Dark Elves Rumor Roundup

[Mr Mystery]

Hydra isn't old....

[eldargal]

Playing devils advocate for a moment it could be that GW have decided to turn their attention to some of their older or less popular plastic core/troop kits, we just had new tactical Marines afterall. It could also be the larger release size of Space Marines isn't an outlier but a new trend, that GW have decided their production capacity and peoples wallet capacity can cope with an increase.

[Kirsten]

the warriors desperately need an update, but then so did the high elf core models, so who knows...

scroungerunner? surely scourge runner if it is real?

would certainly like that list to be true. I could see a two option box of elite troops like black guard and executioners.

[Chronowraith]

I don't think you can compare Space Marine Tacticals to really any of the Fantasy Core boxes. Space Marine tactical boxes probably outsell many entire army lines in Fantasy.

As far as unpopular core... the Dark Elf core is far better than say Tomb Kings. Skeletons are just the old base skeletons with an extra sprue with flavor bits (not even enough to cover 1/2 of the models). While I concur that many core models need a revamp I think GW is still focusing on bringing out 1 large monster kit per army and a few other plastic updates for metal/finecast kits.

Given that the Dark Elves have so much metal and finecast I could see them getting a heftier update. I think that it's more likely that the Chariot and the Cauldron of Blood are in the same box. If so that would take it down to a slightly more realistic number of releases.

[TheCastigator]

Playing devils advocate for a moment it could be that GW have decided to turn their attention to some of their older or less popular plastic core/troop kits, we just had new tactical Marines afterall. It could also be the larger release size of Space Marines isn't an outlier but a new trend, that GW have decided their production capacity and peoples wallet capacity can cope with an increase.

I buy it and I really hope you're right. I also think it makes a bit of sense since they need to expand their player base again. An almost completely redone range lends itself to that more than a piecemeal release. I also don't see whey they wouldn't just do a one huge release. Both WoC and VC got large releases with about this many kits, put the wave and book releases together and it's not substantially different. I don't see why it is so unlikely, especially since this is an army that desperately needs it.

That being said, I would be very surprised if they redid a core box. The DE spears are much better than the High Elves, but stranger things have happened.

[eldargal]

I don't think you can compare Space Marine Tacticals to really any of the Fantasy Core boxes. Space Marine tactical boxes probably outsell many entire army lines in Fantasy.

Well you can, because it is a precedent for updating a core. The fact they were selling well could also have meant that GW wouldn't replace them because there was no compelling need to.

But remember that I was playing devils advocate there, I still think this is too many kits and new plastic core would be the least likely to appear if the release is the standard four kits.

[Bigred]

That list looks a bit large.

I can see all of it minus the Core Warriors.

That said, many of those kits would be the small one-sprue jobs, which don't use up the same resources as the big full sized kits.

Space Marines was interesting in that it was 100% plastic. I wonder if Dark Elves will continue the trend. If it does, I signals the beginning of the end of Finecast.

[Phototoxin]

Way too much plastic I think. I'd like to be wrong though, it would means all my Dark Elf rumours from 2011 are true. Take that Dakkadakka!

Bring the rain on dakkadakka, it's basically 40k facism in a website!

Lets hope they are as good as the new DEldar revamp for fantasy :-)

[TheCastigator]

Space Marines was interesting in that it was 100% plastic. I wonder if Dark Elves will continue the trend. If it does, it signals the beginning of the end of Finecast.

I hope so. While it has improved since they first started using it, models are still very hit and miss. Plus the single plastic clam packs are almost universally awesome.

[Justus Ackermann]

This one I'll take with a strong pinch of salt as there is already a plastic box set for them and GW haven't been replacing existing plastic troop sets of late, instead concentrating on replacing metal/finecast sets with plastic ones.



Currently in metal which is a GW priority to eliminate from their lines, so very likely.



We've heard this set rumoured from several sources over the past year, both units are currently in vastly overpriced finecast so I reckon this one is quite credible.



No model for the Chariot at all in the current line and having a model for every army option at the release of the Army Book is a current (and very sensible) GW policy, so I reckon this one is highly likely.



The current Cauldron of Blood model is frankly terrible (seriously how does it even get to the battlefield, it looks more like a scenery piece than a unit. the previous model on its carriage was far better). Not sure how much credence I give this one, but I would certainly like it to be true.



We've heard rumours about both of these for some time now. The Witch Elves and Hydra are old models and in highly overpriced finecast currently so I can believe that these are true, especially the Hydra, though I do question whether the other critter that kit can make is a Kraken, which is traditionally a sea creature (and a ruddy massive one at that!).

EDIT: Lending extra credence to the Witch Elves moving to a plastic box set would be that they have vanished from the GW website store!

I generally agree with you assessment. Concerning the Hydra/Kraken: Well it would make sense model-wise, Hydras with their many necks/heads and a Kraken with a lot of tentacles share a certain anatomical similarity