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I'm working on a guard army and was thinking of adding some space marines to break up the painting. At first I was looking at adding some vanguard or sternguard veterans but then I started to wonder if these will be irrelevant in a few years. I love that primaris are way more inscale to what normal marines ought to be but crunchwise they are super limited. The height is right, the look is right, I like that their bolters seem to reflect the fluff better. but their transport is crazy expensive and even with the points reduction I think they still don't have a very defined role or don't fill a role that isn't better served by something else.

Honestly I would be fine in GW phased out the old marine style but I also have nothing to lose since I don't own any marine models yet. However it seems unlikely that they will replace them completely any time soon because the marine line has sooooo many models. It would be nice if GW was a little more clear on the future of this or maybe i'm missing something. Is this just a fling like centurions or is this the future?

What are your thoughts?

Whilst there probably will be a focus going forwards on Primaris there is not a snowball in Hells chance that regular Astartes will be phased out like a Necron.

The backlash alone from the HH crowd and long time Astartes collectors, being GWs most popular lines, would have a massive impact on their share price.

GW may do dumb things at times but even they aren't that stupid!

This? Again?

No. Of course they won't. Barring the Dreadnought, Primaris offer no units which directly replicate Astartes units.

Plus, from a purely financial point of view - the main Marine range needs precious little work. The sole kit I can think of truly in need of updating is the Bike.

Pretty sure all those units have now paid for themselves. Why would you ditch those?

Most likely not. Old scale marines seem to continue to sell well and they have good rules support. Primaris also seem to take different roles tactically speaking.

I really hope not. Big marines and the new superheroes are IMHO the worst looking models released in ages.

Maybe standard marines can be a bit dull but dark angels, space wolves and blood angels troops are amazing models that can be customized in several ways. Primaris are monopose models, all identical.

 Blackie wrote:
I really hope not. Big marines and the new superheroes are IMHO the worst looking models released in ages.

It's funny that seems to be a common sentiment, at least here on dakka. I have to disagree though, I think the larger scale makes them look much better and more realistic. If you took those same stylish models from those chapters and made them bigger they would look even better IMO.

Yeah the new primaris models all look amazing. Only salties an nostalgia warriors can possibly say otherwise.


But no, they wont phase out regular marines. Far more likely to phase out SoB or inquisition.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
This? Again?

No. Of course they won't. Barring the Dreadnought, Primaris offer no units which directly replicate Astartes units.

Plus, from a purely financial point of view - the main Marine range needs precious little work. The sole kit I can think of truly in need of updating is the Bike.

Pretty sure all those units have now paid for themselves. Why would you ditch those?

Maybe they don't EXACTLY replace them but it seems pretty clear that they are meant to be updated tacs, devs, assaults. or at the very least analogues to them. I'm not saying they would replace them all at once, just slowly over time.

I very very selfishly and spitefully hope they will. So SM players can share the pain too. Schadenfreude.
But then again I'm playing Sisters of Bitter, so you can discard what I say.

brettdavis1991 wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
This? Again?

No. Of course they won't. Barring the Dreadnought, Primaris offer no units which directly replicate Astartes units.

Plus, from a purely financial point of view - the main Marine range needs precious little work. The sole kit I can think of truly in need of updating is the Bike.

Pretty sure all those units have now paid for themselves. Why would you ditch those?

Maybe they don't EXACTLY replace them but it seems pretty clear that they are meant to be updated tacs, devs, assaults. or at the very least analogues to them. I'm not saying they would replace them all at once, just slowly over time.

Marines are noted for the flexibility of their units, at the price of specialisation.

Primaris are oddly specialised - after all, no Special or Heavy weapon mixing in squads.

Yes, absolutely. However it won't be for a few years.

Yes of course they will squat old marines... eventually. GW is not gong to continue to support to parralel model lines forever. The clues are there in the rules! Old marines can't ride in primaris tanks? LOL WUT? Land Raiders cant carry Primaris? LOL WUT?

My original prediction on the time table to phase out was too short bit it will happen.

Nearly all finecast models staying in Indexes, Primaris and Marines can't share vehicles, all signs point to an enventual replacement.

Seeing they are 10£ more expensive I sure hope so. Not to mention that would kill HH which is the vastly superior game. But let's say they go for super odd system of new marines replacing HH marines. I have like 150 PA guys. That would be 150£ more. Bah not worth it.

