Making Sense of Wargame Small Scales

Minifigs English Civil War figures, 25mm

Aside from the  plastic figure scales mentioned in a previous article, classic wargame figures have been measured in millimeters. There are N - 12mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 28.8mm, 30mm, 40mm and 42mm. These were the supposed height of a scale figures representing a 6-foot man.

These measurements were not absolute. There was  controversy. Back in the 70s, some makers measured from bottom of foot to top of head. Some measured from the bottom of the base. Others measured to the top of the headgear rather than the head itself. Lack of a standard caused a lot of confusion. One of the common lamest was how one company’s 25mm looked like another’s 30mm, and vice versa.

So-called 20mm scale is actually HO. It is covered in a previous article. (Click here for article:  http://thortrains.blogspot.com/2018/05/small-scale-measurements-simplified.html)

I am including 45mm because it has become popular with toy soldier gamers. Many of the Chinese clones of plastic figures run small, and 45mm has become common as a result. The recast Marx Army Training Set and old Payton figures are 45mm scale.

Some wargame scales equate with model kit and model railroading scales. For all intents and purposes, 25mm = 1/72 scale. 28mm = 1/64 (S Gauge for trains) 30mm = 1/60 scale  40mm = 1/45  scale (German O scale) 42mm = 1/43.1 (British O scale). 45mm = 1/40 (The scale of the old Renwal / Revell military models).

Here is a breakdown of the scales and the size of one scale foot:

N 2mm = 1 scale foot   A 6 foot man is 12mm, or ½ inch tall
15mm 2.5mm = 1 scale foot   A 6 foot man is 15mm tall
25mm  4.3mm = 1 scale foot  A 6 foot man is 25mm tall
28 (28.8) 4.8 mm = 1 scale foot   A 6 foot man is 28.8mm tall
30mm  5mm = 1 scale foot    A 6 foot man is 30mm tall
40mm 6.66mm = 1 scale foot   A 6 foot man is 40mm tall
42mm - 7mm = 1 scale foot    A 6 foot man is 42mm tall
45mm - 7.5mm = 1 scale foot A 6 foot man is 45mm tall

The difference between 28.8mm and 30mm is a mere 1.2 mm. These scales are often intermixed. Likewise, 40mm and 42mm have a difference of 2mm. They are often used interchangeably. 25mm is 4,2 mm different from 28.8mm and 5mm from 30mm. The difference between N and 15mm is 3mm.

Minifigs English Civil War figures, 25mm

A 10-foot vehicle

Let us consider the actual length of a vehicle that is ten scale feet long. Here we see the differences in size clearly.

N - 20mm, Between 3/4 and 7/8 inch
15mm - 25mm. about 1 inch
25mm - 43mm.  1 inch and 3/4 inch
28.8mm 48mm A little more than 1 and 7/8 inches
30mm - 50mm. Almost 2 inches
40mm  - 66mm  2 and 9/16 inches
42mm - 70mm 2 and 7/8 inches
45mm - 75mm - 1.2mm shy of 3 inches

A 40-foot platform

The 40 foot boxcar is one of the standard sizes for model railroading. Consider a 40 foot platform in wargame scales.

N - 80mm - 3 and 3/16 inches
15mm - 100mm - almost 4 inches
25mm - 172mm About 4 and 7/8 inches
28.8mm - 192mm 7 and ½ inches
30mm - 200 mm About 7 and 7/8 inches
40mm - 264mm 10 and ½ inches
42mm - 280mm 11 and 1/16 inches
45mm - 300mm - 4.8mm shy of 12 inches

Minifigs English Civil War figures, 25mm

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If you would like European-style paper house kits scalable for 25mm to 40mm (one is pictured with Minifigs soldiers). click here: http://www.thortrains.net/wargame/download.html

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The main problem with wargame figures is that they are often disproportionate. The heads and hands may be too large. Good, proportionate figures can be used for trackside scenery.

25mm to 30mm figures are scaled about right for use with S scale and Marx O27 “scale” models. The 28.8 and 30mm figures approximate 3/16" to the scale foot. 25mm can be used for shorter people.

40mm are close to 1/48. (A 6 foot man in 1/48 is 38.1 mm, which is 1 and ½ inch.) The difference is 1.9mm.

