Aeronautica Imperialis - The Horus Heresy News

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

I get what you're saying Skink, but at the same time GW just can't into good rules, and at this point I don't think it's because they don't know how or just aren't trying; I think it's genetic.

Either way, I'm just happy they made the big Eldar planes. It always feels wrong when significant parts of a roster are left out.

Toofast wrote:
Then fans started dropping it because there's only so many new cards for the same ships that people will pay $30 for.

That and they then invalidated all the cards and asked them to buy new versions when they did X-Wing 2.0. That went down like a lead balloon.

**Albertorius**

Toofast wrote:
I order from Forge World, it comes from Tennessee and sometimes arrives faster than GW orders. Why do you say it might as well not exist here? There's FW models on the table every weekend at my FLGS and Warhammer stores...

I haven't seen a FW mini on a gaming table in the last 25 years, not even when playing HH. And I worked in a GW store for 5 of those. So, I say it because of that.

**AllSeeingSkink**

Albertorius wrote:
Toofast wrote:
I order from Forge World, it comes from Tennessee and sometimes arrives faster than GW orders. Why do you say it might as well not exist here? There's FW models on the table every weekend at my FLGS and Warhammer stores...

I haven't seen a FW mini on a gaming table in the last 25 years, not even when playing HH. And I worked in a GW store for 5 of those. So, I say it because of that.

It must vary a lot with location. At my local GW the manager himself owns a lot of FW models that find their way into the display cabinets and onto the tables, and there's at least a handful of people who frequently buy FW stuff.

But for many others even in the same area (the majority I would guess), FW is a bridge too far between the inconvenience, the resin, and the prices.

**lord_blackfang**

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Toofast wrote:
Then fans started dropping it because there's only so many new cards for the same ships that people will pay $30 for.
That and they then invalidated all the cards and asked them to buy new versions when they did X-Wing 2.0. That went down like a lead balloon.

Yup my group had everything that had come out until that point, ans we were like, pay something in the line of $300 just to upgrade our rules, for a game that's really maybe 2 pages of errata away from being perfect the way it is? Balls to that.

**Tyranid Horde**

beast_gts wrote:
Vampires coming from FW:

These Asuryani Aircraft Transport Troops and Rain Down Death with Speed and Style - WarCom

Spoiler:

Very pleased to see the bigger eldar craft get some time to shine, I don't even mind so much if they're resin. Wonder what are the chances I'll need more than one of each when the roster is such a tight squeeze for Eldar anyway. I assume they'll have three structure points which will make them a viable choice over the smaller aircraft, phoenix bombers are tough to take currently.

**chaos0xomega**

Toofast wrote:
AllSeeingSkink wrote:

GW really needed to make a rule set that was tight, competitive, and streamlined. I've heard the argument that GW wasn't trying to go after the X-Wing crowd, but I reckon they should have been.

Which is absolutely insane to me. X Wing briefly dethroned 40k as the top selling game.

No it didn't. It dethroned 40k on icv2, which is data compiled from American retailers and distributors only (technically theres a couple european distributors that operate on both sides of the pond, but mostly american anyway). It does not include GWs direct and online sales data, nor did it include sales data from Europe, Asia, Canada, etc.nor, critically, any data on GWs distribution as it was by that point insourcing distribution and cutting its contracts with Alliance. We know how much revenue Fantasy Flight games took in in revenue the year that X-Wing "dethroned" 40k, and the companies full revenue across all game and product lines was about 1/6-1/8th of GWs combined revenue (which at that time was probably almost entirely 40k based). See details here:

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/330/799950.page#11190754

At the time that X-Wing peaked 40k on the icv2 charts, 40k was basically GWs only major product line as it came as WHFB was axed and AoS was just starting to be launched - I.E. we have a pretty good idea of how well 40k was selling. With some analysis of the half and full year financial reports from GW, we find that they brought in 175 million GBP during the 2015 calendar year, excluding December 2015 - dividing that number by 11 and adding it back in to try to account for the missing month, we get 191 million GBP for calendar 2015 - which may be undercounting it as there is presumably a revenue spike that coincides with the holidays. With some digging, Asmodee brought in 270 million EUR for the same calendar year, excluding acquisitions and mergers (Asmodee purchased FFG in 2014, so no X-Wings sales are included in that figure). Google tells me the average exchange rate for 2015 was 1GBP = 1.37 EUR, so multiply 191 x 1.37 means GW generated 263 million EUR in revenue.

