IG/Astra Militarum Rumours for April (first post updated 12th April)

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**Peregrine**

Idolator wrote:
Someone at GW realized two things.

1. Models made by any company can be used to play the game even homemade ones.
2. Rules must come from GW.

Which is funny, because a more sensible person might realize two very different things:

1) Models must be made by someone, and you can't get good models for free.
2) Anyone with an internet connection can pirate your rulebooks.

The obvious thing to do is focus on making money from the models and use high-quality rules, whether or not you make much (or any) money from them, to drive sales of those models. But I guess GW would rather get the short-term profit from selling a few more $50 zero-effort "books".

**Idolator**

Peregrine wrote:
Idolator wrote:
Someone at GW realized two things.

1. Models made by any company can be used to play the game even homemade ones.
2. Rules must come from GW.

Which is funny, because a more sensible person might realize two very different things:

1) Models must be made by someone, and you can't get good models for free.
2) Anyone with an internet connection can pirate your rulebooks.

The obvious thing to do is focus on making money from the models and use high-quality rules, whether or not you make much (or any) money from them, to drive sales of those models. But I guess GW would rather get the short-term profit from selling a few more $50 zero-effort "books".

Indeed, That's why I believe that this rapid fire/low effort production is here to stay. Too much competition on the model front and rules "piracy" within days of release. Technology has caught up with GW and they are not stable enough to weather the storm nor nimble enough to stay ahead of it.

Edit: the new "Alter of War" book is another example of this. It's just a cut and paste from existing stuff with a shiny $50.00 price tag.

**Maxurugi**

I think it's funny how everyone refers to the Taurox (Prime) as a tank, which it is not.

**Kelly502**

SlaveToDorkness wrote:
At least this IG vehicle has an engine. The Chimera must run on foot power like a Flintstones car.

Made me laugh out loud, thank you Sir!

**Vaktathi**

ace101 wrote:
Also to people complaining about the price of the scions: $35 USD isn't that bad, considering Dire Avengers, Sternguard Veterans, Vanguard Veterans, and Deathwing Terminators. I mean the SM Combat squad is only $10 cheaper and has far fewer bits, as well as not being a dual kit.

And it's just as ridiculous a price as for many of those other units, particularly Dire Avengers. They're on par with Forgeworld prices. $35 for 5 models was passable when it was for elite expensive units you wouldn't need many of and the models were metal. For plastic Troops? Absurd.

**MWHistorian**

Maxurugi wrote:
I think it's funny how everyone refers to the Taurox (Prime) as a tank, which it is not.

Many things in 40k are referred to as "tanks" when they in fact are not.
As an Army vet, its annoying, but not as annoying as calling a magazine a "clip."

**Kid_Kyoto**

SJM wrote:
I guess you could save some money and buy the earlier design - lol

Funny I had that kit in my closet for years to turn into an IG truck. Finally threw it out a year or two ago.

**H.B.M.C.**

ace101 wrote:
Also to people complaining about the price of the scions: $35 USD isn't that bad...

To you maybe.

AUD$9 per Storm Trooper is a bit much in my books.

**ace101**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
ace101 wrote:
Also to people complaining about the price of the scions: $35 USD isn't that bad...

To you maybe.

AUD$9 per Storm Trooper is a bit much in my books.

I see... 'tis a sad day down under. For me the price is ok considering its an elites choice in AM, just like the SG and VG, who are more expensive.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Vaktathi wrote:
ace101 wrote:
Also to people complaining about the price of the scions: $35 USD isn't that bad, considering Dire Avengers, Sternguard Veterans, Vanguard Veterans, and Deathwing Terminators. I mean the SM Combat squad is only $10 cheaper and has far fewer bits, as well as not being a dual kit.
And it's just as ridiculous a price as for many of those other units, particularly Dire Avengers. They're on par with Forgeworld prices. $35 for 5 models was passable when it was for elite expensive units you wouldn't need many of and the models were metal. For plastic Troops? Absurd.

