"Games Workshop discontinues selling bases by size." Topic

I went into my local GW yesterday for a pack of 20 x 20mm square bases…

…only to be told they no longer sell packs of (same-sized) bases.

All they now sell is a 'mixed bag' of assorted rectangular bases; 20x20, 25x25, 40mm monster, and cavalry.

OR a mixed bag of assorted-sized round bases.

Of course, obedient devotees of 'The GW Hobby' don't need to buy seperate bases, because you get official GW bases with your official GW figures… but for those of us who might use GW products for (gasp) non-GW gaming/modelling, it's just another reason not to buy from them.

It seems like they're on a mission to eliminate any reason for the general gamer to set foot in their stores.

I suggest you look at EM4 or similar, you may be left wondering why you ever needed GW.

Cheers, Copper… posted the same news on Wargames Directory, and got tips for GaleForce 9 and Esdevium.

There are plenty of companies out there selling this kind of thing… GW are just denying themselves sales.

Why should one assume GW must tailor it's product line to support something it does not produce? I would think for people playing GW games, such packs are more suited to their needs…

I've been buying bases from EM4 and good value do they provide…

Damon.

Actually, I just ordered 5 bags of 25mm square bases. (They now list them as large square bases). I'm sure they have small too. I got 60 of them for $5. USD (Also got a bag of 30 cav bases too). Granted they're slotta but nothing some basing material won't fix.

There might be a different policy here between GW UK and GW US. (I'm assuming Norman D's use of "Cheers" indicatest that his local GW is somewhere in Blighty, and that brucka didn't spend his $5 USD in England…)

Its a stupid policy if its true, but perhaps some base sizes were selling so poorly that this was the only way to move them? It seems foolish though, these are an accessory produce, provided not really to make a profit for GW, but as a service to keep gamers in GW stores and buying from GW mail-order. I think they are making a mistake and will push more people to look beyond GW by doing this.

Of course, obedient devotees of 'The GW Hobby' don't need to buy seperate bases, because you get official GW bases with your official GW figures… but for those of us who might use GW products for (gasp) non-GW gaming/modelling, it's just another reason not to buy from them.

Now thats just childish on your part to say that.It has nothing to do with as you call it "Obedient Devotees of the GW Hobby" Why should they cater to people who are not there core market? You not buying from them is hardly going to make them go out of business.

It seems like they're on a mission to eliminate any reason for the general gamer to set foot in their stores.

Again if your not there demographic why should they bother trying to please you? Maybe they figure you'll just go on the web and bitch .

I think they are making a mistake and will push more people to look beyond GW by doing this.

I'm sure they don't feel it's a mistake. I would find it hard to believe that by changing they way they packaged there bases is going to hurt there bottom line.

36 days of membership and making friends already!

Way to go Imp522!

Okay first off justBill last time I checked I'm free to say what I want on a subject.

Secondly been around a lot longer the 36 days. Heres my old account TMP link changed passwords and cant remember what I changed it to.

Sorry if you don't like my opinion thats what the stifle is for if you need it. So get off your high horse and the thinking that because you feel you've been here such a long time it somehow makes you better in some way.

WAY TO GO justbill!!

The single-size bags are no longer in the retail channel, but can supposedly be found on their webstores. That does beg the question, though. "Why not shop somewhere else?"

Perhaps they should go to 'collectors packs'. Sealed bags where you don't know what size you are getting until you open them up.

Obviously the really popular ones that everyone wants should be 'rare' and only slipped into every 20th pack.

Well it works with other ranges…

The bags of bases were the last thing they sold that gave value for the price. The bags probably made a reasonable profit for them, and gave wargamers a valuable resource. I see they've made certain that this doesn't continue. They treat their customers like suckers.

"Again if your not there demographic why should they bother trying to please you?"

Simple. That's how a company gets new customers. Dropping things from a catalog that appeal to non-GW gamers, makes sure those gamers never see GW products they might buy later. I know a number of GW players who have started buying bases from elsewhere since it's harder to get just the bases they want… so they lose even more business.

Of course, just read their reports to stock holders over the past couple of years and you'll see they make a practice of decreasing business and not getting new customers. Each quarter seems worse then the one before

I'm somewhat skeptical that plastic *bases* serve as an entry point to the rest of the GW product line. IMHO, if you're buying plastic bases, this means either you already play GW games or their derivatives (i.e. WAB), or know enough about them that you've already decided the only thing of value from them is the bases. And this thread certainly shows that (how many of the complainers are GW haters???)

Damon.

