40k/GW: Credit where credit is due!

 Now, we all love a good Games-Workshop bashing session - it's one of the internet community's favorite pastimes!
 But, we should also recognize when they do something (if not everything) right.

 Before we begin, I, NoName1, was not coerced or paid in any way to write this (although if anyone wants to, I take PayPal, gift cards, and food!) but in all seriousness, I'm excited. I'm excited about where 40k is, where it's gone, and where it seems to be going!
 Yes, Internet, I am excited. And dammit, I'll weather your scorn and cynicism to tell all y'all about it!

 First, the bad. Yes, GW does have wildly high prices, a heavy-handed legal department (although, I will say here, Chapterhouse kind of stepped in it…) rules that sometimes don't make sense, and some definite problems with their rulesets.

 Second though, that said, they've poured decades of blood, sweat and tears into a game and models that - let's face it, if you're reading this, you kind of love. And more recently, they've been giving us a lot of the things we've been asking for!

 We wanted our Codices to be updated more regularly, and for all Codices to be on roughly the same page. We're on track to get that by early next year!
 We wanted a ruleset that allowed for varied, interesting meta - and really, issues aside, 7th Edition is (I think) the best ruleset we've gotten. Infantry units can work, Mech can work, Multiple Small Units can work, Monstrous Creatures can work. There are super combos as always, but just about any model-type and strategy your heart desires can be made to work in 7th. I've seen armies composed of mostly Space Marine Scouts win competitive events. With the best of 6th kept, and a tightened-up rulebook and mostly new Codices, we're in a great place right now for our game!

 I am particularly fond of Maelstrom missions. Sure, they're a little odd and need some tweaking, and on their own they're pretty random, but the whole idea of multiple Objectives changing for each side turn to turn is a really exciting way to mix up the game!

 Then, there are the things we only kind of asked for, because we never thought in a million years that it's happen: White Dwarf rules releases. That's something that goes all the way back to some of the earliest 40k things, and it's an amazing thing for them to bring back! Games Workshop's legal battles shot them in the foot, they basically had to pull any unit/Character that didn't have a model out of books, or else anyone could make a model for it. Because of this, we saw the loss of the Mycetic Spore, Doom of Malan'Tai, Asdrubael Vect, Baron Sarthonyx, and many others.
 But! With the advent of White Dwarf rules (and, even more so, those rules being released *for free* from Black Library), we can be optimistic that these things, like the Mycetic Spore (or whatever it's called now) will be coming back!

 Also, the rules-only rulebook. Sure, it's still expensive, but it makes for a slim, good-looking version of the Rulebook to carry around for those of us who like our rules and Fluff at least sometimes separable.
 Not to mention the now old-hat, but still innovative, Digital Editions of Rulebooks. They've had fits and starts, but they've brought a new flexibility to transporting and updating Codices that we've never had before - I mean, a rulebook that updates itself with FAQs? A Rulebook with a SEARCH function?

 And finally, one of the things I'm most excited about, Campaign books. At the moment, they're small-scale and army-specific (Stormclaw, The Red WAUGH!) but they're coming more often, and with the wild success of the End Times for Warhammer Fantasy, I can't wait to see what Fluff changes (my god, we're probably going to get Fluff changes!) are coming in the near(ish) future.
 Releasing the Sanctus Reach series boxes as limited runs implies that GW is trying out how they sell. My impression is they've been very popular, so I'd guess the wheels are starting to turn for bigger and better things!

 So, props, GW! We're not going to go any easier on you, but I think more of us will be smiling when we're GW bashing than before!