"I don't do standing figures, do you?" Topic

Finally after about 6 years I have started a new backup 1/144 army, modern Russian. I did design and print real scale 1/144 figures for it but I have abandoned then as a dead line. They are a bit vulnerable I admit for one reason, but mainly because of storage space. They can only be stored in the pockets of my box 1 at a time, at most two. This takes up lots of space even just for one Mech Company. Prone figures can be stacked up 6 to a pocket saving huge amounts of space in my box. This is critical when you have to transport an army with all its equipment, engineers, tanks, armored cars, tank dozer blades, mine rollers, engineers, AA assets and basic trucks and "jeeps", just for starters.

What's your take on this issue?

For 1:300, I prefer Main Force (available from Magister Militum). They are mostly prone figures, except for leaders and missile carriers.

It might be time to look into a different box for storage. There are lots of options and one of them has got to be better. I have different systems for every scale/ time period I have, though I have lots of drawers I am using for 1/300 small craft( have too many bins sitting around not to use) that are nor efficient.

I game with 54mm Army Men figures mounted on 50mm square bases. I feel your pain -- I have around 500+ based for games. Fortunately, I have given up on painting them: it irks me because they look sooo much better with a little paint + The Dip Technique, but after 10+ years, it flakes off…

Building scale buildings for them. Talk about storage issues! The buildings are made with painted MDF walls; the walls will have drinking straws attached, staggered, on both wall sections, allowing a wooden dowel to be inserted inside the straw sections which will hold the walls together, upright. When done, the dowels will be removed, and the walls will be mostly stackable, for storage. Necessity is the mother of invention. Cheers!

I'd guess less than 10% of my post 1900 figures are prone. Almost all of them are running, crouching, standing, etc.

Spectacle is why I like this kind of gaming.

AWI British and Hessian Grenadiers didn't do a lot of crawling into a charge.
So, yes. My dudes are standing.

I play miniature wargames because of the visual appeal of the figures on the table- not what they look like in some storage container. That said, storage has been a problem we all have experienced and have had to find solutions for and within our own constraints (space and financial). Yet, I'll take the storage problem over using prone exclusive figs (reminds me that those are not much improvement over boardgame counters). Bottom line, use what you like, it's a hobby, but you did solicit for opinions. That's mine.

I'm strongly opposed to prone figures in any period. At your size, I can see your reasoning. The look of the thing is my main concern and not storage.

I do have a few figures in 2mm and some future types in around 5mm. Other then that all figures are 20mm (ACW WWII) of 25/28mm (colonial, Cold War, and future) I'm no fan of kneeling figures, however, I have found a use for them in my 20mm WWII collection. Any stand with kneeling figures is assigned to recon units and have better spotting ability. I also prefer them for crew served weapons.

I use 6mm in all positions …

Sgt Slag – Interesting. We (Maneouvre Group) have been selling fold flat buildings in PDF for many year. We started out because some folk wanted them. We still use them.

With the advent of 3D printing (we have been at it 7 to 8 years) I have though of doing something like you, flat sections that fit to make 3D buildings, latterly perhaps using modern magnets as the clip. However I have always been to lazy to bother, too much effort to paint. But at your scale you have little option unless you have a small aircraft hanger to store stuff in. Good to see somebody has put the idea to work.

Sgt Slag – Interesting. We (Maneouvre Group) have been selling fold flat buildings in PDF for many year. We started out because some folk wanted them. We still use them.

With the advent of 3D printing (we have been at it 7 to 8 years) I have though of doing something like you, flat sections that fit to make 3D buildings, latterly perhaps using modern magnets as the clip. However I have always been to lazy to bother, too much effort to paint. But at your scale you have little option unless you have a small aircraft hanger to store stuff in. Good to see somebody has put the idea to work.

John the OFM – now if you had been doing Wellingtons troops you could have some laying down ;-).

The only prone figures I have are light support weapons teams and odd figures which come in boxes or packs of figures. In larger scales prone figures are a Pita to base as they take up more space.

For some unaccountable reason all my 1967/73 IDF, Egyptian and Syrian stuff is Mainforce prone figures. They are certainly much easier to paint than standing figures, but I just don't like the look of them as much.

No prone figures unless they are casualty markers.