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Ah man, I've been contemplating dipping my toes back into 40k lately, and plastic sisters might be what gets me to do it...

Mid-range army full of flamers and a kind of dark religious feel... Going to be hard to resist if I like the look at all.

You only got this announcement as a response to the survey (and probably the spam in every facebook comment thread); otherwise it'd be like the Daughters of Khaine and Deepkin - a quick mention in the background of something else, a few Rumour Engine pics six months out and a reveal of the miniatures with a month or so to go. This time round, you're going to get a bit more - pics of concept art, perhaps, interviews with the designers and writers, some retrospective articles (they'll possibly dig up the picture of Sister Sin from the back of Rogue Trader, or the female Space Marine miniatures), perhaps some pictures of the sprues where you can't quite make out any details.

I don't know why you've decided this means it'll be " Some kind of live development", whatever that means. The miniatures are probably already designed by now.

 AndrewGPaul wrote:
You only got this announcement as a response to the survey (and probably the spam in every facebook comment thread); otherwise it'd be like the Daughters of Khaine and Deepkin - a quick mention in the background of something else, a few Rumour Engine pics six months out and a reveal of the miniatures with a month or so to go. This time round, you're going to get a bit more - pics of concept art, perhaps, interviews with the designers and writers, some retrospective articles (they'll possibly dig up the picture of Sister Sin from the back of Rogue Trader, or the female Space Marine miniatures), perhaps some pictures of the sprues where you can't quite make out any details.

I don't know why you've decided this means it'll be " Some kind of live development", whatever that means. The miniatures are probably already designed by now.

There's also no mention of it being "collaborative" as some have leapt to.

It's just cool updates and teasers, earlier than normal. Should be fun.

To those reasonable people, I answer: For those of us who have kept this candle lit, the big questions are not IF or really even WHEN. Rather, we've been anxious about HOW. To what extent will it be a re-release or reboot instead of a release? Will our favorite faction be recognizable? Celestine and her Geminae were a very welcome reassurance albeit a very limited one, given how many further questions remain: what about Repentia? how much of any Sisters release will be devoted to non-Sisters units (Inquisition, Ecclesiarchy)? etc., etc.

This is something I worry about. The last time (the only time) Sisters got a real update it did flesh out the army a lot, but mostly by adding a bunch of non-sisters stuff. Thats never been what I wanted from the army, and it was super disappointing at the time. I'm hoping that this time, in addition to plastic kits, we'll see an expansion of actual Sisters of Battle stuff. My fear (and I don't think its unfounded) is that instead we'll see a lot of Ministorium stuff. Which is certainly better than Inquisition stuff, and its not like Ministorium units don't have a place in the army, but what got me into the army (and 40K) 20 years ago was Sisters, and thats what I want to see more of. Hopefully thats what we'll get.

Awesome And good to see they are going to preview the new models. Release in 2019 though means we will be waiting for a while

 Yodhrin wrote:
HBMC is just sad he's going to lose his favourite punching bag

And your confidence is inspiring, but no I'm not. Manchu already said why.

Besides, Sisters players are far from my fav punching bag.

 Yodhrin wrote:
... short female Primaris...

Speaking of which, Sisters scale creep?

Vorian wrote:
None of this is anything to do with this announcement though.

Exactly my point. Stated differently, it's a non-announcement. "We hope to release something, who knows what, within 21 months." OK, I guess.

Vorian wrote:
Unless something is horrifically received it won't change

What does "horrific" mean? Received by whom? These are rhetorical questions ITT; hopefully that's as far as it will ever go. But this huge marketing lead makes me wonder, what's the point? Do we need over a year of teases to explain Sisters of Battle, an existing faction, to potential buyers? (Like, as compared to out of fething nowhere sea elves?) Or is all this "behind the scenes" stuff just patter that will amount to a couple of vague Warhammer Community posts? I really hope GW explains what this is all about and what we can actually expect soon, or, you know, any substantive information.

 von Hohenstein wrote:
PLASTIC SISTERS OF BATTLE! I've been waiting for this longer (and sometimes more desperate) than for losing my virginity.

I think you’ll find the two are intrinsically linked.

 Manchu wrote:
Some kind of live development? (Almost certainly not, at least I hope not.)

 AndrewGPaul wrote:
I don't know why you've decided this means it'll be " Some kind of live development", whatever that means.'

How did you conclude from me saying X almost certainly will not be the case that I have decided X will be the case?

Point is, GW has "announced" something so vague (on top of it being totally novel and, in any case, without clear purpose) that it could mean all kinds of stuff, including some kind of transparency or solicitation of feedback.

