Plastic Thunderhawk? You Decide!

[Bigred]

From this month's White Dwarf...

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And for Comparison:
Forgeworld Thunderhawk (http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Grey-Knights/THUNDERHAWK_GUNSHIP.html)

Two notes:

This seems to be an advert for the upcoming Apocalypse 2.0 version.

This does seem suspiciously close to April 1st don't you think...

[blueshift]

*head explodes*

[mntbloom]

No worse than this release:
Games Workshop Group Plc, the U.K. maker of Warhammer battle games, announced a new strategic partnership with publisher, Zynga, to bring their popular table top game to the public on Facebook. "We see this as an opportunity to introduce our very popular game to a new audience of working moms and girls 13-18" Zynga representatives said "We see this partnership as a huge opportunity to increase profitability for Games Workshop and (publisher parent) EA".

The new game, tentatively called "40kville - The Emperor's Children" is slated to launch in late April.

Games Workshop partner, Forgeworld announced a new line of their highly collectible models, based on the new 40kville license. "We're working on a $900 farm playboard which will really raise the bar in our high-end offerings". Additionally, Citadel, the GW line of paint and supplies, will release a package of paint for the release. Among the new items are "Tau Avacado", "Ork Mushroom" and "Ultramarine Spinach". In conjunction, as part of the new Citadel texture colors, a planned "Necron Manure" and "Sisters of Battle Cucumber" will arrive in GW stores exclusively mid-May.

Games Workshop shares fell 50 pence to 372.5 pence, giving the company a market value of 116.3 million pounds ($180 million). The stock gained 69 percent last year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Renee Lawrence in London at [email protected]

[SotonShades]

Could just be a FW thunderhawk... not like we haven't seen plenty of FW stuff in WD before.

That said, if GW does do a plastic thunderhawk I am emptying my bank account to the limit of my overdraft!

[Fizzybubela]

Yes. Because it has the 'Eavy Metal paintjob and looks different to the FW T-Hawk.

[gcsmith]

Too close to tell

[Calgar33]

There does seem to be some subtle differences in the model, the cannon is definitely different at the very least.

[Fizzybubela]

Actually no. Like SotonShades said it is probably an April Fool's Joke.

[Psyberwolfe]

I'm putting together the FW one and that is nothing like the one I'm working on. The clue is glass in the windows.

[SotonShades]

I'm putting together the FW one and that is nothing like the one I'm working on. The clue is glass in the windows.

Again, not like we haven't seen GW/FW folks adding plastic panes in or removing the skull and the Aquilla from the front of the fuselage. Not getting my hopes up, but willing to be pleasantly surprised.

[Gideus]

Looking at the cannon on top...does it not have the same design as the cannons from the shadowlord/stormlord kit?

[Heroka Vendile]

nah, that's just the straight FW one, if GW were to do a plastic version there'd be some redesigning involved.

[wbravenboer]

Nerdgasm!

[Fizzybubela]

I think it's a scratchbuild.

[thatclone]

a thunderhawk has two options for what it can take on top.

the other thing off other then the windows in the cockpit is the ammo feeds and containers for the twin heavy bolters on the front they are different then the forgeworld ones.

[Psyberwolfe]

Again, not like we haven't seen GW/FW folks adding plastic panes in or removing the skull and the Aquilla from the front of the fuselage. Not getting my hopes up, but willing to be pleasantly surprised.

True because that is part of what I'm attempting. Not a small task, but the canopy has less rivets and is bulkier. The FW canopy is more delicate and a royal PIA. Could be an awesome assembly job on a perfect FW cast (doubtful on the perfect cast) or the fabled plastic Thunderhawk (almost as doubtful.)

[blueshift]

the canopy has less rivets and is bulkier.

Exactly. The canopy doesn't have the same dimensions for the windows, either.

[the damned artificer]

Again, not like we haven't seen GW/FW folks adding plastic panes in or removing the skull and the Aquilla from the front of the fuselage. Not getting my hopes up, but willing to be pleasantly surprised.
Actually the skull and aquila are loose in the kit ;) And I, having recently built a FW t-hawk, can't find anything that suggest this is a plastic version. Also, the FW model comes with 2 gun options, and the thing about the ammo feed for the heavy bolters is wrong, they look like that on the FW model as well. And on the glass note, the FW kit comes with a sheet of clear styrene to make the cockpit glass from, so that's not a clue either. Only thing I can see on this kit that doesn't comply with the FW model is the smoke launcher on the aft section, which is probably just a plastic one added.

[Carey Yesoob]

Its the forge world model, because if they where going to do a plastic kit they surly would do the storm Eagle as its the craft that sits in the middle, but that said i would love a plastic thunderhawk and i don't even play space marines.

