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Most 40k models/units have been updated at least once - and not always for the better.

So, what is your most hated model update? And why?

Most of the middle eldar aspect warriors sculpts (late 3rd, early 4th) The banshees, scorpions, and dragons were significant steps back from the old sculpts. Replaced with new ones very hastily.

The late 2nd, early 3rd SM scouts were much better then the modern plastics. The new snipers are not terrible, but the bolter/shotgun/CC scout box is a major step back from the metals.

2nd ed plastic marines were a step back from the RTB01s, but returned to a better place with the 3rd ed multipose tac box.

It would have to be the marine scouts to me.

Also the tyranids have had some very cool concepts made less interesting with updates, such as the carnifex screamer killer. Or the hormagaunts


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The design of orks has also changed radically, from the goblin like humanoids into gorillas. Although i like the current look, I think i prefer the classic art direction more

Oh that easy, the new DE Archon model, 100% the worst remake so far.

Demonettes

 combatcotton wrote:
Demonettes

I think Deamonettes are a two edged sword.
I prefer the previous metal versions of them and I also feel that when it comes to models like the previous metal seekers the riders and mounts had better proportions with each other and a more dynamic riding posture. The current mounts are a bit undersized to their riders (esp for the hellstriders) and the legs/riding posture is very stiff.

That said the current plastic Deamonettes are quite a sophisticated kit because heads and arms (and some leg portions) can interchange between the chariots, seekers and deamonettes. to me that's quite impressive and something we don't often see iwth GW models (outside of Tyranids and weapon arms). I also think the current better reflect the duel gendering that they had long ago and originally, whilst the Diaze Deamonettes are clearly very female (which is nothing wrong at all).

Early 2000's era Orks were gloriously cartoonish. Actually, most of the art and sculpts from that era were generally "more fun", for me.

Some of the new artwork and sculpts are really cool, but too "Grim". I always read that tagline as a tongue-in-cheek joke.

-Daemonettes by far
-Plastic Daemon Prince
-Horrors

Daemons back in 3rd ed (6th ed Fantasy) looked genuinely scary like they should. Now they just look like Disney Cartoon villains. They look like a joke when they should be the darkest horror beyond imagining.

 Amishprn86 wrote:
Oh that easy, the new DE Archon model, 100% the worst remake so far.

This.

I think it's very telling that GW has used the old Archon image on the front of the last two DE books.

As a Marine player I feel kind of spoiled here. The only thing in the range that I really have a problem with is the scenic base that the current Dreadnought comes with, and that's only because it can be very difficult to blend into a less 'standard' basing scheme if I've chosen metal deck plating or something.

Can I introduce something a bit more leftfield?

Epic Eldar Phantom Titans. Went from sleek alien beauties to epic 40k`s horrible boxy warlord titan with anorexia.

It was sooo unpopular eventually they stopped making it and re released the original when epic armageddon came about.

As for actual 40k, Ill also have to agree with the DE Archon. its just utterlyt bland compared to the previous ones.

Tyranid Warriors.

Daemon princes. The sleek yet ornate metal prince in a daemonic power armour first got a nurgly blob of a brother and eventually descended into the horrible, cartoonish plastic grotesque it is today.

Logan Grimnir easily one of the coolest most imposing dynamic 40k marine characters to a comic joke on his sleigh.

it's not been fully replaced yet but space marine captains. it'll be a sad day when the space marine commander box is retired

Flayed Ones. They took a lithe, sinister looking model and turned them into poncho wearing back up dancers.

Pariahs looked better than Lychguard too, though really it has more to do with that stupid baby bonnet they wear. If you switch out that head for a praetorian or immortal head it looks so much better.

 Llamahead wrote:
Logan Grimnir easily one of the coolest most imposing dynamic 40k marine characters to a comic joke on his sleigh.

I think Logan himself isn't bad. The...thing he's on is best left forgotten.

I would also go.with the striking scorpion blasphemy when they had the stupid stinger things at the top of their helmets.

Actually, I'll nominate the entire new Necron range.

I hate the stupid space-Tomb-Kings look. The old models - even the Lords and Elites - had a great minimalist look.

Now every HQ looks like a coral reef on legs.

