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I'm thinking of lines that Citadel and GW have released over the years and just left them be. Ones that had great options or possibilties but just got left behind or never had the time or funds lavished on them that would have lead them to realise their potential. I am also including old lines that could do with an Update as they deserve it.

My top 3 would be.

1. Eldar Harlequins - Just the most amazing thing when i was kid, the Troupe's used to be the most lethal and vibrant units. Master painters used to blow my mind with the paint schemes. Now I rarely see them/

2. Orks - Remember the Bad Moons and the Death Skulls and all that. Orks have become more generic with each iteration, I want the old style miniature characters like this:-



It's sad that Orks have kind of lost their anarchic, rampant craziness they used to have and that now they are more like every other Xenos. They used to be the Grimdark Comic element and actually that was part of their appeal? People still paint them as Bad Moons, but all the special metal models they did for every Klan was part of the fun. Bring them back.

3. Adeptus Arbites - Really nice concept could have been a really nice force different to IG, more like SM Scouts they released some models over the years but no codex Imperial Agents no nice special Characters, no specialist vehicles Adeptus Arbite Valkyrie anyone or maybe a crowd suppression tank with Hurricane Bolters? It just seemed to be a Necromunda element (of which they were far too good anyone to take on given their skills, statline and weapons, oh and the crazy ammunition they used to use in the Shotgun!).

Whats your top 3?

AT-43's ONI army. Alas..

I will agree with the OP: Orks

Before the current edition book, there was an excellent hold over "Cults list." This was from a White Dwarf where every major clan received a revision. Badmoon's being able to take Flash Gitz as troops, real Lootas, with true weapon options, as troops. IE IG Mortars, Lascannons, Kommando's as core.

The current book is really fun and cool. But it lost that cult feel. Yes you can build some stuff that's neat. But I liked the models like the above. Those Iconic Orks, who looked the part. I wish they would bring that back... along with the Older styled models~

1. I'm with you on arbites. Cool concept and could have been a nice addition to an IG list.

2. I also really like the Zoats. Nice models for the time and was an interesting race in its own right. Probably couldn't have been an independent army but a nice addition to others.

3. Cultists. The old metal ones are pretty good miniatures for the time though a little dated. Could have been an interesting stand alone army. Hopefully with the new edition of the rules we will actually see the Lost and the Damned be their own army or at least a viable part of a chaos army.

I agree, GW's really cut back the depth and humor of their setting in an attempt to make it "moare GRIM," and "moare DARK!"

The mostly comical aspects of the setting are what kept the suspension of disbelief of the at such a level that you could overlook things that didn't make perfect sense.

Other companies seem to be doing amazing jobs at expanding 40k Orks. It doesn't seem to be too much of a lost line.

Tallarn desert raiders. The old metal models are awesome. Could have been explored much more IMO.

The forge world tallarn lack something those models had. Perhaps also to do with the bringing them away from the exaggerated style in a similar vein to the orks.


>

1. Imperial Guard (not counting Forgeworld as they cost much more and aren't as easy to work with) - we went from one of the more varied factions, with seven regiments to pick from in metal, to two plastic, and one metal of worth.

By now I'd have liked to have seen at least another plastic regiment added, both Cadian and Catachan must have paid for themselves by now, why not give us another option. Hell in my ideal world, all the original five would be out in plastic (with heads to cover the Praetorians in the Mordian box.) and also a lone scouts box, to allow you to create Tanith from it if you where willing to cross reference all the kits.
(Just throw a couple of kneeling legs, and such, and you could happily merge it with any heavy Weapons box from the other two for example.)

2. Chaos fantasy, I think they have gone backwards compared to the original metal lines. So much more sinister with the mutations, and style of them back in the Realm of Chaos days.
For example the mutations sprue was a bit of a joke, it should have been a full sprue, ten or so heads, at least five arms for each side, and some body and leg pieces as well.

They have lost a lot of character, hopefully in time they might get some of it back.

3. Blood Bowl - Gary Morley struck in 3rd edition and sadly the range never truly recovered. They went from cool looking fantasy sci-fi styled Blood Bowl warriors, to we had to really fudge the teams to make them like their warhammer equivilents and that never really worked.

Some fine attempts have been put on the table while poor old specalist games was in its deaththrows, but they where very few and far inbetween. Sadly nothing has really come close to the awesome 2nd editon figs.

A remake of the 2nd edition range to todays standards would leave me skint for months.

