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The argument against the starter set format for HH like 40k or AoS was last time and still now that you could use everything in the box in one army. This would undermine a lot of the value of starter sets to GW. Namely you get two armies which either gets two people into the hobby or leaves one person with the nucleus of another army (Or even two) they have lying around lowering the activation energy to starting another. (I image the Combat Patrol magazine is actually helping to trigger this too) The HH crowd already skews older with established armies as it is, no need to push new players deeper in that direction when 40k is so profitable.

GW decided instead to offer a lot of value but a hefty price for a giant army box of "two" armies instead. So even if you decide the game isn't for you or the whole thing becomes another entry in your pile of shame, they still got a nice chunk of change from it.

HH does now have hefty plastic support for two non-marine armies in the Mechanicum and Solar Auxilia though. So you could do something with that in the starter set against a marine army.

But if GW does decide to do 3 marine v marine starter sets in the same price and value range as 40k I'd be surprised.

But then there is a seemingly large community of people who experience 40k first and only through "loretubers" and the novels who tend to gravitate towards the HH novels (All conveniently in audiobook format) I think this is a largely new and very American audience (A much less saturated market than Europe, it's the place GW want to expand into, see also merging with the ITC) GW might decide to try to get more of a chunk through the HH game and maybe a smaller cheaper starter set option for the HH is the first step rather than the existing "all in" boxes, no matter their value they aren't amenable to people trying to dip their toe and looking at the internet it seems a large cohort of non-hobbyist fans of the HH exist. I actually think these people are almost a different audience and "fandom" being obsessed with the characters and narratives compared to the older hobbyists who first experienced and understood the context of 40k as wargame setting and who enjoy the setting style background. You can't tell me GW wasn't trying to cater to the former group when they woke Guilliman and the Lion up.

Also as others have suggested, they could expand the HH game setting to also include the Great Crusade and thus open things up to Xenos. Doesn't look like they're doing it but down the line it could allow them to be able to make more interesting traditional starter sets. As we know "the new stuff must flow", new kits no matter if they are better or worse both for the hype and simply because new stuff has an unsaturated market. Even if GW run out of good ideas for new Orks, they could make HH Orks with different weapon options etc like the Solar. An Ullanor Crusade campaign with more and differently fleshed out Orks might be interesting. In a way it'd just add to the classic vibes, Orks v Marines.

 Sabotage! wrote:
It seems pretty unlikely, but I would be pretty happy if GW did smaller starter sets for Heresy

They already do:

Smaller Heresy Starter Set 1
Smaller Heresy Starter Set 2

NightReconnaissance wrote:
...

You don't have to debunk it, it's fake, we all know it's fake, it's the same fake rumour as last time (which turned out to be fake).

 Fayric wrote:
GW making the effort to do a new site with regular updates dedicated to his rumors. That kind of response must be a pretty big moment in any rumor mongers life.

But they're not just the rumours that Valrak has been getting; they've been floating around from a bunch of places for the last year or so. None of this means he's a GW plant or working with the company, which is what people in this thread have been saying.

When GW did the website for 10th Ed launch, nobody was having the same reaction despite Valrak doing rumours about 10th.

I really don't get why people are focusing on him being some secret GW employee that gets all the leaks.

 Gert wrote:

 Fayric wrote:
GW making the effort to do a new site with regular updates dedicated to his rumors. That kind of response must be a pretty big moment in any rumor mongers life.

But they're not just the rumours that Valrak has been getting; they've been floating around from a bunch of places for the last year or so. None of this means he's a GW plant or working with the company, which is what people in this thread have been saying.

When GW did the website for 10th Ed launch, nobody was having the same reaction despite Valrak doing rumours about 10th.

I really don't get why people are focusing on him being some secret GW employee that gets all the leaks.

Because it's weird that one person gets so much info so early and so accurately. It can be explained but some people clearly feel it improbable enough that it requires a further explanation out of the mundane.

Tbh im pretty sure that the HH3.0 rumors did not start w Valrak, iirc they were floating around for a bit from other sources and then he also started sharing the same - Saturnine and all

Dudeface wrote:
Because it's weird that one person gets so much info so early and so accurately. It can be explained but some people clearly feel it improbable enough that it requires a further explanation out of the mundane.

I would hardly call it "accurate" when:

A - He's been going on about a new HH edition for like a year, claiming every single event preview would show it (then it didn't).

