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With rumors of a new codex dropping this fall, even I find myself doing a little Chicken Littling, especially where my characters are concerned. Given the number of units that have been dropped for not having (current) models, there has been some speculation that some of the Dark Eldar characters may face the axe.

So, with that in mind, if you had your druthers, which of the following model-less character would get a new model and updated rules. (Assuming all the others will be eliminated.)

You'll note that I've left Vect out. As the head of the faction, I think it's probably a given that he'll get a new sculpt.

Baron Sarth

The only two characters I could see getting removed are Baron and Malys.

Sliscus can be made out of the plastic Kabalite Warrior kit, Drazhar and Decapitator will likely be a build option in a plastic Incubi and Mandrake kit.

Ideally, I'd love to see them all stay. (Save for Malys and Kheradruakh.) But if I can only have one, it's going to have to be Sliscus. He's just too much of a force multiplier (first time using that term, and I feel a little dirty...) not to love, and he comes along with great fluff. (Plus, I have a dynamite model for him!)

Sathonyx is a close second for me. Less so tactically, and more for the 'rule of cool.'

Drazhar is my third place pick. I have a model for him, (that looks like someone was trying to use it as set dressing for a diorama of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre), and I'd like to fix it and field him some day.

I'll pick Sliscus. He's got neat fluff, and force multipliers are candy Malys is ok, sort of interesting fluff. Drazhar... ehh, a new model would be nice but he could probably be done without.

Drazar would be amazing, but he needs to be revamped to be played.

I am so excited for this book, I picked them up last December and have since been shelved due to the meta at my store (Tau are ftw). Hopefully we get some new toys that let us rely less on our Craftworld brethren.

Personally I love malys fluff wise so I would hat to see her go but from a gameplay point of view I feel that baron is a must to keep hellion armies legal and he is just such a strong character all around. But before any of this can even be thought of I want my archon on a jetbike back!

Knowing literally nothing about DE characters, and just going on the pattern I'm seeing in codices, I'd say that...

- Force multiplier characters will be toned down. They will still have something special about them, but their roles will become more narrow (or at least more random). They will likely face a price hike.

- Beatstick characters will be toned down. They might get a strange new artifact, or a single unique special rule, but that will be it. Otherwise it will just be nice equipment and maybe a USR or two. For becoming only slightly better than your next best non-special character, they will get a big price drop, unless they are also a force multiplier.

- Characters that have a schtick will be cut altogether. Especially if they unlocked something unique to them.

To put it in brief, special characters are moving in the direction of being somewhat similar to artifacts and relics - they're more of a little bit of fluff to add in if you really want to, but they can't be considered necessary for any reason. They're no longer the centerpiece for an army, but are instead almost more like wargear that you add to existing units.

As for what stays and what goes, I couldn't say anything, even if I knew what the DE ones were about. I'd be wary of getting too attached to anything that existed to provide anything that could even remotely be considered a gimmick.

 Ailaros wrote:
Knowing literally nothing about DE characters, and just going on the pattern I'm seeing in codices, I'd say that...

- Force multiplier characters will be toned down. They will still have something special about them, but their roles will become more narrow (or at least more random). They will likely face a price hike.

- Beatstick characters will be toned down. They might get a strange new artifact, or a single unique special rule, but that will be it. Otherwise it will just be nice equipment and maybe a USR or two. For becoming only slightly better than your next best non-special character, they will get a big price drop, unless they are also a force multiplier.

- Characters that have a schtick will be cut altogether. Especially if they unlocked something unique to them.

To put it in brief, special characters are moving in the direction of being somewhat similar to artifacts and relics - they're more of a little bit of fluff to add in if you really want to, but they can't be considered necessary for any reason. They're no longer the centerpiece for an army, but are instead almost more like wargear that you add to existing units.

As for what stays and what goes, I couldn't say anything, even if I knew what the DE ones were about. I'd be wary of getting too attached to anything that existed to provide anything that could even remotely be considered a gimmick.

When do you feel like these trends started? Just with the IG codex?

As for keradurakh (spelling) I think he has the least support out of anybody since his rules are goofy, his fluff isnt all that exciting imo, and rather annoying to convert as a model which would mean little support tabletop wise.

I absolutely adore Malys' fluff, but her abilities are pretty tame; I don't see her staying if someone had to get the axe.

I see Vecht, Drazar and the Baron being the safest.

 BlaxicanX wrote:
I absolutely adore Malys' fluff, but her abilities are pretty tame; I don't see her staying if someone had to get the axe.

I see Vecht, Drazar and the Baron being the safest.

