Speculation on 40k release schedule (incl starter box confirmation, see edited first post)

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**Fat_Little_Ripper**

Shas'o Kias wrote:I personally think the next two codes will be tau/bt in the that order for two reasons. 1. If you go on the gamesworkshop website these two codes are 9 bucks cheaper than the others and 2. There are alot of confirmed rumors by Robbin Cruddace regarding new tau units that will come out. Have you seen any confirmed eldar rumors? I DON'T THINK SO!!

Wouldn't a "confirmed rumor" be a fact?

**Experiment 626**

Shas'o Kias wrote:I personally think the next two codes will be tau/bt in the that order for two reasons. 1. If you go on the gamesworkshop website these two codes are 9 bucks cheaper than the others and 2. There are alot of confirmed rumors by Robbin Cruddace regarding new tau units that will come out. Have you seen any confirmed eldar rumors? I DON'T THINK SO!!

*sigh*

The Tau & Templar books are cheaper because they are almost half the page count of the newer books!
Even GW is smart enough to realise that no one would pay $40 for a book that's barely 65pg's when all the other books for that same cost average 90-100pg's.

It's the same deal like we saw waaaaaay back in 3rd ed with the 'mini codicies' for the various marine chapters & craftworld eldar - a fair bit cheaper because they were only half the content.

**snake**

What does the revelation of a 30k campaign this summer do the schedule in the first post?

**kronk**

snake wrote:What does the revelation of a 30k campaign this summer do the schedule in the first post?

Nothing. Go back and read the rest of the other thread.

**Kroothawk**

stickmonkey wrote:My sources are giving me the following general timelines of codex releases

2012
Q1/2 - tau (or flipped w BT)
Q2/3 - BT ( possible WD codex)
Q3 - 6 Ed
Q3/4 - eldar

2013 getting fuzzy
Q1 - SM
Q2/3 - chaos legions (new)
Q4 - ig or orks!

2014. So much could change...no order given
Daemons
Nids
DA?

This is a long way out, and a lot could change, but we know the studio has long lead times.

Cheers, Merry Christmas.

StraightSilver wrote:Hmmm, well I have the Legions Dex down as a lot earlier than 2013 (earlier than many may think) but of course nobody really knows so 2013 is as good a guess as 2012, and I get the impression they do really want to make a big deal out of them which would explain the delay.

Tau in Q1 is a very big possibility. I had been told that Tau have had new models ready since June 2011 by somebody who has (allegedly) seen them. I was under the impression they would get a wave release with a WD update but this seems to have been canned in favour of a Codex. From June to Q1 is enough time to develop a Dex so that's certainly possible.

In terms of Marines, all the new Codexes (with the exception of Space Wolves) have had models which use the new flying stand ('Nids will get the Harpy at some point).

There is definitely a push towards large models and when asked why only Grey Knights and Blood Angels get Storm Ravens at Games Day it was inferred that they are the only Chapter that use them, but that other Chapters use their own variation of flyer.

So it's possible there will be a new model which will feature in both Black Templars and Vanilla akin to a Storm Raven and will appear in both Dexes.

This means that the Vanilla Dex and BTs could be released close together, in a similar way that Blood Angels and Grey Knights were.

And GW almost always releases a new Marine Dex with a new edition, so with Edition 6 arriving in Q2/Q3 next year it is more than likely.

(...)

That's the problem, it's not unheard of for GW to have models ready for months / years and still sit on them, so Tau could be Q1 or not even next year.

I had heard Chaos Legions would be next year, and earlier than previously rumoured, but then again that same source said Tau would be 2011 so that's questionable.

It may just be that Legions ended up being bigger than they expected and they want to do a "Dark Eldar" on it.

Plus it's almost definitely going to be Chaos + something else in the 6th Edition starter set so they may want to wait until sales of that have kicked in, which would be Q1 2013.

I hope not though.

(...)

Well it has been stated that 2011 was a Warhammer year and 2012 will be a 40K one.

I wouldn't be surprised if Necrons follow the same model Dark Eldar set, so a wave in January followed by a 2.5 wave in March/April.

There was also a second 40K release in 2011 (Grey Knights) whilst DE were being finished off.

Therefore I would expect a Q1 2012 40K release.

As to what this will be is anybody's guess.

Sisters are still a long way off.

