GW has just published its Annual report for the Financial Year ending May 2015
Earnings per Share: 38 pence
Dividend per Share: 52 pence
Putting aside the fact that they are paying out more than they earned, GW has obviously decided that cash is better in the hands of investors rather than re-invested back in the company. That's an interesting insight into how they few their long term prospects.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Warhammer v8.5?
Reading through the Ninth Age thread on The Warhammer Forum it seems contributors/posters fall into four camps:
Long term I think this will be good but I suspect getting there will be a long tortuous journey which probably requires more work than the authors envisage.
In the interim I'm keen to see whether any of the other of supposedly multitude of Warhammer initiatives beavering away out there is aimed at a more modest outcome? I'm especially interested to see whether any of them more address the first objective listed above - a minimal update of 8th to address known issues. I expect this is in essence a comprehensive FAQ.
If anyone is aware of such a document can they please tag it into the comments section. Before I start trying to collate one myself I'd prefer to draw on an existing resource.
- Those that want 8th Edition updated to address known issues in existing rules - things like Pred Fighter, Swift Reforms etc
- Those that want ETC mechanisms incorporated into the rules
- Those that want a new edition with new rules, mechanisms - effectively a rewrite
- Those that are either wish listing their army books or have an axe to grind against a race or unit
Long term I think this will be good but I suspect getting there will be a long tortuous journey which probably requires more work than the authors envisage.
In the interim I'm keen to see whether any of the other of supposedly multitude of Warhammer initiatives beavering away out there is aimed at a more modest outcome? I'm especially interested to see whether any of them more address the first objective listed above - a minimal update of 8th to address known issues. I expect this is in essence a comprehensive FAQ.
If anyone is aware of such a document can they please tag it into the comments section. Before I start trying to collate one myself I'd prefer to draw on an existing resource.
Posted with BlogsySunday, July 26, 2015
CTA Warhammer Fantasy
I've spoken with the registrar for Call to Arms and can confirm that there are 17 people registered so far for Fantasy.
If you haven't registered and are keen to play check out the players pack at www.warlords.org.nz
If you haven't registered and are keen to play check out the players pack at www.warlords.org.nz
Friday, July 24, 2015
New Devastators Spotted
New Devastator model spotted on teh intawebz
Unfortunately they have left the backpack off.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
THE NINTH AGE
Over at The Warhammer Forum, there is an initiative to preserve a massed ranked battle game for Warhammer Fantasy Battles. You can find the forum here
The initiative is called "THE NINTH AGE" and is being led by members of the group that put together the Swedish Comp system and includes contributors to ETC comp and FAQs from the past few years.
Now generally I am skeptical of attempts to keep an unsupported game going. However I think that if there is any chance of success then it is probably best with this grouping of guys.
I'm really interested in what they come up with. There is a sneak peek of both rules and army construction ideas up with promise of a full beta within a couple of weeks (the intention is to have a playable copy available for discussion at this year's ETC).
While we don't know how Age of Sigmar is going to crystallise I think it's good that there may be alternatives available.
I'm looking to contribute ideas - under Skaven I've suggested a reintroduction of the "Mainstay" rule to ensure armies contain a backbone of Clanrats - which have the potential to breathe new life into existing books (preferably without a change in points). There are some point changes mooted - DE Warlocks are 35 points - so it will be interesting to read the discussions.
Interesting times.
EDIT: Sneak Peak of the first draft can be found here.....very much WIP with not all rules sections addressed and only two books (Beastmen and Daemons) given full review
The initiative is called "THE NINTH AGE" and is being led by members of the group that put together the Swedish Comp system and includes contributors to ETC comp and FAQs from the past few years.
Now generally I am skeptical of attempts to keep an unsupported game going. However I think that if there is any chance of success then it is probably best with this grouping of guys.
I'm really interested in what they come up with. There is a sneak peek of both rules and army construction ideas up with promise of a full beta within a couple of weeks (the intention is to have a playable copy available for discussion at this year's ETC).
