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I ordered a Broadside and it took a month for the lgs to get it in and this is what I got. Between me, the manager, and a knowledgable person we came up with three theories.
1: Tau are getting a new codex soon. (my fav)
2: The broadside is getting a new sculpt.
3: (Most likely.. sadly) Any model that uses metal but has no finecast sculpt has to be ordered straight from UK.
There were lots of other Theories like one about running low on box art and something about kittens killing puppies.
What do you think?
PS I would love to hear what KrootHawk has to say about my wierd buy.

I don't understand, what is the problem?

CthuluIsSpy wrote:I don't understand, what is the problem?

Same...

Mal, are you asking about the plastic/metal combo?

If so you are option 4

4. Nothing out of the ordinary, they've been doing this forever

No box art... strange

I think he means the lack of distinct packaging. They're probably switching over to an all plastic kit sometime later this year, and in the meantime broadsides will become direct only. GW is trying to get rid of all metal and hybrid kits.

This looks normal to me. Tau Broadsides have always been metal/plastic hybrid kits. What's odd to me is the white box - all the Broadsides I've bought have had a similar box to the Crisis suit.

EDIT: Scooped by BRother SRM and Great White.

I have heard a LOT of rumors about new battlesuit kits. My guess, then, is Reason 2.

The Broadsides used to come in a totally different box that was the same size as a Crysis suit box but a little deeper and the sprue should be cut in the middle. and no it has nothing to do with them being metal. Just how to get them and box art has changed.
Before: Buy a Broadside at your lgs.
Now: Order from england and get no box art

This is normal procedure for anything that has been mail order only for a while, which includes all boxes with metal parts in it like this one.
After a while, the printed boxes are out of stock and replaced by standard white boxes with no print. No reason to have fancy box art, if it is not displayed in public, right?

That said, a Tau Codex doesn't seem to be very soon or far away either. Maybe early 2013.

I got myself all worked up for nothing. Thanks KH

The broadsides were always metal parts on a crisis suit kit. The lack of box art is just the fact that the model was direct only.

Now that I think on it more, there is something fishy going on. Now before I start: This has nothing to do with the model, yes yes I know b sides are metal plas hybrids. Believe me I have made enough of these to know.
Now i have not been in the game as long as some, but I have never seen them suddenly, without warning, making a model direct order and pull the box art but not change anything on the model. How do they run out of box art on a model that sells well and overpriced? And will continue to sell well beyond the next codex. Have they ever pulled art on a model after 5 years before?
Hope I dont sound arguementitive or aholeish.
But now we know they are not producing B side art box anymore. What does that mean?
By the way the store ordered it. I went to buy one he didnt have one so he ordered 3. I got one the day when they arrived. All 3 were just like this.

< Taken by the void dragon. >

Mal the Wolf wrote:How do they run out of box art on a model that sells well and overpriced? And will continue to sell well beyond the next codex. Have they ever pulled art on a model after 5 years before?

They run out because they don't make more. As Kroothawk said, models that have been direct order only for a while get this packaging. Mostly due to, well, not needing packaging to draw attention. Afterall, that's what packaging images is for - images on it draw your eye on the shelf. These are no longer on a shelf, and all 'advertising' is done via the images on the GW website, so printing proper packaging for them is a waste of time.

Nothing sinister here. Broadsides have gone direct only because GW is replacing all hybrid kits with complete plastic or finecast kits. The broadside has run out of printed packaging, so they're using generic boxes to send them out. When a new model is released that it all plastic, they will get new packaging.

I take all your points. Its just this is the first i heard of them being direct. I hope this means they get a finecast soon.

Mal the Wolf wrote:I take all your points. Its just this is the first i heard of them being direct. I hope this means they get a finecast soon.

More likely they'll sit in direct only until they get a full plastic re-release with a neww Tau book.

Ugh, waiting for a codex is like watching grass grow. But you are right, why give away the new line up just to get something out now is their mo.

The no box art shocked me when I got a box like that. I'm still used to going down to my local GW to get all my models, but after getting back into the hobby I've found that there are no metal models for sale at my local GW, al have to be ordered online. Guess who's army is going to be pretty much all metal? Everything I've ordered online has come in those white boxes so far, even the blister packs are plain white. It's ruining my childhood posthumously.

I wondered what was wrong.

Then I read the thread and read that he meant the box.

My Penitent Engines came in boxes like those when I ordered them a couple of years ago.

So did my Valhallan Squads when I ordered them toward the end of last year.

Edit: I think my Exorcist did too, but a bigger box, when I ordered it around the release of September's White Dwarf last year.

Actually, last June, all models with metal components (including all metal blisters) were completely removed from GW stores and became direct only, whether they sold well or not. This became known as the "Finecast rupture"

I ordered a Commander Shadowsun a few weeks ago (GW direct, order got cancelled by wayland due to out of stock), came in exactly the same sort-a box.

I got an Epidemius not long ago that came in the generic box. Think we figured this one out.