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I’ve been gazing jealously at Thomaston’s 3D prints of micro scale skirmish units, and although I lack a 3D printer myself, it got my mind rolling – can 3mm skirmish actually be done?
The logical mind says “No, of course not, what kind of stupid question is that?” But my illogical mind says… “Maybe.”
So I’m gathering some things from my spares box and trying it.
Miniatures from Vanguard, Microworld and O8 all have a great deal of potential. I want a set of very simple rules, and have been reading Grimdark Future, Rogue Planet and Swatters as potential candidates. As Rogue Planet is the most compact, Vanguard’s more gothic offerings seem like the best initial sets to try, so I’m going to make some traditional Gothic Factions to fight it out over some crumbling urban terrain. Down the road if this works, US Colonial Marines versus Xenomorphs will be a definite next move but as I’m out of stock on O8 Colonial Marines, that one will have to wait.
With that settled, basing becomes the next issue. If I’m going to base these guys individually, they will want round bases and something to keep them from skidding around in storage and turning into a mess. Magnetic sheet rises willingly to the top of the pile so I took some adhesive HD magnet and affixed it to some thin cardboard. The cardboard will let me use white glue for basing material, the magnet will keep my troops stable in their box. To make little rounds, I used a standard 1/4” hole punch. Result:
Success. They have a good grip and are nice and clean, ready for some Powered Armor troopers and Traitors, and perhaps some Galactic Militia. And as you can see above, my bits box always provides, and we’re off.So far, so good.
Thanks, Jim! My Mint Tin Heretics will, in my ideal world, make a game possible in about a 12” square. Might need to source some pincers to move them around but who cares?
Thanks, Jim! My Mint Tin Heretics will, in my ideal world, make a game possible in about a 12” square. Might need to source some pincers to move them around but who cares?
I suspect a cheap pair of tweezers from any shop with a discount beauty range will do and could perhaps be handier than pincers 🙂
Or you could splash out and buy a modelling set 🙂
https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/
Actually I’m finding that with bases on they are well balanced and have a reasonable grip even with my stubby fingers.
I’ve selected some vehicles from my extras, too:
About to add basing grit to the troops and then prime them. But this seems like a nice little force, based on practically nothing other than looks.
Don’t see why a skirmish game can’t have multi-figure bases. A skirmish is a small engagement and squad sized bases would surely work OK with singly based vehicles.
Horizon Wars runs very much that way, and I like it a lot. This is more a “can this work” kind of thing. So far not bad. However maybe 3/4” steel movement trays will work too, you never know.
Advice on tweezers, don’t buy metal ones to use with minis on magnetic base…
Not-enough-coffee-yet thinking…it may be possible to use a ferrous pick-up tool?
I use one for my 6mm ‘Crossfire’ stands*, but there are two big differences: the embedded magnet is easy to isolate with the tool and the stand itself provides surface area for a finger to press down/detach the stand once it is in place, so I’m not sure a way could be made to work with single figs but figured it wouldn’t hurt anything (more than my self-respect) to put the idea out.
*
https://brawlfactory.net/
For a playing surface, a 3” square tile set with 9×9 squares seems, quite by accident, to be perfectly sized.
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