The Current Warhammer 40k Bestsellers Quarantine Edition

Periodically, I like to check in with Games Workshop’s website to see what are the hottest selling models by checking out their Bestsellers list. The list usually turns out to be a pretty strange static list of products, but it can sometimes surprise you.   

Assume the list represents gross totals, not units sold, and only represents sales coming through Games Workshop ordering channel, also don’t assume that the list is in any actually order.

• Cadian Defense Force
• Dark Imperium
• Primaris Intercessors
• Basilisk
• Start Collecting! Genestealer Cults
• Start Collecting! Vanguard Space Marines
• Start Collecting! T’au Empire
• Tyrant Guard/Hive Guard
• Dominions/Celestians
• Battle Sisters Squad
• Thunderfire Cannon
• Commander Shadowsun
• Psychic Awakening: The Greater Good

This 13 product bestsellers list is a story of a time stuck in amber. You can see exactly when Games Workshop production stopped with this bestsellers list. You have six products directly related to the release of new rules (Psychic Awakening: The Greater Good) for Genestealer Cults, Tau, and Imperial Guard. As someone who follows this bestsellers list often, it is still strange to always see the Cadian Defense Force somewhere on the list. 

Three of the products are core Space Marine products with Dark Imperium, Intercessors, and the Vanguard Start Collecting, and the bonus “play to win” Thunderfire Cannon. Typically the bestsellers list is half Space Marines, 1/4 Imperial Guard, and the rest being whatever is the current competitive or large centerpiece hotness. Personally, I am surprised not more Sisters are on the bestsellers list, but this could simply be a case of quarantine timing and sales not showing up or being cut off.

The biggest winner from the bestseller list is Tau, many people still don’t understand just how popular Tau are; consistently the second most sold product line behind Space Marines. It is very rare for the bestsellers list to have a book on it, no coincidence a Tau book is the one to make the list. As well single character models, that are not a Primarch ever make the bestsellers list, so it is a sign to see Shadowsun here, another testament to the Tau sales power. 

I want to see what the list looks like once Games Workshop is back in business again, we will have tons of pent up meta purchasing to be had, but the odd thing is very little game data to tell players what is good and what to buy. We also don’t know if Games Workshop is going to hit us with tons of new releases quickly or they going to act more like the movie industry and see how things shake out before committing the “blockbusters” for release.