2012 releases

[Voss]

Another couple of things, I think the hobbit for november is dubious... From what i've heard the film is slated for around the 12th December onwards, depending on country. That said GW don't tend to do big December releases, so maybe they're trying to go early, though firstly i'd be surprised if New Line would let them, and secondly a christmas puch on the hobbit would work for them. I suspect January as an option.

This keeps coming up. It is exactly what they did for the rest of the LotR related games (released the game in november before the films came out in december), why would they not do it for this one?

[Beppo1234]

This keeps coming up. It is exactly what they did for the rest of the LotR related games (released the game in november before the films came out in december), why would they not do it for this one?

it's not so much a pattern by GW, as much as it is a general consumer's pattern. It has to be out around US thanksgiving. At the time when most rational people are doing their Christmas shopping.

[Theis]

it's not so much a pattern by GW, as much as it is a general consumer's pattern. It has to be out around US thanksgiving. At the time when most rational people are doing their Christmas shopping.

This, entirely this. We'll be seeing trailers for the Hobbit on TV late this summer. As Christmas gets closer the hype will build. When parents ask their kids what they want for Christmas, the kids need to be able to point to the Hobbit game and say, "that!" This means it's got to be out in time to be bought for Christmas, which means weeks in advance. If the movie is a Christmas time release, they can't put the game out at the exact same time. Christmas shopping / spending will have been done, or nearly so, already. You want to hit the consumer up while they still have loads of money to spend, not right when they're about tapped out from having spent it on other things.

[KarlPedder]

Yeah people seem to think the reason why the Hobbit won't drop in Nov is because it will spoil the appearance of things from the movie but in all reality the stuff released in Nov and the stuff with photography and such released then will all be stuff that will have been seen in trailers and such. Smaug and whatever else they want to be suprises will likely follow in a 2nd wave in early 2013. IIRC this was the case with the Balrog but the model image got leaked before the movie resulting in much nashing of teeth from new line. But considering how well the lockdown seems to be working if stuff from the Hobbit gets spoiled due to leaks I don't think GW will be the responsible party this time.

[MooseOnTheLoose]

Lets not forget there were several models released this last December, so there is no "December sees nothing new".

What a lot of us seem to forget is some of Hastings last tidbits of rumours for us all. It was WoC and 6th edition 40k. He also mentioned "several model releases" between the SW/Nid wave and WoC book. The key being is "several model releases" just 3 flyers and a starter set? I've always thought from that rumour WoC were more likely August and CSM October. But I think we have a pretty good idea of what is coming in:

June: a couple of fliers and I think finecasting wave of old models
July: 6th edition
August: WoC/CSM
September: Starter Set 6th Edition
October: CSM/WoC
November: Complete speculation
December: Complete speculation

I highly doubt all of July sees just a rulebook release. I expect some army wave or random model releases.

[Beppo1234]

I dunno if this has come up or not, but could the so called Chaos cultists be a WFB/40k dual use kit like the spawn and daemons kits? Just a thought. If so, release of WoC and CSMs together would make a lot more sense.

[Starfarer]

I highly doubt all of July sees just a rulebook release. I expect some army wave or random model releases.

If it's anything like previous releases, there will be 6th edition related extras like template sets, probably anniversary dice or other gear, and I'm sure a limited edition rulebook, but I doubt we'll see anything model related.

[MajorWesJanson]

Remember, Hobbit movie is in 2 parts, so Smaug will not be out this part anyways. First part ought to cover the Gandalf, Bilbo, the dwarves, Beorn, Trolls, Goblins, Wargs, I think Eagles, and Gollum. Maybe the spiders too.

December is not a "nothing release" but it is a "holiday release" month. That means no books, and no real race specific waves. We see bundles usually, large scenery packs, and last year, a few cool monsters for various races. This year, I'd actually say the Wave 2 fliers could be a Decmber thing.

As for july, I also expect hobby stuff. Book, collectors book, gamers edition book. New templates (maybe the existing ones in a different color, like red or blue?), Dice, army cases and backpacks. Maybe some new scenery.

[FerociousBeast]

Moose has it, I think, in the post above, but I'll go further and fill in the remaining gaps.

June, flyers.
July, 6E.
August, WoC.
September, starter.
October, CSM.
November, Hobbit.
December, some kind of wave and deal bundles.
January, more Hobbit, I'd guess.
February, Dark Angels.