So thats the basis of comparison - GW, which was mostly 40k at the time, at 263 million EUR vs Asmodee, which was X-Wing and a plethora of other games and brands, at 270 million EUR. Even if we assume only 90% of GWs revenue was attributable to 40k, thats still around 236 million EUR from 40k. I very much doubt that X-Wing generated 87.6% of Asmodees revenue in that calendar year.

In fact, we know that it probably didn't as Asmodees 2014 revenue, excluding mergers and acquisitions, was $175 million EUR - Asmodee also acquired Days of Wonder in the same year so we don't have a direct resource for what FFGs revenue on its own was, but Asmodees proforma revenue including both companies was 212 million EUR. Subtracting that from 175 million we get 37 million EUR - so in 2014 X-Wing generated 37 million EUR in revenue *at most*, assuming Days of Wonder generated 0 EUR in revenue and FFGs revenue was 100% sourced from X-Wing (which is basically impossible). Its highly unlikely that X-Wing sales multipliied 7x over the course of a year - which is basically what would need to happen for X-Wing to have outsold 40k, based on the very generous assumption that X-Wing fully accounted for that 37 million difference in revenue. Even if we assume that only half of GWs revenue was attributable to 40k (i.e. 131.5 million EUR), X-Wing would still need to have multiplied its sales 3.5x over the course of a year to match it - not impossible, but unlikely, and again based on an extremely generous assumption of what X-Wings sales actually were.

**AllSeeingSkink**

chaos0xomega wrote:
Toofast wrote:
AllSeeingSkink wrote:

GW really needed to make a rule set that was tight, competitive, and streamlined. I've heard the argument that GW wasn't trying to go after the X-Wing crowd, but I reckon they should have been.

Which is absolutely insane to me. X Wing briefly dethroned 40k as the top selling game.

No it didn't.......

Regardless the point remains the same, that X wing was a popular game and to not go after that market at a time when X wing itself was weakening was a missed opportunity and could have made AI a popular game rather one than one where we're constantly wondering when GW is going to take it out back and put a bullet in its head.

**zedmeister**

Sneak peak from the upcoming book. Also mentioned are Nightshade Interceptors and Hemlock Wraithfighters as well as looted Ork aircrafte and Tau Gue'Vesa Auxiliary aircraft:

**Wha-Mu-077**

Why is there no human on the Human Auxiliary Aircraft card.

**zedmeister**

Wha-Mu-077 wrote:
Why is there no human on the Human Auxiliary Aircraft card.

He's the ~~slave driver~~ human liaiason.

**Mr Morden**

zedmeister wrote:
Sneak peak from the upcoming book. Also mentioned are Nightshade Interceptors and Hemlock Wraithfighters as well as looted Ork aircrafte and Tau Gue'Vesa Auxiliary aircraft:

Cool - looks like the stuff that was in White Dwarf.

**beast_gts**

Aeronautica Imperialis – Companion is an expansion book for Aeronautica Imperialis games.

The perfect addition to any Aeronautica collection, it contains new rules, aircraft, and factions for games of Aeronautica Imperialis, as well as collating previously published content from White Dwarf magazine into one handy volume.

Inside you will find:
- Rules for fielding a Necrons force in games of Aeronautica Imperialis, including three aircraft profiles, along with upgrades and Ace Abilities
- Rules for fielding the full force of the Asuryani in games of Aeronautica Imperialis, including four all-new aircraft profiles: Vampire Raider; Vampire Hunter; Nightshade Interceptor, and Hemlock Wraithfighter.
- Rules for fielding all four Adeptus Astartes aircraft, collated in print for the first time
- A collection of aircraft profiles for existing factions not previously available in print, including the Marauder Pathfinder, Marauder Colossus, as well as rules for Looted aircraft for the Orks Air Waaagh! and Gue'Vesa Auxiliary aircraft rules for your T'au Air Caste
- New and exciting ways to play, including expanded damage rules, allowing for more detailed air combat, new Ace Abilities, Limited Ammunition rules and a dedicated set of matched play scenarios
- A suite of campaign rules allowing players to track the progress of their squadron over a series of games from rookies through to highly skilled Aces.

