20mm - Explain this to me!

[pnweerar]

Does anyone know why the 20mm scale exist? It just seems a bit odd to make a mini that small that's not obviously compatible with 15mm.

Just bought some Elheim minis but got just one pack -- want to see if the sizes match up before I buy in confidence.

[Super_Gibbon]

20mm generally corresponds to 1:72 which is a scale popular in scale modeling, wargaming's close cousin. If you were of a mind, you could get lots of plastic figs and vehicle kits in that scale to go with your new 20mm guys, especially in WW2. There are some great plastic kits out there and some not so good ones. I've fallen in love recently with some Zvezda 1:72 Janissaries and Caesar's range of Biblicals.

The Gibbon has a rewarding relationship with lead figs in 28mm but its nice to fool around on the side periodically. Especially when its so cheap and easy.

But presently the Gibbon is sprinting for the safety of the trees, before the diehard 28mm lead monogamists come out tossing crab apples.

[Rhoderic]

But presently the Gibbon is sprinting for the safety of the trees, before the diehard 28mm lead monogamists come out tossing crab apples.

He went that-a-way! After him!

*waves pitchfork in a very angry manner*

 

[pnweerar]

The Gibbon is thanked for its wisdom.

Scale Whore

[Big Guy]

20mm is a sort of bastard child, it all goes back to the days of model railways then this upsart yobbo starts making military figures to match the very popular scale of HO or 1/76.  They proved to be very popular and more sets were made, why they became that little bit bigger (1/72) I don't know but every man and his dog seems to be making sets in this scale (73 last year, 111 the year before)
I like these figures because most railway scenery will go with them and there are a huge number of vehicles and aircraft kits in the same scale.
When I was a lad you could get a decent range of figures for either WW2 or the battle of Waterloo, now the range of figures borders on the obscene and all the ones I want are still coming     the future releases page at PSR lists 241 sets and I know that their list is incomplete.
There are a number of critisims leveled against the vernerable plastic warrior the main two of which namely flaking paint and stupid poses have been destroyed by a simple addition the painting process and some common scene in the design process.
20mm figures started modern wargaming and despite huge increases in the quality and range of 15 & 25mm figures they are not going away any time soon.

P.S. If any one from HaT is reading this please put your Nordenfelds and Naval Landing party on the next release.

[Gunbird]

Does anyone know why the 20mm scale exist? It just seems a bit odd to make a mini that small that's not obviously compatible with 15mm.

I fail to see any logic in this sentence. Isn't it obvious that a 20mm scaled mini isn't compatible with a 15mm?

The rest explains it quite nicely and to each scale their own, but U could use the same reasoning for any of the mm scales.

Elhiems are 20mm, I own quite a few (as my preferred scale is 20mm), and they do not match up with 15mm.

Johan

[Captain Blood]

AIRFIX!

[Jules]

Of course most of the early wargames figures were 20mm(Hinton Hunt etc) some manufacturers started to increase the size of their figures a process that sees them go from 20mm to 25 mm and now 28mm and 30 mm (although) stadden and tradition made figures in this scale long before this (its complex) but actually 30mm was a good flats scale.  Anyway then minifigs the premier figure maker of the 70-80s (who were always experimenting with new scales produced 15mm and everyone went 15mm mad also they produced 1/300 and later 12mm (n gauge)... got to stop the story as have to get baking powder for sons birthday cake...

[Lowtardog]

For a true answer you have to read Achtung Schweinhund



But as already said Airfix 1/72 figures and plastic vehicle kits revolutionised or rather started the modern gaming and figures were made in lead to match/expand on this. Typically WW2 and ACW or Napoleonic to start then it steam rollered form there. The scale...well I suspect ,aking them in lead mant they ended up bigger than plastic ones

[Plynkes]

Dis ye not the 20! How else could young Plynkes have wargamed Waterloo, Arnhem and Mons (in his own muddled seven-year-old Blam! Blam! Blam! fashion) on 1970s pocket money?







 

[Lowtardog]

Dis ye not the 20! How else could young Plynkes have wargamed Waterloo, Arnhem and Mons (in his own muddled seven-year-old Blam! Blam! Blam! fashion) on 1970s pocket money?







 

Ooh the memories

my first pack



loved these as I could play in the bath with the canoes ::
and some of the poses, Man being sick and 2 guys carrying a ladder very Eric Sykes or without ladder the "Rave"

[Torradas]

We must pay homage do 20mm

I generally went for the ESCI kits of 50 infantry + 1 tank.

I think my very first 1/72 soldiers were ESCI's 8th army minis:


Fond recollections

[Lowtardog]

As a kid my Dad was interested in Tropical Fish, infact no Obsessed would be more appropriate (a fish frother) he even had his own shop, particiapted in shows, wrote articles etc in the 70s and early 80s.

One of the boons were he would take me with him on his various trips to shows, shops atound the country and as a way of either buying silence or possible excuse would buy me some figures :wink:  :: (sounds like me with my kiddies)

Well the best was one shop that was half aquarist and half model shop. They sold Airfix, Matchbox, Atlantic and Esci.Revel etc. I had by the time I grew out of toys 9found beer and women) a huge collection of just about each range, which I sadly gave away to a little kid down the street.

I do however like to think of that little lad passing them on adinfinitum :mrgreen:

wWonder what happend to the Atlantic ranges I loved these as it expanded the Airfix Romans and Celts with Greeks, Egyptians, Trojan or etruscans, gladiators, the whole shbang. I even had seige engines, ships and a Trojan horse...ooh must go outside to wash that sepia rose tinted glaze from my eyes

[pierrebi]

Wonder what happend to the Atlantic ranges I loved these as it expanded the Airfix Romans and Celts with Greeks, Egyptians, Trojan or etruscans, gladiators, the whole shbang. I even had seige engines, ships and a Trojan horse...ooh must go outside to wash that sepia rose tinted glaze from my eyes

Atlantic went bankrupt in the early '80s.
Most of the Atlantic moulds were sold to to an Iraqi company. It was 1990. Soon after the Gulf War erupted.
Most of Atlantic plastic minaitures are now in production by an Nexus, an italian firm.
Complete story here: http://www.nexusgames.com/atlantic/faq.html

A chinese firm http://www.miniknight.com/caesar.htm is making fantastic ancient 1/72 plastic soldiers

[Poliorketes]

20mm is a sort of bastard child, it all goes back to the days of model railways then this upsart yobbo starts making military figures to match the very popular scale of HO or 1/76.  .

HO is 1/87 which is approximately 15mm!