Slitherine

Love this game and wanting to take the plunge, but can't seem to find many players in my area or any information as too what scale they play.

So I thought I would be truly annoying and just make a new poll, one accessable to everyone in this forum and thusly around the world.

That way I will get a semi-accurate idea of what scale to start with, before I start throwing down heaps of coins.

Thanks for your patience and input

Jack

rafm.com for hellenistics and romans in 25mm multi-parts...but in truth...depends on who plays what where you are...or, like me, you build two armies

True enough, which is what I have been attempting to establish, and am already flailing away at it rather publicly to boot.

In all honesty I already have a start for 2 armies. Warlordgames Imperial Romans, and some Wargames Factory Numidians, that I intend to use as either a Carthaginian army, or a multi-purpose task force. Cause those models are sweet and can just as easily make early Hoplites as they can African Spearmen. They got to make some light horse too.

But it seems that the tournament scene is based almost solely in 15mm, and since I used to love such things in 40k's older editions (ie, before everyone started playing math instead of 40k) I figured I should have one just in case. I am also curious about modeling in such a small scale, I would have to make an entire new set of scenery, shucks (read: AWESOME !!!!).

Once again, thanks for speaking up and I truly appreciate your responses, interest, efforts and most of all patience.

Do take care
Jack

I have to say that from a modelling and painting perspective, the large 25/28mm figures are very, very nice.

For purchasing, they are horrible.

For varieties and options compared to 15mm, they are lackluster.

Those are impediments. The killer for tournaments is portability.

Just my two cents.

I do 15mm now for everything but did use 25/28mm for a long time.

I did find that after painting 28mm my painting improved on the 15`s.

Also the cost involved in building a 25/28mm army is becoming horrendous.

The 15mm option allows for more figures on a table and the table scale increases too so everything starts to get a more realistic feel.

So 15mm all the way now.

I have several armies in 25mm left over from when I used to play a lot of Warrior and some WAB, but I've switched almost exclusively to 15mm now. I live in New England, and almost everyone regionally plays in that scale. At the big HMGS conventions, there are a few guys playing 25's (I was one last year at Historicon), but the 15mm guys outnumber the 25mm ones by probably at least 5 to 1. Most other tournaments I've considered attending are pretty much 15mm exclusively.

So, I think the game plays well in 25's, and in the future, that scale will probably become more popular, but unless you have a lot of local players already using 25's, I'd recommend going with 15's. For me personally, given the present economic circumstances and my storage/transportation restrictions, I'm sticking with 15's for all my future armies.

Peter C

The tournament scene is very 15 mm oriented here in the UK. Most tournaments run a 25 mm competition as well (themes are becoming popular with the advent of FoG but were around before - usually pre or post x00 AD or Biblical/Classical/Dark Age/Medieval).

25 mm players tend to be die hard romantics - you always saw armies in 25 mm that would never see the light of day in 15 mm competition under 7th and DBM - people still used Hoplites for heaven's sake. I personally prefer 25 mm as they look amazing (I have Gripping Beast Arthurians, a mixed bunch but quite a few Ral Partha Hoplites which are nice, and Medieval French with Foundry Knights painted up for 1428-9 and Jeanne from the Partha Fantasy range). The top of the range 25s are wonderful to paint and look at but don't expect to get an army on the table all that soon.

I still have my Early Principate Romans in 15 mm (though I got rid of everything else to switch to 25 mm). Nobody wanted Early Imperial Speedbumps in those days - it would be different now but I am still fond of them. However I struggle to paint 15 mm these days (which means I passed up buying an Essex Aztec army in favour of 20 mm Incas by Caesar Miniatures).

Which brings me to 20 mm plastics. There is a lot of variety out there now and some really nice figures - Caesar do great chariot era armies. They work out really cheap and if you are starting from scratch in your area then might be worth a look. Priming can be tricky as you really need to clean and degrease the figures before putting an undercoat on - I use artists Gesso. Painting is a fair compromise between 15 mm speed and 25 mm detail. I would have liked them to have done Aztecs though.

Wise words indeed gents, again thanks for your advice.

I couldn't agree more with alot of what is being said, the modeling and painting is so much easier (and fun, just look inside the Wargames Factory Numidian box, is there anything it can't make?). But the big failing is that to make a legit army one would likely have to go the uber pricey Gripping Beast or Foundry route (and if we had the money who wouldn't love to), or make some hodge podge Frankenarmy, with units coming from several different manufacturers. The later option would likely include ghastly examples of differences in scale and quality. Not so good.

With 15mm it seems one can get an entire army from a single manufacturer. Although one would struggle to kitbash and customize at this scale, at least a higher level of uniformity of scale and quality. And also, I suck at painting, so the smaller scale will likely be easier on my evidence of suckage, and my opponents eyes and sensibilities. Heaven forbid.

Done alot of research into these two options, and am leaning towards banging together a couple small 15mm armies and finishing my 28mm Warlord Romans. But since the economy is scuttled I am most likely going to lean on the 15mm a little more, as that seems more likely to get me games.

Now all that remains is figuring out which of my many, many untested lists to start with first.
Fun problem if you ask me.

Thanks again lads, much appreciated.
Jack

If I were going to do 28's(I'm a 15mm player) I would actually like battlegroups of different manufacturers stuff in the same army. I like variety in my figs,and would include as many different manufacturers as I could. I have done this for my 28mm WHECW armies(OG,Dixon,Essex,Foundry,Perry's,Bicorne/Rengade and Redoubt,and about to add some Warlord) and love the look it gives.

Ok so I just voted, with the recent purchase of the begining of my Old Glory 15s Carthaginian army I felt morally obligated to vote both. I do intend to finish my 28 mm Principate Roman list but in the brief amount of time I have had working with 15mm models (basically 2 days) I am totally in love with this scale, I am not a good painter and at this scale...... no one will ever know.

(insert evil laugh here)
Jack

p.s. I know I posted this in both the polls I started, it just seemed like the thing to do.