What gaming scale do you favor for Steampunk?

[Cacique Caribe]

I have to agree with many of the above ... 15mm is the best to go with. 

Exotic machinery, vehicles, buildings and other terrain accessories are going to take up way too much space on the board if they are done for anything bigger than 15mm figures.  And the cost for filling an entire board with accessories bigger than 15mm is nearly prohibitive.

So go with 15mm-18mm (1/100 to 1/87 or thereabouts), the ONE true “scale”. 

There are MDF and resin buildings already being produced for that size, plus there are many options to scavenge/kitbash from among the HO scale kits, particularly from the HO railroad and Old West sets.  Lots of HO scale boats, wagons, animals, etc too.

And nowadays there are now many more options for 15mm figures too!  There is Blue Moon Manufacturing, Rebel Minis, Splintered Light, Khurasan Miniatures, Highlander Studios, etc.

Lots of inspiring blogs to draw ideas from.  Here are a couple:

http://warchest.co.uk/blog/index.php/steampunk-in-15mm-rebel-minis-pulp-adventurers/
http://warchest.co.uk/blog/index.php/gothic-horror-quickie-some-blue-moon-vampire-slayers/
http://vsf15mm.blogspot.com

There are also some old reference sites that are still plenty useful:

http://15mmvsf.bagofmice.com/vsf/builder_pt.htm
http://15mmvsf.bagofmice.com/vsf/vsfpage.htm
http://15mmvsf.bagofmice.com/AllQ/AQpage.htm
http://15mmvsf.bagofmice.com
http://www.webring.org/l/rd?ring=colonialwars;id=1;url=http%3A%2F%2F15mmvsf%2Ebagofmice%2Ecom%2FMinis%2F15mm_figs%2Ehtm

[Michi]

Yes, O scale track is way too wide for 28s, you could never tie a victim to the tracks across the rails.

S scale  trains (1/64) work better with 25/28s.  Usually you can get old American Flyer equipment on the cheap.  American flyer track however is very toy-like.  I picked up some MTH brand S scale flex track on EBay that looks superb.

I confirm all of that, but it is rather uncommon to get S gauge in Europe. I found my own way by using H0/00 gauge tracks with narrow gauge models (0e or 0n30 or scratch built/conversions).

And of course always 28mm due to the details on models and terrain pieces.

[Malamute]

I have to agree with many of the above ... 15mm is the best to go with. 

Exotic machinery, vehicles, buildings and other terrain accessories are going to take up way too much space on the board if they are done for anything bigger than 15mm figures.  And the cost for filling an entire board with accessories bigger than 15mm is nearly prohibitive.

I don't agree with that statement at all.

 How can you say the above will take up too much space on the table? Why do you have to fill the table with everything?

You can tailor a game to fit any size table and any budget. Here is a very good example of a 28mm game played on what looks like a 4ft x4 ft table with minimal vehicles and figures:

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=114520.15

The whole 15mm Vs 25mm debate will never be settled. There's arguments for both, but to say 15s is best is completely subjective. 

[Cat]

And of course always 28mm due to the details on models and terrain pieces.

Ooh, very sweet!
 
HO gauge track (16.5mm) works particularly well for European metre gauge for 28mm, which was used extensively for urban trams. 

[Lord Raglan]

that layout is very sweet

[Cacique Caribe]

Malamute,

Yes, it is subjective.  I started with 28mm but wanted more terrain on my board, so I tried 15mm and found it to be just fine (for me).

However, to say that “You can tailor a (28mm) game to fit any size table and any budget” can be a bit of a stretch for many people with limited storage space, funds, portability options, etc.  So saying “any” is also subjective.  Fortunately for them, there are other “scale” choices available.

Dan

[Malamute]

However, to say that “You can tailor a (28mm) game to fit any size table and any budget” can be a bit of a stretch for many people with limited storage space, funds, portability options, etc.  So saying “any” is also subjective.  Fortunately for them, there are other “scale” choices available.

Dan

So one steam tank, a handful of figures and a 4ft square table is a bit of a stretch and a storage problem?
Then yes you had better look at other scales. 6mm or 10mm perhaps?

