Will there ever be a new 40K Army?

[webb]

We've wondered for a while, but have we got so cemented in the ways of armies constantly being updated and an endlessly deep background that it has become impossible for a new codex to appear?

Yes, we've had marine splinters into many chapter dedicated codicies. But will we ever be enthralled by the release of Codex: Mechanicum or Exodite Eldar. Perhaps even a new xenos army to balance the amount of imperium codecies out there, perhaps an army to be the 40k equivalent of skaven? Will squats come back to represent sci-fi dwarves? Could we see the mysterious interex, arguably being a possible cause of the Horus Heresy, return with their cyber-centaur soldiers and laser bows? Or possibly a totally new army never before mentioned?

I believe a while back Jervis Johnson talked about space vampires that he was working on, and the blood angels had already been released before people rush to that conclusion. A grim-dark rendition of Vampire Counts possibly?

I don't mean to stir the rumour pot. Merely questioning whether you think Games Workshop would/should ever bring a new Codex to the 41st Millenium? Or is it a possibility that Forgeworld would be the innovators to do this as they did to chaos dwarves? I'm here to ask the questions. Would you like to give your answers?

[ElectricPaladin]

Please. God. No.

There are already too many factions, and the rules are already stretched too thin in an effort to make them mechanically distinct. We have ordinary space marines and close combat horde space marines and close combat heroic space marines and long range shooting counterpunch marines and "everyone's a psyker" space marines and "we love plasma way too much" space marines, and we have close combat thug monsters and close combat bug monsters, and we have mobile shooty space elves, and mobile assaulty space elves, and mobile shooty space communists. And we have the Imperial Guard, who count as at least five or six more armies. And don't forget, of those armies I just listed, at least three don't actually work anymore, and two or three more are struggling to work, or only work if played in a very narrow way.

It's too much. Game balance is a joke, as it is, and adding more armies won't help. The release schedule isn't just a joke - it's a cruel joke. GW can barely handle the factions they've already had the misfortune to shoe-horn into this game. The last thing they need is more.

[Mr Mystery]

Design Studio don't seem to think so, at least not during the 2011 Games Day Seminar!

But it's an entirely idea driven environment. Whilst I think a new race isn't terribly likely, on account of the resources needed to create one and get it into stores, with the Allies rules we may see old, defunct units and races make a come back.

As for struggling to keep up as is? It's a constant release and review cycle. If they need to increase output, they increase manpower.

[rpricew]

We should get what we have under control before expanding any more. Would it be cool to introduce a whole new race? Yes.

Dark Age is releasing a whole new faction this month and they are 10 years old. The armies had become a little stale and this will certainly shake things up. However, it's easier for them since we are only talking about skirmish size games with Dark Age.

I would love to have a new army/race introduced because I like playing against different armies. Unfortunately, what we have is less than optimal and would rather have them dedicate their resources to fixing things before creating more new things.

[YorkNecromancer]

Adeptus Mechanicus.

That is all.

Sweet mercy Forge World, hurry up and release those Thallaxi.

[imperialpower]

I would like to see other armies but GW seems more likley to expand on current armies like the dozens of Space marine flavours, it would be good if they gave other factions the same treatment, like Imperial Guard who are meant to have masses of different regiments or the many Eldar craftworlds.

I do not think it is impossible for GW to release a new army though I mean Tau are not that old.

[Filthspew]

Interesting question.

Would they? If theres is a good commercial reason for it, sure. But as it is, I think there is no such reason.

Should they? Personally, I think GW delivers superb quality of plastic models, great quality of the narrrative setting, and at best below mediocre quality rules and below mediocre support of the width of the game (the various armies). I would definitely prefer them to focus on raising all those areas to at least mediocre, then rules to good quality.

If they wanted to keep their overall quality level to at least mediocre, they should have upped the resources long time ago. We see an Eldar codex now playing under its third (3rd!) edition of the rules! But we also see the fifth (5th!) Space Marine codex in three years about to be released. If I was a GW executive, I would be embarrased.

What will change this is when GW suddenly has an actual competitor that starts taking marked shares from them. Or when their customers start to go elsewhere because of unsolved issues, to top it off issues that could be dealt with quickly and dirt cheap by using the most basic and obvious technological options like internet.

[plasticaddict]

I think with the introduction of the allies rule there is at least a very good opportunity to introduce some new races. Drop a White Dwarf article with an allies chart and a limited FOC (1-2 each HQ, Troop and 0-2 each Elite, Fast, Heavy). Do that several times and look at the sales, the things that do the best should be looked at for possible elevation to an entire Codex. Ones that don't quite deserve an entire book by themselves could be lumped together into a joint codex that would include some new selections for each mini force. I would love to see some new units and armies hit the table top and it would be easy enough to do.

I do agree that GW needs to get it together in the Codex update department and that should happen before any new stuff comes out.

[OrksOrksOrks]

If they can come up with an idea that will sell models, they'll do it, GW don't care too much about game balance, its not as important as narrative to the design studio, which is how it should be.

[Obispal]

I agree with Plasticaddict, there is great opportunity for some smaller/minor races to make a appearance similar to the old dogs of war units in fantasy.
Maybe the loxatl from the Gaunts ghosts series or the Barghesi