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I decided to buy one of these because my Squat detachment could use a third Thudd gun, plus I figured giving Mantic a fair go might result in an amusing rant or two. Upon opening the packet, however, it very soon became apparent that I might have been better off getting the much-maligned GW Thuderfire Cannon. The main body section is longitudinally warped, so both axles are askew, which also means the front gun shield will go on crooked as well. The crewman's position is uncomfortable-looking, and the figure is also marred by tiny feet. The upper gun shield has a very poor fit to the top of the gun, which a lot of give, and is also misshapen. In short, I wonder very much whether I can build a complete model with parts like these.

Has anyone else had similar experiences with Mantic models? Have you built any Forge Father artillery of your own? Photographic evidence is welcome. :-)

Contact mantic for a replacement if it is warped.

Mine went together pretty easily (although I did remove the gunnery seat for a control console) - even without instructions. The shield lined up and the bits fit together.

Compared to the metal TFC I helped a mate assemble - the hailstorm was a doddle. The TFC left several dents in his wall where it had been thrown.

I wound up putting the tracks together by sawing off one of the axle stubs and sanding another down, allowing me to compensate for the offset created by the warping. I'll probably omit the gun shield entirely and sculpt some bigger Squat-sized boots on the driver. A bit of hot water allowed me to put on the barrel tip piece although I will have to do some more work on getting the sprue scars off it. The material is annoyingly hard to work with.