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I've heard that there's gonna be a second version of the Space Marines Codex, supplements and all, and I just have to ask, why? While I don't know what state Space Marines are in the current meta, this just strikes me as a cash grab of the worst kind. What is the point of it, and do others here think that it is either a good or bad move on GW's part?

Source?

Par of the course?

2 SM dexes per edition is kind of the norm.

Money?

They've released models with more options than are in the book, and we've already started the cycle of reprinting basic Marine units in supplement books (something that plagued the Psychic Awakening ones).

So maybe to avoid having to do that for every campaign book that involves Marines (READ: all of them), they'll do 2.0 for the Marine books.

And this is why you don't buy 40k printed material...

GW exists to make money.

Space Marines make unbelievable amounts of money.

Making as many space marine books as the community can bear is the best financial decision GW can make

I don't believe it was ever actually confirmed anywhere and it just kind of seemed to pop up when the new Gravis Captain and Ancient models were previewed. These models then got datasheets in Nachmund and for free on WarCom.
As for the whole 2 Codexes for SM being par for the course, utter nonsense. It happened in 8th and hasn't happened prior to that for ages.

 ArcaneHorror wrote:
I've heard that there's gonna be a second version of the Space Marines Codex, supplements and all, and I just have to ask, why? While I don't know what state Space Marines are in the current meta, this just strikes me as a cash grab of the worst kind. What is the point of it, and do others here think that it is either a good or bad move on GW's part?

Well that's GW for you. Reason is simple. Space marines sell.

Basically space marine codex is "print me some money" for GW. They push that button as often as they think they can get away with it.

Codex creep almost makes it necessary, but that's why you don't buy any of their printed product.

SM will get a new 9th edition 2.0 codex and a third wound on marines before CSM even gets their first 9.0 codex and a second wound on marines.

If they release a 2.0 codex it might be the first time I don’t buy the latest marine book. The churn is crazy for the amount of time I actually play. Just switch to eldar/nids until the 10th book drops. Which will probably be 6 months after the 2.0 one does.

I don’t like to be bitter about the rules, but GW is really trying me.

 Drachii wrote:
Source?

Seems to be Valrak / B&C - existing thread here.

It's looking like Eldar > 'Nids > CSM so if true summer at the earliest.

Starting the codex cycle over again within an edition is fine, but it should only happen after all factions get their books.

 oni wrote:
Starting the codex cycle over again within an edition is fine, but it should only happen after all factions get their books.

It really isn't fine because of how quick the codices are invalidated.

 ArcaneHorror wrote:
this just strikes me as a cash grab of the worst kind. What is the point of it,

Huh, answered & asked in the same sentence....

Planned obsolescence, it is a feature, not a bug... hence, wa-ha-pe-dia et al.

I do expect the Ultramarine, RavenGuard, Iron Hands, and Imperial Fists supplements to be re-done for 9th, but I don't expect a marine codex until we have all the other 9th edition books.

EviscerationPlague wrote:

 oni wrote:
Starting the codex cycle over again within an edition is fine, but it should only happen after all factions get their books.

It really isn't fine because of how quick the codices are invalidated.

Sure it is.

If all faction codexes have been updated for the edition, what's the problem with starting over from the beginning? This would bring the earlier books up to par with the later power-creeped books. If anything, this is the best solution to what's already being done. Why would there have to be an edition change before new codexes can be done?

It's mostly the supplements that are behind the curve on the 9th edition design. The core book is "fine". They'll push a new one if they have enough models to kick out with it though.

There have been many new version of the space marine codex. The 2.0 was probably because second edition was so odd from first edition.

 Niiai wrote:
There have been many new version of the space marine codex. The 2.0 was probably because second edition was so odd from first edition.

kinda funny

 oni wrote:

EviscerationPlague wrote:

 oni wrote:
Starting the codex cycle over again within an edition is fine, but it should only happen after all factions get their books.

It really isn't fine because of how quick the codices are invalidated.

Sure it is.

If all faction codexes have been updated for the edition, what's the problem with starting over from the beginning? This would bring the earlier books up to par with the later power-creeped books. If anything, this is the best solution to what's already being done. Why would there have to be an edition change before new codexes can be done?