Not GW but I really thought the Void/Urban War/Metropolis line had tons of potential.

http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=59

Their Viridians are Catachans done right, near future jungle fighters who are not all Rambo.



Their plastics used ball joints for maximum posability and had a good near future aesthetic. they're miles ahead of the Cadians.



The VASA line is filled with great models





Even their militia is high quality near future civilian types





But they went with a scale slightly smaller than GW and never pursued plastics beyond 2 sprues.

Urban War had some great models but as far as I can tell the site is being relaunched so i can't find pictures. Good luck to them, they deserve more success than they got.

Target games warzone mutant chronicles. All factions.
Look at their artwork, then look at the models. Sigh. Ducal militia was still awsome though. Still considering tossing together the odd 50 I have to use as IG grenadiers.

Orks. Yes, this is largely remedied as discussed, by 3rd party manufacturers, and the dedicated conversionwork of the ork players, but still... So much lost potential.

IG. As above. Why the heck haven't tallarn, mordian and death korps been made plastic? With sprues to make tanith (head with cape that fits the cadian troopers), praetorians (alternate heads to the mordians)... Heck. Just make a sprue with mordian/praetorian/tallarn/tanith heads that fit unto the regular cadian troopers... Geez!

//Calle

Hmmm, In GW

Agree Harlequins. Orgyns and Ratlings I'd like to see and expanded range of fluff/rules/models to fit into the IG codex. Penal battalions and genestealer cult armies. Squats. Eldar Exodites. A lot of stuff fell to the wayside for one reason or another.

Outside of GW
Void and Battletech. Rackham's Confrontation metal minis and rules. For that matter I'd love to see a compository of their stories translated into english for my easy reading (my French is about a 3.5 out of 10). That world seemed to be really really detailed and now it's one for the archives. Oh and the Legend of the Five Rings miniatures game, Clan War. It always made me sad that they went under. For me it always leaned a little more towards historical play, but had just enough fantasy elements to keep it interesting. I loved the CCG and played it for like the first ten years. I wish a good company would grab the license for it and redux the entire line from mini 1 to todays storyline.

Oooooohhhh, Genestealer Cults I forgot about them . Tyranids absorbed them into their fluff, but for a while I remember them being quite distinctively different, in the Deathwing Space Hulk expansion.

I always found it weird how little hay GW made with Tanith models. I know they made a comamnd box, and IIRC a squad box.

If there are two things gamers want mroe than anything from IG, it's cloaked light infantry, and great coat heavy infantry.

Which explains those are the least developed ranges (aside from the FW DKoK)

Genestealer cults.

Plastic Vostroyans.

Wow, I'm amazed, 14 posts in and no-one has mentioned the big white elephant sat in the corner of the room!

That's right, the guy in my avatar

After collecting and playing with these chaps in Epic, it always disappointed me that GW didn't try and pursue the design aesthetic of the 6mm range and bring it into 40k. It had moved away from the cigar chomping bikers, and towards more of an artisan, high-technology and serious-faced concept. Instead, after a token mention in the 2nd edition starter pack, the concept was taken into the darkest recesses of the Nottingham dungeons, and we never got to see what might have been.

Although there were rumours that the Demiurg (essentially the 6mm concept of squats with a different name) were on their way to 40k, that was a rumour from the since debunked Ghost21, so perhaps they are not really on the horizon? I would have loved to see what today's sculptors could have come up with, and what about a massive plastic kit of a landtrain?

Although, in the meantime there are these great little guys from Mantic who, after a couple of false starts with the initial release (which were half Kings of War minis), I think are quite cool little sculpts (and go brilliantly with the ramshackle games tunnelling machines!)

Pacific wrote:Wow, I'm amazed, 14 posts in and no-one has mentioned the big white elephant sat in the corner of the room!

But just like Men in Black they are "Officially Denied". I love Squats and would definitely have them as an Army, it's sad that all that great stuff "Land Trains" "Blimps" and that Giant Cannon that I cannot remember what it was called have all been surpressed. I mean why? Epic 40k was great, it was great range with a good dynamic, a nice mechanic, it felt like large scale warfare rather than the mini' battle you in get in 40k which is basically an ork Warband versus a pair of tactical squads, a termie unit and some tanks. It has no grand sense of scale, Flames of War does a nice job of being half way inbetween at the 15mm Scale and I would actually quite like an updated Epic 40k to be at 15mm 1/100 scale. It would make for better painting.

