First point: This is not about Empire. This is about Wood Elves and the Ogre Kingdoms. But it is about Warhammer, and for anyone who wants to play against Wood Elves some time.
Is it just me or does the Ogre Kingdoms Army Book spell the end of the Wood Elves?
I don't play Wood Elves. Actually, I have never met them on the field of battle. Maybe that is the problem. Wood Elves seem to be a little like Chaos Dwarves: great in concept but not popular enough to warrant support. Support in terms of an Army Book, new models and plastic kits. Now, I don't criticise GW for making a decision based on the profitability of a product line, but could they at least they could be a bit more open about when they intend to ‘shaft’ the Wood Elves?
The situation is ironic. I am sure a lot of people suspected Wood Elves were at risk: they have languished for so long. But then they had a chance for glory in the latest worldwide, online campaign. Wood Elves completely and unexpectedly kicked butt during the Storm of Chaos (aside: where is the follow up to that? 5 months after!?! Newspapers get stuff out the next day, White Dwarf needs a five-month lead time?!?). Maybe you can imagine the scene in GW Headquarters, Nottingham, just after SoC concludes:
Playtester A: "Well, we thought the remaining few Wood Elves generals would have got the hint that we don't want them around and allowed themselves to be violently swamped by the newly energised Beastmen generals, with their cool new book and characters and models. Then we could have written out their demise from the game"
Playtester B: "Maybe that 4-page summary of the WE army in White Dwarf prior to the Storm gave them hope"
Playtester A: "It was meant to be false hope!"
Content Developer C: "Maybe we can nuke the Loren Forest with a Warpstone comet or something"
Accountant D testily shuffles the agenda. Point 3B (ii) is about depreciation charges on plastic moulding machinery, not the so-called ‘Wood Elves’: "You failed to read the discussion paper I presented to the Creative Management Committee. The so-called "Wood Elves Generals" (gentle smirk) represent a demographic important to GW LLP. This social subgroup tend to represent mid 20s - early 30s players with significant spending capability and a dedication beyond those more easily diverted younger players with their numerous spending options such as (rolled eyes) 'video games'".
Content Developer C: "They are called PC games or maybe computer games these days, and I thought that was why we did Fire Warrior and Dawn of War. And we did the comet with Mordheim"
Accountant D (slightly peeved and slightly more testy): "If you had reviewed your monthly P&L report you would have seen our RoI on the so-called 'Wood Elves' product lines 80100 through 80500 was below our cost of capital, i.e. 26%. We have shareholders to consider here! Now these ‘Wood Elves Generals’ are a bit older than most players and have disposable income, so we present them with a new product of so-called ‘giant, ugly killing machines’, the 'Ogre'. That gets the younger 12-15 year demographic excited, especially with the success of Shrek (Copyright, TM, all rights reserved by Misc. Lge. Entertainment Corp Ltd.), and the opportunity for the older, 'high-spend' demographic a chance to buy plastic toy models (slight smirk) at a mark-up of over 800%! Do you know what will do to our stock options! And it pays for you Content Developers to spend your time dreaming of an Eastern, so-called ‘Cathay’ range as well. I know you want to”
Playtester A: “Well, whatever, I have to write copy for the Skaven victories in SoC and I only have five months left to do it!”
Fantasy? You be the judge. But look at the facts: Wood Elves featured in the 6th Edition Warhammer Rulebook, page 185. But the Ogre Kingdoms Army book and cool looking plastic kits have been released, with no sign of the Wood Elves in sight.
I think the Wood Elves been shafted.