Le futur de Warhammer

If you like Warhammer, I suggest you better take a seat.

Over the last few months I got a few glimpses on what WHF could change to in the very near future. I have collected messages, asked questions, and tried to form a somewhat coherent picture. The one thing I believe by now is: Warhammer in its current form will no longer be supported by GW. It will be transformed into something else, with everything built up in background and most of the model range being kicked out of the door.

To give you an insight into some of the messages I got, have a look at the following. Please note that I am paraphrasing at times, and have cut out (hopefully) everything that could lead to the original identities of my friendly birdies.

Quote Originally Posted by Birdy
- 9th Edition to pick up where the ET leaves off in fluff, plus a couple of hundred years or so (to reboot the setting).

- The Warhammer World gets shattered on a dimensional level during the climax of the ET. No more "map of the Old World" - it's now little bubbles of reality, where pockets of civilisation try desperately to eke a living before the next collision with another bubble, which may be full of Chaos. (To address the problem of "how come my Tomb Kings of Khemri are fighting against Wood Elves from Athel Loren?", not that I get the impression that either of those will still exist, but you get the idea)

- New faction... heavily armoured, religious, "good" human warriors fighting with the power of the gods. (Warhammer Space Marines, basically). Karl Franz Ascended seems to be the prototype or precursor for this concept, AFAICT.
Quote Originally Posted by Another Birdy
9th edition will have 6 factions. Model diversity cut in half shelf space. New world and new age so current factions and lore aren't recognizable at all. Each new faction has like 3 core units that will always be on the shelf. Much faster releases of stuff, mainly characters and special units of 2-5 fancy models (like Morghasts) that have their own rules right in the box, so not dependent on a static army book. Many of the these non-core models are only available for a limited time (say 6 months to a year), so they don't take up shelf space forever and ever. Many existing models are not usable in 9th.
Quote Originally Posted by Birdy #3
We can expect the next edition of Fantasy to throw everything up in the air. The whole End Times move has been to wean people onto a whole new take on the Warhammer world and it's going to start with every army being "chaosified". We can expect army play styles and appearance to change quite dramatically and there will be a whole load of new models being released early on to tie everything together. This has caused quite a stir back at GW HQ as there are a lot of people behind the scenes (some of which are very well known to us) who don't like the changes that have been made. I have also been told that the models due to be released are some of the best to date!
Add to that (and by "Birdy Prime" I mean my best source so far):

Quote Originally Posted by Birdy Prime
'9th' [or] whatever is next for fantasy [...] coming 2015 in the summer. The new faction [plus] future releases after this point for five 'existing' factions (which plus this would make six) […] but I think there will be [...] more.
As you can see, it will be drastic. It seems like those „Spanish rumours“ might have had some more flesh on them than I thought: I am by now sorry for my sometimes nasty words about them. And despite my remorse about ever mentioning it, I think my statement about a „ragestorm of epic proportions“ could have been correct after all.

This whole thing will turn out to be either correct or not in less than six months. Hopefully we can get over our worst emotions until then.


P.S.: I have sat on most of this since right before Christmas, but decided I didn't want to ruin anybodies holidays. I also had high hopes for somebody relieving me from this stuff... but that hope was lost.

CryxMax a écrit:Non mais ces rumeurs sont ridicules, t'inquiète pas GW est pas du style à révolutionner un truc qui marche très bien.

CryxMax a écrit:Le risque commercial est quelque chose que GW deteste.

et commencera par "chaotifier" toutes les armées.

Si la plupart des figurines actuelles sont inutilisables, alors on va devoir en racheter pour pouvoir jouer. Mais ils seront très rapidement en rupture de stock. Par conséquent, encore plus de joueurs vont se détourner du jeu et ils vont encore augmenter les prix et ainsi de suite. A terme, cela risque de mettre fin au jeu complètement, en tout cas au niveau commercial. Or, si c'est ce qu'ils veulent, ils peuvent tout simplement faire un grand évènement qui fait que le monde tombe aux mains du chaos, tous les humains, elfes, nains et autres meurent et c'est terminé.

