The Perfect Scale for Battle: Why 1/72 Scale Is Great for Wargaming

[@kevindelaney1951]

I’m currently working on my collection of 1:72 Napoleonic figures. French / British / Prussia. Hundreds collected over my lifetime. From childhood to my senior retired years. My mission is to get them all painted up in 2024. My collection covers sets from all the major brands. As a kid I had even greater numbers of them covering just about everything Airfix made. I love KZbin for all the hints on how to paint / base & play. My interest now is finding a good set of rules.

[@irregularmagazine]

I have 1/72 ECW to get painted this year and some Warring States as well.

[@ewmhop]

TRY DONALD FEATHERSTONES LINES OF BOOKS

[@peterfmodel]

You may want to try some free rules first, or at least take a look at them. The IO:Group contains some sites with free rules. Search for Kriegsspiel, it has a list of some free rules which you can download. As for rules to buy, you may need to decide what scale you wish to game. Do you want to command battalions and regiments, or do you want to reproduce an entire battle such as Borodino. Once you have decided on a scale, then search for those rules. There are videos on utube which list rules by scale, search for Napoleonic Corps, or Brigade or whatever scale you wish. However the best way is to use rules which other gamers are using, as least you get some opponents.

[@gunner678]

The Airfix RHA is a great set, as are the Highlanders. I have a reasonable Napoleonic collection, must get them out for an airing.

[@gunner678]

​@@irregularmagazineyes I have ECW armies in this scale. I liked the Zvezda particularly, but I won't buy them at the moment. Mars does some interesting sets, and with a bit of care they turn out quite well.

[@Katzbalger001]

To be completely accurate, 1/72 is actually 25mm scale, but are equivalent to 20mm figures, since figure sculptors and manufacturers don't know what "scale" means. That said, many 1/72 figures (mostly those made from soft plastic, like the old Airfix figs) are much thinner than 20mm hard plastic and metal miniature figures.

[@Bodkin_Ye_Pointy]

I was playing with 1/72 figures from the age of 6 when I got my first set of 8th Army and DAK. I was hooked and bought all sorts from Robin Hood sets to late WW2. Pretty much exclusively Airfix. When I hit my teens I pretty much cut my teeth on painting, trying to bring to life my Brit and French Napoleonic's. Eventually swapped them out when I found out that wargamers gamed in 28mm, in Sydney anyway, and never quite got the army painted up enough. Do remember them fondly though.

[@irregularmagazine]

I also started out playing around with 1/72 mainly Air fix miniatures and model kits.

[@WargamingHistory]

A huge fan of 1/72 and 20mm, I use it for ww2 and Moderns. I think I have clocked 5000 painted now in plastic, metal and resin miniatures, plus aircraft, tanks, artillery and supporting kit. Plus a huge amount of terrain, I think I could fill a 25ft x 6 ft with just built up area for ww2. I continue to add new armies and kit all of the time and paint between 200 and 400 1/72 more a year, this coming year I have a painting order for the Army museum in the UK for 420 cavalry figures for a new display.

[@thetabletopskirmisher]

I would use them for Bolt Action if I actually played historicals any more

[@TonyEmeryPG20mm]

It's the best scale not too big and not too small. I mainly get metal ancients now in 20mm from Newline but still get the odd plastic set!

[@jeffreysmith6280]

The original scale that most wargamers of my vintage started with. I was 5 when dad bought me a box of Airfix 8th Army and German Infantry. Now, 55 years later, am recreating battles fought with Grant's Battle: Practical Wargaming rules and type 1 Airfix figures. 1/72 and 20mm my main WW2 scales. Use with Nuts! and CoC rules. The availability of figures and vehicle kits specifically designed for wargaming make this a cost effective scale to game in.

[@irregularmagazine]

The choice we have today is insane.

