Some IG rumours

[eldargal]

From Warseer:

Hello Warseer!

Been a long time, but I have a small item to add into the rumor mill

I'm hearing that there is a IG mini release being planned soon, I expect it to be Q1 2012 and be in a mixed release month.

Items I hear are the long rumored stormtrooper plastics. Plastic hydra, and possibly another chimera based kit.

Still a ways off, but ive had multiple sources mention it recently.

Cheers!

And corroborated by BramGaunt:

Afaik it's actually 3 kits, stormtrooper/veteran soldiers, hydra, Griffon (with colossus and medusa options), plus some finecast updates. Hydra is supposed to look a little different from the FW one.

No mention of a codex, which they really don't need.

[DrLove42]

I guard got another codex there'd be uproar

Unless they got worse

[Wildeybeast]

A mixed release month? That doesn't spund good. October is seahmmer, so I'm guessing Necrosn in november. But with december always being quiet, that means no new army book/codex until Feb at the earliest. Not good enough (if true) when there is so much that needs doing. Plastic IG kits don't seem like much of a priority to me.

[MajorWesJanson]

Hydras are a very popular unit, and veterans/stormtroopers have been asked for a very long time. Artillery needs an update as well. Many people play Guard, and these units are missing for now.
As for finecast models, probably some of the missing SCs like Bastogne, and updated kits for AlRahem and Chernekov.

Mixed month? What else is rumored for 40K? Space Wolves wolf kit? Void Raven bomber (Bomber vs AA tank has a cool selling point/theme to it), Nids? (Probably a full wave worth of nids, maybe no need to share)

[Grailkeeper]

'Nid players will not be happy bunnies when they hear this.

[Wildeybeast]

Indeed we won't.

And for the benefit of Major Wes, GW has another gaming system other than 40k with some armies that kinda need updating. And even within 40k, there are plenty of armies that need updating with Tau and Chaos marines dex rumoured to be in the pipeline. Guard are already well serviced with a decent codex that has plenty of plastic models and many of its units available. I'm not saying that people won't buy them, quite the opposite. What am saying is that there are many armies across both systems that badly need an update. It would also surely make more sense to release all this stuff in Dec when they traditionally don't do a big release, rather than not have a big release in Jan. Still, we will have to wait and see if this pans out

[Thornblood]

Im hoping for the three commissars to be finecasted. They are nice models.

With the new streamlined marketing focussed GW, it probabloy means that getting shipping weight down would be a priority. Plastic Stormtroopers would be right up there as high demand plus GW get out of a ton of shipping costs.

Other than that I would expect Straken, Harker (especially Harker if the Stormtrooper rumour is confused with vets), the advisors and maybe the Primaris psyker to go finecast.

[Javin]

YAY! Ok depends on the prices. If they are too high, I might have to spring for the FW variants.

[MajorWesJanson]

Indeed we won't.

And for the benefit of Major Wes, GW has another gaming system other than 40k with some armies that kinda need updating. And even within 40k, there are plenty of armies that need updating with Tau and Chaos marines dex rumoured to be in the pipeline. Guard are already well serviced with a decent codex that has plenty of plastic models and many of its units available. I'm not saying that people won't buy them, quite the opposite. What am saying is that there are many armies across both systems that badly need an update. It would also surely make more sense to release all this stuff in Dec when they traditionally don't do a big release, rather than not have a big release in Jan. Still, we will have to wait and see if this pans out

You mean the system that has gotten 3 books, an expansion, and regular plastic character kits?
Lord of the Rings seems to be on hold until Hobbit comes closer.

December is more for scenery and bundles, not new kits.
The creation of most of these guard kits is a minimal investment of resources- Hydra needs one sprue to go with the chimaera hull. Artillery can be a multi-barrel setup like the Shadowsword to fit 2-3 artillery kits on one sprue. Veterans/Stormtroopers would be the only brand new kit. It's not so much that guard need the update as the kits are fairly easy to make and will sell well. Low risk. Things like this help fund things like the Dark eldar revamp and the new "every race gets a big monster unique to them" thing Fantasy has going on.

Pricing? Tanks are pretty much consistent- Transports are $30-35, Proper tanks are $49.50, Big Kits are $62-66. I'd say Hydra and Artillery kit will be in the $49.50 range. Vets, maybe $30?

[BrningHalo]

As a fairly new Guard player, I am delighted to hear rumors that hydras and the potential of a combinded Medusa/Griffon is on the horizon.

I have a converted medusa from a basilisk but having an 'official' model will be nice.

Plastic veterans will be interesting, depending on how they look. I would think that with GW's ability to include a boatload of bits on sprues now, the potential for really customizable IG veterans is a distinct possibility.

Thanks,
Tom