I doubt if plastic base sales decisions will significantly alter GWs financial ship one way or the other. Their stock has declined 31% in the last year, and since 2005 it's plummeted about 75%. I haven't read a lot of analysis on what their problems are, but I'd guess it has a lot more to do with the type of entertainment that 12-15 year olds are into these days than accessories they offer for sale.

So, is this a US or UK distribution change? I use the small flight bases for my starship bases and having to buy large bases as well would be annoying (and cause me to look for a different source).

I think weaver hit the nail on the head. The core market of GW are 12-15 year old males and GW has to compeat against video games, film and girls. It is funny that this appears to be their main demographic when the last Games Day I attended had a much older crowd in majority.

Probably their hottest commodity is their IP with 40k. Dawn of War did very well in video PC game sales and Dawn of War 2 looks to do well when it is released. Next up a 40K film at some point perhaps? Regardless rumors of GW's demise have always been premature and would be a significant blow to the hobby overall. So be careful for what you wish for.

""I think they are making a mistake and will push more people to look beyond GW by doing this.""

"I'm sure they don't feel it's a mistake. I would find it hard to believe that by changing they way they packaged there bases is going to hurt there bottom line."

Given their recent current track record, the fact that THEY don't think it is a mistake is hardly dispositive now, is it?

Eureka Miniatures do metal bases compatible with GW base sizes and shapes. They do wonders for the GW plastic figures in terms of improving their stability.

Try Dice and Games, lot's of bases to choose from?

se

cpmodels.co.uk

Okay first off justBill last time I checked I'm free to say what I want on a subject.

You're not free to make personal attacks, like "bitch like a baby" could be taken as being. Feel free to support GW, heaven knows they need a friend on here sometimes, but you may be less stifled if you were slightly calmer….

Base wise, it's an awful move and ensures just a little bit more hobby money goes elsewhere. The prices of the new base bags are ridiculous….

I was aware of this some time ago – there have been TMP posts. However I have purchased bags of 40mm round bases from GW mail order with out issue.

I agree that there is something wrong with having to buy mixed bags from GW stores – a bit short sighted, but as far as I am aware the bases are still available from mail order.

Tony
dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com

So that just leaves me buying paint from my local store then….the rest of their accessories (including spray paint) can be picked up cheaper either from the net or another trader.

If you're in the uk tray Gateshead Gaming I'm pretty sure they sell bases loose.

link then go to the skelp trader pagea nd there is a link to them

(how many of the complainers are GW haters???)

If I didn't play their games and buy their figures I wouldn't need their bases. In fact, I need their bases to rebase the figures I bought from them a very long time ago, when (say) Fiends and Nurgle beasts were on Cavalry bases. This edition, they're on 40mm square bases. That I can't buy a bag of anymore. It's nice to be rewarded as a customer.

I agree with Ivan…. I'm sure GW don't think they're making a mistake.
But then again…. no company sets out to make poor decisions… they all think it's a good idea at the time.

I've always said that GW's success has got very little to do with it's product lines.
They've remained successful throughout several re-inventions: firstly as a general games store selling other company's games, then producing their own products and selling them alongside other company's games, then exclusively GW products, then WH/40k only. And they've remained successful… it's just that right now, they're LESS successful.

I think the mainstay of their success is the one thing they've got which practically no other trader has: a permanent High Street Presence.

And THAT depends on keeping people coming through the doors!
As far as 'GW-hating' goes, I'll hold my hand up and say that I'm no fan of their marketing policies… that does not equate to any personal dislike.
At the end of the day, here I am WANTING to go into the shop and support their business and generate a little turnover.

As for imp; stifled and reported.
He's averaging 2.1 posts-per-stifle… thoroughly unpleasant, but easily dealt with.

I have a reason why it was a mistake. Older gamers tend to like the older models. They often buy stuff on the secondary market and either repair or rebase them. Plastic bases are easier to just rip off old models and put new ones on. GW's base bags were already incredibly expensive – Something like $5-6 for a handful. That's a lot of money for a few bits of plastic that they've been selling for over 25 years.

For people like me who would go to their store every 2-3 months and drop $50-60 on supplies and stuff, I now never go in. Never. I buy from different manufacturers. Now maybe they aren't concerned with a lifetime buyer in the $200-300 range. I know I would. That's good business practice. $200-300 a year is not too shabby. I probably spend more and if they produced a new game, I might spend even more.

Unpleasant because I don't agree with you? I stand by my comments above.

I know a lot of people who buy (or used to buy) GW bases because they are at least consistent.
Look at the Warhammer ECW book and see how many NON GW FIGURES are based on 40mmx40mm GW bases.

If they want to thumb their noses at potential customers, then let them.

