Japanese Malignant Plaguecaster question

[tangoalphatwo]

So, I’ve been eyeing him for a while. I’m about to paint my Dark Imperium Plaguecaster and I really like the Japanese model, a lot. My only concern is getting him from Japan is crazy expensive. I’ve been out of 40K for a while and only got back in recently so I’m not as up to date on trends. Does anyone have any thoughts on if he will come to the US market? Ever? I know a lot of the other Space Marine Hero Series eventually did in one form or another (Barnes & Noble and Target)

 

What is the consensus? Will he eventually make it to the US market or no?

[Special Officer Doofy]

I don't know, but I converted mine because I didn't care for either GW one. I used the DI marine champion (he has the hood and the fly on his back), removed his right arm / powerfist and put on the Malignant plaguecaster clouds and angled it so it is coming out of his mouth, and replaced the left arm sword with a staff (I used a AoS maggotkin of nurgle one, the staff with the bell at the end). Looks much better.

 

The space marine heroes made it to GW's website, so maybe. But the fact that they now have that 3 pack with the caster in it, I doubt they will (the champion from the new 3 pack is the one I used).

[Halandaar]

It's hard to be sure because there doesn't seem to be any particular pattern to the way they've released these things. Series 1, 2 and 3 have all been handled differently.

 

The Series 3 Death Guard have definitely been the tidiest and simplest to follow; it's the 6 unique Plague Marines in a carton, everywhere it's released. The downside is that in Japan the Plaguecaster was an extra in the paint set, and the rest of us have no means of getting him.

 

Compare that with Series 2; the Japan release only had 7 Terminators in it vs the RoW release which had 9, and both regions had models that weren't available in the other (Japan had the Heavy Flamer, and everywhere else had the Assault Cannon, 2nd Thunder Hammer and guy with Servo-Skull). The Terminator Ancient was only available in Japan via the paint set, but when they launched in US/UK/RoW he was a possible "drop" from the blind boxes, albeit at a much lower rate than the others (hence why he also commands a hefty price on eBay). Eventually a lot of the region-exclusive ones ended up in the second Space Marine Adventures game.

 

So basically, we don't know. If we're lucky he might make it into a new Space Marine Adventures game some time this year, or if we're even luckier he'll get a standalone limited-window release (Lexicanum Varus and Chaplain Tarentus, the two MTO Terminator characters released last year were both obviously designed as part of the Space Marine Heroes Series 2 project)

 

I wouldn't hold your breath though.

[Gederas]

It's hard to be sure because there doesn't seem to be any particular pattern to the way they've released these things. Series 1, 2 and 3 have all been handled differently.

 

The Series 3 Death Guard have definitely been the tidiest and simplest to follow; it's the 6 unique Plague Marines in a carton, everywhere it's released. The downside is that in Japan the Plaguecaster was an extra in the paint set, and the rest of us have no means of getting him.

 

Compare that with Series 2; the Japan release only had 7 Terminators in it vs the RoW release which had 9, and both regions had models that weren't available in the other (Japan had the Heavy Flamer, and everywhere else had the Assault Cannon, 2nd Thunder Hammer and guy with Servo-Skull). The Terminator Ancient was only available in Japan via the paint set, but when they launched in US/UK/RoW he was a possible "drop" from the blind boxes, albeit at a much lower rate than the others (hence why he also commands a hefty price on eBay). Eventually a lot of the region-exclusive ones ended up in the second Space Marine Adventures game.

 

So basically, we don't know. If we're lucky he might make it into a new Space Marine Adventures game some time this year, or if we're even luckier he'll get a standalone limited-window release (Lexicanum Varus and Chaplain Tarentus, the two MTO Terminator characters released last year were both obviously designed as part of the Space Marine Heroes Series 2 project)

 

I wouldn't hold your breath though.

The Heavy Flamer Terminator is in the 'core' Space Marine Adventures box set as well.

 

So the most likely thing would be him being released in a game later on.

