How do you see 40K in the (near) future?

[Sete]

Eager to have Orks SW and whatever we are missing out of the way so we can have another campaign.

Not expecting much from SW besides a Primaris Lieutenant and an upgrade sprue. Orks might get more stuff.

[walter h]

I would love to see a look at all the old guard (astra militarum),regiments. A new eye ,and possibly new models in plastic.

[Ganders]

I think at some point there will be a lore change crowbarred in which means that all marines are primaris.

Where either tactical squads are just default primaris or the basic troop type is just intercessor squads and the name tactical is gone. Similar for assault and devastator.

I think the name primaris will be gone and they are just marines.

At the moment it's just an awkward transition period.

IMHO ofc.

[Corswain]

I think at some point there will be a lore change crowbarred in which means that all marines are primaris.

Where either tactical squads are just default primaris or the basic troop type is just intercessor squads and the name tactical is gone. Similar for assault and devastator.

I think the name primaris will be gone and they are just marines.

At the moment it's just an awkward transition period.

IMHO ofc.

Hope not, the thought alone hurts my insides.

I think GW would be wise to hold off on that for a while, if that is the ultimate goal. Right now, everyone can get what they want and I don’t see GW forcing the issue for a few years at least.

[Panzer]

I doubt that'll happen tbh. Nothing's stopping GW from just giving Primaris their own stuff and simply ignore classic Marines until only very few classic Marine player exist and everybody continues with Primaris Marines. They don't even have to remove them from the fluff or whatever. They just have to keep moving on with the Primaris as the new standard and things'll sort themselves without GW having to do much.

[Robbienw]

Except not everybody is going to move on to Primaris Marines, so they would be wise to keep classic Marines in fluff and shops...

[Bryan Blaire]

Seriously though, if in 8th Edition Codex Space Marines Revision 2 released in 2025, all entries are simply "Marines" with similar squad types without being identical of Tactical, Assault and Devastator squads, etc., all similar vehicles, etc., and the images show "biggerized models" only, what's going to be done?

 

Yes, it's theoretical, but everyone saying "they better", etc., what are you going to do - rage-quit, rage for a bit then go back to playing, simply hang it up and pass stuff alongside to the next generation, etc.?

[Ishagu]

Except not everybody is going to move on to Primaris Marines, so they would be wise to keep classic Marines in fluff and shops...

Hmmm maybe they will. Should there be a guarantee of a model receiving support forever? Remember the Squats were dropped.

Also, after a few years have passed isn't it likely that fans of Space Marines will own a bunch of the new, better looking model kits that are the Primaris? I didn't spend a lot of money or time adding 3000+ points of Primarie to my existing Ultras, was ultimately quite straight forward.

[toaae]

Wouldn't Bretonnians and Tomb Kings be a better example than Squats? It's been ages, and yet that still gets thrown around as if its a relevant example.

[Henimann]

Besides the obvious releases of codexes for the factions still with Index lists,  I feel most changes will be within the fluff of the game, and within model lines.   The post-Indomitus Imperium isn't fleshed out, compared to, IMHO, the heyday of the fluff at the end of 3rd, beginning of 4th editions.   So, maybe more supplements mainly fleshing out major warzones/campaigns, and used to introduce new models and units.  Like Son of Carnelian, I ma not too thrilled that I may end up needing five books to play my army, but I do see 40k and AoS becoming more similar in terms of high-level rules development and rollout, even if the ruleset for 40k is arguably more complex than AoS. 

 

I also am hoping for new models for existing armies.   Orks and Guard are using some of the same models that existed five editions ago; they look AWFUL compared to most recent rollouts.   So a revamp of those model lines would be welcomed.

 

I also think that we may see a reorganization of the company's gaming divisions;  people have been freaking out about how FW is discontinuing many 30k models, fearing that Heresy will be dropped.   Personally, I would not be surprised if Heresy is put under Specialist Games; many people who worked on HH work there now anyways, FW handles production for a good part of both the HH and SG lines, and would give GW an excuse to expand the model line for HH in plastic in the future.  Take all that with a mountain of salt though - I only recently got into 30k (my local group is 60% 30k/ 40% 8th ed) and my predictions are based on scuttlebutt Ive heard from others in my group and my own guesses.  

[Beams]

My area had a lot of 30k when it worked with 40k, but once it didn't it died fast, and no one seems interested, especially at forgeworld prices.

 

I could see GW/FW making 30k 8th compliant and making it easy to play 30k/40k lost in time and space games

[Robbienw]

 

Except not everybody is going to move on to Primaris Marines, so they would be wise to keep classic Marines in fluff and shops...

