Is This An RC Monster Truck You Can Afford To Love?

HELION’S CONQUEST MT XLR

I’m not a monster truck guy. I was ready to hate the Conquest, but I quickly grew to love it, and I was impressed at the value, not to mention the performance. The Helion Conquest 10MT XLR is remarkably stable, even at high speeds, and exhibits understeer when pushed to its limits, rather than rolling over to play dead.

The more I drove it, the more I appreciated the fact that the Conquest’s wide stance and relatively low center of gravity made the truck feel far more nimble than it should be, although the steering servo couldn’t quite seem to keep up with the demands of the gigantic, air-filled tires when travelling at high speed.

The Conquest really is a blast to drive, not that it will keep up with the hardcore racers at your local track, but it won’t embarrass you either. Stable and confident enough to hit the off-road track, and more than enough power to turn your backyard into a 1/10-scale mud bog, the Conquest is more fun than a barrel full of monkeys, not to mention a whole lot easier to clean up.

Thinking about Monster Trucks evokes images of irreverent fun, car crushing, high-flying mayhem. When you absolutely, positively need a truck that exists solely for fun and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, the monster truck is the most logical option. Typically, these behemoths are quick in a straight line, sluggish and stubborn in the corners, and have more than enough ground clearance to turn that curb in front of your house into the greatest jump ever unintentionally created.

Enter the Helion Conquest 10MT XLR. With attractive styling, a full set of ball bearings, brushless power, and even a wheelie bar, the Conquest is ready for serious fun. I pondered these things as I drove to my top secret testing facility, thinking of all the monster trucks I have seen traction rolling into the corner and slamming into the wall with all the force of a 30mph brick. Would the Conquest be the same? I was about to find out. By the way, you can purchase the Helion Conquest 10MT XLR at your loca HobbyTown or click below to order online.

 

Helion Conquest Detailed Feature Breakdown

Look ma! My monster truck ate a buggy! The inner dust cover not only makes the Conquest look like it swallowed someone’s buggy, but it keeps a great deal of dirt, dust, and moisture from reaching the electronic innards of this beast. But just in case something gets in there anyway, the electronics are weatherproof and individually replaceable. You know, in case your 14 year-old thinks “weatherproof” means “submersible.” It does not, just in case you’re wondering.

 

The beefy composite chassis holds everything neatly, and all the components are easy to access. A motor cover keeps the gear mesh clean and is easy to remove, giving access to the adjustable slipper clutch. Velcro provides a secure and easy method of holding down the battery.

The Helion 3625 3300kv brushless, unsensored motor is mated to a Helion 50A all-weather ESC and the package delivers wheelie popping performance on high grip surfaces and more than enough power for dirt slinging donut action. Built for the long haul, the Conquest’s electronics are stand alone, meaning that they can be replaced separately, rather than as a single (and usually expensive) unit.

 

The 2000mAh battery is enough power to pop wheelies and get some serious speed, but the runtime could be better. Luckily, the Helion ESC is capable of running a 3S LiPo, so there is plenty of room for upgrades in the battery department. The wall charger takes some time, so it is worth it to either have a few batteries on hand, or just bite the bullet and get yourself a 2-3S LiPo battery and charger. The Conquest is fast with the stock battery. With a 2S LiPo in there, the Conquest becomes a missile worth dodging, especially if it’s standing on the wheelie bar and coming right for you. The box says it is 3S compatible. As with all things, I think the question here is not if I could, but rather, if I should. I do not own a 3S LiPo. I am O.K. with that.

 

The steering servo does a passable job at lower speeds, but begins to lose effectiveness when near the top speed of the stock battery. With 2S LiPo speeds, by the time you think you should slow down, it’s already 30 seconds too late. With the straight-line understeer already there at the limit, and the sluggish and underpowered servo taking its time, your first few hot laps might send you right into the side of the shed, where you will quickly learn that a pair of pliers would be a good thing to keep in your pocket.

 

The steering and camber links are non-adjustable, and seem to be much easier to pop apart than they are to pop back together. My young assistant was unable to pop the links back on, and it wasn’t long before I got tired of pressing so hard with my fingers. Some slip joint pliers now permanently reside in my toolbox due entirely to the Conquest. As of this writing, there are no upgraded turnbuckles listed specifically for the Conquest, but adjustable turnbuckles are essentially universal, and would be an easy and worthwhile upgrade.

 

 The Ikonnik ET3 transmitter and receiver are both three-channel units, leaving room for switched lights or a sound box. A switch on the face of the controller acts as the third channel. No, that’s not your power switch. The power switch is under a plastic cover, along with the throttle and steering trim, servo reversing switches, steering dual rate adjustment, and throttle end point adjustments, which is great for limiting the top speed when you hand the controller to your eight year- old nephew and tell him not to torment the dog. With the throttle limited, little Sparky will actually have a chance to get away from the terror. Run Sparky, run!

 

The adjustable oil-filled shocks keep the Conquest planted and in control. Large bumps are soaked up with ease and small jolts won’t rattle you off course. The Conquest even appears to be absurdly composed in the air and it takes some serious air to make it bounce on the landings.

