"To 28mm or 32mm Heroic, That is the question" Topic

I took a step back from miniatures for about a year and I'm looking to get back into it with some skirmish games. I'm trying to decide whether to use 28 mm models or 32 mm heroics. What are the opinions and thoughts of the hive mind?

Personally, I vote for 28mm because:
(1) Table space is always at a premium – the more space miniatures (or their bases) take up, the less available for maneuver;
(2) Painting time is always at a premium – the larger the figure, the longer you will want to spend bringing out all the visible details;
(3) Storage space is always at a premium;
(4) Comrades with compatible/supplementary collections are always at a premium, and (I believe) more folks have 28s than 32s.

But if spectacle is your prime consideration (especially if you're planning on running convention games), why not skip the 32 stage and go for 40mm?

28mm. I say this because everything I own is 28, buildings, terrain, all of my armies….but 40mm is very enticing, and there is probably more available in 40mm than 32.

Some periods only 32mm are available, but 28 is my standard.

I'm also voting for 28mm.

All the reasons above.

I would add, has anyone ever stopped at skirmish level? If you are like me, you will add a figure here and there until you start adding units here and there.

Cost can be a factor when you cannot mix figure lines like Old Glory to bulk out your units.

Normally, I'd say 28mm--common and less space, and you can often get away with older cheaper 25mm for hordes & minions. But the younger you are, the closer you should look at 32mm, especially in fantasy and SF. Scale creep is insane and shows no sign of ending. That extra 4mm might buy you another 10-15 years before it becomes impossible to add castings to your existing forces.

Yes, I KNOW 3D printing is supposed to make it always possible to match existing forces, but this does not appear to be true in practice. I've had a 3D print person point-blank refuse to scale down a 28mm casting to match a 28mm army. Presumably if it were possible she'd have just charged me extra.

OOPS! Should have been "scale down a 28mm figure to match a 25mm army" of course.

But you see the problem. I can (sort of) get away with my then-standard 25mm West End Games Star Wars and Heritage John Carter of Mars figures as mostly minions against 28mm heroes, but at 32mm, it becomes impossible. Right now, a 28mm Imperial Assault figure might pass as minion to a 32mm product. But if the madness doesn't stop, you'll own 28mm figures with all the new product--notably all the new figures based on films and TV shows not yet made--available at 36 or 40mm. The younger you are--and the more you engage in ahistorical periods--the greater the risk you run.

ninthdoc, what period and scale of game you are looking to do is kind of important as Pocono Arslan said. Another thing to consider is will you be playing with others and their figures or will you be doing both sides of the project.

If you're doing everything pick the figures you like and get those if not see what others are using.

Here's an example of scale comparison for Wild West figures.
You'll need to scroll down.
link

28 all the way

As noted, lots out there – especially for those of us into SYW!

I think it depends on your project. Is it a historical army, a skirmish game, or fantasy/sci-fi?

I'm interested in pulp, sci fi, and cyberpunk skirmish games. I decided to go with 28mm for cyberpunk and pulp whenever possible. I want to start 7TV and Infinity and get back into Kill Team, possibly Warcry.