The State of the Chaos Range

[General Strike]

Honestly, updating just the main CSM box fixes a lot. Cult troops will happen, and a CSM box can be used for havoks and chosen too.

[Gederas]

Honestly, updating just the main CSM box fixes a lot. Cult troops will happen, and a CSM box can be used for havoks and chosen too.

Regular kit for regular Marines and Havocs, yes. But I'd prefer Chosen having their own dedicated kit. Especially because of the Dark Vengeance Chosen

[The Yncarne]

I suspect most of the existing infantry models will gradually be associated as “renegade” or non-aligned armies and an emphasis on cult armies will be the medium term plan for models going forward.

 

As a Thousand Sons player I’m envious of the death guard range and look forward to Khorne and Slaanesh factions getting something similar.

 

The chaos model range has a long legacy and a lot of opportunity. Seize it while you can.

[Raven1]

I think the TS and DG range are great. Especially the DG. And for some reason GW has down with the DV Chosen and Cultists as they did with the Ork attack copters. Which is make good ones in plastic in a starter set and never sell them again (I know cultists you can buy but it's not exactly as it was in the DV set).

 

I think the range needs updating for sure but than again so does like half of what GW sells. Most of the eldar range is in resin.

[Joe]

I suspect most of the existing infantry models will gradually be associated as “renegade” or non-aligned armies and an emphasis on cult armies will be the medium term plan for models going forward.

 

Just to add; this is precisely what Games Workshop are pushing towards at the moment, according to staff in-store. This has already been occuring in Age of Sigmar as well, where the 'Slaves to Darkness' now simply represent renegades and actual 'slaves' to Chaos in the fluff, as opposed to full-blown worshippers of Chaos Undivided.

 

This will no doubt be reflected in Warhammer 40,000 as well.

[Subtle Discord]

I'm not sure how it's not rather obvious to many that Choas is in the middle of a rolling redesign and update; the line is simply too large to do in one large release (they've tried that before and the community wasn't fond of it, and it would only be larger now), unlike most other factions that are more manageable in scope either because they're smaller or they don't have as many kits that need to be updated or added. They started with, of all things, Rubric Marines. As a devout Chaos builder/painter/player, I've got nothing wrong with Rubrics, but they're a surprising place to start but I think it was a very real testing of the waters. They've moved to Nurgle and updated them next with a robust release and inclusion in the starter set. A little bird has told me that Khorn's redesign is next and being targeted for an end-of-the-year release and then Slaanesh follows. From there I really think that sets the stage for the obvious culmination of The Black who can then lean on that entire collection (as the fiction dictates) while getting the Ultramarines of Chaos treatment; read: lots of updating of the base Chaos line suitable for the huge following that wants generic Chaos Maines. The focus on the four gods is deliberate and I suspect a checklist of sorts and the question/s isn't really if, but when (and how long the overall timeline will be), and just what will get priority for the order of release. Naturally, I've liberally salted my rumor, but if it proves correct (and it really doesn't seem far-fetched as a holiday season release) it will simple reaffirm me of what I think is an ongoing Choas redesign. If they've updated several Chaos characters and brought back the likes of Morty and Magnus, Abaddon has to reach the top of the list sooner-or-later and I have no doubt a broad range of 'general' Chaos kits will be included with his release.

 

Naturally, there's going to be a vast number of factors that are going to affect how they continue on their path. For example, they will try to milk the last life out of the plastic lines that are in production and I think it's played a role in the order they've been tackling projects. While generic Chaos has many kits that could use an update they're still serviceable enough to hold the line, as it were, as more glaring kits and gaps in the line get updated to proper injection styrene. Retiring injection moulds is a hard call that they'll put off for as long as possible. GW is also having very real problems with their production and is struggling to keep up with the demand they're creating. They invested in more production capacity only to discover that the local power grid wasn't up to the task of feeding their needs and the upgrades needed were going to take longer than expected. I'm all but positive that this has been an unexpected delay that has rippled through their release plans. You don't invest in equipment that expensive to have it sitting idle as you sort out the power issues; if a machine like that isn't working it's not just not generating profit, it's actually losing money, and it's generally planned to have things like that up-and-running quickly for just that reason. Waiting for power grid upgrades and locating a new space that could suit their needs was not in their initial plans, I suspect.

 

Personally, all-in-all I'm actually very positive and encouraged with the releases that Chaos has been getting over the last few years, not by the pace but by the content and the deliberate nature of the entire process. GW has changed and it's still an ongoing process, but look seriously at what they're doing on all fronts from community engagement, to specialist games, to the release schedule, and the consistent quality of kits in a vast range of sizes. Chaos is an important undertaking, central to 40k, but no more so than any other faction if you're going to be really honest and GW seems determined to do it all this time around. It's going to take time and it's going to be interesting to see in what order they progress, but given their current and ongoing success thanks to the significant change in company philosophy, does anyone really see them stopping? Do I wish they'd get to the kits that really interest me sooner? Sure, but I can be patient as ling as they continue waht they've started.

[Lord Marshal]

 

I suspect most of the existing infantry models will gradually be associated as “renegade” or non-aligned armies and an emphasis on cult armies will be the medium term plan for models going forward.

 

Just to add; this is precisely what Games Workshop are pushing towards at the moment, according to staff in-store. This has already been occuring in Age of Sigmar as well, where the 'Slaves to Darkness' now simply represent renegades and actual 'slaves' to Chaos in the fluff, as opposed to full-blown worshippers of Chaos Undivided.

 

This will no doubt be reflected in Warhammer 40,000 as well.

 

 

I'm not so sure. In the case of AoS, I think it was done more to push the 'Epic Fantasy' aesthetic and phase out people's WHFB Not!Viking kits. 

 

In 40k meanwhile, the Black Legion are still THE premiere Chaos Marine Legion in the lore. Sure they've dropped off the narrative after the time skip, but no less than the Imperial Guard or Orks have. 

[Scammel]

I have zero doubt that Undivided (even if it's not explicitly labelled as such) is here to stay, and that the ambition is for the range to reflect the original traitors. There was most definitely a phase when the Legions played such second fiddle that they appeared to be an embarrassing secret, but now they're unapologetically back at the forefront and have been since Traitor's Hate.