[Cpt Codpiece]

im calling it, its the FW one.

why would GW even want to do a plastic kit, they will loose money on the tooling of the die. it would sell for about £200-300 so why would people pay that its only £100 less than the FW one. yeah ok the plastic may be easier to build and be more reliably cast (being plastic)........ but bye bye interior details and all of the cool features of the FW one.

and yeah, GW would either do a storm bird or a new variant that has been in service the whole time but we never knew about :)

[bfmusashi]

The rivets are there, everything's the same save the top cannon, the loose skull and aquila, and maybe the front sponson ammo feeds (it's hard to see on the Forgeworld website). A different clear plastic used inside the cockpit doesn't make it a new model.

[Khorneguy]

You guys do realise that in the new style WD the 'parting shot' never has anything to do with what's out next month, right?

[Defenestratus]

No No NO NONON NO NO!!!!

This is the FW thunderhawk!!!!

The kit comes with two guns - and the extra skulls and such come on plastic sprues that come with the FW kit and are optional.... ugh.

[evil-the-crusade]

I've seen this T-hawk before:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2008/11/21/5c6120e0ee676edf9fb07b301cdb930e_5914.jpg


The lights under the wings, the antena on the side..., yet I believe it was discarded as a conversion. :D

[mkollscout]

if this is GW's Thunderhawk its about time. About a year back i had a GW store manager tell me that he saw a plastic thunderhawk and they were looking for a time to release it. I'm just praying that this thing is the plastic one.

[lobster-overlord]

looks nothing like my thunder hawk, but then again, mine is metal....

[the damned artificer]

I've seen this T-hawk before:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2008/11/21/5c6120e0ee676edf9fb07b301cdb930e_5914.jpg


The lights under the wings, the antenna on the side..., yet I believe it was discarded as a conversion. : D
Uhm, the lights under the wings and the antenna are on the FW model, there is no chance it's a plastic version if you ask me.

I would personally love a plastic t-hawk, as frankly, the FW model is the worst kit I've ever built of any kind ever...

Here's a little evidence supporting that it is in fact, just a FW T-hawk in the pics.
This is the one I did last year, and all the supposed features from the "Could be plastic version" are here.

http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee354/SteffenSJensen/commissions%20by%20TDA/Thunderhawk17.jpg
http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee354/SteffenSJensen/commissions%20by%20TDA/Thunderhawk15.jpghttp://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee354/SteffenSJensen/commissions%20by%20TDA/Thunderhawk6.jpg
http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee354/SteffenSJensen/commissions%20by%20TDA/Thunderhawk1.jpg



looks nothing like my thunder hawk, but then again, mine is metal....
Lol XD

[PaD]

Damn it! I really wanted it to be a plastic one! :mad:

[Gir]

This looks exactly like my forgeworld one. Definitely not plastic.

[sangrail777]

Looking at the pic and MY OWN THUNDERHAWK SIDE BY SIDE I see nothing of note for a diffrence. Sorry amigo, but I don't think so. I hope I'm wrong. I want more Thundehawks, but will only by them if in plastic. No one I have faught will allow me to field my Thundehawk in a game. Kinda sucks and my wife gives me crap about it. I need to have reason to explain the money I spend and my wife hearing people cry about what I have doesn't bold well for my spending habits.

[Benjamin Blanchard]

Usually, Games Workshop doesn't show Forge models on the pics for their products in the WD. But it's Apo news, so...

[ragnarcissist]

even if they were to ever make a plastic Thawk, odds are they still wouldnt let space wolves get it......

[Magpie]

even if they were to ever make a plastic Thawk, odds are they still wouldnt let space wolves get it......

Se what happens when you mess with the Inquisition ?

But I'm +1 for this being the Forgeworld Thunderhawk. If I was to draw any inference from the picture it would be that GW is forging closer links with the FW products to make them more accepted on the tabletop

[wspeter]

If you pool up a pic of a FW Thunderhawk and look at them side by side they look the same. I think every one is letting wishfull thinking get the better of them. I realy hope I'm rong.

[Lord General Xi Lutor]

Could just be a FW thunderhawk... not like we haven't seen plenty of FW stuff in WD before.

That said, if GW does do a plastic thunderhawk I am emptying my bank account to the limit of my overdraft!

Every single shot of the *New Plastic Valkyrie* in WD back in 2009 was a shot of the FW model, right up until the models released, so there is definitely a precedent.

[Lord General Xi Lutor]

There does seem to be some subtle differences in the model, the cannon is definitely different at the very least.

Turbolaser on the Ultramarine bird, battle cannon on the Space Wolves bird. Both options are included in the FW kit.

[Lukas The Trickster]

I dont reckon its a new plastic kit - it would just make no sense from GW's perspective to develop a kit that they can charge, what say £100-120max, when there is a resin one available from FW for £400? Although I do remember one guy on Warseer who had been to a FW open day and had been told by one of the designers that the mould for the Thunderhawk was beginning to degrade (the kit must be 10 years old now) and that they would have to probably discontinue it at some point. I guess with a new Apocalypse supplement supposedly coming in the summer, now would be the time to develop one, but even if they had I cant see the studio previewing or even having one so far ahead....

