The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread

[Daeothar]

Oh no.. 

To me, that looks just terrible. But I suppose it's suitable terrain, game-wise, and it will look not out of place on a mat, nice and clinical. And flat.

Call me old school, but I so vastly prefer terrain with more than 2 dimensions (3 is enough though, really) that I would actually rethink buying such a set, were I ever in the market for one (which I will probably not ever be).

It's both a huge step backwards in detail and immersion and a throwback to the old cardboard terrain from 2nd edition. But sturdier. Also; it's vastly cheaper to produce, which is where the real reason for this product's existence lies I think...

[HerbertTarkel]

Definitely a reminder of the 40k 2nd Ed box set - which I used until it was fuzzy and well worn!

But yeah, this is a cheap move - even for GW.

[v_lazy_dragon]

So I'd rather have MDF than card... and used my old GW card buildings for over a decade before re-homing them.
That said, the GW plastic scenery they have been doing is leagues better than this; as are the many (but not all) 'grimdark' inspired MDF options. However *IF* the price point is right, I can see these being popular - especially as the pre-printed images are good quality and more interesting than a lot of the flat, basic tier, 3rd party sci-fi MDF.
   

[Elbows]

Also not overly impressed that it comes with a cut down rulebook, more of a "beginner's guide".  Product content going down, while the newer Kill Team prices are ...eye-watering.

[pixelgeek]

It seems more problematic than that. It isn't a full rulebook, the terrain isn't really usable in a full Kill Team game as it lacks vantage points, and the supplied forces aren't valid in the full game. At least the Space Marines aren't.

[HerbertTarkel]

It seems more problematic than that. It isn't a full rulebook, the terrain isn't really usable in a full Kill Team game as it lacks vantage points, and the supplied forces aren't valid in the full game. At least the Space Marines aren't.

It’s a starter box. Intro box.
For a start, or an introduction to the game.

Then… you get to pay more! MORE! To get the full game.

Actually, yeah; you’re right. It’s a terrible intro box.

[beefcake]

Well that MDF terrain was better looking than I expected. A real throwback to 2nd edition as others have said. On the plus side, that terrain is a lot easier to store than the 3d stuff (Can't believe I'm saying that) but really takes away from any realism, especially with the lasercut edges on the MDF.

[HerbertTarkel]

Anyone else get a voucher for the GW online store? $20 for mine. Bought some cave trolls for my old world o&g army.

Some kind of an anniversary of their new and much worse webstore launch.

Still, $20 off $105 trolls!

[Lost Egg]

I got one too. There's nothing from GW I am particularly after at the mo but had a look anyway.

It's really awkward to navigate; all I'd like to do is look at all with ascending price but no I have to go through each and every section. Maybe I'll grab a book...maybe...

[HerbertTarkel]

I got one too. There's nothing from GW I am particularly after at the mo but had a look anyway.

It's really awkward to navigate; all I'd like to do is look at all with ascending price but no I have to go through each and every section. Maybe I'll grab a book...maybe...

Agreed, the website is a train wreck. Almost went with a book, and then browsed the O&G for nostalgia. Trolls!

[Lost Egg]

At the weekend my son and I travelled down south to a 50th birthday party for a company I used to work at. We strolled around my old home town and popped into my old GW. It's been a while since I've been in one and as my lad is now 12 it was interesting to see what he thought.

We had a bit of a look and built a free mini which he liked doing; afterwards he told me he likes the minis but not the GW games so much. Not sure why he'd say that as he hasn't played one except for HeroQuest which both my kids enjoyed.

Anyway, I found it really odd as back in the day we were lining up to play games on a Saturday but all the boards now are set up with little displays of various games and for painting demos. The one guy working there (he's been the manager there for at least 20 years) was rushed off his feet trying to meet and great the maybe half dozen customers. It felt like it's become one of those Sky TV stalls you still occasionally see in a shopping centre. It felt kinda souless. A shame.

[Cubs]

Any time accountants get too much of a say in a company, the first thing that happens is they look at what seems to be losing money and they cut it, with limited understanding of the long term growth that comes from seemingly loss-making policies. GW stores were stripped of their staff some time back and a lot of them seem like a 1 person operation now. Does GW (or perhaps I should say 'Warhammer' now) still command the stranglehold on the youth market of the hobby they used to? No idea to be honest. 

