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Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: tereydavi on April 09, 2021, 03:13:26 PM

Title: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: tereydavi on April 09, 2021, 03:13:26 PM
This is an article I have made on low cost wargames, or how to play wargames on a budget....

As a solo wargamer, I can't spend a huge sum of money to make a nice gaming table.

In this article I'll share with you many tricks I have found to save a lot of money but having a nice gaming table.

I really hope you like it!!

https://fearofthedarkskirmishwargame.blogspot.com/2021/03/low-cost-wargames.html?m=1 (https://fearofthedarkskirmishwargame.blogspot.com/2021/03/low-cost-wargames.html?m=1)
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: fred on April 09, 2021, 03:43:41 PM
Good article.

An expensive hobby is always relative. Wargaming is probably cheap compared to other middle aged male hobbies (golf, classic cars, cycling, etc).

Probably the big positive for wargaming is that you can start small and build up, and your article gives lots of good ways of getting started for a low outlay. The downside is there is always something else to get!
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: manic _miner on April 09, 2021, 05:14:04 PM
 Great little article.

 I just had the latest five boxes of Dark Alliance 1/72 scale Fantasy miniatures arrive Today.These are really nice figures with less flash on them than previous releases.They are Lord of the Rings inspired sets along with a pack of Anubis Warriors and a pack of Cyclopes figures.A very good way to get playable forces for skirmish games quickly.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: tereydavi on April 10, 2021, 09:15:29 AM
Probably the big positive for wargaming is that you can start small and build up, and your article gives lots of good ways of getting started for a low outlay. The downside is there is always something else to get!

I remember that I started in skirmish games just because with 10 miniatures per side you could play... But after a few games played I had a few warbands... And after a year I had a lot of warbands...

Great little article.

 I just had the latest five boxes of Dark Alliance 1/72 scale Fantasy miniatures arrive Today.These are really nice figures with less flash on them than previous releases.They are Lord of the Rings inspired sets along with a pack of Anubis Warriors and a pack of Cyclopes figures.A very good way to get playable forces for skirmish games quickly.

1/72 is an unbeatable range for wargaming. You can set an army cheaply.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: RSDean on April 10, 2021, 02:23:47 PM
I remember that I started in skirmish games just because with 10 miniatures per side you could play... But after a few games played I had a few warbands... And after a year I had a lot of warbands...

1/72 is an unbeatable range for wargaming. You can set an army cheaply.

Eventually you start grouping the skirmish warbands as units in the next higher level game, and so it grows...

I started with 1/72 scale Airfix plastics 50 or so years ago, so I’ve always had some affection for 1/72s.  When my kids were in middle/high school (20 or so years ago), they got hooked on plastics since they would extend their somewhat limited budgets.  We’re  currently working on 1/72 medieval/Tolkien-like fantasy and 1/72 late Bronze Age, among out other projects:

http://sharpbrush.blogspot.com/search/label/1%2F72%20scale%20plastic?updated-max=2020-05-03T09:30:00-04:00&max-results=20&start=8&by-date=false

I also like the OPs use of papercraft models.  Some links to the free ones would be nice.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: manic _miner on April 10, 2021, 02:52:12 PM
 I think most of us gamers got into miniatures via Airfix and Matchbox 1/72 or 1/32 scale figures.I had loads of them.

 RSDean check-out the range on here for the Dark Alliance range of Fantasy miniatures.They will help greatly in your project i am sure.

 https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?search=dark+alliance&setPerPage=25&search_direction=asc&pageID=1
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: RSDean on April 11, 2021, 05:37:08 PM
I think most of us gamers got into miniatures via Airfix and Matchbox 1/72 or 1/32 scale figures.I had loads of them.

 RSDean check-out the range on here for the Dark Alliance range of Fantasy miniatures.They will help greatly in your project i am sure.

 https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?search=dark+alliance&setPerPage=25&search_direction=asc&pageID=1

Those of us of a certain age, at least...

