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I just spotted this and can't find it mentioned on Dakka (apologies if I've missed it):





This is a new rewards card for people assembling an army.

Here are the details.

General Rules
The card features 15 boxes that must be stamped in order to complete the card and redeem it for a reward.

The eight required purchases are as follows.

1 x Column Hero
2 x Column A
2 x Column B
1 x Column C
1 issue of White Dwarf magazine
1 can of Spray Primer (White or Black)
[url=http://us.games-workshop.com/calltoarms/armychoices.htm]us.games-workshop.com/calltoarms/armychoices.htm]

The card also features boxes indicating that the models you purchased have been painted. You must paint the following to complete the program.

1 x Column Hero
2 x Column A
2 x Column B
1 x Column C
You also must participate in one in-store game, as indicated on the card.

Rewards
Once you have completed your card, you are eligible for one of the following rewards.

20% off any Army book or Codex supplement book*
10% off any Battalion or Battleforce Boxed Set*
10% Any Regiment or Squad Boxed Set*

LINKEAGE: us.games-workshop.com/calltoarms/rewards.htm

Is it just me or does this seem slightly pathetic.  Particularly in the face of discounts available from FLGS?  I mean, don't get me wrong - it is a step in the right direction, but it seems a pretty paltry one!

So, Let me get this straight:

Buy AND paint the following for 40k:
1xColumn Hero: a boxed set or blister pack HQ choice to lead the army
2xColumn A: a “game-legal” TROOPS unit boxed set purchase
2xColumn B: a “game-legal” ELITES/FAST ATTACK unit boxed set purchase
1xColumn C: a “game-legal” HEAVY SUPPORT unit boxed set purchase
1 White dwarf
1 Can spray primer.

I wonder what the "game-legal" part means? WYSIWYG? model count? Anyways, this is what, somewhere in the range of $200+? Their example of an SM army included (Assuming buying just the box sets, and not full squads):

Commander: $15
Tac squad: $35
Scout squad: $20
Terminator squad: $50
Vet Squad: $35
Land Raider: $55
Paint: $9
WD: $6

This is $225. Thats a lot of money, but probably the worst/hardest part is actually painting them all in less than a year. And then, if I do all this, pay all that money, paint all this minis, and I get a 20% off a codex? Save $4? How about a worse deal, and %10 off my next tac squad? $3.50 saved?? The best deal is, of course, 10% off the battleforce, or saving a whopping $9.

Let say I do all this, and then buy that battleforce with my "reward." For $225+$90=$315, I get a reward of $9, making my total cost $306, or a savings of about 3%. And that doesn't include the non-primer paint I have to buy to actually paint the minis. Or basing materials, or anything other than straight out of the box minis.

Thanks, but no thanks. I can 20% off EVERYTHING GW at Neal's warstore. I can get that $90 battleforce for $72. Or, more accurately, ALL the stuff I would have to buy for this "reward program" for $252. And I could take my time painting it.

That is kinda sad. Why not a membership card like many book stores offer? Maybe a flat 10% of all purchases. Or free shipping. Still not as good as the indies but better than nothing.

ender502

this is similar to the old army cards that GW did a few years back. I think the rewards are a bit less, as you used to be able to trade the card in for a standard troop choice or something like that.

there was also a similar card that was specific to 40k, warhammer, and even lotr a bit later.. and most had extra incentives for painting and playing with those armies. 

it's not much, but for those of us that are doing this anyways, it's an added bonus.

Seriously, this has to be the stupidest promotion ever.  The main reason is you'll probably want the codex or the battleforce as you start the force, not after you've spent ~$300 on it.  Realistically, if GW can actually convince someone to spend that much at one of their stores, it seems reasonable to give them a boxed set of their choice.  A FLGS where I used to go did a deal like this and I built an army there.  It was a good promotion because I liked the store and it had a legitimate reward.

Ohhh but you are forgetting about the next $400 dollar army you just have to buy after the first...... you guys have already said it: they should just offer a discount card and be done with it.  People looking for a deal will still get stuff from Ebay and online stores that offer at least 20% off.

They should just bring back the old Skulls Promotion. I think I have my old card around here somewhere....

Using the online store, I tried to make the cheapest SM army I could under the rules:
Commander: Space Marine librarian - $11
2 scout squads: $40
1 Director order techmarine: $17 (not including shiping)
1 Assault squad: $25
1 Predator: $40
WD: $6
Paint: $9

Cost: $148. Still a bunch of $$ to save $4 off a $20 codex. ($148+$20=$168, $4 off is %3 off total purchase). And, its not that terrific an army.