[Cacique Caribe]

“So one steam tank, a handful of figures and a 4ft square table is a bit of a stretch and a storage problem?“

LOL.  Well, it’s not a problem if you want to play the same general game, and with the same vehicles, terrain, figures etc. all the time.

For example, I’m about to start painting a landing party from the Nautilus  (some arriving by boat and some coming in as divers), for a future raid on a coastal facility.  That’s radically different from, say, the vehicles, terrain surface, buildings and figures in a War of the Worlds, a John Carter of Mars or a Time Machine game.  Yet I want them all, you see, and without dedicating an entire room of the house for all of that.  And going bigger (or smaller) doesn’t work or have the same effect, for me.

I want them ALL.  I must have them ALL, you see.  I’m not addicted though.  I can quit anytime, if I really wanted to.  I really can ... if I wanted to.

Dan

[The_Beast]

25/28mm for me for all my VSF games.

*ahem* Now, now, old boy, we HAVE played in 15/18mm... 

Still, 25/28mm is great for relatively smaller groups, and love of handsome sculpts and paint jobs.

Dan, I never felt constrained such as you suggest. It feels more like we do more character-based fightes with the larger scales, and army battles in the smaller.

Doug

[Captain Darling]

Hi!
In my opinion 1/56 scale, so 28mm figures.
VSF is a flashy genre so deserves to be done big.
Plus there is a selection of figures and accessories which once painted up look great on any tabletop.
Also for me scratchbuilding accessories is part of the fun of VSF and I like to build stuff big.
 
Cheers!

[Dr DeAth]

I have to agree with many of the above ... 15mm is the best to go with.
 
Exotic machinery, vehicles, buildings and other terrain accessories are going to take up way too much space on the board if they are done for anything bigger than 15mm figures.  And the cost for filling an entire board with accessories bigger than 15mm is nearly prohibitive.

I don't agree with that statement at all.

 How can you say the above will take up too much space on the table? Why do you have to fill the table with everything?

You can tailor a game to fit any size table and any budget. Here is a very good example of a 28mm game played on what looks like a 4ft x4 ft table with minimal vehicles and figures:

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=114520.15

The whole 15mm Vs 25mm debate will never be settled. There's arguments for both, but to say 15s is best is completely subjective. 

I'm with Malamute on this one, my table that he linked (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=114520.15) cost me very little to make - the terrain is base on scraps of mdf, the hills are made of a £4 can of expanding foam and the trees are fir cone cores topped with some £1.99 aquarium plants.  I'd guess that if you add the cost of the cheap emulsion paints used to finish it all off then the cost for the entire table (including the home made terrain mat that rolls up for easy storage) is around £20-30.  That's not very much at all these days when you consider the price of figures, rules etc.

As for playing the same general games, the scenarios can be as diverse as you want once you've built some basic terrain. Next up for me are some Martian ruins, which will be blue foam bricks on scrap mdf, painted with cheap emulsion and finished with creepers and foliage that I make myself by grinding up scrap upholstery and packing foam. Again costs will be minimal.

As for 15mm, well I use the same table for 15mm Space Opera sci-fi, so it fits both.

[Enakan]

I went to the local hardware store yesterday and picked up some stuff,

I thought about building a Martian Tripod, looking at what I've done so far, it might be too small for a 25mm scale one.  I have a 15mm Union ACW army, I may compare it to them and and my HO Wild West buildings.  Just have the legs in progress now, I have to decide on the right shape for the body of the Tripod.

I guess take photos and start a thread in the conversion area?  Once I get more done!

Love the feedback folks, this is a very civil forum!  Great points about both scales!

I guess, throwing THIS out here, that some larger battles could be done with 3mm or 6mm figures???

 

[OSHIROmodels]

There are a couple of us contemplating using 10mm figures and having flyers et al for grand scale games.

Do show your tripod when you have photos 

[Cat]

I guess, throwing THIS out here, that some larger battles could be done with 3mm or 6mm figures???

Just a couple of years ago, Brigade Models was muttering about doing 1/300 aeronefs.  They would make for lovely full combined arms big battles.  Good thing for my gaming budget they haven't followed through with that.

There are a couple of us contemplating using 10mm figures and having flyers et al for grand scale games.

So, why are you still contemplating and not doing?!?

[OSHIROmodels]

So, why are you still contemplating and not doing?!?

 

Need to get Salute out the way first