(Les) Maggot Lords: Tamurkhan is Dead: 3 Pretenders to the throne arrive

Maggot Lords bust out:The Maggot Lord is Dead. Three pretenders to the throne?

Rumours offa da net, and navel gazing/internet trawling insights

Alas, alack, Tamurkhan, the Original Maggot Lord is missing in action.He seems to have been swallowed by the void. He would have made a great maggot lord.

The Maggot Lord is dead?  Long live the (New) Maggot Lords...
Hey, where did Tamurkhan go? Forge World Site suddenly (more) sparse.

I went onto their website, and noticed that the already sparse fantasy offerings were growing thinner be the day. Tamurkhan is now also gone, as is the Slaanesh Greater Daemon. I have already remarked on the Empire models going in previous posts or comments.

I think the discounts on the Tamurkan book should have been a clue as tho what Nottingham was up to. Anyhow the King is gone, and in his place comes a corpulent pustule containing the (New) maggot lords. Must be the End Times, for sure. GW actually discounting something !

You've probably all seen the other leaked pics from the White Dwarf, so I'm not gonna elaborate. Pictures suggest a Daemon choice in DoC, not Chaos United in WoC, but the fluff will tell us eventually.

So what do we know?

" They all have 3+ armour save.
The puking one (Bloab) is a lvl. 3 mage and has a ranged attack st. 3(4) with 24 inch range That allows no armour save (vile bile) I think.

Morbidex Twiceborn has a 6+ ward save, fear, regeneration, mark of nurgle, eye of the gods and a st.6 range 6 poison attack, nurglings within 12" also get regeneration, 385 points maybe ?"
E60 price tag in EU, so with the GW special exchange rate for NZ somewhere between NZ $150 and $200

These appear to be DoC, no clear cross-over w WoC as yet, but likely some unholy alliance like tomb kings and undead in the wings

Speculation: 4 horsemen of the apocalypse deal, first death, now pestilence that leaves famine and war. Can we expect to see Archaon or Valkia leading the Khorne (War) release ?

Rumour Bells Ringing Dark Elves and 9th Ed Rules?

Dark Elves, Brettonnia or Dwarfs? Rumours abound:

I would like to believe the DE Rumour (being one of my Fave armies)

4 October 2013
September 27th (pre-orders)

Condensing my net trawlings:

Dark Elves are due in October 2013, it is said be a complete new book and not just a wave
New elite infantry kit, possibly witch elves, executioners or black guards.
(If new witch elves, there will most definitely be a new Cauldron of Blood piece)

As expected Monsters and Flyers:

- New Multi-kit Hydra / Kar Karond Beast (Sea/Land/Flying Monster)  - two variations of hydra and Sea       Drake/Beast (flyer)
- Box of 10 new plastic Witch Elves
- Box 10 new plastic Executioners / Black Guard alt builds
- New Cauldron of Blood / Altar of Khaine. (Hybrid kit with old witch Elf or aura similar to EoTG called ?      Khaines blades?  a whirlwind of magic blades emitted by Khain's hatred.
- Blister Fine Cast Priestess/Crone/Hag of Khaine
- Blister Assassin  (Shadowblade)
- Blister Dark Fleet Admiral/Corsair Hero - more than Lokhir, who has become useless w make way rule.
- Executioner /Black Guard Hero Blister
- Plastic/resin  Morathi ?
- Plastic harpy kit with two options
- dual kit chariot ?

Rules:
- Dark Magic buffs up characteristics  of characters, transformation and wound recovery spells aka 5th      
  Edition.(Do we see the Black Horror spell back?)
- Sacrificial Dagger;  buffs the Cauldron of Blood in units (Skaven bell type.) ( 4 + and one per phase)
- Dark Fleet Admiral Hero buffs shooting skills  of unit
- Revamp of Assassins ? Cheaper and causing terror, better rules in keeping with their intent ?
-  Ability to use poison as an option across all Khainite Units
 - Multiple wounds and killing blow for executioners and Black Guard respectively .
-  Malekith more powerful than Teclis. (Doubtful)
-  Monster of the deep-Kar Karond (Sea Drake? ) more powerful than current Hydra

- The emphsis of the book lies around Khainite units (Kharond Kar, Hag Graef and Clar Karond

 So Monsters+Altar of Khaine+Khainite Units, Corsairs as focus.Dark Elves getting more destructive and poisoned attacks to cope w monstrous cavalry , many players' perception of the character each of the Elven races strengths in battle: DE - Offensive, HE - 
Defensive,  WE - Guerrilla warfare . 

The Elite/ heavy infantry definitely need something to help cope against the trend to Monstrous Cavalry:
Multiple wound attacks ( Execs used to do D3) and Killing Blow for Black Guard ? Thanks, that will do me just fine.

Rumours about 9th Ed?
From Tim the Thief on Faeit 212:

New Rumors for the 9th Edition of Warhammer Fantasy Release:

All Softcover Army Books will become obsolete with the new release.
The New Starter Set Boxes  will released at the same time as the Hardback Rule Book
The Set will include a Book called “Armies of Warhammer”, this Book will have simplified "beginner" Army lists for ALL available Armies. No full rule book - i.e. force you to buy a book and a starter set.

Armies of Warhammer will give Players a little view of all Armies and they Units, also it will be a transitional solution for the obsolete Army Books
Armies of Warhammer will be a part in the new Hard back Rule book
The Rule book in the Set will be a simplified “Starter or beginner " Rule book

A smaller complete Hardback Rule book will released too, called “Warhammer – The Rules”

Rules
The rule set will change again, GW has recognized the last Edition has had a hard impact on sales of Warhammer products. (read people are not buying it, and opting for the starter set instead)

The number of special rules will reduced
There will be no releases of Fantasy Supplements, the books will contain more background.
Page numbers up to 150 pages are possible!

Forgeworld Merwyrm

Forgeworld Merwyrm

When I first saw this model I thought Bleh! when I saw the first pics on the web.

I just saw this rendition on the Forgeworld website, (clicky) and the model looks a lot more appealing to me now. Available on pre-order.

Would look good with a retinue of River Trolls in a Storm of Magic Game. 

One for your Xmas list, (Pirate Greenskins) Nick?

Also like the Night Goblin Squig Gobba:

Drawback? The two together come to 102 UK Pounds, plus postage.