HeroScape is coming back!

[Agent Minivann]

I have a feeling that they understand that they can make a fair amount with terrain only packs, and may subsidize the cost of the minis with the terrain.

[wriggz]

Originally Posted by Agent Minivann

I have a feeling that they understand that they can make a fair amount with terrain only packs, and may subsidize the cost of the minis with the terrain.

I would be shocked if that was how it worked. If terrain only is profitable and figures are not when painted, then most businesses would only put out terrain. Unless they are flying totally by instinct, I think that each sku has a healthy profit margin, except for maybe a masterset to get a playerbase 'hoked'. Even then I don't think that is so much the case anymore, since so much of the world is just in time delivery. I guess they might think painted figures might drive more terrain packs, but that is a big if.

Don't get me wrong, market forecasting is hard (trust me, it is my life), but you don't go to market unless you have a clear plan to make money. That said forecast models are rife with assumptions and bias. I'm sure some one along the line crunched the number of units sold painted and unpainted and the cost of manufacturing, shipping, storage and delivery of both sets. They also likely considered how painting is a brand differentiator which can boost the brand for more sales and long term growth.

I'm willing to bet a core set that somewhere there is an excel sheet with the calculations of both options showing painted is the more profitable strategy.