Post by Fadril Adren on Apr 11, 2015 23:00:03 GMT -5
There are SO many rumours floating around regarding Warhammer Fantasy, End Times, the destruction of 30 years of background, and of course what 9th edtion will entail. Like ALL rumours, these should be taken with a grain of salt and many contain contridictions to others. What that means is we truly don't KNOW what's coming but I'm certain there are actual FACTS within some of these.
9th Edition is hinted at coming out for Pre-Order in a couple weeks.. the end of April! So in theory, we should start seeing some type of leaks fairly soon. I'll do my best to make sure this thread is updated.
I have to admit I was pretty bummed when the previous 9th edition roundup thread was closed last month at WarSeer. I think we're starting to get some reliable tidbits of info again, so now seems like good a time as any to try again in a new post.
I will update the OP with any new information we get, so there won't be any need to sift through what I'm sure will wind up being many, many pages.
A lot of this will be pulled from Darnok's initial "bomb drop" thread, however with no central discussion point I've seen a lot of other snippets cropping up in various threads, as well. I'm going to need your help with gathering this info, guys, so please let me know what I missed:
- FADRIL
Updated 4/11/15,
Overview
Release:
Quote Originally Posted by Darnok
[9th will be released] ... Around July.
Quote Originally Posted by Birdy Prime
'9th' [or] whatever is next for fantasy [...] coming 2015 in the summer.
We have it from a couple sources that something "big" is coming in May, as well:
Quote Originally Posted by hagen88 View Post
The gw manager said something pretty interesting (or at least I believe it is)... He asked for some holidays in may, and the answer from his boss (don't know who or where, I supposed Nottingham but maybe it's not how it works) was that was HIGHLY recommended not to take any holiday in may... Now he explained to my friend that this normally happens when there is a big launch on the horizon...
Quote Originally Posted by Spanish Rumors
in May 2015 after the End of Times WHF will become a skirmish game centered around surviving warbands after the "armegeddon" of the fantasy world as a result of the End of Times.
Quote Originally Posted by Bonham View Post
[My source] said the starter set is for April 24 (preorder) and rules possibly a month later . The game will have things like first editions and warmahordes
Starter Box:
Quote Originally Posted by Oloh View Post
From BOLS:
[Boxed Set] Will include good guys (the Forces of Light) versus Chaos – in a loose fashion. The Boxed Set is set in a former city of the Empire (save your breathe, it’s NOT Mordheim), but luckily the End Times offers up plenty of new choices. Boxed Set includes a campaign at a skirmish level and is firmly designed to introduce new players into the game at this smaller model-count level.
Quote Originally Posted by Brother Dimetrius
[Chaos]: Two characters, one exclusive; five miniatures cavalry, ten warriors of Chaos, Chaos demons d5, some kind of monster Chaos.
Light: Two characters 10 holy warriors 10 warriors of the new faction, five holy knights on horseback, dwarf war machine.
[The knights for the light faction resemble Grail Knights]
Quote Originally Posted by Arthurius11 View Post
Box set will be chaos faction vs human faction. There are armoured warriors in a way like chaos warriors but on the side of order. There is a small rules book / pamphlet included. Models are on round bases.
Quote Originally Posted by Harry View Post
Chaos is Khorne and the humans are Sigmarines... I mean Holy warriors/warriors of sigmar..whatever. (EDIT: So the contents posted above sounds about right) Contents very similar to the recent 40K boxes ... nothing like the big box games of the past. Tiny rulebook/pamphlet. ... heard this from various different sources over a period of months ... even before the new look 40K boxes appeared.
NEW
Quote Originally Posted by A Friend
And about the starter... Dwarves and [knights with] the new empire. It [seems] that the main book [merges] some races, but whit small books like astra miliarum and militarum tempestus, u can make a single army of dwarves for example.
New Production/Release Model:
Quote Originally Posted by Faeit
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). ... These will then be expanded on with supplements, not intended as money-grabs (as I am sure they will be received by the majority of your readers), but more as guided hands to acknowledge deficiencies in books, or even "global meta" changes. The first time that Games Workshop will be openly acknowledging things that need changes. These units will typically get white dwarf rules treatments heralding the release in hardback of all of the new units from the previous month(s), for a new setting expansion, which will pit several of the races together (representing a collision).
