Wandering Deliberations... Getting past the RAGE

Rage of Sigmar! The phrase coined to mark the end of WHFB as we know it.

But what is there after AoS? Many people in the current community are looking fondly at the past and nervously at the future. One thing is for sure. WHFB has been replaced.

But, we all need to move forward, and that means looking at options. After much deliberation over the weekend here is the path I will take:

I am not going to be jumping head first into Age of Sigmar. And its not because of any rules issue, mechanics, or models. Its because of the community. My situation is a little different than many as I often need to travel several hours for games. There was not many people who casually played WHFB in my area to begin with. And outside of tournaments its not worth travelling long distances for one off games. 
So I want to see what the current community is going to do and what community will develop around Age of Sigmar. At the end of the day, this is all about enjoying the game with like minded people.

So there are other options out there too.
But do any fit my requirements of a competitive game and engaging community with quality models?

I will be looking at Kings of War V2, as I suspect many will be who want to play a massed ranks fantasy battle. This is released on the 10th of July, and can be had as a free download by registering interest on Mantics website. Providing they have moved the game on from the overly simple 1st edition mechanics, there could be a large migration of players to this game. It has been written by Alessio Cavatore who has a reputation for some good rules in 40k and wrote Bolt Action, so it does sound promising. You can go sign up for the free DL here on Mantics newsletter. My main issue with KoW is the (sorry Mantic) terrible models. I'm not a fan. I would be using alternatives from GW or other manufacturers if this won out.

I've already ruled out Warmahordes, I just don't like the aesthetics of the models, and its just a skirmish game which I can already play with 40k or AoS with no investment.

Bolt action has a decent rule set, but is also a skirmish based game, however the historical nature of the game means that most factions will feel "samey" and I don't think there will be much uniqueness or variation in the range that can be had by Scifi or Fantasy. It is very cheap to get into and there are a few locals that are interested or already playing it.

Of course there is just sticking with 8th edition, or what is more likely to happen, version 8.5 (or the 9th age as some have coined). The problem I have here is it will just be a slow and painful death, as without parent company support, and new releases, it will be difficult to recruit new players into the fold, and without new blood the attrition of current players will catch up quickly. Sad to say but I do not see 8th being more than a garage hammer between mates. It is likely I will still be playing 8th on and off for a while. I do have everything needed.

Another option is getting over myself and joining the developing AoS community and help with a revised ruleset suitable for tournaments. It will be very different to 8th edition tournaments, but that could be a great thing. I have a few ideas I would like to flesh out. Could be interesting. The positives here are continued support, and continued new releases. And that scenery!

I'm not mentioning 40k, as I already collect some and play it with friends. I could play in more tournaments in the near future but its not a replacement for 8th.

One thing is for sure, the wargaming community is very fragmented nowadays than ever before.

Is there any other alternatives worth looking into?