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I'm relatively new to 40K, having only been interested in it for 2 years and modelling it for 1 year, I don't play the table-top, but I love the lore and making the models. However, i'm a bit confused as to why Games Workshop has such a fixation on certain chapters. Without having the whole 'Matt Wardle is the Anti-Christ' crap (Which seems to be the standard 'get-out' clause): Why is it Games Workshop is focusing on the Dark Angels so much recently? Is it simply to update the model range, and if so why DA and not another chapter?

I'm just a touch perplexed as to why certain new releases, such as the Nephilim fighter, have been released as exclusively Dark Angels, and not just in the 'common' Space Marine setting?
I realise the kit can be constructed without DA icons, but why release it in the DA section then?

Sorry for the multitude of questions, but i'm rather confused. A straight answer would be appreciated It's also worth noting I'm not opposed to this set of releases, just, like I say, confused.

 Warpig1815 wrote:
Why is it Games Workshop is focusing on the Dark Angels so much recently? Is it simply to update the model range, and if so why DA and not another chapter?

They have an old codex, but their sales were high enough to support a chapter specific model range. That is all.

 Warpig1815 wrote:
Why is it Games Workshop is focusing on the Dark Angels so much recently? Is it simply to update the model range, and if so why DA and not another chapter?

They always focus on an army when a new codex is released for them.

I'm just a touch perplexed as to why certain new releases, such as the Nephilim fighter, have been released as exclusively Dark Angels, and not just in the 'common' Space Marine setting?

They're trying to move towards each chapter having as few toys that are exclusively theirs, so that the various marine codexes are more distinct rather than just Marines painted a different colour.

You have come in at a switch and update. The normal GW posterboy SM are the Ultramarines. But GW will put them on the back burner when there is a new dex out. But you are right to notice they are putting a big surge into DA recently. This is the first Starter Set since I've been dabbling with 40K (4th Edition) that had Chapter Specific models even. The other two were just plain jane where you could paint them how you wanted. But in a few weeks or a couple months the focus will switch over to some other chapter or group that GW has updated and the 40K SM page will go back to Ultramarines most likely...(although they kept Blood Angels up for a while after their new book came out so...)

The very quick answer is because the Dark Angels are having their Codex updated and released this month. It therefore makes sense to release new models at the same time, so that when people see them in the Codex or in the stores they will think 'oh, I should buy that'

As to why Dark Angels and not some other Chapter, well, at a guess its because they play in similar way to 'vanilla' marines which made them a logical addition to the Dark Vengeance starter box released a few months ago. Whereas the other Marine Codex that really needs updating, the Black Templars, are somewhat different and so may not have appealed.

It is just one of those things, give it a month or two and a different army will be the focus of attention getting all the new models. Eventually they will all have their turn (probably even Sisters of Battle) and it will come back around to Dark Angels.

Finally, I imagine the Nephilim fighter is Dark Angels only for the same reason only Space Wolves get Thunder Wolf Cavalry, in order to make them different from any other Chapter. Otherwise they would arguably not warrant a Codex of their own.

Hope that helps and wasn't to badly written

Edit: Wow, Ninja'd by three people...

Ok, well that makes sense. I was just wondering why DA, but I suppose that, similar to the many Land Raider patterns that were developed individually by Chapters, the technology will spread eventually to other chapters. And I can see how, if an author decides to write a new codex for a specific chapter GW will capitalise upon it's success and produce some models to go along with it.

Ok, thanks a lot it's much appreciated and sets my mind at ease.

 Warpig1815 wrote:
Ok, well that makes sense. I was just wondering why DA, but I suppose that, similar to the many Land Raider patterns that were developed individually by Chapters, the technology will spread eventually to other chapters. And I can see how, if an author decides to write a new codex for a specific chapter GW will capitalise upon it's success and produce some models to go along with it.

Ok, thanks a lot it's much appreciated and sets my mind at ease.

Actually, its usually GW who decides what codex is getting updated next, then assigns modelers to start coming up with concepts for new models, and then the codex writers come in after the best concepts have started development to produce the rules. It is extremely uncommon for a significant number of units in a codex to be designed entirely by a writer rather than a modeller, the only example I can think of is MAYBE the Tervigon (because of the massive delay between the release of Codex: Tyranids (5th edition) and the model release.

Thanks for the replies everybody, it helped clarify it a lot.

@Regal Phantom - I presumed that GW would dictate which codexes would be written, but I didn't realise the models were in the prototype stage before the codex was written. I also meant writer in the sense of the codex's author, not a BL writer, but I gather you surmised that.

Anyway, again, much thanks to all replies.

