Howdy guys. Been awhile since I’ve been of a mind to blog, but the upcoming Dark Angels release got me thinking down a track that has me really annoyed. I was looking at the new models that are on deck, and it got me thinking about the various model/codex releases over the last few years and I came to a conclusion. That being that Space Wolves (my pet army) got seriously screwed by GW on models.
The Space Wolf Codex got exactly two new kits when it was released, the Space Wolf Pack, and Space Wolf Terminators. And ignoring the independent characters that was it. You had Canis Wolfborn there to tease you with the idea of a unit of Thunderwolf Cavalry (at $50 per model), but otherwise nothing. It was 2 ½ years later before GW released kits for those models.
So Codex: Space Wolves got a grand total of 4 plastic kits (and I only count the Fenrisian Wolf kit grudgingly), and had to wait nearly 3 years for their big splashy kit. Contrast this with the following model releases.
Imperial Guard – 10 Kits
Valkyrie
Catchan Command
Cadian Command
Ratlings (Resculpt)
Sentinels (Recut)
Leman Russ (Recut)
Demolisher (Recut)
Hellhound(Recut)
Chimera (Recut)
Manticore
Tyrannids – 8 Kits
Tyrand Guard
Hive Guard
Trygon
Gargoyles
Tervigon
Venomthrope
Pyrovores
Raveners
Blood Angels – 4 Kits (All with Codex)
Death Company
Sanguinary Guard
Baal Predator
Stormraven
Dark Eldar - ~ 15Kits
The Whole Damned Army
Grey Knights – 3.5 Kits (All with Codex)
Strike Squad
GK Terminators
Dreadknight
(Access to Stormraven)
Necrons – 9 Kits
Stalker
Lychguard
Immortals
Ghost Arc
Night Scythe
Command Barge
Tomb Blades
Wraiths
Spyders
Chaos – 6Kits
Mutilators
Cultists
Helldrake
Raptors
Forgefiend
Chosen
Dark Angels – 5 Kits (All With Codex)
Niphilim Fighter
Land Speeder Vengeance
Knight Terminators
Ravenwing Bikes (Recut)
Ravenwing Command
???
This bugs me. Now I know that power armor codices all piggy back off the Codex: SM model range, but I can’t help but feel annoyed that Space Wolves got so markedly little, and had to wait so long for it.
On top of which is my pet game-play complaint. Space Wolves are the only codex released since 2006 that doesn’t have a flyer/flying MC within their codex.
The 6 following codices have them (including DA), and 4 preceding codices have them thanks to WD updates. I know I can get the odd flyer with allies, but it would be nice to have something in my codex. Even if it were only access to the crappy, crappy Stormtalon, at least it would be something I could take more than one of.
The only other codices with that problem are Templar, Eldar, Tau, and Sisters of Battle and which are all on deck for the next couple years. Space Wolves likely won’t see another codex for another 4-5 years. And in my book that’s way too damned long.
To sum up. Space Wolves got fewer kits than anyone but GK (and the hell with them); had to wait almost 3 years to get two of them; their big fancy kit (TWC) was one of the late kits; and their codex is completely shut out of one of the main mechanics of the new edition (fliers) and is likely to remain so until a new codex arrives. And that Gentlemen, really grinds my gears.
