"Newline Designs 20mm vs 1/72" Topic

I note that Newline Designs have sections for both 1/72 figures and 20mm figures.

Many people use the two terms interchangeably, so this is a bit confusing considering I have not seen the two different ranges in person, let alone side-by-side.

What is the difference between the ranges, scale wise?

As far as I am aware as a purchaser of the 20mm figs and having seen the figures at shows, the 1/72 are made to be compatible with existing plastic ranges – which means they are a bit taller than the Newline 20mm ranges. Both ranges are slightly more chunky than 1/72 plastics. I don't think that the 20mm Newlines mix with 1/72 plastics in the same unit. However, the 1/72s should mix with plastics.

Wasn't the original idea of 1/72 that the figures should be an inch high i.e. about 25mm? Most "20mm" figures in my collection (WW2) are around 23/24mm high, so a bit smaller, but not so much that it bothers me to have them on the same "battlefield"

I have their 20mm Roman cavalry as well as some of their Napoleonics, and they are noticeably smaller. You certainly canīt put them in the same unit (if that sort of thing bothers you, of course).

I have lots of Sean's products.

The 1/72 are somewhat bigger than the 20mm.

As for compatibility, it depends. The bigger 1/72 Late Romans from Newline sit well with the big 1/72 Italeri Late Romans, less well with the smaller 1/72 HaT plastic L.Romans.

I have Newline Napoleonic batallions & regiments (20mm) in the same armies with Zvesda figures (quite big) who are in their own units.

I'm not particularly fastidious but keeping manufacturers separate is something you usually do whether plastic or metal.There are size differences in everything. Even in figures from the same company.

I have the Sikh wars figures and a few ancients. The 1/72 Sikh figures are bigger and bulkier, the 20mm ancients are slimmer and fit in well with Hat plastics. After saying that the Sikh wars stuff fits with the Strelets Crimean figures….

I use Newline 20mm with my Hat, Italieri, Zvezda and Airfix figures. They look fine, if chunkier.

Thank you for the replies! Looks like it depends upon the individual plastic set you may be trying to incorporate them with.

Bith Newline are fine, but the 1/72 are a bit better proportioned…less chubby. As pkastics are generally rather less hefty I thinknthe 1/72 figures would be a better fit. The slight height difference matters less.