So what does Gripping Beasts new 10mm scale rule set bring to the party?

[FierceKitty]

I listed  makers of ancient 10mm a while ago. Forgot to mention Tridente Bologna, mainly because Pendraken have inherited their range.

[SteveBurt]

Norm makes some good points.

28mm is a nice scale for detail, but the playing surface areas have to be so large as to really limit the games to skirmish.

Smaller scales allow for different types of games where different tactics can be used.  They also give a much different feel (to say nothing of being less expensive, take up less storage space, potentially less time painting and detailing, etc).

I disagree completely. Scale of figures has no relation to scale of battles. We play big battles with 28mm all the time, and it fits fine on a 6x4 table. DBA, DBM, DBMM, Field of Glory, Sword & Spear and To the Strongest. All mass battle sets, and they all work well in 28mm.
A recent Roman v Carthaginian clash using To The Strongest:

[tallyho]

I completely disagree, scale of figures definitely affects scale of game.

Unless you're suggesting units of 24 6mm figures take up the same footprint generally as 28mm?

[Norm]

The smaller scales certainly become more helpful when dealing with terrain items like buildings and hills and having waterways held to a narrower width etc. Multiple road networks are also easier to implement with say 1" wide roads.

Also as you move to WWII / Modern armour, the tank's footprint is what it is (it just can't be adjusted to pretend it is something else) and to the eye, those weapon system with longer ranges 'look' a 'bit more' in keeping with a battlefield of manoeuvre and multiple objectives.

For absolute footprint, my ACW regiment is 150mm wide with just 9 figures in the front rank. My 12mm ACW regiment is 120mm wide with 12 figures in the front rank, so not that much difference, though of course, I could drop my 12mm from 3 bases to 2 and have just 8 figures in the front rank with a total frontage of 80mm. These 80mm units look right when converting a rules' measurement from inches to centimetres.

So depending how you game, how you base and whether your era is terrain rich, might or might not make one scale an advantage over the other - it is a personal thing. I can put a 10mm horse and musket game with 10 units per side using 80mm frontages on a large pinboard .... and sometimes that matters.

[FierceKitty]

I disagree completely. Scale of figures has no relation to scale of battles. We play big battles with 28mm all the time, and it fits fine on a 6x4 table. DBA, DBM, DBMM, Field of Glory, Sword & Spear and To the Strongest. All mass battle sets, and they all work well in 28mm.
A recent Roman v Carthaginian clash using To The Strongest:

I think that photograph illustrates what the advocates of smaller figures are saying. Those are pretty figures, but it doesn't convince as a battle.

[Tim Haslam]

Just drifting a leetle off topic here guys!

I really want to know how these rules differ from other sets?
Please

[A Lot of Gaul]

You could always ask for more information on the Swordpoint & Milites Mundi dedicated forum: http://swordpoint.grippingbeastplastics.co.uk/index.php?sid=34f7c2c09853c40ca09158675689471c

[Andrew_McGuire]

If continents can drift, it's perhaps unrealistic to expect wargamers not to. (That's my currently favoured excuse, anyway).

As previously mentioned, I'm as curious about MM as the OP. As for the dedicated forum, it currently has a total of one post on MM, this being from the designer, with the unfortunate heading 'Errata'. There are incorrect diagrams in the rule book, as well as some other errors, now corrected in the form of a PDF,  though perhaps not a great incentive for purchasing the rule book.

[frank xerox]

Having a read through them over the last few days, they look good, though they could do with a QRF, but I'm not seeing anything that would make me drop Warmaster historicals. I'll give them a proper run through in the next wee while and see what like, but so far they're leaving me a bit cold to be honest. A couple of sample army lists wouldn't have gone amiss either - not to say I'm put off or they seem bad rules, they're just not grabbing me just now.

[Bodvoc]

There is now a QRS sheet available for download on the GB site. I can't understand anyone producing rules without one included, or a few sample armylists to help players get going???

[SteveBurt]

I completely disagree, scale of figures definitely affects scale of game.

Unless you're suggesting units of 24 6mm figures take up the same footprint generally as 28mm?

A base of 6mm figures takes up the same footprint as a base of 28mm figures - it just has lots more figures on it.
Those (many) rule sets which use bases, not individual figures, play exactly the same regardless of figure scale.
You may prefer the look of the smaller scale figures or the larger ones, but the gameplay is not affected.

[FierceKitty]

Pendraken, Newline, Magister Militum, Reiver (are they still in business?), Irregular Miniatures,  a few useable in Copplestone' fantasy, Old Glory, Kallistra, Baggage Train, Adler. 

The first three of these are by a long way the best. Watch out for weak ankles with Irreg. Min (and iffy delivery, I've found), and floppy swords with Adler. Kallistra are big, but I like the effect I've got using a few of their Vikings among smaller figures, and it should work with Gauls too.

And Steve Barber. Small range, but excellent sculpts, and a few not available elsewhere.