While we don't know how Age of Sigmar is going to crystallise I think it's good that there may be alternatives available.
I'm looking to contribute ideas - under Skaven I've suggested a reintroduction of the "Mainstay" rule to ensure armies contain a backbone of Clanrats - which have the potential to breathe new life into existing books (preferably without a change in points). There are some point changes mooted - DE Warlocks are 35 points - so it will be interesting to read the discussions.
Interesting times.
EDIT: Sneak Peak of the first draft can be found here.....very much WIP with not all rules sections addressed and only two books (Beastmen and Daemons) given full review
Monday, July 20, 2015
Newton's Law
I was looking at what models I had bought this year…..mainly as my bank balance seemed unusually healthy.
Since the turn of the year I have purchased the following stuff:
The great thing is that I have sold off more than enough to cover those purchases plus new airbrush(es), air brush paint set and weathering powder set. There have been less than 5-6 GW paints purchased in the year so far.
So I guess the Games Workshop premise that veterans don’t buy is at least partly true. However I would say that that is also – in part – self-imposed. Typically in the past I would spend $2-3,000 net on product each year. This is my main hobby and pastime. In addition to product spend I would have outlays attending events, many overseas. The local GW pricing policies have removed virtually all my local spending – apart from immediate requirements – because I don’t like being played for a fool. I therefore use a UK supplier such as Element Games or Firestorm Games and the Youshop service provided by NZ Post. This has in the past given savings of up to 40%. With the recent fall in the NZD this has diminished somewhat.
The other thing that curtailed my GW spending was the past year’s “cloud” around releases. GW has had in place a “no forward promotion” policy for the past 3 years – which I find ludicrous as it goes against pretty much every tenet of marketing. Compounding this we had the “End Times” and the wait for "9th".
The ET release galvanised parts of the community who did not like the fluff direction. I enjoyed the story progression but felt the model/rules release –particularly in retrospect having seen the entirety – lacked the support and commitment that I would have expected from GW. In light of subsequent events it is hard to see it as anything other than a money grab from the company.
And this is probably what annoys me the most and has definitely factored into my buying habits.
Games Workshop knew 12-18 months ago that there was no “9th Edition”. They knew they were discontinuing the game and yet they sold expensive sourcebooks with rules they knew would be invalidated in 4-8 months. IMO that was a kick in the balls to the people that bought them. The target market was hobbyists/veterans and they sold them to them knowing full well they were shitting all over the very world they were shilling.
Yes you can use the models in the new game. But it is a new game. It was a radical departure from their behaviour of the past thirty years and they deliberately kept it hidden while they squeezed the last juice out of the orange.
Now I’m lucky. I hate the aesthetic of the new Stormcast models. I’m not looking for a new skirmish game. That makes it easy for me not to give Games Workshop my money. In effect, they have created the very situation of reducing a veteran’s hobby spend to zero. I appreciate I’m not their target market anymore….but you know what? I’m not sure I want to be the target customer of a company that treats its customers as GW has done over the past 18 months.
Since the turn of the year I have purchased the following stuff:
- Clampack Grey Seer (new)
- Clampack Warlord (new)
- Stormfiends box (new)
- Metal White Lions (subsequently sold) - used
- Metal/Plastic Chaos Dwarf army – used but unpainted
- Metal Archaon on Foot –used
- Metal Shorgar on Foot –used 5
- Metal Phoenix Guard and Eagle Bolt Thrower - used
- Tabletop World Bridge
The great thing is that I have sold off more than enough to cover those purchases plus new airbrush(es), air brush paint set and weathering powder set. There have been less than 5-6 GW paints purchased in the year so far.
