Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I don't think we'll see a new army without at least a single HQ, Elite, Troop, Fast Attack, and heavy choice.

A clam pack HQ, and two dual purpose plastic box sets minimum.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
It's been funny watching Necron Warriors devolve from T5, 2+ saves to their current T4, 4+ saves (I expect T3, 5+ saves with the next codex!).

"Funny" is one way to describe it...

While I think GW is very much choosing a go big or go home approach to new forces with each force organization slot covered, it's worth pointing out that the new or refurbished additions we've seen in the past couple of years always came under the umbrella of established armies. While you can play sky dorfs by themselves, they are part of the Order Grand Alliance. Genestealers can ally with Tyranids (and often enough discussions about the army revolved around what Genestealer Cults add to existing Tyranid armies).

I wouldn't expect a race like the Rak'Gol because it has no affiliation with anyone else. Instead, I assume any race that is added will have a safety net so that in case it doesn't sell on its own, it'll sell as part or ally of another army.

Tau did this well before GW discovered big stompy robots sell and if we see Lizardmen in space or Zoats or whatever, my guess is it'll be in such a way that they they are part of the Tau empire, mercs for hire for a number of armies or, like Exodites, part of an established race.

It would be cool to get something that is entirely it's own thing (also, plastic Sisters), but I'm not at the point yet were I expect GW to do that. I guess at least that leaves room to be pleasantly surprised.

Even though in plastic they can feel really wasteful and sometimes really silly (eg the Zoanthrope box there's maybe only two parts you miss to build one of each) the duel boxed sets are very popular and GW loves them.

You can also use a unit like a carnifex or many imperial tank options - ergo a single model that with varying weapon choices can fit into multiple required roles. That can give an army a good backbone to work from without needing legions of models- then later on you can start to add specialist units to add filler - much like they've done with Tyranids

The point about affiliations is a good one.

If I had my druthers it would be the long-wish listed Rogue Trader/pirate/mercenary list.

Human scum, random aliens, landing boats, and a big tall dude with a cool coat.

Can ally with anyone, even the Nids, they don't care.

Yeah.

Sign me up.

A race of those good old SF standby's the Energy Being,

totally immaterial so done in clear HIPS designed for LED lighting in the bases

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
One way to think of this is in terms of marketing and expenses. GW wants to minimize the number of different products they have to make, stock and support. And maximize sales of each box. They also don't want to put too much into a new, unproven faction.

When GW introduced the Necrons back in the day they did with a very small number of units (just warriors, scarabs and lords IIRC) and absurdly overpowered.

It's been funny watching Necron Warriors devolve from T5, 2+ saves to their current T4, 4+ saves (I expect T3, 5+ saves with the next codex!).

So from that angle a Monsterous Creature army might make a lot of sense. A hypothetical Star Dragon army with just one or two kits and a half dozen models in an army would be new, different and provide minimal risk to GW financially.

Another might be the Army Ants (or skaven or zombies or whatever). Just 1 kit of 20 of them. You put 200+ in an army. They're just a carpet of eating monsters.

Both overlap with Nids, basically choosing one aspect and making it a faction but good enough designs might make a new race along either line work.

Good points.

Expand on what has already been produced, like Eldar Exodites.

Necrons were a slow intro indeed. Having Tau gives GW a platform to make even smaller intros for races to turn into armies. They start off as allies, then expand even more if desired.

I think a connection to the Tau might be prudent... or maybe the orks or necrons, since these armies are the only ones currently available that have no allies whatsoever...

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
The point about affiliations is a good one.

If I had my druthers it would be the long-wish listed Rogue Trader/pirate/mercenary list.

Human scum, random aliens, landing boats, and a big tall dude with a cool coat.

Can ally with anyone, even the Nids, they don't care.

Yeah.

Sign me up.

This would be kind of cool. I really like things like the Officio Asassinorum that offer extremely specialized units to fill certain roles which your army might be deficient in.

This would also solve the problem of GW being hesitant to introduce a fully fleshed-out army. If the units are available for everyone to use, then they aren't boxing themselves in.

Problem is, every rumor is saying the new race is Xenos.

So maybe they will be a band of mercenaries specifically made for Xenos races?

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
One way to think of this is in terms of marketing and expenses. GW wants to minimize the number of different products they have to make, stock and support. And maximize sales of each box. They also don't want to put too much into a new, unproven faction.

You need to think about it in terms of boxed sets.

Take something like Blight War and the 8th edition box (Death Guard is basically a new faction)... put one faction that is well loved and add a second faction that has amazing models. The risk would be very low since those boxes are always a great deal and penetration will be high.

With all the "GW is going back to the old days" talk with 8th, I'm calling it right now: the squats are coming back.

I don't think the squats will ever come back. Honestly I will say this. I think squats coming back in 40k (in a non-alienised version) would be a bad idea. A colossal misfire and it would be disappointing as they wouldn't be a "new" race but a reboot of an old one.