The problem is that GW starts over for the sake of starting over, pulls far too many levers, and generally kicks the foundation out from under themselves long before they have any chance to actually fix anything. The goal is not to improve the game at all, the goal is to make sure what models are powerful and what models are terrible remains in flux so people buy new models/new armies to keep up. It's great for the profit margin, as long as they can keep new players coming in, but it's not great for player retention, as people get tired of their stuff becoming terrible, quit, and then lurk around the fringes of the community whining about when their stuff used to be good.

Is there anything actually solid that this is happening?

I dont think they ever released two vanilla space marines books in an edition before 8th btw.

Dai wrote:
Is there anything actually solid that this is happening?

I dont think they ever released two vanilla space marines books in an edition before 8th btw.

Yup. Excluding the subfaction books (Dark Angels, Wolves, etc.) Space Marines only got a 2nd Codex in 8th Ed. In fact, Dark Angels, Dark Eldar, Imperial Guard, and CSM all got double Codexes in 3rd and CSM also got a 2nd Codex in 8th.

It was always going to happen, but I think the timeline for it has changed. Mainly due to how bad GW's stocks have been doing and they need a reliable cash injection.

It seems likely that the CSM codex was delayed to be paired with SM 2.0 otherwise we should have seen it released with Eldar. Just like:

- Custode and GSC
- Thousand Sons and GK
- SM and Necrons

Etc

Jarms48 wrote:
It was always going to happen, but I think the timeline for it has changed. Mainly due to how bad GW's stocks have been doing and they need a reliable cash injection.

It seems likely that the CSM codex was delayed to be paired with SM 2.0 otherwise we should have seen it released with Eldar. Just like:

- Custode and GSC
- Thousand Sons and GK
- SM and Necrons

Etc

That's such gak. The company stocks have absolutely nothing to do with the release schedule and even if they did, the last year saw a massive inflation due to lockdowns caused by Covid increasing the company's profits and selling power. Even in its own financial reports and investor statements, GW has confirmed that the company doesn't expect this boom to continue as people return to normal life and lose the huge amounts of free time they had during 2020/21. BTW, GW stocks haven't even gone down to their pre-pandemic levels of February 2020.
Where the heck are you getting your info that any of what you've said is remotely true?

 Gert wrote:

Dai wrote:
Is there anything actually solid that this is happening?

I dont think they ever released two vanilla space marines books in an edition before 8th btw.

Yup. Excluding the subfaction books (Dark Angels, Wolves, etc.) Space Marines only got a 2nd Codex in 8th Ed. In fact, Dark Angels, Dark Eldar, Imperial Guard, and CSM all got double Codexes in 3rd and CSM also got a 2nd Codex in 8th.

Calling CSM "2" a second codex is being very kind to gw, especially compared to the "2nd Codex" we got in 3rd.

On the breaking up of the release of the 9th edition CSM codex from Eldar: it's probably in order to put the release of the CSM codex in the second quarter. They're just breaking up their "big" releases in order to spread out profits to each quarter. I'd expect "Codex: Loyalist Scum 2" to be in the 3rd or 4th quarter, if it actually happens, for the same reason. It's just business.

Dai wrote:
Is there anything actually solid that this is happening?

I dont think they ever released two vanilla space marines books in an edition before 8th btw.

They didn't release so many codexes in an edition before either. They need to keep sales coming up.

 Gadzilla666 wrote:

Calling CSM "2" a second codex is being very kind to gw, especially compared to the "2nd Codex" we got in 3rd.

But this isn't a comparison of rules content, it's a fact that CSM got a 2nd Codex in 8th. It's about debunking the nonsense statement of "SM getting 2 Codexes per edition is standard", pretending like GW sets any sort of precedent when it comes to double Codexes.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

tneva82 wrote:
They didn't release so many codexes in an edition before either. They need to keep sales coming up.

Which the company is still doing without a double SM release because GW has learned that making new things for older armies makes money.

It's like I keep tellin you striplings, books are the one thing they can reliably make you buy.

Minis last for decades, but rules they can cycle over year after year.

It has been 2 weeks since I spend money in GW books I'm glad they'll give me again the chance to continue my consumerims sickness.