40k Space Marine Upgrade Sprues Sighted Plus New Assault Marines
May 28, 2015 by brennon
It seems like the Space Marines of Warhammer 40,000 will be getting their upgrade this weekend as a whole bunch of images appeared from the upcoming issue of White Dwarf from Games Workshop. You can see the snaps of the Upgrade Sprues and new Assault Marines HERE...
The new sets allow you to upgrade Space Marines from the Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Ultramarine and Space Wolf Chapters alongside a whole array of transfer sheets too. It looks like there are some nice options available on the sprues which should give some more individuality to your models.
As well as that there's the addition of the new Assault Squad who come on the larger round bases and with a bit of a beefier look to them than before although that might just be me seeing things!
I'm not a fan of the chainsword design that the Veteran Sergeant is holding - the hand guard, while practical, just doesn't look very 'cool' to me.
Images from Citadel Of Paint
What do you think of the upgrades?
"The new sets allow you to upgrade Space Marines from the Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Ultramarine and Space Wolf Chapters..."
They look alright for what they are, not so sure about the price though still cheaper than bits sites i guess. The transfer sheets are a bit steep though compared to the FW ones.
I agree with you about the chain sword and not surprised he is not wearing a helmet that’s one big melon. To be honest the models may well have not been changed at all and just extras sprue released for the few new parts.
It does say “new assault squad” on the cover of white dwarf, and because the current, old and miscast assault squad is “no longer available” on the GW website, I’m sure it’s safe to assume that, like the new tactical squad with new models and clean moulding, this new assault squad will be just that.
I do hope so majordutch. It will be good to see in the flesh if they have done whole new parts or just added extra bits on the old designs in an effort to revitalise the models without too much cost. I would love to see GW back on track with not only great releases when doing new ranges but also when re-releasing old ones with new army lists.
Whatever is going on here … I like it.
Come on GW give white Scars some love!
It’s….fine… I guess; I don’t really understand the need for Space Wolf / Dark Angels / Blood Angels upgrade sprues when you get so many bits from their respective full kits anyway, but getting more bits / options can’t be a bad thing.
Perhaps the sprues are paving the way for Deathwatch? Perhaps if these ones are popular, we’ll see other chapters?
The Assault marines; looks to be a improvement; I don’t see a tremendous difference myself, but then I’ve seen posts from Marine players saying they’re actually a significant one, so what do I know
There were the rumours of a Deathwatch style board game so maybe that could be the case @fleetey
BoW Ben
I wish they had a no-bellbottom upgrade. Could never get on board with that aesthetic.
But the bellbottoms are where they store their spinach tins for extra power, lol! 😀
Never understood that design choice nor liked it. I would buy an entire army if they only changed that detail.
I would use them in other games as well. Now that my friends know I’m back into sci-fi they’re starting to get rid of their dusty GW stuff, in the hopes that I can use some of it in our resurrected RPG world. It’s a quick sort: Helmets? No. Pauldrons? No. Melee weapons? No. But some great heads, torsos, and ranged weapons.
Thank God the Thought Police are on the job. I don’t know what I was thinking… I love it all.
It would seem this too, something so innocuous, and with a GW compliment thrown in, is about to devolve into purple faces and tiny raging hands pounding the keyboard.
It’s about time the old assault squad was given new, cleaner cast parts. Hopefully the devastator squad will be next to be revamped (probably with the tactical squad parts). I hated having to carve detail that should already be there in the knee joints and boots (I don’t like them looking miscast) so I’m glad there will be new ones after all this time – I just checked the sprues I have and it says 2004 on them, 9 bloody years ago! It would be really cool if those chapter upgrades were included with the new squad, but that could… Read more »
Don’t forget Chaos Berserkers need some loving. Now they really look old.
Might actually be able to make a half decent Ragnar out of those sprues and finally lay to rest that woeful excuse of a sculpt.
Given its age that is a good sculpt. Careful what you wish for though or he may just be re-released in a longboat pulled by even bigger wolves
Must admit I wasn’t a fan of the sculpt at its time of release, too static for such an aggressive character. Technically a very good piece of work let down by the dynamics.
Couldn’t agree more about what GW could do with a re-release, I still stare in disbelief at that sleigh.
More dynamic sculpt would be good, but rather than just charging I think him looking like he is leading his men forward
Looks like the ultra marine sergeant took his jetpack and slammed into a concrete wall at full speed .. cant see much that stands out either, looks mostly like the old ones to me
I think the sprues looks good and given the custom bits price they are reasonably priced. One for Lenton to mark as do more – would betempted to pick up some to communicate the the GW language if I was playing 40k still might for modelling.
Sprays just go to halfords.
Assault marines are nice enough, just well generic marines so not something that does it for me.
Have you tried Army Painter sprays? I used to buy car primer from Halfords but the AP stuff is so much nicer to use IMO and have not gone back since.
Good idea about communicating the GW language. Maybe I should have bought that assassins game so they’d release more board games too.
Aslong as it’s not demonic yellow lunchbox, that AP shade has killed a ton of my marines in the past….total tin of crap.
Never tried that one. What was wrong with it?
Tried their black, white, brown, skin and a camo green one and all were great. Brown was a little glossy when dry but nothing a coat of matt at the end won’t fix.
Well I’ve bought three different tin’s over the last two years (not for the past 10 months mind) and so can say they are from different batches/suppliers and without doubt the product was total pants.
