Kathryn's Deathskull Battlewagon (The Squig Jesuz)

I built this as part of Kathryns christmas present to bulk out her ork army and to give Gazkul something to ride in. Afterall, all the biggest warbosses in the galaxy command at least one battlewagon.


I started off with the tracks. I took them from a toy tank that only cost £2.99. The only part of this toy i wanted to be visible in the final model was the tracks themselves. The top platform section was built out of wooden lolly sticks with panels added using plasticard and various scraps with interesting textures to give it that scrapheap look.


Next i built the hull. The core cylinders are till roll tubes from work, they give the whole thing strength. I then built the hull shape using old display board, also rubbish from work.


I then started to take shape quickly by adding the crew cabin. I filled in the big hole on the left hand side by cutting up some of the battle for macragge scenery. I wanted the top section to be kept unattached so that i can build an alternative top in the future so it can be fielded with an 'ard case and killcannon, basically as a gun platform instead of a transport, it's nice to have the option.
The back section i wanted to be open so that i could build and engine room and also because it fits in nicely with the rules. It has a front armour of 14 and a rear armour of 10 so it made sense to me to make the rear look vulnerable. The engine itself is made from an old paint pot and some guitar wire, all the other bits ar from raking in my bitz box.


Orks often build their battlewagons to resemble the various monstrous beasts from their homeworlds (i.e. squigoths) so i felt it was rude not give the wagon a face. This adds so much character to the model and has earned it the name 'The Squig Jesuz'.


All that it needed now was detailing. I made loads of small panels out of plasticard and wethered them all with chips using my craft knife. I used them throughout the model, particularly round the bottom to create a 'skirt' to protect the tracks. I made a few glyphs, again with plasticard. Then came the rivets. I had no idea how much it added to the overall miniature by simply adding rivets but i had heard it was well worth it. I set to work cutting up a thin plastic rod and gluing on countless rivets. I have no idea how many are on there but my guess is around 150. It felt like 40,000! but it was worth it.


Here is the Squig Jesuz next to a chaos landraider and various othet models as a size comparison.

It was then primed with chaos black spray and drybrushed silver. This is the basic hull before guns and gubbinz were added. There are holes on the main platform to slot in gunz to give it some dakka but i don't have photos of them just now. It also now has a rusty deffrolla which i don't hav pics for yet either.