Home Forums WWI 6mm or 12mm

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  • #34446
    Avatar photoWilliam Jones
    Participant

    The Great War on the Western Front 1916-1918 has been the war for me throughout my life.  There is just something about it that is haunting and compelling.  For years I’ve been stuck on how to do it, mainly over issues of scale and figure availability.  That is narrowed down now with the recognition that for my satisfaction the scale must be small enough for the landscape of the trenches and No Man’s Land itself and the occasional aeroplane to figure into the display.

    Kallistra 12mm and Baccus 6mm are the two finalists.  Has anyone seen well painted WWI armies from either of these lines, and if so what are your thoughts?  Is 12mm sufficiently removed from 15mm to be a real difference?

    TIA

    #34448
    Avatar photoSteve Williams
    Participant

    My 2 favourite scales

     

    I have some 6mm BEF and there fine. I don’t have any Kallistra but but for 10/12mm I would go with Pendraken

    #34449
    Avatar photoNorm S
    Participant

    I am a big fan of the Kallistra 12mm – reminds me of the original 15mm of yesteryear, just a very practical size.

    The kallistra range is very complete (self contained) and still growing to keep pace with the 100 year anniversaries.

    I have seen their demo games at a variety of wargame shows and they have some example video footage on their web page, which might give you an idea of whether they will suit you.

    The more individual look of the 12mm might give a better visual effect of men moving in open order across no-mans-land, while the 6mm strips might look less natural in that regard, but be able to represent more units.

     

    #34453
    Avatar photoMike
    Keymaster

    Back when I used to stock 6mm Irregular I had quite a bit of their WWI & WWII.
    Not really compatible with Baccus if on on the same base, but maybe on different ones.
    But, Irregular do some wicked little models that add tonnes of flavour to the game, so go 6mm and get some Irregular to go with the Baccus.

    @SteveWilliams, glad you approve of my image!
    😀

    #34455
    Avatar photokyoteblue
    Participant

    I’m doing the Great War in 15mm with the FOW Great War rules back dated to 1914-1916. Mostly Minifigs with some QRF/TSS figures.

    #34459
    Avatar photoirishserb
    Participant

    I would go 12mm.  Being able to have greater detail in both the figs and the terrain would win out.  I think that both scales are small enough to have significant battlefields on the table top, and both would look great, but I could build so much more detail into the larger scale.  Probably not much help, but whatever you decide, please share pix if you can.

    #34467
    Avatar photoSteve Johnson
    Participant

    I’d also recommend Pendraken in 10mm. I saw some 12mm figures last week in a WWI game and thought they were 15mm they were that chunky. They were Magister Militum so not sure how they compare to others. Pendraken have added a lot over the past year to their WWI range so well worth a look IMHO.

    #34468
    Avatar photoMartinR
    Participant

    I have WW1 armies in 6, 15 and 20mm. For the western front I find that larger figures work better as otherwise it really can all be very samey.

    Personally I’ve never been a fan of 10mm/12mm (that very dichotomy being one of the reasons), too big to paint like 6mm but more fiddly than 15, but if you need to differentiate stand types without marking them, then go for larger figures. 12mm in your case.

    For 1914-15, smaller figures are fine as you don’t have the same variety of element types.

    Cheers

    Martin

    "Mistakes in the initial deployment cannot be rectified" - Helmuth von Moltke

    #34469
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    6mm offers a greater spectacle.
    A three foot by three foot table in 6mm looks more like a battlefield than the same sized table in 12mm.
    More wow factor, especially when you look at some of the terrain that is available:

    PerfectSix
    Total Battle
    Leven

    #34473
    Avatar photoirishserb
    Participant

    AB brings up a good point.  How big is your table?  If I was using a 4’x6′ or particularly smaller, I might reconsider my earlier comment about 12mm.

    #34477
    Avatar photoMartinR
    Participant

    LOL. I just did the entire Battle of Loos on a 3×4 in 15mm. You just need to crank up your ground scale and level of figure representation.