So I guess the Games Workshop premise that veterans don’t buy is at least partly true. However I would say that that is also – in part – self-imposed. Typically in the past I would spend $2-3,000 net on product each year. This is my main hobby and pastime. In addition to product spend I would have outlays attending events, many overseas. The local GW pricing policies have removed virtually all my local spending – apart from immediate requirements – because I don’t like being played for a fool. I therefore use a UK supplier such as Element Games or Firestorm Games and the Youshop service provided by NZ Post. This has in the past given savings of up to 40%. With the recent fall in the NZD this has diminished somewhat.
The other thing that curtailed my GW spending was the past year’s “cloud” around releases. GW has had in place a “no forward promotion” policy for the past 3 years – which I find ludicrous as it goes against pretty much every tenet of marketing. Compounding this we had the “End Times” and the wait for "9th".
The ET release galvanised parts of the community who did not like the fluff direction. I enjoyed the story progression but felt the model/rules release –particularly in retrospect having seen the entirety – lacked the support and commitment that I would have expected from GW. In light of subsequent events it is hard to see it as anything other than a money grab from the company.
And this is probably what annoys me the most and has definitely factored into my buying habits.
Games Workshop knew 12-18 months ago that there was no “9th Edition”. They knew they were discontinuing the game and yet they sold expensive sourcebooks with rules they knew would be invalidated in 4-8 months. IMO that was a kick in the balls to the people that bought them. The target market was hobbyists/veterans and they sold them to them knowing full well they were shitting all over the very world they were shilling.
Yes you can use the models in the new game. But it is a new game. It was a radical departure from their behaviour of the past thirty years and they deliberately kept it hidden while they squeezed the last juice out of the orange.
Now I’m lucky. I hate the aesthetic of the new Stormcast models. I’m not looking for a new skirmish game. That makes it easy for me not to give Games Workshop my money. In effect, they have created the very situation of reducing a veteran’s hobby spend to zero. I appreciate I’m not their target market anymore….but you know what? I’m not sure I want to be the target customer of a company that treats its customers as GW has done over the past 18 months.
Weekend Hobby Update
Much hobby over the weekend.
I assembled my Luminarch and Hurricanium into the various sub-assemblies and primed them. Using my airbrush I base-coloured the main colour for each of the sub-assemblies. From there I have painted up the main chasis for each and tonight will work on stairs before moving to the cabins (where a lot of the work is). The Luminarch has had all its metal done and the Hurricanium the first metallic coat. I’m guessing that they will take the next two weeks to finish.
While on the Empire “bend”, I based the six Demigryphs I had painted and have textured the bases. Tonight I’ll start painting the bases up.
Unfortunately I haven’t got my lightbox out yet to take photos of the stuff I’ve finished (silly Civilization) but will endeavour to do so this week.
Signed up for another 8th Ed tournament – Crack’s Call in Masterton at the end of September.
I assembled my Luminarch and Hurricanium into the various sub-assemblies and primed them. Using my airbrush I base-coloured the main colour for each of the sub-assemblies. From there I have painted up the main chasis for each and tonight will work on stairs before moving to the cabins (where a lot of the work is). The Luminarch has had all its metal done and the Hurricanium the first metallic coat. I’m guessing that they will take the next two weeks to finish.
While on the Empire “bend”, I based the six Demigryphs I had painted and have textured the bases. Tonight I’ll start painting the bases up.
Unfortunately I haven’t got my lightbox out yet to take photos of the stuff I’ve finished (silly Civilization) but will endeavour to do so this week.
Signed up for another 8th Ed tournament – Crack’s Call in Masterton at the end of September.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Fantasy Model Resale Value
With the release of Age of Sigmar there has been some discussion that eBay would be flooded with WHFB armies.
The basis for this was firstly, that the game wouldn't appeal to everyone so people would get out; secondly, that existing armies (and in particular existing models) would be made obsolete by prospective releases; and thirdly, people wouldn't want to rebase their models so would sell and start again. All of this would lead to a glut on eBay driving prices down.
Complicating this scenario is that there "appears" to be some semblance of an active rundown of the existing WHFB range on GW websites. Go onto a forum and there is a "doom and gloom" story about how the webstores are regularly posting "Sold Out" signs on particular models.
