"How many figures do gamers collect?" Topic

As my wife says, "Paint the ones you have before buying more!", but that never works…

3,000 Samurai and 1,300 Sohei. And my wife will never understand. TIG

If you have to ask this question you should be run out of town on a rail. :)

All of them.

D~

For my Xwife one was too many and for me a million was not enough.

I'm working on 60 union and 60 confederate along with a few guns each and a bit of cavalry. These are for smallish games of Bro vs. Bro. For Zulu wars I have around 200 Zulus and 100 Brits and 50 assorted cavalry in 25/28mm and 120 Brits in 1/72 (20mm) scale. My modern zombies 25/28mm, are at about 200 undead and 50 or so survivors. I like to also model my characters in a few poses both walking and horse mounted. So I suppose enough to plat the game and what looks good on the battle table. I tend to like platoon to company level games. I don't need to hold a rank any higher then Captain, at most Major.

The tragic bit comes after the line

"Enough, enough, I'm satisfied!"

Can't imagine a wargamer saying that line.

Let's just say "many" and leave it at that. As for my wife, we have an "arrangement". … I let her continue to buy shoes and she lets me continue to buy miniatures! :-)

Need has nothing to do with it! Space? who cares! that's why I bought a place with acreage,a separate gaming house and attached garage. Keeps the spousal unit's curiosity at an acceptable level! It's great to live in Tejas!

Steve Miller
DFW Irregulars

Who counts their figures? I can't even count the different ARMIES that I have!

I've gone at this the other way around – I'm aiming at the minimum I need for representative games of the eras I've chosen. Once I've done that I add as and when I feel like it but only the odd bit here and there. I learnt this approach from my ECW collection that is too big for my table – why bother buying let alone painting yet more when there are other projects to enjoy.

Whilst its perhaps a desire to cover every possible unit of a campaign etc etc I'm no longer convinced that 'more' makes for a more enjoyable game or collecting experience and to be honest I'd rather spend my time messing about with rules and things than endless, endless painting.

I will be the exception to the general rule, because I do have enough model soldiers.

I have been collecting and painting them for 40 years, from Airfix to Hinton Hunt, to Minifigs to "new" Minifigs, to Bicorne to Elite and finally Front Rank – and that is just the 20-28mm.

Throughout that time I painted figures every workday night and every weekend. It was my favourite form of relaxation. As the years passed I sold off the older figures to replace them with "better" ones.

Then retirement came along, when you would think that I would settle down to even more painting. However over the previous three years or so I had replaced all of my larger figures with Front Rank/Elite and the smaller ones with Heroics and Ros. I was in the middle of replacing 15mm minifigs with 18mm AB. By now I had about 6000 each in 28mm, 18mm and 6mm. I felt that I had the best figures available, and to replace any one scale would be a massive job. I really just could not face it all over again.

With retirement came a planned move to Spain, and this prompted me to reassess my whole approach to wargaming and collecting. Previously I had run a club in my garage on a 12 foot by 6 foot table with half a dozen friends. When we moved my wife and I planned to wargame on our own again. So I set about planning exactly what I wanted from wargaming.

We decided to downsize our wargames table to 6 foot by 6 foot, which is plenty large enough for two players. We then took a really hard look at how many figures we needed and what sort of games we would play.

Given the size of table I decided that I would only need half of the armies I currently had. So half of the 28mm, and 6mm went on ebay. I was able to adjust the replacement process with the AB figures to half of the original plan.

Many will be surprised to hear that it has worked out fine. The time which I used to spend on painting I now spend on a large and complex 1813 Campaign, designed to provide battles for the different armies and different scales.

We now wargame most days, particularly in the summer when it is too hot to do much else except swim.

We devote a lot of time to getting our rules right, and that is easy as we only have to please each other. Our games are great fun, and I have never enjoyed wargaming so much since those first few months many years ago.

So if you think you may have enough figures – you may be right. Perhaps you should try actualy playing with them now, rather than paint them and put them away – which is what I did for the past 40 years or so. In fact many of the figures I sold on ebay, particularly the imperial garde, never actually got to fight on the wargames table.