15mm is TT scale.  TT is popular in Eastern Europe. For instance, TT World War II German Infantry would be scaled right for the old German Reichsbahn. I have seen these trains in TT, made by an East German firm.

Solido and Verem vehicles run about 1/50. For wargaming, they look good with 40mm, 42mm and 45mm figures.

At least one wargame makers has been using 28.8 figures with 1/56 armor. 1/56 is about halfway between 1/48 and 1/64.  A 6' figure in 1/56 would actually be about 34mm tall. Most semi- scale O gauge freight cars run about 1/56 in size. Full 1/48 scale boxcars are notably larger.

Again, one maker’s 25mm might be another’s 30mm. For example, I remember the old Stan Johansen Samurai from the 70s. He insisted they were 30mm, but most folks considered them to be 35mm

Small Scale Measurements Simplified, from 15mm to 1.72

Model Scales - 1/100, 1/87, 1/76 and 1/72

Authenticast 1/100, Airfix 1/76 soldier, early ROCO 1/90

There was a time when ranges of small-scale military models were far from comprehensive. In the 70s, for instance, ROCO had many models of US and German WWII and NATO vehicles. There were few Soviet and World War II British vehicles in its inventory. At 1/100, Roskpof had a very complete inventory of Warsaw-Pact armor as well as a good range of US and German NATO and some World War II. Airfix made mostly World War II, with a variety of US, British and German vehicles and one Soviet piece, the T34. Hasegawa at 1/72 had a few early World War II US pieces and some German armor. A small-scale wargame usually involved a selection of three or four of these scales. KV series heavy tanks in 1/100 were outsized by 1/72 scale Lee medium tanks. Those of us who collected and wargamed small-scale took it in stride.

ROCO, Roskopf and Airfix each marketed soldiers in their preferred scales. Respectively, these were HO : 1/87, 1/100 and OO : 1/76. The size of the figures were notably different. Here is a breakdown of figure sizes, based on the height representing a 6 foot tall man.

1/100 is 3.04 millimeters scale foot. A 6 foot man would be 18.24 millimeters
1/87 is 3.5 millimters to scale foot. A 6 foot man would be 21mm tall
1/76 is 4 millimeters to the scale foot. A 6-foot man would be 24mm tall.
1/72 is 4.23 millimeters to the scale foot . A 6-footman would be 25.4mm tall

That is a 3mm difference between 1/100 and HO. Ditto for HO and 1/76. The difference between 1/76 and 1/72 is 1.4mm. On the other hand, the difference between 1/100 figures and 1/76 is 6mm. It is 7.4mm when compared to 1/72.

Imagine a vehicle10 scale feet long:

In 1/100, it would be 30.4mm long.  That is a little more than 1 and 3/32 inches
In 1/87, that is 35mm long. That is around 1 3/16 inches long.
In 1/76, that is 40mm long. It is a little longer than 1 and 1/8 inch
In 1/72, it is 42.3mm long. That is between 1 and 3/16 inches and 1 and ½ inch.

The difference between 1/100 and 1/72 is 12mm, or ½ inch.

Let us borrow an idea from model railroading. The 40 foot boxcar is a standard. More models of the 40 footer are made than any other boxcar, in every scale from O to N.* 40 foot is distance we can understand. Here we go:

In 1/100, 40 feet is 121.6mm That is almost 5 inches
In 1/87, 40 feet is 145mm. It is about 5 and ½ inches
In 1/76, 40 feet is 160mm. This is close to 6 inches and 1/4 inch
in 1/72, 40 feet is 169 mm. That is close to 6 inches and 3/16 of an inch

There is almost a 1 ½ inch difference between 1/100 and 1/72.  That is quite a lot for small scale models.


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Though they use tanks in 1/100 to 1/109 scale, the actual scale for 15mm figures is closest to 1/120. This is also close to TT scale. Though TT did not lasti in the US, it was popular in Eastern Europe. 15, scale is 2.5mm to the foot.  Therefore , a ten foot platform would be 25mm, almost an inch. A 40-foot platform would be 100mm, almost 4 inches.

The tanks originally used for 15mm gaming were recognition models buy Comet / Authenticast and Denzil-Skinner.  Comet / Authenticast’s 1/109 tanks set a standard for 15mm wargaming.

