Reply To: Stop the Madness – Heroically over-sized Miniatures.

[Mike]

Perhaps a different perspective from someone who has been gaming and painting miniatures for over 50 years.  When I started gaming, figures were 1:72 scale (around 20mm tall and skinny), which is a bit short, since it translates to a human being under 5 ft tall.  Later, models bulked up to 25mm and this scale dominated in the 70s and 80s.  Then 28mm came along followed by 3o-32 mm.  Along the way, 6mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, and 18mm also made appearances and most of them still exist.  Some gamers have moved to 54mm scale.  So, what does it really come down to?

For me bigger and bulkier miniatures are more fun to paint.  So, I gravitate to as big a scale as I can and still deploy a reasonable number of miniatures on the table.  Many of my newer painting techniques from dry brushing to inks to shading, and lining are simply easier when the miniature is bigger, bulkier, with more definition.  I game around 4-8 hours a month, but I paint around 30 hours a month.  So, for me, it is about painting more than gaming.

I used to prefer metal over plastic or resin, but the new plastics are fun because you can generate far more poses than you typically can buy with precast metal castings and gluing metal is a pain compared to plastic.  Now 3D printing is changing the hobby again.  Things keep changing, but for now I see 3D printing capturing a major share of the market.  Plastic models will need to find a way to compete with them.  I think metal will eventually disappear.