Quote Originally Posted by Another Birdy
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.
There may be a switch to softcover books in the future, with at least the newest (previously only hardback) 8th edition TK book now seen in softcover:
Quote Originally Posted by SanDiegoSurrealist View Post
Attachment 205874 Picture taken today at a GW store in UK.
{Tomb Kings Army Book in soft color picture}
Quote Originally Posted by Hermanesq View Post
I've been told GW have actually bought a printer to do softback editions in house. This could go some way to relate to the relative quick reprint of the TK books in softback, as well as the ET books that have been released.
Faction Reduction:
Quote Originally Posted by Harry
the only way to own the IP is to loose all the generic Fantasy that other companies can copy ... normal Dwarves, Elves and sure as heck you have to get rid of the historical based human armies ... or you can go build an Empire or Bretonnian army from anyone's miniatures.
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.
Quote Originally Posted by Faeit
Faction reduction to 6 - true
Quote Originally Posted by EarlyBird
factions :
1) Chaos : Demons + Beasts + Mortals
2) Elves
3) Empire
4) Undead
5) Orcs and Goblins
6) Skavens
Quote Originally Posted by Scaryscarymushroom View Post
A list of units "that will survive 9th" according to WhispererofTruth:
www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum...6.page#7573530
Quote Originally Posted by Oloh View Post
[WhispersofTruth] later posted that [the above] list is accurate, but incomplete, meaning there may be additional kits that survive that are not listed, with the implication being that you should be OK to purchase and paint these kits (but not base).
Quote Originally Posted by Ikitlagriffe View Post
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.
NEW
Quote Originally Posted by A Friend
I only know that dwarves and bretonnians are merged whit the new empire. But im [confused] about undead, cause [the] defenders of [Mousillon] and sylvania seems to be loyal to the new empire.
New Faction:
Quote Originally Posted by Birdy
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 Emperor Karl Franz View Post
According to the rumors from DakkaDakka, the new holy Knights will be similar in concept to Grail Knights, but won't actually be an evolution of Grail Knights or descended from them. That seems to indicate that this future human faction won't have any real ties to the Bretonnia of old, and will be entirely Empire based.
Along with the Matrix-esque suggestion that everything will be a new faction:
Quote Originally Posted by Ikitlagriffe View Post
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.
Theme
Quote Originally Posted by leonates1980 View Post
I just heard they are changing the setting and Warhammer goes into dark steampunk style - that would fit the whole "300 years later" thing. And another thing is this - big kits, steamtanks and variations (chaos engines, elvish magic constructs) are to be centerpieces and fill in the same role as in 40k. It could be complete ******** of course but it DOES looks promising. Anybody remembers Flintlock system?
Quote Originally Posted by WhispersofTruth
The game will become more Fantasy like, less cannons and warmachines. More magical. It's not just the "Humans" that get empowered by the gods all factions will experience this.
Quote Originally Posted by Harry View Post
I would imagine a bigger face lift than just a few round bases if I were you. Generic medieval fantasy castles? .... not really part of the new look.
Models
Chaos Dragon:
Quote Originally Posted by duffybear1988 View Post
I said the chaos dragon was on the way, but I didn't say when. I deliberately kept that rumour out of the Archaon thread because I wasn't sure when it would arrive.
Modular Terrain:
Quote Originally Posted by Oloh View Post
From BOLS: WFB 9th will kick off a new set of products that cover not only the new surviving factions, but new modular terrain pieces that support the game at all size levels and reflect the new “Post End-Times” world.
Rules
Round Bases:
Quote Originally Posted by Faeit
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.
Quote Originally Posted by Harry
I think it will be round bases.
Quote Originally Posted by WhispersofTruth on DakkaDakka
As for rebasing your models, will you have to rebase them? Well as I understood it, yes and no. From what I gathered the game was moving to a skirmish game format with options for models to rank up in slot-trays, so technically if you always kept your models in appropriately sized movement trays you be able to play with your old square based models, you just wouldn't be able to skirmish them.
