6mm dieselpunk, Diorama p.22

[YPU]

This project has been in my head for a long time, and now with Horizon wars giving me a ruleset that plays in a way that works with what I have in mind I'm finally going to start this. I've been thinking about getting some aeronefs, steampunk tanks or walkers for a long time. However I never really wanted to jump into either category fully. I have been doing 6mm sci-fi for longer and find that terrain wise I actually prefer idyllic landscapes of patchwork fields and hills dotted by villages and windmills more then general sci-fi stuff. (most art in dirtside II is this style for some reason)

I have been trying to recognisable all of this in a doable project for a while and more and more I realized that the look I wanted to aim or is best embodied by studio ghibli movies. Curvie bloated tanks bristling with barrels, huge airships and brightly coloured soldiers marching in formations. For inspiration one can't go wrong with castle in the sky, nausicaa and particularly howls moving castle.

Most vehicles I will 3d print or build from scratch, I shouldn't need more then 3 of most anyway at most. However I also want lines of infantry to face whatever opponent I end up using. Now for inspiration these guys I really liked in How's so that is pretty much the feeling I'm aiming for. However in 6mm that "feeling" probably comes down to anything from the "age of big battalions" forum board.



So my question to you forumites, what company makes the best 6mm Napoleonic/acw/whatver miniatures to use for this? There are a lot of companies out there and I won't need that many models in total. maybe 100-200 infantry and cavalry together max, I think that's rather tame for 6mm big battalions, but then they generally don't have heavy tanks along with them, let alone airships. Talking about airships I think I might also want to put some crew on the airships, does anybody even do those in 6mm for this "period"

Bonus question, I'm considering doing a big swarm type force for opposition, again inspired by ghibli style, but I'm not convinced on that yet... Any other suggestions?

EDIT:
Still frame reference images:
Soldiers: http://imgur.com/a/s7m0h/all
Airships: http://imgur.com/a/u29rD/all
Armoured train: http://i.imgur.com/iaHsRIu.png
Ships: http://imgur.com/a/blf4Q/all

[OSHIROmodels]

Ooo, interesting 

I'm not sure on the best 6mm manufacturers but maybe Franco-Prussian war would be best suited?

Rather looking forward to seeing how this goes 

I always fancied doing a 28mm version (Nausicaa mainly with some Laputa thrown in).

cheers

James

[YPU]

Thanks James, I had plans of doing something like thin in 28mm myself for a while, even got some Napoleonic models to use with it but I'd never actually get round to the tanks and airships that way. I also currently lack a good gaming table of any size, the one I have is 1mx1m but I want to do some terrain that embodies those sweeping rural landscapes most ghibli movies have.

The bugs in Nausicaa are probably going to be my main inspiration for an opposing force, with a bit of demons from Mononoke thrown in, maybe "mini-bugs" from gzg as the main force, some ravenstar 15mm horrids for bigger beasts and some not- epic tyranids for ranged attackers maybe. Oh and the horrid space ships might also make cool creature fliers I think.

[d phipps]

Sounds like a cool project. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes. 

[OSHIROmodels]

The bugs sound good. I think Irregular Miniatures do something similar in 28mm that you could use for the larger Ohmu.

I also like the WWI inspired fort in Laputa that has the camouflage/dazzle painted on it but is bigger than anything for miles and miles 

cheers

James

[YPU]

I said I wanted to keep this a small project, before I know it I'm building table sized fortresses with you guys. 

Talking about tables, anybody know a source for 6mm ish steam trains and tracks? If I can't find any that would be something for the next print I guess.

[OSHIROmodels]

I would imagine Irregular miniatures again but the quality might not be that good 

The fortress was just an idea 

cheers

James

[robh]

Lovely idea for a project. A SciFantasy table done in Nausicaa style will be great.

Infantry models really depend on whether the actual scale is important.

IMHO the best true 6mm figures are from Heroics & Ros. Very fine detail and true proportions. Look great en masse but are small. You get to decide the basing on these as they come unbased on a thin carrier strip to aid painting.
http://www.heroicsandros.co.uk/

The other quality option is Baccus Miniatures. Actually 8mm with oversized heads, hands and weapons. Nice detail and paint well. These are pre-based (sadly on pretty chunky mounds) in set width strips. A real bugger to try and separate if the 21mm (ish) standard frontage does not suit your rules/basing. Although not my preference these are probably the most popular range.
http://baccus6mm.com/

Irregular miniatures are a bit hit and miss (both in quality and in sizing) but the better ones are very good. All moulded in clumps and pre based. Respond well to a drybrush & wash painting technique, but are very difficult to detail paint.
http://irregularminiatures.co.uk/indexes/6mmindex.htm

Look forward to seeing where you go with this.

[julesav]

Baccus and Adler are the most detailed 6mms I can think of - Heroics and Ros are less individually detailed but good for mass effects, as are Irregular minis. I find Irregular easiest to paint as they are blocks not single figures.

[YPU]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'm used to painting individual infantry in 6mm for sci-fi so this shouldn't be all that different. Though I do plan on having a lot more models per base then with the sci-fi stuff.

Accurate scale is not very relevant, the project is going to have a lot of fantastical elements in the end so accurate scaling isn't high on the list.

I'm leaning towards baccus since they have the simple convenience of actually having pictures of the model on the webstore instead of hidden in a gallery or something. (seriously, what is it with 6mm and not having pictures?)

Anybody who could give me a honest rundown of what's good from irregular and what's not? I'm not going for an exact period so I'm fine with mixing Napoleonic cavalry with ACW infantry and SYW artillery if that gives me the best of each. They also do indeed have trains, and the pictures they do have look decent enough. Their tracks also look good, especially for the price.

Heroics and Ros I've heard good things about and they appear to also have trains but their webshop is currently closed so I can't be sure what they have and for what price.

[YPU]

Quick update on what I'm working on right now. No points for guessing my inspiration here.

[OSHIROmodels]

 

That's so cool 

I've got the 1/72 kit somewhere and was going to use it myself.

cheers

James

[robh]

Really like the start.......

Anybody who could give me a honest rundown of what's good from irregular and what's not?

You are best off ordering a few bases and deciding whether they work for you as a concept/style. If you like the "clump" basing where all the figures touch then you will not have any problems with picking and choosing from various different eras.
Personally I find the "Open Order" bases to be their best figures as they are better sculpted. The "Close Order" bases are too messy and difficult to identify individuals.

Heroics and Ros I've heard good things about and they appear to also have trains but their webshop is currently closed so I can't be sure what they have and for what price.

The store (which does actually have pictures) is closed until 1st July due to Andy having medical treatment during June,  but you can download the old style catalogue from the website.....They have a wonderful selection of trains.

[YPU]

The store (which does actually have pictures) is closed until 1st July due to Andy having medical treatment during June,  but you can download the old style catalogue from the website.....They have a wonderful selection of trains.

I noted however I really want to have at least a small picture before I order, which the pdf catalogue lacks sadly. Prices appear great on all of these companies. 2 or 3 pounds for all the models of a particular type I would probably need.

Had another hour to spare:



Any sugestions are welcome. right now its very close to that model kit, but at 6mm some details will look better differently. current size the large side pods are 6mm ish. Its about as long as brigade models mamoth tank. But the please of cad would allow scaling pretty easily naturally.

[OSHIROmodels]

If you're having more than one then at least one of them needs the observation coupla extended 

Would it also be easier to have an integral base 'sculpted' on or are they not having bases at all?

cheers

James