GW were reluctant to rerelease DE (it was pretty much Jes Goodwin that championed them) yet they proved to sell well despite a long break between codices.

I suspect GW feel the same way about Sisters, rather waiting to do them properly rather than rush them out.

Jes did say in October 2011 that they were on hold for the time being. That doesn't mean they aren't being worked on now, but I think there will be other releases long before them.

As to the rest of the year, we have edition 6 coming out in June/July, probably with a new starter set in Q4 2012.

2013 will be the year of The Hobbit / LOTR so I suspect we will get lots of 40K stuff crammed into 2012, especially as it's also the 25th anniversary of Rogue Trader.

**Experiment 626**

Daemons not untill 2014 at the earliest? Makes me a sad, sad panda

Oh well, if my VC's do indeed get their new book in January, I'll ditch 40k for the time being at least untill we see if 6th ed can offer any kind of help to my poor warp gribblies. However, I have a sinking feeling that all of us daemon players are going to be shoehorned into playing a word bearers daemonbomb if we want to compete.

**Augustus**

I think its all pretty interesting, more than anything though I can't wait to see what kind of changes 6th next year institutes!

I think it's a scary time to start any new armies I'll tell you that!

**1hadhq**

Kroothawk wrote:
StraightSilver wrote:

Well it has been stated that 2011 was a Warhammer year and 2012 will be a 40K one.

2013 will be the year of The Hobbit / LOTR so I suspect we will get lots of 40K stuff crammed into 2012, especially as it's also the 25th anniversary of Rogue Trader.

Year of the Hobbit?

Thats 365 wasted days....

**Kroothawk**

With GW doing no advertising, no introductory products and no wide spread retail, the Hobbit movie is the only chance to get new players into tabletop gaming. And didn't most of us start the hobby as children?

**Experiment 626**

Kroothawk wrote:With GW doing no advertising, no introductory products and no wide spread retail, the Hobbit movie is the only chance to get new players into tabletop gaming. And didn't most of us start the hobby as children?

+1
I'm looking forwards to a year of LotR love as it'll only help fix the issues within both the stratagy battle game & war of the ring game. (one has an utterly broken fight system, the other has 0 balance between most of the armies!)

Plus, it'll offer a nice break from what's likely to be at least 6 months of hardcore 40k gaming, and LotR is the best system to get new blood into the hobby!

**Kroothawk**

On the general 6th edition rumours:

Harry wrote:But you guys know that you have not heard about most of the actual changes and much of what you have heard is inaccurate? Right?
Hmm, is that an official debunk of the prevalent 6th Edition rumors? Are we looking at a less comprehensive revamp than previous rumors have led us to believe?

I am in no way "official".
I am not saying "less comprehensive"
I am saying some of what is being discuss is not happening and there is lots happening that is not being discussed.

Just reacting to the couple of posts above mine where folks were getting 'down' about changes when they don't know what all the changes are.

And, in original spelling, as I can only guess what he wants to say:

ghost21 wrote:there wont be a return to percentages for 40k not they have force alications slots not for at least 2-3 editions
though this edition will have someof stuff retuning from second ed

And now on the release schedule (posted in and referring to Tau rumours at first):

Harry wrote:Fellas ... needless to say, given the amount of contradiction ... much of the first post is inaccurate. Some of that stuff was written before they started writing the book.
No one has got all the kits right yet.
I don't think they will be as soon as most folks seem to think given the amount of stuff that seems to be before them.
(...)
I have heard about more stuff for IG, Necrons, Tyranids .....

I think (for what its worth) that there is stuff coming for at least 5 other armies before we see the Tau stuff. (unless they release something in advance of the main release?)

But as you know I don't follow 40K that closely so I could be completely wrong.

I trust that means a wave, with units not available yet? Otherwise, I predict much nerdRAGE - the Imperial Guard already got an update.

Yes, waves for a number of armies coming.

When you say 5 other armies do you mean 5 other gw armies or 5 other 40k armies? Because the latter surely puts tau into, as a minimum, 2013, and makes me a very sad panda

I mean 5 other 40K armies but I am not talking about full army releases just more stuff.
I heard Tau were good to go 2012 but I don't know exactly where they fit in the schedule.

And since 40K has gotten Harry's attention (a rare event!) I might as well ask: any love coming soonish for the pointy-ears? Pretty please?