Citadel's Judge Dredd line, great at the time. I can only imagine how good they would have been in the age of plastic [goes back to dreaming of H-Wagons and P-Wagons]....better than the Mongoose stuff any way.

Necromunda - same thing really they were just starting to expand with the ash-wastes stuff and the rug disappeared from under them. Shame just imagine a fully supported hive battle field with expanded CoD stuff or all sorts of wasteland vehicles or both!!

-Harlequins
-Genestealer Cults
-Slann
-Necromunda and Mordheim as entire game systems. Personally I don't think GW cares to support skirmish games as you don't have to buy as many models.

Especially Squats. Now, I can see why they are held in contempt. GW really never followed their own fluff, and instead made them into near-future Apocalyptic Road Warrior goofyness. I loved the fluff where they are ancient humans who got separated with the fall of the Dark age of Technology, and because they had to live on their own, kept a high level of technology. Even the Adeptus Mechanicus would steal/buy tech from them!

I actually think the Tau would have been a cool way to reintroduce the Squats, while leaving the bad parts of their old fluff behind. And not as the Demiurg, but as the actual Tau themselves! Having "space-dwarves" use the shooty fighting style of the Tau would distance them from just being fantasy in space. Even keep the battlesuits, just blockier.

Hell, that's a count-as army I would start myself, even at a skirmish-level. Use things like the Mantic Forgefathers, and suits like the old Bauhaus Vulkan battlesuits from Mutant Chronicles.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/298825.page

They are the one with the large powerfist. The other ones are from Starship Troopers, I believe.

Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:1. Imperial Guard (not counting Forgeworld as they cost much more and aren't as easy to work with) - we went from one of the more varied factions, with seven regiments to pick from in metal, to two plastic, and one metal of worth.

By now I'd have liked to have seen at least another plastic regiment added, both Cadian and Catachan must have paid for themselves by now, why not give us another option. Hell in my ideal world, all the original five would be out in plastic (with heads to cover the Praetorians in the Mordian box.) and also a lone scouts box, to allow you to create Tanith from it if you where willing to cross reference all the kits.
(Just throw a couple of kneeling legs, and such, and you could happily merge it with any heavy Weapons box from the other two for example.)

2. Chaos fantasy, I think they have gone backwards compared to the original metal lines. So much more sinister with the mutations, and style of them back in the Realm of Chaos days.
For example the mutations sprue was a bit of a joke, it should have been a full sprue, ten or so heads, at least five arms for each side, and some body and leg pieces as well.

They have lost a lot of character, hopefully in time they might get some of it back.

3. Blood Bowl - Gary Morley struck in 3rd edition and sadly the range never truly recovered. They went from cool looking fantasy sci-fi styled Blood Bowl warriors, to we had to really fudge the teams to make them like their warhammer equivilents and that never really worked.

Some fine attempts have been put on the table while poor old specalist games was in its deaththrows, but they where very few and far inbetween. Sadly nothing has really come close to the awesome 2nd editon figs.

A remake of the 2nd edition range to todays standards would leave me skint for months.

This this this and more this with a little smattering of Imperial Agents like Arbites. I would love to have a full on Arbites line and that would get me back into 40k. I love the metal models but I am not paying the aftermarket or retail price for stuff that I have no intention of using.

Sisters of battle also have heaps of potential, just get us a codex that doesn't suck the big one ( like the 2nd edition dex, you could build a lot of different types of lists in there) some new unit types and we would be good to go. I would love to see a plastic 40k kit that was a Sister monastary (blah spelling is for the weak ) Hell that might also make me take a second look at 40k. Even if the 6th edition rules suck I could use them for other games like Tomorrow's War. =o] Same with the Arbites.

Edit; one question, does Gary Morly still work for GW, or did they revoke his Lenton pass?

Within GW:

The rest of the Imperial Guard. Tallarns and Valhallans are my absolute favorite IG regiments. I suppose it'd be too much to hope for for them to maintain a massive range of plastics or even metals for all the Imperial Guard ever, but it'd be nice.

Outside GW:
A game called 100 Kingdoms by Black Orc Games. Part of it is kinda personal for me as I was a member of the wargaming forum run by the guy who created the game, and he brainstormed ideas with this forum. He then sold the company to some people who seem to have zero interest in supporting, promoting, or expanding their game line, instead releasing these gakky one off models in their "minisculpt" line or something like that, where a sculptor can submit their green, pay Black Orc Games a fee, and the company will produce this miniature. 90% of them are pure, utter gak. They haven't done anything with 100 Kingdoms in years.