Note: "battleforce counts as 2 troops and 1 elites" doesn't help least cost, though you do get an extra 5 man squad and rhinor out of the deal, so if I was going to do this, I suppose I would do 2 SM battleforces, which would get me: 2 full tac squads, 2 5 man assault squads, 2 5 man scout squads, plus an extra 10 man tac squad, and 2 rhinos. I would STILL have to buy a HVY (min $40), plus a Commander (min $11), which would make my total $90+$90+$40+$11=$231.

If I'm going to do $231, might as well do the Megaforce, "Purchase of a Boxed Army or Mega Force Counts as 1 Column Hero, 2 Column A, 1 Column B, and 1 Column C" for $210, and all I'd have to buy is an FA/ELITE, for min $17 (but more likecly $25), for $248. But then, I get an extra 5 man cmd squad, 5 man tac squad, and a razorback, and a dread - but WHY the DREAD doesn't count as one of the FA/ELITE is beyond mea,other than the desire for us to spend more money. But at least you get a really viable army out of it.

Again, thanks but no thanks.

I'm assuming this is promotion is more of an attempt to reward the people who currently shop at GW stores exclusively than to woo back anybody lost to online or FLGS discounters. Now that I'm in Cleveland, there are no GW stores, so it's not an option for me, but if I still had GW stores convenient, I'd still find this promo lacking on two dimensions:
1) Overly complicated and difficult to finish
2) Trivial reward

Wouldn't it have been cool if the reward was something a little more valuable, but wouldn't have messed with their bottom line as much? Like a Games day ticket or GT ticket. Or a genuinely limited edition model.

I really do applaud GW for doing what we've been asking for years, which is a way to help us build an army cheaper, as well as to reward veteran gamers. This has the small of a great idea that bubbled up from a store manager, was gutted by the accountants, and finally returned to the stores in it's current form.

I actually feel bad for the redshirts. I've worked retail, and having to keep a straight face while explaining a "discount" plan more complicated than vector calculus is going to be a challenge.

Aha, it's actually slightly better than we thought. Many independant retailers have hopped on board as well. http://us.games-workshop.com/calltoarms/stockists.htm

While the few that I'm familiar with don't have a huge discount, most have some sort of membership or bulk purchase deal. I'm not saying it's actually worth all that time and effort to save $9, but it's a little more logical than I first thought.

Also, battle forces and mega forces count for multiple line purchases, which of course makes sense.

Completely ridiculous. There is no other description of this discount.

Heck, at my FLGS, if you play in a tournament (some are free, some are $5-$10, depending on the prizes) you get 20% off merch related to that gaming system that day. If you pay $10 to join the league for 6 months, you get 10% off every day on just about everything. At Moes, if you buy 11 burritos then the 12th is free.


The only time this 'deal' would be worth it is if you don't have internet access, know no one who does, and have no access to a public library, your only source for GW is an official GW store, and you are planning on buying all of the stuff on the card plus one additional item anyway.

Thanks for doing the math, John. That's some "deal" GW's got going on...

It would have been more appropriate if GW would at least kick in a beginner paint set up front if you drop $200 on models and primer. You know, the one that comes with 5 models and the pop-top mini-containers? That would make more sense than their paltry discount.

I remember the old GW Bargain Basement. Blisters for $1 to $2 each !! I bought like $600 worth of stuff there...

Wow. My mouth is agape in how completely and utterly pathetic that craptacular "discount" is. Even if some indy stores are participating it's crap. GW's marketing department must have rocks in their head and/or be completely hamstrung by the bean counters, probably both. In fact, I'm sure it's both as the complete lack of business acumen and the excessive incompetence is indicative of their policy of hiring fanatics at below market wages. This instead of paying the market level wages that are required for luring and retaining qualified people, because if they had qualified people, this thing never would have seen the light of day.

Thats a pretty insulting discount....

THE  sad thing about Bob's discount basement is that same Bob is now managing retail stores in the DC area. I think someone must have dropped one of the bitz binz on his head, he isn't the same ol' wheeling and dealing person I remember from back then. 

The bargain basement was pretty cool. This, not so much.

Meh, pretty much fits almost any retail "discount" plan around here. It's only an added bonus if you are already getting all this stuff.

you need to get out more.....no retail outfit I know of makes you jump through so many hoops for so little....

