rumor alert: sob model shortages expected

[Leif Bearclaw]

I know what you mean. I got lucky and bought my Sisters army a bit at a time starting in 2nd ed., and have over a hundred models and fourteen vehicles. If I were to try and get that army now, I would have to basically sell my house.

I think that one of the reasons GW keeps pushing the plastic Sisters back is because of low sales of the metal models. Not too surprising, considering the cost.

Which is just the kind of backwards logic that seems to predominate too often at GW. 'Oh look, these models are over a decade old and the most expensive range in our game. Poor sales clearly means a complete lack of interest, updating it certainly couldn't generate more sales'.

[Sister Rosette Soulknyt]

Yeah, GW have no real excuses these days. I mean i heard they once said its because they can't sculpt female quite right, or that as said it's due to poor sales. Neither of these would mean anything if they brought them all in plastic and watch the sales go through the roof.

 

Me, too, having over 200+ SoB, and over 16 vehicles, and 6 PE's, and an Avenger, i am just waiting to see new miniatures, i hae collected them since first being sold. I just sold off my SM salamander army to stay true.

[WarriorFish]

I don't think we need to get too caught up on what "GW" has said - all we've heard has been the individual voices of employees of various stripes who may not be much more informed than we are and/or old "news". Maybe those are problems, but only from their perspective? Maybe they're just trying to give an answer that gets people off their back? It could just be a guess for all we know. In short GW proper has said nothing so we should approach what we've heard appropriately.

Let's not forget that we always start such sentences with "I've heard" or words to that effect, if nothing else here in the cloisters of the Sisterhood we should know how to apply salt as well as any of the holy trinity Stand firm and keep the faith, it can be very difficult sometimes I admit especially if you're a veteran but we shouldn't let ourselves focus on the negative parts. The Sisters deserve more than that and so do we

[Lucien Eilam]

Which is just the kind of backwards logic that seems to predominate too often at GW. 'Oh look, these models are over a decade old and the most expensive range in our game. Poor sales clearly means a complete lack of interest, updating it certainly couldn't generate more sales'.

  

They have the entire history of Sisters of Battle sales to compare with, they won't be basing any decision on old metal vs new plastic. Being old and metal can't excuse all 17 years. Most armies were predominantly metal in 1997, it still wasn't unusual in 2003, and they weren't any more popular back then either. Grey Knights were an all-metal army in 2003, and look at them now.

[Leif Bearclaw]

You seem to be missing my point (or I'm missing yours), perhaps lost in my sarcastic mockery of GW and their thought process, that justifying not updating old models because of poor sales of those old models is silly.

 

To elaborate, Dark Eldar were very rare until a few years ago, when they finally got some attention and a swathe of new models. While not quite as bad as DE, Grey Knights were a rare sight until  2011, when they got renewed coverage (although the cheesy crunch probably helped there too). Attention generates sales. A new Sisters range would suck the vast majority of the old guard who are still around into buying the new stuff, and as long as they deliver a quality product (fluff, models and crunch), plenty of new players will start armies and drop their precious pennies on SoB plastic. It'd be a win-win-win, GW just need to get around to doing it (and not screwing it up).

[Smurfben]

Well, when you think about it, GW are pretty good at making money. I can't help but feel that if the sisters were likely to make them some money then they'd have done it by now. They've done us all a favour by releasing a codex and continuing the sisters as part of the fluff but do they really owe us more than that? I'm just not sure.

 

I recon GW has a lot more it can be getting on with which will make it more money than re-vamping the sisters range of miniatures, honestly I'm not all that convinced that there is a large enough following for sisters. I know arguments have been made above about grey knights and dark eldar and yes parallels can be drawn between them and sisters but I'm not convinced that they'll do for us what they did for them. It's a lot of work needed, basically an entirely re-done range and one they'd have to release it all at once since GW's current policy is to only release a codex with models in it you can buy right away. It's just a massive effort and cost with a range that isn't that popular.

 

I know it's not keeping the faith, but honestly I just don't see it happening. I'm happy to be proved wrong but for the time being I think I'm just pleased that a codex exists and sisters can be used if you want to.

[andrewm9]

Honestly the prophecy is self fulfilling if you will. What causes models to sell for GW? What I mean is when a new codex rolls out the door what is the selling point of it. Usually its the new models. When you don't get new models and consistently have sub standard rules of course they won't sell well. Of course you can draw the chicken and the egg analogy with this. They didn't sell well so they weren't supported therefore they don't sell well.

