games workshop Archives - Page 2 of 2

It’s back…

In a limited release, Games Workshop are re-releasing Space Hulk.

Space Hulk

From the depths of space an ancient vessel drifts slowly towards the Imperium of Mankind – a space hulk. Within its confines, untold thousands of Genestealers slowly emerge from hibernation. The Space Marines must enter the cramped corridors and tomb-like chambers of the ancient ship to defeat this alien menace.

Space Hulk is a board game for two players, recreating the battles fought between the Space Marines and Genestealers. One player commands the Space Marines as they carry out deadly missions in the ancient Space Hulk, and the other commands the horde of Genestealers opposing them. Space Hulk’s fast-paced rules simulate the tense atmosphere of a mission deep inside the cramped confines of a derelict space hulk, where split-second decisions are needed for victory.

This boxed game contains: a 23-page Rulebook, a 47-page Mission book and 35 finely-detailed, plastic Citadel miniatures, including: 11 Space Marine Terminators, one Space Marine Terminator Librarian, 22 Genestealers, and one Broodlord.

Space Hulk Terminator

Also included are: 105 gaming counters, 24 corridors, 10 rooms, eight crossroads, eight T-junctions, six corner sections, four dead ends, four end pieces, 20 doors with plastic stands, one mission status display, and three plastic mission objectives, including: a dead Space Marine on throne, a Blood Angels artefact and a Cyber-Altered Task Unit. Plus a sand timer and five bone-coloured dice unique to this game.

I was never that into Space Hulk, I have never bought the game in its earlier incarnations. Not to say I have never played, I have had a few games.

I am considering a purchase, but I suspect I won’t. What about you, are you going to buy a copy?

Disappointing Mines, Bombs and Booby Traps

I popped into my local gaming store (an independent) and was disappointed with their limited range of Planetstrike models, they had the landing pad and the bastion, but nowt much else.

I was hoping to get the Mines, Bombs and Booby Traps set.

This box set contains four sets of resin counters, including: three sign posts, six bases of bombs, four booby traps and nine clusters of mines.

Disappointing Mines, Bombs and Booby Traps

Ah well I thought I’ll order it online, it’s only been out for a week.

Then I noticed on the website….

Availability: No Longer Available

What!

I know the image says ‘while stocks last’ but it’s only been a week and they’ve already sold out!

I am guessing that Blastscape which is also a ‘while stocks last’ product, so I suspect that may go the same way…

Ork Great Gargant and a plastic Thunderhawk

At GamesDay 2003 there were a lot of Forge World Warhound Titans which has just been released. Amongst all that Imperial heavy armour was this lone Ork Great Gargant.

This was from Armorcast in the days before Games Workshop took large scale resin models back in house and created Forge World. It was only (in theory) available in the USA and was very difficult if not impossible to get in the UK.

If I could find one, afford one and have the time to paint one, I really would like to get hold of this model, but alas I think everything is against me!

With the release of the plastic Stompa you can compare the detail of the Armorcast Gargant versus the well detailed plastic Stompa now available. Large plastic kits are now certainly achievable technically from Games Workshop, of course the business case has to be made. It is this business case which I suspect means we may never see a plastic Gargant. The main problem will be having such a large kit in the stores. Taking up a large amount of shelf space, means that less space for smaller (probably more profitable) kits. Games Workshop have already started to
reduce the space taken by particular models, by combining all variants into a single box. So no longer do we have separate boxes for the Land Raider variants such as the Crusader, but now have a single box containing all variants. This has made room for the larger kits such as the Baneblade, the Shadowsword and the Stompa.

However to make room for a Gargant kit would mean removing more than just the variant boxes.Interestingly we could see a Reaver, though just as tall as a Gargant, certainly does not need such a large box as it is not as big as a Gargant (in terms of girth).

So what will be the next big plastic kit?

My view is that we will probably see a Space Marine Thunderhawk.

This has been rumoured for many years, it’s not a matter of if, more a matter of when.

One tidbit to think about with the release of the Skyshield Landing Pad is the following description.

Landing pads are launch bases used by flight-capable craft to unload or evacuate troops and vital personnel. The Skyshield landing pad used by the Imperial Navy, though originally purpose-built to accommodate Valkyrie and Vendetta gunships, is robust enough to serve even the Thunderhawks of the Adeptus Astartes, and has field generators that protect the craft and its crew from incoming fire.

Note my emphasis. Now obviously this could be referring to the Forge World model, but why note this in a kit description. In the rules yes, in the marketing for Games Workshop mainstream, generally they don’t mention Forge World models as part of describing other products, normally as a separate page or link.

The Skyshield landing pad is a very nice model, perfect for the Valkyrie.

So no plastic Gargant but maybe a plastic Thunderhawk…. perhaps…

Plastic Stompa – It’s Official

Finally pictures of the plastic Stompa have surfaced on the Games Workshop website, so it’s official now!

There is and will be a plastic Ork Stompa.

Very nice it looks too.

Plastic Stompa - Pictures

I do quite like it and I think I will be getting one.

What about you?

Plastic Stompa – It’s Official

Finally pictures of the plastic Stompa have surfaced on the Games Workshop website, so it’s official now!

There is and will be a plastic Ork Stompa.

Very nice it looks too.

I do quite like it and I think I will be getting one.

What about you?

So where are the pictures and the news?

So GamesDay 2008 was now just under a week ago and is it just me, or is anyone else disappointed that there are no pictures (or even news) on the official Games Workshop website.

I have seen the Golden Demon Slayer Sword winner on Stuff of Legends, but they still have more photographs to come (over 800)… It would seem that SoL was given special access to the Golden Demon entries, now that would have made my life easier, but hey ho…

I know I got my pictures up fast (hey I was uploading pictures all day to the blog while I was there) and then uploaded the (better quality) images to the web that night.

I wouldn’t expect others to be that fast (I was quite slow in 2007) and this year was an experiment to see if I could be really fast. However seven days later and no images whatsoever on the official GW site. According to White Dwarf Online they will have some images up on the 26th September. Watch that space!

Hmmm.

GW Prices going to rise

Alas the economic woes affecting the world economy have not left Games Workshop alone and September 29th sees a range of price increases across the GW range with the notable exception of their plastic kits.

Tabletop Gaming News has the inside story.

On Monday August 25th a message informing end hobbyists will be placed on all of our websites.

Prices will change September 29th.

A message will appear in our October White Dwarf.

The price increase will affect part of our paint and hobby ranges, as well as a large portion of our metal models and printed materials.

Even with the pressure of rising costs we are adamant that we will not at this time raise prices on any plastic model kits. Providing high quality, great value kits is fundamental to our corporate strategy and will continue to produce and distribute them at the current prices for as long as we are able.