That's my guess anyway.

[Fable]

Remember, Hobbit movie is in 2 parts, so Smaug will not be out this part anyways. First part ought to cover the Gandalf, Bilbo, the dwarves, Beorn, Trolls, Goblins, Wargs, I think Eagles, and Gollum. Maybe the spiders too.

To my understanding the first movie is the entirety of The Hobbit while part 2 comes from the short stories and bridges the gap between LOTRs and the Hobbit, but I don't know if that's still accurate intel or not.

[Spell_of_Destruction]

I'll be really disappointed if we only get a single codex this year although it's now looking almost certain. The longer I have to wait for Chaos and DAs the longer I have to wait for the next Eldar codex which I'm guessing is now going to be a Q4 2013 release.

[Sildani]

I'd rather that than the Eldar get another Codex that's only moderately written for Sixth, leaving us half-crippled when the new Edition finally comes out. Besides, Sixth might really shake things up, so that we'll have to learn the Codex all over again as new tactics present themselves, and old units get a new lease on life.



Yes, I'm a hopeless optimist.

[Voss]

Moose has it, I think, in the post above, but I'll go further and fill in the remaining gaps.

June, flyers.
July, 6E.
August, WoC.
September, starter.
October, CSM.
November, Hobbit.
December, some kind of wave and deal bundles.
January, more Hobbit, I'd guess.
February, Dark Angels.

That's my guess anyway.

I don't think that is unreasonable, based on things people have said. Though I'd add 1-3 wave releases for various systems/terrain in there (July and September in particular are unlikely to be just the book and the set, especially July, since the book eats up none of the 'model manufacturing budget')

But from what has been said, February (or there abouts) is more likely to be Tau than DA, and if its not it could well be a wildcard that could stand in for one of several books (DA, Eldar or BT). And January is might well be split with a 40k or fantasy wave and a mid month LotR wave... that happened a fair bit back during the LotR releases.

I'd rather that than the Eldar get another Codex that's only moderately written for Sixth, leaving us half-crippled when the new Edition finally comes out. Besides, Sixth might really shake things up, so that we'll have to learn the Codex all over again as new tactics present themselves, and old units get a new lease on life.

Very much this, for almost anything, but particularly any Xenos book. Chaos Marines are something of a sacrificial lamb in this regard, though it isn't nearly as bad since <Anything> Marine tends to weather edition shifts much better than Xenos books do, simply because the stat line and armour save props them up against the storm, while Xenos armies tend to have more exaggerated strengths and weaknesses that can easily have the supports swept out from under them.

Eldar and Tau are much better off in 2013 than they would be in 2012.

[drbored]

I dunno if this has come up or not, but could the so called Chaos cultists be a WFB/40k dual use kit like the spawn and daemons kits? Just a thought. If so, release of WoC and CSMs together would make a lot more sense.

I could see them doing something like this, with models that have options for close combat weapons and lasguns. It's a stretch, mainly because GW would have to model them for square bases instead of round bases (which tends to give the models same-y, compacted poses), but they did it with Chaos Daemons.

Anyway, I find it hard to believe that..

1. A Codex will be released before 6th Edition. We're simply running out of time for it. We've got June, which many rumors point to a flyer release from the getgo. That leaves the rest of May, and we're already halfway through. We would have heard more about that specific Codex by now, and frankly, none of the current rumors on DA, Chaos, or Tau seem solid or complete enough to warrant the assumption that any Codex will be released before 6th edition.

2. They'd do two WFB Codices back to back. We just had Empire, and we haven't had a 40k Codex since Necron, which is nearing 6 months of age. If anything, I'd put the Chaos Marine Codex in August, with Warriors of Chaos later in the Fall. If there's a flyer release before 6th, this fills out the time before 6th and until the next Codex quite nicely.

3. That they'll fit Dark Angels and Chaos Marines into the same year. I'm still under the impression that they're going to make Dark Angels a White Dwarf Codex (the major hint being the White Dwarf spines) that will release later in the year, around the Fall or Winter. I'm sure I'm making plenty of DA people angry, but cramming a 40k Codex before and after a new edition, along with Warriors of Chaos for WFB seems way too cramped. The new edition and starter box are alone going to be big events, and any Codex that comes out will have other waves of releases that will have to fit within the year or shortly thereafter, along with any subsequent flyer, Tyranid, and/or finecast waves. It's just too much cramped in. GW makes money by spreading things out over longer periods of time, not swamping the market with new things to buy.

