40k Battleforces rumours

[Progenitor]

Wow, looks like they underproduced, wonder if that's part of the ongoing warehouse issues. Going to be a fair few disappointed people, sat in the queue this morning, got in, told me my spot had expired and everything is sold out. Great news for the bean counters as no stock left (other than Marines), bad news for the rest of us though that wanted to pick something up. 

[RWJP]

50 minutes ago, chapter master 454 said:

However I do agree, MtO is just money on the table waiting to be made at this point.

On the other hand, MtO means allocating production resources to the MtO instead of to producing other products, and we all know how many complaints there have been about some products having been out of stock for long periods of time.

[happyslugger]

I got my WE one ordered for next week with a discount.

[Lord Marshal]

1 hour ago, chapter master 454 said:

The fact the space marine one is still in stock vs. all the others being gone says it all. We'll see how long that stands but very clearly it was a complete failure if all others sold out that fast.

 

However I do agree, MtO is just money on the table waiting to be made at this point.

 

Ordinarily I'd agree, but when it comes to Christmas boxes the discounts are usually so good I could see the argument that MTO Christmas boxes would just encourage people to hold off on buying anything new until November on the reasonable assumption a lot of it will be included.

[Halandaar]

1 hour ago, Progenitor said:

Wow, looks like they underproduced, wonder if that's part of the ongoing warehouse issues. 

 

It was much the same last year; some of the Marine ones stuck around for a while but most FLGS got hardly any and GW sold out on all the popular ones on the day.

[skylerboodie]

Longbow in UK still selling all but Votann one, but only discounted to £130:

 

https://longbowgaming.com/collections/warhammer-40k?sort_by=created-descending

 

Just FYI in case anyone still trying

[techsoldaten]

2 hours ago, GenerationTerrorist said:

Said quite a few pages back that the World Eaters one was really temptng.

Damn thing gone and sold out by 11am.

I couldn't even find a link on the GW website.

 

Assumed these weren't released yet. Really wanted that box. 

[Scribe]

2 hours ago, GenerationTerrorist said:

Said quite a few pages back that the World Eaters one was really temptng.

Damn thing gone and sold out by 11am.

 

Ah GW, you sure know how to strangle your games.

 

Would be nice to be able to just you know, navigate a functional website and buy product.

[*42*]

Queue in the US GW store but everything available, no shenanigans of the store

[Blindhamster]

I considered getting the marine one, but yes as others say, I simply didnt want the bikes or atv, at which point there's no discount at all really.

[Karhedron]

I agree. ATVs could be had for £8.99 in the Imperium magazine. it does erode the feeling that you are getting a saving.

[pawl]

7 hours ago, Halandaar said:

 

Yeah Hobby Workshop is my go-to store these days, although they are another one who usually offer 20% off on preorders and only did a flat £15 (~11%) off on the 40K boxes today.

 

Also their website went down under the weight of traffic at 1000 and although I got back in at 1006 my first choice box was already sold out by then.

 

 

I was a little surprised by the discount reduction, as they're usually quite reliable in that regard. If not for the fact that even had I been online at the right time I would have been rushing I might have looked around, but you've gotta be fast on these things, especially when you turn up late!

 

Hearing that EG got so few they didn't even sell online shows that allocations must have been low for these, though. I appreciate that production is determined by the all-knowing, but surely this would indicate that there's a bigger market available?

[Karhedron]

12 minutes ago, pawl said:

I appreciate that production is determined by the all-knowing, but surely this would indicate that there's a bigger market available?

 

I am sure GW are aware they sell well. The discount is usually significant and people anticipate these boxes months in advance (as proven in this very thread). So I guess it comes down to production capacity and "prestige". GW have a finite capacity making existing sprues for Christmas boxes means they are not making new stuff (although this year was unusual in featuring some very new releases in some boxes). On the prestige side, GW don't want to undermine their own business by flooding the market. Too many Christmas boxes would eat into sales next year. By keeping production below demand, it also ensures a healthy interest in their future splash release boxes.

