"15mm appears in Miniature wargames" Topic

The majority of magazine articles seem to be focused on 28mm skirmish games. BUT. this month Mini wargames has done a 15mm SCW article. This was good to see. In addition i wanted to praise that magazine (John T) for getting some 15mm historical battle stuff in.
Jolly good.

Agree its ludicrous how little coverage the smaller scales get in magazines- it costs them sales at least around here.

It's much easier to photograph 28s than 15s, especially in close-up. 28s give more eye candy !

I stopped buying Wargames Magazines years ago because of the 28mm skirmish/diorama bias. Nothing against 28mm but I think the lack of smaller scale coverage is harsh both on the manufacturers and users of them.
Even some well known rulesets seem to avoid mention of 15mm as much as possible. Perhaps as 28mm lovers they feel threatened by it somehow ?

Thank goodness I was beginning to think 15mm and smaller had been forgotten about!

Every time I see a wargaming magazine it's always full of virtually cloned pictures of small groups of 28mm figures !

And a very nice Spanish Civil War article it is too – nice pictures!

Maybe a 15mm fight back??

I game primarily in 54mm and so don't have a horse in this race (except to say I wish there were more articles about The Big Scale!), but it's worth bearing two things in mind:

1.) The glossies rely on the eye-candy factor as mentioned above. Rightly or wrongly, there is a feeling, I think, that the smaller scales just don't photograph as well.

2.) Editors can only print up articles they receive. Sometimes this has led to a vicious cycle in mags, wherein 15mm and smaller gamers don't see much of their stuff in the magazines, and so go elsewhere, which in turn leads to fewer articles centred on smaller scales, which then drives more gamers off, etc., etc.

Having said this, some years ago I wrote to one of the glossies with an article idea for a series of 54mm scenarios and never even had a response, yes or no. Perhaps some here have had a similar experience. So some editorial bias might be a factor as well.

I stopped subscribing to the big three mags because they only focus on 28mm. Refreshing change from mini Wargames. I'm going to order a copy right now.

Yes, several gamers (4) have contacted me . They tell me they have submitted articles of good quality. However the magazines imply that they cannot find room for 15mm articles. So there are 15mm articles being submitted to the magazines, but they have other priorities about what they print. It really does seem to be policy(?) There is no shortage of 15mm articles, just policy. We are in an age of 28-32mm skirmish?

Well I have spoken at shows to several traders who still say most of their sales are in their 15mm ranges and it is the scale most often played in their area, as it is to certain extent in my neck of the woods for historical games at least.

I have no objection to 28mm pics in a magazine demonstrating a specifically 28mm game article- its when almost any article is always accompanied with a shot of "XXX" companies new figures in 28mm that sometimes don't even match the article. Looking at the glossy magazines a starter gamer would assume that only 28mm figures are used, only museum standard painting pieces are acceptable and anything less than diorama basing and sculpted terrain is unacceptable. By focusing so much on the top end of the hobby I believe they are doing the hobby a disservice and it smacks of pandering to potential advertisers. I really don't want to see mega close ups of figures- I never look at my models that way after they are painted- I want to see photos of wargames armies in action on a tabletop and see things that inspire me but are achievable for mr avaerage.

Also stopped buying mags because of lack of smaller scale pics. I only play 15mm and below.

I think there is a need for a pro-15mm group/campaign within the hobby to showcase what our favourite scale can do.

Agreed

Full disclosure: I collect exclusively in 15 mm (personally – will play with other sizes owned by others).

I have felt there has been either benign and unintended – or otherwise – collusion amongst a very small group of figure producers to dominate the miniatures hobby press with their product. While its been years since I paid any attention to the magazines (like ten years!), the articles in the mags were written, in the main with exceptions, by a very, very small group of writers most of whom had a close connection – or outright employment – by that same small group of producers of figures. And, gee, they all produce in the same scale. Imagine?

Yes, I would love to see a LOT more 15 mm attention. What I would not advocate (because 15 mm gets there, too) is to dump down the quality of what is shown in magazines too much. Yes, some average games should be seen. But the magazines should show the best of the best. Otherwise they aren't going to sell many issues, that's just simple economics. However, they can do a better job of highlighting that what they show is, indeed, the best of the best and that it is not required for a fun game. Unpainted plastics on a bare table can give a good game. Or average painted metal on felt with tape roads can be just as much fun.