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Indeed, adherence to precise scale was not always the case up to the late 1970s. This was true even in the 1/35:50mm to 1/29 - 1/30 : 60mm scales. Magazines were usually fussy about scale dioramas. However, it was common in the early to mid-70s to see featured dioramas blending 1/32 and 1/35 models, or HO paired with 1/76 figures. In military models and model railroading, the awareness of scale accuracy has increased since the 1960s.

One example for model railroading was the first run of N scale trains. Scale? Close, but not always. Then again, some of the HO sold in the 50s and 60s was not always close. One maker, IHC (and its predecessor AHM), was known for selling 1/76 scale locomotives as HO scale. (These were actually British style OO - 1/76 made to run on HO track). Scale was a crapshoot in the old days.

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*The 40 foot boxcar was a standard for much of the 20th Century. Many remain in service, though they have been eclipsed by 50" and larger boxcars. Model railroad scales are:

O (American O is 1/48) 1/4" = 1 scale foot
S is 1/64. 3/16" is one scale foot.
OO is 1/76. 4mm - 1 scale foot.HO is 1/87. 3
HO is 1/87.1 3.5mm = 1 scale foot
TT is 1/120. 2.5mm = 1 scale foot
N is 1/160. 2mm = 1 scale foot

Trains that run on G scale track may be:

1/32  3/8" = 1 scale foot.
1/29 10mm = 1 scale foot
1/24 1/2" (12.7mm) = 1 scale foot
1/20 15mm = 1 scale foot
1/22.5 scale, 12.mm = 1 scale foot.

Review- RR Track Software by Blue Mountain Software

Standard Gauge layout drawn with RR-Track

RR-Track 3D rendering of Standard Gauge layout

Track planning for model railroads used to be a “hands-on” thing. It involved drawing the plan on paper, by hand. Lionel and some other makers offered templates for drawing track. Of course, there were always plans that had been pre-drawn by model train makers or hobbyists. Most manufacturers included several track plans in their catalogs and instruction manuals. Entire books of layouts were also available.

You had two options: copy a pre-drawn layout or spend hours drawing your own by hand. Accuracy was not guaranteed by either method.***

Enter the computer age. Track planning has been made easier through computerized programs for that purpose. I first came across one of these when I bought an MTH train set.  There was a CD included in the set that had a copy of RR-Track layout planning software. The CD contained a version made for MTH for its Realtrax. track system. I loved it.  I contacted RR-track and upgraded. Eventually, I was doing plans for O, O27, Standard, S, HO, N, G and TT systems.

There were two type files: track and accessories. The track could be one of many track systems. For instance, O gauge systems include the superior tubular O and O27 as well as Lionel Fastrack and Supero, MTH Realtrax and Scale Trax, K-Line SuperSnap, Gargraves sectional and Ross switches. There are numerous brands and systems of track for each gauge.

Recently, I upgraded to the 5.3 version. Since I was a prior customer, I was able to upgrade for $60. The new version was a big update with lots of goodies. Here is what I found

Track systems: RR-track covers Standard,  G / Large Scale, O, S, HO, N, TT and Z Gauges.  Z and TT cover one track system each. Standard gauge covers two. The other gauges include a number of American and European track systems. For example, there are 15 track systems for O Gauge ,and 14 for HO!

Accessories: there are various kinds of accessories covered. Lionel Prewar, Postwar and Moderns., MTH Railking, Plasticville, American Flyer. Miscellaneous O, Pola and Piko G / Large Scale, and HO and N scale accessories. These include buildings, bridges and other structures as well as lighted accessories and trackside signals.

3D Standard Gauge Layout, another view

New and Old Features

The good. old features dominate RR-Track. Drawing is on a grid. Default setting is 1 square = 1 foot of layout space. The user can also opt for Metric ( :p ) One can view the plain track plan and then view it in a 3D rendering. The software draws plain pictures of terrain, track and everything from buildings to trackside signals.

The new system allows you to choose three options at the start: start a new layout, choose an existing layout, or pick from one of several you have worked on recently. It then walks you through a process to determine the layout size, track gauge, benchwork and then choosing a name for the file. It takes a couple more steps than the older versions. Benchwork is a new feature, by the way.

Now a separate piece appears in the screen. This has options such as Plan View, Component View, Terrain view, 3D View and Simulation View.