Remember These are elites in AM as well, they are cheaper per man than Sternguard, who are an elite unit in C:SM sold in a 5 man kit (and not the only one).

**Andrew1975**

I'm just going to leave these here.

**MWHistorian**

Okay, I think the Knight is much cooler than the Dreamforge Leviathan.
But that Loki is way better than the Turock or whatever its called.
It's not even close.

**barnacle111**

I remember the days of 5 minis for £2.50!! That was back in the days of eldar in chain mail, and squats in abundance....... Ah the glory days....

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Completely agree mwhistorian

**AllSeeingSkink**

Vaktathi wrote:
ace101 wrote:
Also to people complaining about the price of the scions: $35 USD isn't that bad, considering Dire Avengers, Sternguard Veterans, Vanguard Veterans, and Deathwing Terminators. I mean the SM Combat squad is only $10 cheaper and has far fewer bits, as well as not being a dual kit.
And it's just as ridiculous a price as for many of those other units, particularly Dire Avengers. They're on par with Forgeworld prices. $35 for 5 models was passable when it was for elite expensive units you wouldn't need many of and the models were metal. For plastic Troops? Absurd.

Dire Avengers: Are also crap value.

Sternguard Veterans, Vanguard: Also crap value, though at least they're worth more points in game.

Terminators: Also crap value, but at least they're large infantry rather than regular sized infantry and at least they're worth a lot of points in game so you aren't going to need many of them.

SM Combat Squad: "Only" $10 cheaper is $5 per model vs $7 per model, that's 40% more expensive. Also, you can get SM 10 for $40, $4 per model, the ST are 75% more expensive per model.

Forge World: They're actually more expensive than the old FW DKOK Grenadiers. But yeah, similar price to a lot of other FW stuff. But since when do we consider a box of plastic models costing the same as FW resin an "okay" thing?

**insaniak**

azreal13 wrote:

Well I guess that puts paid to the whether the turret can actually function or not discussion!

Although it also further shows off the wonkiness of this kit.

And the fact that whoever put it together got one of the tracks the wrong way around.

**BrookM**

Digital edition is now also on pre-order with some nice art previews:

**AllSeeingSkink**

It's weird... the more I look at the Storm Troopers, the less I like them.

**Grimskul**

Dat artwork! Definitely a nice change of pace after seeing Cadians for so long.

**H.B.M.C.**

Hmm... Imperial Fleet rather than Imperial Navy. Is that new?

**MajorStoffer**

So, uh, the Departmento Munitorum isn't a thing anymore either?

Swell.

**Vaktathi**

The artwork is nice, I actually do like most of it, and the fluff isn't too bad, seems like just a slight recasting of the original Stormtrooper fluff, though they are putting an amusingly large amount of effort into making an army of Ld7/8 dudes sound like the most desensitized, cold-hearted, unshakeable killing machines in existence...

I'm really hoping they get more than just an Ld bubble to help out on that, I know the DKoK special rules about 25% morale tests are the biggest factor in making an Grenadier based IA12 Assault Brigade work at all.

EDIT: as for the Org chart above, it looks like they ignored the Departmento Munitorum completely in the 6E rulebook as well...

**BrookM**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Hmm... Imperial Fleet rather than Imperial Navy. Is that new?

Nope, it was already referred by that name in the 6th edition rulebook.

**Quarterdime**

I just wonder why these guys weren't just added to Codex: Imperial Guard. Different Allies?

**BrookM**

Vaktathi wrote:
EDIT: as for the Org chart above, it looks like they ignored the Departmento Munitorum completely in the 6E rulebook as well...

The Munitorum is part of the Imperial Guard. The chart in the 6th edition rulebook also lacks a Munitorum entry, but when you look under the Imperial Guard entry, the Munitorum is listed there, as a part of the Imperial Guard.

**UlrikDecado**

Nice...it seems like healthy piece of fluff for me from codex.

