Miniature Wargaming
101 Introduction - Miniatures - Painting - Mounting
Introduction What is
miniature wargaming? Miniature wargaming is when you use scale models or
figures of real-life people or equipment to
recreate battles from some period in history or even the future. This is
done with the help of rules which are used
to create the actual conditions of movement, casualties and morale.
Miniature wargaming rules range from simple to complex,
depending on the goal of the rule designers. Complex rules usually move at a
slow pace and require a lot of work, but the way combat plays out will closely
match the results of real life combat. Simple rules can move at a faster pace
and require less work, but they will be less concerned with historical accuracy
for the various game steps or final results. These later rule types emphasize
fast and enjoyable game play.
This is well known as the "Speed versus
Accuracy" issue, which most designers resolve by creating a modestly accurate
system that can be learned by most people. A solution used at WTJ is to speed
up game play by abstracting mid-turn combat elements, while still assuring that
final results are accurate. This hybrid approach has proven very popular.
Because there is no international standard for rating the complexity of
miniature wargaming rules, it is up to individual players to decide for
themselves which rules are too simple or complex for them. Rules used to be
sold almost exclusively through hobby stores, but the advent of the Internet
has brought a huge new selection on-line, some of which cost money and some of
which are free.
So the two most important items for gaming are rules
and figures. The rest of this section will address the issue of figures and how
to prepare them for use. The actual process of painting figures and playing
wargames is fairly simple, but where to begin can be a difficult decision. The
best way to begin is to choose a period or story type which you find
interesting. Your best incentive for historical gaming will be the reading of
eyewitness accounts and narratives for the battles you re-create, so if you are
already interested in the subject, it helps a lot. For science-fiction or
fantasy, then the books or computer games themselves will usually be your best
sources.
Another valuable thing to remember is that your interest in
gaming or in a particular genre of gaming will vary over time. If you seem to
lose interest in a particular period, don't worry about all those miniatures
you bought. Humans thrive on variety, so you will probably develop interests in
several different genres of gaming, and will bounce around from one to the
other, alternately putting away and pulling out batches of miniatures to fill
your most recent interest. You would be surprised at how many people I know who
sold their stuff only to get back into it again a year or two later. Never get
rid of your stuff, rotating interests is a normal thing.
Once you decide
on a genre that interests you, contact local players or gaming groups which put
on games for that period (if you have not gamed before). Try to play with more
than one group so that you have variety in the games played. Beware of isolated
groups made up of people who argue too much, or groups who have individuals
that are allowed to capitalize on everybody else's time (a problem common to
all hobbies). Wargaming involves a hefty investment of your time, and you
should invest that time wisely with people or groups who are easy going and
interesting. Most players and gaming groups are great, and they will usually
have established miniatures and rules for game play, which will give a good
clue as to which figures you want to buy and paint. This leads us to the
subject of the miniatures themselves.
Miniatures Most gaming
miniatures fall into a few categories based on two basic factors: materials and
scale. The question of materials is simple, since most gaming miniatures are
made of metal or plastic. Metal miniatures are usually more attractive and
durable. Plastic miniatures are cheaper, but the paint-job degrades over time
as the flexible plastic allows chipping of the paint. The question of scale is
more complex and requires some explanation. Most gaming scales are expressed
using one of two standard methods: fractional and metric. Each standard of
scale has it's own normal area of usage which we will outline below:
Fractional: Most lines of miniatures
designed on a fractional scale standard will be centered on man-made devices,
such as tanks, ships, planes, trains, etc. The fractional scale system works
just like it sounds. The scale refers to the difference in size between the
model and the real thing. So a 1/2400 scale battleship model will be 1/2400th
the size of the real life ship. This means that the 863 foot long battleship
Yamato would be about 4.3 inches long in 1/2400 scale (863 ÷ 2400 = .36
feet). Some of the more common fractional scales and their common applications
are:
Scale |
Land |
Aviation |
Naval |
1/72 |
x |
- |
- |
1/76 |
x |
- |
- |
1/287 |
x |
x |
- |
1/300 |
x |
x |
- |
1/700 |
- |
x |
x |
1/1200 |
- |
x |
x |
1/1250 |
- |
x |
x |
1/2400 |
- |
- |
x |
1/3000 |
- |
- |
x |
1/6000 |
- |
- |
x |
The most common fractional land war scales in
use today are 1/76th (which corresponds to the metric 20mm scale) and the 1/287
and 1/300 "micro-armor" scales (which correspond to the 6mm metric scale). The
most common air war scales are 1/72 for WWI combat, and 1/300 scale for other
periods. The most common naval gaming scale is 1/2400, with the new 1/6000
rapidly closing in as a very popular scale for WWI combat and
later.