Quote Originally Posted by Ikitlagriffe View Post
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.
Apparent "proof" of upcoming round bases seen in White Dwarf:
Quote Originally Posted by Oloh View Post
Attachment 207403
{Pic of Skaven Bell and Furnace on Round Bases}
And two counter-rumors that cropped up:
NEW
Quote Originally Posted by A Friend
Square for units. Round for characters, warmachines, solos and atachments.
NEW
Quote Originally Posted by yogshagoth123 on Faeit
I can only tell you guys what I know from being involved with work at GW HQ I cannot give away any sources (as I would not wish anyone to lose their jobs, or myself for that matter) but honestly round bases are not coming to Fantasy it is just a negative rumour. you could always base mini's as you like to answer the question about round bases you need to go to GW HQ and be involved with the work that goes on there and actually act like a decent human being and TALK to real people, round bases are a rumour nothing more I have 100% confirmation this is not going to happen. If you ask anybody who actually has anything to do with GW at all they say it's not going to happen.
Scale:
Quote Originally Posted by scoutbike
Warhammer 9th ed will indeed focus on a smaller-scale, Skirmish form of Warhammer. ... BUT, it will still be possible to scale up to play the sort of games we have loved in 8th edition.
Quote Originally Posted by WhispersofTruth on DakkaDakka
The game will shift towards smaller elite types more in style with units like the Putrid Blightkings. From what I understood new models of say; Chaos Warriors and Black Orcs for example would become larger on an individual sense, but smaller as a unit where you might have only 5 models in the unit. This allows you too buy of box of say 20 goblins and still have that box represent a horde.
Quote Originally Posted by Bonham View Post
But 70%-80% [of elite troops will have 2 wounds] maybe
Cavalry-[2 wounds]
Elite cavalry- 2 or 3 wounds
New elite units- 100% 2 wounds or more in some cases.
NEW
Quote Originally Posted by A Friend
Powerfull characters, whit dataslates and personal armys. They put some powers and abilities to other units. (Warmahordes style) Simple magic. No more points per mini. Points for unit. Some units are a single mini. Like warmahordes solos. Lots of minis whit 2 or 3 wounds.
NEW
Quote Originally Posted by BramGaunt View Post
I've heard that the game, skirmisher, 9 light edition, whatever, will be called 'The End Times', as it takes part during them. It will focus around the stories told in the 5 books and mostly depict your hero(es) and a small band, fighting bravely in the middle of a huge conflict, a moment in a much larger battle surrounding them.
And talk of the skirmish gaming being an "intro" to the main system:
Quote Originally Posted by Bigman View Post
via a reader on Faeit 212:
This one is just a rumour. Although an interesting one at that. I know everyone has been afraid of bubblehammer and how warhammer will become a skirmish game. Well they may be pleasantly surprised. From what I have heard warhammer skirmish is going to happen. But it may not be 9th edition, in fact there could be a new system released based around a very significant empire city that may have just undergone some hard times. I won't say more as I am unsure on the reliability of this and don't want to give false hope but regardless we will know for certain by the end of February.
Quote Originally Posted by Ikitlagriffe View Post
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. ... 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.
Gameplay:
NEW
Quote Originally Posted by BramGaunt View Post
That's why a ton of random stuff can happen during the game, including rogue fireballs, meteors, cannon shots, and so on, hitting units at random. The list of random events changes with the factions fielded. So, if you have dwarves, elves and chaos present on the battlefield, you'd first determine which factions table is consulted (randomly) and then what exactly happens.
8th Edition Compatibility:
Quote Originally Posted by Faeit
So for the purposes of compatibility, you can use your 8th edition hardback book, representing a section of the culture that hasn't been horrifically changed by the End Times (Recognizing it will have the same drawbacks of using a dated book that are experienced elsewhere). You can use End Times rules/concepts, representing a section that is still being torn apart. You can use the new, post-end times rules to represent what is "current."
Quote Originally Posted by scoutbike
Any armies you have built using the end times lists will have a place in 9th, so there's nothing you could buy right now under end times that would suddenly be un-usable when the new edition hits.
