Did GW's DoC Flamer nerf go too far?

[Urgat]

Say what you will man.. The only way sales of 'Fantasy-Flamers' would justify the cost of producing a new model is if (1) they intentionally made them overpowered or (2) made them Core.
too long to quote everything.

At this point, I honestly don't care at all if the flamers are overpowered or underpowered. From a marketting point of view, there is no way any argument can be made that would justify GW actually trying to have their customers shy away from one of ther own products. Companies exist to make a profit, and that theory of yours is about as counterproductive as I could think. I certainly mean no offense, but thinking they're making a product, and then actively seek for it not to sell, is an absurd notion.

[DaemonReign]

I'm sorry, just checking but are you saying that nerfing Ghouls was ok but nerfing Flamers wasn't?
Im not sure if I was in the "7th Edition power list" camp, I certainly took Ghouls, but it took 8th edition for me to actually drop my skeleton units until the release of the new book.

No. If anything, i meant the opposite. flamers being crap does mot turn daemons upside down. so 'things could be worse'.

@urgat- they know they already sold them close to the limit, in fantasy.

[GrandmasterWang]

The new flamers are a fair bit cheaper arent they?

The flamer nerf to go with the new model release shows they just cant win on the forums no matter what as people still say it is a money grab.

Makes no business sense what so ever..... "Lets release a new plastic line with large mould costs we want to recoup but reduce the game incentive to get them."

While I work in a business advisory role you dont need my experience to see that the nerf was not a smart profit making move.

I think it shows a genuine effort on the part of gw to improve 8th game balance at the expense of short term profit which is a good thing. I hope they keep it up. The soul grinder rules seem fair

[Dominatrix]

The new flamers are a fair bit cheaper arent they?

The flamer nerf to go with the new model release shows they just cant win on the forums no matter what as people still say it is a money grab.

Makes no business sense what so ever..... "Lets release a new plastic line with large mould costs we want to recoup but reduce the game incentive to get them."

While I work in a business advisory role you dont need my experience to see that the nerf was not a smart profit making move.

I think it shows a genuine effort on the part of gw to improve 8th game balance at the expense of short term profit which is a good thing. I hope they keep it up. The soul grinder rules seem fair

Just wanted to point out that when the last chaos codex was released (the 4th edition abomination), new plastic models were released for possessed marines and spawn. Both units came along with rules that made certain noone would take them in a list, not the opposite. So there is a precedent for what we see now with the flamers. Maybe sometimes plastic kits are released just for completion's sake (with the long term goal to eventually make everything plastic).

[The bearded one]

flamers need to be D3 S4 shots not D6

Sure, as a Special choice, and assuming none of the other changes in this RulesPatch were implemented - this might have been fair&square.
What we got now is simply: Look Here, now buy Something Else instead, 'cause we know you got enough of these anyway..

It would've been? Okay, that's fine by me. D3 shots it is.

[Urgat]

@urgat- they know they already sold them close to the limit, in fantasy.

No they don't. There's new players, there's the ones who like to have new models, and there's the fact that they were moved to special so you can have more, maybe many more if the top limit was removed (I assume it was?). By your logic, there's no point at all for GW to ever release new minis for units that performed well before. Ah well, I don't think there's any point (or chance) in convincing you, so I'll drop the ball now.

[Bikhu]

No they don't. There's new players, there's the ones who like to have new models, and there's the fact that they were moved to special so you can have more, maybe many more if the top limit was removed (I assume it was?). By your logic, there's no point at all for GW to ever release new minis for units that performed well before.

I must agree with this reasoning. The idea that GW would assume a maxed out static market for their product just makes no business sense at all. Any company selling a product that simply assumes their are no new consumers to reach has management that is too inept to exist for long. The much more logical explanation is that GW has realized a more balanced game increases the number of people who want to play in general, released new rules in a White Dwarf patch to go along with the new model releases, and went slightly (only slightly) too far in balancing flamers in this particular update.

The track record in 8th updates lends plenty of evidence for a trend of overcompensating for previously OP units (mortar, ghouls [maybe], etc.) and also a trend of making BS shooting significantly weaker. More radical speculations about trying to manipulate consumer choices by trying to discourage people from buying/using their products, especially products they just invested significant money into creating a new mold for, is just not very compelling.