4th Cuirassier | 16 Aug 2016 1:48 p.m. PST |
So I'm a 1/32 aficionado and you can in fact do Tunisia and the Jebel Akhdar perfectly well in 1/32. Mainly infantry but the odd vehicle, and there are terrain features more than a foot high, even the odd BUA. In general though, for things like Gazala, Alamein etc, what's a good scale? Are we talking 1/300? I ask because my reading suggests that it was infantry-intensive but also featured 100-tank-plus armoured battles. Who games this and what do you use? |
Landorl | 16 Aug 2016 2:14 p.m. PST |
You can go with 1/300 mount infantry per squad or platoon on stand. 10mm is also a good scale, but 100 tanks gets costly! |
MajorB | 16 Aug 2016 2:24 p.m. PST |
for things like Gazala, Alamein I'd probably use something like Megablitz with 1/300 models. |
robert piepenbrink | 16 Aug 2016 2:29 p.m. PST |
I did North Africa in 1/300 years ago, but when I wound up rebuilding I shot for 15mm, sacrificing convenience and budget to improve visibility. But I'm only shooting for battalion to regimental/brigade actions--where I find the most interest in "moderns." I think you could do one brigade box or thereabouts that way, but if you wanted to do all of Gazala or Alamein, you're well into 1/300 territory, and a pretty big table at that. If I were you, I'd do the math first--ground scale, size of battlefield and required table. In fact, do it in reverse: start with your maximum table and see what ground scale that would require for the battles. New plans are much cheaper than new game rooms. |
nnascati | 16 Aug 2016 2:47 p.m. PST |
Focus on "infantry intensive", and stick with your 54mm. If you really want armor, look at 28mm. |
RavenscraftCybernetics | 16 Aug 2016 2:49 p.m. PST |
1:1 there is lots of room there. |
green beanie | 16 Aug 2016 3:03 p.m. PST |
For 20 years plus I gamed 6mm (1/285th in the US, 1/300th in the UK) I loved the scale until my eyes started getting "old" and I could no longer paint like I used to. I ended up going to 15mm, but as stated earlier you have to go with battalion size games. So go with 6mm. There are great companies out there with great vehicles and infantry plus terrain. |
Lion in the Stars | 16 Aug 2016 3:05 p.m. PST |
I built in 15mm, but I think I'd want to go 6mm for the really big battles with lots of tanks. |
Ney Ney | 16 Aug 2016 3:05 p.m. PST |
1/300 or 1/285 for desert battles. Looks best. |
PiersBrand | 16 Aug 2016 3:44 p.m. PST |
Best scale for North Africa? Which ever you like best. |
kallman | 16 Aug 2016 3:50 p.m. PST |
+1 Piers I game North Africa in both 15 mm and 28 mm. |
Extra Crispy | 16 Aug 2016 4:07 p.m. PST |
+2 Piers Just played last night using Battlegroup Kursk rules in 20mm: The Table:
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HidaSeku | 16 Aug 2016 4:12 p.m. PST |
That's a cool looking table, Extra Crispy! |
Schogun | 16 Aug 2016 7:09 p.m. PST |
100s of tanks? 1/285. Better able to see tanks? 10/12mm. |
peterx | 16 Aug 2016 7:21 p.m. PST |
I like playing 1:1 big skirmish games in the North African theater using either 28mm or 20mm miniatures. If you want to use more tanks, go with 20mm size. I have also played 1/144 scale for huge tank games. |
Sundance | 16 Aug 2016 9:25 p.m. PST |
For WWII desert I'd use 1/285 or 1/300. |
Martin Rapier | 16 Aug 2016 11:08 p.m. PST |
These days my desert stuff is 6mm, but I've done it in 15 and 20. All work fine. Yes, I have done the whole of Crusader and Gazala, albeit at an operational level. Generally prefer regiment/brigade, more the province of Command Decision. |
Skarper | 16 Aug 2016 11:30 p.m. PST |
At the end of the day go with the models you like and play the size of game you can manage. 3mm gives you loads of troops for your money and means you can fit them all on a reasonable sized table but I wouldn't want to paint/collect them. Figure choice is very personal – one man's 'character' is another man's 'cartoon caricature'. I liked 6mm or 1/300th but GHQ are too detailed for me and their infantry are all 8-9 feet tall. Some like Adler figures but their heads were too big for me. If you like larger figures I would stay with that. You will not be satisfied by 15mm or smaller. |
Martin Rapier | 17 Aug 2016 4:25 a.m. PST |
One slight issue with desert stuff is that everything really does all look the same as you have sand covered vehicles/troops on sandy bases, so you need to figure out some way of differentiating units/nationalities (be it larger scale figures, exaggerated paint schemes, marked bases or whatever). |
Andy ONeill | 17 Aug 2016 5:37 a.m. PST |
I would go with 1/300 and emphasise tanks. I feel that's a fairly logical choice for desert war. If you want to emphasise infantry skirmish then 20mm. |
daler240D | 17 Aug 2016 5:41 a.m. PST |
For WWII desert I'd use 1/285 or 1/300. These days my desert stuff is 6mm, but I've done it in 15 and 20. All work fine. I would go with 1/300 and emphasise tanks. I feel that's a fairly logical choice for desert war. If you want to emphasise infantry skirmish then 20mm. wow, this thread is all over the map -pun intended- with people using scale vs scale. My druthers are for 20mm. (and I have no idea what 1/300 or 1/285 is…) |
Extra Crispy | 17 Aug 2016 8:14 a.m. PST |
1/300 and 1/285 are micro armor or 6mm |
UshCha | 17 Aug 2016 8:58 a.m. PST |
You need to think carefully what you want to do. Remember that in the real world even today tanks can take hours to rearm and re fuel. So if there were 100 tanks available at the time at most about 50 would be operating at any one time so as not to have a point in the battle where no tanks were available due to low fuel, low ammo and mechanical issues. For me the ideal compromise is 12mm 1/144 scale. More see able detail than 6 mm. Better for infantry a tons ect. 15 mm is actualy nearly twice the size of 12mm (1.25**3). |
steamingdave47 | 17 Aug 2016 10:35 a.m. PST |
How big is the table? Anything under 4x4, has to be 1/300 (or preferably 1/285 GHQ if you are wealthy). Bigger than that I would go for 1/144, which is my favourite for WW2. |
hindsTMP | 17 Aug 2016 3:03 p.m. PST |
I have always used a number of different 7' by 8' terrain systems with micro-armor scale miniatures (1/300 / 1/285 / 6mm). IMHO, if you want to do engagements with several battalions on side, this small scale is best. Rules would be the "1-5-ratio" type, such as Command Decision or Spearpoint. This scale gives you a nice panoramic view of the battlefield, analogous to some historical aerial battlefield photos I have seen. You also avoid the "parking lot" effect that one sees in the typical FOW game. If you want to do a skirmish-type game, then the larger scales are best. Mark H. |
Big Red | 18 Aug 2016 8:49 a.m. PST |
Olicanalad uses 15mm to great effect:
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LtJBSz | 18 Aug 2016 2:45 p.m. PST |
10/12mm, lots of tanks, without the parking lot look of 15's and recognizable infantry and weapons. |