ferg981 | 29 Oct 2016 4:05 a.m. PST |
All I know this has probably been asked before but does anyone have a link to a good SIZE comparison of 15mm/18mm figures? I am looking at getting 18mm Napoleonics instead of 28mm I have a large 28mm project which i'm committed to until 2018, but after that I am going to drop down to 18mm because I a) don't have storage space b) can't afford the volumes of troops and paint required c) don't have gaming space I am thinking initially i'll stick with AB, Blue Moon and Xan unless anyone else can point out other ranges worth considering? Has anyone else gone from 28mm to 18mm and what was your view? Anyone gone the other way? As always, thanks in advance guys- all opinions welcome J |
Garryowen | 29 Oct 2016 4:38 a.m. PST |
In Napoleonics, I went from 30mm Scrubys to 33mm Staddens and Surens to 25mm MiniFigs to 15mm Napoleonettes and 2nd Generation MiniFigs. With the last I now have about 6000 painted figures and a 7'x 15' table. This is it for me. For me, 15mm or maybe 18mm is the largest size Napoleonic figures I would ever want to use. To me, that is a period of large battles with lots of figures. On the other hand I use 25mm or 28mm for my Sioux Wars games with all figures individually mounted. A totally different military situation and game. So I would definitely make the change you are considering. Tom |
John de Terre Neuve | 29 Oct 2016 4:46 a.m. PST |
I had almost 3000 28 mm Napoleonics that I sold in the last year and with which I used the money to get into 18mm Napoleonics. I must be approaching a similar number of 18 mm figures now, that I have commissioned over the last year. I have zero regret about this although it took me almost 10 years to paint the 28mm figures. The storage space is negligible in comparison to the 28mm requirement and my games on a 6x4' table are much less crowded. I have so far gone with AB only, their line is pretty comprehensive being weak maybe only in Prussians and Dutch-Belgians. I have a Blue Moon ACW Union army and these are quite nice. I would not mix BM and AB in the same unit but I suspect they would be OK in the same army. Scale Creep Miniatures has excellent comparisons on the web site of different manufacturers with photos. link John
Here are my painted 18 mm Napoleonics link |
vexillia | 29 Oct 2016 5:35 a.m. PST |
This may help:
I have limited UK stocks here for clearance at 2013 prices including a 4 for 3 offer on artillery. -- Martin Stephenson Vexillia: Wargames Miniatures & Accessories Shop | Rules | eBay | Twitter |
robert piepenbrink | 29 Oct 2016 5:38 a.m. PST |
I've done them all. (Well, almost. For some reason I've never had 40mm.) I'd agree that 15 or 18mm is not a bad scale for mass battle and either roster or stand removal systems.A few suggestions: --Find two compatible rules systems: one in which your units are battalions and one in which they are brigades.This gives you the full range of Napoleonic warfare. --Be more careful than you need to be in larger scales about making distinctions visible: give every unit a flag when you can justify it, go for distinctive headgear, and try to avoid having to tell units apart because this one has dark blue facings, this one dark green and this one black. --Don't let your stands get any smaller than an NB 1"x 3/4" and 1" square is better if you can pull it off. You may find all these unnecessary now, but helpful some years down the road when you DON'T want to rebase or repaint. Also, might not be a bad idea to keep 100-200 castings each of two armies of larger figures individually based. They work well with many simple, classic rules and are helpful for small actions. But overall,you're quite right: big battles call for small castings. |
Sho Boki | 29 Oct 2016 6:13 a.m. PST |
I moved from 1:72 to AB 15(18)mm because of same reasons. Now I produce my own miniatures, filling gaps in AB ranges. If all equipment is 1:100, then all sizes from 15mm to 18mm fix in same range. These are troopers with 160cm to 190cm height. From voltigeurs to guard grenadiers.