Yes. I have heard about some stuff coming for Eldar.

ghost21 wrote:Remember Harry gets info of stuff much later in the process than I do. He could be right (I'm still annoyed about sisters of battle who will now sit done for at least 18 months if not longer)

There's BT, IG, and I think tyranid stuff done, and SW, if they plan on releasing no armies for 40k until 6th ed i can see it unfortunately
(...)
Oh, I forgot SOB but honestly 2013/14 now

**kenshin620**

Huh, very interesting

Necrons and Nidz 2nd wave was a given (rumors of harpies, the rest of the cron codex, etc)

But more IG? Ooh this could be very interesting. Units that dont have any models as of yet are the Hydra and Penal Legion (the latter seems like an obvious choice for Finecast). Unless they also decide to make a vet squad, doubt it though, or update the psykers and storms. Although problem with IG rumors is that there were a lot of popular ones that have yet to be proven true, or at least the ones I've heard. I always keep hearing plastic Hydra, plastic storm troopers, plastic "dual purpose greatcoat" guard.

Also interesting bit about 5 army updates before tau.

**BlackRaven1987!!**

I would love to see the nids get the models they dont have.......but at the same time I dont particularly need them been without them for soo long just made my own and kind of fell in love with them. Necrons deffinetly need their models it is alot easier to custom a nid and just say that it is a unique mutation versus a necron model where they are all pretty much supposed to be the same.....Alot of my friends play Tau and well I have to admit they really need a new codex, but the codex i really want to see is Dark Angels they are hurting for an update.

**1hadhq**

I would prefer missing units released close to a new edition instead of codices "written with X ed in mind" as this never turned out well.
See what happened to DA... and the crapton of threads in YMDC about rules of such codices "written with ...in mind".
Better to have the general set of rules done and the codices compatible in their first print run.

However, if there is a codex released pre-6th , I voting for Tau...

**Kroothawk**

kenshin620 wrote:But more IG? Ooh this could be very interesting.

Actually, the IG rumour got more concrete in September already http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/397829.page , being in the rumour roundup since then.

stickmonkey wrote:Been a long time, but I have a small item to add into the rumor mill
I'm hearing that there is a IG mini release being planned soon, I expect it to be Q1 2012 and be in a mixed release month.
Items I hear are the long rumored stormtrooper plastics. Plastic hydra, and possibly another chimera based kit.
Still a ways off, but ive had multiple sources mention it recently.
Cheers!
(...)
Just to add some fuel, I'm sure everyone knows forgeworld no longer sells the hydra upgrade, only the full kit, as it is based on the old chimera models...doesn't mean anything really, I suppose...
(...)
I haven't heard anything specific about twc (=Thunderwolf Cavalry), just what's been circulating everyone else has heard.
But what I have heard doesn't make them seem likely until 2012...

BramGaunt wrote:Afaik it's actually 3 kits, stormtrooper/veteran soldiers, hydra, Griffon (with colossus and medusa options), plus some finecast updates. Hydra is supposed to look a little different from the FW one.

anselminus wrote:yes i heard thats rumour for IG too!

Captain Ventris wrote:I've heard the same, platic storm troopers, hydra kit and a siege mortar kit to build the griffon, collosus, and medusa
Supposedly due out for february 2012

**RiTides**

Hmm... closing holes in lines is good, I hope nids get their soon.

**kenshin620**

Ahh, guess I missed out on those rumors

Why in the world did I forget about the medusa/griffon/bombard! For shame!

**Kroothawk**

Again, your new avatar is fitting

Anyway, here some tidbits by Harry:

I hear scraps at different stages ... I try not to get too far ahead.

What happened with Sisters of Battle.
I heard about them .... well, years ago and they were right there with Grey Knights an Necrons .... how did they end up as a WD release? and Why sit on them till 2013/14?

I can confirm there is stuff done for BT, IG, Nids and SW and have also heard about stuff for Sisters of Battle, DA, Chaos, Eldar, Dark Eldar and Tau. (so that is just about all of them isn't it?) What is less clear is when they plan to release it all.

Models sitting around finished does not mean they are going to get released any time soon.

But then I don't devote much time to trying to keep it straight the way I do with Fantasy.
(...)
I heard that Chaos was the first 6th edition Codex but I am not sure if it comes just before or just after.
(Or even if that is accurate)

Originally I did have Tau down for the first half of the year based one when I first heard about them (Well over a year ago now) but it always had a ? against it as I had not heard anything concrete since and then I got the impression at GD there was still some work to do on the models .... so given lead times March/April was doable but the earliest possible date and never seemed very likely.

