WFB Release Schedule rumours

[eldargal]

From Harry:

I can't make sense of the Vampire count thing yet.
I have heard it from three different places in recent weeks but can't get a handle on whether it is another wave or a bigger release.


VC, Empire and Dwarves* are the three I have 'in the frame' ...
... even though they are not even in most folks picture of Wood Elves and Bretonnians ... which I have still heard next to nothing about.
*in no particular order.

The interesting thing is I've heard Bretonnians and Wood Elves were imminent, particularly Bretonnians. Of course it could be that we will see waves of models without army books so that may be complicating things. Interesting times. I'd put more faith in Harrys' sources than mine to be honest.

[Lord Azaghul]

VC better not get another damn book before my dwarves (granted they are one of the more 'broken/op' books right now - but nerf an evil army isn't a concept GW understands) :mad:

[lattd]

I want wood elves to get a new book not 3 armies that all got a 7th edition book

[Lord Azaghul]

I want wood elves to get a new book not 3 armies that all got a 7th edition book

Dwaves didn't get a 7th ed book.

There are still a few pages then mention only needing 4 models for a rank.

But yes, WE DO really need a good book.

[lattd]

I though dwarves got a 7th edition codex as they were in the starter box for that edition with the goblins. The wood elves need it a lot more than most.

[bobrunnicles]

Wood Elves and Brets need it the most, for sure. Closely followed by Dwarfs.

[Lord Azaghul]

I though dwarves got a 7th edition codex as they were in the starter box for that edition with the goblins. The wood elves need it a lot more than most.

Nope!

They were the 2nd to last 6th ed book (wood elves were last)

Empire got the first 7th ed, and O&G got the 2nd.

Also note that GW usually releases the 'starter' set 6 months after the newest edition drops.

8th ed starter box is HE and Skaven. HE book is 2008, and Skaven was late 2009. Almost a year before the starter set.

[Morgan Darkstar]

VC better not get another damn book before my dwarves (granted they are one of the more 'broken/op' books right now - but nerf an evil army isn't a concept GW understands) :mad:

Tell that to the people who play chaos space marines! :p

was hoping brets were next. :(

[Lord Azaghul]

Tell that to the people who play chaos space marines! :p

was hoping brets were next. :(

Well by all accounts of 6th ed fluff 40k is going the way of fantasy = good guys finish last. :(

[Mr.Pickelz]

I would definitely play a lot more fantasy if my dwarves got a book that supports melee instead of just shooting. as it stands, slayers are worthless, and mass warriors don't do much outside of being charged and getting killed off.:mad::mad:

[eldargal]

Bear in mind we could be talking about waves of models with WD rules (if any) rather than books, or some could get books and others waves. So Wood Elves, Bretonnians and Dwarves may get books while VC and Empire get waves, we just don't know.

[gcsmith]

Ive always seen fantasy as a system where older books get updated. Which Has happened since i played it 6 odd years ago.

but recently seems to be going way of 40k with a couple of armies updated when not needed. Look at recent Greenskin release. Brets and WE. Mainly brets however since they are older needed update, and what happened. Orks a book already competative got redone for no reason.

/Sigh hope my brets get redone soon so I have a reason to collect them

[pgarfunkle]

Yeah I'm hoping to see wood elves updated sometime in the next 6 months as I'd like to start them as a second army and am using the excuse of the potential update as a reason to hold off for a few months

[Wildeybeast]

Ive always seen fantasy as a system where older books get updated. Which Has happened since i played it 6 odd years ago.

but recently seems to be going way of 40k with a couple of armies updated when not needed. Look at recent Greenskin release. Brets and WE. Mainly brets however since they are older needed update, and what happened. Orks a book already competative got redone for no reason.

/Sigh hope my brets get redone soon so I have a reason to collect them

I'm not sure I'd say the armies updated didn't need so doing.
They always do a big first army to get some good sales in and please as many people as possible. In 40K it is easy - Space Marines. They make the most money, are the most popular and are the 'signature' range in terms of the background. Fantasy doesn't have quite the same stand out army but Empire and O&G are the two most consistently popular armies, so one of them was always going to get the big first release. Given that the Empire army book still works pretty well under the new rules and that, barring some character models, the entire range is in plastic, they really didn't need an update, so it fell to O&G.

