The 'Good Job GW' thread

[ZeroWolf]

Due to time constraints, I've only had time to build two minis from Leviathan tonight (that being the Nid Prime and Terminator Captain) and they were both fantastic. I'm going to be disheartened when I finish building everything!

[Xenith]

Got my copy of Leviathan finally, and I have to say, good job GW. I think this has the highest production value so far (albeit with the highest price so far) including the mission cards, and finally objective markers. The models are gorgeous, rulebook looks great, and the Terminator/Nid face branding is iconic. 

 

My criticism is again the price. This is the cheap way into the hobby, and it's still £150. Assuming you're new, and want some background etc, to drag you into the 'verse, the other way is to get the rulebook and mission cards separately, which is what, £65 before you even get any models. This is for sure an obstacle for the 12-15 age group they want to lure in and addict. 

 

A £75 price point version with fewer models, or just one half of the models, nids or marines, with a softcover rulebook containing background and rules would be perfect. 

Edited June 26, 2023 by Xenith

[appiah4]

So you basically want Dark Vengeance.  I feel the same, it was the best starter set GW ever produced IMO..

[DemonGSides]

23 minutes ago, Xenith said:

Got my copy of Leviathan finally, and I have to say, good job GW. I think this has the highest production value so far (albeit with the highest price so far) including the mission cards, and finally objective markers. The models are gorgeous, rulebook looks great, and the Terminator/Nid face branding is iconic. 

 

My criticism is again the price. This is the cheap way into the hobby, and it's still £150. Assuming you're new, and want some background etc, to drag you into the 'verse, the other way is to get the rulebook and mission cards separately, which is what, £65 before you even get any models. This is for sure an obstacle for the 12-15 age group they want to lure in and addict. 

 

A £75 price point version with fewer models, or just one half of the models, nids or marines, with a softcover rulebook containing background and rules would be perfect. 

 

If I hadn't had my $50 of credit at my game store, I certainly wouldn't have bought the box.  $200 was still a big ask.

I understand it's supposed to be a disposable income hobby, but at some point they're throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  It doesn't matter how much "Savings" exists, because the MSRP on the stuff is outlandish, so that's not a real argument imo.  The box probably cost them $50 to produce; admittedly there's a lot more than $50 that went into the models with R&D and marketing and stuff, but even still.

$250 is half a Playstation.  That's a lot!

[Xenith]

1 hour ago, appiah4 said:

So you basically want Dark Vengeance.  I feel the same, it was the best starter set GW ever produced IMO..

 

DV was a great box, and the limited edition models over time (seraphicus, then the champion) would be a great draw for repeat purchase, however it only had a small rulebook with no background, as I recall? £60 in 2012 is ~£83 now, so that's about right. 

 

I'm thinking further back to 3rd, were you got the full rulebook and the start of 2 armies. 

[ZeroWolf]

6 minutes ago, Xenith said:

 

DV was a great box, and the limited edition models over time (seraphicus, then the champion) would be a great draw for repeat purchase, however it only had a small rulebook with no background, as I recall? £60 in 2012 is ~£83 now, so that's about right. 

 

I'm thinking further back to 3rd, were you got the full rulebook and the start of 2 armies. 

Isn't that what the starter sets job is though? 

[appiah4]

29 minutes ago, Xenith said:

 

DV was a great box, and the limited edition models over time (seraphicus, then the champion) would be a great draw for repeat purchase, however it only had a small rulebook with no background, as I recall? £60 in 2012 is ~£83 now, so that's about right. 

 

I'm thinking further back to 3rd, were you got the full rulebook and the start of 2 armies. 

The 3E starter sets were very barebones though.  Personally I'd rather take the non-lore softback rulebook and higher plastic volume of 6/7E, but to each their own :)

[Arkhanist]

12 hours ago, Xenith said:

Got my copy of Leviathan finally, and I have to say, good job GW. I think this has the highest production value so far (albeit with the highest price so far) including the mission cards, and finally objective markers. The models are gorgeous, rulebook looks great, and the Terminator/Nid face branding is iconic. 

