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Was scrolling through FW today & noticed the Thunderhawk has gone oop. "Sold Out & No Longer Available". :(

Plenty of other casualties as well across the lines.

From what I read online, it's just out of stock and their website is having a glitch.

Don't forget, England is under heavy restrictions right now, so that limits what GW can produce.

Don't panic just yet.

FW has been showing things sold out all last year and some returns and some doesn't. It's a real random shot as to what is just out of stock and what is actually gone. Plus sometimes even if you contact them they are hopeful that something is coming back and then it doesn't


Sometimes I think the FW staff/team has to work with a random dice roll on any choices made.

It means they're finally making the plastic Thunderhawk!


/joke

Still in stock on this side of the pond, so it might by that ongoing "incorrect label" issue on the US store.

For another example, the Reaver Titan went "Sold Out and No Longer Available" a couple of weeks ago, and it's already back.

The Necron titan is Sold Out in the UK

One logical argument would be that Sold Out gets default applied if the mould is listed as destroyed/worn and has to be approved by central GW for investing and making a new one.

Squiggoth was sold out some weeks ago, too. But it's also back.

Plastic Thunderhawk now confirmed everyone

I’d love a couple plastic thunderhawk. Probably never happen but I would love one

I'm glad it's gone, now FW can focus on the next set of Deimos Rhino doors. Priorities people!

Not to worry, i have 3 in my epic 40K army

I never liked the idea of taking 30 space marines in what should be an assault craft. To me that is putting way too many of your eggs all into one basket. Why, you may ask? This clip from "Lone Survivor" answers it better than me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL1UUCrB6JE

I would rather take Stormravens any day and twice on Sunday. This does not mean that Thunderhawks have no purpose on a planet fall. The Thunderhawks that haul cargo are perfect for the job.

 Insectum7 wrote:
It means they're finally making the plastic Thunderhawk!


/joke

You joke, but wasn't there a rumor going around a while back that said GW had designed the largest plastic kit they've ever made, and people were arguing if it was the Thunderhawk or Warhound Titan?

 Togusa wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
It means they're finally making the plastic Thunderhawk!


/joke

You joke, but wasn't there a rumor going around a while back that said GW had designed the largest plastic kit they've ever made, and people were arguing if it was the Thunderhawk or Warhound Titan?

Frankly I'm surprised they haven't released one. I was very surprised when they resculpted and released the current FW kit.

It's classic GW, they have a separate message for "out of stock" vs "discontinued" but they're so bad at the internet that they keep using the wrong message...except when they don't. And you have no way of knowing whether any given situation is just normal incompetence or actually shows a product has been discontinued.

It’s pretty widely known right know that their sites are going through various issues and re-product-coding, so not everything that goes is gone. Most people lamenting each item’s “demise” wouldn’t have bought it anyway, salt piles on salt it seems.

Let them sort it out and the stuff that’s coming back will be back. World is weird right now, this really isn’t an issue.

 Insectum7 wrote:

 Togusa wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
It means they're finally making the plastic Thunderhawk!


/joke

You joke, but wasn't there a rumor going around a while back that said GW had designed the largest plastic kit they've ever made, and people were arguing if it was the Thunderhawk or Warhound Titan?

Frankly I'm surprised they haven't released one. I was very surprised when they resculpted and released the current FW kit.

How many thunderhawk's you expect to sell? Plastic sprues need to sell a ton to make up mould cost. Thunderhaw is flying superheavy transport that is　hardly feasible in 2k games and would cost quite a lot. How many will bother with it? Resin is much more appropriate material for such a niche unit.

A lot of people don’t buy kits for gaming anymore. It’s all about the models. These large kits would sell really well to modellers.
The number of people who actually game frequently is probably quite small in the overall sales. Certainly the vast majority of models sold won’t see much of a gaming table.

 Knockagh wrote:
A lot of people don’t buy kits for gaming anymore. It’s all about the models. These large kits would sell really well to modellers.
The number of people who actually game frequently is probably quite small in the overall sales. Certainly the vast majority of models sold won’t see much of a gaming table.

This.