In the Plain View, click Objects and you will find the means to make generic scenery such as trees, lakes and roadways. There are a couple fewer tree types in the new version, but that is no loss..You can also draw generic buildings or basic shapes. I have found the Object menu valuable to making attractive and realistic track plans. You can also label track

Plain View is the layout map.

Plain View

Component View shows all track, accessories and parts used on the layout. (It saves as a txt file),

Component View

 Terrain View allows you to work contours. (I still have not gotten the hang of it, nor the trick to make elevated track).*

Terrain View

3d View is supposed to. show you the layout in a 3D rendering. You can change the view to other angles, etc. **

3D View

3D Print View

Simulated view allows you to pick a train and “run” it on the layout. This is a new feature. You can choose from a variety of locomotives and freight, passenger and MOW cars.  It really helps to run a locomotive with passenger cars to see if a train can pass without hitting scenery.,

Simulation View

I have tried two other types of track software - AnyRail and SCARM. They are okay, but in my opinion, they do not hold a candle to RR-Track. I have found RR-Track to be user-friendly and accurate. It is versatile. The RR-Track sections connect together smoothly, unlike the other systems. It is easier to connect and to move track around the layout plan. Accessing track sections is made easier thanks to a pull-down menu. In the other systems it involved scrolling up and down a long line of illustrated sections. RR-Track is the software of choice for track and layout planning. I have designed hundreds of track plans with RR Track, by the way. Most are posted on the All Gauge Model Railroading Page at www.thortrains.net 

Look at my work and see what you can do for yourself with RR-Track.

And so...

I recommend RR-Track. I love using it and have found the results gratifying. The few small issues do not detratc from its ease of use , accuracy and great results. Keep in mind that I have drawn hundreds of track plans and continue to use it. I enjoy using RR-Track.

Here is the link to the RR-Track website:

http://www.rrtrack.com/ 

Some considerations and advice

* I have found that in order to render a drawing  in 3D, it helps to first go to Terrain Vew. Click Action on the bar, then go to “new base”. Choose “rect”. Use the drawing tool to draw a green screen over the layout. When you go back to Plain View, the field will be a very light green. This green field is essential for viewing in 3D. This step was not necessary in earlier versions.

**3D view did not work on my computer. A work-around was to click Action, and the click Print View. The images appeared there, though not on the regular 3D screen. After looking, I would delete the Print View screen and make adjustments on the blank screen. Then I popped up the Print Screen image again to see if I got the desired result. If so, I deleted the Print Screen image and went to Action again. This time, I clicked Save View.  Images are saved in BMP format.

3D Print View

***I have tried to redraw the layouts that Lionel included in its catalogs and accessories. The track and accessories in RR_Track are accurate. The old Lionel artists were not. Some things that made it into the old drawn layouts from catalogs and manuals will not work in real life. To see examples of RR-track versus the old artwork, click here: http://www.thortrains.net/Liolay1/Lionel-classsic-index.html

Save often.  Old and new versions of RR-Track can get overloaded and crash after a while. This is not frequent, but it does happen. Save, save ,save!

I think it would be useful for RR-Track to add the Bachmann Plasticville HO and N structures to the HO and N accessory libraries.

RR-Track has other applications. I have used it for plotting maps for wargaming and battle games. With the addition of a few features. a version for wargamers would be a hit. Add trench lines, redoubts, bunkers, barbed wire fences and various fortresses. The folks at RR-track should consider making a mapping version for wargaming and other tabletop hobbies.They would find a whole new clientele beyond the railroad hobby..

Airfix Soldiers: Where It all began

Along with the ROCO Minitanks came Airfix figures. these were imported by Associated Hobby Manufacturers, better known as AHM for their dark blue boxes with yellow trim. The importer got its start bringing European-made HO trains to the states. Back then, scale was a looser fit that it is today. Some of AHM/’s trains were pure HO at 1/87 scale. Others were made to British OO standards: a 1/76 scale train made to run on HO track. Airfix handled the middle ground between both by promoting its figures as HO / OO.

 

 

The difference is conspicuous today. HO is 3.5mm to the scale foot, and OO is 4mm per scale foot. A 40' boxcar body in HO is about 140mm long as opposed to OO at 160mm. Even in figures a 6 foot man in HO is 21mm tall. In OO, he is 24mm. In 1/72, he is 25.4mm. The differences do show, at least to us who have been acclimated to scale.