Gilgalad a écrit:En résumé, je pense que Battle va changer, mais pas à ce point. Je dois avouer que je me méfie toujours des rumeurs. En effet, tout le monde disait que les hauts elfes auraient une cavalerie monstrueuse, et finalement, même pas l'ombre d'une.

Volsunga a écrit:Inutilisable = obligation de racheter pour jouer = rupture de stock = fortes demandes à satisfaire = plus de fric pour les actionnaires.

Gilgalad a écrit: Si la plupart des figurines actuelles sont inutilisables, alors on va devoir en racheter pour pouvoir jouer. Mais ils seront très rapidement en rupture de stock.

Volsunga a écrit:Inutilisable = obligation de racheter POUR JOUER = rupture de stock = fortes demandes à satisfaire = plus de fric pour les actionnaires.
Tu abandonnes cette nouvelle version ? Pas de soucis, il reste plein de nouveaux clients potentiels.
C'est du capitalisme pur et dur.
Dès le 1er cours d'économie, ton prof te dit "le but d'une entreprise est de faire du profit", et c'est d'autant plus vrai quand elle est dirigée par des actionnaires.

Quelques morceaux avec une traduc' très libre et une synthèse de ce qu'il s'y dit :

Let me give you some confirmation:
The setting is being completely overhauled - true.
The concept of a huge chunks of the world in a sea similar to the warp from 40k - true.
Faction reduction to 6 - true

L'univers est complètement modifié - vrai
Le concept d'un monde morcelé dérivant dans une mer similaire au warp de 40k - vrai
Réduction à 6 faction - vrai

Yes, army books will eventually feel too out of date to play, but that's the same with any new edition.  And new Army Books will typically allow people to recreate what they're "used to" it just might not be the most effective thing they could do with their new book.

Les règles de la V9 seront compatibles avec la V8, avec juste un risque d'obsolescence (ou plutôt de perte d'optimisation) des livres d'armées, comme d'habitude. Les nouveaux livres permettront de jouer comme on en avait l'habitude, ce ne sera juste pas la façon la plus efficace d'utiliser les nouveaux livres.

On the topic of round bases.  The latest version I saw used round bases, but units had the option of ranking up to receive the typical bonuses.  To rank up using round bases, it is intended to use new movement trays which have circular cuts to hold the bases of the appropriate size.

La V9 sera en socle rond, mais les unités auront des bonus si elles s'ordonnent en rang, p. ex. un mur de bouclier. (NB: Ca fait penser à Warmahordes.) On peut très bien se déplacer en tirailleur, mais on peut aussi se déplacer toujours en formation et on y est encouragé. Il y aura des plateaux de mouvements conçus à cet effet.

Lastly, nothing stops you from just playing 8th, and ignoring 9th the same way some people ignore End Times.  Just understand that unlike Storm of Chaos which was post-production looked at as an "alternate timeline" where the clock was turned back to right before it took place for the purposes of the setting, the End Times are real, and 9th will begin where it left off.

Confirmation que la campagne End of Times sera intégrée à la timeline officielle et que la V9 se situera bel et bien après. On pourra très bien jouer dans l'univers près-fin des temps (représentant des bulles stables), avec les règles de End of Times (représentant des bulles d'univers en train de se désagréger), ou à l'époque v9. [NB : cela fait penser au développement de 40k et de l'hérésie d'Horus 30k où l'on peut jouer les deux périodes.... Il me semble que cela avait été une des rumeurs avec celle de cette nouvelle faction de guerriers du biens emblématique comme les spaces marines : la nécessité de créer une période fondatrice comme l'hérésie d'Horus pour Battle. On y est, juste à l'envers.]

Expect armies to have fewer units in their core books, which will be heavily focused on the fluff for where they are now, what they've been doing in the centuries immediately following the sundering.  This will create a more "balanced" pool as they will be rapidly produced and released (consider a scale even somewhat faster than what we've had for 40k these past few years).

