Review: McFarlane Warhammer 40k Ork Mega Nob with Buzzsaw Megafig
- Mephitsu
- Aug 1, 2024
- 5 min read
“We don't fight fer food, or fer teef, or guns, or cos we's told to fight. We fight cos we woz born to fight. And win.”
The Orks joined the Warhammer 40k series in 2022 with a trio of Megafig releases that shared the same basic body but varying looks and weapons allowing collectors to either select their favourite look or to build a three-some of Ork Big Nobz and Big Mek figures. We have already reviewed the Big Mek and the Ork Big Nob with Shoota, and this final review of the three looks at the Big Nob with Buzzsaw weapon.
All of the Ork Megafigs come in the larger box format with a front window that wraps over the top and with windows on the right-hand side allowing a full view of the figure within. The design principles of the first batch of releases in the WH40k line continue, with the Imperium Eagle logo on the box front and gothic-inspired artwork around the box. The figure is named on the left side of the box where there is also some figure-specific artwork. You also get a picture of the assembled figure posed on the back of the box - but with no checklist or mention of other releases.
The Ork is held into a large plastic tray with a raft of twist ties that are easiest to cut to free him. He comes with the face mask and totem backpack separate and with the rather redundant plastic round stand attached to the golden backing card. While the box itself can be resealed, once the figure and stand are released there is going to be damage for anyone wanting to repack the figure in the future.
Our Ork stands not much taller than any of the Space Marines, although once you clip in the slightly ill-fitting back pack totem their height is increased. The Megafig status is earned through their broad stature and the Ork is heavy in hand, a solid piece of plastic for display. Each Ork release shares the same base armoured body with a dull metal finish and gunmetal drybrush weathering over the top. Variation is created in the front chest plate - with the Ork with Buzzsaw featuring a broken bronze grill and a smaller Ork clan symbol underneath in white and red. The backpacks also vary across each figure, with this version featuring to Ork skull motifs looking away from each other and sharing a spiked crown.
The exposed skin on the arms and head is textured and coloured in green with a wash to bring out some more detail. This Ork head features a wide open mouth with painted brown ‘Teef’ and a blood-red maw. He sports some metal panel repairs on the forehead but retains both eyes which are painted red. Like the other Big Nob figure, a jaw face plate is included that can be slotted into grooves on either side of the head. Like the backpack, this is ill-fitting and is difficult to seat and hold securely. I actually preferred the look of this Ork without the face plate allowing a full view of the impressive head sculpt. Leaving the face plate off doesn’t cause any significant issues with the unfilled grooves dark enough to go unnoticed - as is the way the Big Mek was released.
As per the figure's name, this Ork is armed with Buzzsaw weaponry. These are coloured in the same grey dull metal as the armour and slot onto the end of each arm with some additional paint details added to pick our some piping and components in dull red. There are no other accessories as such, every component connects to our Ork. Unlike the Big Mek or the Ork with Shoota, the weapons here don't feature any moving parts.
Articulation is difficult to gauge in total, but I reckon there are around 16 in total, but this includes where the Buzzsaws connect to the arms and if you do rotate these the weapon tends to just pop off rather than be poseable. the legs, despite their bulk, can be posed in different stances with the articulated toes supporting the ankle joint to keep the figure standing. The arms can be raised at the shoulder, but don’t offer much more with the elbow joint barely moving - although when these are bent there is a neat piston function that sits behind them. The head can just about swivel in its socket, and there is movement within the torso allowing that to rotate independently of the leg position.
The McFarlane Warhammer 40k Ork Megafigs are impressive in their aesthetics and each one is different enough so to not look too regimented on display. They pose well and hold their stances, albeit posing is limited to just a few variations in leg and arm position. The plastic is ill-fitting in places and backpacks and face plates popping off is commonplace. In the UK these figures have hit discount retailers and continue to be found on shelves at prices as low as £15 vs their original £44 price point. While other WH40k figures are selling, it seems the Megafig format is not quite working - and of course, releasing all three figures at once was perhaps a misstep, although there were probably savings made in the Factory Run doing them all at the same time. I now have all three figures and am pleased with the display they create - they do however take up lots of room, and I hope that any further Ork figures from McFarlane may be more standard-sized Ork Boyz or even the odd Gretching or Snotling or two.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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