So what has started as a trickle has now grown into a pretty constant stream of tidbits, growing by the day.  The twisted denizens of Commorragh are returning...this year. 

Since their codex was first released in 1998, the Dark Eldar have waited.  Entire new races have been invented and redone (I'm looking at you Tau), while the Dark-Kin plotted from the Dark City.  For years now we heard that first they would be redone in the future, then work had begun, then the minis were underway, etc...

We are now hearing from multiple sources that the Dark Eldar are next in line.  Their time is now.  Look for them on the far side of the Warhammer Fantasy 8th Edition update.  That should place them in the August-October timeframe.  A slew of new minis and nasty fast-paced rules are to be expected.

Et les nécrons?

So look what's been floating around on Facebook.  In particular, check out that monitor in the background, from what is described as a company who would have access to this document.

Do you guys see what I think I see? (turn to p.175 of the bgb for a big hint)

At this point the only real guessing game is the exact timing of a Dark Eldar release. Very recent chatter is now pointing to a tossup between the Dark Eldar and....

wait for it...

Grey Knights as the next Fall 40k codex, with conflicting reports on both sides!  Note that the Storm Raven entry in the Blood Angels codex mentions the Grey Knights by name as its other main user, and it would make a lot of sense for Games Workshop to make sure that the Storm Raven kit gets tied into a strong Marine release slot to maximize sales.  Its very possible that if the kit wasn't ready in time for the Blood Angels, the Grey Knights would do just as well.

OK, we have a few puzzle pieces today that we shall lay out on the table.  Lets see what we all think this means for the next few months of codex releases:

Dark Eldar

First off, reds8n has this gem over on Dakka:

Playtesting etc is well and truly finished.
Book is at the printers.

Next up is the fact that for years now, the entire range has been Direct Order only (remember that, there will be a test later)

Grey Knights/Inquisition

We have heard that several product codes have recently been pulled, making them unavailable for retailers.  This is usually a 90-120 day sign of updated product coming down the pipe.  We are working on more details, but most of the products aside from the expected Spearhead ones (like the Fire Prism) are Witchhunters and Daemonhunters sets.  These are not products being pulled back to direct order, but pulled altogether.

The Schedule
So lets look at the overall schedule and what we think is going on:

May: Orks&Goblins WFB
June: Spearhead 40K

Fantasy 8th and the next 40K codex have got to be shoved in there fairly soon after Spearhead I would think.  The conventional wisdom says that for 40k, we will see a fall and holiday-january release slots for the next 2 books.

So at this point we have word of product be readied for replacement that would correlate with a possible GreyKnights/Inquisition release in the August-ish timeframe, and word that the Dark Eldar are at the printers.  Note however that the Dark Eldar are direct only now, so there are no products to pull, and Games Workshop could simply reintroduce them at will.

Let it begin...  Here's what we've been hearing from the voices in the wind regarding the Dark Eldar.

-Lots of poison weapons (close combat and ranged).
-Streamlined version of combat drugs.
-The army is very lethal on the turn of arrival.
-Expect lots of lance weapons.
-There is chatter of the game's first lance-melta weapons being in the list.
-Units will "power up" and gain abilities in some manner as they kill enemies.
-Warriors and Wytches are troops.
-Expect new units.
-Harlequins are in.

The warriors are not striding forward and hunched over like they are about to tip over- legs are laid out in a wide stance and the models are much, much better proportioned than the old ones, so no more legs that go all the way up and tiny torsos.
Helmets and non helmeted heads included.
Non helmeted head has a high ponytail.
Ribs/shards of bone poke through loincloths and the ponytail.
The helmets are pretty much identical to the above pic, but with lumps/gems over the ears/temples.
From behind the helmets look exactly like eldar guardian ones.
There is a gem/soulstone on the left chest armour- not the shoulder armour piece as per the above pic.
This is where you have to use your imagination as the pic doesn't show it: On the back there is a backpack that looks like it started as an eldar backpack but does not stick out as far, has vestigal 'vanes' compared to the eldar one (so doesn't stick up above the shoulder) and most excellently down the centre of the backpack, it is recessed with scaled armour over the spine (triangular scales with points downwards)
A high collar that flanges out
Rifle is almost exactly the same as the pic for the base model, even down to the jagged bit that pokes up in front of the warriors abdomen in the pic. There is a variant with what looks to be crossbow arms sticking out laterally (ends up looking like a mini anchor)
Attachable Loincloths (variable designs) One has a skull, one a hook on them.
As per the pic, greaves over the lower legs, then knee pads and scales over the upper legs, with points upwards.
Knife scabbard, 2 'rods' and 2 small sachels on the 'utility belt' posteriorly
Blades of differing lengths and size on various armour parts, primarily lower legs and shoulder pads.
Curved knife HW available.
Attachable blades for the end of splinter rifle.

Les Guerriers ne sont plus en train de courir et penchés en avant comme s'ils allaient se casser la gueule - Les jambes sont placées de façon à obtenir une posture plus élancée/équilibrée et les figurines sont beaucoup, beaucoup mieux proportionnées que les anciennes, donc plus de jambes de trois kilomètres de haut avec des torses tous petits.
Des têtes avec et sans casque sont incluses.
Les têtes sans casque sont surmontées d'une queue de cheval assez haut placée sur le crâne.
Les côtes/des morceaux d'os sont visibles à travers les toges/vêtements, ainsi qu'autour de la queue de cheval.
Les casques sont grosso modo les mêmes que sur l'image ci-dessus (sangui tu nous mets l'image ? ), mais avec des bosses/gemmes sur les oreilles/tempes.
Si on regarde de derrière, les casques sont exactement les mêmes que ceux des Gardiens Eldars.
Il y a une gemme/pierre d'âme sur le pectoral gauche de l'armure - pas sur l'épaulière comme le suggère l'image.
C'est à partir de là qu'il faut que vous utilisiez votre imagination étant donné que l'image ne le montre pas : sur le dos de la figurine, il y a un paquetage dorsal qui a l'air de commencer comme un pactage eldar, mais qui ne dépasse pas autant, a des vestiges de "trappes de ventilation" en comparaison avec le modèle eldar original (qui ne dépassent donc pas des épaules) et, ce que je trouve excellent, en bas de la partie centrale du paquetage, l'armure est atrophiée et pourvue d'un système de protection écailleux le long de la colonne vertébrale (écailles triangulaire, la pointe vers le bas).
Un haut col qui retombe
Le fusil est presque exactement le même que celui du modèle de base, même au niveau des petits bouts dentelés qui ressortent devant l'abdomen du guerrier (comme on peut voir sur l'image). Il y a une variante avec ce qui ressemble un peu aux branches d'un arc d'arbalète qui dépassent de l'avant de l'arme (qui ressemble donc un peu à une espèce de mini-ancre).
Des toges et pagnes attachables sur les figurines (divers modèles). Un modèle dispose d'un crâne, un autre d'un crochet.
Comme le montre l'image, les tibias sont équipés de jambières, l'armure recouvrant les jambes se compose également de genouillères et d'une armure d'écailles au dessus du genou, écailles dont les pointes sont orientées vers le haut.
Le fourreau d'un couteau, deux signets/bâtons et deux petites sacoches sur la "ceinture d'accessoires".
Les nouvelles lames sont de longueur et de taille différentes sur diverses pièces d'armure, notamment les jambières et les épaulières.
Le couteau incurvé est disponible. [pas trouvé ce qu'était HW]
Des lames attachables au bout du canon des Fusils Eclateurs sont disponibles.

sangui tu nous mets l'image