    Cheers

    Martin

     

    "Mistakes in the initial deployment cannot be rectified" - Helmuth von Moltke

    #34860
    Avatar photoWilliam Jones
    Participant

    Thanks, guys.

    All this input is greatly appreciated and given me some things to ponder.  I’ve been chewing this over for a while.

    @ Steve Williams and Steve Johnson – the Baccus BEF does look good in the catalog, as does all the early war stuff.  The late French look great.  What has me dubious are the late war British and Germans.  The helmets look haphazard, although it may be the painting.  The painting and presentation for those codes is just not as reassuring as for the early war stuff, and that causes a bit of hesitation for those two sets – late war British and Germans.  As for Pendraken, they don’t show enough images to persuade.  Although the Middle East WWI line has always appealed.  Kallistra is very generous with the photos, and the sculpts look great.  The scope of the Kallistra line is rather minimalist, however.

    @ Norm Smith – I agree with you.  I certainly prefer the mix of poses that Kallistra offers, and they do look more like those grainy black and white photos we’ve all seen.  Definitely a stronger period feel based on the minis alone.

    @ kyoteblue – There is definitely a wealth of 15mm out there these days for WWI, probably the widest selection offered in any one scale.   That said, while rebooting my whole wargaming engine, the fact struck me that 15mm is my least favorite scale for most periods.  They are too large for convincing mass on a small table, and too small to best show sculpting and painting skills.   The 12mm are pushing it.

    @ irishserb – the line is aesthetically impressive, but not extensive, unfortunately.  The artillery selection is just one gun per nation it looks like.  None of the great horrid monster siege guns dug into emplacements.  A very high quality line, but scant selection on further consideration.

    @ Norm Smith – I agree with you.  I certainly prefer the mix of poses that Kallistra offers, and they do look more like those grainy black and white photos we’ve all seen.  Definitely a stronger period feel based on the minis alone.

    @ MartinR – You touch on a chief concern.  The visual monotony of a bunch of small  minis in earth colors teaming across large, flat, earth colored expanses of No Man’s Land.  I had a few of the IT Figures 2omm, and would love to do WWI in 20mm, but realistically I will not budget for it or paint the number required for the the desired effect.  That just won’t happen.  20mm SCW with Minairons?  Hell yeah.  But not Die Kaiserschlacht.  I just don’t have the juice for it, with other things to do.  How did you end up with three scales, just out of curiosity?  In the past, the more a war grabbed my interest, the more likely it was to proliferate into multiple scales, for different levels of engagement.

    @ Angel Barracks.  Point taken.  And No Man’s Land in all its broad desolation is indeed an essential component to modeling WWI.  Further, as a foil to that, are the ‘green fields beyond’ for contrast.  6mm would best model the Western Front, if not individual flamethrower and trench raiding parties, alas.

    @ Editor Mike – you remind me of a fact that tips the scale.  Irregular does have some good, dynamic little stands that pack a lot of character and period feel.  Some selective use of those will go a long way, as garnish to the Baccus steak and potatoes.  The two lines combined will give a much larger artillery park to choose from as well.

    6mm gets the nod.  If the results disappoint, back to the drawing board.  In the meantime, it is multiple gun lines, trench lines, and flights of aircraft supporting the attack.

    Thanks to all of you for your insights.

     

     

    #34863
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    6mm gets the nod. If the results disappoint, back to the drawing board. In the meantime, it is multiple gun lines, trench lines, and flights of aircraft supporting the attack.

    <Victory dance!>

    #38340
    Avatar photoAndrew Bruce
    Participant

    I’d also recommend Pendraken

    Take care

    Andy

    #38344
    Avatar photoDon Glewwe
    Participant

    “… and flights of aircraft supporting the attack.”

    Did someone call?  

    I’ve got bags of stuff I (probably) won’t use – let me know if you’d like any of it.

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