What is the next step? Are they going to sell paints to only those who buy GW figures at the same time? "I'm sorry Sir, but you are not allowed to use Snakebite leather on SYW British buff belts, or on Old Glory shields. Those are not recognized as being part of the Warhammer Hobby"

Their next step of marketing genius is to discontinue the Bronzed Flesh paint and the Flesh Wash. Good luck getting your skin tones consistant with what ever you replace them with. I've stocked up… :)

they all think it's a good idea at the time.

Was it New Coke, or New Pepsi? Can't remember now….

I have gone to Litko bases and Delta-Ceramcoat paints.

Why should I buy way over priced hobby paints (and that applies not just to GW).

As for GW deciding to no longer sell individual packs of bases, perhaps the next version of their games will feature an entirely new basing scheme?

I note the recomended basing for Great War includes washers…

The format for selling bases can only be "justified" as a means to make more from the stuff people are buying, or as a way to clear overstock of bases they have too many of. Neither option makes a *lot* of sense, but nothing else makes *any* sense.

Factors that GW apparently are ignoring include the likelihood that while homogenous packs were probably selling in about the proportion they have in the variety packs, they weren't selling to the same people. The other factor, oft cited, is that GW simply cannot conceive of "their" customers learning of or desiring to buy from any source but GW, despite those sources being relatively plentiful. Even their supposed target demographic knows how to use Google…

Wow – GW makes a product discontinuation decision – which someone disagrees with and another fight breaks out – proof that nothing is new on TMP. Hey IMP – you can stand by your comments – however you will stand in a fairly small company. Many of us complain about GW product policies – and we do so because sometime they may actually listen to our complaints. It hasn't happened yet, but they might. As for calling us GW haters – you are dead wrong on leveling that accusation against many TMPers. Most of us LIKE GW products, figures, and games, and we do support them. I own over 1,000 of their figures give or take, many of them fully painted into nice little armies under rules systems which probably are older than you are, or at least older than you are acting. I've been collecting and painting GW figures since they first released Rogue Trader and Fantasy – I still have the 1982 Fantasy Box Set – yes I say 1982 because that is the date printed on the BOX – as opposed to the books which were printed/published in 1983. Just goes to show that things never change – release dates never occur when you want them to – and yet the endearing public still purchases your product.

So, please forgo the name-calling, the cheap-shots, and use of obscene words while posting here. I don't appreciate it, nor do many others as noted above. I've endured too many years of supporting GW, through at least 12 different versions of rules sets between Fantasy and 40K and their spin-off varients like Mordheim, Gorka-Morka, SpaceHulk, etc., to have the likes of you come storming on here swearing and trying to shout down someone for complaining about a GW policy change. The powers that be at GW have had some god-aweful timing on their decisions lately – which has upset lots of us. The announcement that they were discontinuing Black Industries and cancelling the Dark Heresy line – the day after it sold out!!! – only to announce two to three weeks later that they licensed another company to pick up where they left off – horrible timing. They have proven themselves the kings of poor timing over and over again. Perhaps just ONCE – just ONCE – in all of the complaining that goes on here and in other forums they will listen to the public which wants them to do well; which wants them to succeed as a business; which wants to support them; which wants to purchase our hobby supplies from them.

So, to GW – perhaps if any of those who make decisions read this – this would be a simple one to do, and it would make lots of us happy if you did return to single base size bags. Thanks.

As to IMP – please try to be a big boy from now on and keep your name-calling and profanities off TMP. I am sure the rest of the community will appreciate it too.

I suppose footprint reduction could be seen as a viable reason (by someone), particularly with so much of the GW lines leaving blister and migrating to box, but every GW store I've ever been in keeps the "supplies" on their own rack.

The other reduction reason that makes a modicum of sense is SKU reduction. This doesn't make internal inventory easier to track, particularly (since each type of base is still its own sprue with part number), but apparently bar codes cost money…

I complained to the manager of my local GW about these new packs. Although he towed the company line he did go out the back and bought out a bits box. After a quick search he gave 40 round bases free of charge.

I do realise that this won't happen again so I took the liberty of getting several hundred at Salute.

It's one less thing to buy from GW but then I've been out of their target demographic for at least 20 years!!!

I confess I've never really got my head around the idea of a target demographic when it comes to sales.

When it comes to MARKETING, sure, obviously. And I see the reasoning behind the 'recruit 'em, keep 'em invested in our systems' policy.

But when it comes to SALES?
Surely, turnover is turnover, and a sale is a sale. While I might not fit their ideal customer profile, I think they'd find my cash pays their bills just as well as anyone elses.

