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Yep, another year, another time to look back.

The categories this year are:

Best GW miniature (metal)

Best GW miniature (plastic)

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal)

Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic)

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted)

Worst miniature (any category)

Best GW rulebook

Worst GW rulebook

Best other manufacturer rulebook

Best GW fluff book

Worst GW fluff book

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008?

Worst?

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009?

Greatest (miniature-related) fear?

Here's hoping for some interesting nominees!

Best Metal GW - Khorne Lord on Juggernaught, absolutely hands down winner right there. 2nd place is Sigvald in my opinion.

Best Plastic? Far and away, has to be Bloodletters, A good mix of new technologies and the original skinny look.

Someone wanna remind us what the big releases were this year. Were Orks this year? Or last year? I know Codex: Unnecessary... sorry... Codex: Daemons was this year and Marines, but I can't remember much else.

Was 'Chaos' this year?

BYE

Best GW miniature (metal) - Sternguard with powerfist / Scout sergeant tellion

Best GW miniature (plastic) - Loota's

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal) - urban mamoth viridian sniper team (specially female model)

Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic) - Pegasus hobbies 1/72 US rangers d-day (lovely, much like all of this companies stuff)

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted) - Never buy pre painted so cannot really comment

Best GW rulebook - New marine codex

Worst GW rulebook - Apocolypse

Best other manufacturer rulebook - NUTS

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009? - new plastic guard infantry....

Greatest (miniature-related) fear? - they will come to life and extract revenge for crappy paint jobs

Best GW Metal - Vlad Von Carstein
Best GW Plastic - Dark Elf Corsairs
Best GW Rulebook - Tie between Codex: Space Marines and Codex: Orks
Worst GW Rulebook - Codex: Chaos Daemons (separate Codexes for Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Daemons was a really dumb decision)
Greatest 2009 Miniature Hope - That Dark Eldar justify their ten year absence with some superb minis
Greatest 2009 Rulebook Hope - Codex: Necrons

Worst GW Rulebook: Tie for Codex: Chaos Daemons and the Fantasy Daemon Army Book. One mediocre, one uber-killy tournie wrecker.

Best GW miniature (metal): Telion
Best GW miniature (plastic): Scout Bikers
Best other manufacturer miniature (metal): Cankerworm (PP)
Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic): ACW infantry (Perry Bros)

Best GW rulebook: Codex Orks
Worst GW rulebook: 5th Edition Warhammer 40,000
Best other manufacturer rulebook: Warmachine Legends (PP)

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008: Small companies making plastic kits
Worst (miniature-related) trend of 2008: 40k (5th edition)
Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009: A good Imperial Guard Codex
Greatest (miniature-related) fear for 2009: A bad Imperial Guard Codex

I skipped the ones I had no answer for.

Best GW miniature (metal) Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun

Best GW miniature (plastic) Bloodletters

Worst miniature (any category) Wulfrik (he's just a fat bloke)

Best GW rulebook Dark Elves

Worst GW rulebook Space Marines

Best GW fluff book Mechanicum

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009? That Guard won't suck

Greatest (miniature-related) fear? Lizardmen being even harder than Daemons

Oh, Best GW Fluff Book as well?

Malekith, without a shadow of a doubt. Only reason I didn't finish it in a single sitting was I needed to go to sleep!

Best GW miniature (metal) The bestial vampire with wings and hair in the back dont recall the name

Best GW miniature (plastic) cold ones

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal) Corvus belli infinity aragoto's ( AKA the guys with akira style bikes)

Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic) aberration prime from rackham ( the unpainted kit)

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted) Prepainted for sissys

Worst miniature (any category) anything from preprainted rackham confrontation, so many its hard to pick the worst

Best other manufacturer rulebook Infinity rulebook

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008? New small companies making new ranges

Worst? Rackham Prepainted plastics

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009? Things like Mercs minis, Infinity, Olleys armies keep surprising us with cool minis!

Greatest (miniature-related) fear? With the bad economic enviroment I fear that some companies close.

