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I had the unfortunate circumstance where I purchased a plastic Baneblade from GW last week.

I am an experienced Model builder, but this takes the cake for a difficult, poorly thought out model.

The diagrams are INCORRECT. On the side track assembly, they show you how the "L1, L2 etc wheel mount is constructed. They then go on about how to assemble the RIGHT track assembly, BUT CONTINUE TO USE THE "L4,L5" numbers to make it. As a 'dry' builder,(try to fit and assemble sections without glue to understand assembly), this led to no end of probs. VERY POOR!

There are 90degree angled joints with no support, (rear), and the fact that the co-axial mounted stubber is a 2 part barrel is just ridiculous. For $160(AU), a poor effort. I have seen Tanks on the modelling market, that for half the cost(and same size/detail etc) with movable tracks(rubber) lights and even sound mimikers(KABOOM etc),

It ended up that for the tracks to fit together properly, I had to shave off the "Track locks" that are teethed to fit into the wheel assembly. Every other wargamer whom I have spoken to personally said(and I quote)

"What did you expect, it's a GW model?"

Let's all go and build a seamless Land Speeder together, and have a perfectly assembled Leman Russ blow it up.

Sounds ridiculous doesn't it???!?!?!?

 

You're an experienced model builder and had problems swapping "L2" for "R2"?

Separate barrel piece for stubber.. ohnoes, glue and sanding might be needed...

Had no problems with mine except some minor warping on one side of the track assemblies, that was easily fixed by applying glue, holding in place and then applying CA accelerator.

Worth $90? Probably not. $70? Sure. For sure not the worst model GW has made. I was impressed.

Gabe, I had problems with the fact that the instructions were not correct, so stick that comment where it fits.

As far as glue and sanding parts, yeeees, we can all do it when NEEDED. I do not like having to do it when it is just an un-neccessary piece of over complication.

And yours was warped? 'NUFF SAID.

How are the instructions incorrect? The page clearly says "repeat for the right hand wheel assembly using parts r1-r10"... it really isn't that hard... take the "L", replace it with "R", and flip the instructions. After assembling the left side tracks, I didn't even need to look at the instructions to assemble the right side.

warped because of the way the sprues were sitting in the box, and only very slightly... not landspeeder warped. It did not impede assembly atall, once I had glued the pieces in place.

I guess I just expect to have to do alittle work on any model, no matter who makes it... I've purchased plenty of $50 tamiya tank kits that had lots of seams and gaps on them that had to be glued, puttied, and sanded, and then panel lines re-scribed.

Please mate, I understand about "rinse and repeat"(L1/L2).
But as you can see, it is the RIGHT side that they have referred to with the "L6/7" etc.DIAGRAM WRONG
I love the tank(once finished), but they got the instructions wrong, and that was my point.
We all have had issues with GW models, I just thought for the latest BIG release, a little more proof reading of the instructions should have been done.
Imagine poor little Billy, the day after his 13th Christmas, crying to Mum that it doesn't make sense that the tracks dont fit properly?
The big picture is, YOU or I can work it out, as experienced builders(and I had troubles!) but little Billy may struggle. What do you think bud, fair or am I just disillusioned with the cost/finishing?

PS sorry if my previous post was rude, I just got into work and there are all these hassles, so sorry mate, not your bad, MINE!!

Maybe your printing is wrong, because my instructions show the left side tracks, with the L1-L10 labels... not right side tracks with L1-L10 labels... could be a difference of location.

I thought the model was great. All of the gun barrels are even drilled out! (probably the reason the co-ax autocannon is 2 part)

I also had real problems with the instructions. In diagram 1 the parts are labeled L1, R1 etc, but all the other instruction diagrams give no part numbers. WTF? Couldn't GW spare 2 hours for someone to type in all the part numbers? I pity the person who cuts all the parts off the sprues before assembly as the only way to find some of these parts I found is that they are next to each other on the sprue.

I finished mine this weekend, nice model. I would guess they left the part numbers off because other than the aforementioned exceptions there were no numbers on the sprue. That was a little frustrating at times. The only fault I had with the instructions is that I didn't see the bottom of the Heavy stubber's ammo box shown in the instructions... not hard to figure that out though, when you think about the complexity of the model that is pretty insignificant.

There are some good tutorials out there that will keep most modelers out of trouble. The tracks could have been easier and I thought that a lot of the mold lines could have been on non exposed surfaces but overall it is one fantastic model

I hope no 13 year olds try to put it together. If their parents are spoiling them with this model and then not helping them put together then they all deserve all the misery it will bring them.

Posted By ptlangley on 10/21/2007 6:52 PM


I hope no 13 year olds try to put it together. If their parents are spoiling them with this model and then not helping them put together then they all deserve all the misery it will bring them.

Didn't that happen to Sam no an episode of Diff'rent Strokes?

I actually think the directions are quite clear. My model went together very smoothly. ptlangley - Many of the model numbers were on the actual components. But they only really needed numbers on a few of them.