I’m familiar with the Dark Alliance stuff; I’ve been pleased that they are broadening out a bit with the Greek Mythological stuff in addition to the straight LotR boxes.  I’m thinking that elder son and I may be adding a mythological element to our Bronze Age games one of these days.  The one additional thing that would be really nice is a box of mixed D&D-type adventurers, since the Caesar ones are so hard to find currently.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: manic _miner on April 11, 2021, 05:51:36 PM
 Caesar also did Ratmen,Lizardmen and two sets of Zombies.Got a box of the Elves.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 11, 2021, 06:11:39 PM
The one additional thing that would be really nice is a box of mixed D&D-type adventurers, since the Caesar ones are so hard to find currently.

Yes, indeed. The new Men of the South Dark Alliance box is pretty good for adventurers, as there's a mix of armour, male and female rangers and a couple with two-handed swords.

There are some gems to be found in various historical sets, including various civilian types that make good thieves and the like. I've found clerics the hardest to come by, but the Caesar plastic is quite easy to convert, so swords and axes can be replaced with maces easily enough.

Another tip is to use old Ral Partha stuff. A lot of Tom Meier's stuff from 1979 or so is actually too small for 'true' 25, as the figures are 25mm to the top of the head rather than the eyes. The heads are slightly too big, but not so you'd notice in an RPG situation - especially when they have hoods or hats. And the Ral Partha dwarves from that era are absolutely spot on for 1/72.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Mr. White on April 11, 2021, 06:45:54 PM
I’m a fan of 1/72 and use it for my Zona Alfa project as the models scale perfectly to the cars I use for Gaslands. I’m able to multipurpose the models for a few different games.

I had considered the 1/72 Dark Alliance fantasy models for LotR with the Dragon Rampant ruleset, but what would be decent sources of fantasy buildings for this scale to use as terrain?
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 11, 2021, 07:18:36 PM
I had considered the 1/72 Dark Alliance fantasy models for LotR with the Dragon Rampant ruleset, but what would be decent sources of fantasy buildings for this scale to use as terrain?

Dave Graffam's card buildings are excellent (and very often on sale extremely cheaply). You can scale them to any size.

I reckon a lot of 25/28mm buildings will look just fine with 1/72; they often look too small compared with 28mm figures.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: BZ on April 11, 2021, 08:30:17 PM
Dave Graffam's card buildings are excellent (and very often on sale extremely cheaply). You can scale them to any size.
They are beautiful, thanks, very useful link!
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: BZ on April 11, 2021, 08:33:10 PM
Great article!
1/72 models (unpainted), paper buildings, cheap model trees and simple cloth gaming mats are really cheap, no need to start with GW!
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: RSDean on April 11, 2021, 10:50:47 PM
Dave Graffam's card buildings are excellent (and very often on sale extremely cheaply). You can scale them to any size.

I reckon a lot of 25/28mm buildings will look just fine with 1/72; they often look too small compared with 28mm figures.

I love Dave Graffam’s work; I have a vast collection of the pdfs even though I’ve only printed up 20 or so different ones. I generally used the recommended scaling factor for 20mm for 1/72 skirmish games buildings.  If you are going for mass battles, I might consider scaling them even a bit smaller...

Some Caesar adventurers with scaled down Graffam buildings.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: crafty on April 12, 2021, 06:12:47 AM
Thanks for the article, the hobby costs can start to add up if you're not careful. Not just the figures & models, but all the paints and supplemental costs. It can be easy to get over excited and just buy buy buy...in any hobby I suppose.

1/72 plastics are an excellent low cost option for Second World War gaming. I have loads of Italeri & Pegasus figures, the poses are great, and you usually get approximately 40 to 50 figures in a box. There are also heaps of vehicles in that scale to choose from.

That's roughly half the cost of 1/56 or 1/48, and twice as many figures. I also happen to prefer that scale on the tabletop for platoon & company sized games (Crossfire & Bolt Action).