Posted By two heads talking on 01/25/2007 6:03 AM

this is similar to the old army cards that GW did a few years back. I think the rewards are a bit less, as you used to be able to trade the card in for a standard troop choice or something like that.

there was also a similar card that was specific to 40k, warhammer, and even lotr a bit later.. and most had extra incentives for painting and playing with those armies. 

it's not much, but for those of us that are doing this anyways, it's an added bonus.

Yeah- I was just thinking that actually.  If I was at my parent's house I could dig through my drawers in my old bedroom- I'm sure I still have one of those.

I remember it being cool and fun when I was like 12, but yeaaah not so much when you know you can get a better discount elsewhere.

They should've made the program give a special reward like a model or something you can't buy elsewhere, kinda like the Skulls program.

I wonder if Kirby is even aware of this program. If he is, and he approved it, that explains alot.

If he isn't, that also explains alot.

However the existence of the program doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know.

My stores are two of the ones listed as participating, but to be truthful, I'm a bit..underwhelmed....by the program. It needs something a bit better. We are going to run the program as it is, and give out the discount, but I'm thinking of adding something else to it. It runs all the way until the end of the year, so maybe a drawing for everyone that takes part and finishes the card. First thought was whatever the current big army deal is, but that's not going to be to thrilling if it's fantasy and you play 40k, or the reverse. So probably we will give out a couple of prizes, something like

1st prize-Free 100.00 shopping spree, and Mauleed paints your army.

2nd prize-Free tank/dragon, regiment box, and Mauleed plays you a game and has to lose on purpose to make you feel good.

3rd prize- Play a game with Mauleed, get stomped in 2 turns, be humiliated and run out of the store in tears, but learn a valuble lesson about life. (or a free paint set, what the hell.)

Seriously, we are running it, but it does need some spicing up.

Actually I get out a lot, that is the problem. I have plenty of discount cards from music shops and clothing stores where they have boxes of things to be checked off for a total discount of 10-15% off a single item or if it is a good place a single purchase. Usually having to spend hundreds of dollars just to get a simple 10% discount off of things. Not even worth the trouble of keeping the cards usually.

or the comic shop where I get a single free (under $3) comic after buying 20....

or stupid mail in rebates....

Meh.

There is something else speaky about the reward, in addition to howv little it is:

The apparently best discount is on a new codex if the kid (I cant see anyone else suckered in) manages to qualify. Semi-smart kids mightgor for a battleforce

However by that stage they will already own the codex having created an played their army, anf likely wont immediately need a new battleforce either.

So the reward is a diascount of the next codex you buy. Its not a vessdel to add to a collectors army, its a vessel to encourage the start of the next army. Thus manipulating someone who has forked out on an army at retail prices to then go and start another one.

Posted By mikhaila on 01/25/2007 3:20 PM

My stores are two of the ones listed as participating, but to be truthful, I'm a bit..underwhelmed....by the program. It needs something a bit better. We are going to run the program as it is, and give out the discount, but I'm thinking of adding something else to it. It runs all the way until the end of the year, so maybe a drawing for everyone that takes part and finishes the card. First thought was whatever the current big army deal is, but that's not going to be to thrilling if it's fantasy and you play 40k, or the reverse. So probably we will give out a couple of prizes, something like

1st prize-Free 100.00 shopping spree, and Mauleed paints your army.

2nd prize-Free tank/dragon, regiment box, and Mauleed plays you a game and has to lose on purpose to make you feel good.

3rd prize- Play a game with Mauleed, get stomped in 2 turns, be humiliated and run out of the store in tears, but learn a valuble lesson about life. (or a free paint set, what the hell.)

Seriously, we are running it, but it does need some spicing up.

Awesome and funny post. I like it. I want third prize so bad, I am willing to make sure Drake Marcus is chemically neutered to get it. ("valid topic" indeed...  )

Hell, Ill chemically neuter Drake Marcus and not get third prize, either way, everyone wins!.

But the point remains. Its a shoddy promotion. But in GW's defense it isnt ...well I cant even rationalize GW stance on this. I work at macy's, and while that corporation is tons bigger, atleast they treat their customers who are regulars very well.They dont make a person go to buy this, then this, then wear it, then come back and buy this, and then give them a discount.

This promotion is two things:

• Insulting to any customer with half a brain.
• Forces shops such as Mikhaila's to spice it up because GW cannot promote themselves out of a wet paper bag.

