Hello all, it’s your resident ‘Phat Chud’ here to talk about the BOMBSHELL dropped on Space Marine players earlier this week. While mostly bad news for loyal first born players (i.e. cheapskates), there are some THEORETICAL positives that have come out of the whole affair that are worth talking about.
Let’s take a look at five takeaways from Games Workshop’s Space Marine update!
5. The Final Death of the First Born
This is something that Games Workshop should have done in 2017 when they unveiled the Primaris Space Marine models. But I am a grown up, and I get that they would wait until they sold through their existing lines of Space Marine kits that were sitting in warehouses. Who knew it would take close to 9 years before inventory got so low on some of these kits that they decided now was the time to announce the move to Legends? What is that? You just bought three Vindicator kits? Egg on your face! Look, if you truly were caught on the back foot with this announcement, I don’t know what to say to you. Centurions, Storm Ravens, the Dreadnoughts, those were ALWAYS going to go bye bye. It was just a matter of time.
The people that I don’t have much sympathy for are the grognards still playing with the armies they’ve had since 2006. These people have refused to purchase any new models from Games Workshop in 20 years. Guess what? Games Workshop is a MODEL COMPANY. It exists because it SELLS models and complaining that you’ll need to actually patronize the MODEL company that facilitates the game that you like to play is absurd. If you want to use your old models, do what the rest of us do and find 2 people that don’t live anywhere near you and play old editions every two or three years at an out of state event you pay $1000 to attend. Is it that hard? What a bunch of wieners.
4. ‘New’ Models Aren’t Safe from the Legends Ax
Yes, as seen above I really don’t like people complaining about having to pay money to participate in this hobby. Like the great Robert Pattinson says, ‘GET THESE BEGGERS OUT OF HERE‘, etc. What this great purge does show, and this will include other army product lines, is that Games Workshop is comfortable pulling the plug on new-ish product releases. This could be from model concepts that don’t really work out (Suppressors) or others that are just not popular and probably don’t sell very well (Hammerfall Bunker). If this is the case I guess the entire Leagues of Votann lines may be in trouble, lol. I kid. But seriously if I was playing another faction and there were obvious duds in the army I might refrain from purchasing any of those kits in the near future.
3. Power Levels are Increasing AGAIN
I have been a very vocal critic of Games Workshop’s blatant attempt to speed up Warhammer 40k. The power levels are at absurd levels and continue to creep ever upward. In the current state of the game, players engage in a game of checkers. The offensive output is so high that merely being seen by opposing units is almost a guaranteed destruction. The game is basically cat and mouse, with players jockeying for position, trying to get the drop on their opponent. Is it a bad thing? I’m not sure, I definitely don’t appreciate just picking up models one unit after another. Why even spend hours assembling and painting these things just to have them immediately pulled off the table? Would we be better off just using soda cans or other trash to represent the miniatures? Possibly.
Look, I myself continue to play the game, so it’s not the end of the world but it gets old after a while. The Ork codex will be dropping soon and we’ve seen the preview on the rules. Hundreds of accurate, lethal shots coming from their basic infantry does not bode well for the health of the game. Now, with the Space Marine update we see that there’s going to be an increase in THEIR lethality. Its like the old Simpsons joke where Bart accidentally releases the predatory lizards into Springfield. How do they now deal with the lizards? The town will release snakes, followed by snake eating gorillas, which will eventually then freeze to death.
2. Legends Models CAN Return!
Hey, it’s not ALL doom and gloom from the Space Marine update. We also received news that a legends unit was returning to active duty, the updated Space Marine Captain on Bike! Believe it or not, young blood, Space Marine characters used to take a bike as an option. After the First Born purge in 2017, all of those characters went to Legends. We saw the return of the Chaplain on Bike in 2020, and here we are six years later and another Legend returns.
Now, will this mean your Vindicators will eventually return? Probably not. BUT, it does mean that some of those special characters that we see being purged with the latest update (I’m looking at you Pedro Kantor).
1. New Rhino Kit INCOMING
With the removal of all Rhino based chassis vehicles to Legends EXCEPT the Rhino itself, rumors are abound that the kit will be getting a replacement in the near future. Games Workshop themselves have answered questions in their Facebook comments sections confirming that Tacticus (Primaris) and Phobos units will be able to use the Rhino for transport. I would bet that we will be seeing an upgraded Rhino vehicle that can be used for all factions that have access to it, including Heretic Astartes. The rumor is that the Land Raider will also be getting an updated kit as well.
This kind of begs the question then, why even start the whole grav-vehicle push if they were just going to keep the tracked Rhino and Land Raider kits? It’s a bit sloppy. Space Marines had a very distinct looking range of vehicles, all based on the Rhino chassis. When the grav-vehicles like the Repulser were introduced it seemed that these would be the natural replacement for the tracked vehicles. So who knows, my thoughts on it are that someone at some point thought that making the Space Marines an all grav-tank army would be the move and that they are no longer with the company? I’ve always felt the Rhino and the Land Raider were such iconic looking vehicles it was a shame to just get rid of them for the sake of new-ness.
So there you have it, see? Not all bad news. You’s all can cease with the wailing and gnashing of teeth. The sky isn’t falling. The game is still as terrible as it’s always been. And that’s OK.
On a final note, could you do a brother a solid and use my affiliate link when making your purchases with Frontline Gaming? Look, I gift these guys with my VALUABLE time when writing these article and I deserve a slice, right? I’m not asking for much! Just give me your money. What’s so hard about that? Plus you get a discount on almost ALL Games Workshop products. Its a win for both of us! Lord knows I need that money.