Quote Originally Posted by Harry
Can you use your Lizardmen come the summer ... Yes. Will you see any more Lizardmen ... No.
Quote Originally Posted by duffybear1988
From what's been passed onto me the armies will still be around in one shape or another, be it as their own faction or as part of another. Please note that at this point I'm not saying everything will be playable as it most certainly won't. When I say nobody gets squatted I mean that nobody disappears from the fluff entirely. They may take on a different form now though.
Fluff
Bubbles:
Quote Originally Posted by Birdy
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)
Quote Originally Posted by Faeit
The concept of a huge chunks of the world in a sea similar to the warp from 40k - true.
Quote Originally Posted by Harry
The faction thing is the Warahmmer World post End Times. The bubble thing (however they try to sell it) is how you still get to play with your lovingly collected and painted Empire/Bretonnian/Lizardman/High Elf/etc .... army post End Times. The new factions can not exist in the same world as the original armies.
Faction Reduction:
Quote Originally Posted by EarlyBird
Lizards are gone in space. Dwarves survivors join the empire with the ogres.
Quote Originally Posted by Sharkbelly View Post
We know that in the End Times: Thanquol book, the ogres team up with the orcs and goblins, not the Empire. Since many of the six factions have already joined together, that may mean the ogres will be with the greenskins in the next edition.
Surviving Characters:
Quote Originally Posted by Bonham View Post
My birdies say that the trio of elves are alive or present, the lovely dead friends nagash and settra, the power rangers vampireholy knigths Abo and Gil, and Sigmar/Archaon. Nothing about khalida, nef, arki and the others. Same about Araloth
NEW
Quote Originally Posted by A Friend
Old characters: Tiryon, alarielle and Malekith are alive or some kind of live! Settra, Nagash, Guilles, Aborash, glott bros and Belakor too. And Archaon. He is the new good guy.
I know there's still a ton to add, however I think I've covered the basics so far. What else do we know?
- FADRIL
9th Edition is hinted at coming out for Pre-Order in a couple weeks.. the end of April! So in theory, we should start seeing some type of leaks fairly soon. I'll do my best to make sure this thread is updated.
I have to admit I was pretty bummed when the previous 9th edition roundup thread was closed last month at WarSeer. I think we're starting to get some reliable tidbits of info again, so now seems like good a time as any to try again in a new post.
I will update the OP with any new information we get, so there won't be any need to sift through what I'm sure will wind up being many, many pages.
A lot of this will be pulled from Darnok's initial "bomb drop" thread, however with no central discussion point I've seen a lot of other snippets cropping up in various threads, as well. I'm going to need your help with gathering this info, guys, so please let me know what I missed:
- FADRIL
Updated 4/11/15,
Overview
Release:
Quote Originally Posted by Darnok
[9th will be released] ... Around July.
Quote Originally Posted by Birdy Prime
'9th' [or] whatever is next for fantasy [...] coming 2015 in the summer.
We have it from a couple sources that something "big" is coming in May, as well:
Quote Originally Posted by hagen88 View Post
The gw manager said something pretty interesting (or at least I believe it is)... He asked for some holidays in may, and the answer from his boss (don't know who or where, I supposed Nottingham but maybe it's not how it works) was that was HIGHLY recommended not to take any holiday in may... Now he explained to my friend that this normally happens when there is a big launch on the horizon...
Quote Originally Posted by Spanish Rumors
in May 2015 after the End of Times WHF will become a skirmish game centered around surviving warbands after the "armegeddon" of the fantasy world as a result of the End of Times.
Quote Originally Posted by Bonham View Post
[My source] said the starter set is for April 24 (preorder) and rules possibly a month later . The game will have things like first editions and warmahordes
Starter Box:
Quote Originally Posted by Oloh View Post
From BOLS:
[Boxed Set] Will include good guys (the Forces of Light) versus Chaos – in a loose fashion. The Boxed Set is set in a former city of the Empire (save your breathe, it’s NOT Mordheim), but luckily the End Times offers up plenty of new choices. Boxed Set includes a campaign at a skirmish level and is firmly designed to introduce new players into the game at this smaller model-count level.
