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So, I got talking to some friends about videos that companies put out that show a degree of self awareness and a willingness to make fun of themselves (brought on by a video Bethesda put out) and I used the "reset the clock" video it occurs toi me, we did get a squat mini, we've got plastic sisters coming... given they're two of three... could a plastic thunderhawk (even just as some sort of counters for a BFG relaunch) be on the plate in the next year or two?

just random musings.

Odds are not likely but I am hoping.

 mew28 wrote:
Odds are not likely but I am hoping.

I mean it'd sell like hotcakes..

Given that the resin one was replaced with a completely new design fairly recently I wouldn't hold your breath.

GW seem to be very self aware- To a point they'll even hide things in plain sight....

Check out the plastic sisters clock on the reset video.... 5 to midnight, always conveniently in shot. I said at the time i thought this summer would be a big plastic sisters release because of that reason, i was wrong on the date but right on the message.

dunno about a plastic thunderhawk though, would be the biggest plastic they've ever done.

More likely we get the primaris flyer mentioned in the book?

Not any time soon but I can comfortably bet a few pounds that it will come out one day.

It seems like there has been a far less emphasis on fliers this edition. Out of curiosity has there been a new flier introduced in 8th yet? I can't really think of one.

 lolman1c wrote:
Not any time soon but I can comfortably bet a few pounds that it will come out one day.

That bet would be a no brainer since it's impossible for you to lose. In 30 years when it's still not out you can just say "one day". Even if GW were to go out of business you can just say "maybe someone will buy the IP".

I can comfortably bet more than a few pounds that it won't be out in the next five years. The cost of producing it using current methods would be ridiculous and the fewer it'll sell the more expensive it'll be (or they'll make it dramatically smaller)

To me, it looks like GW now tries to produce the models/games that are widely asked for. The comeback of the successful specialist games, or the SoB are examples of that.
From their videos, it seems like they believe there's a high demand for a plastic Thunderhawk. And GW really likes to produce big kits.
So I would say it's pretty likely it will come out in the next couple years.

I wonder how many people will really want to spend £250 on a plastic Thunderhawk that they'll never use? It doesn't even have the premium showpiece tag that Forgeworlds resin version has.

I’d totally run one every once in a while because I just like putting fun stuff on the table, but I highly doubt the average 2k list would even look twice at a 300 dollar model that costs 1400 points even if it was plastic and readily available at a FLGS.

I don’t see GW making it plastic just because it probably would not sell any more than it currently does.

 Imateria wrote:
I wonder how many people will really want to spend £250 on a plastic Thunderhawk that they'll never use? It doesn't even have the premium showpiece tag that Forgeworlds resin version has.

Plus it'll only be cheaper than the FW one if it sells a LOT more units.

According to this video....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc0-8BBkkq4


The sister clock had 7 minutes left before midnight.

The plastic thunderhawk clock had 5 hours and 17 minutes left before midnight.

So if we assume the release will be at midnight, and 7 minutes is equal to about a year.... That'll be roughly only 45 years to wait!

I'd suspect no, as FW only recently released the brand new one. I do find GW to work closely at not invalidating FW releases. If we look at something like the plastic Contemptor dreadnought, you can see how. The kit, despite being new, and plastic, is absolutely dire - possibly the worst thing I've seen out of GW in a long time. I fully believe this is solely to not risk stealing sales of the rather popular HH Contemptors from Forgeworld. They seem to be very guarded in that respect.

I do think a plastic Thunderhawk would have been a smart decision, but its size would make it really damn expensive, and I don't believe it would sell like hotcakes. It would sell more than the FW model, but that's not saying a ton (how many have you ever seen in person). The Thunderhawk is easily one of the largest kits FW does and it's not very table-friendly. While cool, it's not terribly practical for most games.

Primaris Thunderhawk

Yes!!! We’ll be getting one with the release of 9E next year, two months after the Sisters codex drops.

Unfortunately, it will push the new Squat codex back - until all the 8E cod exes have been updated to the new edition.

Is there really that much demand for a plastic Thunderhawk? I know it's become a bit of a meme but would many people really rush out to buy it?

phillv85 wrote:
Is there really that much demand for a plastic Thunderhawk? I know it's become a bit of a meme but would many people really rush out to buy it?

I think it would be a great display piece for a lot of collectors and narrative gamers.

Keep in mind a plastic thunderhawk could just mean small squadron minis for BFG. it'd technicly be true

People have been after this since forever. I don't think we'll ever seen one in plastic even though it would be better to do it in plastic, and pretty much everyone would buy one!

If they were why would they remake the resin one? The time for plastic thunderhawks was when they retired the old version.

I really don't understand why people are clamouring for this. Sure, I guess it would be cool to paint one for display cabinet, but it is not a practical gaming piece. I'd like to have a new plastic Space Marine flying transport (one that is not ugly and can carry Primaris) but one that is about Storm Eagle sided so that I can actually use it.

As for big flyers, Stormbird looks much better than Thunderhawk, so if we need to have an expensive unwieldy collector piece, I would much rather have that.

As others have said, FW just recently redisgined their resin Thunderhawk kit. We aren't going to get a plastic one.

What we will get is some new Primaris sized flyer-transport with so many guns there isn't a single flat space big enough to put one decal on the model.

But more seriously, no plastic TH, but expect large plastic Primaris flyer.

I too think i will happen. Yes there is a fairly new Thunderhawk but there were Custodes jetbikes and terminators and we still got those in plastic.

 nordsturmking wrote:
I too think i will happen. Yes there is a fairly new Thunderhawk but there were Custodes jetbikes and terminators and we still got those in plastic.

Aye but the difference in mould cost between the two is big; the massive Thunderhawk from FW likely cost them way more than the Custodes Jetbikes. Plus the Custodes jet bikes can be expected to sell in pretty decent numbers once released.

The problem with a plastic Thunderhawk is that its basically a boutique model made in a mass market material.

I'm pretty sure it will come, its iconic to marines and likely would see reasonable table time use and would sell in larger volumes than the resin one. Butat the same time it would still be a limited market product. I think with the current profits GW has its the kind of thing they could do, but I can't see it happening too soon.

In the video the clock time on the thunderhawk was a lot further off than Squats or Sisters which I think was their way of saying "yes we know you want it; but not for a long time yet".

I would expect a Warhound before a Thunderhawk to be honest.

 Crazyterran wrote:
I would expect a Warhound before a Thunderhawk to be honest.

The more I think on it the more I think GW will sneak the prices up steadily with other models to reach the point at which there is a proven market for a plastic model of a super high price. We've already seen them doing this with Knights. Now we've got £100 models on the market for a whole faction that is based on titan/knight use and people are accepting it (by and large). A lot of factions also have around an £80 model (often a hero) in them. In the distant past nothing went beyond around £35.

So we could well see a couple of £130, 150, 170 etc... models appear. Granted each band GW goes up by reduces the market, but this lets GW test the waters bit by bit to see what the market really will accept. It's one thing to know a lot of people want a Thunderhawk; its another to know how many have means and will to actually pay for one.


Something like Sisters of Battle is easier because all the products made for it will fit into the current price scheme and structure of other armies. So GW already know that they can make that faction and price it the same as the others and that there is a real, willing and large market for it. So for items like that its much easier to listen to the wish-listers wanting something; because they know that a good potion of those people will have means and will to buy Sisters.