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Something I've wondered for a while so I thought I'd put out a poll.

Thats not a Space Marine. Duh!

one other option, no FW model designer wants to do it, it seems a lot of their designers work on what inspires them, or so some of the interviews I have seen/read have implied.

But yes, xenos terrain of anykind would be nice, the Tau have their turrets and sensor tower, but that's about it.

Or it could be the real answer. FW no longer sells things that would replace a GW product. The IoM ADL is the official model for all races. There are plenty of people who buy and use the IoM model for xenos armies and just paint it as old/rusted. This means FW would reduce sales of the GW product.

Now to be fair they could probably make a bit more money by selling FW models of different xenos ADL. However I have no idea if it would be worthwhile in comparison to making new SM bits, SM tanks, or horus heresy models.

Probably don't think it would sell. FW used to make some amazing terrain pieces but they're all OOP now because of poor sales. Apparently the market for scenery that isn't cheap plastic "clip off the sprue and throw on the table" stuff is not large enough to justify the work involved in producing it.

Yeah, it would kind of cut into their sales of the normal ADL, so I can see why they don't do it.

Alternate poll option: All forge world staff are busy churning out more pre-heresy models, aka cash cow.

Seriously how many terminator armor variants are we up to now?

 Peregrine wrote:
Probably don't think it would sell. FW used to make some amazing terrain pieces but they're all OOP now because of poor sales. Apparently the market for scenery that isn't cheap plastic "clip off the sprue and throw on the table" stuff is not large enough to justify the work involved in producing it.

Really? I seem to remember someone getting an email reply from FW when they asked about why all the terrain was disappearing that gave the reason as being a combination of the moulds being worn out(which would require lots of use), and them wanting to move towards the "hollow formed" method they've been using on the extremely popular RoB boards.

From reading IA Apocalypse, and their recent updates its clear they haven't read the 6th edition rules.

That and they hate doing Xenos stuff, and are frightened that if they put effort in and make a Xenos kit that actually sells well they'll be forced to actually work rather then just cyclically creating more treaded vehicle variations and shoulder pads.

Mecha_buddha wrote:Alternate poll option: All forge world staff are busy churning out more pre-heresy models, aka cash cow.
Seriously how many terminator armor variants are we up to now?

That'd be my first guess as well. If it would only be about infringing on GW Core sales, they also would not produce entire lines of Imperial Guard infantry etc.

Alternatively it's simply that just about no-one at FW likes any army other than Space Marines and IG, if they pick their projects in a somewhat similar fashion to the core studio. But purely from a business point of view I'm thinking the "cashcow theory" is the most likely explanation.

I didn't vote as non of the options listed apply.

Forgeworld isn't making aegis defense lines because they aren't important.

I go to forgeworld for tanks and awesome units to add to my armies. I can't get excited over a "wall" and neither can sculptors.

Would the xenos ADL sell? Probably, but so would something else - and I'd rather see them spend the time on that something else.

 Yodhrin wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:
Probably don't think it would sell. FW used to make some amazing terrain pieces but they're all OOP now because of poor sales. Apparently the market for scenery that isn't cheap plastic "clip off the sprue and throw on the table" stuff is not large enough to justify the work involved in producing it.

Really? I seem to remember someone getting an email reply from FW when they asked about why all the terrain was disappearing that gave the reason as being a combination of the moulds being worn out(which would require lots of use), and them wanting to move towards the "hollow formed" method they've been using on the extremely popular RoB boards.

<--That was me who got that answer. It was on Facebook not an email.

Anyways, they gave the reasoning as "it was not realistically feasible" as the terrain would end up just sitting there for the most part. If you had bought a Hydra Flak Emplacement or the emplaced Tarantula Sentry Gun set you would have a chance to get it in packaging that had a label which was yellowing as the stock sat for that long.

Maybe they don't think It's worth the effort designing them when the fans seems to be doing alright converting them.

Also only about 1% of FW's recent products have been shoulder pads.

 Mecha_buddha wrote:
Seriously how many terminator armor variants are we up to now?

