News from Warhammer World - Tournament feedback and mini-rumours...

[Denzark]

Hello chaps

Just back from my latest foray into the GW tournament, Throne of Skulls. I thought you might like some information on the meta there, things I saw over the weekend, and a few rumours etc. Here goes...

Meta

Going into the tourney there was a lot of talk about spammed Grav-gun SM bikers. Actually, I didn't see any of this at all although SM bikers were certainly there. As suspected, Tau/Eldar MC were prevalent. There were a couple of nasty daemon lists relying on tzeentchian 4++/re-roll 1's shenanigans - with a spamshield landing pad thrown in. 'Obvious' ally choices like Nob bikers had paired down a bit and also there was a lot less Necrons. I did see a couple of new SM anti air tanks, and a couple of centurions. Only 1 3x Heldrake list I spotted. Only 1 Space Wolf player. Are they the new sisters/BT? A couple of sisters. Overall winner was a nids player who went 5-0-0. Remember GW base results of a margin of victory, including favourite game votes. Also, I understand table allocation to be totally random althroughout so he could have seal-clubbed his way to the top - although he got 3 favourite game votes so was probably a top guy, I doubt this was how he did it.

Rules

GW yellow staff were being quite tight in areas. There is a new 'Warrior's Code' coming in for 2014, but they seem to apply them from this weekend. This included:

All painted Armies. Now, GW state they will not apply a '3 colour standard' because this is open to abuse. They picked up on someone with a very basic paint scheme that was supposed to be white scar bikers that seemed to be a white primer, a wash and some boltgun metal on the bike engines.

No proxies. This is subject to interpretation, but they seem to enforce it based on 'if it has a model is must be used' and conversions must be pre-approved if heavy and not blatantly obvious what the mini is. One fellow who fell foul had an immaculately painted army with Dark angel minis, but painted as White Scars. Even though it had conversions like landspeeders with twin lascannons for preds, he was made to re-write the list as a White Scars list. So the big ugly speeder was a LR etc. I thought this was quite harsh.

Others included me being asked why my drop pod doors were glued shut - ummm because I don't like them flapping around, I can't be arsed to paint the insides and also because i was not aware the rules said a vehicle's doors must be modelled to open?

Rumours

These were picked up from attendees not any GW staff. I cannot comment on the provenance. But, 2 main ones. Firstly, plastic T-Hawk is designed. However it currently takes 7 sprues. Apparently the problem is that the big boy kit machine can only do 6 at a time. So the sprues need rehashing to try and cram it all in to make it economical. (I know, I know...) The other is that plastic Sisters are done. The timing of the new codex is an attempt to whittle down some apparently high stocks of current metal.


So I hope this was of interest.

[Deadlift]

Thanks for the info Den.
The rumours both sound interesting, I just wonder how much longer we will have to wait for plastic sisters. Am I right in thinking the codex release was digital only ? If so maybe the plastics will accompany a hardback release later on. Plastic thunder hawk, yep we have all been dribbling over this for years. I'm sure GW want to do it and if what you heard is true it could be one step closer to a reality. Brilliant.

[Wolfshade]

That's what I am thinking as well. New plastics with new book. This digital release was a bump to lower stock, while a little cynical, I can understand why they did it. After all no one would buy metal if they could have multi-part plastic kits.

Plastic - T Hawk the stuff of dreams

[Denzark]

I can see the thinking behind lowering stock - but if the e-version to hard copy version is standard (were Farside and Black Legion not about 3 months apart from their e-versions?) then that is not much time to lower stocks of metal - unless the e-codex levelled up the power to attract significant amounts of bandwaggoners, rather than just service the SoB fanboys.

All I know is that St Getty-upagain doesn't do that as much as she used to.

[eldargal]

There is no way the current SoB codex, as good as it is with it's updates and whatnot is going to be the entirety of the hardcover simply because it is almost inconceivable that GW don't include at least one new vehicle variant. The Exorcist will almost certainly be converted to plastic and it will almost certainly be a dual kit which will necessitate at least one new entry and given the lack of units in the SoB book overall I can't see them not adding more. Dark Elves provide a recent precedent for a two month release as well. Hopefully if they release a new 6th edition book for them with new units people who paid for the digital version will be able to download the new version for free. Paying for two sixth edition rule books for the same army would be unprecedented and really, really low.

[Wolfshade]

/TLR

But yes I agree, similiarly with the Codex BA.
There needs to be new units in a new release because I must have all the new models zomg1``¬¬

[Denzark]

There is no way the current SoB codex, as good as it is with it's updates and whatnot is going to be the entirety of the hardcover simply because it is almost inconceivable that GW don't include at least one new vehicle variant. The Exorcist will almost certainly be converted to plastic and it will almost certainly be a dual kit which will necessitate at least one new entry and given the lack of units in the SoB book overall I can't see them not adding more. Dark Elves provide a recent precedent for a two month release as well. Hopefully if they release a new 6th edition book for them with new units people who paid for the digital version will be able to download the new version for free. Paying for two sixth edition rule books for the same army would be unprecedented and really, really low.

I can't see the logic in a lot of what they do, especially separating hardcopy and e-version releases. So on that basis I can't see a second codex. The fact a supplement came out at all shows they will support the army with plastics. Maybe SoB and GK will be seen by the end of 6th, as niche and/or supplement codexes to support the Inquisitors in the new one imminently arriving?

[Herzlos]

The other is that plastic Sisters are done. The timing of the new codex is an attempt to whittle down some apparently high stocks of current metal.

And to think in the past they used to use sales, or just melt them down and re-cast as something else.

[Hexx2019]

I think T Hawk plastics is that 40k version of the american dream.. we're chasing it but we're never going to really get it. Plastic sisters on the other hand I believe could be a thing.

[silashand]

No proxies. This is subject to interpretation, but they seem to enforce it based on 'if it has a model is must be used' and conversions must be pre-approved if heavy and not blatantly obvious what the mini is. One fellow who fell foul had an immaculately painted army with Dark angel minis, but painted as White Scars. Even though it had conversions like landspeeders with twin lascannons for preds, he was made to re-write the list as a White Scars list. So the big ugly speeder was a LR etc. I thought this was quite harsh.

I am on the fence here. On one hand I hate when people use models painted as one army as proxies for another (just my opinion as I think it looks dumb and violates the fluff too much for my tastes). However, with the conversions you say the guy had it seems clear it was meant to be a DA list and anyone looking at it would likely know what everything was as soon as he said something. Personally I would probably have told the judge to piss off and left. JMO though...

Cheers, Gary