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I've been looking into War of the Ring and noticed a seemingly huge price difference between the product lines for the boxes of plastic troopers .

40K:
~$3.50+ per model (Space Marines, Chaos Marines, Genestealers)
~$3 per model (Eldar Dire Avengers, Necrons, Tau Fire Warriors)
~$2.20 per model (IG Cadians, Ork Boyz, Kroot, Gaunts)

WFB:
~$2.20 per model (Brentonnia, Dark Elf, Dwarf, Empire, High Elf, Lizard Men, Tomb King Skeletons, Wood Elf)
$1.75 per model (skaven, zombies)

WotR
$1.04 per model (Warriors of Minas Tirith, Rangers, Warriors of Rohan, Wood Elf, Dwarf, Mordor Orcs, Uruk Hai Scouts, Harad, ...)
$1.25 per model (Army of the Dead, Uruk Hai)

Does anyone know why there is such a big difference? Are the WotR models smaller, hollow, less complex, lesser quality,..? Is this an introductory price to get people interested in the game (because it definitely got my attention).

.

40k = More Popular, ergo they can charge more as people buy regardless (also known as fething you over).

LotR = Not so popular because the first edition was a pile of monkey gak, so needs to be lower to attract people to play the better 2nd ed.

The LOTR/WOTR models are actually smaller in many instances. Not sure how much that accounts for it.

My conspiracy theory side always theorized that there was something in the LOTR contact that made them keep the minis at a certain price level. Silly theory really but can't reason out a good point behind their not raising LOTR prices as much/often as they've done with the other two main games AND specialist games without fail.

privateer4hire wrote:The LOTR/WOTR models are actually smaller in many instances. Not sure how much that accounts for it.

My conspiracy theory side always theorized that there was something in the LOTR contact that made them keep the minis at a certain price level. Silly theory really but can't reason out a good point behind their not raising LOTR prices as much/often as they've done with the other two main games AND specialist games without fail.

Most likely its a "we want our fans to LIKE you" clause

Also, it should be noted that even though WHFB minis cost less then most 40k minis, you usually need a lot more of them for a proper army... a lot more that don't really add anything to your army other then a few ranks to sit with their thumbs up their asses all day.

LOTR was the entry level game, so the starter price had to be cheaper.

40k and WHFB are the premium games, and people who play those games are going to
pay higher prices.

The comment about the premium games is spot on.

Not to mention GW does quite literally have us wrapped around it's little finger.

It even gloats about it in its investor reports where it states that the target consumers would rather eat cheaper foods and buy fewer clothes in order to buy more plastic krack

Wow, they really know me. (No Sarcasm)

They fit 24 guys into a box that fits 5-10 Warhammer figures.

Also there are usually no bits leftover. That is a big difference too. That is why the mordor trolls are 22-25 and for what you get there isnt much plastic in that figure, but its the same amount of sprues with a LOT of bits.

Yeah lack of bitz is one big reason. And the reason I'm not too interested in LotR figures.

LOTR includes very little assembly and is smaller than 40k's and WHFB's models, hence cheaper. Plus no one plays LOTR as much.

They have 20-25 mini's in LOTR and about 10-16 in a WHFB/40k box.

Almost everyone here has put the difference in price down to GW 'fething us over'.
I think everyon here has missed out on the important fact that LOTR models are SINGLE POSE, they do not have the option to switch between bow and sword between battle, so they have two completely different models for spear and sword, meaning that you do not have any bits left over for the troops, multi-choice monstrous creatures is a completely different story.

Pieces needed to build basic space marine: Legs, Body front, body back, left arm, right arm, two shoulder pads, backpack, helmet = nine pieces
Pieces needed to build basic LOTR Swordsman: LOTR Swordsman = ONE PIECE

^that guy hit it on the head. Often the only thing that needs assembly is the weapon selection if its a spear, adding the horse if its cav, and the shield. Makes it cheaper and you can play a whole lot faster out of the box. Is probably the game I prefer out of all of them but sadly there arn't that many people who play it. A lot who collect it, just not many who use those collections in comparison to 40k.

I love the fact that they are single pose. It's so much easier to make your regiments, and the sculpts are very good bar a few completely idiotic mistakes by Morely.

I think it's probably down to that. I'd be happier if 40K and fantasy were cheaper and pretty single pose.

Much smaller models, no leftover bitz, not much in the way of anything to even glue on.

Been working on Pelanor fields and opening dozens of boxes for a Games Day table. In some ways I wish the 40k models were this cheap, but I wouldn't like the models as much if they were that small.

But what about bloodletters and daemonettes which end up being about $2.20 per figure?

For roughly the same sprue area, you get the parts for 10 daemonettes, but only 8 Dark Eldar warriors, partly because of the sprue layout. I think the CSM are about the same, where 10 CSM cost $35 because they take roughly twice the sprues to construct.

There's no conspiracy about pricing per model, unless you think that some figures are being made deliberately complex...

solkan wrote:
There's no conspiracy about pricing per model, unless you think that some figures are being made deliberately complex...

I've heard some wonderful things about Eldar Guardians.

I hate gluing eldar guardians mostly their bottom torso.

Not sure why its split in 2 . And the thin fluid shape of their armor makes glue run all over it easily!

Fafnir wrote:

solkan wrote:
There's no conspiracy about pricing per model, unless you think that some figures are being made deliberately complex...

I've heard some wonderful things about Eldar Guardians.

Because this is the Internet, and GW doesn't have pictures of the Eldar, Necron and Tau sprues for comparison, I can't tell if you're being sarcastic.

I have broken the vicious cycle of plasti-krack addiction and started putting money away for a CD player for my car. Let GW feel the fething for a change.

WotR isn't badly-priced, aside from still needing to spend $200 for a new army.

LotR miniatures are cheaper down to the smaller scale and single pose nature. That's it. No conspiracy theories here thanks!

I don't think perceived popularity have any relevance, not least of which because its usually based on personal experience as opposed to actual sales figures, which continually show them to be selling a quite a nice rate.

I personally rate the new plastic LotR elves as far better quality then the WFB Elf miniatures. All that and about half the price. No contest.