If you’ve been around 40k for awhile you’ll recall the back of the 4th edition, or perhaps it was 3rd, codex for Space Marines showed an entire chapter and you had the option of purchasing an entire chapter in a box. It cost a bundle of money, but less than the Tau Manta from Forgeworld, and you got an entire chapter….all 10 companies of marines.

GW has revisited the issue and now has an entire company in a box. 530 GBP (about $1,009 USD) will get you a complete 2nd Company. There’s a couple catches here. First, it is only available from the GW UK Online Store. I haven’t seen it on GW US or elsewhere. Second, it is the 2nd Company so you don’t get Terminators or Scouts or anything. Just a standard Combat Company (seen below).

What Does a Grand Buy Me?

You get the following: 1 Commander, 1 Chaplain, 1 Command Squad, 2 Dreadnoughts, 2 Predators, Enough Marines to make 6 full 10 man Tactical squads with Rhino transports, 2 full 10 man Devastator squads, 2 full 10 man Assault squads, 1 Whirlwind and 1 Land Raider Crusader.

Final Thoughts

All in all not a bad deal really. It would be worth getting together with a friend or two and defraying the cost. With some tweaking you’d each have a complete and viable army. Not too shabby. Check out Complete Space Marine Second Company to buy or get more info.

Today in Thursday and I’m out of work and this is a post on the blog so one would normally assume that this post contains shownotes for the regular Thursday podcast.  If one assumed that one would be incorrect!  As the saying goes if you assume you make an ass out of you and me.  :P

You’d be incorrect because we did our podcast a day early and also because I’m sick.  I have a nasty cold intermingling with asthmatic problems, which equals poor conditions for podcasting.

However, I do have news you may like and that is what this post contains.  Games Workshop has released the latest newsletters for Black Gobbo, GW Webway, and Forgeworld.  Incase you don’t subscribe, and even if you do, you can check them out via us.

We’re providing an overview of each in this post.  Normally, we’d discuss something like their contents in the podcast.  This time you have to work for it because you have to read instead of sitting back, relaxing, and just listening.

GW Webway 9/20/06
The Webway mentions that the new Black Gobbo is out, more on this in the Black Gobbo section below, along with the special offer if you buy Battle for Skull Pass & a Battalion kit, plus an extention for the Sicarius White Dwarf deal.

Webway also states the new GW releases.  40k sees the Space Marines Megaforce box costing $175 and containing 1 Commander with 5 man Command squad, a 10 man Tactical squad, a 5 man Combat squad with Razorback transport, 5 man Scout squad, 5 man Assault Squad, 1 Predator tank, and 1 Space Marine Dreadnought.  Not a bad deal.

LoTR sees the following: Isengard Troll kit costing $20 and containing 1 model.  Dead Marsh Spectres blister costing $12 and containing 3 models.  Morgul Stalkers blister costing $12 and containing 3 models.  Haldir’s Elves Command blister costing $12 and containing 2 models.  Banner month here for LoTR.

Black Gobbo 74
This issue has the main concentration on Warhammer Fantasy greenskins.  There’s two articles on them covering who they are and their new models.  There’s also two articles for LoTR covering a Bill the Pony mini-game and Gandalf’s Cart scenario.  Lastly, there’s background info for Space Marines and Chaos.

Forgeworld #151 & 152 (yep they sent out two this week)

Issue 151 focused on the Death Korps of Krieg, Eldar Falcon Grav tank, Blood Angels and Space Wolves etched brass items.

Issue 152 focused on the Gorgon Armored Assault Transport (Weapons Sponsoon Version, Mortars Version, and Experimental Rules PDF), Death Korps of Krieg Heavy Weapons Teams (Heavy Bolter Team & Lascannon Team), and Past Forgeworld Best of Show Winners.

Our Thoughts

These newsletters are clearly a device to sell more product.  We don’t begrudge GW that at all.  In fact, we enjoy Black Gobbo and sometimes moreso than WD.  The Forgeworld newsletters are pretty decent too but those GW Webways are horrendous.  If anyone cares enough to find out what new releases exist they can go to the GW website.  Or, if you prefer we make it easier by telling you it all here or in the podcast.

FW 151 was a good issue but 152 was lacking.  Black Gobbo 74 didn’t cover anything of interest to us but it was a nice issue.  GW Webway 9/20/06 was really, really bare.  Don’t bother with it.