Sure I'd love to have metal figures & speccy terrain but the cost is just prohibitive...I'm not quite a retired gentleman of leisure yet, and unfortunately there are always costs....cars need rego...kids need braces..mortgage has got to be paid...etc etc. I also live remotely, so postage is a another cost.

The only hassle I have is finding cheaper and *available* 1/72 plastics for other periods such as medieval.

As for terrain, I make a lot of mine. I've got two 'terrain' cloths, one green fabric, one hessian sandy cloth. I've made my own trees from washing up scourers and flock. Ive made my own rivers and hills. Scratch built houses from cork & cardboard, hedges from green scouring pads, bridges from coffee stirrers. There are so many tutorials on youtube to help out.

Sure some of my stuff looks a bit crappy compared to well manufactured resin pieces, but truth be told, none of my gaming companions seem to care once the dice start to roll. I try to make a decent effort with a lot of my stuff, but it'll never be at that diorama-level quality of a lot of stuff you see here on LAF, but you know, you just find your happy middle ground between time/energy/cost etc.

One thing I've decided not to skimp on anymore is tins of primer. In the past I've used really cheap and shitty stuff, but recently I used a tin of Vajello stuff...and although it's twice as expensive I'm much happier with the results.

Anyway all the best.

Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: tereydavi on April 13, 2021, 02:39:15 PM
If you play with 1/72 miniatures using papercraft buildings the cost of making a big battle is really cheaper compared to metal 28mm miniatures and resin buildings.

Is the result better with expensive miniatures and terrain? Yes, it is... But is it worth such amount of money?
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: manic _miner on April 13, 2021, 03:56:53 PM
If you play with 1/72 miniatures using papercraft buildings the cost of making a big battle is really cheaper compared to metal 28mm miniatures and resin buildings.

Is the result better with expensive miniatures and terrain? Yes, it is... But is it worth such amount of money?

 Also less weight to carry around.Big difference with resin terrain and metal miniatures.Saves your back a bit ;).
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Mr. White on April 13, 2021, 05:01:41 PM
If you play with 1/72 miniatures using papercraft buildings the cost of making a big battle is really cheaper compared to metal 28mm miniatures and resin buildings.

Is the result better with expensive miniatures and terrain? Yes, it is... But is it worth such amount of money?

This is a question I'm having a hard time finding the answer too. I mean, a large part of the appeal of minis gaming, to me, is the visual. if I downgrade the visual...why not play a board or chit wargame? The question for me is, is 1:72 enough of a visual downgrade to be a deterrent? The cost is better, no doubt. As is the speed to get them painted. But will I be satisfied with the final look?
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Storm Wolf on April 13, 2021, 05:37:31 PM
This is a question I'm having a hard time finding the answer too. I mean, a large part of the appeal of minis gaming, to me, is the visual. if I downgrade the visual...why not play a board or chit wargame? The question for me is, is 1:72 enough of a visual downgrade to be a deterrent? The cost is better, no doubt. As is the speed to get them painted. But will I be satisfied with the final look?

For me, that was what also did for 15mm, the models etc are and were good, but they just didn`t match the table visual that 28-32mm gives me. Plus it could also be my old eyes lol. Perversely ;D I still have my 6mm stuf and I like them fine.

Glen
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: tereydavi on April 13, 2021, 06:45:23 PM
This is a question I'm having a hard time finding the answer too. I mean, a large part of the appeal of minis gaming, to me, is the visual. if I downgrade the visual...why not play a board or chit wargame? The question for me is, is 1:72 enough of a visual downgrade to be a deterrent? The cost is better, no doubt. As is the speed to get them painted. But will I be satisfied with the final look?

For me the visual component is one of the most important things in this hobby, I need the game to be visually appealing, nothing of unpainted miniatures o halfmade terrain.

I always liked 28mm for skirmish wargames (less than 10 miniatures per side), but went for 15mm to play "bigger" wargames.