[@duncanrichardson5306]

It's a hugely popular scale but it's not well represented in the wargames print magazines, that favour 28mm metals. In 1/72, you can complement the cheaper plastics with metal figures by small companies like Newline Designs and Germania Figures that produce interesting historical figures.

[@dragonade85]

The print magazines don't really like anything nowadays except 28mm (which is really 30 - 32mm, but no one wants to admit it). 20mm, 15mm, 6mm don't really get a look in.

[@duncanrichardson5306]

@@dragonade85 Yes, just watched the latest promo for Wargames Illustrated. Their articles and photos present the same kind of look, as if 28mm is the only scale that exists, which makes it useless for me.

[@dragonade85]

@@duncanrichardson5306 I think that the obsession with 28mm figures, and what might be termed the Games Workshop look, has affected both the content and style of articles. When I look back at my old copies of Miniature Wargames and Wargames Illustrated the articles are very different. Much more emphasis on researching history and how to refight some of the battles - including large scale fantasy battles - and much less on painting, etc. Fewer pictures too, but the articles are more in depth and IMHO more entertaining to read. Eye candy is great at first, but after a while it just gets in the way.

[@orsonincharge4879]

WW2 1/72 I recommend AB mini's and TDQ , both high quality metal .

[@jacobe1942]

I love 1/72 because of the perfect blend of size and detail which doesn't necessarily get any better at 28mm but is lost in anything less. It also allows for much grander landscapes and obstacles that create more dynamic strategy and formations which lend it self much more to the historical war gamer over the role player that is more about the characters. Almost every major historical time and location has some representation. plastic soldier review is a great resource to make a collection. The only thing not cheap is wanting to keep adding in new armies so one can mix n mash all the army types. It is also easy to blend some HO scale buildings, ships and foliage to 1/72 and almost all 28mm buildings work perfectly so has a lot of options for scenery as well. I focus on ancient themes and my favorite manufactures are Zvezda, Linear A, Atlantic, Caesar, air fix others all pair pretty nicely with each other.

[@irregularmagazine]

I agree it's a really flexible scale to work with, and the plethora of model kits out there for periods such as WW2 and the Cold War make it a great option for those historical periods.

[@jacobe1942]

@@irregularmagazine I have some 1/35 scale models of WW2 that I did as a teenager so I did't feel the need to go that far in history for 1/72, when I went to revisit the hobby I remembered a dream to turn the airfix English and French knights into some kind of advanced chess game and live action "age of empires" CPU game. Without knowing about table top war gaming at all.... With the more modern theme as well would seem so many model kits could work and fairly cheaply on Ebay too can good lots of HO buildings and the like be found. My main theme is 1/72 biremes and triremes from makers like Aurora, Imai, Heller, Zvezda, and some scratch built models. Its amazing when some of these ships are put together to make a big scene. Any larger scale could only do it with a couple of ships and would be boring and cost the same as several models a seller wants to get rid of. any smaller scale and then I could not really have any deck space for that other dynamic.

[@mikesmith2905]

I make up sets of toy soldiers to give away so cost is an issue and 1:72 offers the best bang for the buck out there. I prefer 1:32 for 3-8 year old kids but those are harder to source these days but fortunately there are some Chinese knock-offs. A lot of 28 (and 15)mm figures suffer from unrealistic enlarged heads, so it looks like an army of children. 1:72 are (generally) well detailed and these days a lot of manufacturers use a glueable plastic so conversions are a lot easier than they were in the 1970s!

[@nicholasbethell2921]

I think it makes most sense to play WW2 wargames in 1/72 or smaller scales or the weapons ranges become ridiculous. 1/72 is particularly good as there are many well sculpted figures to choose from and the range and quality of vehicle models is far superior to what you find in 28mm.

[@irregularmagazine]

I agree likewise modern and Sci-Fi period games are better played in smaller scales, especially if it's mass battle systems like 40K.