I can confirm that there is actually a life after buying and painting model soldiers. Surprise, surprise its playing with them!

"Whilst its perhaps a desire to cover every possible unit of a campaign etc etc I'm no longer convinced that 'more' makes for a more enjoyable game or collecting experience…"

Heretic!!!! Out out!!!!

thistlebarrow2

That's great to read your experiences – I can see my own path following yours.

Timmo UK

I had not read your comment when I wrote mine, but obviously we share the idea that more is not always better.

I think we all start off wanting to refight Waterloo or some such. And the first few years was just getting as many figures painted as possible. But I found over the years that too many figures on the table can actually be a distraction. I remember that on my first visit to Peter Guilders WHC I was overwhelmed by the sight of his collection, but the actual wargames were something of a disappointment. There were only three of us a side for a refight of Waterloo, which left each of us with a huge expanse, and width, of table to control and what seemed like thousands of figures to move each turn. Fortunately the game ended before the Prussians arrived!

I now prefer games where tactical skill is more important than just throwing hundreds of figures against hundreds of the enemy, and rolling tens of dice. I far prefer to have room on the table to manoeuvre and use reserves than just have masses of figures shoulder to shoulder. Not the same visually I admit, but more satisfying to win due to a clever tactical move rather than just better dice.

Not for everyone, but each to his own.

Depends on the game: For Infinity and Warmachine, I have about one 'Field Allowance' (ie, the max number seen in a game of a certain size) of each mini, unless there are variant weapons.

For 40k, a complete Company of Marines (107 infantry, 8 APCs, 1 IFV), plus supporting armored vehicles.

For Flames of War, I seem to collect one complete company and every support option available.

I haven't started the research for any other historicals, but I think that Sekigahara or Gettysburg represented 1:1 is overkill, I wouldn't go for a lower ratio than 1:25.

Timmo and thistlebarrow2:

I'm hoping to emulate your pov with my future collecting. I spend loads of time painting, but hardly any time PLAYING.

Now, let's see if I can curb my appetite for lead/plastic!

Regards,
GregS

I collect very little now. I'm looking to replace my 28MM Spanish Napoleonics, but see no urgency. I haven't counted it all up, but I'm pleased. My 12x6 table in no way will hold them all, and that's fine. Plenty of variation. My collecting frenzy died out years ago.

too many! see something nice – have to have it! I think I will always have a much larger unpainted army than I will painted.

Frankly, I collect every battalion in a given army/corps and since I only do horse and musket [for now – wife would kill me if I ever put my Trojan War plan into action], I've got a reasonable amount.

Then again, I love esoteric periods and can't wait until something new peeks my interest! Thank goodness I don't paint 28mm or I'd be divorced!

Okay, I can't stand it anymore. You guys impress the hell out of me….but I have no idea how many figures I've got. I'm superstitous about 'counting my men'.

Anyway, story time. My wife has been bugging me for a while to clean out some of the old clothes in my closet. She comes home from work to see two garbage bags full of clothes (old T-shirts and stuff). Very proud of me, she checks out the closet to discover I've stacked boxes of troops from floor to ceiling in the empty space! (Ran out of room in the gaming closet…)

Hah! I love it.

I just picked up 450 WF and OG 28mm Zulus to be able to game the Zulu War in 1:40 scale. I will need considerably less British and allies!

When i'm dead and feeding the worms……then my son may carry on the quest for perfection.

17,228.

Hang on.

I missed a drummer, 17,229.

When the miniatures compete for space with the books I will have enough miniatures. :-)

Seriously though, "enough" is being able to play a few games in a period that I have a side interest in, usually a project I take on myself. British Victorian Colonials, Russo-Turkish War of 1877, WWI, Spanish Civil War, some WWII campaigns, Vietnam.

Then there are major periods that are projects that I have undertaken with friends. We each select a portion of the forces involved and have some self-imposed limits. War of the Spanish Succession, Napoleonics, Wars of Empire 1859-1870.

