Topic: 2951 GW miniatures and parts to be no longer sold or made

[Midaski]

Reading the latest WD blurb, - which is just the same as posted on the US website - a little closer, it would seem that the plan is to make way for a new 'bits' service.

I would love to see an Empire specific accessories sprue for example - as long as it wasn't all skulls.

Something with 10 x Swords/scabbards, Xbow and Archer quivers, Metal Thigh Plates again, the odd scroll, hammers, axes, bags and pouches and all those sort of things.
It's probably unlikely now we have the new sprues, but they are much better on accessories than previously.


As I have more than enough of anything of the old stuff than I am ever likely to need, I cannot say I am too worried.

Metal Minis from the 90's, like the Reiksgard foot, will still be around on ebay and such for years - see how many early 80's models are still up for sale.

I think we will see more boxes like the Empire General/BSB and the Wizards around - they have promised a 'General/BSB' box for each race as they redo them.

We could well have plastic multipart kits like that for all character/hero slots. It is quite easy to see a foot/mounted WP box, and a similar Captain box.

 God forbid they do an engineer one though ...................


 

[Victor]

The only thing I will miss, are the old Reiksguard foot knights .. might have to order them before it´s too late. Unless anyone here got 15 to sell

My god ... just saw, that they will drop all the great DoW units as well ... I always thought those were brilliant. Need to send off a 200€ order it seems. 

[Kriegspiel]

So what Empire/DoW/ Kislevite models are being dropped ?

[Badwolf]

From the quote on Bugmans

....and putting previously discontinued models back on sale where there is no current alternative.

Does this mean we'll see the full range of Chaos Dwarfs again?

[lysander]

Its very typical that GW would do this, the dumbing down of its gamers and making molds of banners and such in the plastics have taken the imagination out of the painter and gave him/her a ready made mold just to paint over. If the 10 yr olds out there that want to play and paint let them learn how to like the rest of us do and dont go crying to daddy or mommy cause you cant paint like a pro or if they cant glue for gods sake maybe they should look for another hobby and let the rest of us use the fine metals that made the hobby what it should be, and that is with depth and imagination...you want palstics? go to the kids ilse. Im sorry for my rant..... GW is going down hill fast and those of us who made it what is once was are tired of the "suits" messin it up

[Soju]

I wouldn't say it's going down hill... but it's definitely deviating from the traditional customers... you know, older people (I don't mean any offense by that great sirs!). I just don't like being the (already) tall Asian dude in the sea of little kids, with their mums in the background gasping at the price of a tiny little metal man lol.

But back on track, it'd be a sad day to see some of the DoW being trashed without decent metal human/non-Empire/non-Bretonnian units being released as replacements.

sj

[Von Breden]

Keep your hands off the Dogs of War! I need the Alcatani Fellowship!

It really sucks that they are doing this. I always thought it was great to have the chance to buy some older models and bitz... I recently ordered the War Wagon Blunderbusser, for example. Too bad!

[Veldemere]

Agreed with a lot of the previous posters, I am not sorry to se the back of metal as the mould lines and flash are easier to deal with on plastic and when they are stuck together it takes them more than just a knock to fall apart. Also it only boosts sites like this where one can swap parts with other players as the option to buy bits is no longer there maybe we will all feel far more magnanimous and give our spare bits away.

The only thing that saddens me is that all the RoR seem to be in the list, these units have added spice and versatility to all lists and need to be kept, heres hoping they are only withdrawn because they are working on plastics that will allow us to have more conversion potential.

[Gargoyle]

Losing the Dogs of War models is saddening, I remember those fondly.
Losing metals is a sad business motivated event that was on the cards.
Plastics are nice but they don't offer much in the way of different poses which means units end up looking far too samey for my liking.
Those lovely metals, that carry better detail than the plastics allow for more variation in a unit and that is something I always have held in high regard.

[Badwolf]

I've never been fond of white metal figures, always preferring the old lead alloy that GW used pre '96 (and most other companies outside the US still use even now) which was easy to trim and convert. The new plastics are pretty good but if I had a choice I'd definitely turn the clock back 12 years and go back to lead.

[steveb]

 lead/alloy was good! steveb

[Feanor Fire Heart]

Wow... i mean...just wow.  some of those models and pieces I want for my own armies or for conversions, however I don't have the funds to buy them   any idea when this takes effect?

[Warlord]

Unfortunately this has already taken effect. From the 5th of November this was implemented - I haven't look on the site to see if the changes have been made to the store yet, however I would assume so...

[Veldemere]

When GW stop making these pieces do they break the mould, sell it or mothball it does anyone know?

[Sigmork]

When GW stop making these pieces do they break the mould, sell it or mothball it does anyone know?

Definitely wouldn't sell it. Break it maybe, but hopefully mothball it

[Feanor Fire Heart]

Unfortunately this has already taken effect. From the 5th of November this was implemented - I haven't look on the site to see if the changes have been made to the store yet, however I would assume so...

does this mean just selling the bits or the models all together?  AunVa is still new and in the current codex so i doubt they all went away.  And they are messing with Steel Legion heavy weapon models which are still popular.

