Double Duty: Making 28mm Work In 15mm, Part 1

The market for 15mm miniatures and models has exploded in the last few years.  That's a good thing.

But, we as gamers are hard to satisfy, and sometimes we look for alternate sources, alternate uses for things.  We tend to repurpose and appropriate from other scales, and make them fit into other roles.

Maybe it's an old fig you have laying around, maybe it's a good deal you couldn't pass up, and other times it's a cool fig you just want to make work in another scale.

I call this making a model perform "Double Duty." 

As long as a model isn't locked into a certain scale by size cues (doors, hatches, etc) or long-standing brand emblems, it is a good candidate for Double Duty.  With some small modifications and repainting, a wide number of models can be pressed into service on the 15mm tabletop.

Often, a 28mm monster enjoys a bump up in horror and intimidation when it is matched against 15mm figures.  The predicaments faced in dungeon crawl adventures (and their sci-fi equivalents) can be made much more terrifying.

Alien monsters that are no big deal facing off against 28mm heroes are now towering monstrosities when pitted against 15mm figs.  There's an amplification of the threat in size and proportion. Take a look at Reaper's famed dragon figures.  You think they're big in 28mm?  Put them up against 15mm figs, and the largest of them can pass for Kaiju!  ;)

As a quick "for instance," I'll focus today on using 28mm sculpted figs in 15mm settings.

 Reaper's Cyber-Reavers, from their Chronoscope Range

 Copplestone Castings' Terminator Robots (Code FW15) from their Future Wars Range.

GW's Necron Immortals, from WH40K.  Found on Amazon.

Deathbots.  Nothing says your lumbering, unstoppable, metal-clad-skeleton enemies have to be the same size as the human troops they are fighting. A 28mm scale deathbot, or Terminator, or Necron, is usually well over an inch and a quarter tall (32mm for you metric types).  Translate that to 15mm scale (at the 1/100th fractional equivalent), and that deathbot is now over 10 feet tall.

Robots in 28mm scale can also do Double Duty in 15mm.  Some folks want mechanical drone armies, and these offerings (The XAIRobots) from Reaper can be bought as a pack, or multiples of a single type.  Link here.

If you are looking for more of a clockwork flavor for your bots, Warmachine's Eradicators do very nicely, in my opinion, as do many other units from their new Convergence faction.
 
For aliens, again, nothing says they have to be the same proportions as your human troops.  Different ecologies on different planets are going to result in different sizes of life forms.

 These Kulathian Invaders from Reaper are 28mm figs that would easily be giant aliens when put up against 15mm troops.  They're big, ugly, and mean-looking.  Perfect for augmenting a pirate band or organic army, or as a stand-alone force.

 Reaper lists this guy as a Bathalian Drone.  A lot of the Bathalian miniatures make for fearsome, giant-sized organic aliens when doing Double Duty, and a number of them are being done in the Bones material, which should bring costs down if you don't want to pay for metal.

Last, but not least, a Hormagaunt swarm in WH40K is a pretty average troop unit, but when pitted against 15mm troops, they become horrific organic killing machines, able to cleave heavy power armor suits with a single swipe.  You can pick some up here on Amazon.

Well, that's part one.  As you can see, the focus was on 28mm troop figures.  We will concentrate on larger figs that can pass as mechs (and their equivalents) when we visit this Double Duty topic again.

On behalf of Dropship Horizon,
JBR

All photos and IP are property of their respective owners.

Review: How To Paint Citadel Tanks

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I know what you are thinking? "I know how to paint model tanks, do I really need this Games Workshop book?"

I had my reservations too. However I'm glad to say, regardless of personal experience and skill in this field, I'm sure most gamers could find a place for How To Paint Citadel Tanks on their bookshelf.

Why? What do you get for your fifteen squid?

Well, the most important thing which you won't find in the contents but definitely worth the cover price on it's own, is an anytime day or night ticket ride on the Inspiration Bus! For instance, had you thought of painting giant claw marks on your armour? Sounds cheesy but it looks great!

The book is chokka throughout with fantastic colour photos of Citadel tanks and armoured vehicles, camo schemes, plus stage by stage pics capturing techniques and finished effects - all of which are equally transferable to 15mm!

Fifteen squid for a photo book then? Look, let's make no bones about it, this is a showcase for both Citadel W40K models and Citadel paints. But it's also much more. How To Paint Citadel Tanks is an illustrated compendium of techniques, collected together and available to you in a single bound volume. Making it easy to refer to than stored webpages when getting down to planning and actually painting the tanks themselves.

How To Paint Citadel Tanks is a 96 page, softbound, A4 product printed on glossy high quality paper. Contents:

2 pages Materials
14 pages Preparation & Assembly
48 pages Painting Techniques
18 pages Stage by Stage (key stages with various Citadel AFVs)
2 page Colour Guide (which Citadel colours work together)
The rest of the pages are contents, fluff and index

How To Paint Citadel Tanks

Not a must buy, but definitely recommended!

Cheers
Mark

I guess that I should do some disclaimer. No infringement of IP or copyrights belonging to Games Workshop Ltd as variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world. Used without permission. No challenge to their status intended. All Rights Reserved to their respective owners.
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Games Workshop W40K Craters

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I really enjoyed painting my 'lava' bases this week. Completing several each night. The first took around 20 minutes as I played with colours and techniques but the rest took no time at all.

I tended to wait till Heather had gone to bed. Then retired to the study to paint for 45 minutes or so, managing three bases in that time using four layers of different paints and a quick orange wash.

Thursday lunchtime I dropped into Games Workshop and picked up some Citadel W40K Craters. If you have wondered about their suitability for 15mm Sci Fi then be assured they are superb and at under a tenner for 5 substantial, well moulded craters - excellent value for money and instant terrain to boot!


I hope this photo gives you an idea of scale with 15mm figs. You can see the small GZG recon Grav APC is completely hidden within the middle crater. And there's still room for 3-4 bases of infantry!

There's been quite a bit of negative comment about the recently released Citadel 'Blastscape' on TMP and DakkaDakka forums (read here). Don't let this dissuade you from buying their Craters pack. The plastic is sturdy and the definition is excellent - click on the photo above for a larger image and see for yourself. I was certainly impressed far more than I expected to be.


If you find yourself without inspiration for Sci Fi scenery or feel you lack the talent to create your own - these Citadel Craters are perfect - whether for a moon, asteroid, savannah wastes or red planet, they will provide you with instant, quality, versatile Sci Fi or post apocalyptic terrain.

Cheers
Mark