Finally there are the periods in which I spend most of my hobby time and the word "enough" simply does not apply. American Civil War and WWII.

My collection is in 15mm and I do most of the painting myself. My side interests are essentially complete, except the British Colonials. I have taken on a lot for the major projects with friends and still have a lot to do. Of course, my primary period work will never end. It all keeps me happy.

Mark

If you're a painter/collector you can never have enough, because painting and collecting them is what you do. If your figures are just a resource you have to help you play games, then yeah, you can have too many.

It depends how picky you are. If you play historical battles and want all the troops in the correct uniforms with the right colour facings – you will have a lot of troops!

I aim to have enough troops to game the largest battle for each army with something close to the correct uniforms for both sides.

Simple answer really……as many as you feel is right for you!!

hussarbob1746.webs.com

Through the early years I didn't have enough money but wanted to fight massed battles so did everything in 6 and 2mm except for a small 15mm army, then I got more money and went bananas collecting 28mm's but never played many games, now I am downsizing my 28mm's but keeping a few from each period as skirmishes are my thing at the moment.

Given the right rules, I think that between 5 and 12 units per side is ample, whether those units be single figures or army corps.

1+

Never enough!

We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brother!
I wish not more, but if it must be so
I will not shunt it!!!
My Humble Collections so far…….
28mm HYW English 60+minis
WH – Wood Elves 30+minis
15mm SYW British 200+minis
15mm Finish WW2 150+minis
15mm Japanese WW2 800+minis
15mm Germans WW2 2000+minis

I think what was meant was: "What is the optimum size for an army?" I would agree with 12 infantry units. But I would suggest a minimum of 5 cavalry and probably 6. A minimum of 3 guns. I am starting a Louis XIV army and that is what I'm shooting for.

Rich

The 15mm Gettysburg OOB in 1:1, but then I'd just start doing it in 25mm.

Eh, for 25mm depending on time period and such, a solid 6-8 20-24 man units is enough to start. 10-12 units of infantry with specials and cavalry and officers and artillery is a nice collection in 25mm that honestly can be called done, allowing you to move onto something else. I am not much of a believer in the "A true wargamer never has enough" ethos… I enjoy the planning of an army from start to finish and the creating and maintaining of various ratios too much.

Lord Ash-ram….

An attitude adjustment is in order sir! If the DFWIrregulars put all their figures in one spot; the earth would shift its axis and the Greens (I can't say the ex-vice president's name or I'll get dawghoused)may be proven right.

It's good to be an DFWIrregular but not to be an irregular wargamer!

Steve Miller
DFW Irregulars

I can't wait to get alzhiemers from lead poisoning. Then every day I can relive the joy of having new miniatures, without having to buy them.

I only have 4,878 25-28mm miniatures. About 35 square feet worth.

Bacon

an unknown number of mini's…

+/- 500 undead 28mm
+/- 1500 7YW 28mm
+/- 500 WW2 Brits 15mm
+/- 500 ACW confederates
+/- 100 WW1 Germans 28mm
+/- 300 Sci-Fi 28mm
+/- 5000 unpainted of all sort 28 mm
+/- 500 unpainted of all sort 15 mm

My best friend and owner of our club:

+/- 1000 medieval 28 mm
+/- 1000 Sci-fi 28mm
+/- 300 WW1 28 mm
+/- 500 WW2 28 mm
+/- 500 WW2 15 mm
+/- 20.000 Napoleonic 15 mm
+/- 500 ACW 15mm
+/- 300 Colonial/African 28 mm
+/- 1000 7YW 28 mm
50 Ships 1/300
A lot of other stuff

Unpainted unknown

Honestly, I'm trying to keep my 28mm collection down to a dull roar, and am trying to divest myself of almost all my GW collection. I have seen the light, and am collecting 15mm troops. 15mm Ancients (eventually) for throwing down at Thermopylae (yes, the 300 Spartans and the never-remembered 700 helots versus a never-ending horde of Persians). proto-Samurai from the Heian/Kamakura period. Napoleonics when I figure out which year to start (Legacy of Glory rules, so BIG battles with low figure count). WW2 with lots of Flames of War. Moderns in the Sandbox. And even some scifi.