After that they looked at books which haven't been done for a while and really needed more plastic/finecast (TK and OK) Also both of them had magic systmes which needed bringing into line with the current one. Now if rumours are to be believed, they are looking at armies which really need updating to make them competitive (WE and Brets). I'd have perhaps done them first, but I guess GW looked at TK and OK and thought - we can make some really cool, awesome looking, big new monsters for them, which, by a happy coincidence, will make us lots of money. At least they are addressing the armies that do need updating for one reason or another, unlike 40k where they are left to languish unused in the attic (Tau), we are constantly taunted with rumours (Necrons) or you get half-arsed WD codexes. By contrast the attention lavished on army books (full colour, hard back) is excellent.

[eldargal]

Yes, remember model sales and popularity factor in more than rules for GW. They have to satsify demand (hence the preponderance of Marines releases, they are in demand) and the more popular the range, the more likely it will get some preferential treatment. This isn't to say poor selling armies are neglected, look at Dark Eldarand Ogre Kingdoms. Lot of effort put into boosting their sales, a total revamp for Dark Eldar and a larger than usual (ha) crop of releases for OK. Exceptionally large when you factor in all the Finecast conversions.

[lattd]

I think SoM had a lot to do with army book releases, look at the books they just released each came with a big monster that can probably be used by anyone in SoM. Now what big beast could brets have? Wood Elves could have a dragon but do we need 3 dragon kits? Maybe a new treeman but i bet they will be finecast.

Dwarves could have a Golem style create which would actually be cool.

[Wildeybeast]

I think SoM had a lot to do with army book releases, look at the books they just released each came with a big monster that can probably be used by anyone in SoM. Now what big beast could brets have? Wood Elves could have a dragon but do we need 3 dragon kits? Maybe a new treeman but i bet they will be finecast.

Dwarves could have a Golem style create which would actually be cool.

I'm not sure they will do big monsters for every army, they aren't necessary with the background. Dwarves have never used monsters, so I don't see why they would start. More likely you will see a big war machine (look at the Chaos Dwarf stuff from FW and you will get what I mean). WE will probably focus on plastiking/FCing the monsters they currently have (Stags, Unicorns, Eagles, Warhawks, Forest Dragons) which all appear in SoM. Given how influential magic is, I'm hoping Ariel will make a re-appereance, though hopefully with a new model, the old one was too cartoony for todays 'darker' style. As for Brets, I guess they could have monsters, but given they spend most of their time hunting them down I wouldn't expect many. Perhaps some big style plastic grail shrine or something?

[Lord Azaghul]

I think SoM had a lot to do with army book releases, look at the books they just released each came with a big monster that can probably be used by anyone in SoM. Now what big beast could brets have? Wood Elves could have a dragon but do we need 3 dragon kits? Maybe a new treeman but i bet they will be finecast.

Dwarves could have a Golem style create which would actually be cool.

I really, really do not want a huge Golem for my dwarves (think empires mechanical horse - that's how dumb it would be). Go for the flying blimp instead, or bear cav -bear cav would make ALOT of people happy!

[wittdooley]

@Azzie: What if they looked like the Golden Army from Hellboy 2? Come on. You know that would be pimp city.

[eldargal]

They are supposed to have golems in the fluff, but personally I think an airship or some kind of big cannon would be more logical.

Speculation:

Bretonnians: Trebuchet/siege catapult
Wood Elves: Giant treeman (rumoured)
Empire: War wagon/war altar
Dwarves: Golem, Ancestor cannon, Airship
Dark Elves: Some kind of big gribbly or a portable temple of khaine or somesuch
Lizardmen: oneof those big lizard gribblies mentioned in the fluff
High Elves: No bloody idea.

[tbunnelldo]

anyone know if they are any new high elf finecasts coming out?