Best GW miniature (metal) - Chaos Lord on Daemonic Steed - Quietly understated. Very Frazetta like.
Best GW miniature (plastic) - Attack on Black Reach - GW has shown that starter set plastics don't have to suck.
Best other manufacturer miniature (metal) - Hordes - Dahlia Hallyr Lesser Warlock and Skarath - (Purely subjective on my part)
Worst miniature (any category) - GW has had a good year - most of the new releases were very nice. However, Wulfrik stands off to the side as being crap on many levels.
Best GW rulebook / Worst GW rulebook - While the v5 rules are the best yet, booby prize goes to GW design team for squandering potential with the new rules release and by being inconsistent and generally incoherent in scope with codex writing.
Best other manufacturer rulebook - Warmachine Legends

Best GW miniature (metal) - the new griff oberwald, not cos it's good, but as the only blood-bowl release It has to get in somehow

Best GW miniature (plastic) - Black Reach Warboss with PK, for a starter model he's amazing

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal) - Impact miniatures comentators in different weather outfits, dunno if they're this year but they're great.

Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic) - the Rancors in Star Wars risk original trilogy as conquoring the galaxy with Rancors is fun

Worst miniature (any category) -

Best GW rulebook - Gorkamorka, being released as a download

Worst GW rulebook - codex SM, badly written, too many options when everyone else was getting less and difficult to find stuff in. an honourable mention goes to codex Orks, in particular for giving 3 different statlines for bikers, none of which were correct.

Best GW fluff book - Legion

Worst GW fluff book - Battle for the Abyss, just plain downright shitepoo

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008? - increasing number of Grots on sprues, ok not yet but it's a trend

Worst? - less blank space on models, particularly new Orks being overy busy

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009? - LOTR gets axed, being replaced by an awesome combination of Man O War/epic/gothic/Bloodbowl featuring squats and genestealer cults

Greatest (miniature-related) fear? More LOTR stuff

Best GW miniature (metal) - Sternguard Vets

Best GW miniature (plastic) - AoBR - the ENTIRE set..

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal) - Pig Iron - heads

Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic) -

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted) - WotC

Worst miniature (any category) - Enourmous Carrion Crawler from Against the Giants (WotC prepaint)

Best GW rulebook - 5th ed 40k - got me back interested..

Worst GW rulebook - 5th ed 40k - got me back spending money..

-Porkuslime

Best GW miniature (metal) - Vanguard Veterans
Best GW miniature (plastic) - Orc Lootas
Best other manufacturer miniature (metal) - Blessing of Vengeance PP Warjack
Worst miniature (any category) -Any Rackham Pre-Paint
Best GW rulebook -Codex Orcs
Worst GW rulebook -LoTR new release
Best other manufacturer rulebook -Warmachine Legends
Best GW fluff book- New 40k Rulebook
Worst GW fluff book-Codex Deamons
Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008?-Huge amounts of Plasticisation
Worst? (miniature-related) trend of 2008? -Pre-Painted models especially Rackham but also Privateer Presses Monstercopalypse
Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009? -Plastic Guard Mordian Head/Praetorian Head Sprue inside Cadian Boxes Plastic Plasma Guns.
Greatest (miniature-related) fear for 2009? -Another Price Hike

Best GW miniature (metal): Sergeant Telion

Best GW miniature (plastic): Dark Elf Corsairs

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal): Nightmare

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted): King Mammoth

Worst miniature (any category): Beast of Nurgle

Best GW rulebook: 5th ed

Worst GW rulebook: Codex: Daemons

Best other manufacturer rulebook: Operation: Frostbite

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009? ONI

Greatest (miniature-related) fear? Dotch Yaga gets delayed yet again

Best Metal GW Model:



Best Plastic GW Model: Ork Deffkopta. Very impressive given that it comes in the starter box.

Ozymandias, Kig of Kings

Worst GW Fluff Book: Battle for the Abyss

Best GW miniature (metal): Collector's range: Ork beating up another Ork with a Goblin

Best GW miniature (plastic): Ork bikes

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal): Reaperminis, Chronoscope: Ape X. A giant Gorilla with a gatling-gun for a hand.

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted): Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars line.
I can't think of anything else and it sure ain't WoW

Worst miniature (any category): Privateer Press: Khador Kayazy Assassins

Best GW rulebook: Codex Orks

Worst GW rulebook: Chaos Demons

Best other manufacturer rulebook: Apocalypse Z, exploding Goat Games

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009?: That GW wont srew up Guard and Dark Eldar

Greatest (miniature-related) fear?: That someone actually spends money on WoW miniatures

Best GW miniature (metal): Was the Vampire Count Vargulf 2008? I'd go with that if it was.

