ME:SBG 2025 Edition - and why we don't need a new Battlefleet Gothic

In the Aussie heat I've moved my hobby table indoors. As usual, I rely on some simple MESBG miniatures to kick-start my painting. Actually, that reminds me:

MESBG: New Edition

One of the best things about ME:SBG/LOTR:SBG is it is a relatively clean ruleset which has changed little in over 20 years. That's about to change, as trying to ride on the popularity (I say this with sarcastic emphasis) of the War of the Rohirrim anime, GW are more significantly rewriting the rules. Which I hope is just marketing hype.

I've got to go back and do more details and highlighting, but the models are table-ready aka 'done'. I always warm up with painting some LoTR minis. The 23 minis from today mean I have a mere 117 this year, a far cry from the ~400-500 per year of the last few years.

If they've made significant rules changes, I'd be about as excited as if they said: "we have remade Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy for modern audiences."

That said, some rules ideas outlined seem sensible - removing/reverting the special strikes (which I always forgot and were unnecessarily added to the original rules) and making a wider range of Fight values to make armies more granular. Good. Tidying the courage roll method seems a sensible simplification.

Some Isengard heroes and leadersship crew. Everything is 3D printed - GW's own inability to sell core ME:SBG minis ironically pushed me into 3D printing in the first place...

...And they are adding a new stat "Intelligence." Not sure about this. Longtime readers of the blog will know I quite like stats (it's easier to remember 4-5 universally shared stat lines than 101 special rules) but it depends how often it will be used. A rule regularly used by everyone's army - this should be attached to a stat. Occasionally in a one-off game? Special rule. I'm not sure how often/how much "intelligence" will be used i.e. spotting a ring bearer sounds more like a one-off example. Meh? Unnecessary?

Another I am ambivalent about is the "priority" - who moves or shoots first in each turn. In the past, it was random. You adapted to what you were were given. Sometimes having priority was not great. Now, the winner chooses the sequence. This makes winning the (random) priority roll each turn more important.

Other rules seem less good. Under the "not keen on this" I'd place:

"More thematic special rules" yeah I just read the bit in bold. Not keen on more special rules especially if they come in their own supplements.

 New supplements - this is also a red flag. Once upon a time, to play LoTR you were fine with a single rulebook (the 2005? Blue Book). Then, until recently you needed at most two books = the rules + either the Hobbit or LoTR army books. Two books, max.  In recent years, however, GW has been introducing "Legendary Legions" - thematic but usually pretty OP armies that replace the generic armies - basically codexes under another name. I'm a bit afraid of the MESBG going 'full Necromunda' with 101 rules, supplements and codexes.

Streamlining rules is pretty hard when the core rules ARE already very streamlined, and if it comes with new special rules bloat and expensive "codexes" it's one step forward, two backwards.

These Serpent riders in resin are $20 for 4 ($5ea); vs $60 for 2 ($30ea) from GW.

Why - aren't you happy ME:SBG is being supported? Well, actually thanks to 3D printing this isn't a concern anymore anyway. I mean, if I can access the miniatures regardless (often much better and always far far cheaper than GW) now it's just GW trying to sell me hundreds of dollars of books.

I even wonder if GW has already lost their ME:SBG opportunity with 3D printing already stepping into a gap created by their inability/unwillingness to actually sell core units or update sculpts that are 20 years old. Online hobbyists seem to have pretty heavy 3D print presence supplementing "official" models.

Who are GW marketing this new release to?  The dozens of people who watched War of the Rohirrim? Older existing players probably have complete collections of minis or have (by necessity) been exposed to 3D printing through GW making many models unavailable for years. Perhaps selling rulebooks/supplements/fluffbooks is their business strategy.

I'd be curious to know if they appear in stores, because in Australia I don't think I've ever seen physical ME:SBG boxes for sale in GW shops. And ME:SBG seems relatively popular here, proportionately.

This vein of thought got me thinking:

Do we need a new Mordhiem or Battlefleet Gothic?

OK I may ruffle some feathers here, but I've been thinking maybe the answer is - no.

We all think we want GW to resurrect o.g classics like Mordhiem, and Battlefleet Gothic - but do we actually? They are doing fine without GW monetization aka support.

We already have an amazing array of 3D printed BFG ships (and have for years) with STL's freely available. Heck you can buy complete resin fleets on ebay for the cost of a 40K space marine squad box. There are "living rulebooks" where messy supplements have been collected, clarified and edited into one neat package.  For example, a quick look at the BFG subreddit will set you up with everything you need.

Battlefleet Gothic isn't dead. You can still buy or print models - even cheaper than under GW's watch. You can still print off the rules. It's as accessible as it's ever been. Even better, there is no codex arms race for the new-best army.

Mordhiem is the similar - while not quite as effortlessly plug-and-play as BFG; a plethora of plastic boxes from Frostgrave, Wargames Atlantic, Mantic,Warlord, Fireforge etc means the sort of narrative-player-cum-kitbasher it attracts have even more choice and creative opportunities.

The people who want to play these games are already playing them. Those who want to play, can do so rather easily. I can't see GW aggressively marketing either and creating a vast new influx of players - there was a reason the product lines were canned in the first place. 

 The downside of resin is that they are unlikely to survive any fall intact. I tend to prefer resin for heroes, with the rank-and-file in more durable plastic.

So here's my clickbait-y line: We don't need GW to remake Mordhiem or Battlefleet Gothic, they wouldn't be a very big commercial success if they did, and we are probably better off if they don't.  Debate away!

Ultimately, it shouldn't matter. A new wargame edition is not like a Windows upgrade which means you can't run a PC game.  People are still happily playing 40K 3rd edition or pre-Sigmar Warhammer. Your old miniatures still 'work' and 3D printing allows you to start from scratch - resurrecting an old game has never been so easy. GW isn't coming to repossess your rulebook and free, better versions of OOP books are online. 

...Huh. I spent so long on this tangent it's a post in itself. Well, I had other topics I meant to discuss, but my kids want to play now, so I guess this may not be my last 2024 post after all.  If I don't, a belated Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all.