4. That Hobbit models would release before the movie actually comes out. It's possible that they might try to hop on the bandwagon while the trailers are still fresh and ramp up to the release of the movie, but I see these models being only announced in November and released in December. Depending on how far they're intending to expand the LotR game, this might fit quite nicely into the December slot. Yes, they don't normally release anything major in December, but this section of their product line doesn't get the kind of advertisement that a huge movie brings. In other words, these are unusual circumstances, so expect unusual habits.

As a final point, it seems fitting that GW would celebrate their 25th anniversary with a new edition and two books devoted to the biggest bad guys the galaxy has ever seen. Chaos Marines and Warriors of Chaos fit that specific role and have a great number of fans, novels, and groups devoted to the Chaotic cause. Most people at my FLGS have Chaos armies waiting in the wing for an update, either for WFB or 40k, and it would introduce a rare opportunity to release kits that would work for both Codices (like the rumored Chaos Harbinger, Chaos Beasts, or Cultists).

[jamesterjlrb]

Moose has it, I think, in the post above, but I'll go further and fill in the remaining gaps.

June, flyers.
July, 6E.
August, WoC.
September, starter.
October, CSM.
November, Hobbit.
December, some kind of wave and deal bundles.
January, more Hobbit, I'd guess.
February, Dark Angels.

That's my guess anyway.

When you start looking at rumours as well i think this is probably the most logical schedule i've seen. Apologies, i didn't do my research on previous LOTR releases hence my slip up on a November release. I think the order in the new year might be slightly different, but its so far off...

[Alaric Stormblade]

To be honest I can't see a Fantasy army book being released in between the 6th edition stuff. I think there might be a 40k wave of sorts in August, most likely something for multiple races.
I still don't buy the whole fliers thing. That just has been coming up to often now... on the other hand it depends on what they are doing with the rules in 6th I guess.

[bevulf]

I'm still under the impression that they're going to make Dark Angels a White Dwarf Codex (the major hint being the White Dwarf spines) that will release later in the year, around the Fall or Winter. I'm sure I'm making plenty of DA people angry

You're not making DA people angry beacuse your predictions are based on nothing. The WD DA dex is not going to happen. I am 100% sure that it will be a normal one. Too many fans out there (perhaps as many as BA and SW). I think as many here that it will be released around the begining of 2013.

Do you really think that GW is right now psyching up all DA fans with revealing the image of dark green robed marine with each issue of WD just to end up with the WD dex ? Not likely.

[Satan]

Do you really think that GW is right now psyching up all DA fans with revealing the image of dark green robed marine with each issue of WD just to end up with the WD dex ? Not likely.

Not to be a pain or anything, but you should probably read that sentence again.

[Promethius]

Not to be a pain or anything, but you should probably read that sentence again.

Lol! Surely the WD image could just be marketing for the starter set?

To my understanding the first movie is the entirety of The Hobbit while part 2 comes from the short stories and bridges the gap between LOTRs and the Hobbit, but I don't know if that's still accurate intel or not.

In the Hobbit Gandalf is constantly disappearing off, and in the appendices it's fairly clear he's been dealing with 'the necromancer' stuff (sauron) so logically in the film they could just show us what gandalf is up to rather than him just go away for no reason! Then they could split it into two halves like the LOTR trilogy approach.
November and January make sense for hobbit releases to me, get the game out in time for xmas and the 2nd wave in time for any xmas money people have.

[Leggy]

If we're making "predictions' (guessing):

June - Flyers
July - 6th edition, scattering of models for different ranges, maybe terrain
August - Warriors of Chaos Army book
September - Boxed set, perhaps a few Dark Angel Finecast/Plastic releases or booster kits
October - Chaos Codex
November - Hobbit
December - Mega Army Bundles, Scenery.
January - Tau
Febuary - Hobbit wave
March - Dwarfs
April - Dark Angels
May - Hobbit
June - Warhammer models

A whole years worth of predictions based entirely on rumours. If I get anything right past November, I demand a slice of Harrys hot pie action