Metric: Most metric gaming scales emphasize
recreating the human form, hence the wide use of the metric scale models for
use for land based combat. In this system, the scale refers to the height of a
single human. So a 20mm scale model series will be based on the calculation of
a scale human figure being roughly twenty millimeters tall. However, different
model designers use different measurement standards to design their figures.
Human figures are always created mounted to a small base, and some designers
include those bases in the overall height. Others do not. The result is a wide
variation in size, even among theoretically identical scales. For example, the
very common 15mm figure range features some manufacturers who offer figures
whose scale "humans" are only 13½mm tall, whereas some other makers of
15mm figures offer miniatures whose scale humans are nearly 18mm tall! The
variation when placing two such differently designed figures side by side is
very noticeable. This is why we offer a WTJ "Man Height" standard, which
measures from the top of the base (bottom of the scale figure's feet) to the
approximate top of the scale figure's head. This offers a rough standard which
allows comparison of figures from different designers. The chart below offers a
rough outline of the most common metric scales and a few related periods of
land warfare.
Scale |
Ancient &
Medieval (before the year 1453) |
Pre-modern (1454 -1865) |
Modern (1866 and later) |
6mm |
x |
x |
x |
10mm |
- |
x |
- |
12mm |
- |
- |
x |
15mm |
x |
x |
x |
20mm |
- |
x |
x |
25mm |
x |
x |
x |
30mm |
- |
x |
- |
As can be seen, the most common scales used
are 15mm and 25mm. The second most common are 20mm and the 6mm "micro" scale,
which corresponds to the 1/287th and 1/300th scales. 10mm and 12mm are new
scales which are increasing in popularity due to their combination of economy
and detail. Since the main designers of 10mm figures design their figures
slightly oversize, and the current designer of 12mm figures design figures
which are very slightly undersized, both scale are currently very compatible
with each other. Maybe they should get together and rename the scale
11mm!
Painting Painting figures
can be divided into four steps: deburring, temporary mounting (holding),
priming and painting. We will cover each step separately, discussing supplies
and equipment, basic steps and recommended techniques. We cannot recommend how
many figures you should attempt to paint all at once, since figures vary in
size and type (infantry, naval, aircraft, etc.). But most people paint anywhere
from 10 to 30 infantry figures at a time, depending on the sizes of units being
used in the rules they play. Painting one figure at a time is not advised,
since your brushes are probably not cheap, and the repeated cleanings which
come as a result of such small groups will shorten the life of your precious
commodities!
- Deburring - When you first buy your figures,
they will often have bits of metal left on them from the molding process. These
will have to be removed before you prime the figures.
- Equipment: X-acto knives (large and small), nail
clippers and sandpaper.
- How to: Use the shearing strength of the nail
clippers to remove the largest chunks and easy to access pieces. Then use the
X-acto knife to clean up the detailed areas, and for infantry bases, to slice
the bottom of the base smooth. In the case of metal tank models which need to
be assembled, forming the tread segments or at least examining them for
consistent form is advised. Make sure to use a small X-acto knife to clean up
the basic outline of infantry figures, in case there is flashing along the
parting lines (where the mold halves met).
- Temporary Mounting - Instead of trying to hold
onto each miniature separately as you try to paint it, it is common to
temporarily mount miniatures on small disposable chits, sometimes even the
cardboard chits out of board games. My preferred method is to use the extra
wide wooden popsicle sticks sold at most craft supply stores. Instead of gluing
the miniatures in place, I use clear adhesive glue-dots which are also sold in
most craft supply shops. 15mm human figures can readily be lined up three or
four per stick for easy holding and access. Also, the wooden sticks double as
good paint palettes.
- Priming - If you paint figures without primering
them, it will usually cause a number of different problems. The colors of the
paint will not be as vivid, and the paint itself will come off easily unless
sealed. Some very finely detailed models can be painted without primering by
using two thin coats of paint, followed by careful sealing. For most infantry
and land war figures, primering is advised since they will be handled a lot. In
the case of plastic figures, primering is more important to give the figure
some extra resistance against flexing (which causes paint to chip off). Make
sure to wash plastic figures in a strong solution of detergent before
attempting to prime and paint them.
- Equipment: For metal figures, Floquil primer is
highly recommended. For plastic figures whose paint jobs are somewhat more at
risk, a less expensive primer used for utility painting is probably fine. Do
not use automobile spray primer on plastic figures, as it can melt them. Always
test prime a single figure and check the results.
- How to: Priming figures is fairly simple. Find a
large, flat piece of material such as cardboard or an aluminum pizza pan, line
of your figures up on it, and take it outside (Remember to paint outside, or in
a well ventilated area, no huffing on the job!). Shake the primer can very,
very thoroughly before you spray. Also allow each side of the figure to dry
before flipping it over to spray the other side. Priming your figures in warm
weather, or under warm conditions, is best. If the weather is really bad, then
buying a bottle of brush-on primer and painting it on may be the best
solution.
