Does size really matter....?

Well, it obviously depends on how you are measuring it. Anyway, lets get back to toy soldiers!

My pondering is around the question of how big is 10mm? I have done a survey on how these miniatures are described:

• Victrix Games: 12mm or 1/144 (new WW2 range)
• Plastic Soldier Co: 10mm or 1/144 (new NORTHAG range)
• Pendraken: 10mm or 1/150
• Cold War 84: 10mm or 1/144
• Minifigs: 10/12mm or N gauge

The Pendraken size description is interesting because their figures are 10mm but their vehicles are deliberately 1/150 for a good fit with other ranges. Also interesting is that Irregular's Bush Wars 10mm troops are made deliberately bigger to fit with other manufacturers 12mm ranges.

As to what these descriptions really mean remains to be seen (in the flesh as it were). However, the maths seem to me to be this:

1/144 ~ 13mm

1/150 ~ 12mm

1/160 ~ 11mm

1/200 ~ 9mm

In my view, the older you get the less size matters. As a youngster I found it impossible to use 1/300 and 1/285 troops together. Nowadays I couldn't even see them, let alone the difference. I suspect that the various scale descriptions will be pretty meaningless until we see the actual products and test what fits best together.

As you can see from the picture above, the NORTHAG idea has strongly resonated with me. I have been revisiting many old war games including Mech War, NATO Divisional Commander (oh yes!) and several other games from the real Cold War. 

Lots of ideas cooking once "Battle of Hue!" finally launches.