Best GW miniature (plastic): Ork Wartruck, if it's '08. Otherwise, AoBR Warboss.

Worst miniature (any category): New Daemonettes.

Best GW rulebook: Don't know. C: Orks was okay.

Worst GW rulebook: Chaos Marines were '07 right?

Best GW fluff book: Legion

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008: Extra bits with the ork kits.

Best GW miniature (metal)

Chaos Lord on Jugger.


Best GW miniature (plastic)

The Black Reach Warboss.


Worst miniature (any category)

New Chaos Hounds. Those things are crap.


Best GW rulebook

Were Orks this year? If so them. If not, then nothing.


Worst GW rulebook

Stronger competition this year than most years, with a completely unnecessary Daemon Codex, a new ruleset that was well written and cleanly presented yet ultimately no better than the previous edition and then the insulting abomination that was the 'Chaos' Codex.

The winner here (if you couold call it that) though is clearly Codex: 'Chaos' Space Marines. Dull, lifeless, pointless, insulting - everything about this book screams "We're a bunch of fing morons who couldn't design a good book if it came up and bit us in the face!" From the complete removal of the Legions, the diluting of many units (like all HQ characters), the 'generic' Daemons which made those of us with hundreds of dollars of daemons almost ill with anger, this Codex wasn't just bad, it was a betrayal. Gav Thorpe, the writer of this screaming trainwreck, no longer works for the company, and soon, with any luck, the other writer - Alessio 'Numbers Hurt My Head' Cavatore - will be gone as well. And then there's the fact that you can better represent a few of the 'lost' Legions with the new Marine Codex - that's just awful.

The 'Chaos' Codex isn't just the worst GW rulebook release this year, it's their worst rulebook release. Period.


Best other manufacturer rulebook

BattleTech: Tactical Operations

The third of the BTech Core rulebooks, this book is fantastic. So many great rules, optional rules, equipment - all sorts of things. A perfect example of a rulebook from a company who's chief goal is to make a better game, rather than sell a shiny new model kit.


Best GW fluff book

Didn't really buy any this year, although from a fluff perspective I really liked the new Marine Codex.


Worst GW fluff book

Again, didn't buy any this year, so I couldn't say.


Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008?

It's not just this year, but I have to say GW's selling of individual models like Space Marine Veterans so you don't have to buy the whole box to get an extra Combi-Melta, or whatever. Sure, it's not a bitz service, but it's nice to see. If only they'd do that for Aspect Warriors...


Worst (miniature-related) trend of 2008?

GW's pimping of special characters. I hate that more than 5th Ed and almost as much as the 'Chaos' Codex. Every army has one, and now in order to retain the special rules (or distinctive army) that you had before, you have to bring a Special Character. The Guard Codex will be ruined by this trend.


Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009?

That 40K Mighty Empires sees the light of day, or we get new Cities of Death terrain types.


Greatest (miniature-related) fear?

That GW releases a bunch of cool new Guard tanks. I have 31 Russ-based tanks and 24 Chimera-based tanks. I don't want any more...


BYE

Best GW miniature (metal)

Fantasy Chaos Mortals

Best GW miniature (plastic)

Orks

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal)

uhh ... the new Hordes stuff, especially the Minions although I do not know if they are out yet.

Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic)

...

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted)

Monsterpocalypse?

Worst miniature (any category)

man. Worst ever. I am not big on the Painboy model, although I do not know if it is new or not.

Best GW rulebook

Of the year? I'll say Space Marines just because they made an effort.

Worst GW rulebook

I'd say Fantasy Mortals just because. Lack of variety. Note I actually kind of like the CSM book, just because the 40k rules were/ are such a mess.

Best other manufacturer rulebook

I will agree regarding the Battletech books, in fact I am looking forward to purchasing same.

Best GW fluff book

40k rulebook?

Worst GW fluff book

...

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008?

Increase in quality of the actual miniatures themselves.

Worst?

Price?

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009?

40k will get straightened out ... someday. Maybe 7th edition. I am also looking forward to the Inquisition stuff from Forge World. Heck, I just love Forgeworld.

Greatest (miniature-related) fear?

We have to melt them down to fuel our cars.



The rules keep getting better, the minis keep better. Heck even the paint keeps getting better.

