by Ken Whitehurst

At the very end of January, Ramshackle Games announced the release of the Huntsman Spider Tank.  The Huntsman is a massive steam-powered spider tank for their 28-30mm post-apocalyptic skirmish game, Nuclear Renaissance. Ramshackle was kind enough to send along a Huntsman for this review, and it is glorious.

First Impressions

Upon opening the plain cardboard box with a simple sticker label, one cannot help but be overwhelmed. First, there is the smell. The Huntsman is cast in polyester resin (apparently polyester is good for something other than 1970’s clothing). Something about the casting process causes it to have a sugary-sweet burnt odor that is overpowering at first. Next, there is the resin material itself. It is quite different from the more common heavy grey resin from which many terrain pieces are cast. This material, as you can see from the pictures, is an odd greenish-brown color that is, in many places, translucent. The resin is not unlike old-fashioned hard candy, both in appearance and weight.

It is very light, and quite brittle in places. Finally, there is the shear number of pieces, several of which, in my case, were broken. The pieces were packed in several plastic bags, surrounded by styrofoam packing peanuts. Given the box was shipped from the UK to the USA, there were only a few breaks, all on the rather slender leg pieces. Since I mentioned the damaged pieces to Ramshackle they said they’ve tried to make the packaging better by putting components into small plastic trays, and they will replace any pieces that are broken in transit to the customers.

Ramshackle includes a nice full-color set of instructions, filled with photographs of completed Huntsmen in various configurations. The instructions, and additional photographs of assembled and painted Huntsmen, are available online. The extra material online may be helpful during assembly, as the instructions, while attractive, are not as detailed as they could be. Ramshackle also include a letter explaining what to expect from the polyester resin, some safety tips, and a few tips on working with the material. Kudos to Ramshackle for this detail, most gamers and modellers are probably unfamiliar with this type of resin (as I was), and it is nice to have a few pointers from the manufacturer.

The Huntsman is a bit daunting at first sight but the detail afforded by Ramshackle’s choice of material and casting is impressive. Nearly every piece is covered in gears, tubes, wires, pistons, hoses, or rivets. The overall steampunk look and feel is evident from each and every piece.

Assembly

The Huntsman is a hobby project unto itself. In the course of assembly, I used sandpaper, a Dremel, Superglue, epoxy putty, and some model aircraft filler. Overkill? Maybe. This kit, however, demands attention. The pieces are highly detailed casts, but many of them don’t fit together perfectly without some sanding, filling or putty. Although I didn’t do so, you may consider adding pins in key locations (such as the leg ball-joints). Given how light the material is, it is hard to say whether the Superglue bonds are actually stronger than the resin itself. It may be that pinning is more trouble than it’s worth, so long as you sand the joints for a clean join, and use enough Superglue.

A few housekeeping steps were in order before actually gluing the Huntsman together. First, I tend to wash resin model kits before working with them. I have read that the mould release compound used in resin casting is often left on the surface of the resin. This compound, as I understand it, is not conducive to painting or even glue, and can prevent both from adhering to the resin as well as might be. It would be frustrating indeed to finish painting this elaborate model, only to have hours of shading and weathering flake off with a little handling. A few minutes of warm soap and water (and maybe a once-over with an old toothbrush) and you’re in business. Next, there is a good deal of flash and many mould lines to cut or sand away. The legs, in particular, require a lot of attention. They are easily the most elaborate parts of the kit. As a result, there is some additional flash inside the legs that should be cleaned away. 

Additionally, some of the larger pieces (such as the main body, the head, and the boiler assembly) have convex faces where the moulds were not completely filled with resin. These faces require sanding and/or filling with putty so that they can form solid connections with the other pieces to which they will be glued. None of these tasks is particularly challenging, but they do take a bit of time, and could benefit from a few special tools, such as a Dremel or files. Note: always wear a mask when sanding away resin, especially if you are using a Dremel. It is not good for your lungs. Also, the material is brittle enough that tiny pieces of flash “shatter” away when trimmed. You may feel silly, but wear goggles. Trust me.

Once cleaned, the Huntsman assembles in roughly four phases. First, the body is assembled. As you can see, there is a large gap in this assembly, because the casts are not precisely flush. The larger block was not completely filled, leaving a concave edge instead of a flat contact point. I filled in the gap with some model airplane filler putty and superglue. The gaps along the edges can be filled with Greenstuff or putty.