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Ooh Rah | 29 Oct 2016 6:29 a.m. PST |
I have a very small collection of early French infantry from AB, CGM, Xan, and Battle Models (aka Fantassin, aka Warmodeling, aka Capitan). These are just my opinions about each. AB have the best detail overall and look the most realistic, by that I mean they have the most realistic human proportions. Most of my collection is AB line infantry in bicorn and light infantry in early shako. The bayonets are thin and tend to break off. Out of about 200 figures, I've broken maybe 5 or 6 bayonets. And I'm pretty careful. Xan are a very close match to AB. I mix them in the same units with AB. Xan does not have early French in bicorn or early shako, but I have used their pack NF11 (Fusilier Without Shako). NF11 includes infantry with bare heads, with bandaged heads, and with bonnet de police. I've also used their grenadier in bearskin and sapper mixed in AB units, and they look good together. CGM are just slightly more "hefty" than AB and Xan. I have not mixed CGM with AB, but I think some individual figures would look okay mixed with AB. CGM has a sergeant with musket on the right shoulder I plan to use in AB units because I can't find a suitable sergeant pose from AB. The CGM figures are sturdy. I've suffered no bayonet breakage. I have mixed feelings about Battle Models (aka Fantassin, aka Warmodeling, aka Capitan). I bought a few voltigeur from Extra Crispy, and they were very nice figures, although just a tad taller then AB/Xan/CGM. I would definitely not mix Fantassin in with the others. Because I was pleased with the figures bought from Extra Crispy, I placed a larger order with the manufacturer. I was disappointed. The figures had lots more flash, and the voltigeurs were not even the same poses as the figures from Extra Crispy. I did buy these figures in the midst of their turmoil and relocations, so maybe that explains some of what happened. I suggest trying a pack or two at first just to see if they have sorted out their problems. Extra Crispy is great to deal with. I would buy again from him instead of direct from the manufacturer. I don't have any Blue Moon (aka Old Glory), but I plan to buy all of my artillery pieces from Blue Moon because of favorable reviews I've read here on TMP. I believe they are the only 18mm manufacturer from this list to sell 4-lb, 8-lb, 12-lb, and 6-in. (added later) P.S. I'm moving in the opposite direction -- started with 18mm and just bought a bunch of 28mm early French from Front Rank, Brigade Games, Victrix, Perry, Eureka, and Calpe. |
John de Terre Neuve | 29 Oct 2016 6:38 a.m. PST |
As an added question, I have not been able to find any 18mm British Rocket troops with rockets for my army. Any suggestions. Thanks, John |
thistlebarrow2 | 29 Oct 2016 6:44 a.m. PST |
For the past 30 years I have had the same number of figures in 28mm, 18mm and 6mm. I have replaced the manufacturer, but kept the three scales. My intention was to fight different size battles with different scales. At present the manufacturers are Heroics and Ros 6mm, AB 18mm and Front Rank 28mm. I only used the 6mm for one or two games. I found them too small and difficult to handle. For a few years I used the 18mm, but they never really replaced the 28mm as my favourites. For the past 10 years we have wargamed regularly, and always have a game set up ready to use. But I have only used the 18mm two or three times. I have a 6x6 foot table and wargame multi corps battles. I prefer to use the larger figures and settle for small 8 figure brigades. I guess its just a matter of taste, and mine is for the larger figures |
Dave Jackson | 29 Oct 2016 6:57 a.m. PST |
This site has many side-by-side comparisons: link |
War In 15MM | 29 Oct 2016 7:17 a.m. PST |
My 1809 French and Austrian Napoleonic collection is primarily Old Glory 15s with some Essex and Battle Honours included. I plan on expanding the collection to Spain in that same year, and I will be using Blue Moon 15mm/18mm. When I recently did my FIW collection I had Blue Moon units on the table with Old Glory 15s (separate units), and I think they look good on the same table so I will have no trouble including both in my Spain collection. You can see my Napoleonics in diorama form at link |