Painting - The two most important
items you will need for painting will be paint and brushes. You should try to
buy the best possible paints and brushes because the results of your labor will
be better rewarded. Cheap brushes do not coat evenly, they shed their bristles
onto your work and their tips quickly curl over into imprecise hooks. They also
do not last very long, and you end up having to spend more money anyway. Cheap
paint has less pigment and leaves things looking uneven and washed out.
- Equipment - Paint: There are two types of paint;
water-based acrylic, and oil-based enamel. Water based paints are by far the easiest to
work with, because you can clean up the brushes using water. Water clean-up
also extends the lives of those expensive little brushes. Some of the best
known paint manufacturers for miniatures are Citadel, Vallejo Model Colors and
Testors. If buying the later, make sure to buy their Model Master series and
not their cheap "department store" level paints which are not really suitable
for gaming miniatures. Make sure to seal your completed work with a good clear
seal coating. The best to use is Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating.
Equipment - Brushes: Many people use a combination of "throw
away" synthetic brushes for unimportant work, and good quality kolinsky brushes
for high value precision paint work. Of the later, the best brushes you can buy
are the Da Vinci Maestro series of Winter Kolinsky brushes. They are
outstanding quality and have long bristles that extend deep into the ferrule,
which prevents the brushes from pulling out during cleaning and also makes for
a longer lasting brush. If the Da Vinci are too expensive, there are several
lines of sable and taklon brushes made by Loew Cornell which also work well,
and they are much more widely sold at major craft supply stores than Da Vinci.
Buy at least five or six different sizes of brushes, from tiny to medium-large,
and keep a small cup of water and paper towels and toilet paper nearby for
cleaning them. Never leave your brushes .
How to #1: The first
painting example is of a French infantryman for the Napoleonic Wars. A World
War Two figure will use much the same technique, except that the variety of
colors used will be different. Begin by painting the one or two most dominant
colors present on the model, in this case the white pants and lapel and the
dark blue tunic. Once these basic colors are painted, you should next paint the
areas which are recessed, and therefore most likely to be painted over. So for
an infantry figure, you might want to paint in this order: pants/tunic, face,
rifle/boots, backpacks/bags, headgear, straps, hands, buttons, etc. After you
paint your figures, coat them with a light coat of Krylon UV-Resistant Clear
Coat, remembering to shake well before using. This takes away the glossy effect
of some paints (who ever saw a glossy paratrooper?) as well as protecting your
paint job against heavy handling. Make sure not to use a glossy sealer, as this
will leave a thick layer of shiny muck on your freshly painted figures!
NOTE! It has come to our attention that some
people purposefully coat their figures with gloss sealer because they enjoy the
shiny depth that the gloss coat lends to the appearance of the finished
figures. It should fairly be noted here that a heavy gloss coat does indeed
accentuate the vividness of paint schemes, especially those for periods already
known for brightly colors uniforms like the Napoleonic, Seven Years War and
others.
How to #2: For ship models (both
historical and sci-fi) you should start by painting the basic hull color. Some
ships, such as those from the turn of the century, have elaborate painting
schemes which require careful painting, or at least attention to what colors
the various section of the ship were painted. Painting the deck and other hull
details almost last usually works well. For this, use a flat brush, with
strokes going outward, from inner edge to outer edge. Trying to paint the deck
along the edge (down the length) of the ship usually results in an uneven
border. As before, coat finished vessels with a coat of Figure Flat sealer.
Mounting Once your figures
are painted, or mostly painted, you will often need to mount them on bases. For
infantry figures this is a fairly easy process. The set of rules you use will
give the dimensions for the bases, and all you need to do is either cut bases
out of thin sheets of balsa wood, or buy pre-cut metal bases. Some gaming rules
use individual figures for combat, and so the number of figures attached to
each base may be important. Other gaming rules use bases for calculating combat
results, and in those cases, the number of figures attached to each base
doesn't usually matter. For naval models, painting the base dark blue with
white dappling patterns for the wake adds a realistic effect. Below are shown
an assortment of miniatures of various scales and periods. This gives some idea
as to appearance and final mounting technique, which can vary
greatly
 |
Above is a closeup photo of the 1/3000
scale French battleship Carnot. Painted in her late Victorian era black and
ochre livery. The model has been mounted on a thin styrene plastic base, with
water texture added using Vallejo Pastic Putty. The plastic putty surface
(which is fast drying) was then painted dark sea blue with some various white
highlights, and then generously finished with a gloss sealer. As with most
gaming miniatures, this model was received as a raw, unpainted pewter casting.
For those not fond of the idea of actually painting, there are countless
painting services available worldwide. |
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Above are shown two "levels" of paint
jobs for 15mm Napoleonic infantry. The top level would be considered a good,
average "wargame grade" paint job for these Austrian line infantry. The bottom
photo shows how a good professional painter would paint some French guard
infantry. Note the detailed shading and facial highlights. |
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