I am of the impression that AHM’s motivation for importing Minitanks and Airfix "Minimen" had everything to do with HO model railroading. They probably did not realize that these would become a hobby in themselves. Airfix produced six sets of figures at the time: Guards Band, Guards Colour Party, Civilians, Farm Stock. Infantry Combat Group and German Infantry. The Guards were Coldstream Guard types that would be useful for parades in a model railroad setting. Farm stock were typical farm animals one might find the Britain. There were pigs, horses and cows for England, as well as sheep for the Welsh and Scots. Civilians were typical everyday people of the time. It even had a motor scooter. They might be a bit big for pure HO, but they fit well enough. They were especially welcome at a time when HO scenery was less well supported.

The Infantry Combat Group and the German Infantry were different. These were miniature soldiers in combat poses. The Infantry Combat Group were molded in a medium green drab. Their equipment was along the lines of British troops, along with the late-war Tortoise Shell helmet. At that size, they could pass for other Allied troops. Cast in a blue-grey, the Germans wore the standard helmet and uniform that were issued from 1938 onward to 1944. Both sets had stretcher bearer medic teams. The Germans also had a peculiar antitank gun very loosely based on the PAK 42 "Squeeze gun". I doubt the sculptors checked the TO&E for either army. Conspicuously missing were the light machine guns that were part of every infantry squad during World War II.

 

 

There was not much else out there. Authenticast had made some 20mm scale figures of American, German and Soviet infantry. The sets included one or two advancing riflemen, an advancing submachine gunner, prone and kneeling riflemen, and a man with an antitank weapon. In this case, it was a Panzerfaust for the Germans and a bazooka for Americans. Each set also had one-piece castings of a two-man machine gun team and a 37mm antitank gun with two crewmen. However, these were not well known. Few shops carried them. Airfix was the first most of us saw of small-scale soldiers.

 

 

The combination of Airfix soldiers and ROCO tanks enthralled budding young hobbyists. The tanks had excellent detail in a small size, and the soldiers looked good. Price also had its due. At 50 cents for a box of Airfix soldiers and a quarter for a Roco Minitank, a lad could have a platoon of infantry and two supporting armored vehicles. Additionally, those early ROCO tanks came with a pair of decals: white stars for US, red stars for commies and panzer crosses for the Germans.

AHM billed the Airfix soldiers as Minimen to accompany the Minitanks. The small boxes of soldiers had cellophane windows though which you could see the figures. On back of each box was a list of all the poses and figures enclosed. Boxes were brightly colored with drawings of their contents.

The original owner painted his to match the box art

And if you look at the picture on the Infantry Combat Troops, you can see that the artist was inspired by Herald’s Khaki Infantry. Two of the men are carrying SLR rifles and charging like the Herald figure, which is not replicated in the Airfix set.

 

 

The fun started when the box was opened. Out came sprues of soldiers. Each had to be detached with a little twist and turn. Each new pose was interesting. Soon there was a small pile of diminutive army men just waiting for their first battle.

 

 

The German seemed exotic to us. They had those odd grenades and other weird equipment. Most of us had only seen German troops in the movies. Handling toy German soldiers up close brought us into contact with their unique uniforms and equipment.

 

 

In no time, our toy soldiers were coupled with the toy tanks. Our tabletop battles began. We could have a complete battle on half of a kitchen table with the tiny figures. And what fun they were. Both sets had the classic posed: grenade guy, kneeling shooter, standing shooter, crawly guy, the charging guy. The Infantry Combat Group had one pose for a bayonet charge. None of the German weapon sported bayonets, so they better not run out of ammo!

 

 

We could put soldiers in back of little HO size half tracks and army trucks. Some could hitch a ride on back of a tank.

 

 

Of course, it got even better.

 

 

Our local hobby shop made a diorama using the tanks and soldiers. They also used a set of small European buildings, known later as "Village in a Bag." There were four cottages and a small church. Using a soldering iron, they had some "battle damage" to the houses. A combination of model railroad scenery and other items made a battle in a small town, complete with a creek running across it and bridges. The diorama maker had painted the faces, belts and weapons of the soldiers. Little boys thought it was amazing. I am sure that diorama, placed in the shop window, sold many a toy tank and box of Airfix soldiers.

