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General official statement:

 ClockworkZion wrote:
So with us having several threads about this so far, and more to come I did the most sensible thing I could think of and emailed GW Customer Service inquiring about it and seeing if they were aware of the potential issue. This was the reply:

Hi there,

Thanks for writing in to us. Over the last week or so, items have been removed from the website as we run out of stock; to avoid back orders. Once we our re-stock arrives, then the appropriate items should once again be available.

Sorry for the confusion, but I hope this helps.


David Monroe

Games Workshop

North America Customer Services

So it's just GW pulling models to avoid back orders. Strange, but it's GW so not to be to unexpected, as pretty much everything they do we call "strange".

Recent information:

a reader on Faeit 212 wrote:a large number of wood elves have dissapeared from the site including some of the direct only wardancers. Also my local stores are trying to sell a load of stuff quick before they move to direct only. This appears to be all finecast boxes and also a lot of finecast blisters like valkia the bloody. Also books like mighty empires and blood in the badlands. It also seems the mini packs such as 3 chaos warriors are going to. A lot of models are going to disappear off our shelves this weekend.

It appears actually to be ALL finecast products. They confirmed at my store every fincast LOTR model is going and from what they can tell every finecast single figure is going as well.

https://www.facebook.com/GWChelmsford/posts/601485009929486

Ok folks you have until the weekend to get these items Instore after they go back to head office and that will be the end of them so give me a shout if you are after any of them

another reader on Faeit 212 (a google translation) wrote:Today my local GW store published in their FB page a picture of discountinued stuff that they're going to ship back to the UK after this weekend. For the most part are WHFB and LOTR boxes though there is also the Catachan Command Squad and Catachan Battleforce in there.

"Every year at this time we do a refund to UK product that is becoming discontinued, whenever I do someone comes looking for any of these items and is disappointed not to see them in the store come for them, I hope that this will alleviate a small thing, so for me you are warned, this weekend you is the last thing I have these boxes displayed in store, thereafter ... or may be obtained or are available only through the website if you want something give me a hint (weak please) and I will keep up this Saturday ok? See you!"

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.814127135264561.1073741992.202704739740140&type=1

Mr Mystery on Bols Lounge wrote:Possible changes to scenery range....
Afternoon.

Just passing on a tidbit from my local GW, gathered on Saturday whilst chin wagging with the manager (and my former bossman).

Seems some of the scenery kits are being withdrawn, or at least can't be ordered at the moment.

Now it is mostly Warhammer stuff at the moment (Witchfate Tor included), but it's starting with 40k (Battlescape, that one with the wrecked Rhino) now.

How far this will go? I don't know. Is it permanent? I don't know. Could be repackaging into sets, could be bye bye forever. Not enough information at this time.

But, I would say now seems the time to round out any scenery collection you may have, as leaving it later may lead to disappointment.

a reader on Faeit 212 wrote:It seems GW is quietly abandoning the fantasy scenery line. The following
products are no longer stocked and may no longer be shipped to resellers:

* Dreadstone Blight
* Skullvane Manse - Lair of the Astromancer
* Temple of Skulls
* Citadel Chapel
* Citadel Watchtower
* Fortified Manor

Additionally the "Sigmar's Blood Scenery Collection" bundle offers a
bargain pricereduction of over 40,- Euro. This is either a nice gesture ...
or a way to empty the storage houses quickly.

Archibald_TK made a huge effort to make a complete and updated list for plastic kits of 40k and Warhammer Fantasy:
40k list: http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?388343-List-of-WH40K-plastic-boxes-going-Direct-Only-%28updated%29
Fantasy list: http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?388212-List-of-WFB-plastic-boxes-going-Direct-Only-%28updated%29
Here the lists last updated February, listing the kits that went direct only or (if there is an x or o before the name) were dropped from direct only as well :

Archibald_TK wrote:Blood Angels, Chaos Daemons, Dark Angels, Grey Knights, Necrons, Orks, Space Wolves, Tyranids:
- Plastic range is complete, nothing missing

Chaos Space Marines:
- Attack Squad
X Land Raider

Dark Eldars:
- Reavers

Eldars:
- Vyper
- Support Weapons
- Falcon
As previously noted the Wave Serpent entered that list yet came back on the shelves a few months later.

Imperial Guard:
- Catachan Battleforce
- Catachan Command Squad
- Catachan Jungle Fighters
- Catachan Heavy Weapon Squad
- Basilisk

Space Marines:
- Combat Squad
- Whirlind

Tau:
- Kroots

Scenery:
o Battlescape
o Moonscape
X Skyshield

CSM Land Raider has returned since.