Hmmm maybe they will. Should there be a guarantee of a model receiving support forever? Remember the Squats were dropped.

Also, after a few years have passed isn't it likely that fans of Space Marines will own a bunch of the new, better looking model kits that are the Primaris? I didn't spend a lot of money or time adding 3000+ points of Primarie to my existing Ultras, was ultimately quite straight forward.

I don't think so. There are people who just don't like Primaris and will never buy them.

 

It remains to be seen how many marine fans that applies to though of course.

 

If 99% of current fans and 100% of newbs start buying only Primaris then it's obvious they should replace.

 

If say only 50 to 80% move on then GW have a problem and will lose money, and will need to keep classic Marines around and keep doing new/updated kits, or face losing a lot of money that may not be spent on something different in their range.

 

If 99% buy all the new Primaris stuff but also keep buying normal Marines, you need to keep both around.

 

Also if 95% move on, but the 5% who don't and only want to buy classic Marines are collectors who buy large multiples of kits, then they may have a problem again because they are not getting 95% of the value moving on.

 

Take me for example, massive marine fan and I buy multiples of Marine kits when there is a new release, of pretty much everything except SW. I find Primaris infantry ugly looking, and the kits inferior to normal Marines and lacking in part variation and poseability.

 

Last year when all the Primaris stuff came out I only brought 1 redemptor, 1 DA lieutenant and 2 DA Primaris upgrade packs. The DA stuff was all for bits for normal Marines. I also got additional DA bits and several Primaris heads from bits sites to use on normal Marines.

 

Compare this to the marine release of June 2015; I brought 8 of the new assault squad, 5 of the new devastator squad, the librarian and 6 DA upgrade packs.

 

The Marine release of August 2013; I brought the captain, 2 Librarians, the chaplain set, 10 tactical squads, 3 each of sternguard and vanguard, and 2 hunter/stalker.

 

You see what I am getting at. This could change of course with future kits, if they style them a lot better but with the current Primaris kits it is a large nope :lol:

 

Ultimately, we have no idea on the proportions of sales so can only speculate, but GW has the sales figures and will act accordingly in the coming years.

 

I don't see the desire from some people to see classic Marines disappear though? If you don't like them and only want Primaris that is fine, but leave them alone for people who still want them. I only like classic Marines, but I don't have any desire for the Primaris line to go away; I recognise people are into it.

[Panzer]

Because GW ever cared about such percentages when they decided about where to go in the future. They abandoned the playerbase of whole factions when they switched to AoS and they've ignored how outdated the basis models of whole factions are for a LONG time now (CSM and Eldar mainly) so there's also no reason to believe they'll ever update the classic Marines when Primaris are selling.

Will they lose some money when they do a switch from classic to primaris? Well d'uh of course. However that's completely irrelevant when they believe that they'll earn more money in the long run than they'd do by sticking to classic Marines.

Imo believing that classic Marines will stick around and receiver support forever is rather delusional considering how things are going currently.

[Robbienw]

This is Space Marines we are talking about though, GW's bread and butter, a huge seller.  Hardly comparable to fringe Warhammer fantasy factions that got wiped out.

 

 

Its not delusional to think that normal marines will be sticking around, not at all.  Its been 1 year now since Primaris were released, they have replaced nothing in the normal marine range, normal marines are still present and being made in the current fluff, and GW stated explicitly themselves in their own primaris FAQ that primaris marines are an additional reinforcement to normal marines and are not to replace them.  Combined with that we still have forgeworld producing normal marine models, and even a small output from the main studio in the form of the japan models.

[Panzer]

I never said Primaris are going to officially replace classic Marines. They won't do that. They just won't keep supporting classic Marines but keep supporting Primaris so the classic Marines will eventually become a lot less interesting. Kind of a natural transition over many years.

 

Anyway, lets agree to disagree.

[Robbienw]

Perhaps.  Or maybe in 10 to 15 years a 3rd type of refined marine, blending the best parts of classic and primaris back into 1 unified line, will appear and replace them all.  We shall see in the coming years who is right.

[Perry]

I look with envy at the new armies being released for Age of Sigmar. The sculpts are amazing.

 

I hope GW hurry up refreshing the tired old 40k lines and release new forces like DeathGuard and Primaris marines.

 

Yes people will moan about Faction X being relegated to the sidelines but as long as you have functioning rules you can still play.

[Urriak Urruk]

I think the OP has got the point mostly himself in his original post.

