Are Traitor Guard on the horizon?

[Custodian Athiair]

Genuine spit-balling here. But with today's announcement of Chaos Knights, and also the new Traitor Guard models (Commissar and Ogryn) it feels like there is something building on the chaos side of the mirror.

 

The Imperial trifecta army has obviously been the big thing for months now, combining Space Marines, Astra Militarum, and Imperial Knights to smash things to pieces.

 

Well we've now got Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Knights....... Could GW be warming up the Traitor Guard avenue with the Blackstone Fortress releases?

 

Personally I hope so, but I just want some Iron Warriors cannon fodder for the meat grinder, and some even bigger guns

 

Thoughts

[Lord Marshal]

I think it's a question of "When?" and not "If", however I don't think it's right around the corner. With the Codex's for 8th largely wrapped up - barring an obvious 2nd edition of Space Marines - they do have some breathing room to play with. Games Workshop rarely release models in a total vacuum and between Gellarpox Mutants, Blackstone Fortress and the (physical) squat'ing of Renegades and Heretics models, I'd be very surprised if it was a coincidence. They've also been oddly shy about releasing an updated Chaos Cultist box for all of the demand, a release which would fit perfectly with a proper Lost and Damned 'dex.

 

With that being said, I do think that we'll see the Ynnari and maybe the third standalone Chaos Legion before them. This is based on absolutely nothing but Ynaari merely existing as a faction and us being almost two years since the Death Guard codex came out.

Edited June 30, 2019 by Lord Marshal

[Halandaar]

Well if nothing else, today's bit on Warhammer Community about the BSF expansion says "two brand-new models, which will initially only be available in this set".

 

"Initially" suggests they'll be available again later in another format, and a full Traitor Guard / L&D army would fit the bill.

[Doom Herald]

I think it's a question of "When?" and not "If", however I don't think it's right around the corner. With the Codex's for 8th largely wrapped up - barring an obvious 2nd edition of Space Marines - they do have some breathing room to play with. Games Workshop rarely release models in a total vacuum and between Gellarpox Mutants, Blackstone Fortress and the (physical) squat'ing of Renegades and Heretics models, I'd be very surprised if it was a coincidence. They've also been oddly shy about releasing an updated Chaos Cultist box for all of the demand, a release which would fit perfectly with a proper Lost and Damned 'dex.

 

With that being said, I do think that we'll see the Ynnari and maybe the third standalone Chaos Legion before them. This is based on absolutely nothing but Ynaari merely existing as a faction and us being almost two years since the Death Guard codex came out.

Ynnari have a pretty comprehensive rule set in White Dwarf, and I suspect we will see it carried over into the new Chapter Approved. I'm honestly not confident that they are doing World Eaters and Emperor's Children any time soon given they are playable with the new CSM Dex, but I hope I'm wrong. I honestly suspect we will see a White Dwarf / CA rules for using Traitor Guard, maybe in concert with the datasheets provided with the Blackstone expansions. As of the release of the Blackstone expansion, I expect them to be roughly playable.

 

What news came out today? Google isn't showing me anything.

[ChazSexington]

IIRC, at one of the open days or such last autumn, when asked, they said they had no plans to make a Traitor Guard codex. 

 

Granted the release cycle is something like 4 years, I'm not hopeful, especially with ForgeWorld seemingly almost inactive. 

[Darnok]

What news came out today? Google isn't showing me anything.

On Warhammer Community: "Heresy Incarnate", Chaos Knights and a BSF expansion up for pre-order next week.

[Lord Marshal]

Another piece for the puzzle arrived yesterday. A new piece of Chaos Knight artwork with an interesting banner bearing individual. We know that GW almost never produce artwork including things you can't buy as models, so what's that very prominent chap with a banner doing there? Especially when the two Cultists at the bottom are 1:1 matches for two you can buy (and the Word Bearers need no explanation). Now, the cynic in me wants to point out that he's very, very similar to FW Militia upgrade sprue (mask, cannister, tan fatigues) but this piece would presumably have been done long after the range was squat'ed. Interesting stuff...

 

IIRC, at one of the open days or such last autumn, when asked, they said they had no plans to make a Traitor Guard codex. 

 

Granted the release cycle is something like 4 years, I'm not hopeful, especially with ForgeWorld seemingly almost inactive.

Ehhh, I seriously doubt GW would just say, "You got us guys! Traitor Guard are coming in 2020." Other than vague allusions to stuff that's obviously coming at some point - Primaris, etc - which they wink at, I imagine any new 'dex or specific model question would get shut down.

[Custodian Athiair]

Anyone else seen that the new Commissar and Ogryn models have 40K rules, which include "Traitor Guard" keywords...

 

That's a very leading rule set in my opinion. 