Fantasy:

Archibald_TK wrote:Chaos Daemons, Dark Elves, Lizardmen:
- Plastic range is complete, nothing missing

Beastmen:
- Ungors
- Minotaurs

Bretonnia:
- Knights
- Archers
- Men at Arms
- Pegasus Knights

Dwarfs:
- Thunderers
- Cannon
- Miners

High Elves:
- Spearmen
- Archers
- Silver Helms
- Bolt Thrower

Ogre Kindoms:
- Ironguts
- Gnoblar

Orcs and Goblins:
- Warboss
- Boyz
- Goblins
- Spider Riders
- Boar Boyz
- Savage Boar Boyz
- Chariot
- Wolf Riders

Skavens:
- Rat Ogres
- Night Runners
- Plague Monks

The Empire:
- Knights
- Archers
- Militia
- Pistoliers
- Steam Tank
- Helblaster
- Canon/Mortar
X Handgunners/Crossbowmen

Tomb Kings:
- Chariots

Vampire Counts:
- Dire Wolves
- Corpse Cart

Warriors of Chaos
- Chimera

Wood Elves:
- Dryads
- Glade Riders
o Batallion

Scenery:
- Fortified Manor
X Arcane Ruins
o Dreadstone Blight
o Temple of Skulls
o Watchtower
o Chapel
o Skullvane Manse

Hope that helps.
Maybe it would be a good idea to refer all those "Bretonnian trebuchet missing from GW website" posts to this thread.

I doubt a lot of these are "gone for good", especially the plastic ones.

The Catachan single HWT is back, so we know they are not going away. Probably pulled to allow stores shelf space for the Taurox, Scions and Ogryns.

a reader on Faeit 212 wrote:all the starter sets (as in dark vengeance) boxes are being sent back next week. Not sure if this is just dutch language ones at my local or all... but something is happening...It also appears its happening to all the german ones too. Is this the end of dark vengeance or just the end of foreign translated ones?

Wasn't 7th rumoured as soon as May?

One has to believe a lot of rumours from a lot of sources, but this would fit.

Well, I did get told by one of the staff at my FLGS today that he couldn't order any more Skyshield Landing Pads.

No idea what that means?

Could it be rebranding of the boxes as happened with Chaos product when Codex Crimson Slaughter came out?

Bizarre. The only sensible reason to withdraw the starter box for any game system is to replace it with a new starter box. I mean, the starter box has always been the 'cheap fix' that gets new addicts hooked.

Insert here wild speculation re a new starter box? Merely changing starter boxes to English only would seem more likely - although again, I'd have thought local language versions would be rather important to appeal to new customers in non-English-speaking countries.

The most compelling rumour I've heard is that the starter SET isn't changing, but recalling the boxes to open and replace with a new mini book is plausible.

I'm sure that this has something to do with the new site going up. I doubt the majority (or any, for that matter) of these sets are being discontinued.

 Darth Bob wrote:
I'm sure that this has something to do with the new site going up. I doubt the majority (or any, for that matter) of these sets are being discontinued.

Not quite seeing how that would reconcile with actual product being recalled from stores? Surely if they expect a spike in demand on the website, they'd just make some more?

Not that I can see how they'd stimulate buy up of DV while it being simultaneously more economic to take it off the shelf and pay to transport it back.

 azreal13 wrote:

 Darth Bob wrote:
I'm sure that this has something to do with the new site going up. I doubt the majority (or any, for that matter) of these sets are being discontinued.

Not quite seeing how that would reconcile with actual product being recalled from stores? Surely if they expect a spike in demand on the website, they'd just make some more?

Not that I can see how they'd stimulate buy up of DV while it being simultaneously more economic to take it off the shelf and pay to transport it back.

New web portal might necessitate new SKUs, etc. A lot of GW's stuff is seemingly done via an in-store "portal" for their sales points and their stock management system is done automatically for the store.

Was the "Taurox" on there yet?

 Kanluwen wrote:

 azreal13 wrote:

 Darth Bob wrote:
I'm sure that this has something to do with the new site going up. I doubt the majority (or any, for that matter) of these sets are being discontinued.

Not quite seeing how that would reconcile with actual product being recalled from stores? Surely if they expect a spike in demand on the website, they'd just make some more?

Not that I can see how they'd stimulate buy up of DV while it being simultaneously more economic to take it off the shelf and pay to transport it back.

New web portal might necessitate new SKUs, etc. A lot of GW's stuff is seemingly done via an in-store "portal" for their sales points and their stock management system is done automatically for the store.

While I don't discard any GW-centric suggestion on grounds of potential stupidity, this is a really daft suggestion Kan.

If you're changing SKUs (an already stupid idea necessitating a stupid amount of extra man hours, but I'll concede sometimes these things need to happen to move things forwards) then you just send out replacement labels for the managers to stick over the barcodes of the products in question. You do NOT incur the courier charges etc to get the product returned and sent out again.

 azreal13 wrote:

 Kanluwen wrote:

 azreal13 wrote:

 Darth Bob wrote:
I'm sure that this has something to do with the new site going up. I doubt the majority (or any, for that matter) of these sets are being discontinued.