I’ve got a full battle company on the shelf. Did I need to fill out the backs of the squads or add more tac squads? No. Does it look great and give me a sense of accomplishment sitting on the shelf? Yup. If they release a plastic thunderhawk I’ll grab one. It might never see the table, but would make an amazing centerpiece model in the cabinet. They are an iconic part of the SM lore, and have been so forever.

I’m still a gamer, and given a chance I would slap it down on the table. Odds of that happening are crazy low, but non-zero. Would be fun and fluffy to do a null-deploy marine detachment in an apoc game, flyers, cargo, and drop pods. That’s how marines should be entering the table. Not lined up in the deployment zone like guardsmen.

 Knockagh wrote:
A lot of people don’t buy kits for gaming anymore. It’s all about the models. These large kits would sell really well to modellers.
The number of people who actually game frequently is probably quite small in the overall sales. Certainly the vast majority of models sold won’t see much of a gaming table.

Age of Sigmar would disagree with you.

GW didn't change CEOs and some other key upper management staff and rebuild AoS almost from the ground up from its launch just because of a few wargamers.


I think the key is potential. Yes many people don't game as much as they might like, if ever; but the important thing is the potential to game. Their models might never see a table, but they have the choice to see the table and at the back of their mind that's one of the draws to the hobby, even if it is one they don't get to realise. Much like some climbers might never climb Mount Everest, but the chance to do it is part of what drives them. Deny them and suddenly it can impact them even if they were never going to get there.


And yes a plastic thunderhawk would sell, but how many would sell and would it be enough and would the costs in moulds be recouped fast enough to make it a worthwhile investment over, say, revamping a whole model like like Eldar. Because with size and number of parts that might be as much mould material/number of moulds as a good chunk of an army. An army that would sell in volume and speed enough to recoup investment and start earning profit quickly.

I think Overread is right and that GW is heavily dependent on those who are gaming to sell things. GW had really low numbers when Kirby was encouraging the "We are like Apple and just sell models for collectors" mood. If anything the hobby has grown tremendously after GW started addressing those who actually play the game. Same goes with all the specialist games.

I would however add that I think AoS probably sells to the non-wargamer better than 40k as AoS is probably used in a lot of roleplaying and similar ventures these days, something that is much harder with the iconic and setting obund 40k. 40k seems more dependent on people actually playing GW's stuff. I know that when gaming went down locally due to COVID 40k sales shrank a lot, but AoS sales kept steady and even increased occasionally.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

And yes a plastic thunderhawk would sell, but how many would sell and would it be enough and would the costs in moulds be recouped fast enough to make it a worthwhile investment over, say, revamping a whole model like like Eldar. Because with size and number of parts that might be as much mould material/number of moulds as a good chunk of an army. An army that would sell in volume and speed enough to recoup investment and start earning profit quickly.

I think it would depend entirely on how robust the plastic was and if they could cut corners here and there. I imagine the resin needs to be much thicker and sturdier compared to a plastic version.

Either way I think we've been seeing GW test their price elasticity in recent years. Sons of Behemat are very expensive but sell quite well, so maybe we'll see a time where GW might actually think a plastic Thunderhawk might be worth it.

Only time will tell.

 Eldarsif wrote:
I think Overread is right and that GW is heavily dependent on those who are gaming to sell things. GW had really low numbers when Kirby was encouraging the "We are like Apple and just sell models for collectors" mood.

There's really a lot of people who just paint and collect. But stuff that is utterly expensive, in resin, and outside the GW catalogue really has only a few people that would buy it, even if it was a competitive unit.

Happy day.... in stock today... (UK)

tneva82 wrote:

Spoiler:

 Insectum7 wrote:

 Togusa wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
It means they're finally making the plastic Thunderhawk!


/joke

You joke, but wasn't there a rumor going around a while back that said GW had designed the largest plastic kit they've ever made, and people were arguing if it was the Thunderhawk or Warhound Titan?

Frankly I'm surprised they haven't released one. I was very surprised when they resculpted and released the current FW kit.

How many thunderhawk's you expect to sell?

I expect more Thunderhawks would sell than Stompas.

 Blackie wrote:

 Eldarsif wrote:
I think Overread is right and that GW is heavily dependent on those who are gaming to sell things. GW had really low numbers when Kirby was encouraging the "We are like Apple and just sell models for collectors" mood.

