Question about 40K boxes

[Canas]

I've recently gotten the forgebane box and have been putting it together and just as with the chaos space marine box I got earlier I've noticed that the box doesn't seem to have enough bits for all the appropriate options in it. The chaos space marines flat out missed certain weapons according to the internet (I think a rocket launcher for example wasn't there). And in this case it contains skitarii ranger which can have 3 special weapons in a group of 10, but I only have 1 copy of each special weapon so I can't actually make a dedicated squad for 1 type. Also the alpha only has arms with pistols, none with a rifle, despite the rifle being a valid option.

So my question. Is this a common thing with 40K where boxes randomly miss valid options for no apparent reason? Or have I somehow managed to stumble on weird boxes?

 

[little-myth]

If I remember, when I brought my Grey Hunters a few years back. In the Codex they were capable of taking one special weapon but they lacked it on the kit itself, apparently I had to buy a spare of that weapon or buy a different kit with it in. Not sure if they changed it now but it seems to be a thing with some kits lacking certain weapons.

 

[Canas]

well that's just awkward.. especially for stuff like the skitarii who can have snipers that even need to go on a special base. Especially seeing as the sniper has about 3 times the range of the other special weapon options, so it's not like a mixed team even begins te make sense...

 

[Seraphandy]

I believe that (In general) boxed sets have miniatures which have less options than buying a unit separately. This is likely in order to get gamers started, not intimidate younger gamers and to keep down costs?

 

[Canas]

I believe that (In general) boxed sets have miniatures which have less options than buying a unit separately. This is likely in order to get gamers started, not intimidate younger gamers and to keep down costs?

That seems unlikely. The forgebane box lists all option you can kit your skittarii rangers out with. And it even has the parts (and instructions) for making vanguard instead. Though it lacks the rules for how to play with vanguard. If anything this is more confusing.

Plus in terms of confusion, many 40K boxes don't say what the equipment does, you need the codex for the actual rules. And they often don't even say which particular gun is which. I had to google for pictures to figure out which sprue corresponded to which gun for my tech priest….

So in terms of confusion and not intimidating they do a fairly bad job imho

Might just be that this way you're forced to buy the unit boxes and can't just get around it by buying discounted boxsets.

 

[Killer Angel]

It is sadly a thing.
Not all the options are available in 40k boxes… i don't recall if you can know what kind of things you are going to miss, but I'm sure you are forced to a certain equipment.

Kinda like the first Prosecutors in AoS boxes. Only celestial hammers, no javelins.

 

[Aginor]

It is sadly a thing.
Not all the options are available in 40k boxes… i don't recall if you can know what kind of things you are going to miss, but I'm sure you are forced to a certain equipment.

Kinda like the first Prosecutors in AoS boxes. Only celestial hammers, no javelins.

Yep, happens to other units as well. Starsoul Maces for SCE Retributors are also sold separately and aren't in the box IIRC.

 

[Canas]

Yep, happens to other units as well. Starsoul Maces for SCE Retributors are also sold separately and aren't in the box IIRC.

yeah, but that was only with the starterset. At least there an argument can be made that they tried to keep it simple by limiting the amount of options, the bloodreavers for example didn't have their twohanded weapons in that box either (though that -1 rend would've been so usefull in that box...). Plus, those boxes didn't even mention the other options so you're not aware that they exist to begin with

The forgebane box on the other hand has all the options, just only 1 copy of each option, making a coherent unit impossible.

 

[Killer Angel]

The forgebane box on the other hand has all the options, just only 1 copy of each option, making a coherent unit impossible.

Kinda like a box of Devastator squad. No way you can equip the squad with 4 heavy weapons of the same type

 

[Canas]

Kinda like a box of Devastator squad. No way you can equip the squad with 4 heavy weapons of the same type

sigh… I'd be fine with it if at least the 3 special weapons the skitarii rangers use would be similar-ish, or at least have similar effective range. But now my squad range varies from 60" all the way down to 18" which is rather a massive variance… Or 12" even if you count the pistol the alpha is forced to wear… why would you wear a pistol if the normal equipment of your squad has over twice the range...

On that note, I don't really understand the alpha. It wields a pistol and a melee weapon. In a unit where everyone else has at least 50% more range than his pistol. He also doesn't really do anything besides that. What's the point? Why not just get another basic ranger with their basic gun. Seems more usefull frankly...

 

[Killer Angel]

On that note, I don't really understand the alpha. It wields a pistol and a melee weapon. In a unit where everyone else has at least 50% more range than his pistol. He also doesn't really do anything besides that. What's the point? Why not just get another basic ranger with their basic gun. Seems more usefull frankly...

Wait… I can get the lack of options for special weapons, but the Alpha is usually armed with a rifle, like the rest of the squad. The pistol is an option, not the basic equipment…

 

[Canas]

Wait… I can get the lack of options for special weapons, but the Alpha is usually armed with a rifle, like the rest of the squad. The pistol is an option, not the basic equipment…

The rules state it as an option, but there's only 1 sprue that holds a rifle in 1 hand and that sprue is taken by the ranger holding a special equipment thing (an omnispex?) So if you want to build your alpha with a rifle you can only do it with a rifle in both hands at which point he's not holding a pistol or a melee weapon and doesn't stand out from the rest of the troops at all.

 

[Killer Angel]

The rules state it as an option, but there's only 1 sprue that holds a rifle in 1 hand and that sprue is taken by the ranger holding a special equipment thing (an omnispex?) So if you want to build your alpha with a rifle you can only do it with a rifle in both hands at which point he's not holding a pistol or a melee weapon and doesn't stand out from the rest of the troops at all.

Unless you paint it differently, no. He's just another nameless skitarii

 

[Canas]

Unless you paint it differently, no. He's just another nameless skitarii

Meh, I figured out a way. Found a sprue that's just a rifle without any arms. So now a have an alpha that's holding a pistol and sword but has a rifle slung over his shoulder. At least that way he's distinguisheable.

 

[Killer Angel]

Ah, sure. I wasn't taking into account possible sprues.

 

[Lord-Marcus]

The skitarii box is deliberate. It was meant so 3 boxes of skitsrrswould be bought in the original release

 

[Killer Angel]

The skitarii box is deliberate

Pretty sure it is.
GW may be not the best when making rules for their own games, but they know their own when it comes to grab our money.

 

[Warden]

Why would they sell all the weapons you need in a single box when they can get you to buy two whole boxes instead?

Bitz sites work, like this one, though sometimes the weapons you need aren't available because those are the ones people want to buy.

 

[Canas]

Meh, I figured that for the next bit I'l just buy vanguard & rangers together. They use the same sprue's so the special weapons are interchangeable. That way I can make 3 units of vanguard and 3 of rangers all with sensible weapons.

As for the unit from this box, it'l just have weird weapons and I'l eventually get some other boxes I guess to make them into 3 different specialised squads.