Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Quite a bit of the resin stuff, mostly covens, beasts and the court on last chance to buy.
Maybe that means plastic models incoming or the death knell?
I'll choose to be optimistic but ..

Games Workshop has certainly taken every other opportunity to remove units and options from the DE codex.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if half the stuff removed never came back.

GW is removing, predominantly, finecast from their line up in one big go by doing these phased removals under the print on demand system. The intention is that those models will return to production with limited time slots in the future, like they do wtih Lord of the Rings right now.


DE are suffering because a lot of their finecast is still in core models, not just heroes like Necons (who surprisingly have retained quite a few heroes but lost a few models who, honestly, already mostly have replacements in plastic); or the first wave of Space Marine models.


Right now we expect to see those models come around again at some point in the future for a reprint, either in finecast or perhaps metal (the recent Eldar classic models Made to Order were all in metal with no finecast).



IT might even be that there are already plastic replacements for many and that GW's broken up release schedule is just messed up too much to get them out. However GW's phased removal of finecast was perhaps already set in stone as move they had to make.

I am nervous about it too, and like OP, trying to be cautiously optimistic. I think there will, at the very least, be some MTO returns. Getting plastic updates is a bigger issue. Grotesques are probably the best shot for plastics. They'd probably be released in boxes of 3- like fiends of Slaanesh.

What makes the other models so difficult to update is that they'd need to do the whole beast set or the whole court of the archon set- you can't just replace one model from either set, you have to do ALL of them. Now you may be thinking "Great opportunity for a Kill Team" - and I want to agree... But there's a problem here.

The Court of the Archon doesn't really work without the Archon- this model is the tie that binds the other disparate models together. But this version of Kill Team, for the time being, does not incorporate HQ models. Similarly, there's no arena beasts without a beast master... And that model is a super fast moving FA choice... Another model type that is not accommodated by the current version of the game.

My hope is that the next 40K Warhammer Quest game is set in Commorragh; a reboot of Gangs of Commorragh (only better) could also provide an opportunity. GW flirts with Aeldari world-building: we've all seen the awesome wraithbone terrain in the promo pics, so we know they have the capacity. The GoC box was another such flirtation that never received support- it was the perfect venue for a Baron Sathonyx model, but the opportunity was missed.

Grotesques though? Those guys are a shoe-in, especially given that covens are currently lagging behind both Kabals and Covens in terms of models- a fact that is only exacerbated by this range rotation.

edit: I'm not sure if grotesques are meta, but if so, GW must be hemorrhaging money to W Artel whose knock-off grotesques are are awesome: https://artelw.com/Flesh-Golems-of-Voidborn-Ancients-p238880601

Just more Range Rotation per the bottom of the Sunday Preview.

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2022/04/17/sunday-preview-dive-into-a-new-chapter-of-warhammer-underworlds/

Incubi, Drazhar and Lelith have been released in plastic, lots of new eldar units too.

I have hope for proper beasts, court, mandrakes and grotesques plastic kits.

 Blackie wrote:
Incubi, Drazhar and Lelith have been released in plastic, lots of new eldar units too.

I have hope for proper beasts, court, mandrakes and grotesques plastic kits.

I'm thinking they should be coming, along with the rest of the aspects, hopefully just a question of when. Hopefully a decent autarch skyrunner too, though why they didn't include a few extra bits in the shining spears box is beyond me. Even though converting one is much easier now it still looks like an easy win missed.

In my opinion certain of these models are not well suited for Plastic because the difference in in fine/sharp details. As an example the Mandrakes. The Robes/Pants But I will admit that having the ability to repose or even having additional models wouldn't be bad.

Disclaimer: I already have 30 Mandrakes and two complete Courts so not sure I'd be adversely affected either way. But I would like to have a Beastmaster and some Beasts

 Grimoir wrote:
In my opinion certain of these models are not well suited for Plastic because the difference in in fine/sharp details. As an example the Mandrakes. The Robes/Pants But I will admit that having the ability to repose or even having additional models wouldn't be bad.