Les armées auront moins d'unités dans leur livre de base. Des nouvelles unités sortiront très régulièrement (avec un rythme plus soutenu que ce qu'on a vu pour 40k ces dernières années) avec leurs règles incluses dans la boîte et dans le WD et la parution de compendiums réguliers, constituant des expansions d'univers [probablement des campagnes ? représentant la rencontre de bulles de réalité ?]. Ces sorties régulières seront disponibles pour un temps plus bref qu'actuellement mais pas en mode limité à deux heures un vendredi soir . ("They are intended to only get one template injection mold life-run, the same as the books will be printed only once in hardback, then delayed paperback.) Elles seront liées à des campagnes et ensuite ne seront plus produites. C'est du reste le cas pour les figurines End of Times ! Par contre leurs règles resteront valables pour toute la v9.

La source souhaite faire passer le message que GW respecte ses consommateur et a l'intention de faire tout cela pour augmenter le rythme de sortie, créer du changement dans un jeu qui n'a pas été modifié depuis des décennies, influencer plus rapidement sur la meta, et pas seulement tirer du fric à ses clients.

Kurohi a écrit:
( sans déconner il vont nous obliger a tout re-socler ?!)

PS : les rumeurs sont très fiables ( )  je vous l'assure ...

Volsunga a écrit:Vois le bon côté des choses : on trouvera plein de figurines (de joueurs ayant abandonné) à acheter à prix réduits (ebay, leboncoin...). Et même, simplement les unités qui ne serviront plus en V9, si les rumeurs se confirment (qui a dit que je comptais là-dessus pour avoir des chevaliers pégases pas chers à convertir en CSV ?    )

Ikitlagriffe a écrit:Courage and forbearance to all lovers of Battle.
I summarized here everything I lately collected, and you seem to ignore or misinterpret. I am not paid by anyone to deceive you. I’m the most confident about aesthetic and visual questions, and about skaven stuff. Friendly.

Anyone who wants to know what there is in V9 has to imagine that this is the V8 ; it will be 90% right.
Rule changes have been made to stabilize and streamline some points, particularly at the formation units and their interaction with the characters, from what I was told.
About the armies that follow (“factions” J ) : they won’t be "bundling" of existing armies, but almost all new prospects. These are all new units with an aesthetic different from what we knew and new historic lines, new characters, we could almost consider some of them as new “races”. Nevertheless, each new release will be integrated into one or more pre-existent conventional armies. Some new units, for example, will just belong to “Forces of Order” or “Forces of Destruction”. No stress. You can keep your old collection (all your collection), and enjoy with it.
V9 will not be just one book, but a box with other things such as a volume focused on two types of battles : clashes "lord of battles "in standard format creating links between games, and smaller battles with “pre-organised” armies (that's what you took for a skirmish game I think).
About this “skirmish” game: I’m not completely sure about that : this has taken many different forms over the settings but it seems to be one of the most tested aspects in recent years by GW teams. It is not intended to be the main way to play Battle. Currently, forces will be selected from a list of predefined choices, more restrained that the currents army books, without worrying percentage points, points themselves will not so important anymore: it will be destabilizing for the old players, but the number of miniatures contained in a unit or its point value could be no longer as important as before in this system. Players would have the choice to comply or not the points. A book will summarize the possible choices for all existing armies. It was thought just for fun, and almost all special rules of existing models could be ignored because of it.
About round bases : there would be a misunderstanding at this level too. Some Warhammer miniatures will indeed now sold on round bases, but it’s the consequence of some simplified rules and not a transition to a new system, or 40k-like, or I don’t know what. No link with the new “skirmish game”. The elements attached to units will be on round base (as skaven regimental weapons or dark elves cauldron of blood for example, but also characters according to pictures I’ve seen), are no longer joined the unit but move next to, and may have a round or oval base. But if your old version is not on a round base, you can still play with, no problem.
About “waiting” armies : for the bretonnians, there is a book that will follow this year, but perhaps we can’t call this “army book” because it will be very different from what you had until then. It will be closer from the End Times books recently issued. There will be in it new units, which could join the Forces of Order, and very close from a Bretonnian army, but not only. For the Skavens, the amount of new stuff approaching is just unprecedented (although I have no visibility on dates). It won’t be really “skavens” as we knew them, but a sort of evolution type very nice and inspired. No merger with Chaos for them (anyway, no merger for anyone!). About Beastmen, they don’t have directly the same processing, to the best of my knowledge, but no doubt they will benefit from a wealth of new opportunities for chaos. I had no evidence that it’s matter of squatting them, nor nobody else.
The quantity of new stuff for Battle will be just incredible, if all that is planed comes out. New releases will be essentially new entries, unique monsters, characters, and elite units of 2 to 5 figures. This will change progressively the overall appearance of the armies, with fewer miniatures (but larger). There will always be a place for large infantry units; however I don’t have a precise view of the new rules, that's why I can’t say if it will always be interesting to play big infantry units, or not.

