GW has a chance to do the right thing here, or turn their back on game stores and thier biggest group of hobbyists in one fell swoop.
After announcing that one of the most anticipated new Space Marine kits is locked behind a Starter set paywall, the ire of Space Marine players spilled over online forums over the weekend.
Now with the new Bladeguard kits going on pre-order soon and GW has a chance to do the right thing for players and games stores alike by actually having them available in adequate numbers for LGS and customers!
The last thing we want to see on Monday when the prices and allocations get released is two kits per store! We’ve seen some improvements in the allocation department, but not much really. while the local stores did get a little more on the last release, this is GW’s chance to show the slowdown of releases will help everyone, not just their shareholders.
Obviously, there are shipping issues beyond their control. But they basically cut their releases in half so they should be more prepared and have more stock.
There are tons of Marine players and, if this release has the hype we think, tons of people will want these, probably 2-3 boxes per hobbyist judging by most army lists we’ve seen. Also, there are lots of newer players who play Space Marines. If they can do this release with both enough for local stores and online orders, it will give those newer players the warm fuzzies inside.
People hate nothing more than having to resort to scalpers, and not being able to buy what they need when they need it- especially after having the heavy intercessors locked behind a paywall…
This is GW’s Chance to do The Right Thing in 2021
You have to admit, the kit does look good, and if you want to see everything about the kit, we have it all here. But that just means there will be even more want for the kit. If GW still allocates like crazy, then what was the point of the slowdown? They said they were slowing it down to make the releases better with more products. But if they only give the stores like 2 of these kits, then that just means we’re getting fewer minis and still not much product.
We really want to see a bunch of these going to stores and then all the slowdowns will be worthwhile. Just imagine, you can go to your local store or order online and not have to worry about everything being out of stock in hours.
Seems like a long time since we’ve seen that!
This seems to be the first big opportunity for GW to show that they are taking the right steps. To keep this level of hobby alive, we need the LGS to get a piece of the pie. If they can get stores more kits, it will bode well for the rest of the year and build back some of the trust from stores.
We really, really don’t want to see bad allocations come Monday!
Do you think stores will actually get a decent number of these kits? Do you like the new kits?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