[@gunner678]

Great for projects, affordable, adaptable and fun to hunt for different makes at very reasonable prices. Just building a second Boer War project, both sides. Did retreat from Mons last year. Videos on my channel. Agree with you.

[@stylesheetra9411]

Best scale, but it lacks fantasy / sci-fi miniatures makers, other than an handful

[@irregularmagazine]

@@stylesheetra9411 Yeah I've only come across a few.

[@richardbradley2335]

4:30..fantsy by Red Box ??

[@irregularmagazine]

Dark Alliance is one manufacturer of fantasy www.andysplasticfigures.co.uk/172-figures-dark-alliance-45-c.asp

[@richardbradley2335]

And Ceaser miniatures@@irregularmagazine

[@CDMJDMHHC]

what rules set would you recommend for 1/72 scale miniatures.

[@irregularmagazine]

@@CDMJDMHHC If you're playing WW2 then either Rapid Fire or Bolt Action works well. For Dark Age then Saga, Medieval either Lion Rampart or Baron's War. If you're looking to do Napoleonics then Black Powder is a good choice.

[@daringdarius5686]

Just wanted to hear your thoughts on my take: The only difference (really) from Warhammer 40k (roughly between 1/56 and 1/60th scale) and 1/72 scale, is that extra amount of detail, however it has compounding effects (most notably size: it can become unmanageable to have larger fights, despite this seemingly small increase in scale). Suddenly a 4ft square table is no longer a 3,456 (hehe neat) ft square plot of land (nearly a mile, almost cleanly a square kilometer which is 3,280 ft) but rather it is only 2,688 ft on each length of a board. To have a square mile you need an 8ft x 8ft table, whereas with 1/72 scale, you only need 6x6 ft table (much more manageable). Suddenly my 1/56th scale nobles manor which is roughly 9"x5" which represents around a 350 ft^2 first floor and 240 ft^2 second floor, could be more easily stored inside of a 7"x3.5" house (FAR more manageable for storage, especially the height!) or keep that some space (as it's easy to move and manage with your hand that a smaller scale may not enjoy) however increase the square footage to be a more grand Noble's Manor, one that is more accurate to what they actually enjoy! My 12"x7" gatehouse which stands at 14" tall could more readily fit into one of my plastic containers for storage, potentially even into a single box, rather than the 2 boxes it currently occupies! or the same effect could be applied! However, ultimately, for many the ability to add detail to the extent that some companies are able to, and the ease of painting for fine details (trying to paint a pupil in 1/56 scale is nearly impossible, I have yet to see a good pupil at 1/72 scale, 1 painter who won a golden daemon technically pulled it off on a 1/56 scale model (it was a goblin so just a 1/80 scale human technically) however, it was great!... But we're talking about a group of painters who likely number in the less than a hundred world wide who could consistently paint at that level of detail, let alone batch paint across an army! So for this reason, I believe 1/60th or 1/56th scale to be superior, because while ultimately 1/72nd scale has many advantages, even over 1/56th and 1/60th scale (let alone others), what ultimately draws many people to such hobbies (personalizing their army, making fun quirky armies, or hyper realistic historical replicas), 1/56th and 1/60th scale offer that little bit of extra space and size which allows the more average painter to be able to paint without severe repercussions for their skill level, and also an ultimately more enjoyable experience. Don't get me wrong, adding a few layers and washes such as what was shown is still going to be employed, especially during batch painting! I truly wish 1/72 scale was more widely accepted, and I would readily switch to it should the technology improve to gain an even greater level of detail over the model ranges. However, for a few reasons, I believe that while 1/72 scale is theoretically the best scale, currently technology (level of detail specifically), people and their wants are what decided at the end of the day that the scale is simply not as desirable as 1/56th scale, and now that over the past 40-50 years have heavily invested and become interested in this scale, the massive shift over to 1/72 scale would be akin to the United States completely changing from the stupid British Imperial system over to the now internationally accepted Metric system. I use this same analogy, as many issues would be inherently solved (just like how there was a NASA rocket launch that failed due to some international joint efforts failing to realize that they had not properly converted between metrics to get the right scale) such as cost, size, storage, etc., it would also be a massive undertaking and would not ever occur until a massive corporation with massive publicity (such as Warhammer) would start that change which they are highly incentivized to not do ever as their entire current range is at that scale. The only reason they may ever do so, is in an attempt to curb pricing on their models (that they already overcharge you for) and start selling new models at a new scale. However, their foray into Warhammer Epic (an 8 mm scale or 1/161 scale) proves that they're willing to do an additional scale IF it doesn't directly compete with what their company is founded upon, i.e. Epic scale having barely recognizable individuals, but making other models such as titans and battleships be at an affordable scale (both in terms of cost and storage)