[Leif Bearclaw]

I'm thinking the real proof of the pudding will come in the next 1-3 months. If the 'no longer available' models come back in that time (which GW do have precedent for), then it's business as usual. If not there's probably either new models or being squatted on the horizon.

[*Furyou Miko]

Well, we're certainly not being squatted, there are SoB all over the new rulebooks.

[Kastor Krieg]

Well, we're certainly not being squatted, there are SoB all over the new rulebooks.

But shortages are there. There are many units which are "No longer available" on the GW site, opposed to the "Temporarily out of X, mail us to know more"

[andrewm9]

Seraphim pose 2, Sister Superior with power maul, Sister Superior with chainsword/plasma psitol, Missionary with plasma gun, and storm bolter pose 1 are the only models marked no longer available. All we are really forced into so far is mono pose units for Seraphim and only 1 missionary. Death Cult Assassins, Penitent Engines and Jacobus are 'temporarily out of stock' and many of the squads are no longer packaged together so they are gone, but lets face they were not a savings or anything but just several packs stuck together as a 'one-click deal'. Its not as bad as all that yet.

[Kastor Krieg]

It's not "only few" marked no longer available. I can't buy Celestians or Seraphim or Retributors AT ALL. Some of the poses / equipment choices of others, as well.

All of these are marked:
http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Celestian-Squad

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Adepta-Sororitas-Command-Squad

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Retributor-Squad

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Seraphim-Squad

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Sisters-of-Battle-Seraphim-2

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Sisters-of-Battle-Superior-with-Power-Maul

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Sisters-of-Battle-Superior-with-Chainsword-and-Bolt-Pistol

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Sisters-of-Battle-Seraphim-1

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Sisters-of-Battle-Superior-with-Chainsword-and-Plasma-Pistol

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Sisters-of-Battle-Missionary-with-Plasma-Gun

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Battle-Sister-with-Flamer-1

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-PL/Battle-Sister-with-Meltagun-1

[Thoqqu]

And one could add to that list the models that got stripped when the website was updated. Seraphim superior had only 1 pose left, some said that seraphim at some point had 2 poses for handflamers but can't find more than one.

[Kastor Krieg]

On top of that, those left as "we don't have them, but mail us" are also iffy. Not available, per se.

[Smurfben]

Maybe it's a gear up for a finecast release? The sisters aren't being squatted, as Furyou says, they're all over the new rulebook

[Duke Danse Macabre]

Fine cast has been pulled 100%

 

Allot of models on the site are now email if you want one but being unavailable makes me think like the Bret's.

Looks like they are running out their supplies whist making new kits, down side though that could be as far as 18 months away.

 

Now sisters are all over the new rules book in artwork and everything else so we know they are not going but let's think.

Dwarfs just got a new book, wood elves just got one and it looks like Bret's are about to get one... All the old army books we thought would never get a new edition till we were all in our 60's are now getting them, if anything this means good things for us to come and I don't often say that.

[Smurfben]

With all due respect, Dwarves, Wood Elves and Bretonnians are not the same as sisters of battle. Each of those warhammer armies has received support in the past (especially dwarves) and they all had plastic kit support. To my knowledge, sisters haven't received any proper support since 2nd ed when they were created. Maybe you can count the 3rd ed release when they received repentia, a penitant engine and a plastic immolator but even that was titled codex 'Witch Hunters', which to me spoke more of inquisitors than the sisterhood.Since then there's been no new releases whatsoever and only the immolator in plastic, not to mention the white dwarf and digital codex releases, which hardly relate to the aforementioned warhammer armies. I honestly think it's wishful thinking that sisters will be making a big appearance soon with plastic kit support etc... There's still plenty to do before then, like Necrons, Dark Eldar, Grey Knights, Space Wolves and Blood Angels.

[Sume]

Don't forget the exorcist came out in the Witchhunter release.  The big 5 pound metal tank using the same sprue as the plastic immoltor.  

[Aqui]

Yeah, GW have no real excuses these days. I mean i heard they once said its because they can't sculpt female quite right

Anyone who has seen the new(ish) Witch Elves sculpts know that GW can make good female models. Dynamic and menacing.

