"Skytrex/Old Glory Challenger I & Warrior IFV 15mm" Topic

Hello again,

In this review I give you the Skytrex Challenger I & Warrior IFV 15mm.

First of to answer a very common question, the miniatures from Skytrex and the miniatures from Old glory are the same exact models. I have ordered from both and they are the same. The only catch is when ordering from the Old Glory website you can only order in packs of 3. The Skytrex website allows you to order singles. Also the Warrior IFV is only available from the Skytrex website.

The Skytrex line is one of the best metal 15mm lines there is. The castings are extremely clean and the detail is very sharp. The vehicles come with crew but no external weapons or extra baggage. I was sad that the 30mm gun on the Warrior did not have a muzzle flash, I felt that Skytrex could have pulled it off.

The weakness of the line is the limited number of models. The selection allows you to make early (1960s) cold war forces. For example, you can match up M48s vs. T-55s with BMP-1s and M113s in support. But, the line misses out on the next phase of vehicles. I would love to see them make a T-62 and a M60.

Their Challenger I tank and the Warrior IFV have no matching opponents in the Skytrex line unless you enjoy throwing T-55s and BMP-1s against them. I imagine you would need a lot of OPFOR in that case.

Both vehicles represent some of the coolest modern vehicles in the world and as a greedy gamer I just had to have them in my collection.

Challenger I

It is one of the nicest and biggest Cold war tanks out there for 15mm.

Warrior IFV

I added some electrical tape to mimic the muzzle break on the actual vehicle.

Enjoy

Thanks mate a useful review. But I thought skytrex also did T72s – a bit more up to date for the the Chally's to chew up and spit out….

Also once QRF get going with their SLR armed Brit Inf the early 80's should be gameable with a vengeance!

But you probably want Chieftains with them :-)

Hey Sparker,

I actually had some of the Skytrex T-72s. While the casting quality was up to same standard. The turret was very small in comparison; it looked weedy. In this case the QRF T-64/72s looked more menacing with the beefer turret and I went with them.

Thanks

Well to be honest T64s are more accurate if you want to do the 3rd Shock Army, the BAOR's main dancing partner in the 80's…..

BMP-1 was still relatively new technology (about 12 years behind) when Challenger appeared, having appeared in front line units during the early 1970s. It also remained by far the majority Soviet IFV type until the end of the Cold War. BMP-2 was rather more expensive and delivery was consequently very slow in the cash-strapped last decade of the USSR. BMP-2s were also usually incorporated into BMP-1 units to beef up their firepower. Challengers and Warriors were therefore far more likely to see BMP-1 than almost any other tracked AFV.

Hey Louis are the side skirts molded to the track/running gear bit?

If you mean on the Challenger, yes

Geoff is correct.

The Challenger model comes in 6 peices.

Hull, turret, tracks x2, 120mm barrell, and a hatche.

Thanks

Louie, I'm a bit confused re your Warrior review: The 30mm Rarden cannon has a very slightly flared muzzle-sleeve/flash-eliminator (not really visible when observing them from any distance), but no muzzle brake:

R Mark Davies,

Your are very right. I did not know the proper term, or functoin, of the flared muzzle-sleeve/flash-eliminator. So I assumed it was a kind of "muzzle break."

My minor "conversion" work was an attempt to mimic that slight flare out on the 30mm cannon.

The miniature comes with only a straight barrel end with no flare out. I think it would have looked better if the model had it.

I wish we had the options like the 1/35 scale modolers for brass barrel replacements. But that might be a bit much for 15mm wargaming scale gaming.

Combat Wombat sells brass replacement barrels

Sloppypainter,

I did use the combat wombat barrels in some cases. Check out the Luchs and Marder IFV threads. They are excellent barrels.

I did not see a barrel that matched the style and size of the 30mm cannon.

Thanks