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I'm currently sitting in Bugmans Bar at Warhammer World in Nottingham. I've just come down from the Citadel Hall of Minitures where they display every single army for every single system painted awesomely by the Eavy Metal team, plus loads more.

The reason I'm posting is because as most of you know GW is about 3 to 4 issues ahead on production of WD. And in these issues there are Battle Reports usually containing the latest army which has had a new Codex/Army Book/Models in order to show them off. When GW take pictures of the new Army for WD they use the models from the miniatures hall plus any new ones that are not on display. So although it's not exact by any means, it is sometimes possible to use process of elimination to work out what's coming in the next 3-4 months. The last time I was here in January the Tomb Kings were missing and in their place was a little card explaining that they were being photographed currently. As we know, a few months later they were announced and we have a Tomb King WD issue coming next.

So back to my main point, and make of this what you will, but the following armies are missing or have very few models in the cabinets:

Imperial Guard
Necrons
Sisters of Battle
Tyranids

Skaven
Vampire Counts
Tomb Kings
Ogre Kingdoms
Dark Elves

Now starting with 40K, and remembering that you need at least 2 armies for a Battle Report, to me this looks like Imperial Guard vs Necrons, with Necrons being the new army release. And Sisters of Battle vs Tyranids with Sisters being the new army (with a possibility of new Nid models if rumours are to be believed.) Obviously the reason I've come up with these 2 possibilities is because is be surprised and shocked if Necrons and Sisters were released at the same time, however cool it would be to refight the battle at Sanctury 101.

As for Warhammer Fantasy, I'm not so sure of the possible match ups but I'm assuming Tomb Kings are still being pictured as their new model releases are coming in waves. Skaven have just had a new Army Book so it's safe to assume no new models for them, which leaves OK, DE and VC. So hopefully fans of these armies will see new stuff in the near future, even if it's only for 2 of the 3. Then again it could be something to do with Storm of Magic, guess we'll have to wait and see!

Anyway, read into this what you like, time will tell

Nice investigative reporting!

Weren't Necrons recently used in a battle report against IG? If so, they may not have been put back in their cases yet.

An interesting observation though, it will be wonderful indeed if the Sisters are going to feature over the next couple of months.

This is most likely the most solid evidence we have of what is to come... thanks OP

**Edit**On a side note... do they still have their special mugs up there? If so, how much are they?

The Decapitator wrote:Imperial Guard
Necrons
Sisters of Battle
Tyranids

Skaven
Vampire Counts
Tomb Kings
Ogre Kingdoms
Dark Elves

Makes sense.
Necrons are most certainly the next 40k Codex with Sororitas probably following it. (the others may be contrahents, guess too early for a Tyranid second wave pic)
Ogres are candidates for next Warhammer Fantasy army. All other armies have intersting maic so might be for the magic expansion (also probably too early for a Dark Elf 2nd wave).

I was told recently (by a redshirt, so make of that what you will) that SOB would be coming next for 40k. When I asked if it would be Necrons or Tau first, he insisted it would be SOB. On the Fantasy side, he said that OK would be next up, then Brets. Considering his redshirt status, take as much salt as you want with that.

You have to take all this with a pinch of salt though. I was talking to one of the drones who's job is to periodically dust those display cases, or package up the models for transport elsewhere in GW (a couple of my models were being put on display along with the rest of my gaming club a while back, and they needed to know who's models were whose for name tags), and apparently the models are called up very frequently for all manner of purposes, including international versions of WD and the website, which may have different content to the English ones. Some boxes also come back having never been opened.

That said, the SoB and Necrons go missing very rarely. (There's always at least one section of the Marines missing at any one point) Having them both go wandering at the same time is unusual.

Death By Monkeys wrote:I was told recently (by a redshirt, so make of that what you will) that SOB would be coming next for 40k. When I asked if it would be Necrons or Tau first, he insisted it would be SOB. On the Fantasy side, he said that OK would be next up, then Brets. Considering his redshirt status, take as much salt as you want with that.

Right. So SoB will definitely not be net, as a redshirt said they would be. Got it.

I went in October of last year and loads and loads of Armys were missing. i even got to hold in my hand some of the Tyrinids that one chap was moving from the minitures hall to 'out back' for photographing. Yet no new Tyranids or nid battle reports have been out since then. I think he said the nid needed touch up work doing to them a a number where chipped. I admit i was amazed at the lack of care he had maving the eavy metal models about, haha.