[Veldemere]

is that just a realisation that people buy on ebay anyway so why bother buying the older ones

[Crimsonsphinx]

Turning to plastic is very dangerous IMO.

From my experience of working in the plastic industry there was widespread panic about the rising costs of oil and that within 25 years we may be totally out of it.  That was from a multi national plastic manufacturer who presumably know a thing or two about their raw materials.

Where as tin is mined in the UK.  There is piles of the stuff.  Personally I like the old pre 96 models as white metal is brittle and irritates my hands.  Still better than plastic though.

I prefer painting metal models.  Its just how it is 

[burad]

Plastic has a higher up front capitalization cost, but the figures are lower cost to make over time.  Plus the process doesn't run as hot, and the molds last longer.  In the long run from a manufacturing standpoint, it's more cost effective to do plastic. 
Of the plastic infantry sets, the customizable sword/halberd/spear sets should be more expensive engineering-wise to put into production, as you have costs associated with designing how all those little parts fit properly, and more disparate parts to put on the sprue.  The sets like the detachments set, with its 'whole body' design for the figures, while less appealing to the modeler, should be more cost effective per sprue to put in production because there's less engineering in desiging the figures and sprues.   
Frankly, many of the recent developments (further plasticization of the lines and dropping figures and bits that just don't sell enough) are just parts of GWs attempts to stay viable as a business.  They have to run based on the sales numbers, not individual preferences.  They have to be reasonably sure there will be a decent sized market for something to spend money on setting up to produce it.  Once you've spent money on preparing to produce something, it better sell or you've just flushed that capital expense down the toilet.  Ten real vocal guys who make a lot of noise aren't enough to spend $1,000 setting up production of a particular figure if each of them is only going to buy one figure and nobody else is interested.  Can't do that very many times. 
Oh well, enough rambling...

[ant7]

I have been in the hobby for about 14 years now and I have recently started building an Empire army after a lay-off of a few years. It saddens me a bit that we won't be able to get some of the older models that I wanted for conversions but it's a business and if the stuff isn't selling that they gotta do what they gotta do. One thing that bugs me though is all this talk of how great and wonderful metal miniatures are. I mean when I first jumped into this hobby many of the mini's for WFB were metal, except maybe the horses. I like to convert and scrapping mold lines from metal and having to saw through chunks of it sucked. The new plastic Empire mini's are great and I would have a hard time finding an old metal wizard that looks half as good as the new plastic ones, plus you get all the extra bits. I mean have you looked at the thickness of some of those old metal swords? they are like half an inch thick and look more like a club than a sword. The new plastic swords are thin and look very well. I am speaking for the Empire models mind you, the hands are all in proportion and if you don't like the pose of a certain model cut it in half (with an modeling knife) and put a torso and legs together. Maybe I am in the minority here but I love the plastics, I realize that a few of the races out there don't have great plastics yet, (Skaven clanrats, Dark Elf core troops) but these new palstics coming out, they look great and they are easy to convert. If I had my way everything would be plastic but as I said this is just my opinion and I am sure others will not feel the same way.
 

[Siberius]

Personally I find the plastics allow for much more variation than my old metal armies used to have where you repeated the same 3 or 4 variations 4 or 5 times and had to just try and keep them far apart. Converting is easy (which sure makes it less of an art but much better for us unadventurous people who are more likely to damage themselves rather than the metal) plus if you have a number of box sets at the same time you can chop and change bits between all of them and have so many variations! I love the fact that no two models on my army will be exactly the same anymore, plus I feel like the feel of the models they are producing these days, even in plastic, is getting nicer and nicer...

[Warlord]

Does anyone know if the UK is maintaining all of these in stock.

As far as I'm aware it appears to only be the US who is updating their mail order... is that correct?

[CaptScott]

Looks like I will have to hold on to some of my old models, they might improve in value.  I've still got a pack of those ratling snipers that I haven't touched yet.  On the plus side I see the 40K orc dreadnaughts are on that list, so we can look forward to some new ones in 2008!

On a slightly side note, I went searching through my bits box the other day and found 3 lead reiksguard on foot, 2 lead skaven bloodbowl players, an old lead Dire Avenger Exarch, and a old marauder minaiture Hippogryph (1992) - all unpainted and all lead!

[Wyzer1]

On a slightly side note, I went searching through my bits box the other day and found 3 lead reiksguard on foot, 2 lead skaven bloodbowl players, an old lead Dire Avenger Exarch, and a old marauder minaiture Hippogryph (1992) - all unpainted and all lead!

Don't eat them 




(if anyone caught the crappy reference I  you)

[cubantie]

i agree with warlord, with the decrease of the use of metal models and the increase of plastic ones will cause the prices to
 go down.  GW will not have to spend money on the expensive, rarely used metal models andcan drop the prices of the popular plastic ones and still make money

tempted to say, "fat chance"

its a pity tho, but yes, a wise move i think.