"6mm Ancients: Limited Ranges?" Topic

Writing in Slingshot magazine, issue 323, David Kay remarks that a key disadvantage to wargaming in 6mm "…is that the range of figures is not as great as in the larger scales and there is no capability to add extra or different equipment."

Do you agree?

Yes, but a careful paint job can modify most things in 6mm

A microscope and tiny sculpting tools would be mandatory for diehards who convert in that scale… ;-)

….. he has obviously not visited the web site of Irregular Miniatures !!!

Well, his points are accurate but irrelevant.

Accessorize 6mm !! What a crazy concept :-)

It's 6mm so figures at arm's length look like troops 300 yards away.

I switched over to 6mm 35 years back,never let lack of specific figures stop me.Doubt lack of certain figures has ever stopped fellas building armies.

Sorry folks can't seem to link the gif so it appears full size when clicked.

I suppose that the original article game some examples, I'd like to see those because I can't see any evidence that he is correct.

The main gaps in 6mm are more in the Medieval period (500-1500), possibly he class that as 'Ancients' ?

"…is that the range of figures is not as great as in the larger scales and there is no capability to add extra or different equipment."

He obviously hasn't looked at the Baccus ranges recently …

My main complaint with 6mm is lack of poses more then variety.
Not sure its applicable for ancient.
But later periods are missing some basic poses.
I like baccus GNW range, but having swedes just standing around is wrong. They should be in charge pose.
Baccus is also missing firing poses for all of their none skirmishing infantry.

Adler has this,but they don't have as many ranges as baccus.

The overall RANGE of ancients figures is indeed smaller than that available in larger scales. That is essentially a reflection of the number of active manufacturers working in 6mm, 15mm and 28mm. In the larger scales the coverage of core subjects such as Romans, Greeks and Persians is comprehensive by dint of the number of overlapping coverage of the same armies. As a result newer and smaller companies resort to producing more esoteric and specialist subjects thus increasing the overall breadth of coverage. Personally I suspect that the 80/20 rule kicks in and that the vast number of sales are still in the core subjects and ranges.

6mm, on the other hand had just the four companies with Ancients ranges, and to be honest, I think that between us we make a pretty good job of coverage – you can get most things are pretty good proxies right through from Bronze age to late medieval armies.

The other thing about 6mm is that it is ideal for 'conversion by paintbrush' without the need for physical alterations or modelling work. So, yes, far fewer specific variants available, but still a very comprehensive coverage.

As for posing, this is a separate issue to the OP, and I can only answer on behalf of Baccus:

We do provide multi poses and dress variants where it is appropriate. For example, there are only two types of Late Republican legionary but 16 basic Celtic warband types, and if you want to get picky NINETY SIX variants of German infantry!

While I agree that our GNW Swedes are lacking a little aggression, (which is something I will address in the very near futre), all of the horse and musket poses are chosen with care. Put simply, period drill required every soldier in a battalion to be doing the right thing at the right time in full coordination with every other man in the unit. When I see 28mm period 17th/18th C units where every figure is posed differently and looking in odd directions, I am looking at a military disaster in motion! Any sergeant worth his salt would be giving that rabble a very hard time.

Carrying a musket is hard work. Marching with it is hard work. You keep it in a vertical or near vertical pose for as long as possible as that is the most practical and least demanding way of carrying it. You have it levelled for firing for as short a period as possible as it saps your energy. Unit commanders knew this and prior firing systems are predicated on it

I don't do multiple poses as there is no need for them if you are trying to reflect history and practice, and I'm not going to really offer apologies for adopting that policy.

:-)

Drops mic

I just received my copy of 323 and will have to take a look at what he wrote. Heroics and Ros and Irregular make a wide variety of figures and equipment and Baccus has good selection of armies. Rapier is the most limited range, but their Republican Roman range can be adapted to Late Imperial with a bit of filing. Figure conversions can be done with some head swapping and super glue. The picture in the second part is not as clear as the one in the first part
link

David's Slingshot article suggested changing shield shapes to depict different units, and adding quivers or bowcases, specifically to depict Early Imperial Roman horse-archers – by using 3D-printed items. I'm not a 6mm player, but the results looked worthwhile to me.