A Matter of Scale
In miniature wargaming, scale is everything. I’m not merely talking about the size of the miniatures, though that is an important part of it. Scale determines more than anything else what kind of conflict can be simulated on the tabletop. A game played with smaller scale models leads to larger and more complex scenarios, often involving forces at company level or higher. While games played with larger scale models do just the opposite, where squad or individual combat becomes the name of the game.
With popular games such as Warhammer 40,000, the model scale is often out of mind for players. The game’s standard at 28mm is well suited to the kind of tactical squad based combat that it is famous for. But for players with larger scenarios in mind, like historic and contemporary wargamers, a greater variety of rules and miniatures makes the choice of the scale all the more important. Thankfully there are plenty of options out there to choose from. So let’s take a look at some of most popular land based scales.
6mm/1:285 — This scale is well known to fans of micro armor games. While not as popular as some larger scales, it has found its place as the ideal scale for players who like the utility of small models without sacrificing too much aesthetic detail. It has also become a popular alternate scale for Team Yankee players who find 1:100 figures too cumbersome. For historically focused players, it’s hard to beat the Baccus 6mm range. But for players with more contemporary tastes, GHQ has an incredibly vast range of armor and infantry from WW2 to today.
Pros: Cheap, easy to paint, and can field massive armies.
Cons: Infantry can occasionally be a little fidgety and out of scale with vehicles.
15mm/1:100 — Figures played in this scale are the largest that can be realistically fielded for games with massed forces. Even then, it does not take many vehicles on the table for things to get crowded very quickly. Infantry however can really shine in 1:100 scale games and for platoon level combat it is great. Games such as Flames and War and Team Yankee by Battlefront dominate this scale and with good reasons, the figures are fantastic.
Pros: Good balance of price and numbers for infantry.
Cons: Vehicles often overpriced, vehicles can easily overcrowd and bunch up in the play area.
1:72 — Infantry, infantry, infantry. One of the most prolific scales there is, 1:72 is made for infantry games (with the occasional vehicle in support). Not only are there many mass producers of figures and models in 1:72, but there are also some really high quality independent producers. Surprisingly, there are not a lot of games or rulesets that are based around this scale (though they do exist). Elhiem has the absolute best range of contemporary 1:72 infantry on the market.
Pros: Huge selection of practically everything. Great for squad/platoon based games.
Cons: Not many popular games/rulesets based around this scale.
28mm — We all know where this is going. The wargaming giant Games Workshop dominates all things 28mm with Warhammer Fantasy, Warhammer 40k, and Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game. Many players, particularly younger ones in high school, get their first taste of tabletop games through this scale and for good reason. The figures are of great quality and the community around these games is massive. The price point can be a little rough though.
Pros: Huge community and availability. Some mind blowing figures and models.
Cons: Wildly expensive.
While there are games played at other scales, these 4 represent some of the most widely used. It’s not hard to find naval wargames at as small as 1:2400, or historic games at 3mm scale, or even games as large a 30mm. But considering a balance of price, quality, rules, and community, these scales stand out on top. At the end of the day it comes down to what is most important to you as a hobbyist, and fortunately for all us there is no shortage of variety.