Disclaimer: I already have 30 Mandrakes and two complete Courts so not sure I'd be adversely affected either way. But I would like to have a Beastmaster and some Beasts

If you don't care for the eventual plastic versions there's always EBay etc

 Blackie wrote:
Incubi, Drazhar and Lelith have been released in plastic, lots of new eldar units too.

I have hope for proper beasts, court, mandrakes and grotesques plastic kits.

I ended up getting the stuff I thought was least likely to get plastic- a selection of Court units and Beast units.

I figure Mandrakes are more likely to get plastic because they could fit more easily into a Kill Team.

In total, I picked up:

1 Lhamaean
1 Medusa
2 Slyth

1 Beast Master
1 Clawed Fiend
4 Khymerae

That was as much as I could afford. It's enough. More would have been great, but it also would have frustrated me more to have spent more if the plastics do come.

 Grimoir wrote:
In my opinion certain of these models are not well suited for Plastic because the difference in in fine/sharp details. As an example the Mandrakes. The Robes/Pants But I will admit that having the ability to repose or even having additional models wouldn't be bad.

Disclaimer: I already have 30 Mandrakes and two complete Courts so not sure I'd be adversely affected either way. But I would like to have a Beastmaster and some Beasts

There's plenty of plastic models with perfectly detailed robes/pants. Why do you think mandrakes can't be done properly in plastic? Finecast is much worse than plastic.

@Blackie:

The answer to your question lies in my post.

What I find strange about this range rotation is that by removing some central units to Drukhari Sub-factions they are making it hard for people to build a force without kitbashing from elsewhere or do some ebay hunting. I really do hope a plastic replacement is coming.

For sure. There's never been a better reason to buy some of these:

https://artelw.com/Flesh-Golems-of-Voidborn-Ancients-p238880601

They were always better than GW Grotesques, and cheaper... But after tomorrow, the GW version won't even be possible.

I think its a sign that GW just can't deal with finecast any more. The fail rate is too high. High enough that they are willing to sacrifice sales in the short term to the 3rd party market.

However it might also be that GW today isn't as "afraid" of the 3rd party market.

PenitentJake wrote:
For sure. There's never been a better reason to buy some of these:

https://artelw.com/Flesh-Golems-of-Voidborn-Ancients-p238880601

They were always better than GW Grotesques, and cheaper... But after tomorrow, the GW version won't even be possible.

£51 for 3 GW ones and £55.67 for the artel ones including the joy of international shipping times and costs. So kind of a wash depending on circumstance in the UK.

One box of Crypt Horrors and a Talos/Cronos gives you 3 Grotesques and a Talos/Cronos. If one were to be building a Covens list its a win win.

Good stuff.

Some of us want actual Grotesque minis though.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Some of us want actual Grotesque minis though.

In my entire time in 40k I have never seen a Grotesque IRL and it is constantly lambasted as a rubbish model online.
Forgive me if I don't believe that you are doing anything but deliberately stoking the flames.

 Gert wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Some of us want actual Grotesque minis though.

In my entire time in 40k I have never seen a Grotesque IRL and it is constantly lambasted as a rubbish model online.
Forgive me if I don't believe that you are doing anything but deliberately stoking the flames.

I mean that or he, you know, just wants GW to release a new model for the grotesques not just remove the finecast ones from sale.

I don't really see that as fanning any flames of anything. That's just normal behaviour for someone interested in Dark Eldar who wants a specific model updated to a new sculpt and released.

Exactly.

I want a box of Grotesques like we get Ogryn or Slaangors.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Good stuff.

Some of us want actual Grotesque minis though.

Well then you should've ordered them yesterday, now shouldn't you?
And in the future you'll get them on the secondary market.
Eventually? With the coming of the 10e codex? Maybe GW will release a plastic kit.

ccs wrote:
Eventually? With the coming of the 10e codex? Maybe GW will release a plastic kit.

Given GW's track record, it wouldn't surprise me if we had a colony on the moon before we saw plastic Grotesques.

