The Archer was another of the many designs put on the drawing board as British forces struggled to deal with German armour. The size of the 17 pdr gun caused difficulties for designers as it would not fit inside most existing designs and as a towed gun it was slow to relocate and useless on attack.

The Valentine tank, which was still in production at the time despite its obsolescence, was chosen as a suitable platform to mount the gun, not in a turret but in an open-topped armoured casemate, similar to German tank-hunters like the Hornisse.

The small size and low profile of the Archer made it hard to spot and allowed crews the chance to fire off a few rounds before relocating to another firing position.

Rear Firing
The Archer mounts the same 17 pdr gun as the Challenger, but on the smaller Valentine tank chassis. To keep the engine in its usual place at the back of the tank, the gun is mounted at the front facing rearward! The driver sits just behind the breach, ready to move the tank at a moment's notice.

Lightly Armoured
Despite being armed with one of the most powerful guns available, the Archer cannot get involved in a head-to-head firefight as its armour is easily penetrated by most tanks' guns.

This box contains:

• 4x Highly Detailed Plastic Archer Tanks

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These miniatures are supplied unassembled and unpainted.