I managed to get six of the 20mm-scale figures off their bases, and temporarily fixed them to a couple of 40mm x 20mm MDF bases. The results looked like this:
When compared to my existing 15mm-scale figures ...
... the results show that the 20mm-scale figures work quite well ... but, on reflection, I am beginning to come round to the view that I would be better sticking with 15mm-scale figures. I have a large number of them, and if I am going to have to think of downsizing at some point in the future*, they will be both easier to store (they would take up much less space) and to carry#.
* Sue and I have been discussing moving to a bungalow or a house with only two floors, and since my operation, I have certainly found it more difficult to climb the stairs than I used to.
# If we do move, I expect that I might lose exclusive use of a room for wargaming. If this is the case, I may need to have to store the figures etc., in one room, and fight my wargames in another.
Bob - I agree with you. re 15mm being preferable, but would throw a spanner in the works by saying four to a base might give a more pleasing "mass" effect?
ReplyDeleteSteve-the-Wargamer,
DeleteThanks for the advice; it is something that I have considered in the past. I have tried putting four figures on a base, but I prefer to use three.
All the best,
Bob
Hi BOB,
ReplyDeleteI tend to favor your 15mm ESSEX Figures...they certainly do have a certain charm- and the benefits of small size. If you move to another abode I do hope you'l have a room for your Hobby. We nearly moved- though I wasn't prepared to give up my Study Room or my Outdoor Shed - so we're still here and content. Stay well and safe there in London. Regards. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteI like Essex Miniatures figures, but I know that there aren’t everyone’s cup of tea,
If - or when - we move, there will always be room for my hobby, but possibly not as much as I have now.
All the best,
Bob
Bob - The great thing about plastic 20mm figures is that they are so light weight, so only need light weight boxes. You can stack them much deeper, and you don't rupture yourself carrying more than a few at a time.
ReplyDeleteTrebian,
DeleteThe range of plastic 20mm figures that are available is immense ... but I still prefer metal figures.
All the best,
Bob
When I downsized to 10mm many moons ago, one of the reasons was the ease of storage in this 'scale', which was rather important as I didn't and still don't, have a dedicated games room or storage area. The latter will hopefully be resolved as lockdown eases and the shops open again.
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteI have looked at using 10mm figures, but I’m too ham fisted to paint them particularly well. I know, I’ve tried!
All the best,
Bob
Stairlifts are cheaper than moving.
ReplyDeleteNobby,
DeleteIt is an option that we have looked at, but the stairs from the middle to the top floor are not particularly suitable for fitting a stairlift.
All the best,
Bob
I am currently going through the downsizing process and have found it to be quite liberating. I have had to admit to myself that over the years I have accumulated a large quantity of figures that I have never used and probably never will and that they deserve a better home.
ReplyDeleteWhen we move I will have a dedicated war room but storage of figures, terrain and books will be an issue and that has to be tackled now. I have also been forced to focus on what periods really interest me and on what rule systems suit my needs and inclinations. The good news is that the PW is one of the top rankers!
Barry Carter,
DeleteIt looks as if you are further down the downsizing road than I am, but it sounds as if we have reached similar conclusions about our figure collections.
Luckily, most of my wargaming is PW-related, so it should be possible for me to find somewhere in our new home to store all the stuff I need to fight wargames.
All the best,
Bob
Move to a house of any dimension as you and your wife please but make sure you have enough room in your garden to have a 17' by 10' wargaming hut built.
ReplyDeleteProblem solved.
Jim Duncan,
DeleteFunnily enough, I have been looking at the cost of having a suitable building erected if - or when - we move .... assuming that there isn’t one already there!
All the best,
Bob
If you do, get a professional to do it. The cowboy that built mine left holes in it.
DeleteSteve8,
DeleteI once self assembled a garden shed rather than pay for it to be done by a professional. Never again! I learned my lesson, and would rather pay slightly extra to have the job done properly.
All the best,
Bob
I think you need to stick with a scale you really like and it seems from what you say that 15mm is the one for you. For me, if I had to let everything else go I would keep my 20mm Napoleonics!
ReplyDeleteStryker,
DeleteAs much as I love my Napoleonic and World War II collections, my ultimate collection is my 15mm Colonial one.
All the best,
Bob
With the potential bungalow move 15mm seems a good plan.
ReplyDeleteTradgardmastare,
DeleteThat is certainly the way my thinking is going; it’s finding a suitable bungalow that is going to be the problem.
All the best,
Bob
Bob, I had to smile when I read your post. You are Mr. Portable wargamer! If anyone can make do with less space for wargamining, it should be you! We are looking to you to show us the best way to downsize, since everyone has to do it someday. For myself, it has come down to a card table, a small work table, and a bookcase with narrow shelves for wargaming units and supplies. This leaves space in the same room for an exercise bike and a comfortable chair where I can park myself when I should be working.
ReplyDeleteBrother Jim,
DeleteVery true! In fact, I know from the first PW that I designed, that I can fit almost everything that I need to fight a PW (including figures and terrain) into a file box. The problem is that before I developed the PW, I have a collection that had been acquired over the course of sixty years ... and it is that collection that requires pruning to increase its portability!
I'll get there in the end; it's just going to take time ... and possibly a few regrets.
All the best,
Bob
"You pays your money and takes your pick" as Doc Ruddy used to tell us.
ReplyDeleteStill...bungalow? with garden?..... 20's look good outside... :) Actually, I came across a few of my old 15's
recently, surprising what nice figures they are.
Ross Mac,
DeleteGoing through my storage boxes has made me realise just how much 15mm stuff I have.
The problem with most bungalows in the UK is the size of their gardens. Most have very small outside areas, mainly due to the size of the plots, a large part of which is taken up by the building.
I think that I am going to go down the 15mm route ...
All the best,
Bob
I am a 20mm or rather 1/72 - 1/76 - HO/OO addict so anything Twentieth Century+ I am a sucker for
ReplyDeleteI try to keep 15mm to pre-1900
The dangerous thing about 20mm is that the plastics have become very, very good!
All the best
Mark
Geordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteIf - or when - we move house, I will need to downsize and rationalise my collections. I already have a large 15mm-scale Colonial collection, a largish 20mm-scale WW2 collection, and a sizeable 25/28mm-scale Napleonic collection, so adding a 20mm-scale Colonial collection might be a step too far.
All the best,
Bob