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Seriously what happened? I was looking for female eldar guardian torsos the other day for some biker conversions (variety is always nice) and I can't seem to find anything. Even ebay was a bust and every bitz site was "sold out" of basically everything.... did GW crush out all the sources of conversion essentials?

They certainly tried to. I can't remember the exact restriction but they tried to stop anyone who was buying from them wholesale (i.e. buying to sell in a shop) and then breaking it into components to sell.

As to why, I've no idea. I don't think it had the success they were hoping for, as bitz sites still exist.

 Quanar wrote:
As to why, I've no idea. I don't think it had the success they were hoping for, as bitz sites still exist.

It was actually quite successful. The problem with Bitz sales wasn't people out looking for a specific gun, head or torso. It was that bitz retailers were popping open vehicle kits, selling the turrets, sponsons and conversion sprues at a significant markup, then dumping the stock vehicles on the market for dirt cheap. I remember back in the day the Warstore sold Razorback turrets for $18 and the rhino itself - sans all of the hatches - for $17. What this did for GW was turn two customers into one sale. Someone with an extra Rhino lying around could convert it to the Razorback or Predator they wanted, and someone who just wanted to buy a Rhino could get it for half off. This practice is mostly dead now.

GW certainly have the legal right to impose a condition on their trade customers not to split kits for parts.

The thing is, if a conversion part is in demand, or is wanted by customers but not made by GW, then usually someone will produce it in resin.

With luck then, someone might do Female Guardian Torsos. They might even do them as a commission, or you could even take a crack at making them yourself.

Its weird to have a mod post without something getting locked down!

On the topic though, GW really locked down a lot of bits sale, its still easy to find armies like space marines since they're so plentiful, but for something like that you're gunna have to keep searching every few days, it will pop up eventually, it just won't last long

 Quanar wrote:
As to why, I've no idea.

Obviously because they want you to buy the whole box instead.

I really miss being able to buy exactly what you want from GW. Back in the RT/2nd ed days, you would get pages at the back of WD listing individual models, so you could pick and choose the exact 3 torsos you want, pick weapon loadouts etc. Now, if you want something, you have to buy a box of 5-10 models just to get the one you want.

There are a few options for bitz (e.g 5 plasma guns, although £6 is a little steep for what you get) but not the options you used to have.

It's no wonder companies started selling what the market wanted - options! If GW start doing that again, the problem of 3rd parties 'breaking' kits to sell as parts will dwindle, but the customers will still be pleased.

It's a slightly different world now, with the quantities required (i.e. bigger market) and you no longer get individual metal torsos, more like a sprue with a number of figures, but there's no reason why GW couldn't sell 'expansion' packs - allowing you to buy just the razorback turret or whatever (and I don't mean at £15 from FW!).

They do have the 3 pack of marines, but they're 'push fit'. I assume these aren't compatible with the standard Tac Squad (without kit bashing).

If GW did their own direct-only Bitz service, they could cast the sprues they need, and still get all the sales.
If they sell a sprue, surely that's almost as good as a box of sprues. It's how the metal sales work, with their generic blister packs.

If you wanted the Razorback sprue, you'll already have the Rhino kit to use it on. Sell just that sprue at half the full box price, and people will still buy it.
It's what they do for the Land Raider variants.