And the idea of Necrons replacing body parts to fulfil specific roles (Destroyers, Destroyer Lords, Wraiths etc.) has vanished entirely. Wraiths are just Necron machines now, and their vehicles just have regular pilots like every other race.

I fething love Santa Grimnar's sleigh

 vipoid wrote:
Actually, I'll nominate the entire new Necron range.

I hate the stupid space-Tomb-Kings look. The old models - even the Lords and Elites - had a great minimalist look.

Now every HQ looks like a coral reef on legs.

And the idea of Necrons replacing body parts to fulfil specific roles (Destroyers, Destroyer Lords, Wraiths etc.) has vanished entirely. Wraiths are just Necron machines now, and their vehicles just have regular pilots like every other race.

Whilst you're not wrong (I too preferred the functional aesthetic of old crons), the canoptek models and deathmarks look pretty nice, imo, and the flyers would have looked fine if you covered up the stupid hole.
The rest of the new range...eh, its not great.

 vipoid wrote:
Actually, I'll nominate the entire new Necron range.

I hate the stupid space-Tomb-Kings look. The old models - even the Lords and Elites - had a great minimalist look.

Now every HQ looks like a coral reef on legs.

And the idea of Necrons replacing body parts to fulfil specific roles (Destroyers, Destroyer Lords, Wraiths etc.) has vanished entirely. Wraiths are just Necron machines now, and their vehicles just have regular pilots like every other race.

This, and with the necron machines they have still not even got it. Why do there machines have pilots. If they can make a spider or a wraith, why does there plane need a pilot at all.

Also new Logan on his slaigh. Worst thing ever. But it’s mostly the mount and wolves bit.

The new CSM daemon prince!

You can’t care too much about GW after that Daemon Prince.

Cadians are still stuck with stumpy military fiction garbage the metals had such great poses and a better archaic-industrial blend.

The 2002 Raptors, the ones with cowl intakes and hawk talon feet, were the pinnacle of raptor models. Then they changed from semi-beasts back to spiky marines and their rules also became loyalist clones.

Necrons are cartoons now. Scouts are ugly.

I forgot about chaos raptors. The 2002 ones were definitely the best, although I will say that the new ones fit the aesthetic better than previous ones. They almost didn't even seem like they were part of the same army.

Cadians suck hard.

I like both old and new necrons for different reasons.

The old ones were definitely terrifying in a way the new ones aren't.

The new necrons are a bit campy in that retro 50's alien invasion kinda way...but I like it. And it's very unusual for me to like something like that.

Wulfen

I disliked the Raptors too at first and for a long time. But when I started truescaling my army, I reeeeally noticed how short the metal Raptors' torsos were. I know this was a problem with a lot of old power armoured models, but with the longer legs of those models it is really made a lot worse.

Also Daemonettes and Wulfen. Wulfen should never have weapon options and should have been mostly covered in scavenged replacement armour parts like the older models.

The metal bloodletters with axes looked more Khorney too.

Oh, where to begin....?
A fair few have been mentioned, but for the sake of completeness-

40k

Plastic DP. Just, why? I reckon this was made at a time when GW was just getting into CAD, and it shows. Utterly terrible compared to its predecessor.

Flayed Ones. The old ones with their scalpel-like fingers were perfect. The newer ones with their Orky weapon-esq hands and ponchos look godawful.

Grimnar. Yes, both the sleigh and the rider. Old one looks miles better and far less 2D. Also the OG one lacks the massive cable that you can just sever the power supply from his weapon with.

Horrors. Another suspected victim of early CAD. The previous ones were perfect but probably untranslatable into plastic.

Striking Scorpions. Not the current ones, which are ace with their Predator helms. The bunny rabbit ones prior to them. fething awful.

Scions. Not that they are bad per se, but they just cannot compete with the Kasrkin that came before them.

Ogryns. Might be the paint job as I've honestly never seen a unit IRL, but it looks obvious they've been made in CAD.

Plastic Scouts. Metal ones were far far superior to these unholy love children of John Cena and Wayne Rooney.

Tigurius. Sorry Mr Harrison the Jes Goodwin original is far better.

Wulfen. Whilst the previous ones were not great by any stretch, looking a lot like something out the Thriller and/or Teen Wolf but these other ones that look like they're wearing jorts look awful. Luckily there is an easy fix with Primaris legs.

