Dreamforge Games – Leviathan Crusader

Dreamforge Games has been announcing this kit for a long time and the Leviathan Crusader was received with correspondingly high expectations. Can it live up to the claim? We take a look at the kit.

The model was made from hard plastic as part of a Kickstarter and is a real giant. The kit is so big that it knocks the current leader of the biggest review, the two Warmachine Colossals, off its throne. The review should also set a new benchmark with over 100 (!) pictures.

The Leviathan Crusader was previously available as a resin kit for ~295 USD. The plastic kit is available now for 120 USD or Euro.

The box in which the Leviathan is delivered is enormous. About 4x the size of the Warmachine Colossus packaging or twice the size of a Games Workshop force box. The sprues are neatly stacked, secured with foam inserts and also contain a vacuum-pulled plastic tray in which various small parts, screws and a screwdriver are stored. Screws? Screwdriver? Yes, some parts are secured with screws to fix the moving parts and to prevent a "glue accident".

The building instructions for the Crusaders are clear and well illustrated. It is pointed out early enough which parts are not to be glued, so that the positionability is maintained. In the meantime, a revised version is available for download on the Dreamforge Games homepage, in which smaller errors and more details are addressed. The building instructions are closer to those for model kits from Tamiya and Co than, for example, those for Games Workshop kits.

Such a large model naturally requires a correspondingly large base. This is optional, as the kit also stands on its own legs. But it is customary for miniatures in our hobby to have bases. The bases measure a good 16cm in diameter, for comparison the 12cm markers of the Privateer Press Colossals. Dreamforge has also included a small name plate in the kit. Nice gimmick.

Let's start with the multitude of sprues. These were made at Wargames Factory, and we were initially sceptical as to whether they were up to scratch.

The individual sprues are huge and contain no less impressive components. The sprues are grouped by assembly groups and contain, for example, the hull, the joints or the armour plates of the Crusader.

Below you can see the parts for the legs of the kit. The sprues are more or less identical, except that certain parts have been mirrored for the left and right leg.

In the basic configuration, the Crusader carries a powerful sword as a melee weapon, which is built and attached as the left weapon arm. Complete with shield. The next two sprues primarily cover the back module.

To ensure the mobility and the highest possible dynamic of the kit, many ball joints are included. Thus the spine as well as arms and legs are movable.

In addition to the mighty sword, the Leviathan Crusader has access to a massive Vulcan Cannon. This is so huge and consists of many individual parts that it takes up a whole 2 sprues.

Last but not least the contents of the plastic tray. Various small parts as well as the shoulder armour and helmet of the kit. The casting quality is really high. Few mould lines, sharp details. Only the way some parts are fixed in the casting frame (see 2nd picture) is a bit unfortunate.

Let's start with the assembly of the Leviathan Crusader. The first steps are dedicated to the ankles of this monster. Here you first have to get used to the fact that you don't glue everything, but leave it flexible. Unfamiliar at first, but you soon get used to it.

The accuracy of the fit is remarkable, especially when you consider that this is the first kit from Dreamforge Games in this enormous scale. The legs have so many pistons and joints that you really notice how much attention to detail has gone into this kit.

The knees, ankles and even the soles of the feet are movable, so that you can play through and depict the most diverse poses. The first picture shows a stretched and kneeling position. Now the first armour plates are attached and the leg section is almost finished.

Next, the outer armour plates are attached to the legs and this assembly is finished. How big are the legs? Well, big enough to make it clear already that the old record of the biggest kit on the blog has been broken.

The next assembly is the pelvis with spine. Here again many movable parts are built in, so that besides the legs also the upper torso part can be brought into the appropriate pose. Pressing the pins into the balls requires some well-dosed strength. However, the material is stable and forgives this. At this point you should follow the building instructions very closely, as correcting mistakes can be critical.

Now comes the first weapon, the mighty sword. This also has a few movable parts and thus allows a little play in the positioning. Dreamforge has come up with something very clever for the armament of the Leviathan kits, a removable socket-connectoin. Not only can different weapon options be changed, the kit can also be reduced in volume for transport.