I think this is one of the easier tank builds that GW has produced.

I had no problems building mine, other than the fact that I got two of the wheels mixed up. That was my fault, and the tank still went together fine. In fact, I didn't even realise it was wrong until I had moved onto the second track.

The kit is great. I look forward to building my second one.

BYE

Posted By akira5665 on 10/21/2007 4:36 PM

There are 90degree angled joints with no support, (rear), and the fact that the co-axial mounted stubber is a 2 part barrel is just ridiculous. For $160(AU), a poor effort. I have seen Tanks on the modelling market, that for half the cost(and same size/detail etc) with movable tracks(rubber) lights and even sound mimikers(KABOOM etc),

I've never seen a tank model with lights or sound effects. Tank toys, sure, but never a tank model. Modern plastic kits are built for realism, not gimmickry, and prices run the gamut from a tenner all the way to several hundred Euro for high-end resin, and if you want aftermarket parts, the sky is the limit. As someone who has built several tank models, I'd much rather have plastic tracks than rubber ones. Metal would be even better, as they can be made to articulate properly (via the application of individual track pins linking links together), whereas rubber tracks just bend.

As for two-part half-and-half barrels, putty is your friend. Not Greenstuff, proper modelling putty, meant for filling gaps, not sculpting. Squadron Green and Gunze Sangyo's Mr. White Putty are among the most popular brands and easily acquired worldwide from modelling stores. While you're there, buy diamond files and sandpaper.

For the record, my Baneblade is sitting on the corner of my desk, waiting for me to finish the left side sponson and fuel drum assembly before it's off to the garage for primer. It's a large kit that forced me to build some new tools and techniques to get it all done (such as making handy clips from old clothespins), but at no point did it cause me any significant frustration.

You know, I am really not a big fan of how the track pieces fit together on the single plates. They just seem to be spaced a lil too far apart when they wrap around the wheels. Reason would lead you to believe that there would be more of a gap inbetween the straight sections. Otherwise they would have to have a sliding hinge to get the angles that they have in the wraped sections. But then a sliding hinge would be silly as you would get a buncha rocks and debris in there and bust the tracks. But otherwise I loved the model and had no problems putting it together. Um, well, maybe a lil problem, but that was from A.D.D. and not reading everything through skipping some steps. OOPS!!! Good thing it is a SkullHamma now anyway, right?

i dunno about this tank but the remora drones are easy to build

I had no problem building mine - took a little over two hours, with another one for cutting and filing all the parts prior to assembly. (Give or take a bit, but I started and finished within the time of one NFL game). I didn't find the instructions hard to follow at all, and my only real "huh" moment came after I glued the little lasgun behind the turret, only to hide it in the cargo holder.

I also really didn't have any problems building mine. I didn't rush it, i followed the directions and everything went together just fine. As for the gaps like on the barrel of the cannon what I did was apply the plastic glue all along those edges that would be visible. When I stuck the pieces together some glue oozed out of the cracks. That's what I used as my filler I just let it dry completely, then filed it down smooth. No gap, no greenstuff I did have to add some greenstuff to the cracks in the fuel tanks though and because of the edge of the tanks itself I wasn't really able to get a file in there to smooth it out good after it was dry The tanks will be painted solid black though. so it shouldn't be noticeable in the end.

>>I've never seen a tank model with lights or sound effects. Tank toys, sure, but never a tank model.

R/C kits often have them.

I had a Millenium Falcon kit (the old ERTL one) 20 years ago that had lights. I know it's not a tank but it's a big expensive kit, not a toy.

Posted By Kilkrazy on 10/22/2007 9:28 AM
>>I've never seen a tank model with lights or sound effects. Tank toys, sure, but never a tank model.

R/C kits often have them.

Ah, true. Very true. Of course, most of those are 1/16 kits or beyond and very, very expensive.

i'm in the middle of messin' about with mine right now...makes for a nice distraction from commissions...it hasn't pissed me off yet, but i did have to leave all the parts on the sprue...i'm the kinda guy who enjoys clippin' the parts off the sprue as soon as i get home from the store and imagine what i can make from the bitz...not this baby...that would have been modelin' suicide...we'll see if there are any hurdles ahead...
i did get it for $70 so i can't complain...

cheers
jah

I bought the same Falcon Killcrazy, and the "Enterprise NC1701-A" from ERTL. Both were a joy to build,(about 20 years ago!!!) and the finishing was perfect. I wish I still had the instructions..... E-bay anyone? lol

I am still Nurgling mine up but it's mostly together and I had few problems. I did cut most of the track locators off as it made them easier put on (and look good). Anyone ever put together the old predator kits? Half plastic and half warped bent out of shape pewter? I hated those kits. I do agree that $90 is steep for this kit. Then again I paid $50 for 5 plastic chaos terminators. I will have trouble sitting down for quite a while.