Murderfang. Yes, I know there wasn't a previous incarnation of him, but his design tweaked the basic Dreadnought design to confirm one of the stupidest things that plagues several converting communities to this day. The head is literally his head and not decoration. feth. Off. I've seen far too many wide eyed idiots putting bare heads on that Venerable Dread (another awful model) model than I can count. It looks terrible every time. I believe they were trying to copy Karchev from WMH, but it works on that model due to the shape of the figure. It does not work on Dreads, especially as they are supposed to be sealed in a sarcophagus.

The Dark Apostle. Far too busy. It needs a few things removing to be a bit better. Previous one was in a much nicer pose.

Typhus. Awful pose that does not fit the character at all. Like the Wulfen it is luckily an easy fix.

Dire Avengers. Another victim of early CAD. Uninspired and have literally no detail on the top of their crests, its just flat.

DE Archon. Another "just why?". Everything about it is bad compared to the previous one. The pose being the biggest offender.

The Tau flyers. Not a redesign per se, but why o why could they have not just made the Barracuda in plastic rather than these... things which look like someone tried to Tauify a Spitfire.

The entire studio scheme for the Death Guard.

Gotta agree with the Eldar Titans one. Interestingly the issue they came out was one of my first White Dwarfs and I kinda liked them at the time having never seen the older ones. Go figure.

AOS

Archaon. Just no. The previous one was perfect and iconic. This one is simply "lOoK aT wHaT wE cAn Do In CaD!!!!" with the unnecessarily large mount overshadowing the rider who is supposed to be the big bad of Chaos for AoS.

Dragon Ogres. Very static looking limbs for an organic sculpt. It's like they have no knees.

Minotaurs. Old ones just needed hooves, yet we got these gymbros.

Skaven Plague Censer Bearers. Old ones were far better.

Drycha. Not a big fan of her battlesuit nor the erm... thicket of brambles between her legs. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Dark Elf Hydra. A massive step down from the previous one which in turn was a massive step up from the previous one to that.

Gyrocopter. Just looks like someone stuck a set of rotorblades on a SmartCar.

DE Chariot. Why., The. feth. Does it have one wheel?

Empire (Freeguild) soldiers. Just look like an unprofessional rabble compared to the old ones. Why does one guy have no shoes?

Crypt Ghouls. Previous Paul Muller ones were amazing. These ones are not great.

The Ogres. Not a figure redesign, but a studio paintscheme redesign. The Ogre models were originally a sort of ashen grey tone in their skin to emphasis the fact they are not big humans, they're a different species entirely. Somewhere around 7th ed WHFB they changed it to what it is currently and they just look daft to me.

Necromunda

Special shoutout to Kal Jerico and Scabs. Kal is fine, but WTf is going on with Scabs? The previous one was great.

Wulfen, bar none. I wasn't even a massive fan of the idea of them in the first place, but the current models are a fething joke. I mean, a literal charicature of the idea.

The Chimera update ranks up there just because the turret looks so much more boxy and ridiculous, and they removed the vehicle upgrade sprue and had the gall to charge more for the privilege.

The new Raptors are far too busy in terms of detail and the old metal ones had much more character to them. Makign them basic CSM's with 30k jump packs took a lot away from their aesthetic and was a really poor design choice.

Santa Grimnar has to rank up there, that was stupid through and through, but GW seems to want to insist on making SW's as stupid as possible in general.

The Diaz daemonettes I think were much cooler looking than the current plastic ones.

I kinda wish GW would go back to something akin to the 2E carnifex style for that unit. The current kit isn't awful per se, but looks far too generic "monster" compared with the old 2E kit.

The new plague marine kits just don't quite hit the spot for me. The deer antlers they stick on everything just don't fit the concept, the detail is simultaneously busy and flat (a side effect of being unable to do undercuts in plastic) with far too many clean and sharp edges, and they just don't quite capture the rotting/gross feeling the metal ones had despite being much less ostentatious. It doesn't help that every paint scheme GW shows them in is bright, clean, and neat. These guys should look like something pulled out of a corroding sewer, not something with clean armor trim and irregular holes in otherwise pristine plate.