Quote Originally Posted by Brother Dimetrius
[Chaos]: Two characters, one exclusive; five miniatures cavalry, ten warriors of Chaos, Chaos demons d5, some kind of monster Chaos.
Light: Two characters 10 holy warriors 10 warriors of the new faction, five holy knights on horseback, dwarf war machine.
[The knights for the light faction resemble Grail Knights]
Quote Originally Posted by Arthurius11 View Post
Box set will be chaos faction vs human faction. There are armoured warriors in a way like chaos warriors but on the side of order. There is a small rules book / pamphlet included. Models are on round bases.
Quote Originally Posted by Harry View Post
Chaos is Khorne and the humans are Sigmarines... I mean Holy warriors/warriors of sigmar..whatever. (EDIT: So the contents posted above sounds about right) Contents very similar to the recent 40K boxes ... nothing like the big box games of the past. Tiny rulebook/pamphlet. ... heard this from various different sources over a period of months ... even before the new look 40K boxes appeared.
NEW
Quote Originally Posted by A Friend
And about the starter... Dwarves and [knights with] the new empire. It [seems] that the main book [merges] some races, but whit small books like astra miliarum and militarum tempestus, u can make a single army of dwarves for example.
New Production/Release Model:
Quote Originally Posted by Faeit
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). ... These will then be expanded on with supplements, not intended as money-grabs (as I am sure they will be received by the majority of your readers), but more as guided hands to acknowledge deficiencies in books, or even "global meta" changes. The first time that Games Workshop will be openly acknowledging things that need changes. These units will typically get white dwarf rules treatments heralding the release in hardback of all of the new units from the previous month(s), for a new setting expansion, which will pit several of the races together (representing a collision).
Quote Originally Posted by Another Birdy
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.
There may be a switch to softcover books in the future, with at least the newest (previously only hardback) 8th edition TK book now seen in softcover:
Quote Originally Posted by SanDiegoSurrealist View Post
Attachment 205874 Picture taken today at a GW store in UK.
{Tomb Kings Army Book in soft color picture}
Quote Originally Posted by Hermanesq View Post
I've been told GW have actually bought a printer to do softback editions in house. This could go some way to relate to the relative quick reprint of the TK books in softback, as well as the ET books that have been released.
Faction Reduction:
Quote Originally Posted by Harry
the only way to own the IP is to loose all the generic Fantasy that other companies can copy ... normal Dwarves, Elves and sure as heck you have to get rid of the historical based human armies ... or you can go build an Empire or Bretonnian army from anyone's miniatures.
Quote Originally Posted by WhispersofTruth on DakkaDakka
One of the scariest rumours about 9th is undoubted that the mini ranges we know and love will be squatted, and this is correct, to an extent. The ranges will be getting completely revamped, some units will disappear into nothingness, new units will arise in wake of their fall and a select few may just survive the End Times. ...
The Chaos faction will be mostly Daemons, with a few tacked on units from the other two books. This of course means the Chaos faction will be the largest faction, but it will be joined by units which are firmly entrenched in the GW IP and as such can't be copied by other manufacturers. A certain aspect of Chaos is going the way of the squat for this very reason, Hint: The gods are still there. Due to the nature of the new world, or pocket worlds rather, where Chaos is everywhere, Daemons will form the bulk of the Chaos armies. Generic stuff like Warhounds won't be sticking around in place of units like Flesh Hounds.
All the Orc and Goblin concepts will be combined into singular new concepts. Savage/Orcs/Black Orcs becoming one type of Orc for example. I initially heard way back that two armies would be joining the O&G, one would replace trolls, the other would lend some of it's concepts to the new O&G while being squatted themselves. Although the nature of the rules would let you imitate that squatted faction in Newhammer. Squigs and other O&G beasties will be made more predominant in place of boars, due to their IP able nature. I also heard Orcs would become, "Orks", but I'm not entirely sure if that was a joke.
