but obviously if you made something that looks like a stormtrooper they would drop the hammer so fast

You mean something like this?

But yeah, as much as I'd consider that design obviously inspired by SW, I suppose the little differences might suffice to prevent a lawsuit, especially as they've existed for almost 40 years by now. Same for Judge Dredd the Adeptus Arbites etc.

I hate these new names. IG for life. Copyright my indifference.

In fairness: In the 6th ed. codex, The name Imperial guard is used as often as the other. I personally think the new "high gothic" name sound reaching and ontrived and therefore stupid! That's just me though!

Ah, I actually believe that's just us not being used to it. Imagine if Space Marines had just been Space Marines for the past couple centuries, and suddenly GW would rebrand them as Adeptus Astartes - we'd have the same riot and a thousand fans raging about how Astarte was a girl etc.

I like the name, but I hate it becoming the primary term (see GW's website).

And why are the Space Marines still Space Marines? If they'd at least be consistent.

I've heard a rumor (for what that's worth) that GW is going to start replacing the term 'Space Marines", too...

Upon closer investigation, the last Codex: Space Marines did come out before the rebranded Codex: Adepta Sororitas ... though only by 1 month.

I guess we'll see. But I already miss "my old 40k". Did I mention I don't like the new minis, either? Especially the Space Marines just look so incredibly ... overladen, almost cluttered with random gear and skulls that is no longer decorative but lets them look like a walking circus attraction rather than a veteran warrior that actually gets to see and fight on a battlefield from time to time.

I admit, this new design philosophy might make for an even more unique appearance of the franchise, but at the same time it loses its "there is only war" military look. Really, some of those new minis are the tabletop equivalent of some kid designing their website and thinking it absolutely needs to have animated star background, flashing gifs, and comic sans because it draws attention . Just that in 40k, the flashing gifs are skulls.

The newest example of what has triggered this fit of nerdrage in me is GW's current "buy 80 bucks worth of stuff and get this dude for free" design here, who ... .. why the feth would anyone ever hold a stormbolter like that?! Also, skulls.

Obligatory Oatmeal comic: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/design_hell

Part of me wants to say "he's ONLY a Captain, and yet he looks slightly more pimped in detail than unique Space Marines of superior standing, and part of me wants to know when someone is going to make a Khorne conversion of him, because "Blood for the Blood God; skulls for the Skull Throne", or something to that effect, is certainly something at least one Khornate Berserker has said in all these years, and this guy has little skulls on his CAPE.

I do sort of wish that some of my "older" stuff would be left alone. IG and Space Marines should keep their original names, but at least they still USE them; I won't look like some silly, out of touch fossil calling the Cadians on the table "Imperial Guard", rather than Astra Militarum. Maybe I am finally just starting to get stodgy-old, because they have also recently announced how they are doing/ruining the next Star Wars, and it has practically convinced me not to go see it. I don't want to derail this thread into a "let's discuss how Disney is ruining Star Wars" thread, but with talk of space, Imperial Guard, and Storm Troopers, I just thought of it, and how MSN revealed my bane a day or two ago.

Luckily, if I don't favor the name changes, MOST of the other changes I AM a fan of. For each "Creed is ruined" and "where did those other characters go?", I got stuff I begged for, like HQ Tank Commanders, other than Pask, who is still cool, too, Primaris being a REAL Psyker, even getting the PR 2 option, and some other cool stuff. I might miss the Bodyguards and Astropath, but I do like much of what they did.

Space Marines are Arthurian Knights in Space. Of course they have lots of bling. It's a feudal society. Bling is a way of showing status (albeit SMs aren't actually part of the feudal order, knights are their model), Pragmatism is for peasants.

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/24671

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1989.3.jpg

http://steel-mastery.com/images/products/full/steel-gothic-full-plate-armor-1.jpg

You ever read the description of Achilles' shield? It has so much bling on it that it's actually physically impossible.

venkelos: I am feeling with you, brother.

You ever read the description of Achilles' shield? It has so much bling on it that it's actually physically impossible.

I think that's my problem with those new designs. I would rather have minis that look like they are possible on a battlefield.

Probably another example for personal preferences and how I'd rather have a believable, gritty dystopia rather than Lord of the Rings IN SPACE.