Dudeface wrote:

PenitentJake wrote:
For sure. There's never been a better reason to buy some of these:

https://artelw.com/Flesh-Golems-of-Voidborn-Ancients-p238880601

They were always better than GW Grotesques, and cheaper... But after tomorrow, the GW version won't even be possible.

£51 for 3 GW ones and £55.67 for the artel ones including the joy of international shipping times and costs. So kind of a wash depending on circumstance in the UK.

I think you've made a mistake.

In Canadian Dollars, the GW Grotesques as $34 EACH.

The Artel's are $45 FOR 3!

PenitentJake wrote:

Dudeface wrote:

PenitentJake wrote:
For sure. There's never been a better reason to buy some of these:

https://artelw.com/Flesh-Golems-of-Voidborn-Ancients-p238880601

They were always better than GW Grotesques, and cheaper... But after tomorrow, the GW version won't even be possible.

£51 for 3 GW ones and £55.67 for the artel ones including the joy of international shipping times and costs. So kind of a wash depending on circumstance in the UK.

I think you've made a mistake.

In Canadian Dollars, the GW Grotesques as $34 EACH.

The Artel's are $45 FOR 3!

If my mistake is living in the UK then yes, I have, but cheaper US produced items like artel etc often come out about the same if not slightly more after shipping across the pond.

Edit: worth noting it was the same for warmahordes a lot of the time, due to GWs weird pricing conversions what could be a cheaper game in the US was really expensive in the UK.

No, I mean literally you made a mistake (at least I think so).

GW Grotesques are not sold in sets of 3. Haven't been for at least 6 years. Theoretically I suppose it's possible that they package the models differently in the UK? But I'm pretty sure no matter where you live, you pay per grotesque.

The Artel knock offs ARE for sure sold in a sets of 3.

Now shipping is an issue for sure, and I don't know what international shipping is like for someone who lives in the UK. It might get you to a break even point if it's really bad- I've also heard people talk about import taxes and stuff too, so maybe?

But with a strict price comparison, the Artel product is half the price... And a better sculpt, and since both are resin anyway, that scores GW no extra points.

Irrelevant now anyway- just tried to look the Groteques up on GW using GBP because I was curious and they're gone now. I'm hoping these guys and Mandrakes get plastics.

PenitentJake wrote:
I'm hoping these guys and Mandrakes get plastics.

Assuming Mandrakes aren't just removed from the DE completely, I fear that their eventual plastic release would be in the style of Flayed Ones.

Dudeface wrote:

PenitentJake wrote:

Dudeface wrote:

PenitentJake wrote:
For sure. There's never been a better reason to buy some of these:

https://artelw.com/Flesh-Golems-of-Voidborn-Ancients-p238880601

They were always better than GW Grotesques, and cheaper... But after tomorrow, the GW version won't even be possible.

£51 for 3 GW ones and £55.67 for the artel ones including the joy of international shipping times and costs. So kind of a wash depending on circumstance in the UK.

I think you've made a mistake.

In Canadian Dollars, the GW Grotesques as $34 EACH.

The Artel's are $45 FOR 3!

If my mistake is living in the UK then yes, I have, but cheaper US produced items like artel etc often come out about the same if not slightly more after shipping across the pond.

Edit: worth noting it was the same for warmahordes a lot of the time, due to GWs weird pricing conversions what could be a cheaper game in the US was really expensive in the UK.

Isn't Artel a Russian company? If so I'd think even paying for the minis would be a hurdle atm.
Or is there more than one Artel?

It's true- their normal payment channels have been disrupted. They've come up with a work around- others have posted that the work around works, but it still does look like a risk.

And then of course, there's the ethics- if the pay disruption is linked to sanctions, is it ethical to use the work around for the sake of getting some toy soldiers?

PenitentJake wrote:
And then of course, there's the ethics- if the pay disruption is linked to sanctions, is it ethical to use the work around for the sake of getting some toy soldiers?

Surely one could just as easily question whether it's ethical to sanction Russian companies for the crimes of their nation's leader?

I can't imagine Artel is an essential component of the current war effort. Though it might produce better quality tanks...