Craftworld Eldar in the rumormill

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

I think there is a belief that non-humanoid races may not be profitable. Gamers may shy away from something they can't relate to... explains why over 50% of the factions are based on humans and all of the others are humanoid with the exception of the alien dinosaur wannabes.

i think it's a self-fulling prophecy because they are scared to take the risk, and since no one is taking the risk, theres little to prove it can work. It's why I think small harlequin sized releases would be good for more weirer stuff - and personally id be perfectly happy if it was only 1 small faction like that with one or two kits.

Also, Maybe to dudes, but i dunno - all the girls i talk to seem to really love the weird/creepy stuff and find all the humanoid stuff boring (a lot of girl 40k gamers seem to pick nids too) - but I admit that thats ancedotal to be fair, and they are the sort your more likely to find at a skinny puppy concert rather than a GW store :P The best arguement "For" them is probably Daleks which are arguably one of the most (if not the most) profitable SF alien baddies of all time.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I'd love for this to be true. I'd have new jetbikes in a flash.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Considering the rate at which Games-Workshop is producing plastic injection molds, I think they could reasonably produce a single 'experimental' kit which could supply an entire army. Look at the Grey Knights Strike Squad - can easily be used to build units from each part of the FOC. Perhaps even pare it down to a single plastic sprue that can be used to make two of a variety of, say, "squid aliens" - if their appearance is inorganic, won't need to worry about repetitive posing, can just have the models articulate during assembly.

Unit options: fleshy tentacles as tarpit, bladed tentacles as assault and amputated tentacles replaced with guns. Maybe include a single small "vehicle segment" on the sprue, so if you buy 4+ kits you have enough to make a centipede-vehicle. (1 HP = 1 segment, can buy additional segments for +x pts. Can transport 1 model for each HP it has remaining.)

Going on our planet, the human form is pretty damned useful....

I see this idea kicking around sometimes, and consider it fairly flawed. A humanoid form might be the best form for tool manipulation, climbing and running in a wooded-plains-type environment, that can be derived from a tetrapod bodyplan, but that is a very, very specific set of conditions.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Considering the rate at which Games-Workshop is producing plastic injection molds, I think they could reasonably produce a single 'experimental' kit which could supply an entire army. Look at the Grey Knights Strike Squad - can easily be used to build units from each part of the FOC. Perhaps even pare it down to a single plastic sprue that can be used to make two of a variety of, say, "squid aliens" - if their appearance is inorganic, won't need to worry about repetitive posing, can just have the models articulate during assembly.

That's kinda how I envisioned enslavers done when I made the proof of concept army some years ago, yeah. Allthough I think that sort of image is a bit redundant now due to those spore mine focussed nid models from late last year. I think the Energy based aliens would be a good fit though and GW seem to be able to do lots of "effects" based plastic parts like that nowadays that look really good, so it would be cool to see all that put into a singular faction.

Unit options: fleshy tentacles as tarpit, bladed tentacles as assault and amputated tentacles replaced with guns. Maybe include a single small "vehicle segment" on the sprue, so if you buy 4+ kits you have enough to make a centipede-vehicle. (1 HP = 1 segment, can buy additional segments for +x pts. Can transport 1 model for each HP it has remaining.)

Love the idea of a centipede vehicle made from parts from multiple boxes, very clever idea! Stuff like that is exactly how I could see a "all in one" single plastic kit for an entire faction working. I doubt it would kill their entire business in one fell shot to release one box like that either. Technically all these "new" factions are "risks" to a degree, too.

I see this idea kicking around sometimes, and consider it fairly flawed. A humanoid form might be the best form for tool manipulation, climbing and running in a wooded-plains-type environment, that can be derived from a tetrapod bodyplan, but that is a very, very specific set of conditions.

Yeah, the rest of the universe seems a lot more inhospitable towards the fragile human form.

[Erik Setzer]

It's almost like they are one of the oldest, richest devolved factions in the game.

Orks do have a bunch of clans they could bring back though.

Well, yeah, that's the thing... Orks had three books back in Rogue Trader. People talk about all the "variety" in the game now, but I can look back fondly on a Blood Axe list (with allied Imperials in the list... now if I ally with Imperials as my Blood Axes should do, I have to stay 6" away from them), Freebooterz (all kinds of shenanigans), Snakebites (and the Feral Orks list in 3rd edition), Evil Sunz (Kult of Speed in 3rd edition), Deffskullz, Goffs, etc., etc., etc.... Orks have been around a long time, were one of the first armies in the game, have a lot of variety, but they ripped that variety out in 3rd, then tried to duct tape some of it back on, then ripped most of that right back off. Orks alone should be able to compete with Eldar for variety.

[ShadowcatX]

Eldar don't have near the variety we once had either, ironically. Not that taking howling banshees and striking scorpions as troops would be particularly good currently, but oh for the glory days. (And 3 shot starcannons.)

[Charon]

Could be really a full codex...

No longer available in GW store and the only version you can buy online (except the digital of course) is the english version.. all other languages have vanished.

[Path Walker]

Well, yeah, that's the thing... Orks had three books back in Rogue Trader. People talk about all the "variety" in the game now, but I can look back fondly on a Blood Axe list (with allied Imperials in the list... now if I ally with Imperials as my Blood Axes should do, I have to stay 6" away from them), Freebooterz (all kinds of shenanigans), Snakebites (and the Feral Orks list in 3rd edition), Evil Sunz (Kult of Speed in 3rd edition), Deffskullz, Goffs, etc., etc., etc.... Orks have been around a long time, were one of the first armies in the game, have a lot of variety, but they ripped that variety out in 3rd, then tried to duct tape some of it back on, then ripped most of that right back off. Orks alone should be able to compete with Eldar for variety.

You actually have no idea what you're talking about and obviously didn't own or play with those books at the time, they didn't add much variety at all, they were mostly fluff books.

- - - Updated - - -

Eldar don't have near the variety we once had either, ironically. Not that taking howling banshees and striking scorpions as troops would be particularly good currently, but oh for the glory days. (And 3 shot starcannons.)

Don't worry about Troops, those days are gone, its Formations and Detachments now

[daboarder]

You actually have no idea what you're talking about and obviously didn't own or play with those books at the time, they didn't add much variety at all, they were mostly fluff books.

still smoking that same stuff I see, you should lay off, it'll make the problem permanent

[Cutter]

You actually have no idea what you're talking about and obviously didn't own or play with those books at the time, they didn't add much variety at all, they were mostly fluff books.

I'll give you Waaargh Orks as a fluff book, but Ere We Go and Freebooterz were chock full army lists, 7 between them.