I’ve shaken it to death used it in various weather conditions even sunk it in warm water to get the pressure up all make no difference, the spray dries before hitting the miniature leaving a pants finish, hold the spray nearer it blobs 10″ 25 ” 15″ makes no difference it’s shit, shit shit.
@lunchbox, I have and I like the coverage they give if I am going for a fairly uniform paint scheme, if I am going to do a mix of colours prefer to do either black/grey pre-shade or grey/white pre-shade.
as for the assassin board game I didn’t because I would prefer decent board games and that would be fine as a cheap beer & pizza game but not as a premium price product.
As an aside now I can see the details I think the sprues are reasonably nice the DA one is very vanilla, and for me odd bits aside space wolf one is not that wonderful. UM is solid and I really like the BA sprue
they look good but not to keen on the two handed chainsaw?
The more things change the more they stay the same.
Meanwhile, as space marines get constant upgrades, codex’s and new models that look like all the other models, we chaos players get to play with several edition old models, crappy legion troop boxes, and crappier upgrade kits. You’d think they could find something better to waste their time on.
Whatever GW do, someone is going to complain about it. In this instance SM’s are their best seller, hence why it gets the most attention. Am sure Chaos will get their turn soon enough.
(and as @Wesadie1969 pointed out above – Ragnar is still the same model I bought in 1993 so don’t even go to the “several editions old models” argument! 🙂 )
I don’t really feel sorry for SW being your whole range got an army wide remake minus 3 or 4 old character models. And hate to say it, every time SM gets an upgrade or new kit, the chapter armies gets to cash in on it 9 times outta 10 as well.
CSM are also “space marines” and have always been a popular army. Its not a complaint, merely a statement of fact that they don’t get enough attention.
We Chaos Marine players have it good in comparison to Sisters Players. We’ve at least had a few new models in the last few years.
I like the Roman style swords and helms on the Ultramarines sprues, They’re pretty nifty looking.
The chapter upgrade sprues are nicely sculpted especially the BA one imo. I’m not complaining about the price either because I don’t want to upset folks.. But seriously, chapter specific shoulder pads are a really an old hat by now and any SM player will have accumulated a good few for his chapter by now so why not making some really new bits for the Marines? Bit of a missed opportunity imho. And to be honest the excitement of the GW studio member who wrote the article over the new off white White Primer might have been caused by fumes… Read more »
Love the idea of the chapter upgrade sprues. Just not sure why they did Dark Angels, Space Wolves and Blood Angels first when they already have a lot of sweet bits available from other kits. Would have preferred to see Ultramarines, Imperial/Crimson Fists, Iron hands and either Raven Guard or White Scars as first 4.
On a separate note that picture is fantastic.
It’s from/on front cover of the short stories book entitled “Legends of the Space Marines”, good read but i would say that as its got a Scythes of the Emperor short 😉
They look like good kits if your into the main chapters, not for me though.
This five man set of plastic game parts is RRP close to 40 quid equivalent in NZ. No way GW you should be ashamed.
40 Quid….WTF!! is that like £40 in England bud? if so fcuking move on thats outrageous.
@jay188 i know right! Exchange rate is pretty solid. About 1.7-1.8 nzd to a pound. These are 86 nzd!! Pretty sure they even have a factory in Australia so shipping shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Like a troop squad made of figures at a special charater price…….clam packs are just not an option at all. The dominus preist (i love it) is 62 nzd! Crazy.
I guess thats about 61 us dollars for the jump squad.
We are talking of the one sprue be it Ultra or whatever not a pack with them all in arn’t we, not looked that much into it you see as the main 40k chapters hold very little interest for me, I would of thought that you could buy one sprue at a time say the Ultra if your painting up an Ultramarine army.
I’m thinking £8 for one a good price no more than ten anyhow, but 86 nzd amounts to 50£ which is just crazy, I’ll buy it for you and post it over cheaper man lol.
Never quite understood their pricing in Aus / NZ. Rest of the world are usually pretty similar in price but you guys get a really raw deal down there.
Its just so that other countries will seem to be getting good deals 🙂 actually very thoughtful of GW
Sounds grossly unfaie, whats GW’s take on this…anyone ever asked why.
Their take on kt is if people pay those prices regardless they can keep charging them
I sent a suggestion to BOW last year suggesting if they wanted to do a bit of serious wargamer journalism this may be a good place to start. I think perhaps this isn’t their bag though. I get the feeling somebody could make a bit of money buying stuff at an independent US retailer at 20% below US rrp price and privately exporting it over to NZ (So officially second hand). The retailers themselves wouldn’t be able to do it without GW shutting them down.
Another shocking example. Upgrade sprue……..nz price is equivalent to 19ish US dollars………for a few shoulder pads and bits! Bonkers!
So thats about £12 for the sprue then….a little steep but not that out of control is it, thought it was £50 lol, yeah as i said around £8 about right i think but yep if you want you will pay i guess…or move on buy and play something else.
Holy mother of Jebus, 66€ for a 10 men assault squad!!! I did not know plastic casting was this costly LOL
It isn’t your paying for the label
its “GW tax”, saw the term being used on boardgame geek after a fan of 40k felt a bit stupid for buying assassinorum at full retail price.
£50 for a box of ten assault troops, a bit steep.