On top of that, whether GW actually wants feedback (which I doubt, other than purely positive "this is great news" style cheering), showing something in development does in fact trigger critical responses, which can only lead to frustration when the thing is already done despite the implication that it's still "in development."

It's not really vague though.

They have said they have started development and they'll be giving updates as they go. (And aiming for this time next year).

Obviously they got an avalanche of "Where's my sisters?!?!" responses and this is how they are placating what they now know is an issue.

I'm not sure what clarification people are wanting exactly. We've got a (non joke) announcement video (with a specific animation made for it, that costs money). We've been told they're going to show development for the whole range over the year (never been done before) and according to the Adepticon thread, GW will have the Sisters beta rules in CA 2018 so they can revise them before a 2019 release. So I'm really not seeing what peoples problems are.

I suspect that part of it is a response to how rabid and sizable the fanbase is, as may have been more clearly illustrated by the survey where it's readily quantifiable over the perception of "people on Facebook sure ask often."

If they say nothing, customers will likely spend money elsewhere and potentially on directly competing analogs. Announce Sisters and stay mum for the ~18 months of your typical development pipeline, and you'll have your communications channels swamped by now-incensed fans who have a legitimate query; before it was hypothetical pleading and now they know something is coming (and may still be eyeing alternatives). While your theory that the public will screw things up by providing feedback that GW takes on board is plausible, it could simply be GW trying to safeguard a few sales of a product they've decided to do.

Unfortunately the only way to know is to wait until closer to 2019 when we've seen things play out. For the time being I'll just be happy that they're getting something instead of being ignored.

 Manchu wrote:

 Manchu wrote:
Some kind of live development? (Almost certainly not, at least I hope not.)

 AndrewGPaul wrote:
I don't know why you've decided this means it'll be " Some kind of live development", whatever that means.'

How did you conclude from me saying X almost certainly will not be the case that I have decided X will be the case?

Point is, GW has "announced" something so vague (on top of it being totally novel and, in any case, without clear purpose) that it could mean all kinds of stuff, including some kind of transparency or solicitation of feedback.

On top of that, whether GW actually wants feedback (which I doubt, other than purely positive "this is great news" style cheering), showing something in development does in fact trigger critical responses, which can only lead to frustration when the thing is already done despite the implication that it's still "in development."

I think we get your feelings. I'm sad that the announcement isn't filling a Sisters fanatic with joy but, whether you're a Mod or not, can we move on from this thread being largely about you and your views?

Yes, I took the opportunity to mention Sisters in just about every survey response. I guess I am skeptical that it took a formal analysis of a survey to get us here. I mean, GW itself was already doing the teaser jokes before that. So the alternative explanation is, GW already knew they had a Sisters "problem" but the survey indicated it was a Big Deal and caused GW to advance Sisters in the queue. So in that case, in 2017, Sisters were planned for release sometime after 2019?

 JohnnyHell wrote:
can we move on from this thread being largely about you and your views?

The thread is about the GW announcement regarding Sisters. You post your on-topic opinions, I'll post my on-topic opinions.

Does it really matter though? Alright, so if they were originally scheduled for after 2019, then fine. At least they were scheduled. If the survey response was big enough (and apparently it was) to make them sit up and take enough notice to bump them ahead in the schedule, then grand. Fantastic. For those of us waiting over 2 decades, the wait is finally coming to an end.

Excellent news!

 Krinsath wrote:
it could simply be GW trying to safeguard a few sales of a product they've decided to do

Yes, a few posters have already mentioned Anvil Industries - although I tend to agree that folks who want to play 40k with non-GW minis are not the likliest GW customers. So I'd guess this announcement also has to do with the company's bad IP law experience in the US and the notion that they need to be actively defending, by exercising, their rights in all these ideas and concepts rather than letting them lie fallow for decades while third-parties manage to spring up to serve specific sub-markets that were created by GW in the first place.

 Inquisitor Gideon wrote:
the wait is finally coming to an end

Emperor willing.

As someone that is massively non plussed about Sisters, and their place in modern tabletop gaming, I'm looking forward to seeing how GW make thia army socially acceptable in 2019. Bondage space nuns are dead hopefully, although a certain vocal element will no doubt be readying the pitchforks for GW and 'the left' destroying them

Thebiggesthat wrote:
I'm looking forward to seeing how GW make thia army socially acceptable in 2019

Whatever happened to freedom of expression?

