"Is 25/28mm the de facto size for a VBCW?" Topic

I enjoy reading various VBCW AARs and noticed that they all use 25mm figures. If you go to the WWI and WWII boards you will find posts covering troops from 3mm – 54mm, but the VBCW seems to be firmly entrenched in the 25mm arena. Is this correct? Any reason in particular? Is it viewed as a series of small actions? Do you consider a group of 8-10 figures a squad, or a platoon, or a company, or does it depend on the scenario? Does anyone fight larger battles in smaller scales? Thanks for your thoughts.

All the guys that I know that play VBCW use 28mm figures.

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On the VBCW forum, I've seem posts about games using 15mm, 20mm,, 54mm and 1/72 plastic. I also know at least one person using 10mm to fight larger battles using the Brigadier 38 rules.

Doug

There are some (but lots fewer) excellent 20mm set ups. Fewer "bespoke" figures but more scope in vehicles and aircraft

There isn't de facto scale really. I do VBCW in 20mm, as I had some BEF in 20mm when it started and saw another way to use them. There are more and more interwar vehicles being made and sold by various companies, though sadly aimed at the modeller so more detailed, expensive and fiddly to assemble than a wargames model. Having said that, Geisbers/Den Bels and Early War Miniatures are cooperating on turning some kits into easy build versions.

We fight some big battles, with lots of AFVs (VBCW speaking…)

A cross section of photos showing interwar AFVs and various battles.

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Just a few…. getting called away :(

When I first got into VB CW, there were many 28 mm pulp figures available: Copplestone, musketeer, pulp figures, brigade miniatures, plus lots of other smaller ranges. It was pretty much a skirmish game from the beginning with small numbers of figures, I think I had about 100 figures in my first game. It followed on after the rush of back of beyond games, built on Spanish Civil War and Russian Revolution figures.

There's certainly no reason it can't be played in other scales, and many do that. It does photograph well in 28 mm.

Whatever scale you choose in the scale to play VBCW in though most do play in 28mm

20mm is maybe the best for land-based VBCW because there are so many beautiful pre-made-and painted 1/72 1930s aircraft, in addition to lovely tanks and infantry, and one can just buy the scenery made for railways.

As we've always said – it's your VBCW, so do what you want/like. The message from those of us who were in back in the early days was always not prescriptive.

20mm looks more 1930s to me especially my Oxford Diecast
civilian vehicles , the carboot pile of Lledo seem to be mainly 1920s vehicles which i will someday use in a VBCW skirmish game .Tarletons games looks to me like what a real conlict could have looked like !

Thanks snorri slackbladder, a compliment indeed sir.

I try and get it as realistic as I can without the terrain getting in the way of the game.

which steam lorries do you use for 20mm ,is it the lledo fits the box promotion ones ? Might of interest to 20 mm players the next vehicle in the Amercom Magazine is a Lancia Armd Car.

The steam lorry I use is the Models of Yesteryear one which is a decent fit. I find some the Lledo and other Models of Yesteryear to be too big. Its very much a case of compare the vehicle to a figure to see what is acceptable.

My trouble in VCBW, and part of what stalled mine out, was a lack of affordable 25/28mm buildings to do a village up. You have to have at least one street of terraces, don't you?