I'm sure they know their own business, but if I was trying to make a living as a games trader, I'd be doing my best to widen my opportunities to make a sale… not narrowing them down.

No, really, in the US at least, you can get the bases for a fairly reasonable price – I ordered through my regular hobby store (not a GW store). I am rebasing many of my ECW figs to better use in skirmish 'Once Upon a Time in the West Country' and '1644' (individually and with movement trays). I priced other bases and GW was the best deal -gasp!!! I use WGA metal bases underneath for weight and storage (magnetic sheet). Easy to order, though they do have that awful hodge-podge bag available too.

If you ordered through a store prior to January, you might be surprised by the results if you tried that now. The Bits Service is largely dead.

Try:

raidmybitzbox.com

It's a stroke of genius!

I ordered my bases from a store last week.

Got it, Brucka…. I was responding to GC's comment about the bits service pining for the fjords.

As someone else said, this news isn't that new.

It seems pretty clear why GW would do this, and no I don't think it's some giant conspiracy to make people do anything. They have what, 9 different base types? 20mm, 25mm, 40mm in both square and round, cavalry (25x50mm), chariot (50x100mm), and large 40K monster (60mm round)? Oh wait plus the regiment bases, 20x80mm & 25x100mm. So 11 different base types. They've compressed their inventory in this area by 91%, by only stocking one bag of bases.

Does it hurt their core customers? No offense to anyone above, but no, not really. Their core customers are not us; we don't reliably spend enough money in their stores, which is the only gauge they have to measure a customer. Their core customers walk into their stores from the mall and buy current production boxed or blistered figures, all of which come with bases. These customers would only need extra bases to make game markers, base trees or other terrain, or an occasional conversion … any of which will be reasonably served by a bag or two of mixed bases.

Us old gamers with old GW figures who need bases? No offense but they got our money when we bought the figures the first time.

The WAB players basing someone else's figures? (Or WHFB or WH40K.) Hey, it's not GW's problem that company XYZ sells their figures without bases for GW's games. In fact GW did their best to make their kind of bases an industry standard; complain to company XYZ about not having bases.

I'm not thrilled about this either, BTW, but I do understand it. And as others noted there are quite a number of other sources for bases out there … though I too will miss the value the big packs of GW single bases represented.

More types than that:

25mm round in slotted and slotless
40mm round
65mm round (the "Dreadnought" base)
60mm round flat (Epic Titan base)
20mm square in slotted diagonal, slotted straight, and slotless
25mm square in slotted diagonal, slotted straight, and slotless
40mm square "Monster"
50mm square "Large Monster"
25x50mm "Cavalry"
50x100mm "Chariot"
40x60mm "Screaming Bell, Reliquary, and Skarsnik & Gobbla" base
20x40mm "LE Night Goblins" base
20x80mm "Small Regiment"
25x100mm "Large Regiment"

20x40mm flat "Warmaster"
12x40mm "Epic Strip"

30mm Flight Base
50mm Flight Base

Note that they used to do a 25mm hex, a 20mm round, a 20mm square Epic, a SpaceFleet flight base, a hex-based flight base, and regiment bases with inserts. Three of these (the hex, hex-flight, and 20mm round) have other sources these days, while the others have faded into OOP obscurity.

Us old gamers with old GW figures who need bases? No offense but they got our money when we bought the figures the first time.

I know, but they could have *more* of my money if I could buy the bases I wanted. Now my sense of irritation will drive me to other manufacturers. For figures as well as bases.

I am humbled before GC's knowledge of bases!

"All your base are belong to GypsyComet!"

I don't think they sell all of those bases in bags. I think for the last several years, only a handful have been available. The other bases could be ordered individually through mail order.

GypsyComet: More types than that:

Good list, thanks for the additional info and for proving my point, that by stocking one bag of mixed bases in the store GW has compressed their retail stock more than 90% in this area.

25mm round in slotted and slotless
…
20mm square in slotted diagonal, slotted straight, and slotless
25mm square in slotted diagonal, slotted straight, and slotless

When I would buy the large bag of any of these, the square bases were slotted diagonal and the round were slotted -- the others were only available with miniatures that they fit.

40x60mm "Screaming Bell, Reliquary, and Skarsnik & Gobbla" base

This may have changed but I bought the Reliquary when it was released and at that time it came with a 40mm square monster base plus two 20mm square infantry bases, and the modeler was expected to glue them together to make a 40x60mm base. Also even if a base this size was produced, I do not believe it was available in big bags.

20x40mm "LE Night Goblins" base

This one also I do not believe was ever available in a big bag.