"Can't decide....6mm or 10mm" Topic

I'm having a heck of a time deciding what scale I want to play.

Here are some of my conditions/situations:

4'x6' table
Using a hex mat with some mini buildings
playing solo
prefer larger battles

I DO care to be able to see what's on the board and not have to squint my eyes.

The ONLY thing I think 6mm has over 10mm/144th is the cost. $10 USD for 5 vehicles, while 10mm/144th can be $3 USD-5 per vehicle.

So, to anyone who chose between these two scales…what did you decide and why?

Thanks

My primary scale is 1/87. I do have some 6mm GHQ WWII, but only to be compatible with a local club. For a secondary scale, I definitely wish I could taken 10mm over 6mm.

On the gaming table, 6mm Pz.III's and IV's are indistinguishable. Any tanks with long/short barrel variants are indistinguishable.

Im a 3mm guy for large battles and 15mm for skirmish. If I were you I would buy a couple 6mm tanks and a couple 10mm to see which you prefer. Really, the infantry does not make much difference.

Lots of armor desired – go 6mm.

Want a mix of infantry and armor – go 10mm/12mm.

More interested in infantry, with a few vehicles – go 15mm, or larger.

The newer 6mm infantry are good sculpts. Can't go wrong with 6mm.

Define larger battles.

If your after re-inforced company level, then I would go 15mm, with the zvezda and PSC ranges of vehicles and the PSC plastic infantry or the ,ultitude of other makes it is both small'ish scale and cost effective.

If you want large to huge battles, look at 3mm from Oddzial Osmy. They are excellent vehicles and despite the earlier comment, you can tell a lot of details on them.

From the UK here:

link

in the US here:

picoarmor.com/pages/home.php

As for size and mix

I want a good mix of tanks, infantry, at-guns, apc's/ac's

Maybe, at most, 30-40 vehicles on the table

With my 4'x6' limitations I'm wondering if 10mm/144th scale is just too big (can't afford both scales either)

I'd go for 6mm then.

You get the right look.

I'd go for 10mm if it was ancients or anything other than WWI onwards. Mainly for the uniforms.

But there are lots of choices in 6mm, so that would be a good choice.

Cheers,
JohnG

> 6mm Pz.III's and IV's are indistinguishable

I have no trouble telling those apart, same for different makes of tanks of the same base model. Infantry on the other hand is tough, GHQ does theirs in such a way that MMMG/HMG/LMG and troops are easy to distinguish but telling the difference between an SMG and rifle armed mini is not possible for me. (I can hardly tell when looking at them magnified).

I went with 15mm, lots of manufacturers and just about anything is available for every time period. Using 3 men on a 1" base as a squad or platoon allows large battles as well. Vehicles are more costly then 6mm but even here there is the Command Decision range which can be had for around $5 USD each when bought through warweb or by going with the old glory army.

1:300th scale – can't beat it!

I would do either Adler or GHQ infantry.

I have seen people do 6 mm vehicles and 10mm infantry. This lets you see the type of infantry better, while saving on the cost of vehicles. Looks pretty good on the table. After all units using 6mm or 10mm on a base are platoons, companies or even battalions anyway.

I like 10mm a lot, but if you want larger battles, then 6mm is the way to go. Adler makes some great looking figs with a lot of detail. A lot of the details are slightly oversized, so they are easy to see.

One consideration might be your interest in/tolerance for painting. I've never tried 10mm but in pictures it looks like they have more detail than 6mm. Also because they're larger you may feel they need a more detailed paint job. I know I need to put a lot more effort into painting 15mm than 6mm to get each to a standard that looks good to me.

6 mm and 10 mm figures take the same basing space either individually on 1 cent coins or in bigger bases representing a squad, for example a base of 3x3 cm.
So the difference would go in price and detail but not in space. If you are going skirmish the price isn't important as they are going to be few troops.
Regarding detail, 6 mm cannot compete with 10mm:

Cheers,
Javier

Another consideration may be the size of hexes on the hex mat and whether or not you want to have multiple vehicles or infantry stands in a hex. The larger the hexes, the less it will matter whether or not you use 6 or 10 mm and you can use multiple vehicles/stands in a hex. If you want small hexes, say 1" or 1-1/2" each, you might run into a problem with the larger vehicles in 10 mm, especially assault guns with long guns and ATGs.

