I think it really could be, you know!
Space Marines Sell!
If there's one thing that Games Workshop does well, it's Space Marines. And Forge World has proven that a game about Space Marines fighting Space Marines can sell.
Ironically, the background and story for the Horus Heresy has in many ways eclipsed the setting for Warhammer 40,000.
So Betrayal at Calth is a great big box full of beautiful Space Marine miniatures, which people will use for Horus Heresy, 40K or both. The big box also offers excellent value, allowing people to build a Space Marine army very quickly and easily.
It's marketing genius! - Both short term and long term.
Short term, you can pick up 30 Marines, 5 Terminators, 2 Characters and 1 Contemptor Dreadnought (or multiple boxes) and build an army.
Long term, you've invested in the Horus Heresy and will want to pick up some of the more expensive Forge World products.
For Games Workshop and Forge World, having a huge base of players ALL collecting Horus Heresy Space Marine armies is a manufacturers dream come true. Now if they make a new Space Marine Dreadnought kit, they can market it to ALL of the Horus Heresy players. Unlike Warhammer 40K, where they could only market a new Tyranid Monstrous Creature kit to the smaller total number of Tyranid players.
This justifies the cost of designing and producing new kits by making them sell in greater volumes.
At the same time, the box is also a board game with a totally different system to Horus Heresy or Warhammer 40K, which is another brilliant selling point...
How many of you got into the Games Workshop hobby from playing board games?
I'm talking about Hero Quest, Space Crusade, Space Hulk, Battle Masters and many other lesser known games.
The rules were TOTALLY different and very simple compared to Warhammer or Warhammer 40K, but we were engrossed in the setting and inspired by the miniatures. Even if we sucked at painting them with airfix paints when we were kids.
But, that's what got me into the Games Workshop hobby. My friends had these board games and they were great fun to play! I'm thinking of Battle Masters in particular, which was a watered down Empire VS Chaos game of Warhammer Fantasy.
However, this time around Games Workshop doesn't have the alliance with MB Games or a popular retailer like Argos was back in the day.
But the potential for people to introduce friends to the hobby through board games like back in the old days should still be very likely.
I fancied something different for Warhammer 40K, so I've started collecting an Eldar army.
That should be my focus and nothing else.
Seriously, I sold my Malifaux and X-Wing stuff, because this is the 1 game I want to focus on.
Now, the problem I have is that almost EVERYONE I know is going to buy this boxed set and start a Space Marine army - if they haven't already.
How am I going to feel if I'm the ONLY PERSON without a Space Marine army? And as a consequence, I can't play in the Horus Heresy Space Marine wars with everyone else?
"Erm, could you run your Horus Heresy Ultramarines as Warhammer 40K Ultramarines please, so I can play with my Eldar?"
It just feels awkward if everyone around me is playing Horus Heresy.
That said, Space Marine players will also be ale to build 1 army that can be played in both Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40K games, with many units being able to carry across from one game to the other.
This boxed set offers good value - Especially with online discounts from independent retailers.
Horus Heresy is probably more engrossing that Warhammer 40K right now.
Space Marines always sell well for Games Workshop.
Peer pressure will make those who are resistant to starting a Space Marine Legion start a Space Marine Legion.
Manufactured Space Marine units have a good Return On Investment in terms of units sold for Games Workshop.
Horus Heresy Space Marine units will have an even high volume of units sold for Games Workshop.
So what I'm saying is that Games Workshop may have just cured its financial woes and satisfied its customer base by bringing the Horus Heresy game from Forge World to the masses by making it more affordable.
Considering the praise I've read online about the Horus Heresy game compared to the imbalances of Warhammer 40,000, I have high hopes for the Horus Heresy.
Now I must wrestle with the want/need for a Horus Heresy Space Marine army.
The only issue here is that Space Wolves don't have a Horus Heresy army list... yet.