The conclusion:

• GW only wants inbred children who suffer from extra chromosomes (hence why chemically neutering Drake Marcus is so vitally important) to shop at stores who are forced to cover GW's "promotion", thus reducing indies profit even further.

I feel bad for the little indies that try this out. If theyre smart, they wont. But hell, most of the smart ones already dropped GW entirely anyways, so this wont matter much

I cant edit the typos in the above post. I keep getting wierd error messages.[i/]

This 'offer' has been very cleverly devised by the GW bean counters, in a short term blinkered, shoot-self-in-foot sort of way. The right concept but wrong methodology.

GW retail customers are used to geting nothing remotely resembling a discount excepting the 'free' limited availability BSB included in some Army Deals; so any form of dicount - however small looks attractive to someone who was going to buy an army anyway.

Consequently the market for the offer is for retail purchasing hobbyists who are already commited to buying an army. GW need offer them nothing as the money is secured. What GW needs to do (again from the point of view of the bean counter) is to ensure that the retail customer buys another army immediately afterwards.

Here is where GW usually falls down, far too many customers require a purchase break after buying an army, not so much because they want to paint and play that army, but because they need to recover from the investment. Most gamers will buy army after army as a hobby collection need them or not, play them or not.

This 'deal' is a backhand admission that core customers are no longer reliably chain-buying army after army. Kirby is likely to be behind the move allowing for recent public comments on how GW needs to focus on core customers. However this method of focusing attention on customer service is a sign of how far the apple has fallen from the tree; its common knowledge what are the reasons for poor sales. However GW will not address this issue in the proper manner but invokes gimic like this 'deal' in attempt to keep its shareholders happy while remaining recalcitrant on dealing with the core financial issues.

In a nutshell, its 'business as usual' back in GW H.Q.

I cant edit the typos in the above post. I keep getting wierd error messages.

This 'offer' has been very cleverly devised by the GW bean counters, in a short term blinkered, shoot-self-in-foot sort of way. The right concept but wrong methodology.

GW retail customers are used to geting nothing remotely resembling a discount excepting the 'free' limited availability BSB included in some Army Deals; so any form of dicount - however small looks attractive to someone who was going to buy an army anyway.

Consequently the market for the offer is for retail purchasing hobbyists who are already commited to buying an army. GW need offer them nothing as the money is secured. What GW needs to do (again from the point of view of the bean counter) is to ensure that the retail customer buys another army immediately afterwards.

Here is where GW usually falls down, far too many customers require a purchase break after buying an army, not so much because they want to paint and play that army, but because they need to recover from the investment. Most gamers will buy army after army as a hobby collection need them or not, play them or not.

This 'deal' is a backhand admission that core customers are no longer reliably chain-buying army after army. Kirby is likely to be behind the move allowing for recent public comments on how GW needs to focus on core customers. However this method of focusing attention on customer service is a sign of how far the apple has fallen from the tree; its common knowledge what are the reasons for poor sales. However GW will not address this issue in the proper manner but invokes gimic like this 'deal' in attempt to keep its shareholders happy while remaining recalcitrant on dealing with the core financial issues.

In a nutshell, its 'business as usual' back in GW H.Q.

aw comeon guys!  why do u have to be soooo negative?  u all whine about prices and then when gw does something about it you just whine somemore!!!!!!  their just trying to do something nice for theyre customers and all i hear is whineing im sick of it!!!!!!  they didnt HAVE TO do this!  they could have raised there prices instead!!  and then i bet all you just WHINE EVEN MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1  lol!

just think about it.  a 10% precent discount is better than nothing!!!  i dont see privitear press give $9 discounts to people who buy $315 of stuff!!!!!!!  lol!!!

besides if your starting a new army then its all stuff you would have bought anyway!!!!!  i know if i was starting a new spase marinez army id do this cause it would help motivate me to get everything painted (and we all know thats a good thing!!  lol!) and id get some nice savings to!!!

if you dont like it nobody is forcing you buy it anyway!!!  lol!  maybe somepeople like it?  ever thought of that????  no i bet you didnt!!!!  so stop whineing!  hurr!

On of these days Abby, I will have your man babies.
I swear to god and Rabbi Yair as my witness, I will birth your vile progeny from betwixt my slender thighs.

Atleast, after I have Triggerbaby's loathsome kin erupt from my bloated abdomen, that is....

This doesn't affect me in any way as I don't buy directly from GW and probably never will. That being said, it is at least something which is more than we've seen from GW in a while. I don't think we can look at this as any sort of portent of future policy though.