[Halandaar]

 

Compare that with Series 2; the Japan release only had 7 Terminators in it vs the RoW release which had 9, and both regions had models that weren't available in the other (Japan had the Heavy Flamer, and everywhere else had the Assault Cannon, 2nd Thunder Hammer and guy with Servo-Skull). The Terminator Ancient was only available in Japan via the paint set, but when they launched in US/UK/RoW he was a possible "drop" from the blind boxes, albeit at a much lower rate than the others (hence why he also commands a hefty price on eBay). Eventually a lot of the region-exclusive ones ended up in the second Space Marine Adventures game.

 

The Heavy Flamer Terminator is in the 'core' Space Marine Adventures box set as well.

 

I think we're talking about the same thing? Rise of the Orks was the box in question.

 

 

Either way it's worth noting that because this was only available in a few countries, it's still not the case that every region had access to every model from the collection. While a hypothetical "Space Marine Adventures 3" box containing the Plaguecaster is possible, i honestly think the most likely outcome is he just doesn't get re-released at all. Which sucks, because it's a much nicer model than the Dark Imperium one.

[Iron Sage]

I managed to get the Space Marines Heroes 3 on the day it was released. Was an hour too late on GW, sold out (sold out within few hours on the day of release), but a third party in Norway sold it at the same cost, so got that without paying blood.

 

But the Japanese paint set. Going to be honest now, I am a bit embarrassed and not proud of it. But last week I was going to order the codex, the LOC and the cards. Considered the terrain too. Having had access to a scan of the rules for a long time, it was not critical to get it asap. Then I studied he Infernal Jealousy rule and the consequences of it, figured I needed another plaguecaster so I had more options. I had been eying that Japanese model for a long time, really like it. But it was expensive.

So what did I do ? I ended up ordering the entire Japanese paint set instead of what I was supposed to order. With VAT and freight, I payed 100 dollars in total. I am some what ashamed having spent so much on a single infantry model. I could have had it a bit cheaper, but I noticed that it was cheaper, relatively speaking, to buy the entire paint set instead of just the scalped model. I needed some of the paints anyway. According to tracking it is in Lillestrøm FEDEX import station, Norway now, supposed to get to my house tomorrow.

 

 

So yeah, you will probably not be surprised to hear that I absolutely HATE limited edition models from GW, particularly for Death Guard, we have so few models in our range for sale. See them now trying to sell Noxious blightbringer, plaguecaster and another model I can't remember in one boxy, same models as from Dark Imperium. Not cool really.

But yeah, not proud to say it, but I spent 100 US dollars on that. Codex, data cards and LoV is for February for me due to this.

[Iron Sage]

It’s hard to know if they’ll bring him with the 6 regular heroes, or even the 6 regular heroes at all. Especially due to COVID issues impacting shipping and development, they may never release them, even if it was their original intention.

 

I love the model, so I took the plunge on eBay and picked a NIB one up at a pretty fair price. My advice to you is if you want him, and don’t want to risk missing out, grab him while there are still some out there for a reasonable price. It’s a risk in regards to GW making him available, but if they don’t, you’ll still have one.

Sorry to have to inform you that GW have already released Space Marines Heroes 3. It was gone in a day from their web shop, as I said above, I got it from a third party for the same price. It was only for sale on GW's site for a very few hours.

 

Edit: This was, I think in December.

Edited January 27, 2021 by Iron Sage

[Iron Sage]

The Space Marines heroes set 3 is still probably available to some third party companies. Price may have gone up. It is now getting expensive on Ebay, but far from as expensive as the Plaguecaster. In time, it will probably be equally super expensive though.

 

Honestly quite nice models in that set. 1 champion or lord with cool sword and plasma pistol, 1 with plague spewer, 2 with bolters, 1 with icon and one with flails. And they all have their privat nurglings. The models are very nice and originally the full box cost approx the same, slightly more, as 1 plague marine set. So wasn't absolutely horrible though expensive of course.

Edited January 27, 2021 by Iron Sage

[tangoalphatwo]

I hate to admit it too, but I picked up two of the heroes 3 sets. (One from Japan when they were released there and one from a third party when they were released here) I got two so that I can do one as a straight up build and the other to kitbash to give my Death Guard Plague Marine squads more unique looks.

 

So, yeah. I’ll probably bite the bullet and get him from Japan and pay the stupid crazy high price. But I won’t be happy about it