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Foxy the Fox · Aug 30, 2017

Hey gaf,

I always liked W40K since I was a child but the costs of those miniatures + the expenses to bring them to LATAM always made them insanely expensive. Part of that was the limited distribution channels that GW allowed to sell their products and I always heard that GW was driven by elder people who wasn't very aware of market changes and were kinda stubborn.

Then the 3D printer era came along with chinese bootlegs and GW continued to close stores and elevate their prices. The cost of a starter kit was very high.

At least until a year ago that was the case and today I find out this:

Those are Space Marine miniatures made by Max Factory, the same guys that made those figma figures of animu grills.

The price of 24 Space Marines? 140$ aprox, like 5$ for each Space Marine.

That's insanely cheap and to think that they let another toy company(let alone a japanese one) to make figurines of Space Marines seems crazy.

I enter the web page and they launched a Starter Kit of 15 miniatures, guide book and lot of other stuff for just 40$

That's cheap CHEAP.

And those kits are available on lot of retailers like amazon (37$ there) and miniaturemarket.com

What happened there? How did this happened?

Are there other changes in GW and the way they are producing stuff?

Sorry for the english

Emdeepee · Aug 30, 2017

They are genuinely going through a renaissance. Good value starter sets and the variety of boxed games (e.g. Quest, Blood Bowl) are back and well supported.

Funnily enough their financial position looks good on the back of it.

Still costs an absolute tonne of money to put an army together though.

Seiryoden · Aug 30, 2017

It still exists and seems well supported. Always people playing games in the shop in my dead-end Mill Town. I kind of want to check it out.

Ra\/en · Aug 30, 2017

Sounds good to me. I remember way back in the late 90s I spent almost all my hard earned cash (age 13) on those little pewter models.

Triteon · Aug 30, 2017

After burning almost every fan they had with multiple attacks from all angles (not just price increases, everything from stopping international selling to shelving hobby events) i belive they may have had a change in management but i havent checked.

The new 40k starter is pretty decent value i picked it up recently but the rules are a bit meh.

Also i miss 6th and 7th ed fantasy

Syder · Aug 30, 2017

I guess the price of things was a barrier to entry for a lot of people so they made cheaper stuff.

Kthulhu · Aug 30, 2017

Syder said:
I guess the price of things was a barrier to entry for a lot of people so they made cheaper stuff.

It was for me when I was younger. $35 for a single figurine that I have to glue together and paint myself and pay for said paint and glue seperatley is highway robbery.

I would always just buy the books with lore.

Foxy the Fox · Aug 30, 2017

Yeah, having each marine at 5$ is way cheaper than the Chinese knock-off.

Whoever is doing this new price point is doing god's work.

ScatheZombie · Aug 30, 2017

Foxy the Fox said:
What happened there? How did this happened?

In January 2015, the existing CEO Tom Kirby stepped down. He had essentially been CEO since 2000 and responsible for most of GW's prior practices and decline throughout that time.

The new CEO is Kevin Rountree and pretty much all he's done in the past two years has been to undo nearly everything Kirby had the company doing.

Foxy the Fox · Aug 30, 2017

ScatheZombie said:
In January 2015, the existing CEO Tom Kirby stepped down. He had essentially been CEO since 2000 and responsible for most of GW's prior practices and decline throughout that time.

The new CEO is Kevin Rountree and pretty much all he's done in the past two years has been to undo nearly everything Kirby had the company doing.

So there is a real chance to see a W40K movie adaptation and action figures now?

TrueDefault · Aug 30, 2017

Tempting. Maybe this might sway me to get into miniature wargaming.
I almost jumped on the Hordes' wagon.

Frozenprince · Aug 30, 2017

They're desperate to save their lines after years upon years of abuse and mistreatment of their consumer base basically drove most of them away.

L Thammy · Aug 30, 2017

are tyranids good

I knew multiple kids in elementary school who were really into Warhammer 40K. I wanted to get some but I didn't even have an allowance. How do prepubescent children afford this shit?

Wulfric · Aug 30, 2017

There's one GW store right across the street from my LGS, and it's still busy in the evenings. They seem to distance themselves from other companies and games, and most game stores I know won't carry them due to the expense.

I have no clue how they can compete for people's entertainment money in the coming years. They have an archaic business model and a product that appeals to a very small audience.

If I were the CEO, I would invest time in getting on mobile and Steam. Their IP is still well regarded in gaming circles, even if the company does stupid shit.

Pilgrimzero · Aug 30, 2017

Have they made new SoB with a real codex?

No?

Fuck 'em.

RMI · Aug 30, 2017

Prices are for the most part good, but you can still spend $30 on a single primaris marine model so, haha they can kind of still get fucked. Still, it's not bad overall.

L Thammy said:
are tyranids good

I knew multiple kids in elementary school who were really into Warhammer 40K. I wanted to get some but I didn't even have an allowance. How do prepubescent children afford this shit?

yes, the swarmlord is a fucking beast in 8th edition. also genestealers get a 5+ invulnerable save for being fast sneaky fucks so they are good again!

