Topic: Specialist Games Models Disappearing

[Irisado]

I'm not sure how many people here that this affects, but I thought I'd just let you all know.

According to a phone call with customer services this morning made by someone from the Epic community, GW is discontinuing its metal specialist games models for games, such as Epic, and Warmaster.  Once current stocks have gone, they will not be replaced.  If anyone wants to pick anything up now would, therefore, be a good time to do it.

The news doesn't come as any surprise to me, although it is disappointing.

[Crawfskeezen]

Not surprising, no. But agreed that it's unfortunate.

I'm assuming this includes Battlefleet Gothic?

[Lachdonin]

Well, that's a great big bollox. I've only just started collecting my Eldar fleet. Looks like Ebay will become my new best friend...

[Irisado]

I'm assuming this includes Battlefleet Gothic?

It does, although there are only a couple of items which have become unavailable as of writing, so there's still time.

[Chrysalis]

Although I'm not playing Epic anymore, I can't help but feel sad about this. Of course, it's easy to find metal models on ebay, and even if they're painted they're easy to strip. However, knowing that GW is officially discarding the Specialist range is a bit sad.

I wonder if the Blood Bowl range is concerned, especially since there is this rumor of a new boxed set for september...

[Lachdonin]

At the risk of rumour mongering, i would say the likelyhood of a Blood Bowl release would be along the same lines as Deadfleet and Space Hulk. That is, a once off box containing 2 teams, available for a limited time, with no additional support.

That said, this seems to be the phasing out of their metal lines in their entirety, NOT the discontinuation of their specialist games. It could mean that (considering their accelerated release schedule they are going to need some filler) GW is planning on addressing the specialist games again in the future. More likely, though, they`ll just cut the support a few months after the metal lines are discontinued.


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In terms of ships, i've just discovered Firestorm Armada from Spartan games. I can't be sure as to the size comparison, but they look like they should be simple enough to fit into Battlefleet Gothic with some spare bits.

[Crawfskeezen]

Just spoke to a GW store manager and asked them about it. They had no idea what I was talking about, and it wasn't a "I can neither confirm nor deny..." they were legitimately confused.

Not saying that this dispels the discontinuation, just that it may not be in the works for a little while yet. I know store personel are usually the last to know when something goes down, but this may cause an influx of mail orders which is pretty "need to know" for stores.

Just saying.

[Autarch Koval'andril]

The manager at my GW was equally confused -- the "No Longer Available" status of Duke von Castellan was the first he'd actually heard of this. This wasn't feigned confusion either, this was "what are you talking about, he's still there -- wait, what the deuce, no longer available?"

He did, however, concur that the status of Specialist Games has for a long time amounted to "the models are there, there are free downloads of the rulebooks and all that jazz, but we don't support them any more and once the moulds are gone, that's that".

In other news the delivery guy hadn't been in yet, so Ģ93 worth of Inquisitor models will probably be sitting there waiting for me tomorrow.

[Crawfskeezen]

The manager at my GW was equally confused -- the "No Longer Available" status of Duke von Castellan was the first he'd actually heard of this. This wasn't feigned confusion either, this was "what are you talking about, he's still there -- wait, what the deuce, no longer available?"

This is very interesting, perhaps a breakdown in communication? Other than the fact that it may just have slipped the man's mind (happens to the best of us, and I honestly wouldn't hold it against him given its a rather obscure sector of the GW line) I can't fathom why Corporate wouldn't hand info like that down to on of their retail outlets well in advance of the event actually happening.

so Ģ93 worth of Inquisitor models will probably be sitting there waiting for me tomorrow.

Ģ93? That's an entire beslubbering warband!!! Have fun with those Ko'val. I loved painting my Artemis. I never really got into Inq as a game too much but the models are to die for.

[Swamp Rat]

I may try and pick up every Inquisitor model, just to because i've wanted them at some point or other. Them discontinuing the Specialist games range is something that's really going to bother me. I guess i'll be picking up 26 Inquisitor models over the next few weeks then.

[Autarch Koval'andril]

I may try and pick up every Inquisitor model, just to because i've wanted them at some point or other. Them discontinuing the Specialist games range is something that's really going to bother me. I guess i'll be picking up 26 Inquisitor models over the next few weeks then.

Considering that Duke von Castellan, the Devout Sisters, Cherubael, the Bounty Hunter, Eisenhorn, and the Kroot Mercenary are all "No Longer Available", this won't really be feasible any more. Also consider that there have been a load of Inquisitor models that have been OOP for ages (Kal Jericho being the most famous example, but I'm also thinking of Krashrak the Stalker, the Unbound Daemonhost, and the bitz packs)

This is very interesting, perhaps a breakdown in communication? Other than the fact that it may just have slipped the man's mind (happens to the best of us, and I honestly wouldn't hold it against him given its a rather obscure sector of the GW line) I can't fathom why Corporate wouldn't hand info like that down to on of their retail outlets well in advance of the event actually happening.

Or it could just be a very passive thing, rather than actively shutting Specialist Games down. I detailed GW's stance (or how I've always had their stance explained to me) in my earlier post -- once the moulds go and the stocks run out, that's it, no more models.

Part of it's just because Specialist Games was a very slow-burning entity. The way this has been explained to me (not just by GW staffers, but also by people with some additional degree of business sense) is that you could have fifty Tactical Squad kits, and they'd easily sell within a matter of days. Fifty Sergeant Stones, on the other hand (Stone being the exact example used by the most recent guy to talk me through it), might sell a lot more slowly or even sit around in a warehouse for ages.
It may just be that Sergeant Stone was the given example because the model is unpopular and pretty bad, but that's more or less how it went the last time I actually sat down and discussed it with someone.

In any case, Warhamer World's museum has a thing for Inquisitor which basically says "Inquisitor (2000-2004)", indicating that actual support dried up nine years ago.

Ģ93? That's an entire beslubbering warband!!! Have fun with those Ko'val. I loved painting my Artemis. I never really got into Inq as a game too much but the models are to die for.

I basically saw the news, turned round, and went "...okay, if there was anything I wanted from the Inquisitor range, now's the time to -- von Castellan's what!?".

As regards Inquisitor as a game... well, let's just say that John Blanche came to the most recent Inquisitor event I attended. The game itself may admittedly tank a bit, but there's more to it than just the game.

[small_furry_spider]

I always wanted to to get some Inquisitor models to paint, because they are are great, but I always figured that I could do it tomorrow. Well now I know I can't- so ebay trawling and paying horrifying amounts to GW begins today.

[Irisado]

In another development, it appears that this extends wider than metal models, since the plastic Eldar warhost has now vanished.  I had been tempted to pick one of those up, but I probably didn't need one, so I'm not chastising myself too much.

[Crawfskeezen]

If I may, it appears that this may mean GW is phasing out ALL old moulds, specialist or not. That said, I've been reviewing the WFB section of the GW site and can't find a similar precedent.

[Autarch Koval'andril]

Well, with the non-Specialist stuff it may just mean they're winding down production of old stuff in preparation for new things.

Specialist stuff, on the other hand, is no longer fully supported anyway, so there's no incentive to replace them.

[Swamp Rat]

I picked up a box of Orlocks the other day, compared to the Goliath's i bought a few years ago, you can see how the metal moulds are starting to fade. It's disappointing, and i can understand why it's happening, but i'm finally in a position where i can pick up the models i want, and half of them aren't done any more.