Hastings auf Warseer:
I don't know TBH, I'll share what I have heard, but this dates back a while as I pay very little interest to GW now.
I heard that 30k HH would be a boxed standalone game (like execution force was) and that the plastics contained within it would go on to form part of a larger 30k range and would be released some time later as individual box sets/clampacks, I was told that rules would be in those boxes, but that some boxes would contain rules for 30k AND 40k (and these boxes have BOTH logos on - yes there is a new 30k logo) so I assume it will be using a different ruleset to 40k (as there would be no point having rules for both systems in boxes if they were both the same). I was also told the plastic assassins would get clampack releases later and be released as part of the main 40k range..... as the box set is pretty much still quite widely available I don't expect this to be soon, although I never had a timeframe in the first case.
As for your AoS style rule reboot question - I remember being told to expect 40k codexes (codices?) to be a thing of the past within 2 years, and that the rules would be in the box for each model/unit, but there would still be a core ruleset which the in box rules would obviously add to. I've not bought any AoS releases (nor do I intend to) so I don't know if they have rules in the boxes (seems daft as when rules got FAQ'd (lol) or changed they'd need to repack ALL the boxes - seems even dafter that anything would actually bother with rules for AoS!!) or just online? I am going to leap to the conclusion that 40k probably WILL become more simplified like AoS, mainly because GW no longer see themselves as rules/games writers but just model sellers. How much more simplified I wouldn't hazard a guess at. Whatever they decide to do you can bet it's in the pipeline already, because myself and Harry were privately discussing the changes to WFB almost 3 years ago - I was told it was being canned and whilst we thought that was not the case and that AoS would be a continuation or refresh of it WFB HAS actually been canned and REPLACED by AoS, so these things are planned well ahead.
FW make huge sales from HH, there was no way that GW weren't going to want in on the action! I expect FW to still produce the big kits/characters/customising kits but GW will provide the bulk of the models needed to play 30k. We can only hope that GW let FW handle the 30k rules/books and they just make the models for it. But keep in mind I was told that when the 30k RANGE hits the stores (not the standalone box game but the actual range) it will take over the store space that used to be taken up by LotR/Hobbit, so GW may want to keep tight hold of the reigns even though they are no longer committed to producing games?
That's probably done very little to answer you, but it's the best I can manage and hopefully slightly informative if only a repost of what I wrote in January.
Indeed. Maybe those are the 2 characters from the starter/standalone box that might only be available in that box...... or something
*EDIT.
Having thought about this I think the unit/model rules for 30k & 40k will be online/WD rather than actually inside the box kits (I may have misinterpreted what my source said).
Also I should point out that as I understand it 40k and 30k will be very different games/rulesets, so it may be that 40k becomes like AoS and 30k is handled by FW (although this is just wishful thinking on the behalf of hobbyists the world over!).
Of course I may be completely wrong...... because that happens a lot
