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The Fantasy rumours I can sort of believe because Fantasy isn't exactly in the best of shape.

GW giving it's most recognizable IP a face lift is a bit hard to swallow, I'll need some visual confirmation before I can believe this.

 Azreal13 wrote:

 His Master's Voice wrote:
You people do realize that Iron Man's suit is as generic as they get?

That could be, in large part, because Iron Man has been around for 50+ years and probably been ripped off numerous times?

Of course, "man in suit of metal armour" is a concept that's existed for literally hundreds of years, but calling Iron Man generic because there are similar things in existence may be slightly bass ackwards.

Mr. Stark?

The estate of Mr. Ned Kelly would like to talk to you about IP infringement....


The Auld Grump

 Crimson wrote:

As for new designs, I always liked this concept, especially the shoulderpads and the asymmetrical leg armour.

Problem is, the shoulders-with-enormous-screws-in, nipple-valves and form-fitting-Tony-Stark-leg-armour look is possibly even more generic.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Paradigm wrote:
I want it to be sleek. I want it to have nice hard edges and a sharper look....


And then I want Mantic to sue the crap out of them when it looks like this!

Spoiler:

His Master's Voice wrote:You people do realize that Iron Man's suit is as generic as they get? And the only things that could be conceivably fought over is the colour scheme and possibly the glowy central part?

Everything else has been used over and over and over in so many different iterations you could not possibly count them all. The goddamn Space Marine shoulder pad has more stake to being a distinct piece of protectable IP than the whole IM armour combined.

Cryptek of Awesome wrote:I think it's funny because making your power armor look like Iron Man will in no way make your IP any stronger. In fact there have been a lot of recent "Power Armor Space Warriors" in the last year that look a LOT like Iron Man while still being obvious stand-ins for space marines - Mantic's Peacekeepers, Puppetswar armored guys, The new KS from Titanforge - probably lots others those three came to mind.

Aye, that!

Any one remember those Jess Goodwin sketches we all assumed were the centurions?

 Azreal13 wrote:

 His Master's Voice wrote:
You people do realize that Iron Man's suit is as generic as they get?

That could be, in large part, because Iron Man has been around for 50+ years and probably been ripped off numerous times?

Well, to be fair, it started off looking like this:



... which looked like the Tin Woodsman from Oz got himself a new pair of wellies. Then for a long time it existed as minor variations of a red (muscle) cuirass with gold tights:



I'm not sure, but I think that outside the first two versions and the hulkbuster suit, the red'n'gold suit only started to look like an actual articulated, exoskeletal suit of powered armour about the time of the first movie and it's design, or the Ultimate universe version. Whichever came first.

Warhams-77 wrote:
It started with Duffybear posting hints on Warseer. Harry contributed as well. Today the puzzle was solved. Duffybear was spot on with the Harlequin Troupe sprue and Harry should be well known for excellent rumors already. Duffybear's riddles hint towards a 'Blue Marine'-release so the new armour type, Mark IX, should be available for most SM chapters.

This makes sense. Rumors of a 40k end-of-times = new books, new models, etc. The success of WFB EoT combined with a smaller skirmish next edition will be replicated in 40k especially now that this edition is almost finished. There is no better way to sell more models than to introduce new models. And satisfy IP desires, cost desires (can change prices i.e. decrease them), competitive desires (game-in-box i.e. smaller format), etc.

This edition is almost finished? I thought we just got a new edition about 6 months ago?

Sheck2 wrote:

Warhams-77 wrote:
It started with Duffybear posting hints on Warseer. Harry contributed as well. Today the puzzle was solved. Duffybear was spot on with the Harlequin Troupe sprue and Harry should be well known for excellent rumors already. Duffybear's riddles hint towards a 'Blue Marine'-release so the new armour type, Mark IX, should be available for most SM chapters.

This makes sense. Rumors of a 40k end-of-times = new books, new models, etc. The success of WFB EoT combined with a smaller skirmish next edition will be replicated in 40k especially now that this edition is almost finished. There is no better way to sell more models than to introduce new models. And satisfy IP desires, cost desires (can change prices i.e. decrease them), competitive desires (game-in-box i.e. smaller format), etc.

To be fair, I only saw duffybear comment on the new armor mark. I didn't see any comments from him about any of the kind of stuff you're talking about here. That may or may not be in play, depending on whether you think a new mark is enough to make you go "mental" and create a "gakstorm."

