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I can't see them releasing specialty models in a boxed set, so if we get Dark Angels, they'll probably be generic like the Ultramarines from AoBR. There's a reason why the Bathrobe Marines haven't ever really been at the forefront of 40K product marketing, and I don't see it changing, nor any reason for GW to want to change.

If we get Chaos cultists, on the other hand, that would be awesome. The Cult armies (Genestealer and Chaos) have been ignored for far too long, and they have been intrinsic to the setting since the old days. Chaos getting away from the Cults was a terrible transition. There is so much flavor and potential in the cult lists.

We haven't had a legit army list for the Genestealer Cult since what, 2nd Edition ? Legit rules for them, and an inclusion in the starter wet would be awesome.

The most recent rumors suggest that it will actually be Eldar vs Chaos, not Space Marines. The reasoning behind this is that Chaos will be the first codex out in 6th, followed by Eldar. If true, it would make for an interesting starter set...

Maybe encourage people to play more xenos?

GW is while secretive, predictable.

- the starter boxes have featured various marine factions before. weve had black templars, imperial fists, ultramarines.
- the opposing force has always been weaker, and generally the polar opposite of the marines, model wise. DE, nids, orcs.
- the starter box has usually paired with the starter paint set (as the 2 are meant to be sold together)
- the 2 forces are so diffrent they could not be combined to make a single army. GW wants to whet your appitite. not provide the models for a whole army in one box.
- the size of each army has increased. with each edition. 3rd had 10 marines and a speeder vrs 20 DE warriors. 4th had 10 marines and a "piolet" vrs 10 gaunts, 6 stealers and 8 spore mines. (but also terrain features) and black reach is as we all know, marines, termies, captain, dread vrs boyz, nobs, warboss, kopters.
- the models have since mcragge been 2 piece simple snap together versions.
- the xenos or opponent army has always been one of a slghtly new release, or "ultimate bad guys" for the good guy marines to fight, because GW wants the marines "on a pedestal" but the marines because they are the heros, champs saviours of the universe etc.

therefore: anything CSM is out, because i dont see GW putting in all those cultists. chaos dreads, marines, characters, cult marines.... all of those could be xfered to a loyalist army without much trouble. anything else IOM is out for obvious reasons. eldar are considered as some as "good guys" or at least "not 'all bad' guys". they are out. same for tau. wouldnt be good form to have good guys fight good guys. from the remaining xenos - DE, necrons, nids and orcs, only the crons have not been done. DE MIGHT sneak in.... but i dont think so. mainly because they have been done already.

therefore: i believe its going to be necrons. the crons have never featured in the starter sets, they have a shiney new codex, they are great bad guys to oppose the marines, they are mostly plastic (so easy to make into those 2 piece things) they are also distinctly diffrent from marines to prevent combining. they also need another wave, wich very well could arrive around late june july, and be great motivater for someone to pick up the starter box, plus the brand new necron release.

and since we havent heard anything solid on leaked CSM codex, tau codex or eldar.... i think that eliminates them.

mark my words. DA + Necrons for the 6th starter box.