[01RTB01]

4 hours ago, Karhedron said:

I agree. ATVs could be had for £8.99 in the Imperium magazine. it does erode the feeling that you are getting a saving.

In the same vein the new Necron combat patrol box is awful value for the same reasons.

[de Selby]

I think there is a general problem with distribution right now. Anecdotally, I heard that currently 'the people at the warehouse are taking orders with pen and paper' whatever that means.

[techsoldaten]

2 hours ago, Karhedron said:

Too many Christmas boxes would eat into sales next year. By keeping production below demand, it also ensures a healthy interest in their future splash release boxes.

 

This might be more involved, actually...

 

In December 2022, Tesla offered US buyers a $7,500 discount on their cars. The trick was you had to take delivery by the last day of 2022.

 

By the time I lined up the financing the next day, the car I wanted was gone and there was little inventory available. 

 

In January 2023, $7,500 in tax rebates were announced and Tesla dropped their prices. They also suddenly had new car inventory, I had my choice of colors / options and could take delivery in a week. Everything was lined up, all I had to do is push a button.

 

There's something about building people's appetite with an incentive that can't be realized. The desire for the product doesn't go away just because you yank the deal.

 

My bet is we see Exalted Eightbound and Combat Patrols available everywhere in a month or two. And GW sells a lot of them. The lack of inventory was market research and building demand.

[excelite]

I wouldn’t compare those tax things with GW strategy, as they were widely announced ahead of time (around Sept./ Oct if I recall correctly as this was pretty right when I relocated).

[beefeb]

No Tau, no Eldar, no Sisters, and a Space Marine box filled with utter garbage meant that for this year, GW have received none of my xmas budget....Ive bought myself a new force from Warlord Games instead.....Much better value, and none of this being treated like dogs fighting for scraps from the GW table, which seems to be getting worse and worse.  

[Varyn]

16 hours ago, Scribe said:

Would be nice to be able to just you know, navigate a functional website and buy product.

 

Wholeheartedly agree with this. I'd not looked at the new site until this morning, trying to figure out how to look at the 30k Death Guard range was so long winded.

 

Thank goodness they finally got a 'what is Warhammer' video on the home page though. We've been crying out for that for years.

 

It seems odd that these Battleboxes have gone so quickly, I'd be pretty miffed if I wanted one but wasn't able to get online in time.

[Halandaar]

31 minutes ago, Varyn said:

It seems odd that these Battleboxes have gone so quickly, I'd be pretty miffed if I wanted one but wasn't able to get online in time.

 

Again, it's not odd, it's been like this every time for the past few years. FLGS get very limited quantities (in some cases as few as one of each) and the good boxes sell out everywhere in a matter of moments.

 

It is clearly a choice that GW have made, not some accident of bad forecasting or warehouse issues or whatever.

[happyslugger]

My FLGS got 5 of each.  They tried to order more from GW but got the orders cancelled.

Edited November 12, 2023 by happyslugger

[skylerboodie]

Outpost site was down a lot of yesterday, but they still have Astra Militarum and Space Marine battleforces for £112 just FYI 

 

https://www.the-outpost.co.uk/tag/pre-order/?filter_brand=games-workshop

[DemonGSides]

That's a great price if only they'd ship to US :P

[tinpact]

I'm rather glad none of the 40k ones caught my eye this year - I remember the Death Guard one last time around selling out quickly, although I managed to get it on the actual release.

[MithrilForge]

Well that was an obvious thing... I missed the Angron boat  Thanks GW ... whatever happened to the days of just being able to get a product without FOMO or going all crazy to try and get a product the second it drops... This has left a sour taste with me that even rivals my normal distaste for GW's marketing practices...  what a double edged sword GW is...I love their models but hate their company...  . It's moments like this that you are on the cusp of looking elsewhere for hobby content...

 

M