Anyway regarding Kastor Krieg's post on what is/not available. In the UK the following is NO LONGER available:

Celestian squad

AS Command squad

Retributor squad

Seraphim squad

Dominion squad

Seraphim Sister 2

Sister superior with Maul

Sister superior with Chainsword and plasma pistol

Sister superior with chainsword and bolt pistol

Missionary with Plasma gun

Sister with Melta gun

Sister with flamer

On site as not CURRENTLY available:

Battle Conclaive

Seraphim 1

That's a significant amount of models/units that are unavailable!

[Eddie Orlock]

I recall a similar pattern happened when the specialist ranges finally sold out. My last Warmaster greater demons for my Epic Iron Warriors deepstruck into my collection all the way from Gee-Dub Australia.

 

At the time, availability was strongly influenced by which sites cookie you had in your browser.

[andrewm9]

The squads that are no longer available becuase the models that make them have some that are no longer available. That is why. Look at it and see. Those squads are simply one click deals that not bargains. They cost the same if you bought the models indiviudally. Don't be fooled. :)

[Duke Danse Macabre]

With all due respect, Dwarves, Wood Elves and Bretonnians are not the same as sisters of battle. Each of those warhammer armies has received support in the past (especially dwarves) and they all had plastic kit support. To my knowledge, sisters haven't received any proper support since 2nd ed when they were created. Maybe you can count the 3rd ed release when they received repentia, a penitant engine and a plastic immolator but even that was titled codex 'Witch Hunters', which to me spoke more of inquisitors than the sisterhood.Since then there's been no new releases whatsoever and only the immolator in plastic, not to mention the white dwarf and digital codex releases, which hardly relate to the aforementioned warhammer armies. I honestly think it's wishful thinking that sisters will be making a big appearance soon with plastic kit support etc... There's still plenty to do before then, like Necrons, Dark Eldar, Grey Knights, Space Wolves and Blood Angels.

We still have plastic kits as well, not many as they are built around our tanks but we have them.

I agree it is wishful thinking that anything will happen to them soon but thats what I was saying.

That we are not going to go out of production but some armies such as wood elves and brets (dwarfs as well but not nearly as much) have been ignored for years and now have new models much in the same way we are seeing now, I was not saying new sisters over night, I was saying a year and a half away if we are lucky but it looks like a real possibility for the first time in a very long time. (Discounting forge world sisters of silence)

Yeah, GW have no real excuses these days. I mean i heard they once said its because they can't sculpt female quite right

Anyone who has seen the new(ish) Witch Elves sculpts know that GW can make good female models. Dynamic and menacing.

Anyway regarding Kastor Krieg's post on what is/not available. In the UK the following is NO LONGER available:

Celestian squad

AS Command squad

Retributor squad

Seraphim squad

Dominion squad

Seraphim Sister 2

Sister superior with Maul

Sister superior with Chainsword and plasma pistol

Sister superior with chainsword and bolt pistol

Missionary with Plasma gun

Sister with Melta gun

Sister with flamer

On site as not CURRENTLY available:

Battle Conclaive

Seraphim 1

That's a significant amount of models/units that are unavailable!

I know but as I said, we know we are not disappearing so thats the only way we can go, we can't have an entire force of models you can't buy. :P

[Smurfben]

I think Sisters are more like Chaos Dwarves personally, which got pretty much one line of miniatures and then weren't touched again until warhammer forge picked them up. The chaos dwarf community was just as large as this one and petitioned GW for years for an update. They even sabotaged the 'best model ever' pole which GW ran to make a chaos dwarf character win. Despite the lack of model support, chaos dwarves remained a part of the warhammer fluff and continued to crop up in stories. Sisters have the advantage in that they're much more in the current addition than chaos dwarves are but it does serve as an example of how a small enthusiastic community remains ignored by GW despite active petitioning. I think its more likely that GW will let them go and allow forge world to pick them up instead. Not a bad alternative if I'm honest.

 

It's also possible that my nay saying will invoke Murphy's law, again a favourable alternative! 

[WarriorFish]

Not for those poor souls with groups averse to FW...

[*Furyou Miko]

Anybody whose group is averse to forge world after all this time needs to tie their anti-forgeworld "friends" to poles and force them to watch games full of forge world awesome until they break down and start begging to be allowed to use those awesome kits.