But people will freak out about the upcoming Mk 15b Claudius pattern with Strawberry flavor and cream!

And next year: All 15 variants of pre-heresy centurions ... for all chapters

 Kroothawk wrote:

 Mecha_buddha wrote:
Seriously how many terminator armor variants are we up to now?

But people will freak out about the upcoming Mk 15b Claudius pattern with Strawberry flavor and cream!

And next year: All 15 variants of pre-heresy centurions ... for all chapters

Do you have anything useful to add related to the topic?

 Mecha_buddha wrote:
Alternate poll option: All forge world staff are busy churning out more pre-heresy models, aka cash cow.

Seriously how many terminator armor variants are we up to now?

Four, if you include the Legion Specific ones. Five with the GW ones.

 Bobthehero wrote:

 Mecha_buddha wrote:
Alternate poll option: All forge world staff are busy churning out more pre-heresy models, aka cash cow.

Seriously how many terminator armor variants are we up to now?

Four, if you include the Legion Specific ones. Five with the GW ones.

6 with Space Hulk, 7 with Chaos, 8 with Deathwing, 9 with Grey Knights, 10 with Deathwing Knights, 11 with Deathwing Command Squad, 12 with Assault Terminators, 13 with Wolf Guard Terminators.

Loyalist Terminators.
Close Combat Terminators
Deathwing Terminators
Deathwing Knights
Grey Knight Terminators/Paladins
Space Wolf Wolf Guard Terminators
Chaos Terminators
Tartarus Pattern Terminators
Legion Tartarus Pattern Terminators
Cataphractii Pattern Terminators
Sons of Horus Justaerin Terminators
Death Guard Deathshroud Terminators

12model variants.

But if talking Patterns of armour

GW Core Indomitus Patterns (All the plastic ones)
Tartarus and Legion Tartarus
Cataphractii, Justaerin and Deathshroud

3
GW core Indomitus

With the new Space Marine release on the horizon, they're clearly occupied with da spesh marheens, since Space Marines are soooo much better than Xenos. Bleh!

But yeah, this really surprises me too. I for one would be willing to fork out for a decent looking Eldar Aegis.

 ansacs wrote:
Or it could be the real answer. FW no longer sells things that would replace a GW product.

While this seems, superficially, to make sense, you then have to realize that they sell massive amounts of perfectly tabletop equivalent Space Marines and Imperial Guardsmen.



The real answer is probably closer to the idea of "expected ROI vs available design assets". Forgeworld's sculptors are probably principally engaged in making figures for their Heresy line, and thematic stuff to accompany their next book.

I'm gonna go with lack of demand for the most part, and lack of sculptors as well. They only have so much staff, with so much time. Releasing all the Horus Heresy stuff probably eats into their available time for other projects as well.

 The Shadow wrote:
With the new Space Marine release on the horizon, they're clearly occupied with da spesh marheens, since Space Marines are soooo much better than Xenos. Bleh!

Uhhuh. That's why the only Space Marine releases of late have totally not been related to the Horus Heresy setting, right?

But yeah, this really surprises me too. I for one would be willing to fork out for a decent looking Eldar Aegis.

I highly doubt you would be. Not for Forge World prices at least.

Probably too busy launching Horus Heresy kits. They look great but until I see a Konrad Curze i'm not biting.

 Kanluwen wrote:

 The Shadow wrote:
With the new Space Marine release on the horizon, they're clearly occupied with da spesh marheens, since Space Marines are soooo much better than Xenos. Bleh!

Uhhuh. That's why the only Space Marine releases of late have totally not been related to the Horus Heresy setting, right?

Space Marines are Space Marines, doesn't matter if they're from the 31st Millennium (or whenever the HH is set) or the 41st Millennium. More people than ever will be picking up Space Marine models, which will then include the Horus Heresy ones.

 Kanluwen wrote:

 The Shadow wrote:

But yeah, this really surprises me too. I for one would be willing to fork out for a decent looking Eldar Aegis.

I highly doubt you would be. Not for Forge World prices at least.