Best GW miniature (metal) - Ork Painboy

Best GW miniature (plastic) - Ork Wartrukk

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal) - Skarath (PP)

Best GW rulebook - Codex Orks

Best other manufacturer rulebook - Warmachine Legends

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009? That the new Ork Stompas will be relatively inexpensive or have some sort of package deal. I plan on buying a bunch of them.

Greatest (miniature-related) fear? That PP's plastics are going to suck.

Can you tell I'm biased?

Best GW miniature (metal): Toss up between Shokk-attack gun mek and Weirdboy

Best GW miniature (plastic): Soulgrinder

Best Forge World miniature (Resin): Ork warboss on bike... I already know what I'm getting for christmas!

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal): Some topless chick model I got off the CMON website, with a big-ass sword, flail, and her tits hanging out ready to go dragon slaying.

Best other manufacturer miniature (Resin): Ultra Forge daemons - Pleasure daemon, cause, like the above, she's topless. All great art features topless wimmins. I've been to the National Gallery and I know this to be true.

Worst GW miniature (plastic): New Daemonettes, because, unlike the above two, they removed the topless chick daemonettes, and left us with androgynous David Bowie wannabes.

Best GW rulebook: Codex: Chaos Daemons - lots of neat stuff in there

Worst GW rulebook: Toss up - either Codex: Orks, cause it is too good and got my beloved orks a reputation for cheesy powergaming, or 40k 5th ed, cause while it made some improvements, it still left the big glaring holes, hence, not really living up to its potential.

Best other manufacturer rulebook: Dark Heresy seems pretty cool.

Best GW fluff book: Titanicus

Worst GW fluff book: Decent of Angels - was that this year?

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008?: More and better plastics coming out at a pretty good pace.

Worst? - Slow-rolling releases, showing us models (and rules) for months before they're willing to let us buy them. And special characters.

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009? - return of topless daemonettes as seekers of slaanesh - ridiculously hard to obtain.

Greatest (miniature-related) fear?: GW will go too PC with their Slaanesh stuff, limiting the number of topless wimmins we can get in our armies.

Best GW miniature (metal)
Gotta go with this guy too:

I have no use for him but wow I want one. GW finally got the jugger right! Only took them 20 years.

Best GW miniature (plastic)
Were these guys this year?

They pass the only quality test that matters, they got me to open my wallet. So many great bits in this set and the ravenwing set I'm redoing a lot of my Gold Space marines with them.

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal)
Pig Iron heads are getting my money so that's that. And some of their metals are very tempting.

So yeah, let's go with these.

If you haven't checked them out lately you should.
http://www.pig-iron-productions.com/order.htm#m

Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic)
None of the new plastics really temp me just yet, mostly since I don't do historicals and the colonial wars do nothing for me. The Romans I got were OK but didn't really make me too excited.

Oh wait, the new Pegasus buildings are out. So them.


Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted)
No doubt there's some cool star wars stuff out now, or the new Mutant Chronicles games but I've not been following closely enough. that T-43 terrain we saw a few days ago looked neat.

Worst miniature (any category)

Nothing really made me scream AH MY EYES! this year, so that's a good sign. the Bloodletters were a waste of potential though.

I like the overall look but geeze they're all so, that same. All right handed, all with swords, no real nice extras, no reason this unit couldn't have been done in metal.

Best GW rulebook

5th edition is significantly better than 4th. It ain't great but it's acceptable and I'm not looking back.

Worst GW rulebook

TIE

Space Marines are just full of needless churning. Requiring 10 man squads for a heavy and a special? new tanks but no way to customize chapters? The traits system had serious problems but it needed fixing not scrapping.
Plus wasted potential AGAIN. Pages and pages and pages of fanfic about how great the Ultramarines are! But the UMs are probably the most well-chronicled chapter around. they should have been played down and pages spent on new chapters.

Daemons are just so unimaginative. OK, I'm biased since I wanted Chaos Cults or Lost and the Damned but the daemons... I mean the infinite hoards of chaos boil down to the same 4 factions we've had since the 80s? No rules for custom demons? No new units or options? Why not a warp wraith that possesses enemy models? Or an enslaver with mind-controlled zombies? Or anything that isn't spikes and skulls!

Best other manufacturer rulebook
Didn't buy any :(

Best GW fluff book


Worst GW fluff book

Iron Snakes.

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008?

More people entering the plastics field. My problem with them is they focus on historicals with nearly identical models marching in formation which (for me) defeats the purpose of plastics. Won't someone please make a few fantasy or Sci Fi kits with tons of posing and customization options?

