It may feel like Legion Imperialis is dead already, and while there is more than one reason why, there aren’t many answers from GW.
Games Workshop really hyped up Legion Imperialis at the beginning, and there is a ton of value to be had with the starter box. However, since then, they have dropped the ball in more ways than one. With the game so delayed, that hurt the hype of the game a decent amount.
It seems like now, more than anything, the lack of models right from the beginning seems to make the game almost unplayable. We’re not trying to be negative, but it is hard to be excited about a game when you can’t get enough models to make an army.
Legions Imperialis Seems To Be On Life Support Already.
Unfortunately, this is very similar to what happened to Horus Heresy, but at least for HH, they had models for a little while, and stores had a much easier time actually ordering the models people wanted. However, in the months following the release of Horus Heresy in the summer of 2022, it was very hard to get what you needed, with things like vehicles, specific popular squads, and Drop Pods all out of stock.
When people can’t get what they want to build an army, the hype (and the game itself) dies down pretty fast.
Now, in 2023, it’s pretty hard to get Legions Imperialis in general, as the game was released after GW had already changed their ordering practices. Even at launch, a minimal amount of product was available across stores and the GW website. Plus, with the number of models you need to make an entire 3000-point army, the supply has already outpaced the demand.
Everything Is Out of Stock
As you can see, basically nothing is in stock on the Warhammer store. While this stock was all for pre-orders (hitting shelves on December 2nd, 2023), no one knows when any of these model kits will be back in stock.
Judging from the previous examples, Games Workshop doesn’t seem to restock quickly, and if you didn’t get what you wanted right away, we’re not sure when you may be able to again. Even if you got the launch box, you have about 800-1000 points, and a typical game is based on 3k points.
As we have all seen with past games and army factions, it can be hard for hobbyists to keep playing basically from the beginning if they can’t get what they need to build their army.
It’s wild that not even the flyers or Titans are in stock, and these are just old kits with new bases. Remember that while these images have the pre-order tag, all of these products were previously orderable for just mere hours from Games Workshop on November 18th, 2023.
It’s sad, but products actually being in stock seem to be the exception, not the norm for any new release from Games Workshop, which seems counterproductive for actually playing these games.
And Then The Scalpers Returned:
Currently, Legions Imperalis units are going for nearly double retail on eBay, and with no restocks in sight, they may soon eclipse those prices as well. Sadly, with the lack of stock, and now what is left going for nearly double in some cases on the secondary market, this game may become a tough sell for hobbyists.
We had already seen some of it, but we imagine this has/will lead to Legions Imperialis pieces being produced more and more via the 3D printing side of things, which doesn’t help Games Workshop or local stores.
Perhaps the worst part is that there is a high probability that this shortage was “planned” by Games Workshop, as their CEO Kevin Rountree said on July 24th, 2023:
To continue to be fair to our 6,500 trade partners and to ensure our stock allocation is appropriate, we don’t carry high quantities of new release products on our own online store – so it will nearly always sell out.
Overall, Legions Imperialis may stay popular in the long term, but these problematic critical stock shortages significantly hurt the games’ growth and interest in the short term.
Legions Imperialis Pricing & Starter Box Value
What do you think about the limited availability and now premium pricing of Legions Imperialis models right now?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
