Amazing Necrons on Advanced Order

Posted by Ranillon on 30. October 2011 02:46

As a Necron player with a completely painted army (at least until I get some of these new models) I've been waiting a long time for a new book with new stuff.  Well, it's just about here -- take a look:

You can see the rest of the upcoming Necrons on Advanced Order from here.  Look and enjoy!

New Ogres on Advanced Order

Posted by Ranillon on 26. August 2011 22:42

Games Workshop has just put up a bunch of new Warhammer Ogres on Advanced Order including the new Ogre Kingdoms army book.  Take a look:

I don't play ogres and no plan on starting (too many other armies to paint), but these are quite impressive.  I'm sure any Ogres general out there ought to be quite happy with these new models.

More Demons and Dark Eldar -- With Some Commentary About Prices

Posted by Ranillon on 20. August 2011 03:38

Games Workshop has just released a number of new or redone models for you to buy -- and a new all-daemon battleforce. Here are some pictures:

The quality of the models looks as fine as ever, but when you go to check their cost you're likely to -- once again -- experience sticker shock.  I bring that up because over the last few weeks as I've wandered the Internet reading about the hobby I've run into an unusual amount of anger over GW's latest price increases.  This is especially so given that most people seem -- rightly or not -- to see this new move to Finecast as being at least partially an excuse to raise prices, something that is counter-intuitive as the assumption has long been that moving to plastic/resin should have lowered GW's costs.  In other words, a change that should have at least prevented a price rise if not led to a price cut has instead been apparently used to jack up prices and widen profit margins.

Now, a number of other sources have explained that the seeming combination of shifting to plastic/resin and the (now yearly) price hike was a coincidence rather than just a tactless attempt to gouge customers, but at the very least it was clearly a bad PR move on GW's part.  Likewise, without a doubt costs of materials have gone up quite a bit.  Nevertheless, what I find both interesting and worrying is that the anger toward Game Workshop prices seems to have hit a new crescendo.  Sure, it's always been there, especially since GW made price increases routine -- and dreaded -- events, but I don't think the level of vitriol has ever been as high as I see now (at least in my unscientific assessment).  If so it's not surprising -- the economy stinks, people are trying to get by on less, and yet GW is seemingly trying to price themselves out of existence (or so the rant goes).  When you see things like a group of five Blood Knights -- even if they do look fantastic -- costing $99 (yes, that's what I said) it certainly makes it easy to believe the worst about GW's intentions and (lack of) business acumen.

The truth is certainly more complicated than such easy black-and-white explanations, but it does show that whatever good will the miniatures community has toward GW may be experiencing a serious drop off.  I want to see both GW and miniatures gaming get better and better -- which is why I hope that the company will start to take steps to improve their standing with their core audience.  If nothing else I am getting tired of the instant anger and even rage I see whenever the topic GW and their prices comes up.

Visiting Gen Con 2011

Posted by Ranillon on 11. August 2011 01:13

Last week was Gen Con 2011 and like every year I made sure to visit for a few days.

While it was as fun as ever I have to say -- sadly -- that the convention looked smaller than previously.  Attendance seemed lower and the dealer's room was certainly smaller than usual.  Likewise, whereas in earlier years gaming, miniatures, and card games all had their own individual large rooms this year they were all brought together in a single (still quite large) room.  That doesn't mean that Gen Con was "small" by any stretch of the imagination, but it seems that this lousy economy has hit Gen Con like everywhere.

Yet, to be truthful it wasn't that I found really despressing.  No, that came when I was walking through the miniatures section and seeing just about every mini game I could think of being played -- except, that is, for ANY Games Workshop games.  I saw Battletech, Herocliks, War Machine, Dystopian Wars -- pretty much everything.  Many had crowded tournaments going.  Yet, not one single Warhammer, 40K, Battlefleet Gothic, Blood Bowl, or any other GW product game.

Nice Looking Battletech Board at Work

It wasn't always like this.  The first few times I was at Gen Con there were entire Warhammer and 40K tournaments.  Later on there were at least some few boards of GW stuff being played.  But, this time I couldn't find a single one anywhere.  Admittedly, I didn't check every day and hour of the convention, but by any measure the Games Workshop presence was eclipsed by...well, every other miniatures company out there.

Why Isn't There a Similar Sized Space Marine to Contend with this Warmachine Warjack?

In the past you could almost understand GWs disinterest in visiting places like Origins or Gen Con -- they had their own conventions.  But, those have been reduced to almost nothing (with Independent GTs like ours taking up the slack).  Besides, since when it is a bad thing to expose your product to tens of thousands of potential fans?  I just don't understand the GW approach here, but I hope they see how they are hurting their hobby and reverse this trend of distancing themsevles from their own best customers.

Now on to some pretty pictures, namely many of the winners from the Gen Con painting contest (Click to Biggie Size):

Vampire Counts Advanced Order

Posted by Ranillon on 30. July 2011 09:01

Games Workshop has put up some new models for Vampire Counts and one piece of rather amazing terrain (if a bit "busy") for Warhammer Advanced Order.  Take a look:

All fine models, although I have to say that I think I still prefer the older style banshee.

There are also a number of reissues of old metals models as "Finecast" plastics -- which are definitely "fine" when it comes to their quality, but come with a bit of sticker shock.  This is especially true if one remembers that a supposed reason to welcome plastics is that they reduce costs.  I guess in this case GW decided that they are instead meant to (try to) increase profits.