History ChuckCunninghamSyndrome / TabletopGames

* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'': Despite being featured in a couple of cards when the Gravekeeper theme first kicked off, Cobraman Sakuzy and any references to him completely vanished in later expansions, most likely due to not being useful at all in any deck and being an ill-fit for the theme.

** They returned in <b>Night Horrors: Spilled Blood</b> and have different origins and powers. They are no longer satanic cult, but rather state of mind when Beast rides Man. They lose all Masks, Dirges, and Touchstones but gain better affinity with frenzy and access to Triadic Evolution.

** The Warlord titan got a lot of flak during it's teaser for looking too much like "an Imperial Knight on steroids". Many old beards were quick to point out that it was in fact based on the first Warlord Titan model released for Epic 40k, which many people have long since forgotten even existed due to the ubiquity of the "Lucius" pattern warlord everyone's so used to now.

** The [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Squats]] vanished as well in the 90s (there was a plan for a 2E codex, but it never happened and by 3rd Edition they were entirely gone), partly for low sales, partly because they were too silly/campy in a setting that was becoming DarkerAndEdgier, and because ''40k'' was distancing itself from its roots as simply ''Warhammer'' InSpace and Squats were obviously just space dwarfs. The in-universe explanation for their absence is that the Tyranid hive fleets devoured their homeworlds, but staff has occasionally tried to claim that they never existed. This eventually changed, with ''Necromunda'' featuring a Squat bounty hunter model, and finally an announcement in 2022 that they ''were'' coming back, and as a full faction for the main game, although with new names (Leagues of Votann for their faction, Kin for what the race calls themselves -- Squat sticks around as a Necromundan slur for them).

** The [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Squats]] vanished as well, partly for low sales, partly because they were too silly/campy in a setting that was becoming DarkerAndEdgier, and because ''40k'' was distancing itself from its roots as simply ''Warhammer'' InSpace and Squats were obviously just space dwarfs. The in-universe explanation for their absence is that the Tyranid hive fleets devoured their homeworlds, but staff has occasionally tried to claim that they never existed. Although it's not likely to lead to a reintroduction of the Squats as a playable army, ''Necromunda'' features a Squat bounty hunter model, so they're clearly still out there somewhere.

** The Chaos Dwarfs also disappeared after 4th Edition, to the point that even though they are still included in the last official ''Blood Bowl'' rulebook, they are the only official race not in the computer game. Afterwards, they were restricted to mentions in the background lore of other factions and the role-playing game. The Chaos Dwarfs eventually received an updated army list in Forge World's ''Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos'' supplement and a SpiritualSuccessor army in ''Age of Sigmar''.
** Bull Centaurs have it even worse. Chaos Dwarfs have three models being consistently produced as Hellcannon crew (admittedly without the [[NiceHat stylish headgear]] of the classic Chaos Dwarf range). Bull Centaurs have vanished entirely. Later on, much like the resurgence of Chaos Dwarfs, Bull Centaurs were given more attention with Forge World's ''Age of Sigmar'' lineup, adding a new special character named Shar'tor The Executioner; though we'll still have to see if this is indicative of more support in the future or a one time thing.

** The [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Squats]] vanished as well, partly for low sales, partly because they were too silly/campy in a setting that was becoming DarkerAndEdgier, and early because ''40k'' was distancing itself from its roots as simply ''Warhammer'' InSpace and Squats were obviously just space dwarfs. The in-universe explanation for their absence is that the Tyranid hive fleets devoured their homeworlds, but staff has occasionally tried to claim that they never existed. Although it's not likely to lead to a reintroduction of the Squats as a playable army, ''Necromunda'' features a Squat bounty hunter model, so they're clearly still out there somewhere.

** The [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Squats]] vanished as well, partly for low sales but mostly because they were too silly/campy in a setting that was becoming DarkerAndEdgier. WordOfGod has usually been "the Tyranids ate them all" (supported by the "Abhuman" section in the 6th edition rulebook) but they have occasionally tried to claim "they never existed". Although it's not likely to lead to a reintroduction of the Squats as a playable army, ''Necromunda'' features a Squat bounty hunter model, so they're clearly still out there somewhere.
** The same happened earlier on to several models in the 40k range with the simplification that happened in the 3rd and 4th editions. However some of them have been making a comeback in recent editions, most notably Bjorn the Fell-handed and the infamous Jokaero.
** Also, there used to be a substantial number of Eldar Exodite units, including the CrazyAwesome [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/a/a5/Exodite.jpg dragon knights]].
*** There's still references to them though, even if it's only to remind people that they were never actually written out of the lore.

** 7th edition ended up reversing much of the sufferers of Chuck Cunningham Syndrome, by bringing back some elements of the fluff that was largely forgotten. The most prominent of these are the return of the Imperial Knights and the Kastellan Combat Automata, the former of which was quietly dropped in the latest (and last) edition of Epic 40k and the latter hasn't even been mentioned since 3rd edition of normal 40k, apart from a brief appearance in one of the Horus Heresy novels.

