"Scale size for Bolt Action?" Topic

I've recently begun to look at Bolt Action being a fan of WW2, and I'm curious what what the general scale is compared to say typical plastic model kits that you can find in hobby shops?

For example, could I buy a plastic tank model kit (let's say a Tiger I) and use it on the tabletop with the Bolt Action infantry from Warlord Games, or will it look off? I'm pretty sure the typical plastic infantry you can buy are too small for Bolt Action, but how about the tanks? What scale would I look for, and is it generally worth looking at "model" kits versus just buying the tank that's made for Bolt Action?

Warlord Games figures are 28mm or about 1/56 scale. You can use 1/48 plastic kits from model shops but I think you're talking about the ubiquitous 1/72 kits. They will be far too small.
Having said that, there's nothing stopping you using them and 1/72 scale figures. Nobody says you have to use 28mm figures from Warlord Games to play Bolt Action. People use 1/72, 15mm (about 1/100) etc. Use what you want.

Thank you :) So it looks like 1/48 will work but 1/72 is too small (I think those are the 15mm right? For like Flames of War?)

1/72 is around 20 or 22mm and tend to be fairly accurately proportioned. So yes, 1/72 is way too small.

15mm is somewhere around 1/100 scale, not much plastic around that scale that isn't either a Gundam kit or an airplane.

I've read an argument from Antenociti's Workshop that the visually-correct scale for "28mm" vehicles is somewhere between 1/43 and 1/48, even though 28mm figures are closer to 1/60 scale (give or take). The 3mm thick base on a 28mm figure adds about 8" of apparent height to every figure, and that puts the roofline of an unbased car too short, even though it's the same scale as the figure.

1/35 scale will be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too big.

With most of the heroically-scaled 28mm figures out there, 1/48 is the way to go. 1/56 just does not look right.

Sorry guys, but I think the only one who has it right is Sondergaard. You can use ANY size figures you like for Bolt Action. We have played it quite happily using "20mm" figures ie 1/72 or 1/76 scales. As long as figures and vehicles are all same scale, it matters not a jot. If you really want to be ultra fussy, you could adjust the firing and movement distances. I would quite happily play it with my 1/144 scale stuff.
Having said that, if you want to play a game which has a more authentic flavour of WW2, try Chain of Command. We use our 20 mm stuff, but no reason why 15mm would not work just as well.

What you can't really do is mix say an Airfix 1/72 scale tank with the 28mm figures from Warlord. I think vehicles scaled for 28 mm figures are horribly expensive, so I would go for the 20mm option (being a cash limited OF).

"With most of the heroically-scaled 28mm figures out there, 1/48 is the way to go. 1/56 just does not look right."

I would completely disagree. 1/48 is far too large for all the main 28mm lines out there except for Victory Force, which are quite large. 1/56 looks EXACTLY right.

If you're talking about 28mm, which is Warlord Games's default scale for Bolt Action WWII (even though you can play it with other scales just fine), then the correct scale for vehicles is 1/56 since that's the vehicle scale Warlord produces to support this game.

If you rather build all plastic kits rather than resin/metal models, Warlord and Italeri just announced a 'partnership' to produce vehicles as polystyrene injection-molded plastic kits in 1/56: link You'll have to wait a while though.

Personally I use 1/48 kits since I think they look right, but that's probably because I base all my minis on GW slotta bases which make them taller.

With most of the heroically-scaled 28mm figures out there, 1/48 is the way to go. 1/56 just does not look right.

I would agree that 1:48 – 1:50th is the way to go (at least for me), there is an article here that helps explain the scale debate here:

link

Good look and have fun, it is a good time for us WWII Wargamers :)

Hmm interesting link. According to that 1/56 is too small, 1/48-1/50 is the right size, and judging from the pictures 1/48 Infantry looks 100 times better than 28mm infantry O_O

warlords drivers for their 1/56 vehicles are smaller then their other troopers. I would go with 1/48 kits and 1/43 die cast.

The OP asked if he could use 1/72 tanks with 28mm infantry and not have it look "off." You can play the game with whatever size figs you want, but that doesn't address the question posed.