BreezyLimbo · Aug 30, 2017

L Thammy said:
are tyranids good

I knew multiple kids in elementary school who were really into Warhammer 40K. I wanted to get some but I didn't even have an allowance. How do prepubescent children afford this shit?

RMI said:
yes, the swarmlord is a fucking beast in 8th edition. also genestealers get a 5+ invulnerable save for being fast sneaky fucks so they are good again!

Not to mention that Genestealers can advance and charge(Which is basically extending their move range up to 6" than normal. Regularly if you advance, you can't charge, but Genestealers effectively bypass that rule.) So realistically they can, including a charge, move up to a possible a possible 26" in a turn, more than enough to close a gap on anything. Combined with a Swarmlord, which allows one unit near it move and/or advance during a shooting phase, Genestealers can effectively close a 4 foot gap on a table.

Tyranids are gooooood.

Regiruler · Aug 30, 2017

Foxy the Fox said:
So there is a real chance to see a W40K movie adaptation and action figures now?

Text to Speech the movie

Pilgrimzero · Aug 30, 2017

Yeah, lookIng at their site, still crazy expensive for anything other than a standard tac marine.

Ozigizo · Aug 30, 2017

TrueDefault said:
I almost jumped on the Hordes' wagon.

You lucked out by not doing so.

mlclmtckr · Aug 30, 2017

Pilgrimzero said:
Yeah, lookIng at their site, still crazy expensive for anything other than a standard tac marine.

if you search for "start collecting" you can find the better value bundles but, yeah, it isn't cheap.

Weilthain · Aug 30, 2017

Every few years I will buy a starter set or a bunch of models I think look really cool, spend a couple of months painting them up, then I stop.

Would love to have a group to play with as I really enjoy playing the game as well.

Greigor The Fellhand · Aug 30, 2017

Kirby, the former CEO got replaced a few years ago.

The new CEO started various strategies that have been revitalizing the company.

Start collecting sets that genreally net you a free heavy support/vehicle. actual savings.

Restarting and revamping specialist games and board games

bringing back niche armies, general support for older systems.

some stuff is still GW pricing, hell most of it is, but the start collecting and starter boxes have been absolutely insane the amount of stuff you get

also space marine heros is japan only and is more of a collector theme to it

delaneya · Aug 30, 2017

I have been wanting to get into 40k since I was a kid. Only started in the last month, and yeah its not cheap.
So far I have bought: first strike, dark imperium, start collecting orcs (for my son), paints, brushes etc.

Only issue I have is lack of people to play with

Moose Biscuits · Aug 30, 2017

Orruks

Duardin

AELFS

Keasar · Aug 30, 2017

Foxy the Fox said:
So there is a real chance to see a W40K movie adaptation and action figures now?

Not an action figure exactly but.

Got two kidneys you don't feel like you need?

RangerX · Aug 30, 2017

Yeah they became extortionately expensive. Me and my mates who have been playing for fifteen years only buy through third parties now.

Azubah · Aug 30, 2017

Russ woke up, that's what happened.

Ryuukan · Aug 30, 2017

I dont know much about miniatures but it seems like Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars stuff is seriously eating their lunch from looking at hobby shops

TatteredHat · Aug 30, 2017

The Starter kits are really good value but the other stuff is ridiculously expensive.

Mindwipe · Aug 30, 2017

GW have certainly started doing a lot of things right in the last few years. It was obvious from their financials that they were having a huge problem converting new customers into longer term ones, and they needed to fix that.

By and large they are doing, and are doing it by having much cheaper, better value starter sets like the ones in the OP. But I'd note that some of their other kits (including the latest Marine characters) are just as expensive as ever - the strategy appears to be to offer a gateway but continue the old pricing policies from there.

Which is probably the correct strategy for them.

Dwight Schrute · Aug 30, 2017

Do they still do the medieval one ?

Dougald · Aug 30, 2017

Mindwipe said:
By and large they are doing, and are doing it by having much cheaper, better value starter sets like the ones in the OP. But I'd note that some of their other kits (including the latest Marine characters) are just as expensive as ever - the strategy appears to be to offer a gateway but continue the old pricing policies from there.

Which is probably the correct strategy for them.

This sounds promising. GW needs to get older kids and teenagers involved without pricing them out, and starter sets are the way to do it. Conversely once you have a basic army, you don't need the additional models to be particularly cheap, so keeping the premium pricing for smaller-run models is probably fine.

I stopped collecting in my mid-20s, but when I was 14 or so I fondly remember saving up for that next kit or unique unit, something I wouldn't have done if I couldn't have afforded a small playable army. My nephew turns 13 next year and I'm still secretly waiting for him to get into it so I can find an excuse to do some modelling again without the commitment that comes with actually playing the game

waveuponwave · Aug 30, 2017

One of my friends in high school was a massive 40k fan and always tried to get me into it

He could be pretty annoying about it, maybe I would have tried if he had just stopped trying to convince me

But mostly the insane prices put me off even then. If I want to spend money on massively overpriced things I'd rather buy concert tickets than plastic figurines I have to paint myself

I love the 40k lore though. And the first Dawn of War is epic

Spookie · Aug 30, 2017

For the old Warhammer players local to myself stopped playing and began to move in to board games because it's cheaper and there is a bigger community for it. Anyone still interested in mini games moved in to X-Wing, Runewars or is looking at the new Star Wars: Legion. I guess they depleted a lot of good will with old customers.

