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Author Topic: 1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?  (Read 1520 times)

Offline Mako

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 779
1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?
« on: April 01, 2018, 03:58:03 AM »
Just curious to see if anyone's bought, and is using these for their naval battles, and if so, how you like them, size and quality wise?

Seems like a great option from a gaming standpoint, when you don't have access to numerous folding tables at a library, club, or convention center, for battles, and when you are using vessels larger than destroyers in your scenarios.

Does anyone make a 1/4800 scale Flower-class corvette?

Would like to run some convoy battles, but need this little craft for that, and it appears there are not any that I could locate.  Not even on Shapeways, which seems a bit odd, given there are merchant vessels, U-Boats, and destroyers available.

Trawlers, Frigates, and/or Destroyer Escorts would be nice too, in this scale.

Offline von Lucky

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 8796
  • Melbourne, Australia
    • Donner und Blitzen Wargaming
Re: 1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2018, 09:29:18 AM »
I use 1/1800 (preferrable on an 8' x 6' table). 1/4800 would be great for playing on 4' x 6' (as you suggest, when space is limited).

I also would've guessed Shapeways for the Flower, but its TINY (13mm long!) size might stop it from being able to be printed in any form with definition. Maybe 2-3 sheets of plasticard sanded to shape with wire funnels?
« Last Edit: April 01, 2018, 09:36:24 PM by von Lucky »
- Karsten

"Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Blog: Donner und Blitzen

Offline robh

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 3379
  • Spanish offworld colonies
Re: 1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2018, 10:57:45 AM »
Does anyone make a 1/4800 scale Flower-class corvette?

I didn't find any when I was looking. Best (relative not absolute) potential I came up with was to cut out a midship section, including the aft funnel, from an Encounter Class DD and refix bow and stern together.

For gaming Atlantic convoys with models I am thinking of  only using half the convoy (port or starboard) down the edge of the table and attacking from one side only. Play as is if the mirror image of your game was on a second table alongside.

We have gamed the "North Cape" CinC game with their models. They are exquisite.
Ships models here:
http://www.dminis.com/robh/gallery/187/  (at least for a few days until DMinis goes dark)
« Last Edit: April 01, 2018, 11:05:54 AM by robh »

Offline Mako

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 779
Re: 1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2018, 08:26:23 PM »
Thanks for the replies, ideas, and links.

I have seen them on that site, which is what got me interested in the minis, in addition to their attractive price.

The size of the capital ships looks especially attractive for gaming on normal sized tables.  1/2400th is beautiful, but you need a lot of maneuvering room for battleships, and I really hate ginormous tabletop game scale compression.

I'm a little dubious about destroyers, submarines, and other small craft though, in this scale, since even in 1/2400th, they can be rather small.  Still, probably a lot better than 1/6000th though.

Hadn't thought about doing just half a convoy, but imagine that would work well.

I was thinking instead, of doing full convoys, but reducing ratios of attackers, merchants, escorts as needed/desired, like people do for gaming with troops in large-scale battles, e.g. medieval/renaissance armies, Napoleonics, Civil War, etc..  I imagine that should work, in many cases.  To keep games from ending too quickly, actual losses could be tallied, and vessel miniatures only removed from game play if 2 or 3 ships per class type are sunk, if reducing the ratios on the tabletop by 50%, or 67%, as needed.  Of course, if you still have lots of targets, then perhaps that wouldn't be necessary either, say for 60 ship convoys, and 12+ escorts, where you're reducing the tabletop minis by 50% - 67%, to make the scenarios affordable/playable in a reasonable amount of time.

Wish CinC/PFC. would produce a set of vessels for the Italian Fleet.  Tried to get them to do that for years, with no success.

Imagine I could go with MY Miniatures for them though.

Anyone know if they are cast in resin, or metal, and how their quality is?

Shapeways would be another option too, I suspect, for at least some ships.

Offline Arrigo

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1074
  • errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum est
    • Forward HQ my new blog where you can laugh at my crappy photos!
Re: 1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2018, 01:21:51 PM »
Mako,

have you seen the 1/4800 models from Tinythingsmajigs on Shapeways? He offers a very complete WW2 Italian Royal Navy at reaosnable prices and the models are top notch (you can differentiate the Roma from the Littorio for example). Once painted they are awesome.

Best,
Arrigo
"Put Grant straight in"

for pretty tanks and troops: http://forwardhq.blogspot.com

Offline Mako

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 779
Re: 1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2018, 05:09:56 AM »
I haven't, but will check them out.

Anyone have a photo, or photos of any 1/4800th destroyers, next to a coin, or a die, for scale comparison? 

I know they're only about 3/4" - 1" long, depending upon the type, but would still like to see what they look like.  Haven't found any pics of painted ones on-line, in my searches.  Even unpainted ones would be nice to see.

Offline Arrigo

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1074
  • errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum est
    • Forward HQ my new blog where you can laugh at my crappy photos!
Re: 1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2018, 01:45:47 PM »
Okay here we go, RM destroyers WW2, Tiny thingmajigs models.

UK penny for scale.


Offline Mako

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 779
Re: 1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2018, 07:42:18 PM »
Arrigo, thank you for taking the time to post these pics.  I really appreciate it.

They look superb!

Love your basing and painting technique, and I especially appreciate that their colors match so well with the sea terrain you are using them on.

So many people fail to do that, which detracts for the overall models.

Offline Arrigo

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1074
  • errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum est
    • Forward HQ my new blog where you can laugh at my crappy photos!
Re: 1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2018, 08:06:17 PM »
Thanks! But it is not my sea mat, I have Wing and Prayer from LnL publishing on my table so I had to use something else as base... my bed...  :D

It is a duck fleece blanket I bought from John Lewis two years ago when I was freezing (my mom stole the previous one when I finished my PhD and came back home... so when I was again my own in London I had to buy one... she wanted to take also this but I defended it) . But if I have to be honest, when I bought  it I was thinking it could make a wonderful sea terrain!

By the way I paid it 15£... great value for a gaming mat! (older one, same model, 10£... inflation)

Offline Mako

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 779
Re: 1/4800th scale Naval Vessels?
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2018, 01:43:10 AM »
Ah, I see.  ;-)

I've use a navy blue, fleece blanket for my naval games, both at home, and at the local club.  Works well.

I like it better than normal fabric, since you get a more varied, color, like real seas, as opposed to a monochromatic piece of fabric, or like many terrain boards are painted.