[hansgruber]

I dont reckon its a new plastic kit - it would just make no sense from GW's perspective to develop a kit that they can charge, what say £100-120max, when there is a resin one available from FW for £400? Although I do remember one guy on Warseer who had been to a FW open day and had been told by one of the designers that the mould for the Thunderhawk was beginning to degrade (the kit must be 10 years old now) and that they would have to probably discontinue it at some point. I guess with a new Apocalypse supplement supposedly coming in the summer, now would be the time to develop one, but even if they had I cant see the studio previewing or even having one so far ahead....

They could easily sell 10x more plastic thunderhawk's at £120 than 2 from forge world for £400. Also I'm not sure if you know about the casting processes and molding but FW will have a master mold so they will be constantly able to make new molds as the old ones wear out so this point is mute.

That said there are some major differences between this WD thunderhawk and the FW one. Fingers crossed?

[Mr Mystery]

There are other advantages to plastic as well. Personally, if I wanted to I could buy a FW Thunderhawk, the price isn't an issue. And I could do with one for my Heresy Emperor's Children. But I won't, because its resin, and I'm rubbish at assembling most resin kits bigger than a Landraider. But plastic? Providing I'm not using that shonky batch of GW glue (fairly sure I've ditched it all now) I can assemble plastic models like a boss. As such, simply being produce in plastic makes said kit far more attractive to me.

Plus if it gets knocked it's less likely to fall apart!

[Lukas The Trickster]

Also I'm not sure if you know about the casting processes and molding but FW will have a master mold so they will be constantly able to make new molds as the old ones wear out so this point is mute.

If thats the case, then why would they have told him :confused: Check this out from FW's website -


We have a limited number of the Showcase Imperial Space Marine available to order right now but we cannot predict when this set of moulds will break down, so if you really fancy getting hold of one, please order soon to avoid disappointment.

[hansgruber]

If thats the case, then why would they have told him :confused: Check this out from FW's website -


They simply mean the current RTV molds will last a certain amount of casts before they loose detail and break down. They then go back to the original master mold and make a new mold cast from it. Forge World have used this system for quite some time now and that's why some models come out looking a little more worn than others... its also a reason they offer a good replacement service as models cast with new molds from the master won't have the defects.

[Lukas The Trickster]

Wait..... didnt we meet in Los Angeles a few years ago :confused: Havent you got a brother as well ;)

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[Mr Mystery]

Had a look at the pic in my White Dwarf...

I think it's the FW one. Why? There's a bend in a sensor you wouldn't get in plastic, and the barrel of the Thunderhawk Cannon is solid. If it was plastic, I'd expect it to be hollow.

Not proof conclusive of course, but enough to satisfy me.

[Renegade]

This again... When this happen I will attempt to settle down, get mortgage, kids and a big TV. It is so not happening.

That is a FW kit.

[Shatterclaw]

I believe then the answer would be to take one any way. I don't remember the Space wolves being ones for asking for permission if they wanted some thing. They been know to take it, despite what others say.

In real life, I like the old rule, asking your the other gamer if they would allow some thing, if they agree, good to go, if they don't, have a alt list with out said model, and play on.

I've heard rumors of Plastic thunder hawks as far back as Chicago games day 02 0r 03.. It would be great if it was real, and not all together be a bad idea.

A few things stand in the way, One, Gee Dub has said they wouldn't translates forge-world stuff any more. Not a hard rule, but unless they think they can make more money on some thing, then why would they take away from forge world?

the counter to that is a plastic thunder hawk would sell. I believe this has been brought up every time talk of a plastic thunder hawk has come up, a lot of armies could take a thunder hawk. all the Marines, grey hunters, chaos Marines, guard, and sisters. 50 to 60 percent of the players out there could buy a plastic thunder hawk, about a third would buy three.. if not more.

The question come down to this, which is better for gee dub? selling one 600 dollar mode via forge world, or selling 600 ( or more) 110 dollar models?

another point is, if they have a plastic Thunder hawk, they can make add ons, make different types of thunder hawks. I'm not talking just the transport version, I'm talking new kinds we have thought of yet, like the plasma version for Dark Angels, or the terminus ultra version of the thunder hawk..

Also once the plastic Thunder hawk is out, that leaves forge world open to do a Storm bird.

Its a matter of time.. it may not be this year, but at some point will see one.


even if they were to ever make a plastic Thawk, odds are they still wouldnt let space wolves get it......

[Defenestratus]

Looking at the pic and MY OWN THUNDERHAWK SIDE BY SIDE I see nothing of note for a diffrence. Sorry amigo, but I don't think so. I hope I'm wrong. I want more Thundehawks, but will only by them if in plastic. No one I have faught will allow me to field my Thundehawk in a game. Kinda sucks and my wife gives me crap about it. I need to have reason to explain the money I spend and my wife hearing people cry about what I have doesn't bold well for my spending habits.

You need to find new people to play against.

A thunderhawk is hardly *that* powerful. In fact its rather anemic.

[emsgoof]

White Dwarf 371 - page 7, Forge World ad. Sorry, no plastic Thunderhawk here.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

It's not a plastic Thunderhawk and Parting Shot isn't used to sell or preview things. The end.