B - We have 0 confirmation on any of the rumours being true at all. All anyone is doing is foaming at the mouth because of a rounded pouch and a joke video making fun of people for claiming that HH3 has been coming for (once again for the people in the back) an entire year.

If you all cast your mind back, the first major claim for all of this was that there would be a new HH edition because the transfer sheet in the Command Squad box had Salamander and Iron Warrior transfers. We're almost a year later now, and still no new edition BTW.

We also still haven't really seen the "tanks" part of the last hh roadmap. Mechanicum got 2 tank kits but neither other faction has despite a number of gaps in their tank lines

 MajorWesJanson wrote:
We also still haven't really seen the "tanks" part of the last hh roadmap. Mechanicum got 2 tank kits but neither other faction has despite a number of gaps in their tank lines

Or they are cost probitive. Most of the models for HH Custodes are resin.

 Gert wrote:

Dudeface wrote:
Because it's weird that one person gets so much info so early and so accurately. It can be explained but some people clearly feel it improbable enough that it requires a further explanation out of the mundane.

I would hardly call it "accurate" when:

A - He's been going on about a new HH edition for like a year, claiming every single event preview would show it (then it didn't).

B - We have 0 confirmation on any of the rumours being true at all. All anyone is doing is foaming at the mouth because of a rounded pouch and a joke video making fun of people for claiming that HH3 has been coming for (once again for the people in the back) an entire year.

If you all cast your mind back, the first major claim for all of this was that there would be a new HH edition because the transfer sheet in the Command Squad box had Salamander and Iron Warrior transfers. We're almost a year later now, and still no new edition BTW.

The only reason I'm in the 'new edition incoming' camp is because I have a really hard time buying into the idea that GW would put this much effort into an extended troll job.

Although, I was quite impressed with the effort they put into the life-sized Tactical Rock...

Dudeface wrote:

 Gert wrote:

 Fayric wrote:
GW making the effort to do a new site with regular updates dedicated to his rumors. That kind of response must be a pretty big moment in any rumor mongers life.

But they're not just the rumours that Valrak has been getting; they've been floating around from a bunch of places for the last year or so. None of this means he's a GW plant or working with the company, which is what people in this thread have been saying.

When GW did the website for 10th Ed launch, nobody was having the same reaction despite Valrak doing rumours about 10th.

I really don't get why people are focusing on him being some secret GW employee that gets all the leaks.

Because it's weird that one person gets so much info so early and so accurately. It can be explained but some people clearly feel it improbable enough that it requires a further explanation out of the mundane.

People that don't watch him, like myself, also probably don't realise how popular the channel is. I was surprised to learn he's in the top 20 UK superchatted channels for YT livestreams. Much of this will come from the leaks I imagine but it's a reinforcement loop, more leaks mean more popularity, more popularity means more leaks.
https://playboard.co/en/youtube-ranking/most-superchatted-all-channels-in-united-kingdom-yearly (was top 10 last year).

 Gert wrote:

Dudeface wrote:
Because it's weird that one person gets so much info so early and so accurately. It can be explained but some people clearly feel it improbable enough that it requires a further explanation out of the mundane.

I would hardly call it "accurate" when:

A - He's been going on about a new HH edition for like a year, claiming every single event preview would show it (then it didn't).

B - We have 0 confirmation on any of the rumours being true at all. All anyone is doing is foaming at the mouth because of a rounded pouch and a joke video making fun of people for claiming that HH3 has been coming for (once again for the people in the back) an entire year.

If you all cast your mind back, the first major claim for all of this was that there would be a new HH edition because the transfer sheet in the Command Squad box had Salamander and Iron Warrior transfers. We're almost a year later now, and still no new edition BTW.

He was pretty clear the preview was his conjecture and put an apology out when it was wrong. It's also the only thing he's been wrong about in a long while. Just recently:
- correctly reported the new tsons unit
- correctly reported the battleforce and combat patrol contents for the chaos books
- correctly reported the contents of the EC, the Eldar and I believe the IG range as well
- correctly described the new IK and quite likely the chaos knight and potentially even it's name

If you're not considering him accurate, what is accurate to you?

When this supposed 3rd edition of HH comes out that he's been touting for a year.

Can we please stop debating Valrak's credibility and whether or not he is a GW plant? It's kind of tedious, and not particularly relevant now that GW are generating their own rumours.

