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The Warhammer record label They used D-Rok's songs for the Space Hulk (1993) intro as well. Lovely stuff

BTT I'm sure Hastings knows his stuff. And thanks, Dr. Bizzare. Pretty soon it seems.

*mutter grumble mumble*

I posted first...my thread gets kicked to 40k General....

Grumble grumble nepotism and other associated unsubstantiated nonsense mutter grumble.

I remember being frustrated that although the Marine was sitting in the wing bolter mounts in the Thunderhawk in Chaos Gate (based on the metal design), he never helped out his buddies with some covering fire. No, he had the attitude that "You've got your Action Points.....".


As for a plastic Thunderhawk, like others have stated, if it's at a 'reasonable' (for me) price point, I can see myself getting one as a display/ modelling piece.

Warhams-77 wrote:


The Warhammer record label They used D-Rok's songs for the Space Hulk (1993) intro as well. Lovely stuff

BTT I'm sure Hastings knows his stuff. And thanks, Dr. Bizzare. Pretty soon it seems.

Still got my WD flexidisc connected to the magazine!

Best place for it. That way, you won't accidentally put it on a turntable and listen to it ...

I'm actually tempted to buy two if they come out and they're in the $200USD range; at 135GBP exchange rates indicate it would be, but the southern hemisphere can provide adequate stories about not relying on "reality" for any sort of predictive ability there.

One for my Grey Knights that I'd likely paint first (hahahahahahahahaha....painting...that's a good one) and one for my own Marine chapter. As an extreme reach I might replace my novelty Stormraven-based Angels Encarmine force with one, but that just seems extremely doubtful. Still, the FW Thunderhawk was something I eyed year after year around tax time for my GK but just couldn't spend the money on a resin kit I knew I'd make a hash of. Getting it in plastic dramatically cheaper would almost be a no-brainer for me outside of the space to store it in...

So I have to assume that this image from the new Inferno book is very likely the shape of things to come then?
Easter Egg from Inferno

I'd predicted that it would simply be a Forge World resin re-sculpt like the Lightning or the Barracuda when these images came out, but I'm happy to be wrong if it's plastic instead!

My new prediction is a release alongside 8th edition this summer.

As to the scale of using a Thunderhawk in normal games, what if the new kit was more the size of the old metal one? I haven't seen one of those in real life, but aren't they a bit smaller than the FW resin ones?

For the record, I fully believe this means a plastic Thunderhawk is coming, but Hastings is not a primary source. He is a very reliable rumormonger, and I view him in the same sphere as Attia and Sad Panda, but he can't "confirm" anything, he can only support a claim. Only someone who works directly for GW can "confirm" a rumor. We're arguing semantics here, but in spite of the current world media, I believe the type of source still matters.

Wasn't the metal thunder hawk slightly smaller scale then the resin? And considering plastic can be significantly lighter than resin. If gw makes a plastic version with a sturdier single flight stand they can make the thunderhawk much easier to play with on a 6x4 table. That's what I'm hoping for something akin to a baneblade in table space. Of course this means flyer rules need to suck less on 8th

Well another interesting bit is that when asked about that picture the FW guys said they couldn't talk about it. That's not standard practice for FW. They usually talk (more)freely about future releases from their studio.

If they can't talk about it, then it might not be their release.

gungo wrote:
Wasn't the metal thunder hawk slightly smaller scale then the resin? And considering plastic can be significantly lighter than resin. If gw makes a plastic version with a sturdier single flight stand they can make the thunderhawk much easier to play with on a 6x4 table. That's what I'm hoping for something akin to a baneblade in table space. Of course this means flyer rules need to suck less on 8th

I will now amuse myself with images of the giant Thunderhawk on the silly 4" tall cross base.

Where is this 4chan picture?

I'll be the first to put my hand up and admit I was wrong, but this 'news' about a plastic thunderhawk is bullgak from top to bottom!

Plastic thunderhawk? You gotta be kidding me

It's still a few days until April 1st.

