40K RUMORS: If you Want to Know the Future – Look to the Past
There’s been an interesting trend in new model releases from GW of late. A lot of them are from the past. Let’s dive in deeper to divine the future.
Many of us are somewhat new to the hobby, and have ten or less years under our belts. Things like Eldar Assassin Robots, Space Marine Deredio Dreadnoughts, and Squat Overlord Airships don’t mean anything. But for the oldtimers, we know and we remember that one game system in particular opened up our vistas on massive combat in the 40K universe like no other – EPIC.
EPIC came about in the early 1990s and went through various incarnations over the years. Adeptus Titanicus begat Space Marine, which begat Titan Legions, and all the way down to its untimely death with EPIC:Armageddon. Thank you for all the years of 6mm fun Jervis!
But it was EPIC that gave each army vast mar machines, and even tons of standard ones that have been mined by first Forgeworld and now the Design Studio of late.
Here are just a few of the newer models that came over from EPIC:
Lord of Skulls = Lord of Battles
Necron Obelisk
Wraithknight = Eldar Firegale
Manticore
Deathstrike Missile Launcher
Heldrake = Doomwing
There are many, many more, and it’s rules too – not just models. Want to know where the Wave Serpent’s launchable defensive shield with an incredible range came from? EPIC.
So what does this mean for the future?
For Space Marines, we’ve all heard word of the “Knight Kit” – again from EPIC. The original Contemptor design and any variants came from EPIC as well…
For Imperial Guard, we have been told to look to EPIC and see what seeds that sown 2 decades ago are awaiting to be harvested for the new codex.
Goodbye Rules Without Models
In particular, post Chapterhouse-Lawsuit it looks like the days of rules without models are gone, so when you look at any of the older books sources say you only need look at any gaps in the rules with missing models to figure out what is being put on the hotplate for production. That GW Annual Statement showed 7 million pounds in finished goods inventory sitting in warehouses. Some of those missing kits (IG Hydra, Harpy, Stormtroopers, etc…) have been done for years.
Then, if an army needs something new and exciting (like an $85-$115 size of exciting) – simply turn to EPIC. The answer is probably hidden in plain sight – and has been for almost 20 years.
~So what do you most want your army to get from the old EPIC ranges?
