I am writing you this with the upmost respect for the work you do. I want this to be taking in the spirit I write to you and this not to be just considered as ramblings from a disgruntled hobbyist.
The reason for my contacting you today regards you Warhammer Forge extension of your company and, in particular the Chaos Dwarf Army you began quite some time ago.
Having read through many of the email responses sent by your representatives, many of which are published in online communities, I must say I am disappointed at your responses to concerns raised by hobbyists who have chosen to collect or expand Warhammer armies produced by you. While I fully understand the attention you as a company have no placed, and rightly so, on doing justice to the Horus Heresy series, I, and a vast amount of others are disappointed at the lack of releases for Warhammer Forge, (the most recent, if my memory serves correctly was the River Troll Hag on 30th Sept) and also the lack of support in completing the Chaos Dwarf army, which your company returned to the hobby. This however, remains incomplete with many weapon options and some unit types with no models, and this hampers both existing collectors of this army and deters new hobbyists considering this a viable army.
One of the main reasons supplied via email for this long sabbatical for the Warhammer world seems to be that all designers are working on the heresy releases. While I clearly do not work for you or know the innermost workings of your design team, there is grown discontent with this argument as only 3 or the 5 sculpters credited during the current Chaos Dwarf range have been credited on your website as having worked on the Heresy project. Furthermore, is it not possible that a sculptor could be spared for a single day or so in order to sculpt a sprue of blunderbusses that could then be packaged instead of fireglaives? Is an amazing Lammasu model not already sculpted and been displayed at a number of shows? I am aware your employee told me over the phone there is a model available from Games Workshop, but this does not really fit with the current range of models being produced in detail etc and I am aware of no hobbyist who would chose to use this model in a game, which I feel is a shame.
I must confess, the market analyst within me struggles to understand your failure to release these additional options. Well I am aware sculpting probably takes far more time than I release, your failure to release these has given rival companies opportunities to create conversion kits and new models to complete your own army�?Ts range, which means in the long run your company losing potential business and your loyal customers turning to other manufactures.
I am keenly aware that the Horus Heresy project will likely be granting you more sales than any other of your products, especially Fantasy, but is a small selection of blunderbusses and great weapons for the models you already make, really going to take more time than you could spare and can you afford to lose the customers, once so loyal to your company; and I for one know this would bring so much happiness to so many hobbyists, including myself, and would restore our faith that we are not just discarded.
I for one will not be taking part in any protests that are attempted at your Open Day in March, as I see the value of the work you do and respect that tough decisions must be made and you must do work that will sell. All I ask is that Warhammer Fantasy is not forgotten, and you consider my words.
I should add, well I am not going to be joining any of the rumoured protests outside their open day in March, I do have my own silent form of protest. I have a ticket and will be attending, and for the past months since the last open day my mother has been knitting a big hat, beard and CD armour. A visual reminder of what they appear to be trying to forget.
I am writing you this with the upmost respect for the work you do. I want this to be taking in the spirit I write to you and this not to be just considered as ramblings from a disgruntled hobbyist.
The reason for my contacting you today regards you Warhammer Forge extension of your company and, in particular the Chaos Dwarf Army you began quite some time ago.
Having read through many of the email responses sent by your representatives, many of which are published in online communities, I must say I am disappointed at your responses to concerns raised by hobbyists who have chosen to collect or expand Warhammer armies produced by you. While I fully understand the attention you as a company have no placed, and rightly so, on doing justice to the Horus Heresy series, I, and a vast amount of others are disappointed at the lack of releases for Warhammer Forge, (the most recent, if my memory serves correctly was the River Troll Hag on 30th Sept) and also the lack of support in completing the Chaos Dwarf army, which your company returned to the hobby. This however, remains incomplete with many weapon options and some unit types with no models, and this hampers both existing collectors of this army and deters new hobbyists considering this a viable army.
