"Mixing BF vehicles and figures with other Manufacturers" Topic

Does anyone mix other manufacturers vehicles and figures with Battle Front? If so, what companies products scale well and match up? Right now, I have exclusively BF products.

Usual response to this question is not within units (usually platoons). Provided that models in platoons units don't end up fighting `mudguard to mudguard' you'll not have a problem with this approach. BF will usually be noticably taller for most vehicle types.

Some do; some don't. Other manufacturers have occasional deviations from a standard 1:100 scale: Old Glory/Command Decision's over-large Universal Carriers, for example; or those items in the Quality Castings range that haven't been re-mastered from 1:108; and other oddities.

Sometimes, if there's a "culprit", compatibility-wise, it's the Battlefront version, due to an exaggerated vertical dimension. Other times, the problem is with an all-metal model being "squashed" in the mold, and looking rather squat as a result.

Battlefront and Peter Pig both also tend towards "robust" armament: that makes them look oversized next to other models where the guns are more to scale; on the other hand, they survive handling better.

So it is literally a case-by-case basis as to what will work together--as well as a purely subjective determination on the part of the viewer.

For some comparisons, including measurements and some excellent comparison photos, see the 15mm Firefight articles on wargames.nordalia.com

Allen

When my gaming group was doing FoW a few years back, the German player had a mix of about four different manufacturers, including BF, fielded without noticeable tabletop differences, and the US player had a mix of BF and Old Glory, which also looked fine during games. I only ever fielded BF Italians, so I can't tell you any experience of "up close and personal," only how things looked during the games.

I'd always say "No! Don't mix them!", but I've got a mate who mixes at least four different makes of Sherman (Peter Pig, Skytrex & Quality Castings, as well as old-FoW and new-FoW) in the same squadron and I can honestly say that it's very difficult to tell when they're on the table.

I have no BF. All my items are battlehonors/Quality casting.
At one tine the QC was a lot lowere in price 20%-30%. But that was in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Now they are similar in price.

I mix Battlefront and Old Glory within platoons of troops but I do not mix the vehicles in the same unit though I do use them in different units.

I do quite a bit of mixing and it generally works out okay. There are a few exceptions, however. For example, my Old Glory T-34s mix very well with my BF T-34s. OTOH, the Old Glory T-70s are DRASTICALLY smaller than the BF T-70s. Maybe a 50% difference! I'd generally advise you to keep different vehicle manufacturers in separate platoons. Differences in infantry isn't quite so crucial since real people do come in different sizes :)

It really comes down to what bugs you personaly. i dont care as long as they look OK from the edge of the table. I dont paint so good anyway, so you are more likely to be bugged by my less than prpffesional paint jobs than any small differences in different companys models.

That said, Scott is right, sometimes you wind up with something so different you wonder if perhaps they where not working for a different scale all togather. But that is on a model by model basis, rather than something company wide.

I have mixed Battle Front with Eureka and they look fine to me

Using anything other than BF? Booooo Hiiisssss.. you will be assimilated.

I use BF and Old Glory/Command Decision. No one's ever noticed, although there are differences. I do try to keep the same type vehicles in separate platoons, though.

I use (gasp) Axis & Allies 2ed vehicles. I just give them a drybrushing and get on with playing wargames.

I mix infantry figures from different manufacturers all the time with no real problems.

Some of the Eureka ranges are a little small, but a sliver of card under the figure when basing brings them up to about the right size and they are such nice figures that the effort is well worth it. Some of the Resistant Roosters figures are giants, but then the odd giant adds a bit of character to a unit!

But in terms of BF, OG/CD and PP: no, they mix fine.

For vehicles, I do tend to only buy one manufacturer's version of a vehicle. There are noticeable differences between manufacturers here.

Varing sizes of troops is IMO a good thing (unless the variation is in heft rather than height).

I have BF, OG, Essex and PP infantry. My Germans are normally fielded with only one manufacturer in a force but my Russians are a big mix.

Vehicle wise my Germans are all BF but my Russians are a mix of OG and Gaming Models (who are not the best but are by far the cheapest).

I find the greatest difference in size comparison width and length tend to occur with smaller vehicles like brens, jeeps, trucks and ACs. larger tanks etc the difference tends to be less noticeable.
Of course there are exceptions to every comparison.

I use a variety of figures for 15mm wwII, mostly I use peter pig, and i try to keep platoons consistent with one another.
That being said, freinds don't let friends buy Battlefront infatry. It's e. The figs are large, the face detail horrid, and the castings rarely match up which leaves you with a ridiculuous amount of prep work to make each figure paintable.
peter pig is not a lot better on the face detail, but at least the miniatures don't require ten minutes with a file to get rid of mold lines and flash. Command decision might be the best allaround infatry, as QRF stuff is sort of stocky and oddly proporioned. I have not painted any eureka stuff.
The sad thing is there are no WWII 15mm miniatures that approach the quality that ancients and napoleonics players have learned to expect. Compare a BF miniature with a Xyston miniature or a Old Glory 15mm napoleonic and you will see what I mean.

I'm wondering what blister Jbickley00 bought. Probably one of the newer ones sculpted by Seth Nash…

I've just put a unit of Cromwells and Fireflies together from 3x Skytrex models, 2x old Battlefront models and 4x new Battlefront models (the Fireflies being both old and new Battlefront models). After painting it's virtually impossible to tell them all apart.

I mix PP and BF on the same base with my LW British and they look fine, but other ranges such as the Fallschirmjaegers don't mix quite so well. I find the CD stuff a bit too small compared to PP & BF although I have used them on their own bases. I have vehicles from PP, BF and converted A&A stuff. I say mix it up, just don't mention it on the FoW forum.
There's a number of things BF don't make, like LW Brits in leather jerkins or a field ambulance for example- so find them wherever you can.
Has anyone tried the new 'Forged in Battle' 15mm stuff, how do they compare to BF?

On detailed observation you can always tell the differences. But during a game there are always more noticeable differences between different styles of painting than between different manufacturers as Mark Davies already states. Personally I don't have too much problem with ~15mm sizes.

And on the purist POV Aecurtis is correct, BF models are "bulky". The LRDG Chevvys I own are markedly very big and tall than even Matildas look small by comparison.

'I'm wondering what blister Jbickley00 bought. Probably one of the newer ones sculpted by Seth Nash…'

I doubt it! Seth's stuff does match other manufacturer's generally. Thats why it is so disliked by fow 'purists'.

The new early war stuff looks interesting.

Have you seen their faces? I call them zombies.

link

I tried doing a headswap on my Von Luck Panzer IV H commander figures, but the hands were bigger than the head…

not in the flesh, I dont buy post British Para BF infantry much.

but there aint much wrong with these.

link