What 20mm minis to use.

[deathjester25]

This is gonna be my first time playing a WW2 game. Originally i was gonna get some 15mm PSC figs to use with FOW but ViDe with 20mm seems to offer more options and a cheaper startup cost. Now i cant seem to decide what models to get. I want   to use hard plastic kits as much as possible. How do PSC, zvezda, and pegasus hobbies stuff compare? What should i use as bases? I assume washers would work well. Thanks

[Amalric]

For WW2 I use mostly AB 20mm metal figs [link below] mounted on pennys with 1/72 vehicles made from plastic kits, die cast, resin, all are good. I don't use plastic figs, but thats just me. Pegasus makes some fine tank kits.

AB Minis
http://www.abfigures.co.uk/

Check out the Guild Forum, they are the 20mm gurus and have a ton of info and eye candy for WW2, Modern, Sci/Fi you name it.
http://www.guildwargamers.com/phpBB3/index.php
You'll have to join to get access to all the good stuff,, but its free and go on and browse the group builds to see what kind of good stuff is on there.

Here's two of my 20mm WW2 posts from the Guild;
http://www.guildwargamers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=194&t=5087
http://www.guildwargamers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=212&t=10015
Most of the work shown there blows my stuff away.

Anyway good luck & welcome to 20mm WW2.
Amalric

[SgtHulka]

I base my 1/72 plastic figures on 5/8" washers and it works great. Make sure the washers adhere to magnets; that's not essential but might make life easier for storage and/or for re-basing for a variety of rules systems.

Of the three companies you mention, the only figures I've seen in person are Pegasus Hobbies. I have their Russian Summer and Winter infantry, which I think are excellent, and their other sets have received excellent reviews. Caesar is another company that produces fine plastic figures, in my opinion. I haven't seen the PSC figures in person, but they look to be proportioned more like metal figures. That may be a good or bad thing depending on your taste. Finally, I've found Revell figures to be high quality, as well. I have a set of Italeri (re-issued Esci) Russian infantry, which are "okay" but not great.

You should start looking at Plastic Soldier Review. It's an invaluable resource, especially when you're trying to figure out which boxes of figures to get for specific weapons or poses you need.

When you paint plastic miniatures, I recommend that you first coat them with watered down white glue. If you do a google search you'll find some articles and advice on this. I don't think it's essential -- the first figures I painted I didn't pre-coat and the paint hasn't come of or anything. However, the later figures that I did coat feel much sturdier and less "bendy" during play.

[deathjester25]

Well i went ahead and ordered one each of all 4 PSC soviet box sets. Looks like that will give me more stuff then i will ever use in a standard game of ViDe. Now can anyone direct me to a good painting guide for soviets?