One of the main reasons supplied via email for this long sabbatical for the Warhammer world seems to be that all designers are working on the heresy releases. While I clearly do not work for you or know the innermost workings of your design team, there is grown discontent with this argument as only 3 or the 5 sculpters credited during the current Chaos Dwarf range have been credited on your website as having worked on the Heresy project. Furthermore, is it not possible that a sculptor could be spared for a single day or so in order to sculpt a sprue of blunderbusses that could then be packaged instead of fireglaives? Is an amazing Lammasu model not already sculpted and been displayed at a number of shows? I am aware your employee told me over the phone there is a model available from Games Workshop, but this does not really fit with the current range of models being produced in detail etc and I am aware of no hobbyist who would chose to use this model in a game, which I feel is a shame.
I must confess, the market analyst within me struggles to understand your failure to release these additional options. Well I am aware sculpting probably takes far more time than I release, your failure to release these has given rival companies opportunities to create conversion kits and new models to complete your own army�?Ts range, which means in the long run your company losing potential business and your loyal customers turning to other manufactures.
I am keenly aware that the Horus Heresy project will likely be granting you more sales than any other of your products, especially Fantasy, but is a small selection of blunderbusses and great weapons for the models you already make, really going to take more time than you could spare and can you afford to lose the customers, once so loyal to your company; and I for one know this would bring so much happiness to so many hobbyists, including myself, and would restore our faith that we are not just discarded.
I for one will not be taking part in any protests that are attempted at your Open Day in March, as I see the value of the work you do and respect that tough decisions must be made and you must do work that will sell. All I ask is that Warhammer Fantasy is not forgotten, and you consider my words.
Yours Faithfully
Andy
Hobbyist of 12 Years
Any Comments?
I Will post any response I get
AndyG
A very eloquently written email. Well done - slave to you sir.
I understand your and others demand for continuous Forgeworld goodies for Warhammer Fantasy in general and Chaos Dwarfs in particular, and I hope the company does the economically (and completionist) logical thing to expand the Dawi Zharr range and release more weapon options like they do in 40k. However, I’m content to wait.
Hopefully your balanced letter, and others like it, convince FW to rise to the market demand’s challenge. Lest alternative companies will reap all the benefits, as they currently do with my money amongst others’.
I wonder if Forge World has people who lurk forums, watching threads such as this one, and targeting the heretics who would delay the Horus Heresy..
Sticklander
Well, if so, I will be on the hit list. If I suddenly never post again, you'll know you're right.
But all jesting aside, great letter! Surely they must see that it is profitable to put as much focus on WHFB as they do 40K?
Sticklander
Sadly this is never likely to be true. WHFB as a system does not turn over anywhere near the profitable as 40k, and I see little reason FW profits will not follow the same trend.
On a general note, thanks to those who have given slaves, but I did not right this or publish it just for recognition. My hope is that other people here may see this and write similar, balanced letters to FW.
Depending on the reply, and whether things change, then maybe this might be deserving of slaves.
And this I how you write a letter. I properly never buy any FW minis, they are too expensive for me. But it like the line of Dawi Zharr and it’s some really great stuff.
Thanks for this - and thanks too all the other people that keep putting pressure on FW.
I like the tone, it’s polite and you still deliver your points pretty sharply.
Thanks for your comments and feedback regarding our Chaos Dwarf and other Warhammer Forge ranges, we will pass them on to our design team.
If there is anything further we can do to assist you, or if you have any queries about the information we have requested or provided, please telephone us.
Regards, Forge World
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If you have a query about your order, please call 0115 900 4995 within the UK 011 44 115 900 4995 from the US and Canada 00 44 115 900 4995 from much of Europe
Oh well. I very much doubt this will ever actually make it to the design team. It just looks like they couldn't think of any other excuses to bring up.
Thank you for taking my views into account, I know that these view are shared by a great many hobbyists on online communities.
I can only imagine how busy your design teams must be, so I fully understand that there will be some delay in getting any further response, but I look forward to hearing how these thoughts are considered.
I always think of Andy Dufrain in The Shawshank Redemption - bug the hell out of them until they give you what you want and then pester them some more.
The thing I find interesting it Forge World replied to an email, giving no content or excuse at 8.30 pm on a Sunday (GMT), when nobody would be in the office.
My hope is that other people here may see this and write similar, balanced letters to FW.
AndyG
I won't write a similar letter to FW, since I'm not an interested customer for them at the moment. I'd love to be, but to buy at FW prices my economy have to improve a bit if I am to chew down such an expense.