Worst?

Rising metal prices killing the great garage businesses.

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009?

More players and venues in Beijing.

Greatest (miniature-related) fear?

I'll be sent someone with no one to play with.

Cold ones! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The categories this year are:

Best GW miniature (metal)

Best GW miniature (plastic) Plastic Dreadnought in the Black Reach box

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal)

Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic)

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted)

Worst miniature (any category)

Best GW rulebook The little 5th edition rule book in the Black Reach Box

Worst GW rulebook

Best other manufacturer rulebook

Best GW fluff book Legion

Worst GW fluff book Battle for the abyss

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008?

Worst? Special characters that entire army builds hinge (i'm looking at you, SM codex)

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009? New plastic Guard with the new IG codex

Greatest (miniature-related) fear? Guard special characters. A pox on Jervis' house.

Here's hoping for some interesting nominees!


Also, no resin love?

"Also, no resin love?"

What can I say, didn't think of it. feel free to throw in your thoughts.

Best GW miniature (metal)
Sargent Chronus. Nice customizing ability and its cool to have some older armor available on the shelves.

Best GW miniature (plastic)
Chaos Marauder Horsemen. A great number of options in this kit, also some great arbites heads.

Best GW Resin
Ork Barricades. Alot of flavor and gubbinz for $25.

Worst GW Resin
It's a tie between Nob bikers (WAY to over priced), or the resin bits that come in the basing kit. Why are the "termi" size pieces bigger than the termi bases?

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal)
Nightmare from Privateer Press. I wish they'd update their bits so I can order the little girl. This model has some great emotion.

Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic)
Pegasus Hobbies 1/18 V1 Rocket. Great detail and size for $20. I'm goig to be using them for deathstrike missiles.

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted)
Monsterpocalypse gencon exclusive terrasaur. The only model I bought from this series just to see how much of a missed opportunity it was.

Worst miniature (any category)
Monsterpocalypse. I was so ready to give PP more money that any sane man should, but they made it collectible.

Best GW rulebook
5th Edition.

Worst GW rulebook
Fantasy Demons. Did you not playtest this book or something?

Best other manufacturer rulebook
Warmachine Legends. As stupidly overpowered as it is I think it added somethings that each army needed.

Best GW fluff book
Titanicus

Worst GW fluff book
Battle for the Abyss.

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008?
$22 GW plastic boxes. Great idea guys, stealth price increase but it seems cheaper. I know the $22 seem to outsell their old equivalents.

Worst?
Price increases. PP went from cheaper than GW to more expensive. GW charges $15 for spraypaint, and $30 for the marine codex.

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009?
That the guard codex is worth the wait, or Apocalypse pt 3 is awesome. GW's releasing a shadowsword so it can't be all bad.
Some FAQs would be nice for the Marine codex and Apocalypse Reload.

Greatest (miniature-related) fear?
The guard codex is laid out like the marine codex (wargear on 40 pages).

Best GW miniature (metal) Manfred Von Carstein

Best GW miniature (plastic) Ork Bikers!

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal) Avatars of War Goblin King

Best other manufacturer miniature (plastic)

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted) I guess Megadefender X

Worst miniature (any category) Epidemus. Ugh!

Best GW rulebook Orks!

Worst GW rulebook I hated the idea of Demons

Best other manufacturer rulebook Avatars of War

Best GW fluff book Descent of Angels

Worst GW fluff book Battle for the Abyss

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008? Releasing new Orks

Worst? Releasing Chaos Demons

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009? Ork Stompa!

Greatest (miniature-related) fear? Ugly Ork Stompa

My thoughts. Some categories left out, because I am a fan of laziness.


Best GW miniature (metal): Khorne Lord on Juggernaut.

Best GW miniature (plastic): New Chaos Knights

Best other manufacturer miniature (metal): PP Gnarlhorn Saytr

Best other manufacturer miniature (pre-painted): AT-43 Dragomira Kolossus

Best other manufacturer rulebook: Catalsyt Game Labs Tactical Operations

Best (miniature-related) trend of 2008?: More plastic!

Worst?: Big honks of pewter while prices skyrocket.

Greatest (miniature-related) hope for 2009?: Plastic Trolls from PP

Greatest (miniature-related) fear?: More price increases