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 Ashiraya wrote:
I still feel so sorry for you Australians. :(

It is my greatest regret that I can only exalt this only once

After seeing the Sprue pics, I think 3-4 boxes of these guys will be added to my future Skitarii purchase order, along with probably 4 boxes of Praetorian servitors. Just have to buy the Warlord titan first...

Another thing to remember about the robots is that, while the kit itself is relatively expensive, the real-world-price per point is actually quite good.

Using US Dollars as a reference (I think the kit's price is $70?), since the optimal load out is probably full Phosphor, that means that the points are 320 out of one kit.
That's an astounding 4.57 points per dollar, a really good deal in terms of actually getting models for an army.

In Comparison:
An Imperial Knight is $140 for ~375 (ignoring new kits) -- 2.67 points per dollar.
New Windriders: $40 for ~100points (assuming Scatter Lasers on Everybody) -- 2.5 points per dollar.
Sydonian Dragoon: $49 for 45points -- 0.9 points per dollar.

So in fact, you can take maybe two of these kits and you have a significant points base for a Mechanicus army, which also somewhat makes up for the price to points inefficiency most of the rest of Skitarii.

Ooo now do men gunz. 55 dollars and as little as 18 points on the field.

I like how its OMG scatter bikes......

Then its mechanicus and its like "huh what bikes"

Have we seen the Kataphron Breachers yet? It was mentioned a couple pages back in a formation.

 Ashiraya wrote:
I still feel so sorry for you Australians. :(

Excellent !

Really excellent !

Exalted for sheer awesomeness hahahaha.

**Sorry Aussies/Kiwis. Totally sucks how badly you get hammered on prices over there :(

 ultimentra wrote:
I wonder if their size is comparable with Dreadnoughts.

They look like about same height but slimmer. Bulk-wise they look like they are between a Crisis suit and Dreadnought.

I kinda like them now. My initial 'meh' reaction became 'mech!' reaction. Still not big fan of the heads but it's not too bad. Datasmith's robe looks bit weird, it is as if the textile is really thick, like superlon or something. I guess it's meant to be that way?

Northern Hemisphere pricing not that bad either. Datasmith is integral in the robot sprues so he won't be available separately.

They look to be very similar in terms of size and bulk to the FW Castellax, the only real difference being the additional height added by the big hoof-feet and the domepiece.

Definitely fixable. The carapace gun is annoying me though, the mounting and lack of an ammo feed just seems so lazy. Still, Zinge can deal with that NP. Love the Datasmith though.

GG, GW, GG.

My only real problem with them is the arms. For one, they are incredibly stiff looking, with very little posability, especially compared to the legs. I also still find the shoulders rather clunky; I think I'll just swap them out altogether with some space killa kan arms....

 Clang wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
AUD$118? Are you kidding me?

NZD$139, so stop your whining

For 2 dreadnought-sized bots and a techpriest, I was actually expecting a higher price. With a little conversion (including a head swap), these could make nice counts-as dreadnoughts too. Or looted ork dredds...hmm...

Like others, I'm surprised and relieved that the head is separate - maybe FW will produce alt heads? I can definitely see some third-party resin manufacturers producing something compatible, as the head's the only real aesthetic design flaw, judging by most comments.

Holy hell you pay 30 pounds more than me for that? that's criminal. Wow just a quick question whats your tax rate like?

No wonder my Aussie / NZ friends ask me to send stuff occasionally...

 Starfarer wrote:

Mario wrote:

 RedFox wrote:
I'm still amazed as how a single visor can ruin an entire model

One could cut the whole head off and replace it with one of the Land Raider targeting thingies on top of the las cannons (of course slightly converted for a more Mechanicus feeling design language). Or is there supposed to be somebody inside who needs a window to look through?

I think this defiler bit could work well for an alternate head: http://www.bitsandkits.co.uk/images/623455415762.jpg

That was my thought exactly. That is designed to fit in a Rhino-size turret ring, so it should be about right.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
You guys do realize that 1USD /= 1AUD /= 1NZD in purchasing power, right?

For some reason I thought the change in pre-order times was just changed to 10am UK time. I never realized it was 10am in your delivery area. I can see how people are going to get screwed on limited editions.

Nithoggr wrote:
For some reason I thought the change in pre-order times was just changed to 10am UK time. I never realized it was 10am in your delivery area. I can see how people are going to get screwed on limited editions.

Surprisingly, they haven't had any serious issues since the changeover.

Also--it went to 1pm EST for the North America, NOT 10am. GW shops aren't open at 10am.

 Thariinye wrote:
Another thing to remember about the robots is that, while the kit itself is relatively expensive, the real-world-price per point is actually quite good.

Using US Dollars as a reference (I think the kit's price is $70?), since the optimal load out is probably full Phosphor, that means that the points are 320 out of one kit.
That's an astounding 4.57 points per dollar, a really good deal in terms of actually getting models for an army.

In Comparison:
An Imperial Knight is $140 for ~375 (ignoring new kits) -- 2.67 points per dollar.
New Windriders: $40 for ~100points (assuming Scatter Lasers on Everybody) -- 2.5 points per dollar.
Sydonian Dragoon: $49 for 45points -- 0.9 points per dollar.

So in fact, you can take maybe two of these kits and you have a significant points base for a Mechanicus army, which also somewhat makes up for the price to points inefficiency most of the rest of Skitarii.

Wraithknight: 295pts/$115 = 2.56 points per dollar. No one will ever buy that stinker!