I'll agree that 10 and 15mm have more detail, but I've found 6mm gives me more options and greater terrain options.

Below is a game I'm about to play with FNG rules by THW, the US may be in trouble if this amush is pulled off correctly.

The following is some of my figs (6mm) in progress)

I prefer 6mm. The selection GHQ and CinC gives us is really nice. Regarding telling the difference between a panzer 4 and 3 in 6mm, come on, its easy to tell the difference. I do 6mmn 15mmn and 25mm myself in WWII

I think someone suggested I buy a couple tanks of each scale, paint them up and put them on my game table….go from there.

Thanks to everyone who commented!

For detail, I would put the newer GHQ 6mm Armor and infantry up against most 10mm stuff. Adler infantry too. Small table, big battles, definitely 6mm.

I have often thought about 10mm but I really can't see any advantage of 6mm, they are just harder to paint and more expensive.

If I want bigger figures and vehicles I use 15s and 20s.

So, if forced to choose between 6 or 10, go with 6. Cheaper, easier to paint, easier to store/transport, enormous range of kit available and more in keeping with the ground scale.

I'm experimenting with pico armour for moderns but I remain to be convinced about having three teeny tiny vehicles on one base vs one nice big 6mm one which I can actually see is a T64b or whatever.

6mm gives you a great feel from 1:1 perspective.

10-12mm are great for Kampfgruppe games, but its harder to see 6mm years on, as or based for platoons.

6mm are great but eyes wear over years, I have just rebased my 6mm for Spearhead rules and have gained the GD division, the Fuhrer Begleit, the 502nd Hvy Tank btln, the 653rd jagdpanzer btln. UK 1st Airborne division and a french 1940 DCM.

In ACW I even put barefeet on the figs now i'm doing 28mm.

eyes again.

6mm.

Doug

Thanks so much everyone for your comments and helping me decide what's best for me.

I've started another thread asking some ?? about 15mm and 20mm makers.

My eyes I know are going to be a factor along with the desire to actually stay away from larger battles….it would look cool, but be too much for me to play through (I'll be solo gaming).

Not sure about the eyes thing, hear it a bit. Getting em tested is a good idea but its mainly a matter of 'zoning in', spend the day doing normal things ( computer/phones dont help) and it takes a little while for the eyes to adjust. Always start a painting session etc with something not to demanding in focus terms for the first 20 mins or so then move onto more demanding stuff should help. As we get older the eye muscles dont adapt to new demands as quickly as they used to so they need toning up. x2 reading glases help as does proper daylight simulating light bulbs. Preferably two lights one from overhead on each side.
L

Wot he sed – been painting his nappies as South Americans using a 3.5X and two lamps.

If you cant see 6mm Inf very well, just put features on the bases to distinguish them. Rocks for SMGs, logs for HVY Weapons, leave rifles plain, etc..
I never wanted to buy and paint 6mm Infantry, so I just use die cut counters. They work great with my GHQ MicroArmor.
Remember- if you are limited to a 6x4 table you can always make smaller 6mm battles, but you can only make 10mm battles just so big. 6mm is cheaper too.
Happy gaming, and welcome to the hobby. You're gonna get alot of advice (oh boy!) but YOU are the only one you have to please!

One advantage of 6mm not yet mentioned, is visually the ranges are more pleasing.

10/12mm isn't as bad as 15 obviously, but I still really hate it when I cant shoot for a distance greater than the length of the vehicle, or they are practically touching and it is 'medium range'.

Khusrau,
A well made point, certain scales look 'right' for different games and periods. One of the reasons we did Napoleonics was that things like rivers, buildings, woods etc look more in proportion at the smaller scales ( on a normal sized table that is). Its all a question of what looks 'right' to the induvidual in the end.
L

Good points…..

As much as I want "detail" on my tanks….having a T-34 and a Panzer only 6 inches away on the table just seems…not natural.

I guess the best thing for me to do, as I've stated, is to buy a couple mini's of 6mm, 10mm and 15mm and put them on my table and see what I feel is the best "fit" for me.

Again, thanks everyone

If possible get to a convention ( padlock wallet though!) always good to see all the different stuff around and it being used in games.
L