There certainly could be more coming with this, but no one seems to be saying that. If there is more to come, I don't think it's going to be 40K EOT. I think it'll be something else that happens within the current setting.

I don't buy it. They just printed a new tactical squad and a new BA squad, why would they invalidate them and release yet another infantry set that would gobble up their new squads' sales.

Now an updated assault squad, that I would love to see.

 Azreal13 wrote:
That could be, in large part, because Iron Man has been around for 50+ years and probably been ripped off numerous times?

As already shown in this thread. IM's current suit retained the glowy bit and colour scheme from it's 50 years of comic book publication. The previous variants were at best tube armour, at worst a generic spandex superhero no 2 painted red and yellow.

 gorgon wrote:

Sheck2 wrote:

Warhams-77 wrote:
It started with Duffybear posting hints on Warseer. Harry contributed as well. Today the puzzle was solved. Duffybear was spot on with the Harlequin Troupe sprue and Harry should be well known for excellent rumors already. Duffybear's riddles hint towards a 'Blue Marine'-release so the new armour type, Mark IX, should be available for most SM chapters.

This makes sense. Rumors of a 40k end-of-times = new books, new models, etc. The success of WFB EoT combined with a smaller skirmish next edition will be replicated in 40k especially now that this edition is almost finished. There is no better way to sell more models than to introduce new models. And satisfy IP desires, cost desires (can change prices i.e. decrease them), competitive desires (game-in-box i.e. smaller format), etc.

To be fair, I only saw duffybear comment on the new armor mark. I didn't see any comments from him about any of the kind of stuff you're talking about here. That may or may not be in play, depending on whether you think a new mark is enough to make you go "mental" and create a "sh*tstorm."

There certainly could be more coming with this, but no one seems to be saying that. If there is more to come, I don't think it's going to be 40K EOT. I think it'll be something else that happens within the current setting.

I concur.

One has to look at the motives behind WHFB ET, and they're almost certainly not creative, but an attempt to shake up a stagnating product line and hopefully generate sales.

While GW in general may be on the way down from the peak of the curve, 40K definitely seems to be the most reliable of their product lines, and a risk like ET for what seems to be a fundamentally risk averse organisation like GW seems highly unlikely.

Of course, the reverse thinking would be that, assuming ET has had a positive financial impact, GW now assume that similar actions would have a similar effect. Of course, because they don't make any effort to find out what their customers actually think, the reasons ET has worked for Fantasy will not necessarily translate to 40K.

If ET 40K happens, the shark will well and truly have been jumped IMO, but if it brings some cool models, it will keep them ticking over for another year or two.

Hmm. Duffybear has only predicted one thing previously. I guess we'll see.

Something about all of this just doesn't seem right, like we're missing some piece of the puzzle that would make it all clear. Space Marines are GW's most iconic image, and changing that up changes the brand recognition. But then, is GW really concerned about the long-term value of their brand, or are they still just trying to keep it steady hoping for a buyout?

Man, this is like that old rumour of the Tau 'Organic Battlesuit'. *awaits for that one to pop up again*

To be perfectly honest, what they're doing to WFB looks quite a lot like an attempt at building a more marketable IP. Marketable for potential takeover that is.

It doesn't necessarily stop it from being at attempt at refreshing an ailing system, but two birds, one stone etc.

So yeah, if your iconic visual design has been mauled in court, you might want to ironclad it to safeguard your own future. Or you might want to ironclad it because strong IP's one can protect from infringement sell well. Or you might want to do both and see which way the wind blows.

Harry has attached his name to it, we need to take it seriously as a rumour, the only thing still up for grabs is exactly what this kit may ultimately represent, I wouldn't doubt for a minute it exists.

For instance, I think Harry saw what ultimately launched as Glotkin, but reported it as a new plastic GUO.

So there's that sort of misidentification possible (that is assuming that there isn't also a plastic GUO in the works as well!)

I dunno. Harry's comments are pretty vague.

iron man style ...so this without the servo harness then ? I bet it will be a wargear upgrade or a new unit type of experimental armour with some kind of shield save and advanced weapons.

If it is a new suit of armor to go along with the Mk. 7 Aquila pattern I would be all for it. As a complete replacement... Ill withhold my judgement for now.

 pretre wrote:
I dunno. Harry's comments are pretty vague.

I read them originally as an endorsement of duffybear's, but yes, on rereading them I guess there's room for interpretation, but I still find that the most logical.