Actual FW customers are welcome to add their voices to the choir. But remember that FW is currently in full swing through their greatest and most profitable effort ever carried out, and no one should realistically expect them to have any opportunity to return to WHFB or Chaos Dwarfs for perhaps two years or so.
Balanced letter in the interests of Chaos Dwarfs might not result in an expansion of the CD range for a couple of years or so, but it might very well make FW prioritize CDs on their WHFB schedule when Warhammerforge is eventually reactivated.
Let me first thank you for having put out such a huge volume of excellent models throughout the years. The Death Korps of Krieg range is particularly fine to me, but I recognize that your ongoing effort with the Horus Heresy probably is of even higher quality and wider appeal. Although my economy, being mainly a student for the moment being, does not allow for many purchases from you, I look forward to become a future customer. In this regard your comparatively stable prices is an advantage, since one can rely on them to not skyrocket.
It is obvious that your Horus Heresy releases are a major undertaking which have put Warhammer Forge on hold. Though it might be somewhat disappointing for the WHFB fan, the Horus Heresy if anything should warrant such a state of affairs.
I do not write to you to pressure some Warhammer Fantasy releases into a a tight 30k schedule. Rather, I’d like to offer some advice, meager as though it might be, for when the time comes for part of your sculptors to return attention to Warhammer Forge. The points concern Chaos Dwarfs, your own army, but it wouldn’t take much imagination to transfer them to other ranges as well.
I suggest you do the following things when the Horus Heresy goldrush ebbs out:
* Release Hobgoblins. As a boutique style enterprise, even a modest sales number for them would earn you back the investment. If you are unsure in this regard, then release a character pack of Hobgoblin Khans (because they’ll be purchased, if of usual high quality, regardless of price level) and a conversion kit of Hobgoblin heads (preferably with some knives clenched between teeth) to test the waters.
Many Chaos Dwarf collectors already pay a lot to have Hobgoblins based on Stormvermin bodies, so why wouldn’t some of them buy some Hobgoblins from you?
* Release a Chaos Dwarf Battle Standard Bearer and one or two more Chaos Dwarf characters in a bundle, for flavour. One of those other character miniatures could have a big hat of the old style to appeal to that market niche.
* Release all weapon options for Infernal Guard. You already have this policy in 40k, so why not in Warhammer? If you won’t, competitors like Russian Alternative will have free reign of this little market territory.
* Don’t hesitate to expand the Chaos Dwarf range into something approaching a full-on army book list, including ordinary Chaos Dwarf warriors.
* Release more war machines, and make them Daemon-possessed by including design elements from the Hellcannon, one of the best miniatures ever put out by Games Workshop. Don’t miss this opportunity to put Chaos into the Chaos Dwarfs. Your “ordinary” machines are already good, so why not take a step further?
It’s already obvious a lot of your sculptors enjoy creating wacky Chaos mutation details. A slew of new, Daemonic style war machines could earn you a second wave of purchases even from established collectors who owns most of your current war machine range.
look at the event model!! http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/News/FORGE_WORLD_BLOG_4.html
BABIS
I can't help but think FW's choice of event model was AndyG's doing. "Let's release this teaser to make those Chaos Dwarf grognards keep quiet." :P
Admiral
That's exactly what I thought when I saw the model!
Maybe if we apply more pressure, they'll be a newsletter saying, 'Alright, fine! Here's the whole flipping range, army book, upgrades, characters, hobgbolins, and an alternative fluffing Destroyer! Happy? Good.
Thanks for your continued input and thoughts regarding our Chaos Dwarf and other Warhammer Forge ranges, we will pass them on to our design team.
The model whos photo was released in todays blog is one of a number of miniatures to be released at the events we attend, and should not be seen to be an indicator of future releases. These are designed to complement existing products we make for the different ranges, and in no way should be seen as a change of company policy regarding your, or any other correspondance we have received.
Your previous comments were passed to our design, however our design teams are not governed by popular opinion or continuous correspondance.
If there is anything further we can do to assist you, or if you have any queries about the information we have requested or provided, please telephone us.
Regards, Forge World
If you have a query about your order, please call 0115 900 4995 within the UK 011 44 115 900 4995 from the US and Canada 00 44 115 900 4995 from much of Europe
get an answer:)