Why the scepticism? It's long been 'unofficially accepted, by many, including this forum, that GW only pull this out of the hat if the company is heading down the pan, third world war, Armageddon, Luxembourg declaring war on the USA etc etc

Only if GW were struggling financially would they smash the hit in emergency only glass, and go for the nuclear option that is the plastic thunderhawk.

But by all accounts, GW are recovering, rebuilding, and heading for calmer waters since the Kirby days, ergo these is no need for this.

So yeah, I could be horribly wrong, but with April 1st just round the corner, I can smell the bullgak from a mile away.

Don't be fooled, Dakka, don't be fooled.

 oldravenman3025 wrote:

 Insurgency Walker wrote:
I can't think of a popular kit FW discontinued that didn't get a plastic replacement. Given the cost I'm sure they don't want to get stuck with FW stock before the plastic release.

Considering that there are plenty of "standard issue" Imperial Guard vehicles that have been dropped, and there are no plastic variants yet, leads me to believe that this isn't entirely true.

I think you forgot to read the word "popular".


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
This may simply be due to the molds being too far gone. If memory serves the Thunderhawk is one of Forge World's oldest models still in production. I can't imagine many of the old molds or even masters still holding up to this day, especially since Resin Casting is more brutal on the molds than plastic casting.

Due to the molds being made of squishy material vs hard resin, instead of heavy metal vs soft plastic.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Nvs wrote:
While interesting, isn't the Thunderhawk a bit large for the table top? While the knight and Wraithknight are large, they're also mostly vertical. The Thunderhawk would take up an enormous part of the table.

It's not that big, plus it's hovering above the rest, so it doesn't take up that much space.

Large fliers get in the way, and they're very easy to knock over when you reach down for dice. I try not to put my hands within a foot of a large flier.

 Verviedi wrote:
Large fliers get in the way, and they're very easy to knock over when you reach down for dice. I try not to put my hands within a foot of a large flier.

I try to not put my dice on the table personally. I hate it when it bounces off some random piece and lands on 1.

For me, it varies. I'll do large dice rolls in a box, but it's very annoying pulling the box out from under the table, rolling the dice, and then putting it back. Probably a relic of me usually playing on GW store tables, which don't have seperate rolling areas.

gungo wrote:
Wasn't the metal thunder hawk slightly smaller scale then the resin? And considering plastic can be significantly lighter than resin. If gw makes a plastic version with a sturdier single flight stand they can make the thunderhawk much easier to play with on a 6x4 table. That's what I'm hoping for something akin to a baneblade in table space. Of course this means flyer rules need to suck less on 8th

Smaller, but between 7 and 8 kilos when built, IIRC. Boxed up in the wooden suitcase, around 11KG.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:

gungo wrote:
Wasn't the metal thunder hawk slightly smaller scale then the resin? And considering plastic can be significantly lighter than resin. If gw makes a plastic version with a sturdier single flight stand they can make the thunderhawk much easier to play with on a 6x4 table. That's what I'm hoping for something akin to a baneblade in table space. Of course this means flyer rules need to suck less on 8th

Smaller, but between 7 and 8 kilos when built, IIRC. Boxed up in the wooden suitcase, around 11KG.

It would also fly to pieces if not assembled with pins, screws, girders, Prayers.

morgoth wrote:

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
This may simply be due to the molds being too far gone. If memory serves the Thunderhawk is one of Forge World's oldest models still in production. I can't imagine many of the old molds or even masters still holding up to this day, especially since Resin Casting is more brutal on the molds than plastic casting.

Due to the molds being made of squishy material vs hard resin, instead of heavy metal vs soft plastic.

My understanding was they never have to retire a model due to moulds dying. They just make new moulds off the masters when they need them and when the masters start to die, they repair them.

There was a time when several DKOK figures went out of stock, I emailed FW and they said the masters had gone back to the studio to be repaired, so they'd be back but it'd take a bit of time.

if a plastic thunder hawk does come out, I will never say plastic sisters or squats will never happen...

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

morgoth wrote:

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
This may simply be due to the molds being too far gone. If memory serves the Thunderhawk is one of Forge World's oldest models still in production. I can't imagine many of the old molds or even masters still holding up to this day, especially since Resin Casting is more brutal on the molds than plastic casting.