All I have to go on is the order I hear about things ... I never get a schedule or hear release dates.

So going back quite a way the order I heard about things was:
Tyranids, Blood Angels, Grey Knights, Sisters of Battle, Necrons, More Nids, Black Templar, Tau, Chaos, More Eldar, More Space Wolves, More Dark Angels.

Dark Eldar got thrown in to the mix as they were a back burner project and I couldn't work out for a while whether they were coming before or after Grey Knights ... but eventually got that sorted.... along with two scheduled waves.

So whilst it is unlikely the order will be exactly the same and it is unclear which will be full army releases and which just more models .... (although you can take a pretty good guess) This is kind of the order I expect to see some stuff for these armies.

I had Tau and BT down before Chaos because I heard about models for them before I heard about anything for Chaos BUT just because a project starts before does not mean it will automatically finish before.

I just talked to our local, independent games store owner. He *claimed* that his GW contact *claimed* that Tau was being discontinued.

This is obviously not correct as the the studio has been working on Tau for over 18 months.

I am sure Tau are coming in next year ... just think they are a good bit later than Q1/2 as seems to be widely thought.

Again ... I could be completely wrong about this.

**decoste007xt**

With GW doing no advertising, no introductory products and no wide spread retail, the Hobbit movie is the only chance to get new players into tabletop gaming. And didn't most of us start the hobby as children?

Agreed, while I starting playing only 2 years ago if GW would at least release some product information I would save up to buy. I'm waiting on either a new Tyranid or a new Chaos "Legions" book in which I'll drop $200-500 on it most likely. But with no information on the matter I likely won't be saving up any money on the side because I have no idea when its going to happen.

**puma713**

Hope Harry is right. Maybe I'd finally see a Swarmlord kit, or at least a bonesword pack.

**Remulus**

thevirus wrote:WTF,, the smurfs get another codex,,the main reason why I play CSM!!

Heh heh, classic space marines will ALWAYS get another codex...

**ph34r**

Honestly all the new rumored release schedules seem to me like educated guessing and/or straight up process of elimination guessing.

**kenshin620**

ph34r wrote:Honestly all the new rumored release schedules seem to me like educated guessing and/or straight up process of elimination guessing.

Isnt that how almost all rumors are born anyways?

**Kroothawk**

Mirbeau over at Warseer wrote:A little update - I still think (though not sure if others are 100% on this) Templars are the next book, but there are some miniatures for others to come first...

I heard (all credit to H) yes to mixed Feb 40k - so good shout there. I think so, but there are some fantasy waves to account for in the mix, which are somewhat confusing. And I may be alone in thinking Templars are the first of the impending 40k big releases...

We'll see

(...)
Right, empire first (dwarves a bit later) for fantasy. Thing is, both seem to be split releases - a big thing with some characters, followed by the book and more a couple of months later. So pegging definate months (well, as definate as these things ever are) has been a real pig

**lord_blackfang**

a big thing with some characters, followed by the book and more a couple of months later

You know, I could totally see GW moving the army books into Wave 2 to screw with third-party companies that try to fill the holes in the line (we have how many Triarch Stalker proxies announced? Three?)

**Kroothawk**

We must make GW so angry that they start to release the most competitive and popular units of a Codex/Army book within 2 years of book release

BTW here a rumour by a 2 posts member over at Warseer::

heihei wrote:Here is a rumour for you.
Necrons and Nids in february.

**H.B.M.C.**

And 'Nids?

I'll believe that when I see it...

JB

Kroothawk wrote:We must make GW so angry that they start to release the most competitive and popular units of a Codex/Army book within 2 years of book release

BTW here a rumour by a 2 posts member over at Warseer::

heihei wrote:Here is a rumour for you.
Necrons and Nids in february.

Ugh...I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the IG 3rd Wave in February as mentioned in your earlier posts in this thread. Though I don't mind them releasing models for all three armies as long as the IG Colossus is in the mix.

**DarkStarSabre**

H.B.M.C. wrote:And 'Nids?

I'll believe that when I see it...

'Nid second wave?

Naaaaaaah. You're having a laugh.

**Joey**

Plastic Hydras and a percentile limit on heavy support make for a very happy IG