Then, six of the legs are attached. This is a tricky step, as it requires the main body to be raised up to precisely the height the ball joints come to when the legs are standing even on the tabletop. Ramshackle recommends resting the body on some cardboard, and using putty to hold the legs in one place on the table while they dry. I made a pedestal for the body out of a small square pad of notepaper and some styrofoam packing peanuts.

Then, I repaired the broken legs by gluing them back together. Suprisingly, the breaks were so clean that, once glued in place, they are almost impossible to spot and will likely be invisible once the model is painted. Next, I carefully aligned each leg so the tips of the claws would rest on the table, and glued them into place. Allowing the legs to completely dry is a must, as the entire tank (including the weighty boiler and head) will be suspended by the ball joints and legs. At first it does not look at all probable that this will, in fact, work. Rest assured, it does.

Next, the optional boiler assembly is affixed to the rear. Given the weight of this attachment, I used both Superglue and epoxy putty to connect the boiler to the main body. I recommend doing this in a well-ventilated area.

Finally, the head and various details were added. The connection between the head and body left a visible gap, which I filled with green putty. 

The head comes with a few options, including a choice of guns or mandibles (I opted for the mandibles), and the option to mount an armored door on the front, covering the exposed six-limbed driver. The latter option makes for a less dynamic figure, but does allow the Huntsman to be generic enough to be used in another game universe. Additional options include a hatch for the exposed gears on top, and a smokestack. The gears are such a nice detail, it seems odd to want to cover them with a hatch. As for the smokestack, mine came with a broken flange, whose pieces I cannot locate, and will have some difficulty replicating with Greenstuff. I left it off. Besides, it (and any other unused pieces) will make a nice bit of scenery.

Overall

The whole of this model is significantly greater than the sum of its parts. Throughout assembly, my eyes noticed small imperfections in casting.

However, once the whole thing is assembled, all is forgiven. This tank is spectacular. It is equal parts “Wild Wild West” and Chaos Defiler. The post-apocalyptic wasteland is the perfect setting for this steampunk beast. The Huntsman is designed to fit into Ramschackle’s Nuclear Renaissance wasteland. As a result, its imperfections simply blend into the overall post-apocalyptic look and feel it captures so well. Additionally, it is very large, as you can see in this overhead photograph of the Huntsman alongside a Land Raider Crusader.

For the conversion fanatics, Ramshackle offers a variety of “Tridlins,” or special bits and pieces that you can add to your Spider Tank for personality. They also offer the kit with an optional turret for £2 more. The Huntsman is loaded with detail, and it does offer plenty of opportunities for conversion. One nice touch is the fact that the front two legs are cast in several pieces, allowing the modeller to pose them in a variety of configurations, from resting to menacing. Since the Huntsman is primarily resting on the six fixed legs, the front two can be modelled in a more dynamic configuration.

There is also no doubt that someone talented with Greenstuff could have a field day converting this model to their own heart’s desire, The most obvious conversion will likely be for Warhammer 40,000 players interested in a unique Chaos Defiler. The figure is also inexpensive enough to be purchased simply to be used as terrain. A very nice diorama could be made from all of the detailed bits that make up this tank. Ramshackle also sell the components individually, so there is likely no end to the possible configurations.

Conclusion

For £18/$36/€26, the Huntsman Spider Tank is a fantastic bargain. It takes some work to put together, but it is worth it. It is very rewarding to look at your creation after piecing it together from the pile of claws, gears, and riveted hatched packed in the box. The Huntsman has a unique visual appeal, and will stand out on your gaming table, or even simply on your desk. With a variety of optional parts from Ramshackle, you could, in theory, build a swarm of Huntsmen, each one different than the next. The Huntsman Spider Tank is available from Ramshackle Games’ online Store along with their line of metal figures and resin vehicle components.

Pros

• “Wow” factor
• Very detailed steam-punk look
• Variety of optional parts and configurations
• Great value for money

Cons

• Tricky for inexperienced modellers.
• Maybe a bit fragile for wargaming.
• Moderate flash, breakage, and casting imperfections.