With the Stormvault Skirmish Case, Games Workshop is redefining miniature transportation. Instead of traditional foam inserts, they’re introducing soft silicone bristles for a secure grip. Is this a brilliant innovation or an overpriced gimmick? We’ll find out in our review.
The Stormvault Skirmish Case has an RRP of £35 / 45 € / $60 and adds to Games Workshop’s range of cases. The dimensions when closed are 278x220x41.5mm.
Stormvault Skirmish Case review
The new Stormvault Skirmish Case is a masterpiece of engineering – when it comes to saving as much material and as many production steps as possible. The top and bottom halves are identical, thanks to their square shape, and you seal them with two interlocking tabs each. The silicone insert is not glued in place but simply inserted into the lid – the gray details on the outside are not attachments but the silicone passing through from the inner part. The plastic bends easily under pressure and doesn’t exude a sense of high quality. Aesthetically, the case appears quite utilitarian, with minimal Warhammer-specific details, except for a small Warhammer logo on the silicone insert.
The idea of the case is that the models are fixed in a sort of clamp grip by the soft silicone knobs of the top and bottom halves. The case can hold about 12 models with 25/28/32/40mm bases (so not enough for a complete Kill Team roster of 20 operatives). Here are Garfy’s impressions in a short video:
As Garfy stated, the Stormvault Skirmish Case works. At least for plastic models, which are securely held. However, with heavier metal models, it’s a different story. In my tests, the silicone knobs did not reliably hold metal models, causing them to shift within the case. Speaking of shifting, I couldn’t detect any paint abrasion or broken pieces on my painted models in my (brief) tests. Nevertheless, rubber or silicone has a rough surface on a microscopic level, and it wouldn’t surprise me if over time, especially with unvarnished models, there were signs of paint abrasion. Especially since you have to actively push the models into the bristles for them to stay in place.
Where to get
You can find the Stormvault Skirmish Case at our 🇬🇧/🇪🇺 partner stores Wayland Games, Element Games, and Firestorm Games, at 🇩🇪 Taschengelddieb and PK-Pro, and at 🇺🇸 Noble Knight Games with a welcome discount of up to 20% over RRP. Using our links helps to support Tale of Painters at no additional cost to you, so thank you very much for using them!
Feel free to leave a reaction or comment below if you found this review helpful, and post your questions here or discuss on our friendly hobby Discord channel.
4.0Score
Pros
- Keeps plastic models on 25 to 40mm bases in place
- Silicon bristles instead of foam are an innovation
Cons
- Doesn't hold heavier metal models in place
- Price too high given the cheap construction
- Potential risk of paint abrasion due to the silicone
Final Verdict
The Stormvault Skirmish Case would be a good budget case despite or perhaps because of its economic design. Unfortunately, the price is far from budget-friendly. I would be willing to pay the "Games Workshop extra" if I ended up with a premium product and/or a stylish design. The case lacks both, so personally, I'd prefer to get a classic foam case, such as a Mini Case from Feldherr.
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