Farseer’s Report: Possible Futures for CraftworldEldar.Com in 2022, (and what the rest of 2021 holds)

Ever since the official GW Advent Calendar started showing us daily images of what are almost certainly new Craftworlds models, Autarchs everywhere have been speculating about the details of the next big release.

Let me start by being clear about one thing: at this point, I don’t know any more about the new codex than do the busy horse dentists who are so often mentioned on my channel. I don’t have an uncle who works at Games Workshop, nor do I have any spooky powers that let me look into the sands of time and say which grain will grow and which will not.

What I do have is a well-founded optimism that GW would not be teasing us with new Craftworlds models unless the release was right around the corner. Under the circumstances, I think it is reasonable to assume that we are going to see a major overhaul of the whole faction very early in 2022, perhaps the most comprehensive update that Craftwrolds have had since 3rd edition. It’s going to be glorious.

In this post, I am going to run you through what you can expect to see (and not see) on this site and on my Youtube channel leading up to, during, and after the release. Exactly how this plays out will depend on whether someone at GW takes an interest in my content and decides to empower me to publish a comprehensive update the day of the release alongside a video review of the new book. In order for that to happen, I would need access to an advance copy of the codex. (And just in case there is from GW reading this, know that I will sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement faster than you can say “unutterable secrets of the Black Library.”)

Here is what to expect in the next couple of months:

1) I Am Not Going to Cover Any Alleged Leaks

I have received numerous messages and emails in the last couple of weeks asking me to weigh-in on various alleged codex leaks. I am not going to do this. I can’t very well ask GW to trust me with an advance copy of the book if I am publicizing possible leaks on my site or channel.

It might be totally naïve of me to think that I have a storm-guardian’s-chance-in-a-genestealer-swarm of GW letting me see the book ahead of its release, but I would nevertheless prefer not to alienate the company whose games are the subject of my content.

2) Videos Published Between Now and the Arrival of the New Codex Will not Focus on Current Codex Content

I will keep producing videos at a good rate, but I am going to lean into content that will still be relevant after the new codex arrives. This may include general tactical or list building advice, unit focus videos about Forgeworld models, videos related to lore or Black Library novels, and perhaps even one insanely self-indulgent foray into fiction or something.

I may break down and add a short unit-focus video about Nightspinners, (as I think they are arguably the second-best non-HQ unit for Craftworlds in the current meta,) but I think that most of the Autarchs who consume this content are going to find it increasingly difficult to be interested in analysis of rules that will be obsolete in a matter of weeks.

3) Chapter Approved 2022 is Going to Receive Significant Attention

A GW-sanctioned Grand Tournament happening right now in Texas is already using some of the new rules from the upcoming Grand Tournament 2022 mission pack, (you can find out more about it here: https://www.goonhammer.com/the-games-workshop-us-roadshow-finale-preview/) and it’s already clear that the new missions will have a significant impact on matched play. I will both write a blog post and create a video about these changes when they are released.

4) When the new Codex arrives, I will overhaul EVERYTHING

The new Codex will necessitate not only several gleeful “first impressions” videos, but also a complete rewrite of the core content on the website, new videos covering that same core content for the channel, and a total reboot for all almost everything else too.

In the unlikely event that we live in one of the small handful of possible worlds in which I am allowed access to an advance copy of the codex, I will have much of the essential content ready to go on release day, and I will share it with the jubilant enthusiasm of a unicorn bestowing magical horn boinks on wounded heroes. (All of you who have stuck with Craftworlds through the last two years are wounded heroes in my estimation.)

What is much more likely is that I will see the new book at the same time as everyone else, and it will take me some time to get essential core content up-to-date.

I will still come up with SOMETHING for release day though. Maybe I will just open a bottle of champagne on camera and flip through the first few pages while muttering empty sympathies in the general direction of the now-doomed Imperium of Man.

5) I Will Officially Announce Two New Ways to Support CraftworldEldar.com

In the coming weeks I will be launching a Patreon and significantly ramping up the fledgling affiliates program that I started last month. (Unfortunately, because of shipping costs, the affiliates program will probably only make sense for players in the US.) The Patreon will initially only have a single level that provides early access to videos and blog posts. I might get more sophisticated with it down the road if there is sufficient interest from the community.

SO there it is.

If you have thoughts about additional content that you would like to see on the blog or on the channel, please feel free to shoot me an email using the contact tab at the top of the page.

That said, if you plan to ask for Battle Reports, know that there are some significant obstacles to making them look as professional as hundreds of others available on Youtube already. Although I would love to add this type of content, unless I have a local person volunteering to be the camera operator and someone else willing to do so sophisticated overlay editing with current scores- etc, these videos are not imminent.

Yours in Pointy-Eared Anticipation,

Brent