I'm an idiot (Skitarii version)

[Bedroom General]

I bought the Start collecting Skitarii box. It says on the Games workshop site that, and I quote: " exclusive Skitarii rules sheet - the Dominus Maniple - allowing you to collect, assemble and play with your new miniatures right away! "

Well you can't.

Be aware that to play the game with the models in this box you will also have to purchase the codexes for BOTH the mechanicus and the skitarii as ranges and damages for weapons are not included in the "data sheets" within! What I need and DONT have in the box are the weapons stats and although some options are costed, they are not explained. I was rather cross!
I contacted the local GW to let 'em have it, only to be told that where I'd purchased it from should have told me this!!! My FLGS got it in for me, they don't stock much and prefer other systems, but I get a discount. Its not likely they would have the hubris to try to sell me the codexes for such minimal reasons. They are good guys.

Anyway the GW staffer said also that perhaps Skitarii weren't the army for me, as I was so disappointed (Bloody Hell!). I said that I wanted a stand alone formation to supply AA for my Imperial Knights, but This couldn't happen without the codexes, actually just a couple of pages, as in the box I got the stat lines and points costs and a paragraph detailing the formation bonus (which can't be used as they don't include weapon stats!)
Ahh Eff it, I know I can get the codexes without paying, I was trying to do right by GW but....Also, I hope that the rest of these "Starter" boxes aren't equally incomplete.

Collect, assemble and play with your new miniatures right away!

I think not.
BE WARNED!* Bolsketeers
Anyway rant over

[CoffeeGrunt]

I thought everyone knew this? At least, I thought everyone knew that rules only really come in Codices and not in the box with models, just a Formation to make the box game-legal to run on its own.

Skitarii did get shafted a bit by needing two Codices for their's, though each Codex is half the price of a standard one, IIRC.

[Mr Mystery]

Not sure it says anywhere all the rules are included?

Purity in augmentation - the Skitarii are a horrifying, post-human nightmare rendered in metal and flesh, utterly without mercy in their endless quest to harvest information and technology for the Machine God. The morsels of data they find are analysed by their leaders and repurposed to make these footsoldiers of the Omnissiah an ever more efficient, cold army of ruthless killers.

This is a great-value box set that gives you an immediate collection of fantastic Skitarii miniatures, which you can assemble and use right away in games of Warhammer 40,000! You’ll receive a Tech-Priest Dominus, an Onager Dunecrawler, a set of ten Skitarii Vanguard, which can be optionally assembled as Skitarii Rangers and an exclusive Skitarii rules sheet - the Dominus Maniple - allowing you to collect, assemble and play with your new miniatures right away!

Nope....nothing to say it's got everything you need - just that it has enough models for an immediate collection... It's the same for the other Start Collecting sets.

Except for AoS - because AoS is great like that.

As for 'know where to get the rules for free'....well aren't we a special snowflake!

[Path Walker]

You can play with them straight away because you don't need to purchase any other models to use them in a game, previous battalion/battleforce sets haven't done that, that's the difference.

You're not an idiot for thinking it might supply all the rules you need to use them in the game, you are an idiot for the continued entitled whining you've displayed both her and obviously to a GW employee.

[Erik Setzer]

I thought everyone knew this? At least, I thought everyone knew that rules only really come in Codices and not in the box with models, just a Formation to make the box game-legal to run on its own.

Skitarii did get shafted a bit by needing two Codices for their's, though each Codex is half the price of a standard one, IIRC.

Well, the 40K starter box (Dark Vengeance) had, IIRC, complete rules for the models within, and their weapons. The SW-vs-Orks and BA-vs-Nids boxes both had full rules for points, special rules, options, etc. And, of course, the AoS sets (at least if the Pestilens box I picked up was an indication) contain full rules for the models contained within. So there's a bit of precedent for people to expect something like that, especially if it says "Start Collecting!" and suggests you can grab it off the shelf and play it.

The AdMech books are $33 each here in the US, regular codices are $50 (though SM and, I believe, Eldar were $58), so it comes to $66, or $16 more than a regular codex.

The issue could be solved easily by noting on the website (and the boxes, if not already noted) that they'll need a copy of Warhammer 40,000: The Rules and Codex: X and/or Codex: Y. (Granted, that does take your $85 entry into the game and suddenly make it a $220-$236 entry to the game, which is a lot less palatable to some folks.)

[Warsmith Shaughn]

Yeah that sucks. But just buy the books IMO; you will be happy to have them.

[Bedroom General]

Hi whiney, entitled, special snowflake back again!
Thank you for the wide ranging responses to what was meant to be a bit of a public service announcement of the caveat emptor variety. To be honest I didn't know what coffeegrunt says everybody knew, as I said in the title I'm an idiot for assuming the play right away would be true, I'm ok with it, I'm married, so I'm used to being wrong
I guess that the real beef, and one which this whiney, entitled, special snowflake (I'm soooo tempted to start a new account with that name!!) will be contacting the GW customer relations guys about is that there is no mention of incomplete rules, or that you must purchase codexes when half of the information you can get from the codex is already supplied ie statlines and upgrade prices, This devalues the codex as literally only a couple of stats and explanations are missing. It is hardly conducive to good customer relations.
Also specific thanks to Eric for pointing out previous box sets with complete rules, I got Dark Vengeance and Stormclaw, so that sort of complete rule set just for the models in the box was what I was expecting, as the precedent had already been set. hence this special snowflake (aren't all snowflakes special?) will not be purchasing codexes for the only units from these books that I will ever use. I specifically wanted them as the AA for my Adamantine Lance at 2000pts.
Anyway I'll just reiterate that I put this post up mainly as a warning for other people who may have had the same misapprehension as I did. Cheers!

P.S. Found the few bits of info I needed on google images, so that's all good.

[Da Gargoyle]

Hi Bedroom General Ne WESS, I get the imediate disappointment of not having the rules, and I note your Caveat Emptor quote, but there were any number of clues that point to the fact that this was a figures box not one that included the full rules set. And lets face it, rules or no, the start an army sets are the best value GW has had in years, even better when you get it cheaper. And those bigger game sets like Dark Vengence still require the Codex for all of the details relating to SM and CSM special abilities etc... Embrace the kit, pick up the Skittari codex, chat to a fellow gamer for the Dominus dude and do Mars proud on the battlefield.

[Bedroom General]

Thanks Garg, As I noted I found the bits necessary on google images. But that is sort of the point.

Why include ANY of the stats for the forces within? The Dominus Maniple paragraph would have been enough, with a mention anywhere inside or outside the box that codexes are needed.

What rankles is that the stats and options for the Skitarii are included, but not points. The dominus just has stats. Why be so half-ersed about it, that was the annoyance, that I didn't need to get much more info from the codexes, further devaluing that purchase. Got the full rules for the forces included in storm claw for example. Just not logical.

While talking non logical, the new Cultist assault box is apparently without a formation, so what you do with the aspiring champ in the box is anyones guess.