Huw_Dawson · Aug 30, 2017

Used to post a tonne on Warseer. It does seem like the company has finally woken up.

NoblesseOblige · Aug 30, 2017

Threat of 3D printing.

Kyari · Aug 30, 2017

Okay but plastic sisters of battle when??

Pilgrimzero · Aug 30, 2017

I had 4 2000+ point armies, fully painted (done myself).

Necrons
Sisters
Marines
Chaos Marines

Realized I had spent way to much money when i maybe got in one game a month and usually lost that game.

Not to mention GW refused to support my favorite army, the Sisters of Battle.

Pretty much just to expensive, especially if you want to be able to play other people at a reasonable point build.

Your army of mostly Tac and Rhinos isn't going to get you very far. Gotta get thos $40 models etc

Ordinaryundone · Aug 30, 2017

Keasar said:
Not an action figure exactly but.

Got two kidneys you don't feel like you need?

It's such a sick model, too

Fantasy and 40k are filled to the bursting with such great designs that would be perfect for the large size action figure/display model formula but for whatever reason its never happened. Like, they could just make big versions of some of the existing miniatures and it'd be fine.

Secret Character · Aug 30, 2017

Kyari said:
Okay but plastic sisters of battle when??

Same time we get plastic Araby and Kislevites.

I would make a joke about Necromunda, but they are reviving that. It's the best gaming news I've heard in years. If they revive Warmaster, I'll be complete.

Petit Melon · Aug 30, 2017

Our comic shop has a little section for GW. They look fun to paint but I don't know if I'd like the game part as much as the painting part so I never tried it. The little figures look cool, though.

RMI · Aug 30, 2017

If anyone is interested in the start collecting boxes for 40k i think they're a good place to start now. I played in an event recently that was just based on building a force out of those boxes and had a good time even if the points values varied a little bit. IIRC the imperial guard box produces the lowest point value force and I'm not sure if it is the absolute highest but the Deathwatch box produces over 600 points and has a ton of options.

Petit Melon said:
Our comic shop has a little section for GW. They look fun to paint but I don't know if I'd like the game part as much as the painting part so I never tried it. The little figures look cool, though.

personally I spend probably 20-30x more time painting than actually playing the game. It's to the point where when people moan about rules changes I just let it wash over me because I play the game so infrequently that the rules don't really matter much TBH.

NoblesseOblige said:
Threat of 3D printing.

Threat of recasters is probably a bigger deal for them.

Ordinaryundone · Aug 30, 2017

Petit Melon said:
Our comic shop has a little section for GW. They look fun to paint but I don't know if I'd like the game part as much as the painting part so I never tried it. The little figures look cool, though.

Honestly its one of those games that's more fun, for me anyway, in the planning/design stages than actually playing it. I love all the theory crafting and unit customization and all the general min/maxing you can do but it's no fun to watch a meticulously designed strategy to completely fall apart due to bad dice rolls.

Strangely I really like Bloodbowl for the same reason. Probably because I've never bothered with keeping track of stats and players over a season but the randomness (and shorter games) help keep it fresh.

Foxy the Fox · Aug 30, 2017

NoblesseOblige said:
Threat of 3D printing.

3D printing is still far away from the detail but some people have made stuff like this:

HariKari · Aug 30, 2017

Stater kits and bundles are cheap, but building up an army is as expensive as ever. At least they reversed the decision to not allow online selling + discounts.

ShadowSwordmaster · Aug 30, 2017

Greigor The Fellhand said:
Kirby, the former CEO got replaced a few years ago.

The new CEO started various strategies that have been revitalizing the company.

Start collecting sets that genreally net you a free heavy support/vehicle. actual savings.

Restarting and revamping specialist games and board games

bringing back niche armies, general support for older systems.

some stuff is still GW pricing, hell most of it is, but the start collecting and starter boxes have been absolutely insane the amount of stuff you get

also space marine heros is japan only and is more of a collector theme to it

Bring back and making new specialists games is a cool thing that GW is doing. The release of 8th edition also bringing people in that were gone or wanting to check 40k out too.

AlStrong · Aug 30, 2017

Black Library prices continue to irritate me, particularly because eBook prices are so high. That further fuels irritation regarding mass market paperback releases being so late, but then I guess I'm not as much in a hurry to get up to date on a rather stale progression of the Horus Hearsay.

Dynasty · Aug 30, 2017

They ruined Warhammer Fantasy with the 9th edition so they are dead to me.

ShadowSwordmaster · Aug 30, 2017

Dynasty said:
They ruined Warhammer Fantasy with the 9th edition so they are dead to me.

There is no 9th edition.

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