For example I would play Bolt Action or saga in 28mm,  I would prefer 15mm.

That kind of games, in 15mm, is visually appealing, and the cost is clearly reduced.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Mr. White on April 13, 2021, 07:04:25 PM
Lots of good comments. I'm currently doing a post apoc project at 20mm because that scale matches the vehicles I'm using and it's a set of models I've always thought fondly off (the old Citadel Dark Future line). However, I have my eye on some Lion/Dragon Rampant and there are so many good minis at 28mm that it makes the choosing hard. At 20mm (1:72) the pickings are less. the choices easy. And, I can quickly get retinues to the table. buuuuuut I won't be using those sweet 28mm models I've eyed forever.

Get a project done and get to gaming, or plan for the long game and work on the project at a much slower pace.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 13, 2021, 07:24:17 PM
I might be in the minority here, but I reckon 1/72 can give at least as pleasing a visual effect as 28mm. The fact that the figures are better proportioned helps, and you can get more on the table for mass effect. I prefer 1/72 to 15mm, appearance-wise, especially with the better (and more paintable) plastics used by Caesar and Emhar (I wish those would become the industry norms). I like these guys, for example, as much as my 28mm goblins and more than my 15mm ones:

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Zpwcaw-tY8/XbMJZGk0nSI/AAAAAAAABRE/xzxwb1-k7RQOwfVGDromq-JurfkssEBlACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Goblins.JPG)

And the cost difference is astonishing. You can easily get a whole Hordes of the Things or Dragon Rampant army in 1/72 for under a tenner. And quite a few manufacturers produce diverse sets, so that you get several types of infantry and some cavalry in a single box.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 13, 2021, 07:33:56 PM
Get a project done and get to gaming, or plan for the long game and work on the project at a much slower pace.

Go for 1/72!

If you're playing Lion Rampant, the Zvezda English knights (http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1166) (for example) are as nice as anything you'll get in 28mm. And that one box gives you a full 24-point retinue (2 x Men-at-Arms, 2 x Mounted Men-at-Arms, plus a unit and a half of spare infantry).
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 13, 2021, 07:40:05 PM
The other thing you can do with 1/72 boxes is base half of them as massed-battle elements and half individually, so that you get the best of both worlds. It's a good way of dealing with the duplicates in the box, and it works for games like Lion/Dragon Rampant, as you can more units that comprise both sorts of basing far more quickly (so the unit would have a multi-based 'core' and 'satellite' figures that are individually based).
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Mr. White on April 13, 2021, 08:57:29 PM
You are making a solid case, Hobgoblin.

Who makes the painted goblins in your post?
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 13, 2021, 09:19:42 PM
They're Dark Alliance ("Goblins Set 2", I think).

I really like the Dark Alliance stuff, though if you get heavily flashed sprues, it can be a pain to clean up. Not so Caesar.

That said, the last three boxes of Dark Alliance stuff I've bought have been almost flash free.

These guys are Dark Alliance orcs. I reckon the figure on the right is the best orc archer I own in any scale:

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ukRI9LAebnE/X-4m4fkOcDI/AAAAAAAAB3E/pf2yA2xi32wHy9FybWEA5cCO-BfGgNJJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Penny%2Borcs.JPG)
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: crafty on April 13, 2021, 11:36:33 PM
Great to see 1/72 getting some love. For me personally, 1/72 hits the sweet spot for cost & affordability...as well as my painting style. I just don't have the level of patience and skill, time or money to amass huge armies of 28mm figures.

I just did a quick check online here at one of my Aussie retailers. For $15, I could buy 4 Artizan Winter Germans...yup...4 figures....or a box of 36 Italeri Winter Germans for the same price. I'd love to be able to have a company worth of Artizan figures, they look great, but that's going to seriously break my budget to achieve.

I've been clicking around some of your blogs and the painting is very impressive & inspiring. I'm currently painting up two sides (Arthurian Knights/Airfix Sheriff of Nottingham vs Orion 'Vikings') for Lion/Dragon Rampant in 1/72, so it's great to see.

