New Codex / Too Many New Things?

[Dark_Templar]

Hi All,
Just a thought: With each new codex there are new units. What I am thinking is whether there is a point where they cannot continue to add new things, without removing others. How big does the codex and army list get before GW can no longer support the army with the models.

Or do they start producing condversion kits to allow people to use one plastic kit and then convert that up to the model they want.

Just wondering people's thoughts on this.

[AbusePuppy]

I think it's less a case of "add more stuff every time" and more a case of "have enough options in the book that every army doesn't look the same." Compare Necron armies and... well, anything else, but especially newer 'Dexes like Tyranids, Marines, or Space Pups. How many ways are there to build a good Marine army? How many ways are there to build a "good" Necron army?

[Absolutionis]

In 4th edition, they barely added anything to Codecies that got revisions.
Eldar simply got an Autarch (Super Exarch) which is barely used.
Tyranids simply got a Broodlord (Super Genestealer) which was barely used.
Space Marines got the Venerable Dreadnought (Super Dreadnought) which was barely used.
Space Marine variants simply had one or two things that made them special (Furioso, LR Crusader, Champion, etc)
Chaos Space Marines simply got a Defiler which was actually kinda cool, but it was still a super Dreadnought.
Chaos lost half their army in Codex 2 and gained only the ability to take more than one Vindicator.
Even Tau, a newer army, simply got Vespids and Sniper teams, both of which are barely used.

Now, it seems that 5th edition is going the opposite direction. The long-lived and established Space Marines even got several new toys in the Drop Pod, Thunderfire, Sternguard, and all LR Variants. Tyranids and Imperial Guard got several units that don't even have models and revisions of several that do.

Overall, these 5thEd armies seem to have a multitude of army lists that work, and overall people are happy with them. There was no "Power Creep" after all in spite of a bunch of doomsayers that are trying to jump onto a dead bandwagon. This is all due to the existence of many new unit types. Assume that 6thEd will come out with one or two new units per army and even those will be cop-outs in the form of taking something existent and making it "super" and calling it something else.
The multitude of new units in 5thEd will carry GW well through the latter half of 5thEd and through 6thEd with no problem. Five or Six years later, we'll see the ultimate result of this idea and we'll at least hopefully have models of everything by then. Hell, the game has gone on this long and still there is no official model for an Eldar Warlock on Jetbike.

5thEd's focus on troops makes pushing as many Codex Troops entires as possible a key strategy in making a codex. It isn't sustainable at the rate of 5+ brand new units per codex, and it doesn't have to be. The variety is always welcome and this influx of new units will only happen every seven or so years at best.

I expect Dark Eldar to have a new-unit-frenzy equivalent to or greater than Tyranids.

[Dark_Templar]

I definitely agree that armies need these additions, and it makes for a lot of variety, and hopefully means you will face many different army lists throughout your adventures.

I just find it interesting that they will get to a point where they need to make choices as to what needs to be culled (or if they just make the codex bigger -and more expensive- with each iteration, as is the current trend).

Anyways, thanks for the input.

[LadasN]

I think it's less a case of "add more stuff every time" and more a case of "have enough options in the book that every army doesn't look the same." Compare Necron armies and... well, anything else, but especially newer 'Dexes like Tyranids, Marines, or Space Pups. How many ways are there to build a good Marine army? How many ways are there to build a "good" Necron army?

I agree 100% with this and also believe that there could be a limit to what they add before they have to remove units. Its been done before where certain units and characters get removed. I just hope that they stop themselves before they remove what makes the armies what they are. (Ie: Do not take away my plague marines please)

[Just_Me]

I think it's less a case of "add more stuff every time" and more a case of "have enough options in the book that every army doesn't look the same." Compare Necron armies and... well, anything else, but especially newer 'Dexes like Tyranids, Marines, or Space Pups. How many ways are there to build a good Marine army? How many ways are there to build a "good" Necron army?

What he said.

I am a real fan of the idea that each army list has multiple viable options, I got really sick of the old 'dexes where there was you would only ever see one list.

[rkiviman]

It would be great if GW would introduce bitz that would upgrade existing models to new versions for new Codex. Definitely would be cheaper than a new model. Quicker also to get in the games.