I think they could make Kharadron Overlord dwarves work in space, but they really need to make the species look different from dwarves to get me interested. Hence why I have more interested in the Demiurg. Heck even looking at the Demiurg they don't look alien enough to what I would want to see for space dwarves.

Edit
Bringing back squats is a bigger risk than making plastic sisters for GW or even a new race.

Did they say new primary race is coming or just that there will be a new race?

We may be guessing at a new race while GW is just building a new subrace for Tau.

 Da-Rock wrote:
Did they say new primary race is coming or just that there will be a new race?

We may be guessing at a new race while GW is just building a new subrace for Tau.

From what I understand, they have only said race.

So yes, this very well could just be another Tau ally.

Ummm... I thought GW already confirmed that the 'new race' was Primaris Space Marines?

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
It's been funny watching Necron Warriors devolve from T5, 2+ saves to their current T4, 4+ saves (I expect T3, 5+ saves with the next codex!).

The models became skinnier though.

 oni wrote:
Ummm... I thought GW already confirmed that the 'new race' was Primaris Space Marines?

Xeno fans are still in denial regarding the fact that the new race is just more marines

That and this thread is supposing a new faction based upon evidence/rumour/patterns identified in the opening post - then in absence of any other news we've all just gone into new faction wishlisting mode.

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
It's been funny watching Necron Warriors devolve from T5, 2+ saves to their current T4, 4+ saves (I expect T3, 5+ saves with the next codex!).

The models became skinnier though.

That's because they finally got out from their parent's basement and got a real job, like their brother. All they really needed was a swift kick in the arse and they would shape right up, lose weight, and make something of themselves.

Yeah I keep expecting to see clarification that Lady Atia's words were misconstrued and the new race is actually the one being worked on for Tau. As that is the only solid reliable rumour regarding a xenos release we have.

It seems like this rumour is only based on chinese whispers. Did anybody has found.a post from atia claiming well have a.new.xeno race?

If they brought back Squats I would literally throw $$$$$$ @ GW.

Daedalus81 wrote:

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
One way to think of this is in terms of marketing and expenses. GW wants to minimize the number of different products they have to make, stock and support. And maximize sales of each box. They also don't want to put too much into a new, unproven faction.

You need to think about it in terms of boxed sets.

Or (board) games. There's always the possibility to put some creatures in them - like an Ambull or a Zoat trio. Just look at the FY I'm going home Ogroid guy, the weird four-legged goblins or the Aberrants.

I don't think Discus has a search function and Lady Atia has a private account so it's really hard to check these things.
Please remember this is a rumour thread, not a virtually confirmed and just waiting for a release date thread. Everyone is having fun and being polite so the mods are just letting us roll with this.

This Lady Atia person seems to have a near perfect rumour mill. That's pretty impressive, hadn't heard of her until this thread.

Differs quite a bit from an acquaintance of mine who claims he has contacts at GW. He was "100% sure" that the Primaris marines would be Thunder Warriors. He has this really annoying manner in which he speaks/writes, always being super cocky and adding "winkyface" to all his posts.

"They are Thunder Warriors, trust me ;-)"
"I have contact at GW, everyone who knows me knows that I am always right ;-)"

Well, guess what, you were wrong about the Primaris. You goof.

Anyway, Lady Atia seems much more reliable. If she says a new race is coming, it might just be the case. In which way there will be a new race (Tau allies, completely new "main" race etc) remains to be seen though.

Myself I am really hoping for Rak'Gol, they are BAMFs.

Just remember we don't know if she has anything to do with this rumour. The only thing xenos related she has said is the Tau are getting something next year that is not directly part of the Tau Empire. So this probably means auxiliary faction but it could also be Farsight Enclaves wave. Or something that isn't either of those.

Gw needs to focus on redoing old models before a new race. Half of eldar is in finecast and made to order.
Need mention sisters?

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Gw needs to focus on redoing old models before a new race. Half of eldar is in finecast and made to order.
Need mention sisters?

Aye Tyranids have got a few still in finecast; though I'll be shocked if we don't get a duel pyro/bio vore and duel deathleaper/lictor boxed sets in plastic with the new codex launch. That would leave only the Red Terror in finecast and still the only Tyranid special character that isn't in a plastic boxed set. So they could well drop the Red Terror at that point.

A shame as I'd rather see some new special character Tyranid models - its a bit of a shame that something like the Swarm Lord is just a regular hive tyrant with a bigger horn and four swords instead of other arm choices.

I would do unmentionable things for a tyranid superheavy on par with an Imperial Knight.....

Well, if you want a great Tyranid superheavy there is FW.

He probably wants one which was actually designed to stand on its own without crumbling.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Gw needs to focus on redoing old models before a new race. Half of eldar is in finecast and made to order.
Need mention sisters?

What are you talking about, Sisters of Silence just got a new set!