What's In A Miniature Scale, Anyway?
One of the most confusing topics for a new member of our wonderful little
community is undoubtedly the issue of "miniatures" scale. Like the scale models
that helped to inspire their resurgent popularity in the modern era, miniatures (or,
"castings") come in a bewildering variety of scales, sizes, and measurements.
Worse yet, the scales are frequently applied very liberally by the manufacturers of
such goods.
The Cardinal Scales
First, it should be mentioned that there are literally hundreds of scales
which have, over one point or another, been proposed (most of them
unsuccessfully) for wargames. There are, however, four "cardinal scales" of
wargaming which are universally known to miniature wargamers across the globe.
These are "Micro" Scale, 15mm Scale, 20mm Scale, and 25mm scale. Arguably, the
most commonly found scale across all periods is probably 25mm -due by and large
to the insistence by major fantasy wargames producers that this is the only 'real'
scale to game in. However, 15mm miniatures rank a very close second in terms of
popularity.
"Micro" Scale refers to 1/285th or 1/300th scale miniatures, used primarily
in "micro armor" battles. These games (usually) involve dozens of armored units,
along with infantry, air, and artillery elements, and are most popularly fought in
WW2 and Modern settings from about 1960 onwards (there aren't many Korean
War Micro-Armor Gamers, but then again, there aren't many Korean War gamers
period.) Nominally, Micro Scale miniatures are compatible with 6mm armies, and are
increasingly used in this role, but the size of micro armor vehicles can vary
considerably - and seems to literally change from unit with most of the major
manufacturers.
Micro Scale miniatures are, depending upon whom you speak to, either the
most difficult or the easiest miniatures to paint. I have found the infantry in the
scale (specifically that designated for use with micro-armor) to be incredibly
painful to paint, due in large part to casting irregularities, though the vehicles in
said-same scale are really a whiz to paint in quantity.
15mm Scale was, at one time, the most popular wargames scale in the
world, and it is still one of the most pervasive. It is very difficult to find any
historical subject in 15mm that hasn't been at least briefly covered by some
sculptor struggling in 15mm; science-fiction and fantasy, however, is only very
rarely found in this scale. Generally, 15mm gamers tend to be most commonly
found in the Ancients and Napoleonic periods, though the most heavily invested
period seems to be the 18th century. A recent addition to this scale is WW2 -
which was only made in small quantities until the sudden resurgence of popularity
in the period produced the stuff in droves. You can now find armies, such as Fins
and Hungarians, and unusual weapons, such as Japanese armored cars, which
are literally impossible to find in any other scales.
Many consider 15mm miniatures to be the ultimate utility scale - they are
large enough to show detail, but small enough to show up well in mass and to paint
up relatively quickly. However, most of those who did not begin painting in this
scale (myself included) tend to find these qualities to be reversed - the detail
frequently gets ridiculous for such tiny figures, and they are often noted as taking
longer than comparable 25mm figs. Nevertheless, those who love 15mm troops
truly love them, and you will probably never find a scale covering so many periods
so admirably.
As with all scales, the size of 15mm minis can vary quite a bit. The days
of "true 15mm" miniatures are pretty much gone, these days, and most range
anywhere from 12mm on the small side to nearly 18mm on the large side of things.
One piece of advice passed along to me when first entering the scale is to pick a
manufacturer for a single period and stick with it - armies from the different
manufacturers don't really mix well in 15mm, unless you commit to doing all of
Nationality A from Company A, all of Nationality B from Company B, and so-on. I
have, however, seen some creative mixing with the use of larger 15mm troops as
Grenadiers, smaller troops as militia, etc.
20mm Scale is an enormously controversial scale, for a variety of
reasons. In short, it is lambasted endlessly by those who do not play in the scale,
and ardently worshipped by those who do. At one time the only reliable means of
acquiring affordable armies for many wargamers, the scale has suffered from the
past in being produced primarily as poorly sculpted plastics, though there were
always exceptions to the rule, and quality has massively improved over the years,
to the point that plastic 20mm troops are sometimes better sculpted than their metal
and resin counterparts in the scale.
Painting 20mm troops is generally not as painful as one might think, and
even those who hate them will generally remark that there is something odd about
the size which makes them paint up slightly more quickly than other troops. They
key in painting 20mm, because it is a scale still largely dependent upon plastics, is
to use a good, viscous primer for adherence of paint to the surface. Otherwise,
paint has an unfortunate tendency to flake off, run, and destroy an otherwise
excellent paint job.
