Faeit: Epic 40k to return in 2014

[eldargal]

From Faeit:

GW will bring back Specialist Games gradually with beginning in the 3th Quarter 2014.
-First Game will be Epic in July or August 2014
-There will be no individual model Boxes or Blister, only Game Sets and possibly "Expansions"
-Sets remain permanent in assortment
-Epic Game Set might feature Space Marines vs. Orks, there will be Sets for Imperial Guard, Eldar and Chaos

Sceptical, I always heard Epic was one of the poorer selling SGs. I suppose that may be wrong but with no cross over to 40k like the other and with GW over-producing Dreadfleet I'm not sure they would do this. Wait and see I guess.

[Mr Mystery]

Hmmmm....

It's possible, I guess. With set armies, you just produce x amount, and produce more when that sells through.

But would they sell enough to cover production costs? I don't know, but I have to say despite no evidence one way or other, I'm dubious.

Plus, it's from Faeit, the rumour accumulator, and as such the veracity has to be taken with a strong pinch of salt.

[Kaptain Badrukk]

TBH epic had been dead or dying for years in store, not as bad as poor old INQ, but bad.
It does have a strong (if small) community though, so who knows.
Personally I'd like GW to try something NEW, like dreadfleet.
Which wasn't very successful, but was a good game.

[pauljc]

I want BloodBowl back, with sexy new miniatures!

[LostInTheDark]

TBH epic had been dead or dying for years in store, not as bad as poor old INQ, but bad.
It does have a strong (if small) community though, so who knows.
Personally I'd like GW to try something NEW, like dreadfleet.
Which wasn't very successful, but was a good game.

Epic was my favourite game when I started my hobby journey and I still have my Eldar Titans tucked away somewhere, but I'm with you, if there is development time to spare I hope GW does something new.

Or if not totally new, then at least something that is supportable such as a 40k skirmish game

[Psychosplodge]

Maybe something just Titan based?
Along the same lines of dreadfleet.
Though probably just wishlisting considering how they've essentially scrapped specialist games...

[LostInTheDark]

Maybe something just Titan based?
Along the same lines of dreadfleet.
Though probably just wishlisting considering how they've essentially scrapped specialist games...

Maybe a skirmish game with Titans like the original Adeptus Titanicus? I'd be buying that! Nothing wrong with a bit wishlisting

[Psychosplodge]

TBH epic had been dead or dying for years in store, not as bad as poor old INQ, but bad.
It does have a strong (if small) community though, so who knows.
Personally I'd like GW to try something NEW, like dreadfleet.
Which wasn't very successful, but was a good game.

Epic had a big following in one of my local stores till it was banned, I'm assuming by GWHQ

[Kaptain Badrukk]

Epic had a big following in one of my local stores till it was banned, I'm assuming by GWHQ

GWHQ made the call to move specialist games to bunkers only about 3-4 years ago now. It was good for the stores (was working in one at the time and vets just became a much nicer place to be), but the specialist gamers got sent elsewhere.

We're near a bunker (6miles) so it was no biggie, but the stores without that had to upset a lot of people.
People who, if our store was anything to go by at least, never bought anything and assumed that because they had been playing for ages and had bought all their models cheap during the lead sell-off they were entitled to special treatment and that they could get a way with murder.
Some of them were cool, and it was sad to see them go, but we also shotgunned 85% of our jerks and all but one of our "that-guys" in one fateful evening.
They removed them from bunkers a week or so before they killed support for them, and started closing bunkers too (including my local).

[StraightSilver]

I am very, very skeptical of this. Also a bit of a coincidence that this rumour appears just after a thread went up on another forum, but you never know.

Specialist games no longer fit GWs business model. They are all about stock turn now so the only way this would happen would be as a complete boxed game with no additions, so like the end of year mystery boxes which have a short sales period.

I just don't see how one box could do epic any sort of justice without further support.

Dreadfleet and Space Hulk were self contained and didn't need further expansions, not sure you could do Epic without support from GW or FW.

The only specialist games I can think of that would fit the current model is either Necromunda or Inq28. There's no reason why the same rules couldn't be used for both, and there are rumours of Inq28 but I don't think that's happening any time soon to be honest.

Oops, and of course Blood Bowl, that fits the model too, although I think GW are simply too late as so many other companies now produce very similar games.

The other reason I am skeptical of Epic ever being re-released is because a lot of people at GW HQ consider Apocalypse to be it's successor. There simply isn't a need to re-release Epic as you can now fight those massive battles in 28mm.

I know that isn't the case, Epic and 40K are massively different but as far as GW is concerned why sell models in 6mm that you can make in 28mm.

Plus Epic was originally sold as a way to fight battles during the Horus Heresy, which FW now does.

The only way I see other specialist games being release is through licensing such as fantasy Flight games.