question about 20mm

[DD-Chris]

I was just wondering what peoples thoughts are on 20mm WW2.
everything seems much more cost effective at this scale, however all my terrain is 28mm scale.
can anyone give me sugestions, or point me in the direction of more information about 20mm ww2 rules, terrain, etc ?
Bolt Actions new plastics are a great step for my 28mm addiction, however vehicles at this scale are BEYOND costly. I am torn between my love for 28mm, and my love for extra $ in my wallet.
any help would RULE
Thanks LAF friends.

[Michi]

You should visit the Guild. It is mainly 20mm wargaming, mostly WW2 and modern, but they welcome any scale and period as well. You should find all information you seek there: http://www.guildwargamers.com

[Arlequín]

I've wrestled with the same problem myself. There are some excellent 20mm (and 15mm) figures and models out there, and on the whole it tends to be far cheaper. Your playing area is increased, as is the level of game you can comfortably play. I'm pretty certain that there isn't a WW2 vehicle that is not available in this scale (though some might equal 28mm prices!).

Most 28mm terrain tends to be 'downsized' in any case and you might find that it still fits for 20mm. 

As for rules you can please yourself, most WW2 sets accommodate a variety of scales and there isn't really a need for a specific set of '20mm rules', you could even play Flames of War in 20mm by adjusting the ground scale.

The downside of course is that they keep producing 'to die for' 28mm figures.  

[Dr.Falkenhayn]

my Problem with 20mm:
Die Cast Vehicles in that Scale are very expensive and hard to find ( at least in my Country).So i was looking for some 1/72 Model Kits.Well, have you ever tried to assembly a Kettenkraftrad in that Scale? All i can say is that some Parts are still missing somewhere on my Carpet .
So if youre looking for a smaller Scale i would go for 15mm.FOW Vehicles are expensive too but at least easy to assembly...
Just my two Cents,i might be completely wrong 

[DD-Chris]

i already own 2 FoW armies. i wanted to do something smaller scale. about 20 or so models a side.

[Trooper]

Chris, if you are only thinking about WWII skirmish, then 28mm might be the way to go, especially as you already have terrain. How many vehicles would you need anyway, not that many, a halftrack and perhaps one tank at most. With the new Bolt action plastics this need not be an expensive project. Just a thought.

[Luthaaren Von Tegale]

With so much kit available in 20mm from the likes of italieri and hat plus the scenics from railway modelling sources at a fraction of the cost of 28mm - not to mention more table space with 20mm - why bother with 28mm?
Any set of rules will work for 20mm - or for any scale to be honest - just look at the 1/35 crossfire game at the WHC a few years ago.
20mm WWII is where my wargaming began - everything was airfix in those days - so I might be a little biased!

vT

[dijit]

Well after seeing Frank's 1/72 scale stuff and my local toy shop having 50% off most of their modeling kits I've just started playing 20mm WWII. I like it to be honest, I started by building model kits before I started wargaming so there's a certain amount of nostalga in building them (plus I find it fun), all of my stuff is airfix, Italeri, etc. I even got some of Italeri's nice buildings for some of the quickest and best looking terrain I've ever had.
Regarding rules I'm still looking. I got Battlefield Evolution WWII, but it felt very 40K like without a decent command and control system or suppression rules. I've looked at Rules of Engagement and Coffin for Seven Brothers; though I was put off the price of the second for all the add on books nesscessary. In the end I've ended up jotting down my own rules, which seems to have everything I want in, but now I just need an opponent (not always easy in GW/FoW dominated Denmark).
Duncan

[WillieB]

Chris,

As many have already pointed out nearly everything is available in 20mm or 1/76 or 72nd scale. Prices tend to be lower compared to 28s and the only reason I could give you NOT to do it is the fragility of the models.
Many of those exquisitely detailed models are simply not meant for wargaming.

[Driscoles]

Two years ago I had my 20mm ( 1/72 ) ww2 revival and I am still very, very happy.

I tell you the reasons why :

-It is my most money saving war games project.
( I already had all the figures and lots of vehicles from my childhood days and only needed a few, to strengthen my existing collection. )
-I could use my Terrain ( boards, trees, hills etc - just needed a few houses which I could get very cheap or scratch build them )
-I have a lot of nice fellow gamers very close to my home.
-The miniatures are easy and quick to paint and still look good.
-great variety of figures available and faily cheap when plastic

Björn

[gamer Mac]

There are some great companies that produce resin models for 20mm. Cromwell for one, have lovely models. Slightly higher cost but saves you fiddling with small plastic kits. Frontline is a cheaper alternative models not as well detailed but look fine with a paint job.
Some great figures if you don't want plastic. AB miniature are the best but again expensive. Some of the plastic solders are getting better all the time. Vialant miniature sell hard plastic troops and the box comes with everything you need to create a battalion for Rapid fire including all the heavy weapons, radio operators etc. Only problem with them is that they are a lot bigger than any other 20mm plastic or metal figures.
As for rules as has been said there are loads out there. I do like Rapid fire for battalion sized games. Check out thier web site for inspiration.

[Belgian]

I just love 1/72 or 20mm scale just because they are so cheap and could be painted fairly basic. I doubt about the fragility of the miniatures, because if you base them well and sturdy, they must survive for eternity.

Pro's

- Cheap
- Cheap
- Cheap
- Easy to paint
- Mass effect
- Ordinary gamingtable = vaste gaming space for 1/72

There are some pictures of my modest axis and allied armies on my blog.

My Americans: http://wargameterrain.blogspot.com/search/label/20mm:%20Americans

All what I can say 1/72 is a good scale for mass gaming and your wallet!  

[YPU]

I just love 1/72 or 20mm scale just because they are so cheap and could be painted fairly basic. I doubt about the fragility of the miniatures, because if you base them well and sturdy, they must survive for eternity.

Pro's

- Cheap
- Cheap
- Cheap
- Easy to paint
- Mass effect
- Ordinary gamingtable = vaste gaming space for 1/72

There are some pictures of my modest axis and allied armies on my blog.

My Americans: http://wargameterrain.blogspot.com/search/label/20mm:%20Americans

All what I can say 1/72 is a good scale for mass gaming and your wallet!  

I used the same pro's for 6mm yesterday. 

[DD-Chris]

Thank you everyone for your feedback.
i have a package of 20mm Americans i am going to paint up, but in the end i think i am going to stick with 28mm since i have far more fun painting those up than i do the smaller less detailed figures.

[Arlequín]

i have a package of 20mm Americans i am going to paint up, but in the end i think i am going to stick with 28mm since i have far more fun painting those up than i do the smaller less detailed figures.

   Stone him!





To be honest, if you only want to play small level games and you've terrain for 28mm, it makes more sense to stick with it. As Trooper pointed out... how many vehicles are you going to need?