However!

Such basic games should be reserved for home games and pickup events at conventions. The star games at conventions should demonstrate the best possible effort on the part of those putting on the events, regardless of scale. And, of course, the quality will vary dramatically based on talent and resources. But both the press and conventions should attempt to demonstrate the best of what the hobby can be. Those environments should inspire us all, conventions and hobby press.

Advocating otherwise in this thread risks being nothing more than 'sour grapes' which just won't do. There is a bias that needs to be overcome. But it is against all 'other' scales, not just 15 mm. I recall one of the better photos of a game I've seen – and it was real eye candy – was of a 6 mm game.

So, yes, better coverage of 15 mm but better coverage of ALL scales.

And as far as I know, despite the unsupported claims of fanboys of the 'problem' scale, 15 mm is still the dominant historical miniatures scale for gaming. What has become a bigger challenge is the move to skirmish gaming where many fewer figures are needed to play in such games – and where figure detail becomes more important – and perhaps why 40 mm is an up and coming scale. Or maybe it is that the portion of the hobby that is greying – and I count in that group! – eyesight is changing. Though at 60 I can still paint and see 15s just fine.

Good thread and topic that hopefully will get some traction within the wider hobby – like, oh, say, the magazines. 'Cause once upon a time, many magazines were pedestrian in showing photos of all scales – and quality photos, too. And, who knows, if that happens and it filters into my consciousness, I just might start buying magazines again.

Mind you, I'm not arguing against 28 mm (or whatever scale that is this week, 25, 30, 32, even 35), because that scale deserves attention – just not more so than the other popular scales – and even the less popular scales need to be covered. And more than just in the product reviews and paid advertising.

Curious that the 'very small group of figure producers' is clustered, mostly, near one town in one country. Hmmm?

I should echo the last comments above too- the problem is not simply that 15mm is largely unseen in the magazine it is any scale other than 28mm is unseen. Other segments of the hobby are simply invisible to the readership- smaller scale figures, cross over board/figure games, niche interest in vintage figures, campaigns, use of 20mm plastics or solo wargames, and yes I do want to see more "average" games on display. Not shoddy poor efforts of table tops, not unpainted figures or the old green felt terrains but good standard club or individual efforts that anyone can aspire too. Seeing a dozen beautifully painted 28mm inspires me to take up military modelling, seeing a table covered in gloriously colourful figures manoeuvring over a table with trees and buildings makes me want to wargame.

@early morning writer

I have also noticed the lack of coverage of other scales in the magazines. While I have some 28mm that I game with and did have some 15mm armies that I sold a while back I usually game with 1/285 (6mm). Part of the lack of coverage in magazines is that 28mm figures tend to photograph better in close-ups.

Good to see another central valley gamer on the boards.

Last week I was going to post a topic on 'are 15mm and smaller still popular scales' or something along those lines due to it's virtual absence in the glossies. Looks like there are quite a few of us thinking the same way !

I get the feeling that articles and themes in modern Wargames mags are paid commercials.

I have been intrigued by this thread. I don't do 15mm – I regard 20mm as the one true scale for 20th Century gaming. It's probably an age thing going back to Airfix in the 1960s. But I don't often buy Wargames Illustrated regularly any more because whenever I browse a copy it seems more like "Flames of War" Illustrated. Isn't that a 15mm system? More a paid commercial than articles and themes, as Wargamer Blue says.
That said, I will be buying the January Miniature Wargames for the SCW content – maybe I can scale something up to 20mm…

The company that owns FOW is, at least in part, the owner of WI so they are the exception – especially to show their 15 mm product.

And this was the other shoe that dropped that caused me to stop buying this magazine in particular – almost every article in WI had a direct connection to an ad in the magazine, often on the same or a facing page as the article. Just too close a connection to be coincidental. Yes, 'editorial' content can connect to a supplier's products but when it is always exclusive to one supplier, that's not editorial, that's barely disguised advertising. Crossed an ethical line for me. Too bad, because they still provide exceptional eye candy – but I just take a quick glance at the hobby shop and put it back on the stand. I don't do WWII so, WI is really all 28 mm to me.

I got a mention in an article in WI for a 15mm SCW game I was playing… It was accompanied by some pictures of a 28mm game I played on a different week.