While there have definitely been thing that Games Workshop have done that have caused consternation and critique in the community I think it’s also important to commend them when they make the right decisions. There have been a few things in the past month that have recently jumped out at me as being really positive and I wanted to call them out. While these things also have a profit motive (hardly surprising) I think they are also decisions that they didn’t have to make.
- The Return of the Cursed City Game
It feels like 100 years ago, but the controversial release of the Cursed City game was only in April of 2021. The game was heavily hyped on release, before quickly selling out and Games Workshop going mute on future re-stocks. While the lack of orders wasn’t surprising (given the pandemic) many people assumed that the lack of communication meant that the game’s future was bleak. It got so bad that I decided to shelve my review of the game in order to avoid kicking the hornet’s nest. The rumor is that due to the UK leaving the EU it fell afoul of new rules on paper products and tariffs. This is bolstered by the fact that GW released the models in a separate release later but held off on the whole game. Now in a December 20th Community post, Games Workshop announced that they will begin reprinting the game, and even hinted at future expansions.
While I could be cynical and say this was inevitable, given how much they had hyped the product, they could have walked away instead. I don’t know if they had already produced the expansions but this announcement was still unexpected. Bringing back the game not only shows that Games Workshop is committed to the game for the long term but also that they want to make sure that they give people the option to get something they missed out on earlier.
2. The Eldar Autarch
This is another one that might sound a little odd but go with me. One of the most disheartening things was the loss of so many of the Eldar Autarch options in the 8th Edition Eldar Codex. The Autarch used to be symptomatic of how Games Workshop released models; with every wargear option scattered around 4-5 different kits demanding a lot of conversion work to get the options you wanted. With the announcement recently of the new kit I think many people were surprised at all the options that were now available. While this might also cynically be seen as a cash grab it also retroactively makes a lot of other models legal. I lost 2-3 models with the removal of the reaper launcher and the warp jump generator conversions I made and I am excited to get to field them again. Additionally, it really captures the spirit of the model in the fluff as Autarchs are individuals who have walked several aspect warrior paths and are familiar with multiple types of weapons.
While some options appear to still be missing (I find it unlikely we will get the reaper launcher option for the bike, which really didn’t make sense physically anyway) GW’s decision is both fluffy and popular. This is especially true given some concerns in the community that GW’s restriction of wargear in certain units (like plague marines) heralded a more restrictive future. Now in a few months when the book is released and we all start getting tabled by 3x warp spider, reaper launcher Autarchs I am sure I will regret it, but for now I am simply excited.
3. The Space Marine vs Dark Eldar Reprint
I actually have nothing to say about this except that I find it hilarious and completely out of left field. I have no idea why they decided to reprint this. Although if they re-do some of the old fantasy starter sets I that will get my attention.
The more you pay attention to the hobby landscape the more there is to fret or fuss over. However I think the positive things that GW does don’t get enough press. In the past four years they’ve seemed to become more interested in bringing back some fan favorite items and I think that’s awesome!
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