I agree she will most likely be a gonner along with the duke and kerandrakh while the rest are fine since they have models or play an important role in fluff (yes malys duke karandrakh all have their moments but the world can live without them being playable in game as a special character and not a generic one) and it pains me to have to give up probably my favorite serious character in the game (right next to trazyn for favorite character overal because he's hilarious) to the GW design team and the model makers not being inspired enough to give us this one gift instead of more space marine space marines.

Tough choice...on one hand Drazhar is a badass who takes gak from no one.

On the other hand Malys is one of the few women of import in the setting.

On the other other hand everyone takes the Duke.

On the other other other hand I need to stop drinking this Yucca flats water before I look like Vishnu.

Anyone with a model will stay,
Anyone without one will go.

A new plastic lord kit will probably come out.

Kheradruakh hasn't had a model for a while, though.

We only have a model for three characters though, don't we? I highly doubt GW will nuke the rest...

DirtyDeeds wrote:
We only have a model for three characters though, don't we? I highly doubt GW will nuke the rest...

GW nuked every Tyranid and Guard SC without their own model. I can't say I share your confidence.

Deldar doesn't even have a model for vect, their head honcho, (unless you count the OOP dias model) but I highly doubt he's about to get shafted anytime soon

 Kain wrote:

DirtyDeeds wrote:
We only have a model for three characters though, don't we? I highly doubt GW will nuke the rest...

GW nuked every Tyranid and Guard SC without their own model. I can't say I share your confidence.

I think there is a glimmer of hope, because we have very few units without models. Which means there will be more room, production wise, to accommodate the HQs. (Hopefully.) Keeping my fingers crossed, at any rate.

 Jimsolo wrote:

 Kain wrote:

DirtyDeeds wrote:
We only have a model for three characters though, don't we? I highly doubt GW will nuke the rest...

GW nuked every Tyranid and Guard SC without their own model. I can't say I share your confidence.

I think there is a glimmer of hope, because we have very few units without models. Which means there will be more room, production wise, to accommodate the HQs. (Hopefully.) Keeping my fingers crossed, at any rate.

Or they could go the Tyranid route and sell you your codex's flavor, strength, and uniqueness in 15$ chunks.

Don't be surprised if they cut out the models only to sell them to you as must buy dataslates one at a time.

sigh

The saddest part about blind cynicism toward GM is that none of it is blind; it's all justified.

I don't even think Vect is safe. They are lazy and more importantly, need to focus on minimising production costs (their business is dying). If it's easier and cheaper to cut him out of the book, they will do it.

Voted for Sliscus. He's just too much fun! Although, tho if he stays, guessing they will make him less fun regardless. So maybe Drahzar, assuming they are all at equal power levels as they are all liable to change.



You know what I'd like the most? To cut the new codex. I'd rather have the flavour of all the characters than whatever silly MC or Flyer they are going to give us, although likely just 2 new tanks that share a kit

I think Drazhar is one of the most important to spare, being supposed a fallen Phoenix Lord and all.

Trying to think about these models in GW's mindset:

- Duke Sliscus: could be integrated into a new Archon plastic model since the old one is finecast
- Baron Sathonyx: sad to say, I think GW would cut this guy. There is already a hellion kit, I can't seem them making a hellion commander kit. Though I would be most upset by this, as I really like the Baron
- Lady Malys: could be integrated into a Malys/Lhaemean kit. I could also see her being made simply because she's never had a model
- Kheradruakh: maybe if mandrakes get a new plastic kit, he would be easily put there
- Drazhar: I don't think GW could get rid of him, being as fluff-important as he is, and I would hope for a new kit for him since his model is very old (again, they could do a combo-kit)

I guess it depends on how much finecast they drop out. It seems a number of the IG characters are still being offered in their metal forms, but the Dark Eldar range is mostly resin. I'm betting strongly that at least three characters will be retired.

You know what I'd like the most? To cut the new codex. I'd rather have the flavour of all the characters than whatever silly MC or Flyer they are going to give us, although likely just 2 new tanks that share a kit

This. I don't see much improvement that new-GW will offer to Dark Eldar beyond a couple of nice new plastic kits. The losses will probably out-way the benefits with a big new $50 book to buy on top of all of it.

Intergrating into kits? LOL doom of malantai would like the inside on this.

I think we can unfortunately kiss goodbye to a lot of our internal balance, a winning formula can only be changed to one thing.


I hate how GW made this promise last year that "from Christmas onwards every unit in the codex will have a model!" clearly getting expectations high and then... Then deliver on it by cutting everything that doesn't have a model from the codex. :/ Thanks GW great Christmas present, this is just what we all wanted! Good to see you looking out for the customers this year! With excellent improvements to out codexes like these, I'm more than happy with the ever-present price hike!