I'm curious, Gert - why're you so het up in countering the suggestion that GW are leaking "spoilers" via Valrak, with or without his knowledge?

 Dysartes wrote:
I'm curious, Gert - why're you so het up in countering the suggestion that GW are leaking "spoilers" via Valrak, with or without his knowledge?

Who knows, upwards of 90% accuracy sort of suggests it, but since Gert isn't super keen on a 3rd ed it needs to suit his narrative and any opportunity for Valrak to be high and guessing.

Easy enough to know if Valrak is an "industry plant" or not - go read up his entire posting history on Bolter & Chainsword. If you wont learn anything about the chap, what he plays, what armies he has etc, you can raise the sus flag..

I have "inner circle" status with at least one commercial company, which means I get to hear about their new stuff before the general public.. but this also means I've signed an NDA and if I ever spill anything I'm not at liberty to disclose, I'll be financially ruined. Could easily see someone getting a similar deal from GW. But this is all just theoretical/academic speculation with zero basis on reality.

I still find it amusing that Warhammer Community hasn’t linked to the Hearsay stuff.

Cut a video, possibly with actors. Knock together a barebones website with some images and silliness.

Let the internet do all the work.

It’s a pretty cost effective approach.

Hoping for some more hearsay today!

If anyone remembers the TV show "Pretty Little Liars" that aired from 2010 to 2017, I had a connection on that show. Yeah, I know, it's kind of a girly-centric show, don't judge. They were also an Eldar Nerd, and I gave them a VERY good deal on a metal never-released alternate sculpt Harlequin Solitaire that I accidentally acquired at a 40k swap event for almost nothing.

I actually sold/bought a number of things from them and they slipped plot details from the show to me. A number of my teenage employees at the time watched the show, and I had them in disbelief when I spilled "shocking plot twists" in episodes that wouldn't air for 3-4 months in the future.

Sometimes being in the right place at the right time CAN lead to insider info. Honestly though, I see a few possibilities, and ANY of them could be true. 1. Valrak has contact with a true leaker. 2. This started out as a leak, but GW smiled at the free press attention, and casually looks the other way. 3. Valrak thinks it's a leaker, but is actually company sanctioned. 4. GW noticed Valrak's popularity, and they have an under-the-table-handshake agreement that he has first dibs on leaking this stuff, for mutual gain.

Mix of 3 and 4.

Valrak is an enthusiastic chap, and free of ego in the right way. So as someone to be passed sanctioned “leaks”, he’s pretty much ideal. He presents them on with said enthusiasm, and doesn’t get all “political” and that.

He also provides some kind of filter, and is clear when info has come from a previously proven accurate source, but even then don’t take them entirely at face value.

As a hype cats paw, he’s a solid choice.

The speed of edition change really makes me feel my age these days!

The two years of 2e I was involved in feels like a decade compared to me watching this new edition of Heresy get released what seems like "only a few months ago".

Just seems too fast for middle aged guys like me that don't get to play super regularly.

 Da Boss wrote:
The speed of edition change really makes me feel my age these days!

The two years of 2e I was involved in feels like a decade compared to me watching this new edition of Heresy get released what seems like "only a few months ago".

Just seems too fast for middle aged guys like me that don't get to play super regularly.

I feel your pain. I used to play 40k once per week at the FLGS, and about every other month with a friend. Then I had some work drama where a co-worker demanded my Tuesdays off (game night) specifically to mess with my hobby. I virtually stopped playing 40k from the end of 5th edition until the beginning of 8th, played a handful of games, and been almost nonexistent since then.

That's really rough! I suppose the release model must be working well enough for GW though, old farts have too much stuff already to make a lot of money off of unless they're always selling stuff on and buying new.

Sympathy with that. My commute killed my gaming time.

Went from playing two or three times a week, to none. And that was in…erm…2012?

It’s really hard to get back into, Spesh as I previously found all my gaming buddies from working in the local GW.

More bizarre rumours added to that site

Masterful trolling.

Bolters to S3

Flame templates halving in size (yes, direct conflict with them getting biggerer)

White Scars in boxed set.

Sadly no pics.

They may be returning to different sized flame templates ala 2nd edition

If that did happen, would they bring back the other blast templates? Might be nice to have the Thudd Gun back.

I mean, it’s possible.

Epic returned to its 2nd Ed With Knobs On.

But for the scale of HH battles? I don’t see them going much more complex rules wise than we have now/