[@irregularmagazine]

When you're fielding blocks of infantry in Napoleonics for instance I don't think you need massive amounts of detail because it's the spectacle. You're not going to notice intricate detail on the minatures when they're in mass ranks.

[@daringdarius5686]

@@irregularmagazine Just wanted your opinion because from what I understood, the videos point implied that "all" Wargames (besides high level tactical ones) would benefit from 1/72nd scale. If you meant just Napoleonics and historical, I more or less agree and it's best to let things lie there. Otherwise...: I understand for Napoleonics it makes perfect sense, and in some ways, for more popular and mainstream wargames such as Warhammer and it's competitors, the same can be said. In regular battles of Warhammer, there are the Imperial guard who sometimes come in swarms of upwards of 200 models (I have such an army). You absolutely cannot tell fine details apart when you cram 50 infantry inside of a Gorgon AAT vehicle. But there are also armies that focus on bringing no more than 14 Custodians (Borderline as powerful as Thor, minus the Lightning powers, and just as experienced and ageless) to fight against vehicles, tanks, etc. In this way, it is necessary to focus on, and highlight the details, because outside of historical wargames, In other games, not necessarily Wargames but with similar systems, such as D&D and it's competitors, it has become standard to have a few monsters, but also just 1 model per person, sometimes a couple pets or familiars alongside them, so each person only has the 1 model (in the same scale) so the degree of detail and personality behind the paint job becomes significantly more important. I bring these up as the focus of the video in general is for "Wargaming". 1/56 and 1/60th scale becomes more personable and enjoyable for collection Whereas for truly "large scale conflicts" people use 1/100th up to 1/300th to simulate the truly massive battles (such as Warhammer Epic) where people's focus is more on moving a few squads, but entire platoons and even potentially 1 or more divisions against one another. So 1/72nd scale falls inbetween. It works for Napoleonic and for many historical traditional Wargames, but outside that sphere of influence, it seems as though people either prefer larger or smaller scale. People at a smaller scale aren't as worried about detail, and more so just want to bring recreations of the Storming of Normandy to life, and people at a larger scale prioritize detail. The smaller scale people take it so far to the extreme as there is a niche of people who just represent entire divisions with a square block with a designation and that countries flag to indicate size, rank, and country for an entire division as they like to simulate the literal "War".

[@tablesaltgames]

I play modern setting in 20mm which is against the grain. Unfortunately we are pushing back against the market trend currently going bigger with 32mm and I can see less newer gamer playing in 20mm.

[@irregularmagazine]

Yeah, I've noticed the trend for up scaling, with newer games opting for 32mm or even as large as 40mm. Those scales only really work with skirmish games with a handful of models on each side.

[@marcj3682]

I have lots of painted modern 1/72 figures, vehicles, aircraft etc. What is the easiest set of rules to recommend a complete beginner?

[@irregularmagazine]

Nuts!: Nuts! is a rule set by Two Hour War games. This is a pretty good set of rules or You could use Team Yankee by Battlefront.

[@irregularmagazine]

Thesr are quite new and a lot of people are excited about then; kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnXIi32XiNyajJYsi=oss8hQeL5sLy15IP

[@gunner678]

Try Rapid Fire, they are pretty accessible and nicely presented too.