Harry a écrit:9th edition will be 90% the same as 8th edition.
The new 'Factions' will not be made up from the existing armies but new armies.
(Or they will look so different from the existing armies they might as well be new armies)
These new armies will be made from new units/characters
The new units will have a very different aesthetic from existing miniatures.
The new units can be used by one or more of the existing armies.
OR can just be used as units for generic 'Forces of order' Or forces of destruction' armies.
I can keep my "OLD COLLECTION"
(AKA Brand new army I just dropped a ton of cash on ... Thanks for that!!! )
... but don't expect any new miniatures for a while?
9th Edition will get a boxed set.
In the box will be a rule book? Or a book that links the game in the box to the main rule book / a skirmish Rule book / and a Warhammer armies book.
The warhammer armies book will have a limited army list for each faction.
There is a points system.
But it is not compulsory (So you can pick 'X' number of characters/units from the selection)
Skirmish is not intended to be the main way to play Warhammer ... but an alternative.
This will be a simple starter game without a lot of complex special rules. An introductory game.
Some fantasy miniatures will be supplied on round bases due to rules changes
... but not all.... just skirmishing units and units attached to ranked units?
...and big Warmachines?
Characters will be on round bases. (Or oval bases for cavalry)
... and so characters can no longer join ranked up units.
I do not need to re-base my existing characters to use them.
Round bases are nothing to do with the new skirmish game.
You don't know what is going on with round bases.
Bretonnians will not get a new army book and will not get any new units.
There will be some units which are a bit like Bretonnians in a new 'Forces of order' book
Loads of stuff coming for Skaven but you don't know when.
New skaven stuff will not look like the existing Skaven stuff but an evolution. (I think we can see where they are going looking at the recent stuff)
Beastmen ... future is uncertain but you guess they will find a place in Chaos.
Lots of new stuff to come for Fantasy.
Most stuff will be new units monsters or characters.
Elite units will be smaller 2-5 minis.
Look of armies will change.
Smaller armies with less miniatures and more big stuff.
No information about new rules.


factions :

1) Chaos : Demons + Beasts + Mortals
2) Elves
3) Empire
4) Undead
5) Orcs and Goblins
6) Skavens

Lizards are gone in space.
Dwarves survivors join the empire with the ogres.

1) Chaos core : Warriors of chaos/chariot/Hounds
Demons figs will be kept as they are usable in 40k
Bye bye marauders, ungors, centigors, razorgor etc

2) Elves core : spearmen/archers/cavalry on horse
No more xbows
the 3 elves will blend in one faction
dark elves monsters are gone : cold ones, hydra

3) Empire core: Hallberds/Handgun/Canon
Some dwarves survivors and ogres are included
Imperial and bretonnian knights are merged

4) Undead core : Skeletons/Ghouls/Spirit host
bye bye bone giant, scorpion sphinx, chariots and everything too much egyptian

5) Orcs and goblins core : Goblins/Orcs/Black orcs
no real change for them

6) Skaven core : Clanrats/Plague rats/Rat ogres
no real change for them too