How Much I Miss Blood Claws

Back a year or so ago, way before the new Space Wolves codex came out, GW did a Blood Claw kit. Based around the old SM sprues (with Legs, Head, Body randomly together, with the weaponry on another sprue with pads), this also had the old SW upgrade sprue (which I also miss, but at least thats on the site still at a reasonable, for GW, price).

Oh how I miss it.

That kit was PERFECT for getting large numbers of Ass. Marines without Jump Packs out on the field, and could even do for a sort of 'pre heresy' World Eaters army - which, as it happens, is one of the forces I have begun to build on again in the form of my Blood Angels >.< (The Sons of Arkhan)

To say that its annoying that now you have only the options of buying a load of bitz (which I can't be bothered to due to the price here in GB), buying Pack Ass. Squads (at £32 for 10 guys, with the Packs I won't ever use), or hoarding the Tac. Squad tacky CCW/BPs which need to be shared with the Sergeants anyway.

I really dislike the lack of thought by GW that perhaps some people didn't actually give a damn about the outdated models supplied in the Grey Hunters and Blood Claws kits and that they chose to develop the standard pack ahead of Thunderwolf Cavalry. While the SW Pack is a BEAUTIFUL kit - far the better of the plastics of the Blood Angels release i'm afraid - I believe it would have been cost and time efficient to perhaps have simply used the standard Tactical sprues, with 1 of those 'Wolf Guard' sprues (the one with the Options and such) and the old Blood Claw CCW sprues added.

This would have given people EVERYTHING they needed for the building, and heres another thing... it probably wouldn't have cost GW that much more. Instead of constructing, say, 3 molds it would have required one new mold and a single older one. Simple. And the spare time could have been put into preparing more Tyranids, Beastmen (the damn Rare choices!), or the Thunderwolves/New SC Sculpts (Canis is rushed, and piss poor because of it).

So please... I hope the next SM wave in June perhaps could have a new plastic Assault Squad frame with every option known to man in it. Combining the options for Vanguard Veterans, Foot Assault, and Jump Assault would be a BEAUTY, GW.