Rumor Roundup

So, I want to take a minute here to talk about what might be coming down the pipe from GW in the near future. Now, I don't have any sources of my own this is simply what I have been able to cobble together from the various things you hear online. The skill comes from distinguishing the likely from the unlikely. I hope some of you at least find this information useful. 

First some general info. First off it cant have escaped anyones notice that Citadel Finecast launched this week to much fanfare. I have already detailed my thoughts on this new product on my blog, but whats more interesting from a speculation standpoint is whats happening to all that metal. Games Workshop stores Y'see have shipped all there metal stock back to Lenton. Presumably its being melted down and used to cast up the various metals still for sale on the GW website. Nothing has so far been pulled from sale, now its expected that more of the popular metal miniatures will be released in Finecast. Ratlings, Ogryns, Beastmasters, Warrior Priests, Engineers. That sort of thing. Other kits may well get remade in plastic, either as a direct translation, as seems likely for the Thunderfire Cannon or as a replacement kit, as seems likely for the Tomb Spider. The real question to me, is what happens to those lines which currently only exist as direct only metals, but which it wouldn't seem likely Games Workshop would want to invest time and money In. I speak of both classic miniatures, like the original imperial guard regiments and of the entire specialist games range. I wouldn't like to speculate, but since Games Workshop aren't exactly known for there openness and transparency so if you desperately want a Necromunda Gang or a Blood Bowl team, now might be the time.

Talking of openness and transparency it seems that Games Workshop has decided it can do with a great deal less of both. GW has decided that now, no one will have any information about any upcoming release until one week before it is due to hit the shelves. There aim, apparently is for the announcement on the back page of White Dwarf to be the first anyone knows about anything. I have head conflicting stories for the reasons for this. One being that news about the Necrons was floating around the internet a long long long time before GW wanted it to be. And another being that they believe leaked pictures of the new Dark Eldar Razorwing hurt sales of earlier releaces as people were saving for the Razorwing. Games Workshop has no interest in your ability to budget. Another possibility is that GW wants to boost sales of White Dwarf by making the official news the first news. In practical terms what this means is that there will be no more "Incomeing" emails, and that GW Blackshirts will have 0 tit-bits of information to share. Wether or not they will be able to silence the reliable few online "rumormongers" is a different story.   

Speaking of White Dwarf, another interesting general rumor is that White Dwarf may soon be going digital whether this is in addition to or instead of the print edition I don't know. But if its cheaper and in a sensible digital format I'm all for it. Saves money and saves having to store and eventually recycle old magazines. Apparently this digital initiative also extends to selling digital editions of codexes and army books. Which I would be all over. I mean, personally I would still want the print edition for the army's I actually own. I think I would also want the digital editions for every codex/army book, a digital edition would make list building so much easier and would provide a cheap alternative for those armies I don't play but would like to remain informed about anyway.

Thats the general rumors of the way. Lets get down to specifics, what follows is my best guess at the release  schedule up until the end of this year.

July: Warhammer Storm of Magic

Anyone remember these:

These came to us via an Incoming email quite a little while ago now. Best guesses on the intertubes are that the first image shows a black dragon and the second a manticore. These models form part of the Storm Of Magic.

So what is Warhammer: Storm of Magic? As far as is known its an expansion for Warhammer thats along the same lines as Apocalypse for 40k.  It will consist of a book new wizards for each army and some generic monsters that can be used by multiple armies. Dragons, chimera, basilisks, that sort of thing. As well as some "magical terrain" Rules wise, I'm expecting that the  magic rules will be readjusted to make spells more devastating. If theres one thing we learned from Apocalypse its that GW certainly beleaves that these large games require devastating board clearing abilities to speed them along. No details beyond that, but we should know more about this soon enough.

August: Necrons

 Thats right! This August the oldest codex in the system finally gets updated. As a long time Necron player, I am quite quite pleased. So what exactly will this update consist of? Well, heres the best information from the internet:

Warriors: A Bit of confusion here. Apparently were not getting an all new plastic kit but the plastics we already have may be getting repacked with an upgrade sprue, and or perhaps different colors of plastic rod for the guns. I have mixed feelings about this one, we have kits that need an upgrade more urgently then the warriors and they are a multipart plastic kit. It is, however a slightly elderly plastic kit. Not having to replace my current Necron warriors would certainly be a good thing.

Immortals: These guys have apparently been completely re-designed and are going to resemble the current plastic terminators. Big bases. 5 to a box. Most likely a price tag to match.

Destroyers/ Heavy Destroyers: These have apparently had there torsos remade to tie in with the new larger Immortals. Destroyers basically now being flying Immortals. 

Necromancer: This thing is apparently like a giant Necron or a Necron Wraithlord. Its sure to be the big center peace kit for the Necron release. Plastic MC. Personally I don't believe the name but, time will tell.

Tomb Spyders: These are being redone into an apparently awesome plastic multipart kit.

Thats it for the first wave, with the exception of one or both of the currently available necron lords being re-realeased in Finecast

The Second wave apparently contains a retinue for the Necron Lord which may or may not be the same thing as Cryptics, which all themselves have some relationship to Pariahs who don't exist in a unit in and of themselves.

September: Man O War

Here me out here, September is apparently another super secret Space Hulk style limited release box rumours had pointed to blood bowl, but I now think it will be a re-release of the somewhat ancient Man O War.  Which if you don't know is the navel game set in the Warhammer Fantasy Universe.

Details get spottier here on out:

October: Ogre Kingdoms

November: Sisters of Battle

December: Holiday Items

And those are my predictions until year end. More details when there are more to be had folks.