"Help me with scale" Topic

I would like to get into WW2 naval miniatures but I'm not sure whether to go with 1/3000 or 1/6000. I want to do smaller ship actions (e.g. Guadalcanal convoys). On the one hand, I've played with 1/6000 but the destroyers were so small as to be indistinguishable and I'll be using more of those than BB. On the other hand, I prefer 15mm and 10mm to 28mm on land and I'm afraid the 1/3000 will seem overly large for the table scale. Anyone out there with similar feelings who can advise me?

My suggestion is to go as small as you feel comfortable with painting. My personal preference in scale is 6mm or 1/300 and all my collections have been converted to this uniform size. Makes everything interchangeable particularly with regard to terrain. Yes, the ships are bigger but I don't use many and they again are uniform. Doubt if that helps but it's what I have to offer.

For destroyer actions, I'd do 1/2400th, but of course, 1/3000th would work too.

I agree on the 1/6000th scale concern for DDs.

All my WW2 naval is 1/2400. For me it is small enough that on my 6'x9' table it looks good but large enough that I can see DD's easily. If starting again I might consider 1/3000 or if my table was smaller I'd do 1/4800 and make sure I labeled the ship bases so that I could tell what I was looking at from 3'.

It is really up to what you feel comfortable with.

But if your focus is on battles around Guadalcanal, then it sounds like you will be doing a lot of night battles where ranges are closer. So, larger scale ships would work for that.

Even if you decide to include carrier battles or air attacks, the 1/3000 should work since you only have one side on the table.

Sounds like 1/3000 will work for me. Thanks for the help!

In defense of 20th century 1/6000 naval …

1/6000 DDs are not too small if you get closer to the table. For a small battle or night battle, you can even sit on a chair next to the table. You can fight such a battle on a card table, which BTW is equivalent to a 7-foot-square table in 1/2400.

In general, the smaller the scale, the more viewing options you have. If you want to see the models better, get closer. If you want to see the entire table, back off.

WRT detail, on average Figurehead 1/6000 has about the same detail as Navwar/Davco 1/3000 of twice the size. Yes, GHQ and CinC 1/2400 ships are more detailed than 1/6000, but then you have the table space issue.