With the release of the new AoS Armies of Renown and characters, Games Workshop has reinvented its paywall again!
The 2023 Cities of Sigmar and Dawnbringer release was done in a much different way than we’ve seen before regarding how Games Workshop puts some new products behind a paywall. While there are still products behind a paywall, this is actually a better version than we have seen in the past from Games Workshop, and reinvents the value proposition on the AoS side of releases to us, at least.
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Games Workshop Reinvents Their Paywall!
Let’s start with the Cities of Sigmar army release. As we have seen in the past, the initial army box bundle had multiple units inside, and then you had to wait to get the miniature kits inside separately. It’s worth noting that it is not very often you can just order everything that came in the box when the rest of the army release wave becomes available.
For the launch of Cities of Sigmar, everything from the army box was up for order at once. Plus, Games Workshop made the single character sets from the Cities of Sigmar army box (and the Regiments of Renown) only available from them directly via their webstore for the first time in recent memory. That seems to give the Cities of Sigmar army box (and the Regiments of Renown from summer 2023) a bit more value, as the new release miniatures inside those bundles are not available at a discount from retailers when they are released separately.
If you think back to something like the Strike Force Agastus, hobbyists had to wait eight months to actually buy the models inside on their own. While this is a bit of a change, the new Darmbringers Cryptborn’s Stormwing bundle box (that retails for $170) is where things get wild.
This is where Games Workshop really reinvents their paywall with both Ionus and Belthanos because they are actually giving a ton of value in these bundle boxes! Generally, when they paywall something, like the 40k Kill Team releases, there is some value, sure, but it comes in the way of terrain and rules for the game. So, while you save, if all you want is one $60 kit, you may have to shell out close to $200 for it and potentially get a lot of stuff you won’t use…
This time, things are different as the Stormdrake Guards are $110 for that box alone, and there’s no way Ionus riding a Dragon will only be $60. This means you are actually getting quite a bit of value in the box.
Generally, dragons or characters on big mounts range from $130-$170 (the new Tahlia Vedra for Cities of Sigmar goes for $150). She is also on a 100mm round base, the same as Ionus looks to be, so it seems to be a comparable miniature scale-wise. This means you probably save close to $60-$70 with this box. So, if you need some Stormdrakes, which can even tank wounds for Ionus, this is actually a good deal.
Then, for Belthanos, which retails for $160, the other models in the kit cost $125 by themselves! So we can’t expect Belthanos to be cheaper than $60-$75 like the other Sylvaneth models on 105mm oval bases. This means, again, you actually get some value that is not paywalled behind terrain or rules that have a shockingly short shelf life as of late.
So, while it can be annoying to not be able to grab these hot new models on their own, these new bundles should save you some cash and make the Games Workshop paywall not feel so bad!
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What do you think about the way Games Workshop has reinvented its paywall for hot new releases now?
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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.