[Zahariel]

High Elves: No bloody idea.

But it would always strike first!

[wittdooley]

Empire really does need a new war altar. The present one is an absolute eyesore PoS. I hate it. I started painting it and realized how much I hated it, then stopped. I dislike it that much.

[eldargal]

Agreed, I don't even own one and usually I will buy every model in a range even if I don't field it. Unless I don't like it. Mind you I refuse to take special characters in fantasy so that doesn't help.

[Wildeybeast]

Empire really does need a new war altar. The present one is an absolute eyesore PoS. I hate it. I started painting it and realized how much I hated it, then stopped. I dislike it that much.

It does, but that is a minor thing. Given that every troop type not only has models available, but all of them are in plastic, they really are the most well served army in any of the GW ranges, so I don't think we can quibble too much over that one model. I'd like to see them do a new Karl Franz (or at least FC him) but I can wait when I have so many awesome plastic kits to work with.

[eldargal]

It is, but you have to remember GW will service popular armies first as there is a higher demand for them and they are guarantees to bring in quick sales. Space Marines are the obvious example, but for WFB Empire and High Elves are the best sellers apparently.

[Wildeybeast]

Indeed, which is why I'm surprised the Empire haven't been done already. The only reason I can think for this is that the range is already really nice and still selling well (and the book is still competitive). But the War altar and KF are ancient they must be what - 3rd or 4th edition? Given that the likes of Kurt Helborg, Ludwig Schwarzhelm and Marius Leitdorf all got awesome make overs not that long ago, I think we will see new modles for these at some stage.

[Ranmasolo]

I just want Wood Elves or Brettonia to be updated so my friend who got me into the game will be motivated to play again.

[Lord Azaghul]

I just want Wood Elves or Brettonia to be updated so my friend who got me into the game will be motivated to play again.

It really, really surprises me that WE and Brets haven't had anything yet. I strongly suspect with both they are stuck in the design process. WE got the hardest kick in the 8th an rule set, and the bret has just become a static force in 8th, with point cost being far to high.

And by stuck I mean one of two things.
A: the most likey IMO - GW doesn't know how to update them rule wise. The beastmen book wasn't terribly successful (we) and cav took a large hit in 8th (brets).
B: New sculpts/units. That else do you give WE? The brets need new models badly, and maybe a new theme. That takes time.

[Wildeybeast]

Well, I play WE (very unscuccessfully in the new rules) so model wise you could do a number of things. Firstly, a good chunk of the army is still metal; Eternal Guard, Wild Riders, Warhawk Riders, Wardancers, Waywatchers, most of the characters, stags, unicorns, forest dragons and eagles (the last 4 of which are also all available for SoM, so double sales there). The Eternal Guard and Wild Riders would obviously lend themselves to a new plastic set, whilst the rest could be finecasted as they have nice models That is potentially at least 10 'new' releases to make money from. Then, for proper new stuff, Forset spirits would seem the obvious way to shoehorn new stuff in. Perhaps a new regiment of some kind and the now ubiquitous big monster set - a proper sized Treeman would sell bucket loads.

[lattd]

or a unit of unicorn riders, its a magical forest there must be plenty of animals to pick.

[Multigeneral]

I for one would be very pleased with a giant plastic tree spirit to smack all those pesky giant spiders and living statues around with. Plastic Eternal Guard, Warhawk Riders, and Eagles? YES PLEASE!!

The current Treeman and Treekin models have already gone to Finecast so I don't envision new sculpts of them anytime soon. Other than those I believe only 1 other WE model has made it to Finecast. A positve sign maybe?

Oh, and FFS please fix the Dryads skirmishing! I love the idea of a forest spirit army but with NO rank bonus for the core units it's just not feasable.

[gcsmith]

Dryds havnt had rank bonus for ages

[Wildeybeast]

The current Treeman and Treekin models have already gone to Finecast so I don't envision new sculpts of them anytime soon. Other than those I believe only 1 other WE model has made it to Finecast. A positve sign maybe?

Orion, one of the lords and one the mages are the only other models to be Finecasted.