[@leonleese4919]

Airfix don’t make a range of 1/72nd scale armour anymore so where will I get my 1940 armour for the BEF ?

[@irregularmagazine]

www.italeri.com/en/category/3/25 sandsmodels.com/product-category/20mm-172-ww2/20mm-172-ww2-ww2-20mm-allied-vehicles-guns/ www.dragon-models.com/

[@alejandrocantu4652]

Its a fraction pronounced one seventy second 1/72nd scale and not 1 7 2 scale. love you info

[@soundoutthegalleon]

Other advantages: as it is HO/OO scale, railway terrain/scenery is widely available. Also, especially if you are a WW2 enthusiast, I have not yet found an armoured or other vehicle that is not available in kit form from at least one manufacturer. I also like the diecast tanks and so on available in 1/72. The obly drawback is if you get some 1/76 - some people say they are interchangeable, but to me the scale difference is obvious.

[@irregularmagazine]

Using the HO/OO scale terrain means you have an abundance of choice when it comes to getting a table sorted for a game.

[@mikesmith2905]

Cost is an issue for me (retired) so I favour 1:72. The Dapol (formerly Airfix) model buildings are cheap, they have rather a lot of windows so I fill some in with 2mm card, sand the outside smooth and cover them with printed brick paper. I use the spare windows on scratch-built additional buildings and extensions. I found a picture of a stone thatched cottage in Normandy that is close enough to the Dapol style when clad in stone paper and the country inn works well as an HQ (or the manor house for Operation Biting) clad in brick paper. The cottage can also be assembled in different ways so you can get away with three of them. The petrol station can be handy, replace the up-and-over door with folding doors and back-date the plate glass window using plasterers scrim and print off some signage for your chosen location (the bungalow makes a good owners house). Being designed for model railways they are rather small but I do add interiors with a removable roof and removable upper floor

[@alessiodecarolis]

Once there were only Airfix soldiers' boxes, then in mid '70s arrived Matchbox and then Esci, sadly these ended OOP. Now there are so many producers that pratically every age has been covered, except sci-fi, I always found strange that , with the huge success SW had, Airfix didn't tought of making some boxed sets of Imperials & rebels.

[@ronaldmcdonald8303]

Have you ever visited bills wargame world YT channel?

[@irregularmagazine]

@@ronaldmcdonald8303 I think I've stumbled across a couple of his videos.

[@SunburntHands]

1/72 is the perfect scale for Bolt Action- you can build a large force for less than a quarter of the usual price. The main drawback is that you'll lack opponents. No one plays Bolt Action with 1/72 because no one plays Bolt Action with 1/72. If only more people did play Bolt Action with 1/72, then more people would play Bolt Action in 1/72. 😂

[@irregularmagazine]

Lol

[@richardbradley2335]

There a drinking game in your answer right there !

[@joezilafro5300]

Our gaming group plays Bolt Action and Konflikt 47 in 1/72, and with 3d printing both resin and fdm has opened has made it even cheaper.

[@ClipCraze-i8j]

my favorite scales go as follows 15mm 6mm 28mm 1/72 1/32 2mm

[@irregularmagazine]

Mine are 10mm, 15mm, 1/72 an 28mm

[@LeonhartTryhard]

He visto a un tipo en internet que hizo un coche escala 1:150 RC con una direccion no solo funcional si no ademas realista, la escala 1 72 es la clave🤣

[@minifun]

Ceaser for plastic and AB in metal not better then that. The fiddly plastic can be difficult to paint and mold lines but once you now how. WOw!

[@irregularmagazine]

@@minifun I remember writing an article a few years back on the best way I've found to paint 1/72 toy soldiers.

[@vatsetis]

There is nothing that you have mentioned about 20mm scale that cant be also applied to a high degree also to 15mm or even 10mm scales.

