Don’t miss our unboxing and build for the new plastic Imperial Guard Rogal Dorn Battle Tank as we show you how you can magnetize yours!
Rob is back unboxing the newest release for Warhammer 40k, which has created some controversy. He’ll see what it takes to get it ready for the tabletop, show you the model’s size, how to magnetize it, and tell you the GOTCHAS to be aware of when building it!
We will show you everything, including the sprues, bits, and of course, the size. That way, you can decide if this is worth your hard-earned hobby dollars.
Imperial Guard Rogal Dorn Battle Tank: Unboxing, Magnetizing & Build
Click here to get yours for less from these retailers: | Amazon | Dicehead Games | Bazooka Games | Frontline Gaming |
You definitely want to magnetize this as the kit runs for $90 on release.
Sprues
Everything looks pretty good, and most things seem like they just slap right in. You get three sprues in total, but just for a comparison, the Baneblade comes with nine sprues, but the sprue count doesn’t really add up to the price anymore, as the Leman Russ also comes with three sprues for $60.
However, many people are upset about this not having a bottom, but that probably would have made GW make another sprue for the kit, which might have increased the price even more.
Instructions
To start, the treads don’t look too bad to build. However, you already have to do some magnet work right here. Rob would put a magnet in the side tread panel, using a 3/8″ magnet to hold it on through the plastic. OR, if you want to drill it out, use a 1/4″ magnet for attaching the sponson to later on.
If you drill the hole at this step, it will be ALOT easier than gluing up the tread section and trying to do it later on!
We get all our magnets for hobbying from The Magnet Baron. Use coupon code Spikey10off to get 10% off your next order with them!
Overall, this looks like the chassis lines up easier than most of the tank kits from before.
The Turret is where you really need some magnets, as you may want all the options. He would put magnets on the initial assembly, but we’ll see how everything plays out when building it.
The side sponsons also look pretty simple. Hopefully, they are push-fit, and you don’t even need magnets. However, you could just use a 1/16″ magnet for them if you need to.
Assembled Model & Magnetize the Rogal Dorn
The model looks pretty cool, but let’s first jump into the magnets!
There are two main magnets we’re going to use here, 3/8″ and 1/4″. If you do not want to drill through the white section above, you can just use the bigger magnets, and it should hold just fine.
What he did for the sponsors themselves was he cut out two pieces from the sprue and glued them with a little poster tack behind them for support. Then he put the magnet on top of that.
For the sponson, he cut out some metal strips and put them on the front of the sponson, then a small 1/8″ magnet on each different weapon.
To drill out the small areas, he used the Wowstick to get the depth of the hole, then used a 1/8″ bit on his large pin vice to twist out the rest relatively easily.
The front turret doesn’t really need to be magnetized, as it just locks in place.
But if you want to magnetize the main turret to make it super secure, here is how.
Rob glued some metal strips onto the weapons themselves and drilled out the holes for the 1/4″ magnets on the turret. This way, the weapons are fairly flush and hold their weight easily.
Cap it off by adding a strip of plastic card in the hole behind the weapons mount, so the magnets dont fall into the turret and onto the table (because its bottom is open), and you’re good.
You can see the white plastic card behind the turret mount in the image above.
Rogal Dorn List of Magnets & Tools You’ll Need:
Magnet Sizes
Rob uses this Hand Sized Pin Vice and drill bits to get the holes ready to go quickly for all the magnets.
Wowstick Motorized Drill Watch us use at around the 24:00 mark in this video by clicking here.
- Hand Sized Pin Vice For larger projects like Knights, Forge World kits etc.
- Pin Vice For Miniatures We like the army painter one, but there are a ton to choose from
- Drill Bits For Magnets (small quick release) Larger Bits (for vehicles etc.) Quick-release set
- Wowstick Motorized Drill makes pinning and drilling out barrels a breeze and helps with magnetizing miniatures, but you still need a pin vice to bore out pilot holes over 1/8″ in diameter.
Get Your Magnets Here 10% OFF Use Code Spikeybits10
We get all our magnets for hobbying from The Magnet Baron. Use coupon code Spikey10off to get 10% off your next order with them!
Size Comparisons
Here is the Macharius, and as you can see, it’s not even close size-wise.
A Leman Russ with trench rails on it is about the same length, but the footprint is a little bit different.
No Bottom
Well, who knows, maybe you can use the bottom for extra storage. You don’t see it on the tabletop, but we can see how it is a little annoying not to have the bottom.
Be sure to watch the video below for all the tips on magnetizing your new Rogal Dorn tank!
Click Here to Get Your New Rogal Dorn Tank!
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