Please note that you will need a copy of the Aeronautica Imperialis rules in order to fully use the contents of this book.

**drbored**

That last bit

"Please note that you will need a copy of the Aeronautica Imperialis rules in order to fully use the contents of this book."

They should have put the rules in the compendium if they really wanted to turn sales around. "Oh, you ONLY NEED ONE BOOK?? to properly play this game? Sign me the heck up!!"

**Jack Flask**

drbored wrote:
That last bit

"Please note that you will need a copy of the Aeronautica Imperialis rules in order to fully use the contents of this book."

They should have put the rules in the compendium if they really wanted to turn sales around. "Oh, you ONLY NEED ONE BOOK?? to properly play this game? Sign me the heck up!!"

I mean, they could of but chances are if you're even buying the compendium then you either previously bought one of the 3 previous starters, Rynn's World, or Taros books so reprinting the rules for what is being billed as a "supplement" just makes the book larger.

Plus they couldn't just reprint the core rules they'd also have to print the missions and all plane profiles for it to even be usable as a playable rules source.

**AllSeeingSkink**

Stats of the necron aircraft.

Spoiler:

**Chopstick**

Ugh overpriced with terrible handling. Doom scythe is okay I guess, Necron would have plenty of left over point for upgrade, assuming they have better upgrade than flare/chaff, ejector seat, extra armor.

Also Nightshade Interceptor and Hemlock Wraithfighter, nice.

**schoon**

Seeing the contents... Gives the book a bit more worthwhile material than I thought.

Still curious about the expanded damage rules.

**Darnok**

I had held up my hopes of the Necron flyers being plastic until the end... damn. This is entirely on me of course, but still. So I guess IF we get Chaos at all it will be full FW resin... shame.

The book is great though, looking forward to picking it up next week.

**Sabotage!**

drbored wrote:
That last bit

"Please note that you will need a copy of the Aeronautica Imperialis rules in order to fully use the contents of this book."

They should have put the rules in the compendium if they really wanted to turn sales around. "Oh, you ONLY NEED ONE BOOK?? to properly play this game? Sign me the heck up!!"

It would be nice to have everything in one book. Once I saw I needed two separate books to play Imperial Navy I was instantly turned away.

GW in general has a problem with their games needing too many books to play.

**AllSeeingSkink**

Preorders are up...

https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-AU/aeronautica-imperialis-necron-doom-scythe-squadron-2022

https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-AU/aeronautica-imperialis-necron-nightshroud-squadron-2022

$69AUD / $47 USD / £30 GBP for 2 models.

For a 250pt squadron you'll probably want 4 or so sets.

**Chopstick**

I thought resin supposed to have superior detail than plastic but the larger resin necron pilot look infinitely worse than the tiny plastic grot. Does not look like a necron at all, look like Space Marine + Admech + Robocop.

**Sacredroach**

Chopstick wrote:
I thought resin supposed to have superior detail than plastic but the larger necron pilor look infinietly worse than the tiny plastic grot. Does not look like a necron at all, look like Space Marine + Admech + Robocop.

As a rule, resin holds detail far better than plastic...but despite all their technological achievement GW has not mastered this process. The GW plastics are still by and large superior to their resins. I'm looking at you, Macharius, Glaive and Venator tanks...

Now, in the hands of a company specializing in resin, this is completely true. Mierce, Kingdom Death, Volks, Work Shop Cast, Kaiyodo, Black Sun, Scale 75...all make superior resin miniatures. But to be fair, the Kingdom Death plastics are about as good as plastic can get.