If you are a fan of the Kastelan's White Dwarf 67 is well worth a look, as well as the data slates there are plenty of nice little bits of background information.

I like the explanation of the cable trailing from the leg:

"The creators of the Kastelan Robots took no risks that an electrostatic charge might defeat their machines or scramble the orders they were following. A sturdy grounding cable trails in the dirt behind each Kastelan to dissipate any such electric discharges".

Since I popped over to the aussie site this morning to take a peek at the pre-orders.

Looking at the pre-orders with the bundled sets of 8 robots etc. The descriptions read: "Eight robots not enough? How about twenty?" and "You know you want this!"

When did GW break character from writing fluffy descriptions to peer-pressuring you into sales?

Are they trying to move the experience of shopping at a GW store to the online format with "store manager talking to 11 year old"-style persuasion?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Has anyone in the US been able to place an order of these yet?

I'm on the front page where I can see the robots but every time I click it gives me an error message.

Site's also giving me an error message. Not going to order any yet, but the pages for preorders and the robots themselves aren't up yet it seems.

The bots look very poseable looking at this image, I approve! Great alternate paint scheme as well.



Pricing doesn't seem too outrageous considering that you get two big models. I wonder if GW will produce some of the other types of robot over time? Could be very interesting times!

nudibranch wrote:


No cutting required! As we can see on the sprues, the heads are separate from the torso. I presume this will leave some sort of cavity, which may either be useful or a burden depending on what way you wish to convert it.

Good to know, I didn't look at the sprues. That makes the heads less of an issue except for people who don't like them and don't want to convert them.

 Thariinye wrote:
Site's also giving me an error message. Not going to order any yet, but the pages for preorders and the robots themselves aren't up yet it seems.

Yeah, there was an error for a while. I was standing at an order point in a GW store wanting to see the prices and they were having the same issue.

I think they fixed it after an hour or two. It's fine now.

 Commander Cain wrote:

Pricing doesn't seem too outrageous considering that you get two big models. I wonder if GW will produce some of the other types of robot over time? Could be very interesting times!

Forgeworld already makes a number of them. It's just a question of whether they'll give them rules for 40k as opposed to being in the Mechanicum 30k list.

 Brother SRM wrote:

 Commander Cain wrote:

Pricing doesn't seem too outrageous considering that you get two big models. I wonder if GW will produce some of the other types of robot over time? Could be very interesting times!

Forgeworld already makes a number of them. It's just a question of whether they'll give them rules for 40k as opposed to being in the Mechanicum 30k list.

Yeah, that would be nice. I know they are incredibly rare (though looking at some of those bundles, the Mechanicus seems to have an awful lot of Kastellans lying around...) but if they just tweaked their points slightly and made them relic units, they'd be fine I reckon. It's a shame that we only got one 40K robot...

 Brother SRM wrote:

 Commander Cain wrote:

Pricing doesn't seem too outrageous considering that you get two big models. I wonder if GW will produce some of the other types of robot over time? Could be very interesting times!

Forgeworld already makes a number of them. It's just a question of whether they'll give them rules for 40k as opposed to being in the Mechanicum 30k list.

Oh trust me I know, I own them all! I was referring to ones such as the colossus and crusader which haven't been made yet. (Huh, just realized the gun in the image matches that of the castellan).





On a side-note, that Jes Goodwin really knows how to sketch...

The Crusader Sketch was modified into the Ruststalker kit.
That Colossus lower half and gun arm seem to have been adopted for the plastic kit, whle the upper torso and head remind me of the FW Chaos Decimator

...via BOLS:

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2015/05/cult-mechanicus-formations-latest.html

Cult Mechanicus has 4 formations.

Cohort Cybernetica – all models in the formation are fielded as a single unit and robots can fire at different targets
1 Tech-Priest Dominus-gets the rules for the Cybernetica Datasmith
2 Kastelan Robot Maniples

Elimination Maniple – gain +1 BS and ignore cover
2-3 units of Kataphron Destroyers
1-3 Kastelan Robot Maniples

Numinous Conclave – must have equal numbers of each type of unit gain crusader and re-roll wounds
2-3 Fulgurite Electro-Priests
2-3 Corpuscarii Electro-Priests

Holy Requisitioner – Deep Strike with no error
1 Tech-Priest Dominus
2-3 units of Kataphron Breachers

I have feeling that one formation, may be utilised more often than others...

 Hive City Dweller wrote:
Looking at the pre-orders with the bundled sets of 8 robots etc. The descriptions read: "Eight robots not enough? How about twenty?" and "You know you want this!"

When did GW break character from writing fluffy descriptions to peer-pressuring you into sales?

Are they trying to move the experience of shopping at a GW store to the online format with "store manager talking to 11 year old"-style persuasion?

Did you see the Knight formation's description?

"THIS WILL DESTROY YOU
One Imperial Knight can overwhelm entire armies. Here are FIVE."

 Sidstyler wrote:

 Hive City Dweller wrote:
Looking at the pre-orders with the bundled sets of 8 robots etc. The descriptions read: "Eight robots not enough? How about twenty?" and "You know you want this!"

When did GW break character from writing fluffy descriptions to peer-pressuring you into sales?

Are they trying to move the experience of shopping at a GW store to the online format with "store manager talking to 11 year old"-style persuasion?

Did you see the Knight formation's description?

"THIS WILL DESTROY YOU
One Imperial Knight can overwhelm entire armies. Here are FIVE."

Maybe Larry Vela is writing GW model blurbs now.
"New models GO GO GO, why buy a lowsy one when you can buy THIRTY SEVEN?!"