I guess I just feel as if GW had already found a perfect balance between "bling" and practicality years ago (examples: see the Emperor's Champion, oldschool Dark Angels/Space Wolves, etc), but has now overshot the mark. Of course that is just a subjective opinion. I just can't "get" this type of Cool.

Perhaps this is a new design philosophy that follows contemporary movie and video game concepts where everything is segregated into tiers, with each higher segment having to be much more awesome and amazing than the former - which ultimately leads to overladen and (imho) ridiculously bloated walking shrines that don't actually look as if they are capable of fighting a melee, jumping into a trench, or punching their way through a wall simply because they're bound to lose half their bling a minute after stepping out of the APC.

No, scratch that. They don't fit into said APC anymore.

But yeah, taste, subjective, etc pp.

For Blood Angels? Okay, they are our artisans and it suits their style... but as of now it just became ridiculous. You can think many things about the Smurfs but back in the good days they were some kind of Roman Army in space; stout and disciplined warriors that just had a habit, missing the real battles. Their war gear made sense (or at last it should have ) Now it seems everyone wants to pimp just like Sicarius does.

I mean... just look at his pose... YES! IT IS A FRIGGIN POSE! Not a battle-ready stance or a grim-intimidating gesture... IT IS A POSE LIKE HE IS WALKING THE CATWALK. Is that one of the most feared warriors humanity can field? Is that a veteran of a hundred battles, serving more than two centuries? by the looks of it not even his bionic eye was caused by the enemy but is a mere fashion accessory.

Who takes this captain serious? I mean... he is so overburden that he cant carry all his weapons in a decent way and he does not even have an awesome Black Templar style minion that carries his war gear. Imagine him walking the battlefield, making breaks and carefully lean his sword against his armor so he can pose and inspire the fashion marines that follow him.

What comes next? The Crimson Fists get the chance to found a chapter and it will be the Crimson Feet with their Trademarked Christian Louboutin Red Power Shoes?

So, we're NerdRaging about minis now? Count me in!

Was anyone else disappointed that the new Space Marine multi-part plastics didn't have much 'new' to them except for Graviton Guns? The 3rd Ed. multi-part plastics were a big game-changer for the industry- head and shoulders better than any 25-30mm plastic kits that we had seen before. It wouldn't be realistic to expect every new kit to be that much of a step forward, but the industry has moved on, and you would expect the 'update' of what was the industry standard to be at least competitive. But the successor kit is just... underwhelming. The stiff poses seem like a real step backward from, say, the recent Dark Eldar Wyches. And the lack of 'customizing' bitz is surprising- how else do you justify replacing a still-serviceable kit? I was expecting 10 unique unhelmeted heads, battle-damaged armour sections (enough to assemble one severly damaged Marine [to be used as an Objective Marker in a rescue mission] or to sprinkle throughout a squad so they wouldn't look like they just stepped out of a Drop Pod)- seriously, does anyone else think it's weird that, for all 40K's talk about Grim Darkness/Only War, Citadel has never produced a battle-damaged Marine plastic fig (outside of the most recent edition of Space Hulk)?

I could rant on, but it's getting late and I have to work tomorrow...

seriously, does anyone else think it's weird that, for all 40K's talk about Grim Darkness/Only War, Citadel has never produced a battle-damaged Marine plastic fig (outside of the most recent edition of Space Hulk)?

I agree with most of what you said, though there is one such mini in the Tyranid Vets box:

Are those multi-part plastics, though? I thought they were metal or resin.

Are those multi-part plastics, though? I thought they were metal or resin.

Oh, good point... The site says 8-part resin cast, so I suppose that means 4x lower bodies w/ legs and 4x upper bodies w/ arms and head, including weapons.

Sorry, I missed the plastics bit.

Are those multi-part plastics, though? I thought they were metal or resin.

Oh, good point... The site says 8-part resin cast, so I suppose that means 4x lower bodies w/ legs and 4x upper bodies w/ arms and head, including weapons.

Sorry, I missed the plastics bit.

It is actually 4x full bodies and 4x backpacks.

It is actually 4x full bodies and 4x backpacks.

Ah, that makes sense, too - exactly like metal Marines/MEQ then.