**AllSeeingSkink**

Sacredroach wrote:
Chopstick wrote:
I thought resin supposed to have superior detail than plastic but the larger necron pilor look infinietly worse than the tiny plastic grot. Does not look like a necron at all, look like Space Marine + Admech + Robocop.

As a rule, resin holds detail far better than plastic...but despite all their technological achievement GW has not mastered this process. The GW plastics are still by and large superior to their resins.

In general that's not really true. The FW DKoK are more detailed and crisper than the plastic GW DKoK. Most FW stuff I own is noticeably sharper detailed than the GW plastics.

As for why the necron pilot looks mediocre, you'd have to ask the sculptor I guess. Maybe because if the pilot is one piece with the rest of the aircraft it had to be less detailed to avoid tearing up the moulds and masters too quickly? Or maybe they just did a sloppy job with it.

**Mentlegen324**

The new necron flyers being Forgeworld-only/Resin really does seem odd. Choosing to release a whole faction as resin is something that would likely lower sales even further and sort of implies they're not seen as a main faction for the game, but I don't think it necessarily implies that they're done with Aeronautica as miniatures are planned well in advance of being released (I think it was something like 2 - 3 years for plastic?), so that means the choice to not make them in plastic was made quite a while back. Maybe the Necron flyers are just too niche to have been seen as worthwhile in plastic?

**Tyranid Horde**

Chopstick wrote:
I thought resin supposed to have superior detail than plastic but the larger resin necron pilot look infinitely worse than the tiny plastic grot. Does not look like a necron at all, look like Space Marine + Admech + Robocop.

I agree. Should have just filled in the cockpit, it doesn't look great.

Unrelated, but the price point isn't terrible but it's not brilliant either? You'll only ever have four flyers at 150 points so £60 isn't the worst investment but given the fact I have around 200 points of Eldar and Marines, Necrons are probably only for the real fans of AI or they like Necrons.

**Toofast**

Sabotage! wrote:

GW in general has a problem with their games needing too many books to play.

That is by design. I would think they lose more money from people avoiding game systems because of book cost than they gain in profit from selling the whales an extra $30-50 book. I know when our local Warhammer store turned a blind eye to binders of rules, our Necromunda playerbase went from 0 to 25 people. Anecdotal but I have a feeling a lot more people would branch out into other game systems if they didn't require hundreds of dollars in books.

**zedmeister**

Vampire Raider and Hunter up for pre order this week:

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2022/02/06/sunday-preview-dominate-the-eightpoints-and-middle-earth-with-next-weeks-pre-orders/

**AllSeeingSkink**

Looks good, wonder what the price will be. Also from the way it's written it looks like it'll be 2 separate kits rather than 1 kit you can make either way.

I'm a bit scared off from buying FW after my last order which was pretty crap quality.

Did anyone buy the companion? GW decided to make it direct only, so none of the local stores have it in stock. It's also just under the threshold for free shipping in Oz.

I originally thought it was a compilation of rules, but reading the description on the GW site it only contains rules for aircraft that weren't published somewhere else, so I guess we still need the campaign books to play a game?

**Sarouan**

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Looks good, wonder what the price will be. Also from the way it's written it looks like it'll be 2 separate kits rather than 1 kit you can make either way.

I'm a bit scared off from buying FW after my last order which was pretty crap quality.

Last order I made, one piece was missing from a necron Doom Scythe. I called FW's customer service and they sent me another full blister free of charges including postal.

I'd say you really have no need to be afraid of anything. FW's customer service is still very good. I can tell you they don't bite at all.

Did anyone buy the companion? GW decided to make it direct only, so none of the local stores have it in stock. It's also just under the threshold for free shipping in Oz.

I originally thought it was a compilation of rules, but reading the description on the GW site it only contains rules for aircraft that weren't published somewhere else, so I guess we still need the campaign books to play a game?

Yup, I can confirm that the basic rules aren't included in the companion. You do need one of the campaign books.

**zedmeister**

Now up at £32 a pop. Not too bad

https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-GB/searchResults?N=1683315211+2499837508+3206404541+3637769477