Due to the molds being made of squishy material vs hard resin, instead of heavy metal vs soft plastic.

My understanding was they never have to retire a model due to moulds dying. They just make new moulds off the masters when they need them and when the masters start to die, they repair them.

There was a time when several DKOK figures went out of stock, I emailed FW and they said the masters had gone back to the studio to be repaired, so they'd be back but it'd take a bit of time.

That's true.

Also, if recasters can make perfect recasts based on a regular resin cast, you don't need a master to make a new mold.

But sometimes they do get behind, a mold breaks and it's not high on the priority list so the thing is out of stock for ages - which might make business sense.

I'm curious about the additional options Harry has mentioned. We had speculated earlier that if they re-did the kit (either a new resin re-model from FW or a new plastic one) that additional weapons options would be likely, but this is the first tidbit that isn't pure speculations based on current kit trends.

Based on the size of a T-hawk kit (even if it's more the size of the old metal model) would that put it's main dorsal armament at about the same scale as Imperial knight weaponry? If so, any of those weapons could be fair game which could boost the optional list of main weapons up to 4 (RF Battle Cannon, Thermal Cannon, and Avenger Gatling Cannon) plus the Turbo Laser which I'm sure it would still have as an option. Then you've still got the Heavy Bolter Turrets which might be swappable for other heavy weapons like the Stormraven and other marine flyers can do—and that still doesn't even cover the two lascannons and underwing ordinance. That's a lot of available options.*

*I don't consider this wishlisting. I'm just speculating based off of Harry's rumor of more options.

I'll be getting one if it's true, I don't play marines, but I'd probably use it more as a big obstacle / terrain piece in games and I know it's a model I'll love building and painting.

So when can we start the rumor about the plastic Leviathan?

I have the FW Thunderhawk, its a great model but at the price and weight and size (takes up a 2x2' tile when landed) it just dosnt see the table top. Think I have used it twice in 5 years.

If they do a plastic one then I will happily get it to run in games more often.

 gainsay wrote:
if a plastic thunder hawk does come out, I will never say plastic sisters or squats will never happen...

Reset the clock!

I may get a plastic t-hawk depending on price as a collectors piece but it might depend on how impressive the kit is - I wonder if it will be released to launch the new edition?

Now we just need a plastic manta to use as a base for it.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
I'll be the first to put my hand up and admit I was wrong, but this 'news' about a plastic thunderhawk is bullgak from top to bottom!

Plastic thunderhawk? You gotta be kidding me

It's still a few days until April 1st.

Why the scepticism? It's long been 'unofficially accepted, by many, including this forum, that GW only pull this out of the hat if the company is heading down the pan, third world war, Armageddon, Luxembourg declaring war on the USA etc etc

Only if GW were struggling financially would they smash the hit in emergency only glass, and go for the nuclear option that is the plastic thunderhawk.

But by all accounts, GW are recovering, rebuilding, and heading for calmer waters since the Kirby days, ergo these is no need for this.

So yeah, I could be horribly wrong, but with April 1st just round the corner, I can smell the bullgak from a mile away.

Don't be fooled, Dakka, don't be fooled.

Well it's also been said that the concept for a plastic T-hawk was completed a few years ago, but the current CEO said 'NO' because he didn't think anyone would buy it. I think with how many Knight Titans have been sold, it's pretty clear to GW that their customers are not scared of big, expensive plastic kits.

Can somebody explain to me the appeal of this gargant of a kit? I'm not trying to be "that guy", I'm genuinely curious why people are so interested in it. I've been in the hobby since 2001 and I never understood how something that size can be utilized in a tabletop battle, other than Apocalypse sized battles.

Is it the fact it was previously only metal/resin? Is it more of a collector's piece? How does this kit improve a SM list?

I'm happy for the people who've been waiting for this one nonetheless!

Make a great ride for all the new Sisters of Battle

re why buy it - somewhat bored, have disposable income and it would loook cool