The Mastadon is a behemoth, well armoured, mobile and mechanically reliable. The design requirement to place the main gun in a turret has stretched Soviet ingenuity to the limit, but the result is effective, if not pretty. Its one weakness perhaps lies in Soviet limitations concerning anti-tank guns. Unable to match the penetration of the German heavy calibre weapons, the Soviets resorted to the reliable 122mm gun that has proven itself in many of their tanks and tank destroyers. This weapon may not deliver quite the killing blow to heavy armour but compensates with a highly effective HE round that has more use against infantry and buildings. The Mastadon retains the obstacle-clearing plough which doubles as an effective extra layer of armour from the front, allowing it to operate in dense urban terrain if needed. Numbers of Mastadons remain relatively low at this stage of the war, but their presence on the battlefield makes them a threat to both enemy armour and infantry. Models supplied unassembled and unpainted
