GW releases are increasingly hard to keep up with, but here are some ideas for how to manage without being “that guy”!
Games Workshop has been chugging along and bringing us new releases faster than ever before. With rules constantly shifting and new units dropping, it might be time to start converting your minis, but with fair-play in mind.
There are so many wargear options out there, and a definite lack of product availability after kits initial (yet frequent) release it’s time to hobby harder than ever before.
GW Releases aren’t Exactly Catering to Us
It seemed to start way back when we saw the new Chaos Havoc squads release with the obviously more popular option being the Chaincannon. Once the box hit the shelves, we all realized that only one Chaincannon came in a box and every single person in the squad could take one.
Then, we saw a massive wave of 3D printing renditions and a bunch of mixed feelings were in the community. Hmm maybe it really started before that when the chaplain Dreadnought took over the meta, but that’s an entirely different discussion altogether!
Next, we saw the Invictor Warsuit come with a crucial sprue in the arm joint that you have to glue into the one weapon option you want. After that, there’s no real hope of swapping your weapons unless you magnetize it while you’re building.
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Things have only gotten worse since the Invictor Warsuit! Just look at how all the new ETB and character sprues come with basically zero extra bits and the weekly releases. The outriders are a perfect example of the newer single posed minis with few options This is a call to conversion: Hobby on your dudes!
Finally, with the latest trend of GW, we’ve seen a roughly 5-10% price increase on all products across the board. Things are getting more expensive and we’re getting fewer options in our kits. Especially with the ETB and push-fit kits, you have fewer options generally than ever. But more units to account for.
How To Keep Up With GW Releases Without Being “That Guy”
While 40k is still growing in popularity and each release is becoming more frequent and expensive, this is the perfect time to convert your minis. After buying multiple kits you’ve got plenty of bit options lying around just waiting to be spliced together. The best part about it is if you pull the conversions off, it leaves your army looking even cooler than the official model!
With that said, there are some criteria you should keep in mind if you’re going to be building weapons and units from scratch.
- Keep the model to scale: don’t make a Thunderfire cannon the size of an artillery piece or a Warboss the size of an old Grot.
- Convert a model with similar aesthetics: If you’re making a conversion for an assault cannon, don’t use plasma bits. The two weapons are completely different profiles.
- Make sure your opponent knows exactly what it is: If you’re playing a game with it, just drop a line and tell them that this is unit X or weapon Y. 9 times out of 10 they will know exactly what it is if you follow the two steps from above. However, it’s common courtesy to make sure you’re both on the same page.
If you don’t have the resources to keep chasing GW’s release dragon, you can always make use of the spare parts lying around. It’s extremely rewarding making an awesome conversion as it adds uniqueness to your list and can give you more experience for future conversions! Remember. You don’t always need the official bit to make it legit.
What’s been your coolest conversion? How many sprues do you have lying around in your collection?
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, King of sprues.