[@insomniacbritgaming1632]

cost... 1/72 tends to be cheaper for most things and EVERYTHING you need can be found in plastics

[@nicholasbethell2921]

He did mention that details can be represented on figures and buildings that couldn't be reproduced in smaller scales.

[@jonesfoxx2241]

All true points !

[@michaelmanning5379]

1/72 is God's Own Scale. God created Adam in his own image at this scale. That's in Genesis. Trust me.

[@irregularmagazine]

Lol... I believe you..

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

I struggled to find affordable 1/72 wwii European buildings .

[@irregularmagazine]

Use suitable building from the train hobby, you can get a good range at a plethora of different price scales.

[@zaynevanday142]

I’m sure you are meaning 1/76 scale 😂😂😂

[@carausiuscaesar5672]

👍🇨🇦

[@MrKieras666]

Sci-Fi? Where? Who? Unless you're 3d printing then everything is possible

[@irregularmagazine]

Here's one blackdog-model.com/kategorie/1-72-sci-fi/

[@irregularmagazine]

Khursan do 1/72 or 20mm as they're also called in metal khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/20mmscifi.html

[@mikesmith2905]

Light and Dark Alliance 'Stalkers' for 'space pirates' with Dark Dream Studio 'Space Battles' (2 sets availble, one has two 'walkers' the other has a couple of light hover bikes), Airfix Paratroopers are easy to mod for space troopers. Various 'ground crew' for space base personnel and Airfix Astronauts for space ship crew. T34 tanks make a good basis for sci-fi vehicles, I used to use Armourfast but unless someone buys the moulds I'll have to use Airfix. Ships are more difficult, Airfix Angel Interceptors and orion shuttle are handy but you have to add an undercarriage for the Orion. I have had success modding Airfix Starfighters and if they re-pop the SR-51 rocket/jet place I'll stock up on those. The rest I make.

[@mikesmith2905]

Just doing a ‘space base’ set, for twins, one boy one girl, so as well as the soldiers and space pirates I needed more figures: Linear-A Set 001 The Folk of Judea - 40 people and 4 donkeys, Alien civilians, paint the people blue as they use copper instead of iron in their blood (as with earth octopuses) Linear-A Set 008 The Silk Road in Ancient Times - 28 figures in 7 poses, 8 camels and 4 yaks, for the space port traders, mixed aliens and humans. Think Conan the Barbarian style trading post. I have some 'Romans in togas (in the old film Things To Come you know you have made it when they give you a pole with a set of curtains on it to hang on your shoulders) and the slaves can work in the trading post. Toy set labelled ‘Bucket of Dragons’ has some 1:32 scale figures but a nice collection of small ‘dragons’ that are well suited to 20mm scale and they look more like aliens than dragons. Tube of small dinosaurs, a couple to become pack animals the rest to populate the outskirts. HALO: Micro Ops were useful if expensive but being ‘collectable’ they are no longer in production. Hopefully some enterprising Chinaman will clone the soldiers and sell them cheaply. Lego wheelsets can be used for sci-fi surface vehicles, I think the plastic of the axle plates can be glued with poly cement but I put a small screw through them into a scrap of wood inside the vehicle. Space ships will be simple, similar to star trek shuttles, made from 2mm card reinforced with square a candy-floss sticks (straighter than extra-large matches) and some lolly sticks, there is also a hamster ball that may make an openable spherical space ship with interior details and a couple of drain collars that will be saucers (similar to the one from The Invaders) again with a removable roof and interior details (being PVC you need an odd glue and some ABS plastic sheet for the base). Landing legs are nails punched through press-studs (poppers in the US) with a paper wrapper to make them ‘hydraulic’. Plus the scenery, home-made and aquarium plants, some hills, the space base and domestic/market buildings (three for the base and five for the civilian side). Probably two-to-three weeks work (I’m retired so I am time rich and money poor).