 Tannhauser42 wrote:
Something about all of this just doesn't seem right, like we're missing some piece of the puzzle that would make it all clear. Space Marines are GW's most iconic image, and changing that up changes the brand recognition. But then, is GW really concerned about the long-term value of their brand, or are they still just trying to keep it steady hoping for a buyout?

Well, you'd think that there would be some kind of game context for the new miniatures, and not just new boxes on the shelves. I don't know if that's a new SM codex, some kind of supplement, or what. Early on in that Warseer thread, people were guessing things like primarchs returning. That probably doesn't make sense, just given that FW is (appropriately) taking their sweet time getting through the HH versions, especially the loyalists. But I guess there could be some kind of event (probably not to that scale) in the fluff that spawns something for the game that pushes the new minis.

 Azreal13 wrote:

 pretre wrote:
I dunno. Harry's comments are pretty vague.

I read them originally as an endorsement of duffybear's, but yes, on rereading them I guess there's room for interpretation, but I still find that the most logical.

It's *possible* that they're addressing different items too. There sure is a lot of uncertainty with this one. I'm guessing we won't know what's really up until May.

 Red Corsair wrote:
Any one remember those Jess Goodwin sketches we all assumed were the centurions?

The one where marines are dual weilding lascannons and assault cannons?

Anyone ahve a copy handy?

Space Marines are GW's best selling product by far, so messing with them is incredibly risky.

Could it be that what people are reporting as new type of marine armour would actually be a plastic honour guard kit, and this new armour is in fact artificer armour?

 Paradigm wrote:
I want it to be sleek. I want it to have nice hard edges and a sharper look....


And then I want Mantic to sue the crap out of them when it looks like this!




In all seriousness, I don't like the idea of a new armour mark that looks radically different from the previous Mks, all of which share very similar design features. Plastic Mk8 could have been cool, but Mk9? Why?

No no no no no no no no no no no and many other nos

Of course, aesthetic preference is subjective, but doesn't that style of armour (and the picture of the Damocles pattern on the first page) just look so boringly generic? Every third party and their mothers are producing minis with hard edges and a sharp look. Looking like Iron Man is the worst possible design choice they could make- not because Iron Man is bad, but because everything looks like Iron Man these days!

 God In Action wrote:

 Paradigm wrote:
I want it to be sleek. I want it to have nice hard edges and a sharper look....


And then I want Mantic to sue the crap out of them when it looks like this!




In all seriousness, I don't like the idea of a new armour mark that looks radically different from the previous Mks, all of which share very similar design features. Plastic Mk8 could have been cool, but Mk9? Why?

No no no no no no no no no no no and many other nos

Of course, aesthetic preference is subjective, but doesn't that style of armour (and the picture of the Damocles pattern on the first page) just look so boringly generic? Every third party and their mothers are producing minis with hard edges and a sharp look. Looking like Iron Man is the worst possible design choice they could make- not because Iron Man is bad, but because everything looks like Iron Man these days!

To clarify, I do not actually want Space Marines that look like that. Their design is too iconic, fits the 40k style perfectly, and whatever replacement GW supposedly has in the works will have to be bloody good to replace good ol' MkVII plate. That post was purely a joke.

That said, in its context, I do love Enforcer armour. It's not Space Marine, and it's not trying to be, but I do like that hard-edged and sharp look. Mantic's Deadzone setting is very hard sci-fi with a hint of an anime influence (like Infinity), and in that context, the armour looks fine. If anything, I'd say it's more Halo than Iron Man, but that is no bad thing.

Makes me wonder, if this is true, if Jes is behind the new armour pattern design as well.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

 Red Corsair wrote:
Any one remember those Jess Goodwin sketches we all assumed were the centurions?

The one where marines are dual weilding lascannons and assault cannons?

Anyone ahve a copy handy?

Yes those ones.

Interesting plausible yet unlikely rumor. Subscribed. With the almost unrecognizable mess largely devoid of balance and fun that 40k has become over the past two editions for myself and those I know that (used to) play, I wouldn't put anything out of reach for GW.

Still think that this sounds very Dornian Heresy misunderstanding.

Do we even have room for another armor between PA, Artificer, and TDA?

 Lobukia wrote:
Still think that this sounds very Dornian Heresy misunderstanding.

Do we even have room for another armor between PA, Artificer, and TDA?

Maybe this is going to be like Apple, and we'll get mini-Terminator armor and then the biggest Power Armor made to date!