[Darnok]

Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment, but still...

 

There is just so much stuff released in the last few years that would work for a Codex: LatD. I believe tonly thing holding GW back from going all in on it is production capacity. So give it another year, and their second factory up and running - end of 2020 at the latest, mark my words!  

 

 

P.S.: If the new codex is out in time for ETL VIII, I will go for it!

[ChazSexington]

Anyone else seen that the new Commissar and Ogryn models have 40K rules, which include "Traitor Guard" keywords...

 

That's a very leading rule set in my opinion. 

 

There's several Keywords without codices, like Dark Mechanicum. It seems more logical to me that they just wanted to tack on some rules so you could use them in 40k.

 

Another piece for the puzzle arrived yesterday. A new piece of Chaos Knight artwork with an interesting banner bearing individual. We know that GW almost never produce artwork including things you can't buy as models, so what's that very prominent chap with a banner doing there? Especially when the two Cultists at the bottom are 1:1 matches for two you can buy (and the Word Bearers need no explanation). Now, the cynic in me wants to point out that he's very, very similar to FW Militia upgrade sprue (mask, cannister, tan fatigues) but this piece would presumably have been done long after the range was squat'ed. Interesting stuff...

 

IIRC, at one of the open days or such last autumn, when asked, they said they had no plans to make a Traitor Guard codex. 

 

Granted the release cycle is something like 4 years, I'm not hopeful, especially with ForgeWorld seemingly almost inactive.

Ehhh, I seriously doubt GW would just say, "You got us guys! Traitor Guard are coming in 2020." Other than vague allusions to stuff that's obviously coming at some point - Primaris, etc - which they wink at, I imagine any new 'dex or specific model question would get shut down.

 

 

It's a second-hand source off someone on the internet on something that was reportedly said at the event, but they did say they had zero plans for a Renegade Guard codex. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I would love a Renegade Guard codex - I play them, for Heaven's sakes. 

[Excessus]

Just a little something...so models in artwork is usually based on miniatures, right? 

 

So what model is that flag-waving renegade & heretic based on? The FW range was axed...

 

[Darnok]

I would not bet money on it, but it sure can be seen as a sign of things to come. I remember the new CSM artwork with virtually everything we got in terms of new stuff - Abbadon, Terminators, Dark Apostle, Lord Discordant, Obliterators, representatives of all Renegades that got special rules. That one was shown quite a bit in advance of all the new models.

[Preliminary Bombardment]

These would be great, would love to convert a Traitor General.

 

Just for fun what other units would we like? Possessed humans maybe? Stuff from sabbats worlds crusade like the thrice made. Maybe a powerful unit like an Anarch.

[sitnam]

These would be great, would love to convert a Traitor General.

 

Just for fun what other units would we like? Possessed humans maybe? Stuff from sabbats worlds crusade like the thrice made. Maybe a powerful unit like an Anarch.

I'd love to see a range very similar to the FW rules, with a range of rules to allow a large variety of forces. But with the GW policy of no rules for units without models, seems like a pipe dream.

[Darnok]

I do not expect a "Codex: Traitor Guard"*, but quite some models in that general direction. With the models done for BSF - basic guardsmen, Ogryn and commissar - there is a solid foundation for the infantry side of things, which could be easily expanded by a simple upgrade sprue to convert heavy weapons teams (like they did for Genestealer Cults). The vehicles don't need much work, other than maybe a second upgrade sprue with tank commanders etc. - the current one is nice and all, but does not feature anything "Guard" specific.

 

Other than that I fully expect an all-in on the "Lost and the Damned" part. Again, there is a lot of stuff made for BSF that can be ported over - hell, they all have Apocalypse rules already! Then there is Kill Team: Rogue Trader of course:

 

 

Despite the game playing inside of a spaceship, many of these (as well as the "good guys") come with rubble sculpted on their models, and are clearly based for an outside environment. To me that indicates that they were planned with a general 40K release in mind already, and Codex: LatD featuring them is all but certain in my opinion.

 

Quite frankly, I can not wait!

 

 

* ... which, to be honest, you could do with Codex: Imperial Guard since as long as Traitor Guard was a thing already

[GreenScorpion]

It would be truly nice to have a traitor guard army released.

With the latest releases they have already did a group of core units with rules, which they could easily expand by adding different forces.

Conversion kits like the GSC sprue to convert the brood brothers, mixed with dedicated models of something similar to cultists (preferably modular), some specific characters like the traitor commissar and the ogryn and perhaps some specialized vehicles for the faction (like GSC has the goliath), could all be combined with Imperial vehicles to make a quick and dirty new army.

Obviously, a more independent army in terms of models would be nice, but hoping for a mixed army with reuse is more easily attainable.