On the inside of the shield there is a groove, so that the shield can be positioned better on the arm. This is somewhat difficult to see in the old instructions, which is why we point it out again here. However, it is advisable to glue the shield only at the end, so that it is easier to reach all parts when painting.

We continue with the Vulkan Cannon. This enormous Gatling is simply a chunk. Again there is the possibility to make different parts moveable, so the gun barrel can be rotated.

The ammunition belt is possibly the most challenging part of the whole kit, but it is cleverly solved and very plastic. It is advisable to make a test fit to the ammunition inlet while the glue is not yet completely dry to make sure that the shape is correct. Otherwise small gaps may occur.

The Vulcan Cannon also has armour plating and the weapon joint described above.

Speaking of the weapon joint or suspension. These are the next steps. The rotating connection are movable and come in the kit's wide torso, which is protected by large armour plates. Many screws are used here, although this part could also be simply glued.

Instead of the included back module, we decided to install the alternative capacitor cooler on the back. These are available as optional parts and cost 15 Euros.

All parts are housed in a single sprue and represent a more compact version of the normal cooling system. Unfortunately, no assembly instructions are included in the box, but they can be downloaded from Dreamforge's homepage.

Assembly was also easy here, although the details of the hoses could have been a little more pronounced. There are only a few parts, but in order to be able to better assign the left and right parts, it is recommended to have a look at the assembly instructions.

The back module is now attached to the prepared torso together with the large armour plate and thus almost completes the construction work on this assembly. Only the details of the front and shoulder armour are missing.

Helmet, collar and the two shoulders are each cast from one singpe piece. Stable, large parts, which only have to be removed from the light mould lines to be installed. Again, everything fits very neatly into each other.

Now only the last details are missing, these are small lamps and guns, which are built into the sides of the front. Up to now all undercuts have been solved successfully and a very high plasticity has been realised in the kit. Impressive interim conclusion.

The assembly has taken about 2.5 hours so far, including the interruptions for the documentation and pictures of this review. An "undisturbed" build should be much quicker.

We have now spread out the individual assemblies on the cutting mat, and when you remember that it is a centimetre grid, you just see how immensely large this kit is. The legs are simply pressed left and right onto the hips and hold themselves in place. The torso is attached to the pelvis with a spine and 2 support pistons. Note that the individual assemblies are not glued together. The kit stands on its own. The last picture shows again the suspension for the arms, which makes it possible to change the armament or to dismantle it for transport.

Probably the readers of this review can't hear it anymore, but the 28mm Leviathan Crusader is a real giant with its 22 cm height. The kit is also available as a 15mm variant with a height of 5.5 inches / 14 cm. It towers over the Space Marine statue from the terrain set. It also significantly towers over the Warmachine Galleon Colossal. The third picture shows the size comparison with the Space Marine, a 54mm Inquisitor figure as well as the converted Dreadknight. Basically, the Crusader would also be suitable for insane projects like an Inquisitor scale Dreadknight or as a world destroyer for various 15mm systems. Cover should be a bit of a problem for the model, as the 4th picture shows with some terrain.

And we had already hinted at the size of the Vulcan Cannon. The weapon is longer than a Rhino. Impressive.

But now we would like to show you again the flexibility of the kit and show different poses and viewing angles. As before, the joints are not glued and are self-supporting.

Conclusion

All the facts at a glance. We have a large scale kit that plays in the scale of the Forge World Titan. It is cheaper than the Warmachine Colossals, is movable and made of plastic. You would have to think long and hard about what else you could wish for to be happy.

120 Euros is a more than fair price for the kit. The manoeuvrability is an immense plus and simply thrills. The assembly, despite the first work and the sheer size, was surprisingly easy, so that even beginners can be trusted with it.

The processing of the parts is simple, no entry hurdle as with resin with reshaping or large pin and glue effort as with pewter kits. The accuracy of the fit is absolutely satisfactory and the scope of delivery as well as the optional parts are also inspiring.

We strive for critical reviews that shed light on the advantages and disadvantages of the kits, but with the best will in the world, nothing here would strike us as a point of criticism apart from the sturdy casting branches/attachments of some parts. For the Leviathan Crusader, whether as an addition to an existing project or as a showcase model / model building project, we can attest an unrestricted purchase recommendation.

Link: Dreamforge Games