that it won't still get some stuff right - it appears to be based on a number of the most common rumours and speculations.)

I'm pretty sure there's no problem with designers, or sculptors. GW (and by extension Specialist Games) have a big bottleneck problem on the production side (as seen by their stock issues), and there is likely a marketing component (ie. you don't want to release vastly more than your customer base can keep up with, so teams probably have a rough number of releases they are allowed to put out in a year). We know that GW sits on sculpts for years - recently, as pointed out by others, the upcoming Darkoath wave shares all its design cues with the Darkoath Warqueen (released six years ago). They could just be based on her, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they've been around for quite a while.

Blood Bowl II had a Bretonnian team, but SG seemed to have gone a similar direction when creating the Imperial Nobility team (weak peasants with Fend for Linemen, Blockers/Bodyguards with Wrestle, Blitzers with Block/Catch).

CSM are still an Index, with the only detachment being Slaves to Darkness (ie. the Black Legion one). It's likely that when Codex: CSM comes out in ~3 months they'll get a bunch more (Space Marines have seven, 'Nids six, Ad Mech five, Necrons five, Dark Angels three + seven). One of those detachments will likely be Creations of Bile themed (provided he's not moved to a future Codex: Emperor's Children, which historically he shouldn't be but...). So you might not be playing your Creations of Bile sub-faction against your opponent's Iron Warriors sub-faction, but you will be playing your "Consortium Strike Force" detachment against your opponent's "Siege Tyrant Battalion" detachment.

It usually gets spread across various people's ArtStation accounts. (Creative Assembly's itself, but a lot of the people who work(ed) for them also will have stuff.)

We do kind of know that it's a bit of a post-hoc justification though, thanks to CA posting the concept art (where they all had beaks). The truth is probably "GW told us to lose the beaks", but they're being diplomatic about it. The real reason is likely GW not wanting for TWW to step on the toes of AoS: Realms of Ruin.

Oh god, it looks like a torn ******. Edit: surprised that's a censored word.

Yeah, I saw it was addressed and made an edit (but not quickly enough!). (Though, they'd still probably have Legends rules regardless, which seems effectively the same?) // On the Spearhead vs Vanguard thing, it might be worth pointing out that the Spearhead: Stormcast Eternals is a clear equivalent to the Vanguard: Orruk Warclans. Yndrasta + Knights-Vexillor + 3 Annihilators 10 Vindictors Stormstrike Chariot vs Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof + Murknob with Belcha-banna + 3 Man-skewer Boltboyz 10 Gutrippaz Beast-skewer Killbow

Edit: posted without seeing another (two!) pages in the thread; I see that it's been addressed.

Yeah, per the roadmap Salvation was originally supposed to be out last autumn, and Nightmare this winter season (ie. next two weeks). Salvation missed its slot by at least a month-and-a-half, but maybe Nightmare gets back on schedule? // (Also, Into the Dark released on Sept 10th 2022, and was quickly followed by Shadowvaults on October 22nd 2022. Five weeks later.)

That's more just an AoS thing. In WHFB there were the four Great Clans (Eshin, Skryre, Moulder, Pestilens), who were the peak of their specialisation (assassins, engineering, monsters, plagues), and then the Warlord Clans. And the four Great Clans had a lot of "thrall clans", but those thralls could be pretty loose alliances, and there were still independent clans who shared specialities. And lots of Warlord Clans who owed no one allegiance. (Mors, Rictus, Skurvy, etc.) In fact, Clan Pestilens having one of their thralls holding a seat on the Council of Thirteen (effectively giving them two votes) was a big deal in Skaven politics.

Aside: the (2nd edition) Warcry book says that the Beastmen believe that the Gnarlwood is the sacred burial place of an ancient, mutant entity known as the Soulshrieker. Maybe something for the future?

I know I'm a little late to the Beastmen discussion, but I do recall that when Ogroid Theridons were shown my first thought was "oh cool, new Minotaurs" followed by "wait, StD?" So I've had a paranoia about BoC being reduced and folded into StD for awhile now. // As to a "big Beast" that some people mentioned wanting, the 7th edition WHFB Army Book mentioned Ramhorns in a couple places. It was said that Beastmen would attach the skull of a Ramhorn onto the gate of a keep, and when the (rather stupid) Ramhorn noticed it, it would charge and shatter said gate. There was also a piece of art which may have been intended to represent them, or just been the fancy of the artist:

TOW is set around ~2276, so 286. It seems that the Duke of Lyonesse during this time is Gaulthiere LeGrand. As King Louis the Young gave Repanse the Dukedom in the early 2000's, it's probable that she's passed, though she could be written to have become a hermit or something. I'd not object - after all, Total War has successfully fudged her into being around in the ~2500s (with the justification that drinking from the Grail can extend your lifespan - though she seems to have gotten really lucky and be forever seventeen).

Got an email from my local (in Canada) that due to weather issues at the Memphis warehouse there's delays across North America, and they're not expecting TOW stuff in until later this week.

If we get Dwarfs-who-worship-Chaos, with none of the stylings of the old Dawi Zharr, I'd be disappointed (as someone who really likes the stylings of the old Chaos Dwarfs). And I don't mean I want them to pull an Old World, and release thirty-year-old miniatures. But I'd want: Babylonian-ish stylings (ringlet beards, tall hats) Bull Monsters (Bull Centaurs, Bale Taurus, Lamassu) Daemonic industry Comical cruelty The Horns of Hashut have a good bit of the latter three, so I'm hopeful. The Iron Golems' Dwarf has the industrial cruelty going for him, but lacks any of that Hashut flavour (pseudo-Babylonian, bull, fire). I'd... make due, if that was the main look, but be a little disappointed. The Spire Tyrants' Dwarf looks like a Chaos-Marauder-who-happens-to-be-a-Dwarf. If that was the main look, I'd be incredibly disappointed.

Heh. I hadn't heard before that Hashut is onomatopoeia for a sneeze. (I wonder if that means the "Ha-" should be pronounced with an intake of breath.)

They've previously noted that they'll be showing off the next ToW faction for re-release at the ToW launch event (at Warhammer World, on Saturday).

Ghorros Warhoof, aye. It does make sense that they could re-release him as a generic Centigor Chieftain, if they're not planning to give him special character status. Edit: though I feel like Ghorros, as a character who wears the skull of Arsil, the Prince of Unicorns, would make for a good character if the Beastmen are paired with the Wood Elves. He also claims to be the primogenitor of all Centigors (and the sire of a number of other monstrous beasts besides), so he's potentially old enough to have been around during ToW's time period.