In time, Airfix and Roco expanded their lines. ROCO added various tanks and vehicles, both modern (at the time) and World War II vintage. Airfix made more Minimen. Cowboys and Indians came next, cast in a russet color. In the following years they produced Civil War troops, British 8the Army, the Afrika Korps, French Foreign Legion and US Marines. Each new set was a welcome addition. We eventually had Japanese troops, paratroopers, Russians and commandos to supplement our tanks. There were also historic sets such as Romans, knights (Sheriff of Nottingham), ancient Britons and Medieval peasants (Merry Men) For some reason, the Revolutionary War guys were not that popular. Nor were the Napoleonics. The World War I sets went over well, however. I wonder how much Snoopy and the Red Baron had to do with that.

 

 

And how many of us busily built and painted Airfix’s 1/72 Sopwith Camel and Fokker Dr 1 Triplane? More than a few!

Four Airfix Second Version US Marines

Later, we started building the Airfix 1/76 military models. There were a handful of them before 1970, after which more vehicles were added to the list. The Airfix kits were nice enough. They seemed to dwarf ROCO and the other brand of pre-built tank, Roskopf. Nonetheless, we loved them all.

 

 

Airfix updated several of its older sets. I first saw these after finishing my time in the Army. The company re-sculpted its German Infantry, British Infantry, (Infantry Combat Group), US Marines, 8^th Army, Foreign Legion and Afrika Korps. They were a little bigger and the poses were more realistic with better details. The larger size made them less compatible with ROCO. Meanwhile, other companies were competing. Matchbox had a series of World War II soldiers. An Italian company called Atlantic arrived with a variety of ancient warriors, Wild West figures and World War II troops. Fujimi and Hasegawa made hard plastic kits of World War II troops. Later, Esci entered the market. For most of us, Airfix was the standard by which all others were judged.

A Few of the Airfix Second Version British Infantry

Come the 1980s my circumstances and responsibilities changed, and I had to put hobbies aside for a time. My collections got lost later in that decade. When I again had time and space for hobbies, it was the mid 1990s. New makers were adding to the realm of small figures. Today, the variety is overwhelming. Many are from Russia and the Ukraine. The variety of armies and eras and troop types is astounding.

 

 

For all the variety and quality, those of us who were there when it began have a fondness for those two original sets of Airfix army men. The Infantry Combat Group and German infantry were our first and the ones that got the ball rolling.

Five Airfix First Version US Marines

 

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Airfix might not have gotten all the details correct in some of their sets, but the animation of poses and assortment of figures made most sets a charm. They made a hard standard to match. In my opinion, Matchbox came close but was not quite as good. Esci ran hot and cold. Some sets were great and others were rather blase. Atlantic had its ups and downs, too. I have seen some of the current sets from various makers in recent years and it is quite amazing. Quality and variety are truly astounding. Even then, a set of Airfix soldiers usually costs a few dollars less than the others.

 

 

I think that I would like to use troops closer in scale to ROCO. Most of the 1/72 are too large. Granted, I have lost touch with 1/72 figures because I spend most hobby time making the 1/32 and 1/30 figures I hand cast.

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For those interested in games with HO size soldiers and ROCO tanks, here are some rules you might want to try:

 

 

My game "Tankplank" was inspired by that diorama in the old hobby shop. It is an armored and infantry battle in a town. You can get Tankplank and Tankplank Advanced Rules here:

 

http://www.thortrains.net/milihistriot/downloads.html

 

 

Battle by Charles Grant was one of the early sets of World War II games with HO miniatures. You can download a copy of the book when it ran in serial form in Meccanno Magazine from this page here:

 

http://www.thortrains.net/milihistriot/downloads.html

We have several small games that derive from Charles Grant’s system. They are World War II game "Hans und Panzer," a version of Hans und Panzer for the war in North Africa, and a Cold War version called "Krunch a Commie." they can also be found on this page:

 

http://www.thortrains.net/milihistriot/downloads.html

 

Phil Barker’s ruels for infantry and infantry armor games can be found here, as well as Ancient, Medieval and other rules.:

 

 

http://www.wrg.me.uk/WRG.net/History/wrg.html