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Ok, this is not about the Battlewagon Upgrade kit or anything made by Forgeworld. This is an idea that I have been batting around my head for awhile. GW has attempted a few times to release all the weapon options for some models or released upgrade kits but for some models like the Deff Kopta you are stuck with the TL Rokkit Launchas unless you do some extensive conversion work. I have been wanted to get into doing and selling my kit bashes and conversion work for awhile but I hate the idea of taking commissions because it is so hit or miss. So here is my idea:

To start off with is construction of easly interchangible weapon upgrade kits for the Deff Koptas from GW production bits this way GW gets its dime, I make some green and the people get good looking weapon upgrades. These kits would be magnetized so you can swap them out as needed. I was thinking that a full upgrade kit with TL Big Shoota, Kustom Mega-Blaster, big bomb and the Buzz Saw for around $25 USD for a unit of three Deff Koptas. I could even have the upgrade kits geared to looted equipment from different armies that way people have a choice on the look they want.

GW can't say anything because it is not copies of GW production parts because the bits are right off the sprue so what is being bought is my time in building these upgrade kits for you. Also, with them being GW parts except for the magnets and possible wires they would be cool for those pesky Tournies that require all models to be GW or FW only.

So what do you think? So I do it and how many would buy this starter project if it looked good and was easy to install?
C&C Please.

So you can buy all the bitz, convert them all ready for the customer to magnetise onto their standard kits (hmm, so they'll still need to mount those magnets themselves) and still make a profit on $25?

What will you do if certain bits become rare or expensive? Customers will want to know what they'll be getting, not just accept some vague promise of "hey, i'll think up something cool-looking, honest"

I don't see any legal problems, so long as you make it clear to all that you're using actual GW bits rather than for example illegal castings. Minor use of plastic card and tube will be fine.

I can see a possible fluff conflict - e.g. offering just one TL Big Shoota design will be a bit boring and discourage multiple sales, but offering a choice of TL Big Shoota designs could be a lot of extra design work for you (might keep things interesting though )

Well, what I was planning was doing a limited run of each type. The great thing about Orks is that there is so many Big Shootas to choose from that there will be many different layouts to choose from. I am only planning on doing a limited test run to see how it goes sales wise. For the customers it all about choice and ease of installation as I think any upgrade should take less than an half hour to install not including drying time for any glue that is used. Should be one small cut or drill, place bead of glue, pop in the magnet or piece of metal, dry and your done.

Seems like it might have a market.

So a 50/50 split. I was kind of hoping for a better turn out than that. Oh well I might do a cery limited run of upgrade kits and see how they do.

Yeah, maybe make a few dozen big shoota (or whatever) conversions just to show customers what you can do, then sell them individually via a photo gallery of currently available variants which you constantly update. That will soon show you which variants are most popular (and so worth repeating), as customers will explicitly be ordering e.g. variant 2, 5 and 17, instead of just 'I want 3 big shootas'. I think that's how the concept would best work, as you can't compete directly with resin casting etc, but can be more flexible with using wacky one-off combinations of bits.

I'll be interested to see how it goes. I do a lot of similar conversions for myself, e.g. making every shoota in a unit different (coz it's orky, and looks cool).