 Jimsolo wrote:
With rumors of a new codex dropping this fall, even I find myself doing a little Chicken Littling, especially where my characters are concerned. Given the number of units that have been dropped for not having (current) models, there has been some speculation that some of the Dark Eldar characters may face the axe.

So, with that in mind, if you had your druthers, which of the following model-less character would get a new model and updated rules. (Assuming all the others will be eliminated.)

You'll note that I've left Vect out. As the head of the faction, I think it's probably a given that he'll get a new sculpt.

Drazhar use to have a model, it is still on the DE site. I doubt he is going away.

Vect isn't going away either, they will need some sort of uber character.


As for Baron, everyone loves him for his current rules. Take away how awesomely broken he is and you are left with a punk on a skyboard.

The Duke is a mini archon that is alright at a few thigns but not great at anything. If his rules improve or he is more focused he would be nice to have around.

Kheradruakh will never be given playable rules, so I hope he disappears.

Lady Malys would also be nice if she had better rules. But I expect her to dissapear as she is also unfocused and was not loved in 5th and 6th.

 SHUPPET wrote:
Intergrating into kits? LOL doom of malantai would like the inside on this.

I think we can unfortunately kiss goodbye to a lot of our internal balance, a winning formula can only be changed to one thing.


I hate how GW made this promise last year that "from Christmas onwards every unit in the codex will have a model!" clearly getting expectations high and then... Then deliver on it by cutting everything that doesn't have a model from the codex. :/ Thanks GW great Christmas present, this is just what we all wanted! Good to see you looking out for the customers this year! With excellent improvements to out codexes like these, I'm more than happy with the ever-present price hike!

I guess I should clarify- I only see one of these characters surviving via a dual-kit. Perhaps one other will be lucky with a new unique model, and the rest will go bye-bye.

Jimsolo wrote:When do you feel like these trends started? Just with the IG codex?

I don't know when it started, and it unlikely all just started all at once, so much as a shift in the way of thinking about things, like how 4th ed codices were about ease and simplicity, and 5th ed was about adding in more fluff, and restoring all that stuff lost in 4th/adding new units (especially, say, grey knights and necron). I don't quite know what their theme is at the moment. Other than hiring a copy layout editor by mail order.

Anyways, the CSM codex does have some of this as well.

Fabius Bile went from being able to give enhanced warriors to pretty much anybody (for a cost) to being able to buff only a single squad. Kharn lost his "always hit on 2+" down to "WS7", and "is immune to psychic powers" to "has a better deny the witch". Huron's claw gained at-initiative, fleshbane and armorbane, but also lost S, so it doesn't ID, and Ap, and, more importantly, he lost old warptime in favor of a random psychic power every turn.

So you have two examples of a beatstick that was toned down and got a little cheaper, an example of a force multiplier that got toned down and got a little more expensive.

This must have been at the beginning of this, though, as these changes are pretty minor compared to guard, and, of course, these special characters are largely better than they were before because of the fixed warlord traits (which they decided not to repeat with guard by giving them really minor warlord traits).

I guess the missing link here is eldar.

SHUPPET wrote:I think we can unfortunately kiss goodbye to a lot of our internal balance, a winning formula can only be changed to one thing.

... because the DE codex was so well balanced before? I swear I've nearly only ever seen variations on that one raider list before.

I guess there must be a lot of WWP bombs and foot-DE and taloses and mandrakes and incubi where you play.

SHUPPET wrote:I hate how GW made this promise last year that "from Christmas onwards every unit in the codex will have a model!" clearly getting expectations high and then... Then deliver on it by cutting everything that doesn't have a model from the codex. :/ Thanks GW great Christmas present, this is just what we all wanted!

Marbok, Chenkov, and Al'Rahem all had models, and were all cut anyways. Conscripts, veterans and vendettas don't have models, and yet they stayed.

So much for that theory.

On the baron i could see him dropping from hq to unit upgrade, (i hope as i love the guy)the duke could combo with an archon kit no problem, the lady i think will go and so would kherdruakh drazar will stay as theres a model for him. But as always this is a long way of so its best guess time.

If anything it will be vect not duke in a dual plastic kit for basic archons

Malys - we simply don't have enough female models in the 40k game.

load and loads in the fluff (especially BL) but in the game - nope............and the numbers are shrinking :(

 Ailaros wrote:
Kharn lost his "always hit on 2+" down to "WS7",

Kharn still hits always on a 2+; see Gorechild.

As for the topic, Drazhar is the only one with a model, everyone else can go.