** The loss of squats and Eldar exodites was not because they were too silly, but because 40k was distancing itself from its roots as simply Warhammer InSpace! Squats were obviously just space dwarfs while exodites were wood elves, and neither really had a place in the game or lore other than as ersatz versions of their fantasy counterparts.
* Despite being featured in a couple of cards when the Gravekeeper theme first kicked off in the ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh TCG'', Cobraman Sakuzy and any references to him completely vanished in later expansions, most likely due to not being useful at all in any deck and being an ill-fit for the theme.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': In 3rd edition, the sun became simply the sun, so the Daystar and Nysela (it's pilot) disappeared.
** Little Beam (who claims to be the son of the Unconquered Sun) has also gone.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' has races that silently disappear between editions. What happened to the Fimir?
** They made a recent appearance in the Creator/GrahamMcNeill Sigmar-era novel ''Empire''. The 'mist daemons' are never definitively labelled as Fimir but it is very clear what they are supposed to be.
*** And they finally returned to the tabletop when Forge World gave them rules in the Monstrous Arcanum book, with accompanying models. They eventually got carried over to ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'' too.
*** The Fimir were something of a WriterRevolt in any case. They were deliberately created to be both disqusting and completely lame.
** The Chaos Dwarfs in the Warhammer Fantasy world have also simply disappeared. To the point that even though they are still included in the last official Blood Bowl rulebook, they are the only official race not in the computer game.
*** They were mentioned, repeatedly, in the second edition of the role-playing game.
*** They are still mentioned quite a bit, both as a source of equipment for the other chaos factions and Ogres and as the origin story of the Black Orcs.
*** It seems likely, in-universe anyway, that there's simply too few Chaos Dwarfs to make a full army out of them, even with Hobgoblin and Orc slaves supplementing them, as the scarcity of their race was something mentioned repeatedly.
*** Chaos Dwarfs have seen a resurgence as of late 2011, given that Forge World has started producing a line of them in Warhammer Forge. Whether or not they'll return to being a mainstream army is yet to be seen.
*** Chaos Dwarfs were added to the Blood Bowl video game in its second expansion in 2012.
** Bull Centaurs have it even worse. Chaos Dwarfs have three models being consistently produced as Hellcannon crew (admittedly without the [[NiceHat stylish headgear]] of the classic Chaos Dwarf range). Bull Centaurs have vanished entirely.
*** Though recently, much like the resurgence of Chaos Dwarfs, Bull Centaurs have had some more attention with Forgeworld's Age of Sigmar lineup, adding a new special character named Shar'tor The Executioner; though we'll still have to see if this is indicative of more support in the future or a one time thing.

* In TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} the [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Squats]] vanished as well, partly for low sales but mostly because they were too silly/campy in a setting that was becoming DarkerAndEdgier. WordOfGod has usually been "the Tyranids ate them all" (supported by the "Abhuman" section in the 6th edition rulebook) but they have occasionally tried to claim "they never existed". Blame Chaos, perhaps.
*** Although it's not likely to lead to a reintroduction of the Squats as a playable army, the new Necromunda features a Squat bounty hunter model, so they're clearly still out there somewhere.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}: In 3rd edition, the sun became simply the sun, so the Daystar and Nysela (it's pilot) disappeared.

** Malal, the fifth Chaos god, was dropped around the 3rd edition of Warhammer Fantasy. This happened because the people who held the Copyright left Games Workshop. An entity called ''Malice'', a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute, has since appeared in Warhammer 40000, however. In addition, Be'lakor the Daemon Prince in Warhammer Fantasy share's many attributes with Malal.

*** And they finally returned to the tabletop when Forge World gave them rules in the Monstrous Arcanum book, with accompanying models. They eventually got carried over to ''TabletopGame/{{WarhammerAgeOfSigmar}}'' too.

*** There's still references to them though, even if it's only to remind people that they still exist.

*** They still get mentioned on occasion though, unlike the Squats. They're basically just confined to passing mentions in Eldar lore now.

** 7th edition ended up reversing much of the sufferers of Chuck Cunningham Syndrome, by bringing back some elements of the fluff that was largely forgotten. The most prominent of these are the return of the Imperial Knights and the Kastellan Combat Automata, the former of which was quietly dropped in the latest (and last) edition of Epic 40k and the latter hasn't even been mentioned since 3rd edition of normal 40k.

** The Warlord titan got a lot of flak during it's teaser for looking too much like "an Imperial Knight on steroids". Many old beards were quick to point out that it was in fact based on the first Warlord Titan model released for Epic 40k, which many people have long since forgotten even existed due to the ubiquity of the "Lucius" pattern warlord everyone's so used to now.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' has entire races that silently disappear between editions. What happened to the Fimir?
** They made a recent appearance in the GrahamMcNeill Sigmar-era novel ''Empire''. The 'mist daemons' are never definitively labelled as Fimir but it is very clear what they are supposed to be.

** Malal, the fifth Chaos god, was dropped around the 3rd edition of Warhammer Fantasy. This happened because the people who held the Copyright left Games Workshop. An entitiy called ''Malice'', a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute, has since appeared in Warhammer 40000, however. In addition, Be'lakor the Daemon Prince in Warhammer Fantasy share's many attributes with Malal.

** Another prominent example are the Illuminati (possessed psykers who manage to overcome the Daemon that possessed them), the Star Child (a Warp entity that supposedly represents the Emperor's soul) and the Sensei (supposedly the "sons" or descendants of the Emperor).

** In TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} the [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Squats]] vanished as well, partly for low sales but mostly because they were too silly/campy in a setting that was becoming DarkerAndEdgier. WordOfGod has usually been "the Tyranids ate them all" (supported by the "Abhuman" section in the 6th edition rulebook) but they have occasionally tried to claim "they never existed". Blame Chaos, perhaps.