"Multiple scales in the same genre: why and why not" Topic

Why you would:

Having multiple scales in the same genre allows you to do different types of battles. Take an extreme example: 6mm and 54mm WWII. With 6mm, you can handle fairly large scale actions over long distances, while 54mm lets you play a gritty entrenching-tool-to-bayonet game, in a very visible milieu.

Why you wouldn't:

The very incompatibility of the scales becomes a problem, as each dollar spent on one scale is a dollar lost on the other, and nothing about the two will be cross-compatible. Note that they will tend to be even less cross-compatible than two widely differing genres in the same scale.

Thus, in the one scale in which I game (I won't say which one) I have both Ancient Egyptians and 19th century colonials. These are actually compatible with each other, in the sense that I can (and do) use the Egyptians as "Lost City" warriors (combined with a few wizards and dinosaurs, of course) against Victorian explorers in Victorian fantasy gaming.

Two King Tigers, one in 6mm and the other in 54mm, are absolutely incompatible on the same battlefield, ever, unless the Martians are invading, and they have some kind of Shrink Ray Gun.

Actually, that latter idea might be pretty cool, but it would probably come up a lot less often than battles between Romans and orcs, Cossacks and Undead, time travelling space marines and cavemen, etc.

Add to that the fact that you also lose terrain compatibility. An African hut is pretty much an African hut, whether the battle is being fought five thousand years ago or today, and a tree is still absolutely a tree regardless of time period.

Considering the amount of time I spent arguing the second position as opposed to the first, I guess it is pretty clear where I stand.

PLEASE NOTE: Lots of multi-scale topics arise on these boards, so I'd like to keep this discussion fairly narrow, to the argument stated above, if possible. Of course, if you absolutely must go off on a tangent, well, I can't stop you.

I do collect a couple of periods in two different scales; WWII and Napoleonic. In 15mm for big battles and in 28mm for skirmish gaming. I certainly don't do it in every period that I play just in a these two. Since I already game in 15mm and 28mm for instance AWI in 28mm and ACW in 15mm I already have duplicated terrain although for the most part I really only have duplicates of bridges and buildings everything else pretty much is usable with either scale, at least from my viewpoint.

Agree with your points. As to money. Try doing a large scale battle in 25mm. I suspect the extra figures needed will cost as much as having a 6mm army for those large battles.

Al

I've never done one period in two or more scales, I've preferred to do something completely different than spend yet more time on one single period. If anything, looking back over 30 odd years of collecting, I kind of wish I'd just done everything in one scale/size to address the issues of terrain compatibility you mention.

I do some periods in three scales. I do English Civil War in 10mm and 28mm and am starting to get some 15mm European 17th century figs to go along with my Poles. It isn't quite ECW in 15mm but by the time I'm done, after changing out a command stand or two here and there, you probably would be able to field it as and ECW army in 15mm

Why did I do this? I started collecting 28mm ECW and decided that the figures were too big to put the kind of units on the table that I wanted. So I did it in 10mm. Warmaster was out and I converted those rules to use and we loved it and kept at it.

28mm came about as I just liked the ECW plastics and had managed to get a bigger table, the campaigns of Montrose didn't use such large armies anyway so I did that.

The 15mm stuff came about as I have tried poles in 10mm and 28mm and both were unsatisfying. When the Old Glory 15mm poles came out I decided to try that and found it was perfect for what I wanted. The western style troops are on their way because they will need to fight someone other than the Ottomans at some point.

Napoleonic naval I do in three scales as well. One is 28mm and is for skirmish gaming and bording actions.

One is 1/2400 for Trafalgar and other big battles. The other is 1/900 for the Nile and smaller fleet actions.

I really like the 1/900th scale ships and wanted to use them for something so it was a nice compromise where you only have a dozen or less ships a side.

I don't really see the negative side of it. The figs are for different things at different scales, sort of. It isn't like you can really do a huge tank battle in 54mm or do much of a skirmish game in 6mm.

If figs are multi-based for quick movement it also prevents skirmish gaming and to me 28mm figs are much more satisfying for skirmish gaming anyway.

Interesting points you make and I wouldn't necessarily disagree – I regularly give myself a hard time for duplicating periods in two or more scales!

But to give the counter argument a bit more weight, I'll try and justify some of my own indulgence in several scales:

My kids love 28mm for Scifi so that's a "must have" and I love 28mm for my colourful/characterful periods – Colonial NWF, Zulu, Wild West, Napoleonic and Vikings. I am a sucker for small, characterful skirmishes with a good storyline able to develop.

I love 15mm for Scifi, Modern, WW2 and Colonial NWF, Boer – it lets me handle a platoonish sized force with plenty of room to maneouvre – more focus on the gameplay, dispositions and terrain, a bit less on the relatively drab uniformed figures.

I love 6mm for my favourite "big battle" periods of Colonial (Sudan, Zulu), Napoleonic and Ancients – for me it gives the mass effect and "big picture" spectacle I am looking for.

I also have a lot in 10mm, collected in an attempt to slim down to just 28 and 10mm, with the 10mm's replacing both what 15mm and 6mm give me. I am not convinced they can do this although they are fantastic figures in their own right.

As you point out though, cost, storage space and terrain duplication are the killers with my approach but I am lucky enough to have keen gamer kids, my own small war room, a reasonably healthy income and a mostly tolerant other half!

For years, I only ever gamed solo with unpainted 2mm Napoleonics on a board made from a shoebox lid!!

I have the same stuff in several different scales. Often 'the same stuff' means similar, often it means _exactly the same. Each scale has its specific qualities (what it is best at): 10mm is great for massed battles in a manageable space … 54 or even 90 is best for skirmishes or public presentation. 15mm is often an ideal compromise.

Additionally, I'm sure that there is a collector inside many of us and no collector can really resist having something from every scale and style – so sometimes where a scale and style suit, it can be a great opportunty to add diversity to a collection: my 6mm Zulu Wars project did just that, and the ancients flats I acquired last year are a treasured bonus.

Building terrain and battlefields in each scale saves the staging of games from looking tired and predictable.

No regrets. I am more than glad that I have avoided collecting everything in the same scale and style. If anything, I should have diversified sooner.

Each to his own …

I have Ancients (specifically Late imperial Romans) in 25mm and 6 mm. Started in the 70s in 25mm but found the space requirements excessive for the type of action I wanted to fight. So switched to 6mm. Now most of what I have is 6mm. Although I do have duplicated troops for ECW in 2mm. This is a one off as it allows me to go for 1:1 figure ratios and a true 1:1 ground scale. Looks good too.

This is a one off as it allows me to go for 1:1 figure ratios and a true 1:1 ground scale. Looks good too.

I agree, Elenderil … I did a 2mm 1:1 base to illustrate the true scale for my Bosworth game (which is in 54mm):

(Background: playing piece; foreground: 1:1 what each playing piece actually represents)

This was done for demo purposes, but a lot of enthusiasts have liked the 1:1 bases and suggested a whole battle, as you say, would 'look good'.

Phil

I have a couple of periods in which I have figures in multiple scales. Mostly medieval stuff just because I love medievals, but I also have napoleonics in a couple of scales.

Allen

I do WW1 and WW2 in multiple scales, 6mm, 15 & 20. In deeply sad cases I have the same unit in three scales…

Why? because I've been doing this a very long time, and I use different toys for different things.

If new to a period it is probably a good idea to pick one scale at first:)