Out to Play

This time of year in Connecticut is slushy and raw, with just enough moisture in the air to freeze your nose hairs with every inhale, but there is not much monster-sized fun to be had indoors, so I topped off the battery, grabbed my best grease-stained Carhartt, put on a pot of coffee, and headed out. During some high speed runs on the road in front of my house, I started to see that the Conquest was not a typical MT.

Most of the time, top speed runs turn monster trucks into tumbling bricks by the end of the straight, but with the Conquest, I was pleasantly surprised. Understeer is what you get at the limit, not the Lexan-crunching death roll, and the big truck was eager and nimble in the corners at slower speeds, let down only by the slow response of the servo.

Punching the throttle from a standstill will bring this monster onto its hind legs and the wheelie bar will let you ride it out as long as you can hold onto the throttle. With the handling so predictable, it was only a matter of time before I got comfortable with the Conquest, and my speeds steadily increased.

Not only could I pull a wheelie from a standstill all the way down the straight, but it took the jumps with poise and landed firmly without bouncing. Getting on the throttle on the corner exit steps the back end around in a satisfying bit of oversteer, making even an inexperienced driver feel like Bo Duke on a moonshine run. Just watch those front tires, because the wide stance of the Conquest is sure to have you hooking them around every curb and post in your path.

Having thoroughly tested the Conquest indoors, it was time to see this beast in its natural element. I topped off the stock battery pack, grabbed my grease stained Carhartt, and headed to my back yard. Outside in the slush and cold of a Connecticut winter, the Conquest is right at home, the lower grip making a powerslide just a squeeze of the trigger away, and you can rest easy that the weatherproof electronics are safely tucked away under an entire buggy body all their own.

On the grass and dirt, the stable chassis remains level, the shocks soaking up bumps and chatter with ease. Even though the lower grip of dirt and grass makes it tricky to pop wheelies, the Conquest is so much fun that I doubt you’ll miss it. It wasn’t long before I had a small course burned into my backyard, complete with a death drop off the shed and a smoker-to-tractor double. Mind that gap, Billy, I don’t want any dents in the Cub Cadet.

Unfortunately, the Conquest is not indestructible. I managed to break the rear hub, but to be fair, I may have been slightly abusive. I also may have slammed it exceptionally hard into a very solid post at top speed while flying sideways through the air. Things get a little crazy in Monster Truck Land.

Not to worry, even breaking this thing is fun. A quick trip to the local Hobbytown had me rolling again in no time, and the only limit was just how much bigger I could go. A few sheets of plywood turned my pickup truck into a step-down ramp, a row of 2x4s created a rhythm section, and the Conquest handled them all with a brutish composure. I have never considered myself a monster truck guy. But I sure had tons of fun with the Conquest.

 

 

SPECS & TUNING OPTIONS

DIMENSIONS

Length: 18.9 inches (480 mm)
Width: 13.0 inches (330 mm)
Wheelbase: 11.1 inches (282 mm)
Weight: 5.2 lbs (2.36 kg)

Body, wheels and tires

Body: prepainted polycarbonate outer, prepainted polycarbonate inner dust cover
Wheels: 2.2 chrome plated
Wheel adapter type: 12mm hex
Tires: Soft compound V-tread

Suspension

Type: 4 wheel independent
Shock positions: 2 upper, 1 lower (f), 2 upper, 2 lower (r)
Camber: Nonadjustable links
Roll: N/A
Wheelbase: 11.1 inches
Ride Height:
Misc: N/A

Steering

Type: Dual Bellcrank w/ adjustable servo saver
Toe: Non adjustable

Chassis

Chassis: Pan style
Material: Composite
Thickness: 0.1 inches

Drivetrain

Type: 2WD
Transmission: 3-gear
Differentials: Grease packed 4 gear
Clutch type: Adjustable slipper
Gear ratio: 20T 48P pinion 81T spur
Bearings: full set, sealed

ITEMS NEEDED

Four “AA” batteries

TOOLS & ACCESSORIES INCLUDED

Plastic wheel wrench
Wall charger
Shock adjustment clips

ITEMS USED

N/A

HOP UPS WE RECOMMEND

2S LiPo battery
Upgraded turnbuckles

 

THE LAST WORD

Right out of the box, the Conquest XLR is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. User friendly and simple, it is a great beginner vehicle, and with non-integrated electronics and a powerful motor, it can be upgraded as needed. With 25 mph out of the box, and over 40 mph with a 3S LiPo, there is plenty of room to grow with the Conquest, and plenty of fun to be had.

I am not a monster truck guy, which is why I like the Conquest. It surpasses expectations of what a monster truck is, with an attractive price that makes a performance-based MT easy to get into, and hard to put down. With Helion’s record of providing upgrades and support, and the national chain of Hobbytown nearby to everyone, the Conquest is a great option for anyone looking to get into the Monster Truck world. So grab your Conquest XLR, a cold sixpack and a lawn chair. It’s time to sling some mud around in your backyard. It’s monster truckin’ time.

Words: Marc Aubin, Photos: Greg V