Here’s the latest news doing the round on what the new year will hold Grimdark fans.
Ok, headed into January you should look for GW to tear off the covers and crank up the release machine on Monday, the 4th. They have been dark with no new releases since December 18th and will come roaring back – full speed ahead – just like last year.
First up will be Duardin (that’s Dwarfs in Age of Sigmar lingo). We have already seen some sprues from early December and there are obvious hints for them in White Dwarf 101.
The BIG question is where does the Grimdark take us.
Here’s the last set of rumor contenders that was doing the rounds before everything went dark:
Tyranids
The bugs have one hot mess of a codex with rules scattered all over the place and many useless units. They are both a very popular product line and desperately in need of a new unified codex, detachment rules, big unit overhauls and a bunch of new models to replace some ancient stinkers (looking at you pyrovore!)
Latest rumors said to look for a new combo-plastic kit to replace the pyrovore, biovore, and add a new “vore”, as well as a new centerpiece (and pricy) centerpiece gargantuan creature.
Genestealer Cult
The Cult has always been a fan favorite and normally I would discount any rumors of them returning to the Grimdark after a 20 year absence. However, the arrival last year of Codex Harlequins and both Adeptus Mechanicus books makes anything possible. The rumors signaling thier return are persistent and come from a variety of sources.
What isn’t known is if we are talking about a real standup 40K codex and armylist, or new models attached to a “Execution Force” style boxed game. Time will tell.
Chaos Space Marines
If you want to see Games Workshop’s fortunes turn around overnight, a successful reboot of the Chaos Space Marines that meets player expectations would do it. Said to be the single most popular faction after Space Marines, the CSMs would be almost irresistible to a vast majority of the playerbase. There has been scattered rumors of the CSM codex returning in 2016 from several months back, but it has gone quiet of late.
Still, some hold out hope that maybe, just maybe, the lack of a CSM “Start Collecting Bundle” may mean something. I REALLY hope GW can do something with the game’s best villains – and SOON, but it has been very, very quiet in the last couple months on the CSM rumorfront.
Deathwatch
Now this one has me thinking. Like Genestealer Cult there has been enough smoke from enough rumormongers, that there is almost certainly some fire. As with Genestealer Cult, the real question isn’t IF the Deathwatch is coming in 2016, but if they are coming as part of a boardgame, or as part of 40K with a full codex.
Still, I’ve been thinking of just how much a slam-dunk the Deathwatch could be for GW. Consider this:
- FFG has already written hundreds of pages of fluff, new units, character classes and dozens of pieces of top notch artwork for the Deathwatch RPG.
- The entire Space Marine miniatures line can be re-used (similar to Grey Knights)
- The only new minis needed would be a sprue for infantry pauldrons, weapons, and specialist equipment, and a second vehicle upgrade sprue with Rhino/Land Raider doors and icons.
GW could quickly put together a full sized codex and drop a fully formed xenos-hunter army onto the tabletop for next to nothing! Wanna move some dusty Whirlwinds and Predators taking up space in the Nottingham warehouse? Give em some spiffy new rules, slap some Deathwatch doors on them and ship em out!
Horus Heresy
You didn’t think those amazing Betrayal At Calth minis were only meant for that boardgame did you?
There has been persistent talk of those minis being boxed up into a new line of Horus Heresy line of minis arriving in February, and kicking off an ever expanding range of 30K plastic models. It’s only a matter of time.
The real question is whether we are talking about a line of plastic minis meant to go with Forge World’s existing fancy-pants leatherbound Heresy line of rulebooks, or if there will ever be a GW Studio produced 30K rulebook separate from the main 40K one.
Those are the top Grimdark contenders with rumors swirling around as of December. Which one Nottingham chooses to put out first is the real riddle.
~Which one would you most willingly lay down your paycheck for?