Alot of Undead units are very similar with the combined list and as such alot of units will be going away. Ushabti for example and the Casket/Black Coach which are fairly redundant in light of the Mortis Engine. The concept of constructs will stay around in some form or the other. The Morghasts for example.
Skaven keep their more tech and frankenstein-esque units to define the armies new look. Plaguey and sneaky Shaven take the back seat.
Warmachines in general will be mounted on other units, to again save shelf space, and also to suit the more mobile style of a skirmish game better.
...
7 Champions and an army of light. No more Lizardmen, but still playable. No more Gnoblars/Skinks. They become Goblins. No more Beastmen. Elves become more Eldary, units take on aspects of their gods. There are some units like the Blood Knights that I expected to survive into 9th, but the events of the books have made me doubt this is going to happen anymore. They were due to be updated. Plus it fits with the new merging unit policy, not sure that's happening anymore though. Something similar happened to the Bone Giant, that being said I heard the Bone Giant was getting a redesign and a release some point in the future.
One of the scariest rumours about 9th is undoubted that the mini ranges we know and love will be squatted, and this is correct, to an extent. The ranges will be getting completely revamped, some units will disappear into nothingness, new units will arise in wake of their fall and a select few may just survive the End Times. ...
The Chaos faction will be mostly Daemons, with a few tacked on units from the other two books. This of course means the Chaos faction will be the largest faction, but it will be joined by units which are firmly entrenched in the GW IP and as such can't be copied by other manufacturers. A certain aspect of Chaos is going the way of the squat for this very reason, Hint: The gods are still there. Due to the nature of the new world, or pocket worlds rather, where Chaos is everywhere, Daemons will form the bulk of the Chaos armies. Generic stuff like Warhounds won't be sticking around in place of units like Flesh Hounds.
All the Orc and Goblin concepts will be combined into singular new concepts. Savage/Orcs/Black Orcs becoming one type of Orc for example. I initially heard way back that two armies would be joining the O&G, one would replace trolls, the other would lend some of it's concepts to the new O&G while being squatted themselves. Although the nature of the rules would let you imitate that squatted faction in Newhammer. Squigs and other O&G beasties will be made more predominant in place of boars, due to their IP able nature. I also heard Orcs would become, "Orks", but I'm not entirely sure if that was a joke.
Alot of Undead units are very similar with the combined list and as such alot of units will be going away. Ushabti for example and the Casket/Black Coach which are fairly redundant in light of the Mortis Engine. The concept of constructs will stay around in some form or the other. The Morghasts for example.
Skaven keep their more tech and frankenstein-esque units to define the armies new look. Plaguey and sneaky Shaven take the back seat.
Warmachines in general will be mounted on other units, to again save shelf space, and also to suit the more mobile style of a skirmish game better.
...
7 Champions and an army of light. No more Lizardmen, but still playable. No more Gnoblars/Skinks. They become Goblins. No more Beastmen. Elves become more Eldary, units take on aspects of their gods. There are some units like the Blood Knights that I expected to survive into 9th, but the events of the books have made me doubt this is going to happen anymore. They were due to be updated. Plus it fits with the new merging unit policy, not sure that's happening anymore though. Something similar happened to the Bone Giant, that being said I heard the Bone Giant was getting a redesign and a release some point in the future.
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.
Quote Originally Posted by Faeit
Faction reduction to 6 - true
Quote Originally Posted by EarlyBird
factions :
1) Chaos : Demons + Beasts + Mortals
2) Elves
3) Empire
4) Undead
5) Orcs and Goblins
6) Skavens
Quote Originally Posted by Scaryscarymushroom View Post
A list of units "that will survive 9th" according to WhispererofTruth:
www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum...6.page#7573530
Quote Originally Posted by Oloh View Post
[WhispersofTruth] later posted that [the above] list is accurate, but incomplete, meaning there may be additional kits that survive that are not listed, with the implication being that you should be OK to purchase and paint these kits (but not base).
Quote Originally Posted by Ikitlagriffe View Post
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.
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Quote Originally Posted by A Friend
I only know that dwarves and bretonnians are merged whit the new empire. But im [confused] about undead, cause [the] defenders of [Mousillon] and sylvania seems to be loyal to the new empire.