To be fair, you probably are right. Though, since, to my knowledge at least, FW haven't made any sort of Aegis yet, we can't really say what the price would be. But yes, if it's like some of FW's prices, then maybe not. But it does depend on how good the kit is.

 Kanluwen wrote:

 Kroothawk wrote:

 Mecha_buddha wrote:
Seriously how many terminator armor variants are we up to now?

But people will freak out about the upcoming Mk 15b Claudius pattern with Strawberry flavor and cream!

And next year: All 15 variants of pre-heresy centurions ... for all chapters

Do you have anything useful to add related to the topic?

Are you really upset that someone injected humor into my snark thread?

 The Shadow wrote:

 Kanluwen wrote:

 The Shadow wrote:
With the new Space Marine release on the horizon, they're clearly occupied with da spesh marheens, since Space Marines are soooo much better than Xenos. Bleh!

Uhhuh. That's why the only Space Marine releases of late have totally not been related to the Horus Heresy setting, right?

Space Marines are Space Marines, doesn't matter if they're from the 31st Millennium (or whenever the HH is set) or the 41st Millennium. More people than ever will be picking up Space Marine models, which will then include the Horus Heresy ones.

The thing that I do not think you've considered is that there are no rules for "40k" for some of these things. The AM stuff immediately springs to mind, as do the Recon teams.

Sure they can be used as counts-as but that does not change that they essentially are being created for a pseudo ruleset.

 Kanluwen wrote:

 The Shadow wrote:

But yeah, this really surprises me too. I for one would be willing to fork out for a decent looking Eldar Aegis.

I highly doubt you would be. Not for Forge World prices at least.

To be fair, you probably are right. Though, since, to my knowledge at least, FW haven't made any sort of Aegis yet, we can't really say what the price would be. But yes, if it's like some of FW's prices, then maybe not. But it does depend on how good the kit is.

Actually they kind of did make something which could be considered a predecessor to the Aegis back in the day. They used to make Aegis sized sandbagged sections for the Cadian Heavy Weapon Squads. They were $13.50 per section--with one section(Missile Launcher) having a set of legs built into the base for you to have a laying down ML operator.

I think the 'real reason' is a mix of several things, most of which are on your poll.

GW is insistent on everything having a strong "Warhammer" vibe (which, fundamentally, seems to mean skulls and the occasional eagle). While this does promote their brand identity, it limits their sales potential to everyone else not playing Warhammer. I think almost ALL of their kits would sell better if the iconic 40K imagery was available on the sprue, but not integral to the mold.

That would be the "hates money" bit.

GW has 'several' armies which can utilize standard Imperial scenery. Imperial Guard, Space Marines, Space Wolves, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Grey Knights, and Sisters (don't get me started) all can use the standard Imperial stuff. I'm pretty convinced that some accounting servitor at GW insists on categorizing product lines into distinct 'armies', no matter whether the army is very different (Tyranid) or mostly similar (Blood Angels). All the xenos armies (with the possible exception of Eldar/Dark Eldar, but I think even those two) would require their own scenery kits. The sales potential for any individual xenos scenery is very limited compared to the bulk sales possible for an Imperial kit (which can usually easily be altered to represent a Chaos Space Marine kit as well).

That would be the "wouldn't sell" bit.

GW also seems reluctant/incapable/mindlessly against coming up with any business model other than 'spend a lot of money on the molding and recoup it with loads of sales'. Despite Forgeworld seeming to be capable of this (though, who knows if GW will let it continue), GW doesn't seem to be able to wrap their heads around it. I'm not saying that they should abandon their sales model entirely, but it seems eminently possible to design and produce terrain in a different fashion, whether by making more expensive product (like Forgeworld), limited edition product (like Space Hulk), or possibly even a subscription model (almost like Kickstarter, where if enough people will commit to buying, say, an Ork Fort, GW will make it).

That would be the 'hates their fans' bit.

I think that there are natural, good reasons for xenos scenery to be scarcer than Imperial stuff, but I think that if GW was really interested in being innovative, nimble, and responsive to their fanbase, they would find ways of producing more of it. As it is, we have the Ork barricades and nothing else, right?