FWIW, I don't necessarily think that gaming at this scale (and within a budget as well) has to be visually impoverished, I guess it depends upon the level of attention to detail. I try to sprinkle my tables with a mix of el-cheapo & DIY stuff with a bit of decently painted eye candy as well. My stuff will never have that amazing diorama-like quality that's going to look spectacular under the gaze of a digital camera...but our games always seem to attract a bit of attention whenever we play at our club, and more importantly, we still have a great time playing.

All the best.

(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/15115-101119093034.jpeg)
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Mr. White on April 13, 2021, 11:51:39 PM
I would definitely play with pride on that table and this is all sounding great.In fact, a Robin Hood v The Sheriff project was also something I had in mind using LR. What Robin Hood 1:72 minis are you using? For LR/DR at 1:72, are y’all modifying the ranges any? I’m not for my 20mm Zona Alfa.

I have the two Dark Alliance zombie and stalker sets and they do have quite a bit of flash, much more than the Orcs and goblins in this thread. Because of that, I didn’t rate Dark Alliance so well, but maybe some sets are better than others? Or there’s a good trick to cleaning soft flash.

Alright, what are the top 1:72 companies?
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 14, 2021, 06:18:03 AM
For LR/DR at 1:72, are y’all modifying the ranges any?

Converting? I've converted a few Caesar lizardmen and orcs (weapon swaps, mainly), plus an added cloak and staff for this shaman (since rebased). The Caesar plastic takes superglue very well (it's a bit like the Reaper Bones material), and hands can be drilled easily. Because the lizardmen are fairly chunky, they can take 28mm historical and smaller fantasy weapons. His cloak's from a Fireforge knight and his staff is an Oathmark standard:

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thbkUKA6v1o/XaHo2Qp3liI/AAAAAAAABOs/FNU8aWmUmBg_ktyKUQvwbtvueE201Z8agCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lizardman%2Bshaman%2Band%2BGreeks.JPG)

I have the two Dark Alliance zombie and stalker sets and they do have quite a bit of flash, much more than the Orcs and goblins in this thread. Because of that, I didn’t rate Dark Alliance so well, but maybe some sets are better than others? Or there’s a good trick to cleaning soft flash.

You can use a heated pin to melt it off with reasonable success. Otherwise, a heavy knife - like a Stanley knife with a sharp blade - is pretty good for decisive cuts.

I wonder if Dark Alliance have upped their game recently; I bought the Anubians, Cyclopes and rangers, and they're all pretty much perfect.

Quote
Alright, what are the top 1:72 companies?

I'd say the top five (in no particular order) are these:
Dark Alliance (aka Red Box?): the widest fantasy range, with some really great miniatures.
Caesar: good historicals and some fantasy stuff that varies a bit but is generally pretty good. Some of that seems to be out of production. Some stylings can be a bit odd; the newer orc box contains perhaps the best 1/72 fantasy figures, but some of them have odd weapons (Atzec-style clubs) and would look better with shields. Those problems are easily fixed with small 28mm bits. Caesar's plastic is really easy to work with.
Emhar: a small range, but great mounted knights ("crested knights"), Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. Emhar plastic takes polystyrene cement, which is a game-changer, and the figures are pretty much flash-free.
Italieri: lots of good historical sets - very often with a HotT/DBA 'army in a box'. Very clean and almost entirely flash free.
Zvezda: perhaps the highest-quality 1/72 historicals. Brilliant medievals. Largely (entirely?) flash free. The plastic is slightly more difficult to paint than others - or at least to keep the undercoat on, although swiftnick of this forum had succes with a Krylon spray (I use gesso). Well worth the effort to paint up in any case. These hoplites are Zvezda:

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZRJt1uKsgg/XahDjR60MfI/AAAAAAAABP4/AfZ5VNvLj8scuqEaRqZgsWmU3UaIexuaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Hoplites.JPG)
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: manic _miner on April 14, 2021, 11:03:15 AM
 Got to echo Hobgoblins comments about the latest Dark Alliance figures.Really clean compared to the earlier releases.