What a waste.

Also, Confrontation. I dunno what happened there, but those were some incredible minis. I don't know if they failed because they jumped on the pre-painted plastic bandwagon, or if they jumped on the pre-painted plastic bandwagon because they were failing, or if it's something else that caused their demise.

For those after Genestealer Cult's check out The Warsmith...

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/180/428357.page

Pacific wrote:Although there were rumours that the Demiurg (essentially the 6mm concept of squats with a different name) were on their way to 40k, that was a rumour from the since debunked Ghost21, so perhaps they are not really on the horizon?

Didn't Ghost21 admit he made everything up after he had some success with his Dreadfleet rumours?

Pacific wrote:Wow, I'm amazed, 14 posts in and no-one has mentioned the big white elephant sat in the corner of the room!

That's right, the guy in my avatar ...

I so mentioned Squats five posts earlier!!!

If we are talking non-GW as well, then by all means, I miss the AT-43 and Confrontation miniatures PPP lines by Rackham.

I know it will get me lost of hate, but I sadly miss their pre-painted plastic line. Mostly for the actual game rules. My friend and I found that we loved them (and AT-43, which actually lead me to the Confrontation PPP).

Plus, he doesn't want to/doesn;t have time to paint anymore, and the two PPP games let me continue sharing the hobby with him, which is by far the most important thing about tabletop wargaming.

AT-43 made it out of the Rackham fiasco pretty well, with the exception of the ONI faction (and the UNA if you didn't start AT43 early enough), but Confrontation ended exactly halfway through the main troop releases for two of their major factions.

-Loki- wrote:

Pacific wrote:Although there were rumours that the Demiurg (essentially the 6mm concept of squats with a different name) were on their way to 40k, that was a rumour from the since debunked Ghost21, so perhaps they are not really on the horizon?

Didn't Ghost21 admit he made everything up after he had some success with his Dreadfleet rumours?

Wasn't Ghost21 the guy who stole/ or was peeking at a real play testers computer then posting stuff saying he was the real deal?

I thought the Demiurg = Squats angle was well played out years ago. Back when the BFG Tau fleet was still getting releases because they got ships from Forge World.

-Loki- wrote:

Pacific wrote:Although there were rumours that the Demiurg (essentially the 6mm concept of squats with a different name) were on their way to 40k, that was a rumour from the since debunked Ghost21, so perhaps they are not really on the horizon?

Didn't Ghost21 admit he made everything up after he had some success with his Dreadfleet rumours?

I think he admitted to lying about being present in Black Library meetings, after he tried to call 'Dead Blue Clown' on Warseer over it, not realising that Dead Blue Clown was actually the username used by Aaron Dembski Bowden. So of course, it makes everything else he mentioned seem like attention grabbing, even though I could quite believe that GW might well release Demiurg at some point.

I so mentioned Squats five posts earlier!!!

Damn, please accept my apologies MightyGodzilla!

I thought the Demiurg = Squats angle was well played out years ago. Back when the BFG Tau fleet was still getting releases because they got ships from Forge World.

Yes right, there is also some reference in the Xenology book to Demiurg. And some of them get killed by Gaghzkull at the beginning of one of Gav Thorpe's BL novels. There is definitely some material there, but it's whether it goes beyond a now aged range for an unsupported game, and some writers just being deliberately scurrilous.

I suppose the funny thing is I have got bored of waiting for any kind of 28mm sci-fi dwarf from GW, and have bought the Mantic ones. But had there not been that daft secrecy policy and GW had laid hints that they were coming 6 months or so away, I might have waited. Guess we won't know for sure until the next Tau codex turns up.

FASA/Ral Partha's Crimson Skies miniature range was awesome if you like prop planes on steroids. Even though that game has been dead for over a decade I still pick up random blister packs when I can find them.*





And I would be remiss not to include GW's Praetorian Imperial Guard line in a thread like this. Even though they were only Mordians with head swaps, I love the character that the Praetorian Guard had. I really wish GW would include them in their collector's range or *gasp* release some plastic kits.




*They are still sold by Iron Wind Metals if anyone is interested.

BrookM wrote:AT-43's ONI army. Alas..

THIS 1 MILLION PERCENT.