There's really a lot of people who just paint and collect. But stuff that is utterly expensive, in resin, and outside the GW catalogue really has only a few people that would buy it, even if it was a competitive unit.

Not saying that there are few people who paint and collect, more that the gaming side is most likely the force that keeps the wheel going for both sides as there are always new combos and armies to play keeping the scene alive. I also wouldn't be surprised that the collect and paint people are the ones that are more likely to buy from FW as a lot of things don't have good rules and is more "historical"(in the 40k universe).

I would also guess that 40k collectors are mostly(not all) Space Marine collectors. Evident by the abundance of Space Marines on GW and FW sites and the regular updates to the lines.

 Insectum7 wrote:

tneva82 wrote:

Spoiler:

 Insectum7 wrote:

 Togusa wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
It means they're finally making the plastic Thunderhawk!


/joke

You joke, but wasn't there a rumor going around a while back that said GW had designed the largest plastic kit they've ever made, and people were arguing if it was the Thunderhawk or Warhound Titan?

Frankly I'm surprised they haven't released one. I was very surprised when they resculpted and released the current FW kit.

How many thunderhawk's you expect to sell?

I expect more Thunderhawks would sell than Stompas.

That's because proper ork collectors would scratch build their own stompa!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Eldarsif wrote:

 Blackie wrote:

 Eldarsif wrote:
I think Overread is right and that GW is heavily dependent on those who are gaming to sell things. GW had really low numbers when Kirby was encouraging the "We are like Apple and just sell models for collectors" mood.

There's really a lot of people who just paint and collect. But stuff that is utterly expensive, in resin, and outside the GW catalogue really has only a few people that would buy it, even if it was a competitive unit.

Not saying that there are few people who paint and collect, more that the gaming side is most likely the force that keeps the wheel going for both sides as there are always new combos and armies to play keeping the scene alive. I also wouldn't be surprised that the collect and paint people are the ones that are more likely to buy from FW as a lot of things don't have good rules and is more "historical"(in the 40k universe).

I would also guess that 40k collectors are mostly(not all) Space Marine collectors. Evident by the abundance of Space Marines on GW and FW sites and the regular updates to the lines.

I agree, but we're not talking about a generic SM model. We're talking about something that costs like a whole army. Even if it belongs to the most popular faction, most of the guys that simply paint and collect are not interested in those kinds of models. They're reserved for a very tiny fraction of the customers. That's why even with broken rules I really don't see a model like that showing up frequently in regular games.

 Blackie wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:

tneva82 wrote:

Spoiler:

 Insectum7 wrote:

 Togusa wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
It means they're finally making the plastic Thunderhawk!


/joke

You joke, but wasn't there a rumor going around a while back that said GW had designed the largest plastic kit they've ever made, and people were arguing if it was the Thunderhawk or Warhound Titan?

Frankly I'm surprised they haven't released one. I was very surprised when they resculpted and released the current FW kit.

How many thunderhawk's you expect to sell?

I expect more Thunderhawks would sell than Stompas.

That's because proper ork collectors would scratch build their own stompa!

While true, they might be just as likely to buy a Stompa and dismantle it for parts for other conversions or turn one Stompa into two Stompas

 Insectum7 wrote:

 Togusa wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
It means they're finally making the plastic Thunderhawk!


/joke

You joke, but wasn't there a rumor going around a while back that said GW had designed the largest plastic kit they've ever made, and people were arguing if it was the Thunderhawk or Warhound Titan?

Frankly I'm surprised they haven't released one. I was very surprised when they resculpted and released the current FW kit.

When the Thunderhawk was in the main codex, and about 700 points there was a chance for a plastic kit. At nearly 2,000 points by itself, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Breton wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:

 Togusa wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
It means they're finally making the plastic Thunderhawk!


/joke

You joke, but wasn't there a rumor going around a while back that said GW had designed the largest plastic kit they've ever made, and people were arguing if it was the Thunderhawk or Warhound Titan?

Frankly I'm surprised they haven't released one. I was very surprised when they resculpted and released the current FW kit.

When the Thunderhawk was in the main codex, and about 700 points there was a chance for a plastic kit. At nearly 2,000 points by itself, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Well, now it's back down to just 800 PPM, so......