The OP asked if he could use 1/72 tanks with 28mm infantry and not have it look "off."

He never specifically mentioned 1/72. People just assumed that's what he referred to when he mentioned "typical plastic model kits that you can find in hobby shops."

In all the hobby stores I go to, the "typical" scale for armor isn't 1/72 but 1/35. Neither would work with 28mm.

I've played BA quite successfully in 15mm and with the 'official' figures. I personally think it starts bogging down if more than about a platoon worth of guys (plus what the force org allows) is fielded.

As far as tanks for the official BA infantry models, I think Revell snap-tite tanks are just about perfected; they are garish colored but can be easily repainted and cost about $10 USD-$13 at Hobby Lobby/Michaels/online.

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Yes sorry for not clarifying, I didn't necessarily mean 1/72 but the bigger WW2 tank models you tend to find, I just happened to think that I saw like a Tiger I tank kit at Hobby Lobby among others and was curious what scale they were compared to the tanks that Warlord sells for Bolt Action.

"15mm is somewhere around 1/100 scale, not much plastic around that scale that isn't either a Gundam kit or an airplane."

Except Axis and Allies miniatures which you can still get as singles on a number of sites as well as Zvezda's art of tactic sets and plastic soldier company and Wargames factory have both made 1/100 infantry sets. Also most airplane and gundam kits are 1/144.

@28mm: You are right;I stand corrected.

@Sean Emrick: Like I said, not MUCH plastic out there. Not the huge variety from Tamiya and others.

While I used some 1/35 scale models with 40k minis, it won't work with 28mm minis. A 1/35 scale M109 Paladin is a close match for a Basilisk, sizewise, and the Italeri kit was half the price of the GW one. A 1/35 scale Merkava made a nice Shadowsword superheavy tank.

I might have to just buy a kit and compare. I saw a 1/48 Tiger I tank for $20 USD at Hobby Lobby the other day, but didn't pick it up as I haven't really started Bolt Action yet (demo at the FLGS next Sunday :D), but most everything else they had was 1/72 I believe so too small. I did also see some 1/35 infantry that looked pretty detailed but I recall from my own research that they look really out of place compared to "real" 28mm figures so didn't consider those as well. I'd rather spend more on actual Bolt Action figures and have a cohesive looking force than buy a variety of kits that look wrong.

1/35th scale infantry are going to tower over 28mm infantry. IIRC, 1/35 scale is roughly 54mm.

If you don't base your vehicles, 1/48 will look about right next to Bolt Action minis. However, keep your eyes peeled, it seems that Warlord has gone into an agreement with Italeri (IIRC, may have been someone else) to make 1/56 scale vehicles.

Yeah, I don't quite know how scales work even after reading a few things; I see a lot of people on other forums that have said 1/35 = 28mm, but not sure. I have heard about the partnership, so that's something to look at too. The entire topic of this thread basically came about because I noticed the model kits at Hobby Lobby and immediately started wondering if they had uses on the tabletop, because they generally cost a lot less.

1/35 is definitely NOT 28mm! 1/48 is the nearest 'modelling'scale to 28mm, which is usually reckoned to be 1/56 scale for figures. (Older, '25mm figures' are closer to 1/64, just to confuse things further…)

It will be interesting to see if the Italeri kits (quite right, Lion) are actually 1/56, or just reboxed from their existing 1/48 range.

Etranger,
you are totally correct: 1/35 scale is completely different from 28mm.
Italeri has it's first 1/56 scale sherman tank in their catalogue with a reference to Warlord.
link

Are all bolt action players really only using 28mm miniatures?
My preference would be 20mm and 1/72 which then allows the choice between the likes of Dragon or PSC, Milicast or Frontline.

Afaik people play also with 20 or 15mm, no problems with these scales. Smaller i don't know.

I imagine more experienced historical gamers would use whatever scale they like. As a newbie though I don't know all the different manufacturers, while I do know that Warlord sells 28mm figures. I'm going to wait and see what is at the BA demo, since right now I don't even know if I will like the game :P