So the picture is a little bit mixed.
What I do think you will see is a shift in the market. I'm pretty sure all the "Spec" painting companies (particularly some of the big operations in Asia who use eBay) will shift their entire effort to painting new Age of Sigmar miniatures. Expect to see a lot of Stormcast dominating their offerings. You won't see many Bretonnian Lances or Black Orc units for sale from them.
What I suspect will happen is that older models that are NIB (plastics) will hold their value at levels we have seen previously. Very well painted armies will still hold value but that might dip in the near future while the playing field (pun intended) is murky. Poorly painted figs will continue to sell for a substantial discount to new.
Things will be situational - the rumoured Orc replacements apparently have a new aesthetic and that will see the existing mark depressed for the replaced figures.
But in reality this has always been the way through the thirty years of Warhammer......new releases depress the market in old figures....for a while at least. However there always seems to be a market for readily useable figures.
Personally if I was looking to sell armies I'd wait a few months to see how things develop. If you are worried by a change in aesthetics then that may influence your decision. However remember there has always been a resale market for figures. I don't think the AoS changes that.
The basis for this was firstly, that the game wouldn't appeal to everyone so people would get out; secondly, that existing armies (and in particular existing models) would be made obsolete by prospective releases; and thirdly, people wouldn't want to rebase their models so would sell and start again. All of this would lead to a glut on eBay driving prices down.
Complicating this scenario is that there "appears" to be some semblance of an active rundown of the existing WHFB range on GW websites. Go onto a forum and there is a "doom and gloom" story about how the webstores are regularly posting "Sold Out" signs on particular models.
So the picture is a little bit mixed.
What I do think you will see is a shift in the market. I'm pretty sure all the "Spec" painting companies (particularly some of the big operations in Asia who use eBay) will shift their entire effort to painting new Age of Sigmar miniatures. Expect to see a lot of Stormcast dominating their offerings. You won't see many Bretonnian Lances or Black Orc units for sale from them.
What I suspect will happen is that older models that are NIB (plastics) will hold their value at levels we have seen previously. Very well painted armies will still hold value but that might dip in the near future while the playing field (pun intended) is murky. Poorly painted figs will continue to sell for a substantial discount to new.
Things will be situational - the rumoured Orc replacements apparently have a new aesthetic and that will see the existing mark depressed for the replaced figures.
But in reality this has always been the way through the thirty years of Warhammer......new releases depress the market in old figures....for a while at least. However there always seems to be a market for readily useable figures.
Personally if I was looking to sell armies I'd wait a few months to see how things develop. If you are worried by a change in aesthetics then that may influence your decision. However remember there has always been a resale market for figures. I don't think the AoS changes that.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
FOB NZ Rankings - 40k Updated for CavCon
And the winner of the 34 person Cavcon event, Sam Wooding is the new NZ #1, also securing the Necron icon.
Definite Southern flavour to the Top 10
Definite Southern flavour to the Top 10
FOB NZ Rankings - WHFB Updated for Panzershreck
Panzershreck was held over the weekend in Palmerston North.
The Fantasy event was run by Jeff Kent using ETC comp and attracted 17 people.
It was nearly won by everybody's favourite Dark Elf Brian Smith (not really but he was 2nd). Sam Whitt (also Dark Elves) amassed 99/120 to finish a clear winner.
Best Army went to Neil Williamson while Charlie Lloyd was Best Sport.
The rankings have been updated and the FoW results will go in later today.
The Fantasy event was run by Jeff Kent using ETC comp and attracted 17 people.
It was nearly won by everybody's favourite Dark Elf Brian Smith (not really but he was 2nd). Sam Whitt (also Dark Elves) amassed 99/120 to finish a clear winner.
Best Army went to Neil Williamson while Charlie Lloyd was Best Sport.
The rankings have been updated and the FoW results will go in later today.
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