 Warpig1815 wrote:
Ok, well that makes sense. I was just wondering why DA, but I suppose that, similar to the many Land Raider patterns that were developed individually by Chapters, the technology will spread eventually to other chapters. And I can see how, if an author decides to write a new codex for a specific chapter GW will capitalise upon it's success and produce some models to go along with it.

Ok, thanks a lot it's much appreciated and sets my mind at ease.

It's very unlikely these DA vehicles will move to other codices. GW want different chapters to have unique elements. Just like how only Codex Space Marine armies get the Storm Talon, only DA armies get this fighter and speeder. Just like only BA get the Baal Predator and Furioso Dreadnought.

Now that I can't understand from an In-Universe point of view. Surely the sheer potential of having a dedicated interceptor/strike fighter would be enough for all chapters to take an interest in it. I mean I can see GW's point of view - uniqueness, but it makes no sense from a in-universe point of view. Sure, the speeder may not be preferred by other chapters - the Salamanders make very little use of speeders due to high gravity on Nocturne, but a tactical fighter is a valuable asset.

As I say, I don't play the Table-top, so I can't get an appreciation of how these units make the game-style unique for certain chapters, but I suppose, from a purely 'variation' point of view, it does make sense for GW to assign them unique units.

 Warpig1815 wrote:
Now that I can't understand from an In-Universe point of view. Surely the sheer potential of having a dedicated interceptor/strike fighter would be enough for all chapters to take an interest in it. I mean I can see GW's point of view - uniqueness, but it makes no sense from a in-universe point of view. Sure, the speeder may not be preferred by other chapters - the Salamanders make very little use of speeders due to high gravity on Nocturne, but a tactical fighter is a valuable asset.

As I say, I don't play the Table-top, so I can't get an appreciation of how these units make the game-style unique for certain chapters, but I suppose, from a purely 'variation' point of view, it does make sense for GW to assign them unique units.

Salamanders have access to the StormTalon which fills the same role.

 -Loki- wrote:


It's very unlikely these DA vehicles will move to other codices. GW want different chapters to have unique elements. Just like how only Codex Space Marine armies get the Storm Talon, only DA armies get this fighter and speeder. Just like only BA get the Baal Predator and Furioso Dreadnought.

*cough* Land Raider CRUSADER *cough*

Actually someone writes the fluff, then someone draws it, then someone designs the models and then the codex is written. All different people. The codices have generally been released in the same order for a while now with a few deviations dependent on popularity. The next will be Tau then another Imperial, probably Black Templars then the Eldar.

 Warpig1815 wrote:
Now that I can't understand from an In-Universe point of view. Surely the sheer potential of having a dedicated interceptor/strike fighter would be enough for all chapters to take an interest in it. I mean I can see GW's point of view - uniqueness, but it makes no sense from a in-universe point of view. Sure, the speeder may not be preferred by other chapters - the Salamanders make very little use of speeders due to high gravity on Nocturne, but a tactical fighter is a valuable asset.

As I say, I don't play the Table-top, so I can't get an appreciation of how these units make the game-style unique for certain chapters, but I suppose, from a purely 'variation' point of view, it does make sense for GW to assign them unique units.

It depends on the fluff for the unit. For example, the Baal Predators technical specs are jealously guarded by the Blood Angels, something the Adeptus Mechanicus are incredibly pissed off about. The Blood Angels and the Grey Knights also are the only chapters in the game that get the Stormraven gunship because they were the first chapters to give it widespread use.

We don't know the fluff behind the new fighter and speeder the Dark Angels use yet, but I'd wager it's more about the fact that they're relics of the Crusade or around that time, and the Dark Angels, being the first legion, were incredibly well equipped. They've just got enough left over from that time to still use them in war compared to other chapters, just like their mass use of plasma technology.

 d3m01iti0n wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:


It's very unlikely these DA vehicles will move to other codices. GW want different chapters to have unique elements. Just like how only Codex Space Marine armies get the Storm Talon, only DA armies get this fighter and speeder. Just like only BA get the Baal Predator and Furioso Dreadnought.

*cough* Land Raider CRUSADER *cough*

Every SM Chapter has that, is not special or codex specific, same as the Redeemer. Just the Black Templars have more because they created it.

Land Raider Ares is the same - created by DA but no-where on its datasheet that I can see does it say it is DA specific - hell it doesnt even say which chapters can use it!

As other people have said, DA is being focus on because the codex has just been released. But just because the models are DA dont expect them to not turn up in "normal" marine forces as proxies for other things - the fighter would even be able to stand in for the Sisters of Battle strike fighter or even be turned into a different forge world's version of one with a few spare bits.