Thebiggesthat wrote:
As someone that is massively non plussed about Sisters, and their place in modern tabletop gaming, I'm looking forward to seeing how GW make thia army socially acceptable in 2019. Bondage space nuns are dead hopefully, although a certain vocal element will no doubt be readying the pitchforks for GW and 'the left' destroying them

Don't even go there. The thread does not need to be dragged off into that dumb argument again.

Hopefully this means we might see the return of jump pack terminators and commissar cadet squads

 His Master's Voice wrote:

Thebiggesthat wrote:
I'm looking forward to seeing how GW make thia army socially acceptable in 2019

Whatever happened to freedom of expression?

Still there, unless you interpreted his post as a call for legislation?

In any case, the overt bondage elements are few, mainly the lady with the whip and the repentia.

It's curious that this has been announced within a month or two of a good two or three third party companies finally launching into it. Furthermore, it's been announced a solid year in advance (another abnormal situation). I can't help but wonder if this is GW attempting to heft a bit of market muscle and do some damage to their third party remora fish.

Thebiggesthat wrote:
As someone that is massively non plussed about Sisters, and their place in modern tabletop gaming, I'm looking forward to seeing how GW make thia army socially acceptable in 2019. Bondage space nuns are dead hopefully, although a certain vocal element will no doubt be readying the pitchforks for GW and 'the left' destroying them

3 pages in and we already have this going on, Marvelous. Can't wait for the entire year of previews.

Look, they already did Celestine and her 2 bodyguards, and it was magnificent. Let's trust a bit in GW, mmmkay?

 TheDraconicLord wrote:
Can't wait for the entire year of previews.

. Exactamundo.

 TheDraconicLord wrote:
Look, they already did Celestine and her 2 bodyguards, and it was magnificent.

This what I keep telling myself.

Thebiggesthat wrote:
As someone that is massively non plussed about Sisters, and their place in modern tabletop gaming, I'm looking forward to seeing how GW make thia army socially acceptable in 2019. Bondage space nuns are dead hopefully, although a certain vocal element will no doubt be readying the pitchforks for GW and 'the left' destroying them

I think it's worth keeping in perspective the fraction of sisters models that can actually be described as "bondage space nuns" and the era the original models were released.

Sculpts looked a bit

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AfIQ2AogLLc/TMB5ztjO_xI/AAAAAAAAAN8/kW_ou-C3JjI/s1600/dark+eldar+wyches+old.jpg

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2017/01/40k-retro-first-dark-eldar.html

http://www.coolminiornot.com/pics/pics4/img3ef0585f68fe2.jpg

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/3/33/MadDonnaMiniature.gif

Different then. Also, goofy one-off joke sculpts like BDSMandrakes and the ork cheerleaders were more common.

So, it doesn't seem so unusual that in a range that's literally been frozen in stasis since that era, that there exist four and exactly four sculpts, with the obvious throwaway bdsm joke of the mistress with her whip and madonna costume, and the repentia and their somewhat unlikely proportions for outcasts tossed out to starve in the various wildernesses of the 41st millenium.

The concept of the repentia will probably still exist. I'm guessing they cut out the bad jokes and play them more straight.

Excuse me for one moment...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I am no fan of sisters, but it is really cool that GW are putting them back in action. Hopefully it is less pointy boob armour. But it is a great relief for all players who has been holding out since 4th edition.

I think we will start to see more previews with actual pics soon (maybe over the summer this year).

GW work about a year in advance and White Dwarf are currently about 5 months in advance.

This means that if GW were (hypothetically) going to release SoB in January 2019 they would need to be ready to be photographed for WD before July 2018.

I have a suspicion the models are almost ready to go - when I visited Warhammer World 2 weeks ago all of the SoB models were missing from the cabinets.

This usually implies they are being photographed for WD but I think in this instance the Studio are looking at them for painting reference (speculation).

So I think we may start to get previews around June this year.

Thebiggesthat wrote:
As someone that is massively non plussed about Sisters, and their place in modern tabletop gaming, I'm looking forward to seeing how GW make thia army socially acceptable in 2019. Bondage space nuns are dead hopefully, although a certain vocal element will no doubt be readying the pitchforks for GW and 'the left' destroying them

Sure, lets get rid of lobotomized slavery and planet annihilation weapons as well. They are so tacky and violent.

Really though, think about what actually repentia is.
Go beyond the bondage, somehow in a dedicated religous zealot cult where you dedicate your entire life to you can still be found wanting even if you spend every waking moment in prayer and work in the name of the Emperor. As a concept i found it fascinating and very 40k.

So i hope they stay, i don't care for the bondage that much to be honest, but as a concept i find them fascinating.