 

GW is going to keep up a balance of 1, 2, and 3.

 

New codexes are meant to excite people with completely new stuff.

 

Updating/expanding current ranges is meant to keep the current players invested.

 

And redoing forgeworld in plastic is meant to make HH more mainstream and being in those players to plastic.

 

The forgeiworld thing though is probably going to be on the back burner for the most part however, as GW seems to be putting more emphasis on other games like Bloodbowl, Necromunda, Adeptus Titanicus and Kill Team. They’ll probably return to it eventually but there’s only so much even the new GW can juggle, especially considering they need to do releases for Age if Sigmar too.

I think the OP has got the point mostly himself in his original post.

 

GW is going to keep up a balance of 1, 2, and 3.

 

New codexes are meant to excite people with completely new stuff.

 

Updating/expanding current ranges is meant to keep the current players invested.

 

And redoing forgeworld in plastic is meant to make HH more mainstream and being in those players to plastic.

 

The forgeiworld thing though is probably going to be on the back burner for the most part however, as GW seems to be putting more emphasis on other games like Bloodbowl, Necromunda, Adeptus Titanicus and Kill Team. They’ll probably return to it eventually but there’s only so much even the new GW can juggle, especially considering they need to do releases for Age if Sigmar too.

[Urriak Urruk]

Because GW ever cared about such percentages when they decided about where to go in the future. They abandoned the playerbase of whole factions when they switched to AoS and they've ignored how outdated the basis models of whole factions are for a LONG time now (CSM and Eldar mainly) so there's also no reason to believe they'll ever update the classic Marines when Primaris are selling.

Will they lose some money when they do a switch from classic to primaris? Well d'uh of course. However that's completely irrelevant when they believe that they'll earn more money in the long run than they'd do by sticking to classic Marines.

Imo believing that classic Marines will stick around and receiver support forever is rather delusional considering how things are going currently.

I used to agree with this 100 percent, but the Japanese marines are a wrench thrown into that.

 

The Japanese miniatures were almost certainly meant to be their own thing and not meant for other markets at all, but other regions clamouring for those awesome models is making GW release those in that new game for everybody.

 

Japan seems to be getting more of these “better but old” stuff too, like a new terminator release (done in the old style). We’ll probably get those in a box later too.

 

Primaris are still the norm for marines but the classic marines will still get these occasional updates, even if this wasn’t GW’s original intent.

[Panzer]

Possibly but it remains to be seen whether those models remain collectors stuff or not.

[Doghouse]

I personally think the days of regular marines are numbered in 8th. I think most things about Primaris are copyright worthy so it'd make sense from their marketing to do so and distance themselves from anything that can't be copyrighted. I believe there will be a day when when people say Space Marine they will mean Primaris. I think it's eventually going to be the same as rebranding the Dark Elder, Imperial Guard, Eldar and so on. 

 

As for 8th itself, I'll be happier once it has settled. For now it feels like a beta release and while I don't mind buying new models I don't like having to buy additional books. Right now it feels like wait for codex, then wait for people to zerg out on exploits which are then amended in a later book. I think the rule for first wave 8th edition is if it looks too good to be true wait for FAQs before committing to an army style.

[Bulwyf]

I was told months back by sources I trust that EC and WE will get their own codexes so every Chaos god specific legion/warbands will have their own book but that would come after the other 7th edition armies got their codex.

 

After that, I would expect a Black Legion codex and the more important Successor Chapters like Black Templars getting their own books.

[Sete]

I was told months back by sources I trust that EC and WE will get their own codexes so every Chaos god specific legion/warbands will have their own book but that would come after the other 7th edition armies got their codex.

 

After that, I would expect a Black Legion codex and the more important Successor Chapters like Black Templars getting their own books.

I would be very pleased. I don't mind waiting for it to come after our chaos boys and sisters players releases.

Meanwhile where is BFG?

[RandomMarine]

Campaign books used to add unit to the codices , 1 mega event a year, every army to get a large centerpiece model , atleast 3 more primarchs .

 

Never gonna get a IH character model tho

[Ficinus]

I thought one of the issues they wanted to address with 8th was needing multiple books to play an army? Wouldn't campaign books with new units/rules be counter to that? I'd rather them just do what they do in AoS: release base rules for models for free online and then release codices with army special rules, sub-faction rules, relics, stratagems, etc. It just seems like a far superior method, especially if they're planning unit releases that aren't tethered to a codex (which I doubt will happen anyway, since it seems counter to their general release model.