[Lost Egg]

I've been watching a fair few interviews with various GW stalwarts of yesteryear it seems to me that they never quite understood their customers but because their enthusiasm was palpable we all just went along for the ride. But yeah, once the bean counters and sales team gained more of a grip things really changed.

I watched an interview with Rick recently and he said that Gorkamorka actually sold really well but because the sales team were able to set their own stock levels they went crazy and so GW were hugely over stocked on it. What did GW do? They gave more control to the sales team...

Nowadays the feeling I get is that GW just want to sell you things, they aren't particularly bothered if you use them. It's a bit like the scene in THX1138 where Robert Duval buys something then just chucks it away after leaving the shop...though for many wargamers it just gets added to the pile of shame / opportunity / back log or whatever you want to call it.

[Elbows]

This may not apply to the Lead Adventure side of things, as the hobby level here is 10x that of the other forums/boards/groups I peruse, but this is my take on it...

The 'Warhammer' hobby now has nothing to do with the wargaming hobby.  It's not about painting miniatures, putting them on a table and playing a game.  The hobby is now...buying, planning to buy, complaining about buying, and then arguing about FOMO stuff.  The hobby is about searching and arguing about FAQ's, Erratas, complaining about overpowered armies (that you'll never play against), moaning about tournament performance, discussing army lists...and then ditching all of that in three months when the next 'big' game comes out.  The hobby is now watching YouTube videos about the game you don't actually play...and listening to podcasts complaining about the game you don't actually play.  Then you repeat that process, then try to sell a heap of unpainted stuff "Looking to trade for (insert newest big box game from GW)".

This is all I see in the local gaming scene.  Every single "game" I see at the two local stores is:

1) Unpainted 40K Models, maybe 20-30% primed.
2) Played on a lava themed neoprene mat.
3) Huge neoprene scoring zones advertising an eBay shop.
4) A smattering of unpainted 3D printed terrain and MDF houses from WW2.

The same people...in three months time will be playing the latest version of Old World...or then Age of Sigmar...or then Horus Heresy...or then Adeptus Titanicus...or then Legions Imperialis...or then Blood Bowl.  Literally whatever the latest box is, that's what is splayed out on the table, unpainted.

That...is the Warhammer hobby for a large portion of people.  That makes GW a ton of money.  These guys dump $300-500 every few months on the next big thing that they're "absolutely" going to play.

[Mammoth miniatures]

This may not apply to the Lead Adventure side of things, as the hobby level here is 10x that of the other forums/boards/groups I peruse, but this is my take on it...

The 'Warhammer' hobby now has nothing to do with the wargaming hobby.  It's not about painting miniatures, putting them on a table and playing a game.  The hobby is now...buying, planning to buy, complaining about buying, and then arguing about FOMO stuff.  The hobby is about searching and arguing about FAQ's, Erratas, complaining about overpowered armies (that you'll never play against), moaning about tournament performance, discussing army lists...and then ditching all of that in three months when the next 'big' game comes out.  The hobby is now watching YouTube videos about the game you don't actually play...and listening to podcasts complaining about the game you don't actually play.  Then you repeat that process, then try to sell a heap of unpainted stuff "Looking to trade for (insert newest big box game from GW)".

This is all I see in the local gaming scene.  Every single "game" I see at the two local stores is:

1) Unpainted 40K Models, maybe 20-30% primed.
2) Played on a lava themed neoprene mat.
3) Huge neoprene scoring zones advertising an eBay shop.
4) A smattering of unpainted 3D printed terrain and MDF houses from WW2.

The same people...in three months time will be playing the latest version of Old World...or then Age of Sigmar...or then Horus Heresy...or then Adeptus Titanicus...or then Legions Imperialis...or then Blood Bowl.  Literally whatever the latest box is, that's what is splayed out on the table, unpainted.

That...is the Warhammer hobby for a large portion of people.  That makes GW a ton of money.  These guys dump $300-500 every few months on the next big thing that they're "absolutely" going to play.

You really just boiled down my student years of working in dark sphere. We had exactly one regular who would come in to play saga and a few middle earth players who took pride in the terrain and clearly had a very focused interest, but the rest of our players just played whatever the new thing was, got amazingly hyped about it, then sold it all a month later for the next big thing. I was always baffled by it but the more I drift away from Warhammer the more it seems to be the standard.