 

My criticism is again the price. This is the cheap way into the hobby, and it's still £150. Assuming you're new, and want some background etc, to drag you into the 'verse, the other way is to get the rulebook and mission cards separately, which is what, £65 before you even get any models. This is for sure an obstacle for the 12-15 age group they want to lure in and addict. 

 

A £75 price point version with fewer models, or just one half of the models, nids or marines, with a softcover rulebook containing background and rules would be perfect. 

 

Leviathan isn't pitched at self-funding younger teenagers. It's for older hobbyists with more cash, or parents getting their kid the new shiny (don't underestimate nag power!) which is why it's a launch box - the idea is to get the people who cannot wait to buy the most expensive big ticket box.

 

The follow-on cheaper starter sets that will exist for the lifetime of 10th are for more price conscious customers. We saw that in AOS3 and 9th ed, so I imagine new starter boxes on the same pattern, with a softback small rulebook and subsets of the leviathan minis will be out soon for 10th. I expect the most expensive one will have both combat patrols, while the cheapest will have a handful of minis from both sides. The individual marine & nid combat patrols will probably only be standalone, rather than versions also bunded with the mini book. They do come at a discount compared to separate units, but not as big a one as the launch box. Though obvs 'savings' is relative to GW's base prices.

 

I have to say though, GW's CAD design work to layout the sprues so densely and be able to assemble the models with well-hidden seams, even without glue, continues to impress. Push-fit has come a looooong way! And for old hands with a scalpel, they're still pretty easy to kitbash different bits on or tweak poses a bit without needing to wait for the MPK. I might not be impressed with the launch state of indexes, points or balance, but I don't regret getting my latest infusion of plastic crack one bit...

[Blurf]

13 hours ago, DemonGSides said:

 

If I hadn't had my $50 of credit at my game store, I certainly wouldn't have bought the box.  $200 was still a big ask.

I understand it's supposed to be a disposable income hobby, but at some point they're throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  It doesn't matter how much "Savings" exists, because the MSRP on the stuff is outlandish, so that's not a real argument imo.  The box probably cost them $50 to produce; admittedly there's a lot more than $50 that went into the models with R&D and marketing and stuff, but even still.

$250 is half a Playstation.  That's a lot!

I had one guy on reddit try to say that most of the people buying 40k are kids begging their parents.

Which is delusional.

[Scribe]

28 minutes ago, Blurf said:

I had one guy on reddit try to say that most of the people buying 40k are kids begging their parents.

Which is delusional.

 

Yeah, always has been nonsense. I go into any shop, and its 25+ and most are 30+.

 

Cannot say I've seen an under 20 in...decades.

[ZeroWolf]

9 hours ago, Arkhanist said:

 

Leviathan isn't pitched at self-funding younger teenagers. It's for older hobbyists with more cash, or parents getting their kid the new shiny (don't underestimate nag power!) which is why it's a launch box - the idea is to get the people who cannot wait to buy the most expensive big ticket box.

 

The follow-on cheaper starter sets that will exist for the lifetime of 10th are for more price conscious customers. We saw that in AOS3 and 9th ed, so I imagine new starter boxes on the same pattern, with a softback small rulebook and subsets of the leviathan minis will be out soon for 10th. I expect the most expensive one will have both combat patrols, while the cheapest will have a handful of minis from both sides. The individual marine & nid combat patrols will probably only be standalone, rather than versions also bunded with the mini book. They do come at a discount compared to separate units, but not as big a one as the launch box. Though obvs 'savings' is relative to GW's base prices.

 

I have to say though, GW's CAD design work to layout the sprues so densely and be able to assemble the models with well-hidden seams, even without glue, continues to impress. Push-fit has come a looooong way! And for old hands with a scalpel, they're still pretty easy to kitbash different bits on or tweak poses a bit without needing to wait for the MPK. I might not be impressed with the launch state of indexes, points or balance, but I don't regret getting my latest infusion of plastic crack one bit...

All of this.

 

Also I will point out that my local gw often has kids in under 20 (like my oldest and his friends, they're not even teenagers yet)

[KenaiPhoneix]

Im in love with the Terminators design, good job GW! the model are cool and it assembles perfectly. I had some problems (til this very day) with some necrons in Indomitus. The leviathan units, so far, assemble really good. So Good work x2