New Faction:
Quote Originally Posted by Birdy
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 Emperor Karl Franz View Post
According to the rumors from DakkaDakka, the new holy Knights will be similar in concept to Grail Knights, but won't actually be an evolution of Grail Knights or descended from them. That seems to indicate that this future human faction won't have any real ties to the Bretonnia of old, and will be entirely Empire based.
Along with the Matrix-esque suggestion that everything will be a new faction:
Quote Originally Posted by Ikitlagriffe View Post
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.
Theme
Quote Originally Posted by leonates1980 View Post
I just heard they are changing the setting and Warhammer goes into dark steampunk style - that would fit the whole "300 years later" thing. And another thing is this - big kits, steamtanks and variations (chaos engines, elvish magic constructs) are to be centerpieces and fill in the same role as in 40k. It could be complete ******** of course but it DOES looks promising. Anybody remembers Flintlock system?
Quote Originally Posted by WhispersofTruth
The game will become more Fantasy like, less cannons and warmachines. More magical. It's not just the "Humans" that get empowered by the gods all factions will experience this.
Quote Originally Posted by Harry View Post
I would imagine a bigger face lift than just a few round bases if I were you. Generic medieval fantasy castles? .... not really part of the new look.
Models
Chaos Dragon:
Quote Originally Posted by duffybear1988 View Post
I said the chaos dragon was on the way, but I didn't say when. I deliberately kept that rumour out of the Archaon thread because I wasn't sure when it would arrive.
Modular Terrain:
Quote Originally Posted by Oloh View Post
From BOLS: WFB 9th will kick off a new set of products that cover not only the new surviving factions, but new modular terrain pieces that support the game at all size levels and reflect the new “Post End-Times” world.
Rules
Round Bases:
Quote Originally Posted by Faeit
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.
Quote Originally Posted by Harry
I think it will be round bases.
Quote Originally Posted by WhispersofTruth on DakkaDakka
As for rebasing your models, will you have to rebase them? Well as I understood it, yes and no. From what I gathered the game was moving to a skirmish game format with options for models to rank up in slot-trays, so technically if you always kept your models in appropriately sized movement trays you be able to play with your old square based models, you just wouldn't be able to skirmish them.
Quote Originally Posted by Ikitlagriffe View Post
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.
Apparent "proof" of upcoming round bases seen in White Dwarf:
Quote Originally Posted by Oloh View Post
Attachment 207403
{Pic of Skaven Bell and Furnace on Round Bases}
And two counter-rumors that cropped up:
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Quote Originally Posted by A Friend
Square for units. Round for characters, warmachines, solos and atachments.
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Quote Originally Posted by yogshagoth123 on Faeit
I can only tell you guys what I know from being involved with work at GW HQ I cannot give away any sources (as I would not wish anyone to lose their jobs, or myself for that matter) but honestly round bases are not coming to Fantasy it is just a negative rumour. you could always base mini's as you like to answer the question about round bases you need to go to GW HQ and be involved with the work that goes on there and actually act like a decent human being and TALK to real people, round bases are a rumour nothing more I have 100% confirmation this is not going to happen. If you ask anybody who actually has anything to do with GW at all they say it's not going to happen.
Scale:
Quote Originally Posted by scoutbike
Warhammer 9th ed will indeed focus on a smaller-scale, Skirmish form of Warhammer. ... BUT, it will still be possible to scale up to play the sort of games we have loved in 8th edition.
Quote Originally Posted by WhispersofTruth on DakkaDakka
The game will shift towards smaller elite types more in style with units like the Putrid Blightkings. From what I understood new models of say; Chaos Warriors and Black Orcs for example would become larger on an individual sense, but smaller as a unit where you might have only 5 models in the unit. This allows you too buy of box of say 20 goblins and still have that box represent a horde.
Quote Originally Posted by Bonham View Post
But 70%-80% [of elite troops will have 2 wounds] maybe
Cavalry-[2 wounds]
Elite cavalry- 2 or 3 wounds
New elite units- 100% 2 wounds or more in some cases.