Hafen von Schlockenberg | 29 Oct 2016 7:43 a.m. PST |
Do you like large units,or lots of units? If the latter,and you haven't already started investing in 18mm, why not take a look at 10mm? I find it difficult to get a sense of mass in 15/18mm with a small number of figures. For instance, Shako gives 9 18mm figures on about a three-inch frontage (single-ranked). On the same frontage I can fit 30 10mm (double-ranked),which,to me at least,looks more like a unit of soldiers than a few representative models. Of course,if painting a great deal of detail is important to you,then 18mm would still probably be your choice. Although I have to say,10mm is starting to give them competition in that area too. And,in case you're afraid 10mm can't achieve the spectacle of the larger scales,take a look at this: TMP link |
Hafen von Schlockenberg | 29 Oct 2016 9:23 a.m. PST |
Some pics from Xintao's fantastic 10mm Austerlitz game at Historicon: TMP link And some more from Lord Ashram(Along with a goof-post by moi!): TMP link Of course,if you're already firmly committed to 18mm,just ignore these impertinences! |
Joes Shop | 29 Oct 2016 3:14 p.m. PST |
"I prefer to use the larger figures and settle for small 8 figure brigades." Thistlebarrow2: interesting – what rules are you using-? |
Jcfrog | 30 Oct 2016 2:45 a.m. PST |
Blue Moon, AB, CGM. Sho boki too of course( ha Russian generals with portraits?) 18mm allows a better show for the terrain: hills might more readily be higher than flags, and even than houses at times. You can have more battle space which is a realistic and interesting game changer. Depth is just as important. Infantry on two ranks and then cavalry close ranks ( as should be) stand on slopes and look grand. The only battle 28 I had were Us mex war. Nice but huge pb of space and I remember the weight and size of the mex cavalry box. |
Dr Jeckyll | 30 Oct 2016 3:31 a.m. PST |
John de Terre Neuve: Eureka make their own range of British Rocket troops in 18mm to be compatible with the ABs they cast and sell. Check it out here: link Cheers! Dr J |
John de Terre Neuve | 30 Oct 2016 6:09 a.m. PST |
Thanks Dr J, it is a very nice little vignette. John |
thistlebarrow2 | 30 Oct 2016 9:20 a.m. PST |
Joes Shop We use our own rules which are available here link They are designed for use on a 6x6 foot wargames table and for games lasting 12 moves. Obviously you can use them on any size table and for any number of moves. You will find many battle reports on my 1813 campaign blog here link for battle reports click on Labels 14, 24, 34, 44 or 54. |
Joes Shop | 30 Oct 2016 9:49 a.m. PST |
Thistlebarrow2: thanks very much! |
VonBlucher | 30 Oct 2016 2:21 p.m. PST |
I moved from 25mm Minifigs to 15mm Minifigs back in the 80's but I have also painted a large number of 90mm, 75mm, and 54mm Napoleonic's so I longed for 15-18mm figures that were better and when AB released the 1806 Prussians in the early 90's I finally found what I was always looking for, and have not looked back since then. |
Glenn Pearce | 31 Oct 2016 7:40 a.m. PST |
Hello ferg981! I think sooner or later a number of 28/25mm players hit the same wall as you have. Storage space, affordability, painting time, table/gaming space and flanks, playability, etc. There are a number of problems associated with the larger scales that gradually become overwhelming and unreasonable to some people. My group hit this wall in the 80s. Our options at that time were stay the course, change to 15mm (18mm) or 6mm (5-8mm). We took the then unconventional course for 6mm. We ruled out 15mm as the change back then was marginal as it pretty much is today. Today Baccus6mm figures are as detailed as possible, cost very little, paint up in a flash and give you a gaming experience that can't be obtained with larger figures unless you have a huge collection and a giant table. Have a look it might just be the answer you didn't expect. Best regards, Glenn |
sukhoi | 31 Oct 2016 8:26 a.m. PST |
To John de Terre Neuve, Minifigs also does RHA rocket troops/rockets. Some people fear Minifigs infantry and cavalry as too static but the artillery figures are really quite good!
-Mark |