Not quite seeing how that would reconcile with actual product being recalled from stores? Surely if they expect a spike in demand on the website, they'd just make some more?

Not that I can see how they'd stimulate buy up of DV while it being simultaneously more economic to take it off the shelf and pay to transport it back.

New web portal might necessitate new SKUs, etc. A lot of GW's stuff is seemingly done via an in-store "portal" for their sales points and their stock management system is done automatically for the store.

While I don't discard any GW-centric suggestion on grounds of potential stupidity, this is a really daft suggestion Kan.

If you're changing SKUs (an already stupid idea necessitating a stupid amount of extra man hours, but I'll concede sometimes these things need to happen to move things forwards) then you just send out replacement labels for the managers to stick over the barcodes of the products in question. You do NOT incur the courier charges etc to get the product returned and sent out again.

The problem is that some GW shops actually still have items on their shelves that are Direct Only now.

Up until this past week, my local GW had two Guard Basilisk kits on the shelves.

Plus that statement was meant to also go hand in hand with yours about Dark Vengeance getting "reboxed" to include a more up to date rulebook.

Not re boxed, just opened and resealed, perhaps with a sticker saying "Includes new rulebook"

There's no need to waste precious, precious money on new packaging, someone is probably having conniption fits over the price of all that shrink wrap they're just throwing away!

I don't see how having direct only items in stock is a problem in any way? If the SKU is different, send a sticker, if you're adamant direct shouldn't be in store, then recall those specific items. Where's the issue?

gak!
I was about to order a bunch of scenery sets in the next month or two, including a bunch of those.

 azreal13 wrote:
Not re boxed, just opened and resealed, perhaps with a sticker saying "Includes new rulebook"

There's no need to waste precious, precious money on new packaging, someone is probably having conniption fits over the price of all that shrink wrap they're just throwing away!

Unless they get the shrink-wrap free style box that the Imperial Knights got locally at least... I don't know if that was a get me by solution due to a possible shortage or a switch for the larger kits in general to not be shrink wrapped. I guess we'll see whenever the next big boy gets released.

The 40k stuff is likely just being removed for reboxing , most the Fantasy stuff is gone from shelves for good though. Remember, GW's distribution focuses around their stores. Those stores have limited shelf space, so when a new kit like the Knight comes out, something needs to be pulled to make room. With Fantasy being the weaker selling game, you see it's kits being cycled out.

The stupid thing is they try to make this a one size fits all to the independent stores as well. The independents have to deal with restricted access as well. Even if some of those kits being pulled sell well in their area, they can't get them. Fantasy is in a death spiral and it won't come back. GW has restricted access to the game too much. Even when there are people who are interested and can afford it, the kits are not available at a store.

I have seen a few oddities, I will admit; HWT were pulled and re-released, making it onto the 'New Products' list.

Honestly, I feel that, as silent25 said, they're cycling out Fantasy as it's under performing; a sudden loss of kits would be noticed, but this gradual phase out less so. Fantasy at my local GW took up the entire rear wall; now, there are three wall chunks (as GWs seem to be organised) selling it, one of which is entirely Battalions.

 Azazelx wrote:
gak!
I was about to order a bunch of scenery sets in the next month or two, including a bunch of those.

Agreed - I was going to buy the graveyard to use in my Empire army. I know my FLGS has at least one left and need to get over there.

I like the Fantasy ones the most.

Some of the sets listed have popped back up on the US site.

Interesting how much stuff for Fantasy is becoming direct only.
Does that mean that FLGS can't order them at their regular discount? Because if so that sucks...

So why did the khorne berserkers go?

Wrecker wrote:
So why did the khorne berserkers go?

Hopefully old age!

Wrecker wrote:
So why did the khorne berserkers go?

Legion mandated anger management classes.

Some of those look absolutely ridiculous: how could they remove pretty much EVERYTHING from the Empire range? I mean, GW said their long-term strategy was everything in plastic. Empire was the only army for fantasy that WAS possible to do 100% plastic with no conversions necessary, although some characters would come from war machines. If they do this...ugh, *shakes head*. Terrible.

All High Elf standard troops are mail order only.

 Kroothawk wrote:
All High Elf standard troops are mail order only.

I don't see this on the UK, US or German sites. I have a sneaking suspicion that as they retool the servers the website is starting to go ballistic.

So is the Skyshield Landing Pad "gone" or "direct only" - the chart makes it look like direct only, yet it appears to be gone on GW's (US) website?

 chiefbigredman wrote:
Interesting how much stuff for Fantasy is becoming direct only.
Does that mean that FLGS can't order them at their regular discount? Because if so that sucks...

Yes, Direct Order means this. Costs them money to order it for customers(shipping). My FLGS still orders the stuff for me.