Even so, I don't plan on more than a couple hundred figures for each *army* in each period. Except for maybe the Spartans… For some reason I really want to put 1,000 troops down on my side and play the game at 1:1.

I'm concentrating on having enough troops to reasonably play some games, but a lot of them are going to be individually-based for small-scale skirmishing. I also don't stress on having the exact uniforms for April 15, 1813, which tends to cut down on number of minis needed.

A huge thanks to everyone who has responded to my inept original question, with typical TMP'er humour and also candour (I hope your respective spouses don't prowl this forum).
It is hard to be ept in this current era, or even pugnant, but we must make the attempt. A thousand pardons to all your houses.
I withdraw…In awe of the accomplishments of all.

16,772 15mm Napoleonic miniatures is the number that I have, but then again, I don't use dice to determine close combat, musket or artillery fire, or losses due to severe morale results, or even fatigue or stragglers.

Each side gets one 17-pound bowling ball, which is rolled when my pet parrot "Woolly-Wonka", sez "let's roll!"….

Really,
Wayne

Only as many as I need….

Cloesing on 4000 figs now, colected and painted over the last two years. 2500 of them 6mm painted the last 4 months

I tend to collect so that I can field a fairly flexible force.
So lots of basic units and with a smattering of the most interesting peripherys. Enough to be able to represent the most common sort of battle in any particular war.

For me it isn't figure numbers but numbers of bases and storage space. As a base minimum an 'Army' occupies one A4 box file, if they are particularly small armies (say for DBA) you might get two in one box file. I usually do both/all sides so for me an 'army' may also include multiple combatants, so my 6mm Colonials I regard as one 'army' but in fact it contains at least five different combatants and is spread over two A4 storage trays.

A proper army has a whole shelf, stacking high with multiple box files.

Number of figures is very variable, 20mm Roman DBA Army might be 50 odd figures (including all the options), whereas my 6mm APW Austrians have hundreds of figues (maybe more).

Another definition of an army is 'enough stuff to do a decent sized battle with your chosen set of rules'. This could range from half a dozen figures for a detailed skirmish, to hundreds or even thousands for e.g. Corps level Great War Spearhead (depending on scale).

In response to how many…too many!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if I won the lottery now I wouldn't have enough time in the day to prep and paint them all before I died…allowing for an old age of 100!

I have all the miniatures I'll ever need. I don't need any more. Okay… I need these packs but that's it! I don't need any more… part from this table too… and this paddle ball… and another army for this but that's all I need. I don't need anything else ever… and these… I need these over here but that's it! Oh… and I need this lamp but that's it!

If you did indeed win the lottery you could pay someone else to paint alot of your figures,this'll cut down on your own painting time.

For myself when i started many years ago in Naval Wargaming i wanted to have all the main combat Fleets of the world and almost every ship in a class,but it never got that bad.

I can also agree with much of what has been said already.

Captain Gideon

For 6mm historicals, I buy enough for a medium to large game. That means 50 or so T-34/76, another 50 or so T-34/85, 15-25 of each assault gun and heavy tank, and at least a battalion of infantry for my WWII Russians. Other periods would be enough to play the largest battle from a campaign/war that interests me.

For 6mm SciFi, usually a dozen or two of the vehicles I like, and enough infantry to make a battalion using my chosen rules.

15mm I use for skirmish games, so 30-50 infantry and at least a platoon (3-5) of the vehicles I like.

I've sold off lots of things in which I no longer have interest (15mm 7YW/Nap/ACW, Crusaders, Saracens), but am replacing them with 6mm figs in periods that currently interest me (colonials, ancients, Dark Ages, WWI). I no longer feel the need to own everything I like, especially if I can't interest an opponent or two in putting them on the tabletop. So, for a figure count, I only have some 2500 or so figures between 6mm, 15mm, and spaceships.

A million is not enough for your significant other having more than a few hundred is lunacy.