The majority of 20mm wargamers are European, but there is a small,
doggedly devoted group of enthusiasts here in the States. Small enough to
represent big engagements, big enough to look good in a skirmish, 20mm is
considered by its adherents to be the best and most economical compromise.
When plastic models were at their height of popularity, literally thousands of
conflicts were represented in the scale, from Biblical to Modern and everything in
between. Sadly, that ship has sailed, but companies such as HaT and Zvezda
have recently ramped up production of a variety of periods, aimed primarily at
wargamers.
Size is always an issue. Some say that 1/72 is 25mm, others that it is
20mm. However, both 72 and 76 are compatible with true 20mm models, with very
little notable scale differences. This is particularly important to remember when
buying plastic troops from companies such as Italieri, which produce 20mm or
"True 25mm" troops in 1/72 scale and label them as "25mm Toy Soldiers". There
are quite a few companies in Britain making these in metal and resin, and they are
certainly worth a look.
25mm is, as I've already noted, the most commonly found scale in toy
soldiers, and it is at the time of this writing still the most popular scale for a variety
of engagements. The original wargaming scale, there is nothing that cannot be
converted or purchased directly in the scale, and it has grown considerably in
popularity because of this.
25mm castings are generally the most expensive of the cardinal scales,
but they are nevertheless enjoying quite a run at the moment - due in no small part
to the sheer variety of topics covered. A friend in the industry estimates that
almost 75% of all convention games at the big non-commercial cons are run with
25mm troops, with 99% of the games at commercial cons being run in the same
scale. Based upon personal experience, I have no reason to dispute them.
25mm troops have enormous benefits. They have large surface areas,
and easily seen details, making their paint jobs somewhat easier on the eyes,
particularly for those of us whose eyesight isn't what it used to be. They also take
a hell of a long time to paint in enormous quantity, and can be the subject of
endless anal retentiveness for we who try hard to fight the "detail obsessed"
demon within us. Unfortunately, their large size also makes use in anything but
skirmish games an increasingly futile prospect, unless one has access to unlimited
space or large convention halls. I did the Battle of Monterrey in 25mm. I will never
do such an ambitious project in 25mm scale again.
The new wargamer would be well advised to note that 25mm is perhaps
the most abused scale in the industry. Two different companies producing 25mm
troops will almost never produce castings of the same size, with sizes ranging
from "true 25mm" scale to the massive 30-32mm miniatures still sold as "25mm
model soldiers" by large companies such as GW. The cardinal rule is to compare
the miniatures you already own to those in a line you intend to explore. You might
well be in for some very nasty surprises, and in 25mm scale, this can be painfully
obvious. For this reason, many gamers and the companies serving them are now
labelling 25mm troops as "25/28mm soldiers", though this is far from universal.
Keep your eyes sharp!
The Niche Scales
There are, of course, alternatives, sizes which fall into what I refer to as
'Niche' scales. These are scales which are strongly popular among their adherents
but, as yet, not part of the wider public distribution. These include, in no particular
order, 'Tiny' Scale, 10mm, 18mm, and 54mm. There is also a very small market in
120mm castings. Of course, Naval Wargamers use an entirely different set of
scales, but that is a subject best left to another article.
'Tiny' Scale troops generally range anywhere from 1mm to 3mm in size,
with most being in the 1mm to 2mm range. They are truly tiny, so tiny in fact that
they are rarely more than misshapen blobs or barely discernible ranks of troops.
Useful only really in mass, they nevertheless continue to be used in skirmishes and
even (in at least one case that I witnessed personally) as individually mounted
troops by the truly twisted amongst us. A writer in a popular wargames magazine
once asked why manufacturers of 1mm troops even bothered grouping them by
period, since a Roman is as good as a Grenadier Guard in such a small scale. I
think he was on to something, though I must admit they look awfully impressive in
enormous quantities.
Aside from their tiny size and lack of detail, one consideration is that there
is next to nothing in terms of terrain made for such tiny soldiers on the larger
market. Fortunately, the big manufacturers of these scales usually make bags of
tiny buildings to go with the bags of tiny err... lumps with sticks.