 Looking forward to seeing what will be coming out next for the range.

 Airfix did the Robin Hood miniatures sets along with the Sheriff of Nottingham box and a Castle.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Mr. White on April 14, 2021, 12:00:53 PM
Oh, I meant, have y’all changed the measurement ranges for LR/DR at this scale or just left it all as is?

I did order some sweet beehive huts for what I thought was going to be 28mm, but they seem to work great for 1:72 as well. Here they are with a Citadel Dark Future model and two Dark Alliance zombies.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 14, 2021, 12:14:06 PM
Ah - right! No, I do the same as you and keep movement, ranges, etc., the same. The big advantage in DR/LR is that there's more space on the table because of the smaller footprint of the figures.

Those huts look spot on for 1/72. Great painting on the miniatures too!
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Mr. White on April 14, 2021, 01:38:35 PM
Thanks!

ok, I'm convinced. However, these great Zvedza "retinue in a box" seem hard to come by now. OOP? Certainly not low cost...ha!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ZVEZDA-1-72-ENGLISH-KNIGHTS-OF-THE-100-YEARS-WAR-BRAND-NEW/393241804412?hash=item5b8f09be7c:g:luYAAOSwQb5gcyuE

Maybe all the 100 Years War English are oop, because I can find a box of French Knights and French Infantry. The English...not so much.

Italeri seem a little more available. Decent models?

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=412
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 14, 2021, 02:04:25 PM
Wow! I bought that very box about a year ago for about a tenner.

Oh, well! There are plenty of other good medieval sets out there. It's well worth having a good look through Plastic Solcier Review's medieval section (http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/PeriodList.aspx?period=7).

Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: manic _miner on April 14, 2021, 02:56:23 PM
 This Model shop near to me has quite a large range of 1/72 scale figures in-stock and have a sale on at the moment.Might come in handy for some.

 https://northeastmodelcentre.co.uk/product-category/plastic-kits/?filter_scale=1-72
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Mr. White on April 14, 2021, 03:01:16 PM
Lots of evil in this Dark/Light Alliance /Redbox line. Needs some more 'good' units.

I'm loving the look of the necromancer and skeletons in the Caesar Miniatures undead box... seems oop too! Same with the Adventurers.

Availability might be the largest hurdle at this scale.
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Pattus Magnus on April 14, 2021, 03:33:22 PM
I think the previous replies cover the topic of 1:72 figures well. I’ve used them for a bunch of side-projects, where I wanted to give a period a try but didn’t want to go all-in on 28mm. For me, that has been samurai, Colonials, WW1, WW2 and War or 1812/Napoleonics. Only the WW1, WW2 and War of 1812 projects really went anywhere, but I’ve been quite happy with the results.

I don’t really understand why, but I can paint 1:72 figures to a decent standard far more quickly than 15mm. Faster than 28mm, I understand, but 15s? I think maybe it is because the 1:72 figs are so cheap that I don’t get as uptight.

In any case, the finished armies look good and you can make big units without going bankrupt! My War of 1812 infantry are 32-man units and they look suitably imposing on the table!
Title: Re: Low cost wargames (or how to play wargames on a budget)
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 14, 2021, 08:23:09 PM
[quote author=Pattus Magnus link=topic=130726.msg1658321#msg1658321 date=1618414402

I don’t really understand why, but I can paint 1:72 figures that a decent standard far more quickly than 15mm. Faster than 28mm, I understand, but 15s? I think maybe it is because the 1:72 figs are do cheap that I don’t get as uptight.

[/quote]

I find the same! They're somehow more sympathetic as well as cheaper. I find 15mm more of a false economy, time wise, because they can look a bit bland unless you spend time amping up the contrasts.