After years of trying, Games Workshop made its first $200 kit, but rumor has it that this may also have led to the downfall of the last CEO.
A $200 Plastic Kit From Games Workshop Canceled the Last CEO
We knew the day would finally come when a model kit costs $200 from Games Workshop. Now it is here, and honestly, the new Gargant kit is not that exciting, to be frank. However, according to rumor, this isn’t the first time Games Workshop wanted to try this, and it may be the thing that led to the downfall of Tom Kirby, their last CEO.
Let’s start with the now, shall we? The previous price for the Mega-Gargants was $195, so it didn’t entirely break the barrier. However, with the $210 USD release of King Brodd, who looks to have all the previous and new sprues in the box, the Sons of Behemat will be more expensive than ever.
This kit can also build the Kraken-eater, Gatebreaker, and Warstomper Mega-Gargants – or the new Beast-smasher Mega-Gargant – each of which can be hired as a mercenary by a different Grand Alliance.
This has been a trend lately from GW, where they slowly add new sprues to kits (even to troops like Imperial Guard), and then whether you wanted to upgrade or not, you’re spending more money to get essentially the same units. Yes, we know this will give you more bits and possibilities for Sons of Behemat, but if you want the normal dudes, you’re paying more. They also eventually raised the price of the previous Mega-Gargants $5 to that $200 threshold after months of being out of stock on thier site.
They have also been doing this with things like the Baneblade and Imperial Knights for Warhammer 40k, where they slowly discontinue older versions and add those sprues into a bigger new kit. While this gives you more options from the kit, each one is more and more expensive. This has happened big time with the most recent Imperial Knights release. Basically, all the big kits are going to be one big version with everything, and in a way, it does give you way more options, but saving $20ish for what you want can sometimes be worth it instead of having those extra bits to magnetize and such.
If I were a betting man, I would expect those model kits (currently at $150 for the Baneblade and $170 for Knights) to creep up over the years slowly and any new large model kit to start just below or at $200 going forward.
$200 Kits From Games Workshop Killed the Last CEO
This rumor has been circulating for years now but really comes home to roost with this release. Supposedly in the mid-2010s then, CEO Tom Kirby wanted to do this same thing with the Skarbarnd and Blooththirster kits and try to get $200 for them by combining them into a single box for release. The story goes the GW board of directors shot him down and was the straw that broke the camel’s back, which eventually lead to him being replaced by Kevin Roundtree on 1 Jan 2015.
There is slight support for this notion because of the fact that both Great Daemons sprues are dated 2013 but were actually released as separate kits two years later in 2015. The Bloodthirster was released in March of 2015, followed by Skarbrand in October, and neither has ever been combined.
As it is very rare that something is dated that long before it’s actually released, this would give more credence to the idea that there were at least some plans just to release them in a single big box.
Perhaps there was some internal strife as GW couldn’t come to a decision on how to release them for nearly two years, but eventually, the separate boxes were decided on, and the high mark for kits stayed with the newly released Imperial Knight in 2014. From there, we know that the Imperial Knight received several sprue upgrades over the years and eventually became the all-sprues-in-one box version that exists today. Ultimately, this is just a rumor, and there will never be any way of knowing for sure what 100% led to Tom Kirby’s downfall.
Kings of War Giant $40 (right), GW Mega Gargant $200 (left).
For us, a $200 model in 2013 or even now seems like a bad idea all the way around for hobbyists in general. So remember to vote with your hobby dollars for Sons of Behemat, as there are alternatives out there for around $150 less. or anything else from Games Workshop that you may consider overpriced.
Check out our entire series on the Games Workshop Product Strategy and how they may be changing right now.
- Games Workshop Is Changing, Here’s Why
- The New Games Workshop Sales Strategy
- How Games Workshop Could Change
GW’s Current Woes With Pricing and Rules Development:
- GW is Not in Charge of Warhammer Anymore
- $200 Kits From Games Workshop Canceled the Last CEO
- Games Workshop Takes a Very Passive-Aggressive Stance
- Proof Playtesting Warhammer is a Myth
What do you think about the new mark of $200 for a single model kit from Games Workshop?
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 has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including the Adepticon Team Tournament and American Team Tournaments, and is on a first-name basis with almost every major company in the space.
He’s all gaming all the time. With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. 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 1908s, 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.
