Grot Mega Tank

I picked up the Grot Mega Tank at GamesDay 2010.

Designed by Stuart Williamson, the Grot Mega Tank represents the pinnacle of Gretchin-built Heavy Tank technology; an overpowering war machine that drives all before it in a storm of scrap and destruction. This full resin kit is festooned with unique details as you can in the images, and Stuart has designed each turret to be fully cross-compatible with Daren Parrwood’s Grot Tanks.

Hammered together out of junk, spare Mekboy know-wotz and unbridled Grot enthusiasm, the Grot Mega Tank adds even more firepower to the battlefield madness that has come to be known as a Grotzkrieg, terrifying Imperial Tacticians, Eldar Farseers and Chaos Warlords alike.

I really do like this model alongside the Grot Tanks. The model is very ship like with battleship style turrets and a prow shaped bow. It is a very ramshackle vehicle and looks like (as it should) if the grots have just thrown it together from parts lying around the battlefield and stuff stolen from a Mek workshop. The turrets are interchangeable with those of the plastic Ork vehicles and the Grot Tanks allowing you an opportunity to convert the Mega Tank into a different looking model. Useful if you were to get two.

Before making it up I had a good look at the pictures on the Forge World website.

You do get one big bag of resin.

Before I got started, I washed all the resin pieces.

I then cleaned the flash and removed the pieces from the sprues. You should always take care doing this as it is possible to break the parts as resin is much more brittle than plastic.

The main hull was then stuck to the front ram or Doza Blade.

The tracks were then added to each side.

I didn’t think that they were particulaly well designed to join the main hull or they were somewhat warped. I might later stick some green stuff between the inside of the tracks and the hull.

The next stage was to add the superstructure.

The key here is when adding the superstructure to ensure that the side turrets can continue to move.

One of the big choices was to decide which weapons to use with which turrets. You do get a fair bit of choice. In the end I went with Big Shootas, Grotzookas and a Skorcha.

I added the main smoke funnel.

The next stage was to add the mast and rear exhausts.

This is how it looks with the turrets.

I gave the model a white undercoat and the underneath a black undercoat.

Using a thinned Chaos Black I touched up the black basecoat.

So after letting this model languish too long in a box, I got it out again to see if I could finish painting it.

I started painting the tracks with Gorthor Brown. What I really wanted to get was a rusty look to the tracks. Usually with my Ork vehicles I would use a heavy drybrush of Tin Bitz over black. However I starting with my Grot Tanks, I wanted to get a different look and feel to the tracks, rusty and dusty.

I then started to paint the hull with Karak Stone, which I really didn’t like, so I took the model back to the garage and resprayed the upper surfaces of the model with some Corax White spray paint, this time without masking the model.

I then started again painting the model, though this time with Ushabti Bone.

I am trying to get the same effect that I got with my Grot Tank IV which I like and was pleased with.

I painted the superstructure with Ushabti Bone.

I also painted the tracks (again) with Gorthor Brown.

I painted the rear engine deck with Gorthor Brown as well, as this would be difficult to paint with the Ushabti Bone and I didn’t mind some parts of the tank being different colours. I am going to paint some of the panels on the tanks different shades of brown as well.

I finished painting the hull with Ushabti Bone. I painted the weapons, exhausts, the “funnel” and the mast with Leadbelcher.

I painted a few of the panels with XV-88 and Balor Brown. I also painted the depth charge launcher with Leadbelcher.

One of the exhausts fell off, so I had to glue that back on.

The next stage was a bit of a challenge in using various Citadel shades, though mainly Seraphim Sepia to add shadow to the model. I did use a large 1/2 Round Mop brush which helped. I then used some other shades,  Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade on specific parts of the model.

Towards the rear of the Grot Mega Tank I used more Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade shades, especially on the engine compartment.

I started to prepare a Krew member. I cleaned the casting and secured him to a slottabase for painting.

I then gave him a white undercoat using a Corax White spray.