6mm Scale has been much maligned by wargamers, and this is due in part
to the rather poor quality sculpting many of the older lines received, but in larger
part to the very bad uses they've been put to over the years. 6mm troops were
never meant to be used as individually based troops, or to be based in single file
units, but many wargamers choose to base them in this manner for reasons best
known only to themselves (economy, is of course, a consideration, but even that
can become an old excuse under certain circumstances).
Fortunately, both of these problems are slowly fading away. 6mm troops
have experienced a renaissance in popularity, particularly for the 16th-19th
centuries, when linear combat makes these guys look absolutely beautiful from a
birds eye view when used in proper mass. There are also several companies
working hard to produce better sculpts, and Baccus in particular has been making
enormous strides in this direction. Ancient Gamers are also rediscovering this
scale, and the effect can be pretty spectacular.
A diligent search can find a variety of unusual items in 6mm scale, some
of which are not currently produced in any other scale. In addition, they can be an
economical and easy way to get introduced to the hobby, particularly for harder to
paint subjects such as Samurai or Renaissance units. While many fear that these
are "hard to paint", well cast minis in this scale are really quite a breeze, so long as
one pants them as caricatures and not full scale ultra-detailed miniatures. (Note
that I said WELL CAST in the previous sentence, and I meant it - badly cast troops
in this scale are an utter nightmare!)
Unfortunately, the "cheap cost" of 6mm troops has been touted to death
by the manufacturers of 6mm, and many wargamers have discovered that this is
simply not true. While certainly not as expensive as, say, 25mm troops, the fact
remains that massed bases are needed for proper representation of 6mm armies,
and under the current pricing schemes utilized by most manufacturers, it is simply
not significantly cheaper to game in 6mm than it would be to step up to a larger
scale.
10mm is a relatively new scale, briefly experimented with in the 1970s and
again in the 1980s, which is once again coming into vogue in the 21st century. The
number of 10mm manufacturers is still relatively small, but the ranges covered are
constantly expanding, with Classical, ACW, and European 19th century subjects
particularly well covered at present.
10mm troops are, like 6mm, frequently chosen because of their relative
ease in painting and because they don't have an enormous space requirement for
gaming or storage. In addition, they are generally considered "easier" to paint and
to deal with than their larger cousins. A recent consideration for some has been
that 10mm scale frequently covers topics (such as the Austro-Prussian War or
particularly obscure ACW units) not generally covered in other scales.
Small enough to be used in mass, but large enough to show the more
important details, this is about as small as one can get without huge quantities for
representation or labels for proper identification. Price is generally pretty good, and
these have recently proven to be cheaper (and easier to acquire) than their smaller
6mm cousins.
54mm scale is also known as "Toy Soldier" scale by its adherents. Almost
exclusively produced in plastic, 54mm troops were used by HG Welles when he
created 'Little Wars' at the end of the nineteenth century, along with a motley
collection of True 25s. They have largely been avoided by the majority of gamers,
sadly, due in no small part to their higher cost; nevertheless, they experienced a
brief resurgence in the late 1990s, and still have their dedicated adherents.
54mm troops are almost exclusively found in plastic, with a handful
available in pewter. A wide variety of manufacturers make them, ranging from the
extremely expensive pieces made by 'Britains', to the relatively inexpensive pieces
manufacturers by Barzoso, Marx, Armies in Plastic, BMP, and others. Most topics
in the scale are 19th century, though a few can be found in just about every
genre, as these were (after all) originally supposed to be toys. Cost can be quite
high, though even this has gone down. An acquaintance recently put on a Tel El
Kebir game using 54mm troops and used them all at a price far less than what he
would have paid for comparable 25mm soldiers.
These are not for the faint of heart in terms of painting. Even the troops
without heavy detail take a bit longer due in no small part to their rather
considerable size. Not recommended for beginners - though there are actually
some nicely priced pre-painted ACW troops being sold in blister packs in many
specialty shops, and this might be used as a good introduction to skirmish gaming.
Finally, I should mention that there is a small (and I do mean small) market
for 120mm troops. Almost exclusively made for collectors, and usually far more
expensive than practical, a small market has arisen in figures for man-to-man
combat scenarios requiring 1-4 troops per player, at maximum. These are not
recommended for beginners, being somewhat difficult to paint and frequently
difficult to assemble.
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Wargaming Scales - A Brief Discussion