**Quarterdime**

azreal13 wrote:
Swastakowey wrote:
azreal13 wrote:
Swastakowey wrote:
azreal13 wrote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief

Dont use heroic scale models then.

Scale has nothing to do with it.

Or are you somehow saying that a 1/72 scale model kit is somehow more or less subject to the laws of physics than a 1/38?

No heroic scale is very very unnatural. Surely as a human you can look at a cadian and realize that having hands and a head like that is not natural and will not work. Let alone a space marine. Heroic and true scale a different. So if you enjoy space marines, im sure you can let some technical faults slide. You may want to try true scale kits.

Also how do you explain transports if realism is so important that the suspension needs to be looked at?

If we were discussing how it would be impossible to fit 10 men into the back of the vehicle as it is modelled, you'd have a point.

But we're not, just like we aren't discussing that Cadian's head and hands are too big, we are discussing whether the details of the Taurox have internal logic, plausibility or consistency, which they don't. A more appropriate comparison would be if the Cadian's lasguns all had a 90 degree bend in them, which they obviously don't, but that could also be hand waved away by "sci-fi" and "made up." But the fact that guns, like vehicles, have real world, contemporary analogues, means anyone with even a basic knowledge of these things will know that something is inherently "wrong" and if they notice it, this may break their SoD, and this isn't really desirable in this context.

EDIT
I don't need to explain transports, they already exist as real world military vehicles, and there are numerous explanations in fluff, that while perhaps not bullet proof, go some way to explaining why, in the far future, the alternate ways of getting from A to B on the battlefield aren't always possible or desirable.

Also, please stop suggesting things "I might want to try" if I want recommendations on something, I'll start a thread in the appropriate forum. Thx!

This. I am so tired of hearing the "it doesn't have to make sense" argument for EVERYTHING.

**Pacific**

I like the term 'heroic scale' and the image it creates, and of course now you can also use it to apply to the pricing of these releases.

Kelly502 wrote:
SlaveToDorkness wrote:
At least this IG vehicle has an engine. The Chimera must run on foot power like a Flintstones car.

Made me laugh out loud, thank you Sir!

Always thought that the engine might be hidden away in the back somewhere like a VW camper. And, with equal levels of reliability, "everyone out lads, push!"

Seriously though, I've always thought it's better to think of 40k as a 'space fantasy', rather than sci-fi. There has only ever been the most tenuous link to the world of physics in terms of how things are supposed to actually function.

**TedNugent**

General Hobbs wrote:

There's no such thing as gouging.

I guess if you completely ignore that copyright law exists, then sure.

But here in the real world, where there is government enforced monopolies over the distribution of copyrighted content and you have a de facto sole legitimate distributor on the marketplace, yeah, gouging exists. Stop being a Randroid and look at the actual government system we have rather than your textbook capitalist fantasy world, please. We live under a mixed economic system, and believe it or not, the government is a party to every legitimate transaction.

**Palindrome**

BrookM wrote:
The Munitorum is part of the Imperial Guard.

Its not though, its part of the Administratium.

Of course its not like GW has the slightest clue about its own fluff.

The more stupid retcons there are the less interested I become.

**Peregrine**

TedNugent wrote:
But here in the real world, where there is government enforced monopolies over the distribution of copyrighted content and you have a de facto sole legitimate distributor on the marketplace, yeah, gouging exists. Stop being a Randroid and look at the actual government system we have rather than your textbook capitalist fantasy world, please. We live under a mixed economic system, and believe it or not, the government is a party to every legitimate transaction.

No, gouging is not relevant here. Gouging applies only to essential goods and services, and there is no plausible definition of "essential" that includes toys like GW produces. Gouging is selling $1 bottles of water for $100 in the aftermath of a natural disaster that shut down the entire city's water supply, not charging more than you want to pay for a toy.

**Waaagh_Gonads**

If Imperial Guard became Astra Militarum (Stars of Military)

When will Imperial Fleet become Astra Classe (Star Fleet)?

Honestly there are some real boneheads in GW, changing IG to Astra Militarum...