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Quote Originally Posted by A Friend
Powerfull characters, whit dataslates and personal armys. They put some powers and abilities to other units. (Warmahordes style) Simple magic. No more points per mini. Points for unit. Some units are a single mini. Like warmahordes solos. Lots of minis whit 2 or 3 wounds.
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Quote Originally Posted by BramGaunt View Post
I've heard that the game, skirmisher, 9 light edition, whatever, will be called 'The End Times', as it takes part during them. It will focus around the stories told in the 5 books and mostly depict your hero(es) and a small band, fighting bravely in the middle of a huge conflict, a moment in a much larger battle surrounding them.
And talk of the skirmish gaming being an "intro" to the main system:
Quote Originally Posted by Bigman View Post
via a reader on Faeit 212:
This one is just a rumour. Although an interesting one at that. I know everyone has been afraid of bubblehammer and how warhammer will become a skirmish game. Well they may be pleasantly surprised. From what I have heard warhammer skirmish is going to happen. But it may not be 9th edition, in fact there could be a new system released based around a very significant empire city that may have just undergone some hard times. I won't say more as I am unsure on the reliability of this and don't want to give false hope but regardless we will know for certain by the end of February.
Quote Originally Posted by Ikitlagriffe View Post
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. ... 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.
Gameplay:
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Quote Originally Posted by BramGaunt View Post
That's why a ton of random stuff can happen during the game, including rogue fireballs, meteors, cannon shots, and so on, hitting units at random. The list of random events changes with the factions fielded. So, if you have dwarves, elves and chaos present on the battlefield, you'd first determine which factions table is consulted (randomly) and then what exactly happens.
8th Edition Compatibility:
Quote Originally Posted by Faeit
So for the purposes of compatibility, you can use your 8th edition hardback book, representing a section of the culture that hasn't been horrifically changed by the End Times (Recognizing it will have the same drawbacks of using a dated book that are experienced elsewhere). You can use End Times rules/concepts, representing a section that is still being torn apart. You can use the new, post-end times rules to represent what is "current."
Quote Originally Posted by scoutbike
Any armies you have built using the end times lists will have a place in 9th, so there's nothing you could buy right now under end times that would suddenly be un-usable when the new edition hits.
Quote Originally Posted by Harry
Can you use your Lizardmen come the summer ... Yes. Will you see any more Lizardmen ... No.
Quote Originally Posted by duffybear1988
From what's been passed onto me the armies will still be around in one shape or another, be it as their own faction or as part of another. Please note that at this point I'm not saying everything will be playable as it most certainly won't. When I say nobody gets squatted I mean that nobody disappears from the fluff entirely. They may take on a different form now though.
Fluff
Bubbles:
Quote Originally Posted by Birdy
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)
Quote Originally Posted by Faeit
The concept of a huge chunks of the world in a sea similar to the warp from 40k - true.
Quote Originally Posted by Harry
The faction thing is the Warahmmer World post End Times. The bubble thing (however they try to sell it) is how you still get to play with your lovingly collected and painted Empire/Bretonnian/Lizardman/High Elf/etc .... army post End Times. The new factions can not exist in the same world as the original armies.
Faction Reduction:
Quote Originally Posted by EarlyBird
Lizards are gone in space. Dwarves survivors join the empire with the ogres.
Quote Originally Posted by Sharkbelly View Post
We know that in the End Times: Thanquol book, the ogres team up with the orcs and goblins, not the Empire. Since many of the six factions have already joined together, that may mean the ogres will be with the greenskins in the next edition.
Surviving Characters:
Quote Originally Posted by Bonham View Post
My birdies say that the trio of elves are alive or present, the lovely dead friends nagash and settra, the power rangers vampireholy knigths Abo and Gil, and Sigmar/Archaon. Nothing about khalida, nef, arki and the others. Same about Araloth
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Quote Originally Posted by A Friend
Old characters: Tiryon, alarielle and Malekith are alive or some kind of live! Settra, Nagash, Guilles, Aborash, glott bros and Belakor too. And Archaon. He is the new good guy.
I know there's still a ton to add, however I think I've covered the basics so far. What else do we know?
- FADRIL