How would killing old marines in 40k kill the HH? Thats about the most ridiculous thing I have heard since Primaris came out.

HH has their own plastic sets. And FW can keep doing what they doing regardless of Primaris.

Yes, I am pretty sure we will never again see a new model for the old marines. Except maybe from forgeworld.

I dont mind the new scale but I hate the Primaris models themselves. The torso is attached to the hips so they are all in the same basic poses and you cant change that.

Also, even in the old tac squad box there was a mix of armor so they all looked different. Different legs and torso designs. The Primaris marines all have the exact same armor.

Primaris models are the most boring thing GW produces.

For the 40K universe? Yes, absolutely. However, we're talking a seriously slow fade. Like a 5-10 year kind of fade. The process is simple.

1) Produce more Primaris kits.

2) Do not produce new marine kits.

3) Allow sales to slip, slowly eliminating fringe kits as they're replaced with Primaris equivalents.

4) By the time a new Primaris codex is released and basic marine kits are selling less and less = kill it off.

 SickSix wrote:
How would killing old marines in 40k kill the HH? Thats about the most ridiculous thing I have heard since Primaris came out.

HH has their own plastic sets. And FW can keep doing what they doing regardless of Primaris.

Well killing old marines kinda means not selling kits anymore...No models on sale, not much of a game left.

Yes. It'll be several years from now, but eventually old marines will just be treated like "Out of print primaris marines."

Until they surprise us by actually releasing any new old-marine model, this is the obvious writing on the wall.

tneva82 wrote:

 SickSix wrote:
How would killing old marines in 40k kill the HH? Thats about the most ridiculous thing I have heard since Primaris came out.

HH has their own plastic sets. And FW can keep doing what they doing regardless of Primaris.

Well killing old marines kinda means not selling kits anymore...No models on sale, not much of a game left.

Do you not understand that 40k is completely separate from 30k? Primaris will replace marines in 40k. This has zero bearing on 30k.

Horus Heresy also gives GW the "out". They can produce Forge World 30K marines, and even new plastic Horus Heresy marines and satisfy old gamers who are desperate to keep normal marines on the table.

They simply keep the basic rules in an old codex and tada.

I hope that when there will be a kit for every role, they just retcon out this primaris nonsense.
My hope is based on the size of the Plague Marines.

Note that this is (surprisingly for me) not a criticism toward GW. This is the only sensible way to handle the size gak, adjusting for the fandom.

EDIT: I hope for the sake of their players/collector, that they will diversify poses and details.

 Elbows wrote:
Horus Heresy also gives GW the "out". They can produce Forge World 30K marines, and even new plastic Horus Heresy marines and satisfy old gamers who are desperate to keep normal marines on the table.

They simply keep the basic rules in an old codex and tada.

It will set up perfectly. Guess whats after the Heresy? The scouring and then the Second Founding. FW can create settings for most marine players to keep them engaged.

32k will be the new Heresy . And 42k (Primaris era) will be the new 40k.

They need.

Having two complete ranges of Marines would make the current release (*) ) and stock - the stores only have so much room for stock.

The only 8th Ed non marine new release that's even been announced is Marbo and a Custodian, neither of which are in stores this year.

Otherwise we might as well just call it Marine Wars and be done with the other factions.

There was enough carrying on about the SM base size change.

My "gut" tells me that Primaris will be the "new" marines.
From what I have seen GW really looks like they want to re-package the look of 40k.
It looks like they want to kick the "scale creep" can down the road a bit longer.

Mixing my old Plague marines (metal) looks a tiny bit strange next to the new PM "monsters" for instance.

The thoughts on 30k being for the "old" models sounds like a good possibility.

As a company looking to make money, I think they will continue for a few years to flog both old and new since the molds paid for themselves long ago.

Yes, they will phase out old marines completely over the next few years.

We will never see another new squat marine again

This has completely killed any and all interest I have in marines, and I was a huge fan.

 Brutus_Apex wrote:
Yes, they will phase out old marines completely over the next few years.

We will never see another new squat marine again

This has completely killed any and all interest I have in marines, and I was a huge fan.

Isn't this inevitable? I mean, if GW never changed the models, we would have now beakies of the size of a guardsman or something.

If you're planning to start a new marine force, at this point you should definitely get Primaris.

30k, 40k, forge world, computer games, comics, novels....

Nope not a chance, will primarysues be in the lime light a lot more as time goes on, sure, but they will never get rid of old marines, they have too much tied up in them.