Maybe they need the IG for pictures with the new Crassus Tank

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/New_Stuff/CRASSUS-ARMOURED-TRANSPORT.html

FW has their own Cadian army for this book.

The Guard were likely taken to be photographed as punching bags for the Tau and Necrons.

cheers for the heads up op.

I guess next months White Dwarf will be telling with regards to this.

really looking fwd to when the Sisters make their revamp return!

Even if they do charge alot for em (as is the trend), that is one army I am prepared to pay high prices for if the models look good!

My old metals desperately need an update!

The more logical answer is that they are using the nids to produce a battle report showing them descending upon the necron and SoB homeworlds.. thus devouring them all! SQUATTED

lol. I think the SOB have more to fear from GK according to Mr Ward!!

Pacific wrote:Weren't Necrons recently used in a battle report against IG? If so, they may not have been put back in their cases yet.

An interesting observation though, it will be wonderful indeed if the Sisters are going to feature over the next couple of months.

That was a couple months ago. I don't think they'd leave the Necrons out of their cases for months on end!

OP, thanks for the insight. Not concrete by any means, but definitely good detective work.

nice work OP, very telling, we will just have to see if your detective skills bear fruit....

Revenent Reiko wrote:nice work OP, very telling, we will just have to see if your detective skills bear fruit....

I second this! My lady will be most pleased to hear this, especially if it bears fruit. She loves the SoB and has been praying for an updated codex since she picked them up.

There has been a long tradition of the missing army case being a totally legit way to predict what is around the bend.

My guesses are that the nids were pulled down to be photographed alongside the rumored new plastic kits that we should see this year. If those models come out before the necrons, then we may see the necrons fighting against the nids in a battle report. if they come out before the necrons, then on that month we may see a Cruddace book versus Cruddace book face off between nids and IG.

Then if, after the necrons come out, the sisters come out, we will most certainly see a big battle report of sanctuary 101.

So if the release order is...

nid wave 2
necrons
sisters

then the batreps I predict are going to be...

nids/ig
nids/necrons
necrons/sisters


They always like to get the previous army in there as the adversary of the new army, to keep that sales momentum going. Except for things like grey knights, who have an obvious nemesis. (get it?)

Thread titles should describe content.

Kirasu wrote:The more logical answer is that they are using the nids to produce a battle report showing them descending upon the necron and SoB homeworlds.. thus devouring them all! SQUATTED

Haha, nice one

On the fantasy side, I agree that the OK are probably out of the case for the new book.

As for VC, I have a feeling they're out for the TK issue, considering the TK books' fluff if very VC heavy(for good reason).

That leaves Skaven and DE. One's obviously for the OK WD batrep, the other is most likely getting a new wave( my bet's on DE for that).

Shep wrote:So if the release order is...

nid wave 2
necrons
sisters

then the batreps I predict are going to be...

nids/ig
nids/necrons
necrons/sisters

In general, I agree with you, but how often do they run xenos vs xenos batreps? (I ask this partially as I expect that from a marketing standpoint, I would think it makes more sense to run Imperial vs. xenos batreps, but also partially because I haven't read a White Dwarf since the 5th ed 40k box was released.)

Same thing happened to me back before IoB came out. Scaven and High elves missing. Appart for the guard there are rumours for all 3 of the 40k armies. Ogres are about the only fantasy army I'd put any stock in being released "soon".

good sleuthing OP!

Death By Monkeys wrote:
In general, I agree with you, but how often do they run xenos vs xenos batreps? (I ask this partially as I expect that from a marketing standpoint, I would think it makes more sense to run Imperial vs. xenos batreps, but also partially because I haven't read a White Dwarf since the 5th ed 40k box was released.)

Yeah I hesitated to put that nids/necrons in as a prediction. i think if both armies had jsut received new models, their drive to sell those models might just overcome their eternal love for all things imperium. But it could easily be nids versus IG followed by necrons versus IG.

Shep wrote:Cruddace book versus Cruddace book face off between nids and IG.

Well I think we can see how that will work out...











my poor nids


edited for hugeness

Interesting catch.